LATEST AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
Fast or frugal? Diverse designs make it tough to pick favorite car for '08
We write about so many cars every year that we sometimes forget when we are dealing with a clutch, where the turn signals are, how to adjust the outside mirrors, how to use the navigation system, or just how suddenly a particular car can lurch forward with a push of the gas pedal.
The high tech goes higher
Flying cars aren't yet a reality. But automakers are continually developing new technologies to make our cars safer and more futuristic.
Drive It Forever
Q. I have a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis with 56,000 miles and a nearly new battery. I turned the ignition switch, the engine cranked beautifully, and then it died. I have had this problem for awhile, because the car is not driven much and the fuel injectors need cleaning. No big deal.
Student designers envision a no-oil future
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. - On a recent morning here, teams of elementary school students participating in a Ford Motor Co. competition were putting the finishing touches on their environmentally friendly car designs.
The H3 Alpha gets V-8 power
Ever since it debuted for the 2006 model year, Hummer's H3 has been one of the toughest-looking SUVs around. But its engine offerings have been comparatively puny. That changes with the new H3 Alpha, which gives the mid-size SUV V-8 power for the first time.
Crash dummies will get kids' 'abdomens'
Ford Motor Co. is developing a high-tech insert for crash test dummies that is similar in size and shape to a 6-year-old's abdomen, aiming to improve tests for children's vehicle safety.
In bid to be competitive, Chinese automakers merging production
Two of China's biggest automakers revealed a deal yesterday to combine their production assets in hopes of creating a company able to compete in global markets.
Toyota aims to sell 9.85m vehicles
Toyota plans to sell 9.85 million vehicles worldwide in 2008, the company said yesterday, setting an ambitious target despite worries about a slowing US market, as it tries to become the top automaker.
When car shopping, look for these winter driving features
Let's say you're looking for a new car. If you've never had to pry a wiper loose from a frozen windshield, you might not recognize the comfort and safety challenges that confront motorists in harsh winter climates. If you live in a colder clime, you do know the horror of losing sensation in your fingers and toes or sliding haplessly ...
Drive it Forever
Q: Can you resolve a long-standing disagreement I have with my father about rearview mirrors?
10 innovations drivers are thankful for
The automobile has gone through many innovations, ranging from radios to fuel injection. But what are the top 10 innovations in recent times? Going back 30-ish years, here's what we've come up with:
Mariner Hybrid fuels a smooth balance
The restyled Mercury Mariner is the most expensive in Ford's compact-SUV lineup, a group that also includes the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute. All three come in regular or gas-electric hybrid versions. The Mariner drives as seamlessly as you can expect a hybrid to these days, and it delivers respectable power and real-world gas mileage in the 30s.
2008 Buick Enclave
Base list prices * $32,055 - $36,255 *See current, detailed pricing on cars.com. EPA fuel economy 16 / 22-24 miles per gallon (city/highway)
Enclave carves out a niche
Buick's new three-row luxury crossover, the Enclave, has a big hole to fill in the brand's lineup. It replaces not one, but three models: the Rendezvous and Rainier SUVs and the Terraza minivan. A big job indeed, but the Enclave pulls it off by blending SUV styling with much of the driving experience, roominess, and fuel economy of a minivan.
GM selling medium-duty truck unit
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - General Motors Corp. , the world's largest automaker, agreed to sell a truck-making unit with an estimated value of $500 million to Navistar International Corp.
2008 rate filings of 8 insurers approved
Insurance Commissioner Nonnie S. Burnes yesterday approved the 2008 rate filings of eight insurance companies, including one that Attorney General Martha Coakley is challenging because Coakley says it includes millions of dollars in customer overcharges.
R8 quattro a quick study
When it comes to the world's most expensive and fastest high performance cars, it is not uncommon for me to first test them on a race course - a place where many people who spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy such cars never go.
2008 Audi R8 Coupe quattro R tronic
THE BASICS Base price/as tested: $118,000/$134,545 Fuel economy: 15.1 miles per gallon in Globe testing (premium fuel)
Caravan battery problems
Q. I have a 1998 Dodge Caravan. After the last battery change, some of the dash indicator lights started flashing. The A/C and the rear defroster are two of them. This is annoying, because you cannot tell if they are on or off. After about 20 minutes of driving, the lights sometimes stop flashing.
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