Hatchback

The 2013 Ford Focus ST, a 252-horsepower, high-performance compact car, has been hotly anticipated in making its U.S. debut since the original version launched in Europe in 2005. The car goes on sale in the U.S. carrying ultra-high expectations with it. But before it hits showrooms, Ford doesn't seem to want ...    Read more

The debate of which city having the worst traffic in the country has been going on ever since cars started being mass-produced. While cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Boston are notorious for stop-and-go traffic during rush hour (or any time of day, month, or year in Los Angeles for ...    Read more

After a tumultuous six years in Dearborn Michigan, Ford received news from Moody's Investors Services this afternoon that its credit level has been bumped up from junk to investment grade. This effectively closes one of the roughest chapters in the Blue Oval's history but there are still a few more ...    Read more

Subaru's heavyweight, the WRX STI, is still recovering from having its thunder stolen thanks to the recent addition of the BRZ. In today's installment of Video of the Day, sister publication Motor Trend takes the 2012 Subaru WRX STI out for a spin in the latest episode of Ignition to ...    Read more

This week marks the arrival of the first Ford Focus Electric cars to dealerships across the country, but Ford doesn't want anyone to know. Except the salesmen, of course. The first batch of 350 Focus Electrics will arrive at 67 dealerships across California, New Jersey and New York. Each dealership gets six ...    Read more

Summoning its racing heritage from the 1960's, the John Cooper Works sub-brand from Mini has announced its lineup of 2013 models will boast a new engine, promising more power while sipping on less fuel and leaving a smaller carbon foot-print behind. The new-generation 1.6-liter four-cylinder twin-turbo engine is rated at ...    Read more

Eeveryone hates getting traffic tickets. Not only does the citation lighten your wallet, in some states your driving record will take a hit, while other states increase the price of your auto insurance. Now, thanks to Insurance.com's new "Uh-Oh! Calculator," you can see just how much that citation ...    Read more

This week began with the 2013 Ford F-150 shedding the camouflage that once covered the full-size light-duty truck's front-end. BMW's M branch, the performance wing of the German automaker, celebrated its 40th birthday on Wednesday and in honor of the milestone, we've compiled a list of the top five BMW ...    Read more

Everywhere you look someone is gripping tightly to an iPhone, Android, or some other type of smartphone, because whatever the need, there's an app for that. As so, Hyundai announced it launched a refreshed version of Blue Link, an app that can control and peek into a variety of vital ...    Read more

The nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently announced three vehicles -- the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu ECO, the 2012 Hyundai Azera, and the 2012 Toyota Prius c -- as the latest recipients for its Top Safety Pick award. The IIHS tests vehicles for safety in frontal and side crashes, rollovers, and ...    Read more

This isn't your 2013 BMW 1 Series. The U.S. isn't getting the hatchback, as BMW met less-than-rave reviews the last time the automaker sold a three-door in the States. However, what you are looking at, if you squint a little, is the future of the BMW 1 Series coupe, ...    Read more

While many states have already outlawed texting, grooming, reading, and eating while driving, Rhode Island is taking distracted driving to a whole new level. Representative Peter Palumbo, a Democrat from Cranston, R.I., has presented a bill that would outlaw dogs from riding in the lap of the driver. If this ...    Read more

Not even a week ago, automakers from all over the globe agreed to a new standard for electric vehicle charging, called the Combined Charging System, or CCS. Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Daimler AG, and Porsche have been lobbying for the use of single-pug system (a.k.a. CCS) ...    Read more

Automotive.com's El Segundo office is located a stone's throw from South Bay Ford, who thoughtfully gave us free ski passes one day as part of some test drive promotion. It was a thoroughly shameless attempt at a free weekend vacation, overwhelmingly justified by the "Hey, If They're Offering" corollary that ...    Read more

Somehow, the term "Playstation generation" has stuck on us Gen Y folk. And somehow, Scion has boldly attempted to emblazon itself as the brand of young people, handing out indie hip hop sampler CDs at car shows and offering Bazooka subwoofers as dealer-installed options. It wasn't too big a leap for ...    Read more

The neon-bright Ford Focus ST is the sporty Focus enthusiasts have been waiting on for months now. And now that its starting price has been announced, Ford hopes they'll be lining up dealerships with the same enthusiasm. And the figure you've all been enthusiastically anticipating is: $24,495, before destination, ...    Read more

Hearing New Yorkers, you get a sense that there's an arbitrary pride in keeping things the way they always were. If you need an example, just look at the Yankees, who still don't carry player names on their jerseys after more than 100 years. When it comes to transportation, New Yorkers ...    Read more

Should Mitsubishi bring back the Mirage, a compact vehicle last seen on roads stateside a decade ago? If you're unsure, you're not alone, as the execs over at Mitsubishi's American headquarters are contemplating the same thing right now. Mitsubishi has already decided it will begin selling the Mirage north of ...    Read more

Last year might have been the toughest on record for Japan's three major automakers, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. A strong yen partnered with the horrific natural disaster that struck Japan in March of 2011 crippled the three aforementioned automakers and all have only recently recovered. Honda was the last of ...    Read more

General Motors managed to sell more vehicles than any other automaker on planet earth in 2011 and now its CEO, Dan Akerson, is getting paid. Sort of. Last year marked Akerson's first full year at the helm of GM, and now he gets to cash in on a $7.7 million ...    Read more

There have been times we've all wished life were more like a video game. You score points for making it through the end of the workday. Your health bar increases at lunchtime; anything to make the mundane seem more entertaining. Some people just have a way of making it all come ...    Read more

General Electric boss Jeff Immelt made no secret that the world hasn't been as receptive to electric vehicles as forecasters first thought, but he doesn't expect sales to stay down forever. Even with the disappointment surrounding EV sales, Immelt told Automotive News that his company would continue to invest in ...    Read more

At the request of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the United States government has decided to extend the comment period on distracted driving regulations that would affect what technology makes it into new vehicles. The deadline was originally set to expire today, but thanks to the extension automakers have until ...    Read more

Don't bite the hand that feeds you, our parents may have told us. Youth-oriented Scion is too cool to listen to hoary old advice from our platitude-spouting elders, which may explain why the cars that the brand launched with, the xB and the xD's predecessor—the cars that built Scion, literally, from ...    Read more

Having a truly successful electric car market isn't going to happen for a while. It can't, and Ford CEO Alan Mulally realizes this. Speaking to a group of reporters who asked if Ford would be disappointed if it didn't meet its ...    Read more