Jim Motavalli
Contributor
Wheels
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Best Fuel Stabilizers For 2023
Getty Collector cars spend more time as garage queens than they do as road warriors. And that means they sit around—especially through the winter months—with gasoline in the tank. In the old days, this wasn’t as much of a problem,... -
Best Tire Sealants For 2022
Getty Images Window-sticker fuel economy matters, and automakers have been reducing weight by deep-sixing the heavy full-sized spare tire—a fixture since the first cars hit the road and then hit a pothole. Fewer than one in 10 cars has a... -
How Many Miles Should A Used Car Have?
An odometer reading of over 100,000 miles is common these days and doesn't carry the stigma it did 20 years ago. Proper maintenance records and an inspection carry as much—if not more—weight as the odometer. Getty Not too long ago,... -
How To Disconnect A Car Battery
Lead-acid batteries can be safely stored out of the car for up to two years, but charge them fully first. Robert Couse-Baker One of the most frustrating automotive experiences is discovering you have a dead lead-acid car battery. It’s one... -
How To Negotiate The Price Of A Used Car
It says "reduced," sure. But is it really? And are there ways to reduce that price even further? Yes. But you need to do your research and take a dispassionate approach to negotiation. Getty Images Whether you’re negotiating with a... -
Upselling Scams And How To Avoid Them
Upselling is common practice in auto repair shops. Keeping records and being prepared will give you the confidence to know when to say no—and when to say yes. Getty What is upselling? Let’s say you visit a franchised oil change... -
Rolls-Royce Spectre: New Luxury Coupé, With Battery Power
A heavily disguised Rolls-Royce Spectre shrugs off the cold near the Arctic Circle. Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce first made public information on its new battery-electric car, the Spectre, last September, but now the car has been through cold weather testing and we... -
Drive Smart: 20 Ways to Save Gas
Gas prices at a central New York State gas station fall close to the national average, $4.24 per gallon. Prices in California are approaching $6 a gallon. Bill Howard There is a consistent, dizzying pattern emerging: When gas prices top... -
50 Years Of BMW M Cars: Automakers Build Credibility Through Performance
1980 BMW M1 at the Amelia Island, Florida, Concours. BMW This is how automakers build reputations: I am hurtling down the road from Savannah to Jekyll Island, Georgia, passing dollar stores and boiled-peanut stands, in a 2002 BMW Z3 M... -
Automakers Offer Eco-Friendly Seating Materials
The 2022 Lucid Air luxury EV will offer a synthetic material, PureLuxe, as well as Nappa leather. Lucid Leather has been the premium choice for car seating since the first automobiles. Now, as the internal combustion engine is finally giving... -
Your Next Car Will Have Three Audio Tiers: Good, Better Or Ka-Ching
Stellantis has partnered with Foxconn to promote “a new frontier of in-cabin information and entertainment capabilities.” Stellantis When it comes to choosing an audio-infotainment system on a new car (if there’s a new car to be found on the lot),... -
Level-Setting: Why Drivers Still Don’t Understand Self-Driving
Cadillac Super Cruise was one of the first Level 2 assisted driving technologies. Drivers are interested in assisted driving technologies, possibly more interested than knowledgeable, says research by J.D. Power. Cadillac American car and truck owners have shaky knowledge of... -
J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index: Porsche, GMC Rank Highest
GMC Yukon AT4. GMC replaced Mini as the top-ranked mass-market brand in the 2021 Power Sales Satisfaction Index. GMC The chip shortage has invaded every aspect of the car business, and is heavily reflected in the J.D. Power 2021 Sales... -
Strategic Vision 2021 Quality Survey Puts Honda On Top
The Honda Accord Hybrid, one of five segment winners in the 2021 Total Quality Index study. According to Strategic Vision, "The Honda Accord generates more love than the [Toyota] Camry on all vehicle attribute ratings" even though the two are closely... -
10 Great Plug-In Hybrids If You’re Not Ready For A Full EV
The Toyota RAV4 Prime is as good as it gets in a plug-in: 42 miles on battery, then another 560 miles on gasoline. The 18.1-kilowatt-hour battery is eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit. It’s also the fastest four-door... -
Every Automaker’s EV Plans Through 2035 And Beyond
Mercedes-Benz EQS is effectively the electric equivalent of the full-size S-Class sedan. Mercedes-Benz There’s no longer any doubt that the auto industry is going electric. Every international automaker is introducing battery cars, and plug-in hybrid options are increasingly part... -
The Long View: Electric Cars Are Cleaner Than Gas Cars. Period.
