In the car writer's mailbag
Questions cover transmissions, tires, and issues with prior reviews
Q I bought a couple of front tires that were top-rated by Consumer Reports. I now need two new ones for the rear, but the price has gone up 60 percent. Can I use tires from another manufacturer without problems?
A As long as your vehicle is not all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, you can shop around for deals with other manufacturers. But you must match the size and speed ratings on all tires. Bob O'Brien of Direct Tire in Watertown says you should match pairs side-to-side, always putting the newest tires on the rear, even if you have a front-wheel-drive car.
Q I know you have a job to do and on which side your bread is buttered, but any car weighing less than 4,000 pounds that does not have standard safety equipment such as antilock brakes and standard air bags is a death trap. Can't you praise the interior of a small car such as the Chevrolet Aveo and at the same time slam it for its failure to protect driver and passengers in a crash?
A I assume you are implying that I go soft on car manufacturers. I have been repeatedly critical of companies that either don't make the best safety equipment standard or bundle it with expensive and unnecessary options. As for the Aveo, I wrote that its biggest flaw is that antilock brakes are an option, not standard, and most buyers won't choose to spend the extra money.
Q I was attracted to the Jeep Compass after your review because it's a four-wheel-drive car with a continuously variable transmission, meaning there are no abrupt gear changes in "drive." But does that mean it can't be downshifted and locked in a lower gear while crawling down steep hills?
A For the most part, with the transmission in "drive," some braking would be OK at a reasonable speed. If more braking is desired, you could put the transmission in "low," which would add some engine braking. However, shifting abruptly from drive to low at a relatively high speed would not be a good idea, as it could temporarily unsettle the car. The vehicle's antilock braking system and electronic stability control, more than the transmission, will help a driver maintain control in slippery conditions.
Q Why would anyone recommend a rear-wheel-drive car for New England?
A I never said they were ideal for weather conditions around here, but the recent comeback in rear-wheel-drive cars has come with the advent of traction and stability control, which transmit power and braking wheel-to-wheel in the rear, depending on which has the most traction. Add snow tires on all four wheels and you can get around quite well on ice, and in all but the deepest snow.
Q My 2006 Mustang is a great car, but not very practical for a father of two small children. Do you think
A Billy Collins, a Ford Motor Co. spokesman, says the Fusion has the sportiness, handling, and standard transmission to handle a beefier engine. Nothing has been made public yet, but Ford is adding a 3.5-liter Duratec 35 power plant -- 265 horsepower, 250 lb.-ft. of torque -- to its popular Ford Five Hundred . I wouldn't be surprised to see the 265-horsepower engine make its way into a sportier Fusion.
Q The story "Big risks seen in small cars" was some of the most irresponsible reporting I've ever read in your paper. The report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested small cars only in the types of crashes where they're more susceptible -- front-end, side, and rear-end impacts. It ignored the type of accident where they are far and away safer -- the roll over. With your family name I wonder if you have an incentive to peddle unsafe, unclean, and unsound vehicles to the American public.
A For the record, my father was a stone cutter in a granite quarry, a tannery worker, a carpenter, and a stock-car racer. He didn't inspire me to promote unsafe, unclean, and unsound vehicles. And as to the study, roll overs account for 3 percent of motor vehicle accidents. They have killed about 10,000 people annually in recent years, owing largely to the popularity of SUVs. Yes, smaller cars are less prone to roll over fatalities. But that still means about 35,000 people are killed each year in other types of crashes, such as those cited in the study. If you drive a small car, that's well worth noting.
Royal Ford can be reached at ford@globe.com. 
