GTI is sweet by any name 11-16-2009
Let's get this out of the way first: The Volkswagen GTI is based on the new 2010 VW Golf.

Tracking down cause of death for car battery 11-16-2009
Question: My son has a 1997 GMC Jimmy with 200,000 miles that is in really good condition.

At last, Kia has arrived.  But will respect follow? 11-16-2009
Kia is a brand that gets no respect. The company's value image and low-rent cars have made it the perfect punch line in late-night monologues; it's the Rodney Dangerfield of the automotive world.

Automotive Q&A: Premium vs. regular gas 11-16-2009
Question: I am looking to purchase a Lexus GX470. It calls for premium gas. Can it be tuned to run on regular? Will regular harm the engine? How about a mix?

Kia Forte: Good looks, read to tackle giants 11-16-2009
If nothing else, credit Korean automaker Kia with boldly taking another shot at a segment that is ruled by kings. 

BMW 750Li enjoyable, no longer top of class 11-16-2009
The ergonomics department at BMW headquarters in Munich could turn fastening a Velcro strip into a four-step process with footnotes, but nobody builds a more elegant and enjoyable car than their colleagues in engineering and design.

Inflatable seat belts to debut in 2011 Ford Explorer 11-10-2009
DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. said Thursday that its new inflatable seat belts will provide additional safety for rear seat passengers, especially children and the elderly, who more frequently sit in the back rows of cars and trucks.

Automotive Q&A: Car sound raises concern 11-10-2009
Question: I took a friend to the airport last week and he commented that the car might have a bad wheel bearing, because there was a whirring sound. 

Once parked, car's journey far from over 11-10-2009
Question: When I park my 1998 Ford Explorer on a slight incline facing downhill and put it in Park, it will creep forward on its own, very slowly. 

Off road? Jeep Wrangler's on target 11-10-2009
For decades, the name "Jeep Wrangler" conjured images of the cheeky-but-tough two-door, soft-top SUV that helped us win World War II.

GMC Terrain just right for 5 folks 11-03-2009
With the Acadia and the Yukon, GMC has the mid- and full-size SUV market covered, but the company has lacked something smaller.

There's a method to madness in mounting tires 11-03-2009
Question: Recently when buying two new tires for my front-wheel-drive car, I was told the company policy is to put the two new tires on the rear. 

Jaguar XFR: You can feel this car ready to pounce 11-03-2009
Tap the pulsating start button and the aluminum rotary gear-shifter rises from the center console. 

Ford scores high marks for reliability in key study 11-03-2009
SAN FRANCISCO — For the first time in five years, a sedan rolled out by a U.S. car company has managed to topple the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord in a closely watched reliability study released this week.

Buick needs a hero, but will buyers find it in the LaCrosse? 11-03-2009
The 2010 LaCrosse is Super-Buick, but will buyers see past Clark Kent's glasses?

Pontiac Vibe: Last of the brand 10-27-2009
I wrote my first test drive in 1984, and plenty of them were obituaries for departed brands that either died or left the U.S. market.

Ford's transit connect does job cheaply 10-27-2009
Got the Econoline Blues? Need a cheap, roomy van to haul your indie band's gear from one college town to the next? 

Car lovers compete on the cheap 10-27-2009
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Tim Suddard didn't need the recession to teach him how to do more with less. 

What's leaking from car? Color should tell 10-27-2009
Q: I have a 2001 Buick Century with 74,000 miles on it. For the past few months I have noticed spots on the garage floor—mostly in the right front area.

Automotive Q&A: CD player seemed 
to have a mind of its own 10-27-2009
Q. I'm curious. With all the odd problems you help people with, what the most difficult to fix or unusual problem is you've ever encountered?

Fiat preps 5-year Chrysler plan 10-27-2009
On Nov. 4, we'll get our first look at Chrysler's future. That's the day Fiat plans to reveal its 5-year plan for the Chrysler Group, which includes Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. 

New Volvos are in the works 10-20-2009
Volvo's for sale, but that hasn't slowed development of new vehicles and technologies, the Swedish automaker's North American boss told me last week.

Suzuki Kizashi is big on excitement, accessories 10-20-2009
Kizashi! Bless you. Have a Kleenex and a new top-of-line sedan at Suzuki.

Automotive Q&A: Check out those squealing brakes 10-20-2009
Q. The brakes on my car began to squeal this week and a friend said it means it's time for a brake job.

Porsche busts mold on styling 10-20-2009
ORLANDO, Fla. — Pity the poor Porsche loyalists: Just as they've gotten over the heresy that is the Porsche Cayenne sport utility vehicle — a Porsche SUV! 

Lexus HS 250h falls short on space, fuel efficiency 10-20-2009
Lexus' ballyhooed HS 250h hybrid fails on almost all fronts, offering worse fuel economy and interior space than other hybrids costing thousands of dollars less.

Hybrids stay popular, even after gas prices fall 10-20-2009
HEATHROW, Fla. — A year ago, the average price of a gallon of gasoline was $3.45. This week, it's $2.39. Why would anyone, then, feel compelled to buy a hybrid?

Crash alert systems for the rest of us 10-20-2009
DETROIT — Most drivers have been humbled by a blaring horn after drifting out of his or her lane, or felt frazzled while slamming on the brakes to stop short of a crash.

Ford recharges much-maligned 
midsize sedan with amazing aplomb 10-13-2009
Remember that trip a few years back when you arrived at the airport, took the rental-car shuttle, signed the paperwork and walked to the parking lot only to face the prospect of driving a Ford Taurus?

Lights signal serious trouble in brake system 10-13-2009
Question: The emergency and antilock brake system lights in my 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 stay on all the time. What needs to be done?

Handicapping the 2010 award contenders 10-13-2009
The short list of cars and trucks in the running for 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year just hit my inbox.

MKT puts Lincoln ahead in field 10-13-2009
The new face of Lincoln came into focus as the sleek 2010 MKT luxury crossover zipped by a bloated Lincoln Navigator SUV on the highway.

GM to sell Hummer brand to Chinese firm 10-13-2009
DETROIT — General Motors has reached a final deal to sell the Hummer brand to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., the companies announced today.

Ford turns to buyers to tout vehicles in new ads 10-13-2009
DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. plans to launch a 24-week TV advertising campaign on Monday with 40 commercials featuring actual Ford customers talking about the features of the Ford vehicles that they like.

Automotive color trends: Silver remains car fans' fave 10-13-2009
DETROIT — When it comes to car colors, most North Americans are pretty conservative, as silver and charcoal remained the most-popular exterior colors for the ninth consecutive year in PPG Industries' annual presentation of color trends.

New Camaro is better than ever 10-13-2009
Growing up in the midst of the great pony-car war, I admittedly never gave the Camaro the time of day.

These cars just didn't measure up, list of decade's worst  10-06-2009
Forget ObamaCare and the federal deficit. Let's even put aside the mess in the Middle East for a minute. 

Tough call for top 2010 cars, trucks 10-06-2009
There is no doubt that 2009 will go down as a miserable year for automakers. 

2010 Prius remains benchmark 10-06-2009
Raise the white flag; the 2010 Toyota Prius wins. The car that set the standard for small hybrids is all new for 2010, and it remains the benchmark against which compact and smaller midsize hybrids like the Honda Insight and Civic must be judged.