Opinion

Waiting for your Fisker electric car? Well, you better wait a little longer. The Detroit News reports that, according to a report issued by the Energy Department, Fisker planned to start sales of its plug-in Karma electric sports cars for the summer launch. Fisker spokesman Russell Datz, ...    Read more

While we’ve known for some time that Hyundai Motors planned to upscale both its Hyundai and Kia brands (witness the Genesis and Forte cars respectively), it never occurred to us to change their naming conventions. Case in point: dropping the Kia names for letters and numbers ala alphanumeric. According to ...    Read more

Reports are circulating that Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra has its eye on sports car maker Lotus. Lotus, however, is owned by Indonesia automaker Proton, which is not interested in selling the British brand. Said a Lotus representative, "We undertake confidential engineering consultancy for clients via Lotus Engineering. There is a ...    Read more

Remember the Cash for Clunkers program? The program, which the federal government had car owners trading in their older, large SUV, pickup, or other inefficient vehicle for smaller, more fuel efficient and/or cleaner vehicles, surprised both supports and critics at its popular with the American public. Well, the government is ...    Read more

The question of what is the “Most American” car has been asked – and answered – again, and Japan is – again – the winner. According to Cars.com American-Made Index, Toyota’s midsized Camry sedan wins its second year as the vehicle most built, either assembled or with parts or both, ...    Read more

The grim image of doddering grandpa or grandma blissfully plowing through a row of pedestrians seems to have no basis in fact. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in a study covering auto accidents from 1997 through 2008, saw the number of auto accidents by drivers age 71 and ...    Read more

Context, as they say, is always important, and that cliché applied to our quick romp in the Tata Nano. Part of the Continental excursion in Germany last week, the Tata Nano was the most heavily sought and driven vehicle on the track that day. Few Westerns ...    Read more

The California Legislature, finally getting the balls to do something about the state debt, has come up with the idea of using license plates as bill boards.Wait. What? Dem Senator Curren Price of Los Angeles proposed the out-of-the-box bill. "We're just trying to find creative ways of generating ...    Read more

Let's establish something here and now before we proceed further. ...    Read more

MINNEAPOLIS – The new message to commuters in Minneapolis: Hit a bicycle pedal instead of a gas pedal. ...    Read more

For some time now, BMW has been developing an “Active Sound Design” which reduces and improves the noise inherent to diesel engines. Well, the system works so well that BMW engineers are then able to tuned the vehicles’ sound systems to emit four different sounds, one of which resembling am ...    Read more

German automaker Audi and U.S. carmaker Ford lead in the sedan and SUV categories in the latest IIHS "Top Safety" picks. Among the sedans are the Audi A4, Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ and Mercury Milan. The SUVs include the Audi Q5, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, and Hyundai Tucson. The lone ...    Read more

Well, the official announcement that came yesterday was not a huge surprise. In fact, many thought that it would have, or should have, come sooner. But considering that massive brand consolidation that General Motors underwent during the bankruptcy process, I'm sure the idea was not lost on the ...    Read more

While details are currently slim, sources tell us that the shut down of Ford's Mercury brand is all but official, with an announcement to come later today. Read more at Motor Trend UPDATE: Ford has officially announced it will be discontinuing the Mercury brand by year's end as ...    Read more

A few months back, we brought you a study that revealed the most- and least-expensive vehicles to insure on the road today, and after further number crunching, Insure.com is prepared to award the least-expensive vehicles to insure in each class. Keep reading to find out who won. Read more at ...    Read more

A sporty cruiser, the RL leans towards the latter in its latest incarnation. The RL’s electronic steering has definitely been re-tuned, requiring less effort in maneuvering the sedan. This makes it exceptionally easy to move around parking lots and tight spaces. I could turn the RL, for example, ...    Read more

I have a confession to make: I have more than an impartial reviewer’s interest in the Ford Fusion Hybrid. Sometime this year, our 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid will break 200,000 miles which means we’ll be seriously looking for a new car. The Fusion Hybrid is on the list as one ...    Read more

It’s no secret that Chrysler is planning on launching several new compact vehicles based on Fiat platforms, but their launch timing is a little surprising. The automaker had originally planned on introducing the new models well after 2012, but it may be able to launch them before that point.Read Full ...    Read more

As an owner of a 2005 Acura RL, I had a personal interest in the latest model, which went on sale late last year/early 2010. Refreshed with the controversial “front fascia” from model year 2009, the 2010 RL enters little change into the new year. Notable modifications include chrome ...    Read more

One thing that immediately struck me while driving the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is how sporty it felt to drive, not a trait normally associated with hybrids. Underlying suspension just thunked over potholes and road imperfections and the car never rattled or severely shook after such encounters. The electric steering ...    Read more

In my opinion, the 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid is a retro-curiosity among today’s hybrids. On the one hand, its distinctive styling both inside and out separate it on the road. On the other hand, the rough (but powerful) hybrid engine, numb steering, and sporty suspension are in sharp contrast to ...    Read more

“Cozy” was the first word that entered my mind when I sat in the 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid. The steering wheel, instrument cluster, dash, and center console seemed to embrace me. Same with the seats and their thick side bolsters. I believe the thick paneling lent to the impression. Various ...    Read more

The 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter inline-four gasoline engine generates 158 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque while the electric motor produces 40 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque for a total of 198 horsepower and, theoretically, 261 pound-feet of torque. This puts the Altima hybrid ...    Read more

According to a recent study, German luxury automaker BMW has overtaken Toyota as the world’s most valuable auto brand. Read More at Automobile Magazine

While a car's exterior is important, I've found the interior to be next in priority after price and the Nissan Altima Hybrid is no exception. Slipping inside, I found the front row to be spacious and airy, even with the powered moonroof which is ...    Read more