2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV. On the ashes-to-ashes scale, EVs win: The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) says EVs pollute less than gas or diesel cars not just on a daily basis but also over the vehicle's lifecycle, including extracting... -
10 Top Plug-In Hybrids: If You’re Not Ready For Fully Electric Cars
Sometimes statistics about “electric cars” can be tricky. Do they include plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), or just battery electric vehicles (BEVs)? It goes both ways. Last year, Pew Research said 64,300 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs, with a gas engine and... -
‘It’s A Rocket Ship’: A First Ride In The Lucid Air EV
Lucid came to New York City to showcase the Lucid Air EV and its new studio (showroom) in the trendy Meatpacking District. Lucid's first EV ships later this year, the company says. Lucid's Gravity SUV is due in 2023. Lucid... -
Electric SUVs On The Horizon
BMW has been a leader in hybrids and plug-in hybrids that bridge the gap between combustion-engine vehicles and fully electric vehicles. Here, the BMW iX fully electric SUV with similar dimensions to the midsize X5 SUV, which already has hybrid... -
7 Electric Pickups On The Horizon, Including Ford F-150 Lightning
Startup Rivian is solidly moving to market with the R1T pickup and the R1S SUV. Rivian The electric pickup truck field will be relatively crowded. Seven new models are coming. None are on the road now. That’s posed a bit... -
Tesla Recalls 135,000 Model S, Model X Cars Over Touchscreen Failure
Tesla will recall nearly 135,000 older models for issues related to its touchscreens, primarily Model S sedans. Getty Tesla has been getting mostly good news lately, which contributes to a stratospherically high stock price. But the automaker suffered a setback... -
They’ve Gone To Plaid! Redesigned Tesla Model S Brings 200 Mph, 0-60 In 1.99 Seconds
Tesla's revised Model S Plaid offers hypercar speed, with 200 mph capability and zero-to-60 sprints of just under 2 seconds, clearly surpassing the older "ludicrous speed" mode of the earlier S. Tesla When Tesla moves, it moves fast. Last Wednesday... -
2022 Mini Facelift Aims to Keep Customers Satisfied
The Mini Electric, 2-door and 4-door hardtops, and the Mini convertible sport new front and rear styling for 2022, the first major visual change to the core Mini lineup since the current generation cars were introduced in 2014. Mini Mini’s... -
Stellantis: Fiat Chrysler Merges with PSA, Becoming World’s Fourth-Largest Automaker
Stellantis signs went up on Fiat's Mirafiori factory on January 19, 2021. Stellantis brings together FCA's portfolio of brands, Abarth, Alfa-Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, and Ram Trucks, with PSA's, including DS Automobiles, Citroen, Peugeot, Opel, and Vauxhall.... -
CES 2021: The Coolest Car Tech From The Virtual Show
General Motors' new BrightDrop EV600 electric van, coming to a delivery service near you. General Motors In years past CES—the 180,000-person Las Vegas spectacle formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show—was a peek into the furthest reaches of what tech... -
Paint Your Wagon: America’s Changing Car Colors
Thirty percent of new car buyers in North America prefer white exterior paint. Buick In 1957 a Chevrolet Bel Air could be finished in a lovely combination of Canyon Coral (the fifth most popular color at the time) and India... -
Apple’s Project Titan Autonomous EV Is Back On Track, Reports Say
Apple's glide path to build a viable and competitive autonomous electric vehicle is still far from visible, but the tech giant's Project Titan is back on track. According to a Reuters report, “Apple Inc is moving forward with self-driving car... -
R.I.P. Ford Fusion And Fellow Travelers: 10 Cars That Kicked The Bucket In 2020
American consumers have had a lot to contend with lately, so it’s understandable if they missed the news that some car models’ time in showrooms is quietly expiring. While some of these hapless vehicles never managed to gain traction in... -
GM Aligns With Biden Over Trump On California Fuel Economy
General Motors' Chevrolet Bolt EV assembly plant in Orion Township, Michigan. GM The wind changed direction, and so did General Motors. With President-elect Joe Biden signaling strong support for electric cars and cleaner tailpipes, GM withdrew its support for the... -
2022 BMW iX Electric SUV Boasts 500 Horsepower, 300-Mile Range
The BMW iX EV is poised to bring performance and range to the table. BMW The 2022 BMW iX electric midsize SUV wasn’t exempt from the typical normalizing effects that occur when transforming a vehicle from concept to production-ready. Developed from...
How Many Miles Should A Used Car Have?
How To Disconnect A Car Battery
How To Negotiate The Price Of A Used Car
Rolls-Royce Spectre: New Luxury Coupé, With Battery Power
Drive Smart: 20 Ways to Save Gas
50 Years Of BMW M Cars: Automakers Build Credibility Through Performance
Level-Setting: Why Drivers Still Don’t Understand Self-Driving
J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index: Porsche, GMC Rank Highest
Strategic Vision 2021 Quality Survey Puts Honda On Top
Every Automaker’s EV Plans Through 2035 And Beyond
The Long View: Electric Cars Are Cleaner Than Gas Cars. Period.
10 Top Plug-In Hybrids: If You’re Not Ready For Fully Electric Cars
They’ve Gone To Plaid! Redesigned Tesla Model S Brings 200 Mph, 0-60 In 1.99 Seconds
2022 Mini Facelift Aims to Keep Customers Satisfied
Stellantis: Fiat Chrysler Merges with PSA, Becoming World’s Fourth-Largest Automaker
CES 2021: The Coolest Car Tech From The Virtual Show
Paint Your Wagon: America’s Changing Car Colors
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