Buick Regal: Sporty midsize sedan is value leader of near-luxury segment
Buick’s crossovers — the compact Encore and 7-passenger Enclave — have led its post-bankruptcy recovery.
Autos
SATURDAY, SEPT. 12, 2015
TUESDAY, SEPT. 8, 2015
Car hacking: a potential threat
You likely caught a report last month about some computer whizzes hacking an automobile computer. As detailed in Wired magazine and endlessly reported elsewhere, cybersecurity researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek controlled a Jeep Cherokee’s onboard computer from their laptop. The skilled hackers spent years…
SATURDAY, SEPT. 5, 2015
Toyota Tacoma: 2016 Taco excels off-road, adds creature comforts
Toyota wanted to impress the media with the off-road abilities of the 2016 Tacoma pickup, so it built a mountainside test track just outside Snoqualmie. Long the best-selling mid-size pickups and a favorite of people who spend a lot of time out doors. But a...
MONDAY, AUG. 31, 2015
Why all the rage?
Road rage exists everywhere. Searching related news stories on the Internet regularly reveals the tragic outcomes of such events. Just last month, a Florida man was slain in front of his family when an outraged motorist followed him to his residence after an “aggressive interaction”…
SATURDAY, AUG. 29, 2015
BMW X6 M: High-performance, tech-rich crossover is weirdly shaped and stunningly fast
In 1999, BMW dipped its toes into crossover waters with the midsize X5. Built on the rear-drive platform of the 5 Series sedan, it inherited that car’s muscularity and superior driving dynamics.
MONDAY, AUG. 24, 2015
Solutions from readers 1
It’s open to discussion if their solutions are viable, but readers regularly send me their ideas for improving highway safety. For example, regarding phone distraction, R.B. suggested, “After reading your column today I had a thought; why can’t we get cell phone makers to make…
SATURDAY, AUG. 22, 2015
Jeep Patriot: Old-school, budget-wise crossover still selling well 4
I drove the Jeep Patriot a thousand miles before grasping its appeal.
MONDAY, AUG. 17, 2015
Horsepower making a comeback
Whether one calls it performance, muscle, throttle response, or something else, fast vehicles are making a comeback. Though it was predicted that the early 1970’s marked the beginning of the end for “muscle cars,” the specs and performance of many current production models belie that…
SATURDAY, AUG. 15, 2015
Mitsubishi Lancer: Great bones, more keep compact Lancer relevant
Good bones, affordable pricing and available all-wheel-drive keep the aging Mitsubishi Lancer relevant.
MONDAY, AUG. 10, 2015
Distraction running amok
When I wrote of driver distraction ten years ago, the “playing field” was different. Then, the most prevalent attention grabber for drivers was “rubbernecking” at roadside sightings like disabled vehicles, accidents, or police traffic stops. At that time, cell phones were not even among the…
SUNDAY, AUG. 9, 2015
2015 Lincoln Navigator: EcoBoost to the rescue
Ford reaches into its EcoBoost bag of tricks to freshen the full-size Lincoln Navigator. For 2015, Ford replaces last year’s eight-cylinder engine with a thriftier and more powerful twin-turbocharged six. The new Navigator also receives exterior updates, a redesigned interior and updated cabin technology. A…
Collector Car Corner: The demise of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation
Back in the late 40s and 50s my grandfather bought a series of Studebaker cars: the first being a Land Cruiser (fine car: a 1950, I think) followed by others of increasingly poor quality, but increasingly more radical in design.
THURSDAY, AUG. 6, 2015
Test Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen
This week, we get to drive the 2015 Motor Trend Magazine ³Car of the Year,² namely the 2015 Volkswagen Golf that arrived in SportWagen trim.
MONDAY, AUG. 3, 2015
Test Drive : 2015 Volkswagen Jetta
This week, we're driving the 2015 Volkswagen Jetta, delivered with its new TDI (Turbo Direct Injection) Diesel under the hood that offers many advantages versus the competition.
On readers' minds
Readers regularly comment on the topics presented here. And those remarks are often the impetus for column content, including: dissecting rules of the road, examining driver behavior, discussing local traffic issues and touting safety reminders. The majority of reader commentary is positive, and it’s encouraging…
SATURDAY, AUG. 1, 2015
Honda Pilot: Third generation is a charm
Like an automotive Dorian Gray, Honda’s midsize Pilot loses years as it ages. The Pilot is fully made-over this year. It’s curvier on the outside and friendlier within. Increased use of high-strength/lightweight steel in the body structure helps produce a weight loss of nearly 300…
FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015
Collector Car Corner: Solving a Chevy LS7 454 engine mystery
I bought a 69 Camaro from a guy in Texas with an old Chevy crate engine in it called an LS7 Big Block. He installed the LS7 in the car in the late 1980's and the number stamped on the block is TL02XCH09488093.
MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015
Freeway interchange improvements
I regularly receive reader concerns over the inadequacy of certain Spokane freeway interchanges. Indeed, some of the entrance and exit ramps to and from Interstate 90 here lack safe and efficient flow. Those design shortcomings may be partially blamed on delays and objections taking place…
SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2015
Hyundai Tucson: Catching up with the competition — and then some
Hyundai was one of three companies whose U.S. market share grew during the recession. Its fortunes have faltered since, however. Its failing? Too many cars, not enough crossovers. The compact crossover is the industry’s hot number. Segment sales are up 19 percent — mostly at…
Test Drive: 2015 Nissan Juke
This week, we’re driving the 2015 Nissan Juke SL AWD that is classified by the EPA as a small station wagon. Although Nissan originally built the Juke to attract a younger demographic, an expanding number of baby boomers are driving Jukes, and Nissan expects this trend to continue.
THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015
Collector Car Corner: Remembering the Lincoln V-8
My grandfather had a 1952 Lincoln that came with the first ever overhead valve V8 in the Lincoln line. Can you tell me more about this car?
MONDAY, JULY 20, 2015
Scion iM and iA: Toyota’s “youth laboratory” scores twice
Hot hatches are happening. Little sedans, not so much. So Scion is confident it will sell more copies of its new iM hatchback than of its also-new sibling, the iA sedan.
Scion iM and iA: Toyota’s “youth laboratory” scores twice
Hot hatches are happening. Little sedans, not so much. So Scion is confident it will sell more copies of its new iM hatchback than of its also-new sibling, the iA sedan.
Another plea to share roads
A couple of months ago, I wrote of the “touchy coexistence” between two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles. The motorized two-wheelers, motorcycles and scooters, sometimes suffer the effects of size-disparity among four-wheeled cars and trucks. More vulnerable, however, are the bicyclists, who have a disadvantage of size…
SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2015
Collector Car Corner: Atco Dragway Funny Car memories
"I came across your article on “Rare Comet Cyclone GT” recently and noticed that you had seen Dyno Don Nicholson at Atco Dragway in Berlin, New Jersey, in the summer of 1966. I was there also."
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