Hot cars abound at auction 01-26-2010
In the market for a nice 1946 Ford firetruck? A 1923 Ford T-bucket hot rod with a 400-horsepower engine?

Brakes lose vacuum assist in subzero cold 01-26-2010
Question: I have a 2001 Ford Escape with the V6 engine. When it gets below zero I lose hydraulic assist on the brakes. 

With Mazda, good things come in threes 01-26-2010
There was a time when people chose small cars for their excellent fuel economy or because they couldn't afford a more expensive car.

Lotus Evora: The stuff car reviewers' dreams are made of 01-26-2010
Every time I write about a high-performance sports car, I'm guaranteed to get letters from readers to this effect: "How can you possibly glorify the Badminton Dual-Cowl 87B?

Automotive Q&A: Diagnosing a brake light warning 01-26-2010
Question: I have a '96 Fleetwood motor home on a Ford E350 chassis powered by a 460. 

Squeezing out all the details of Lemon Law 01-18-2010
ORLANDO, Fla. — Patrick of Orlando writes that his 2-year-old car, which he bought new, has been plagued with problems.

Automotive Q&A: What oil-pressure
reading may be telling you 01-18-2010
Question: A friend drove my old pickup yesterday and commented that my oil pressure was lower than he was used to seeing. 

Cars hate really frigid temps, too 01-18-2010
Question: I have a 1990 Buick with 147,000 miles that will not start if left outside when the temperature is less than 30 degrees overnight.

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback is slick, sporty ride 01-18-2010
The Mitsubuishi Lancer has long been the company's alternative to the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla, and this current version — on the market since 2007 — matches up well with the two market segment leaders.

Equus: This is a Hyundai? 01-18-2010
Remember the 1986 Hyundai Excel? It was the brand's first car in the United States, an execrable two-door hatchback or four-door sedan powered by an anemic 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine supplied by Mitsubishi that coughed up 68 horsepower.

2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI: An 'Avatar'-style 
creature of magnificent grace and power 01-18-2010
James Cameron's film "Avatar" dreams a world where humans can telepathically plug into beautiful blue creatures of extraordinary power and speed, with glittery feline eyes and rock-hard butts.

GMC Terrain: No bark, no bite, but plenty of fleas 01-11-2010
The word "terrain" comes from the Latin "terranum," meaning "of the Earth." It's the same root for the word "terrier," which is a kind of dog. And that brings us to the GMC Terrain.

Automotive Q&A: Tips for keeping 
your baby in tip-top shape 01-11-2010
Question: I've made a new year's resolution to take better care of my 2-year-old car.

Discrepancy in speed? Trust GPS reading 01-11-2010
Question: I drive a '97 Acura RL. When my speedometer reads 70 miles per hour, my Garmin GPS readout shows 66.

Mercedes-Benz scores highest 
customer retention rate ever in survey 01-11-2010
DALLAS — Here's an interesting tidbit about one of our favorite sedans.

C8 Aileron: Historic nameplate comes soaring back 01-11-2010
MIAMI — On the hope that 2010 is a super year for all, let's crank it up with a supercar. One of the world's rising stars, the Spyker C8 Aileron.

Sporty 2010 Acura ZDX: Nice weekend 
getaway vehicle for couples 01-11-2010
It isn't unusual to go to a car show, admire a concept vehicle and say, "Wouldn't it be neat if they actually built that car?"

Suzuki SX4: Solid AWD option 01-04-2010
When Suzuki introduced the SX4 hatchback three years ago, its major selling point was that you couldn't get all-wheel-drive any cheaper, and it was a nice niche for a company looking hard for an edge. 

Detroit 3 kings of road when it comes to pickups 01-04-2010
DETROIT — Even as Detroit automakers move their focus away from pickups to small, fuel-efficient cars, full-size trucks still make up more than 20 percent of sales by Detroit automakers and could play a key role in helping the companies recover in 2010.

2009's hits & misses 01-04-2010
As 2009 winds down, it's time to acknowledge the things that went right, the surprising disappointments and the stuff that just didn't make sense.

2011 Mustang GT to have even more horses under the hood 01-04-2010
DETROIT — The Ford Mustang will get not one, but two new engines next year.

Transmission needs to warm a bit in the cold 01-04-2010
Question: I see lots of advice on how long to warm up a car's engine in cold weather.

Volt video a viral hoot 12-28-2009
If you believe there's no such thing as bad publicity, you haven't seen the "Chevy Volt Dance" video from the recent Los Angeles Auto Show.

New battery may fix this problem 12-28-2009
Question: We have a 1997 F-150 with a 4.6-liter engine. The truck was not driven for some time, and the battery died.

Need to downsize? Mercedes-Benz C300 
strikes the right tone for tough times 12-28-2009
While you could argue that some Americans need to downsize, be it home size, waist line or credit-card debt, it might be more appropriate to blame our problems on current economic conditions.

Automotive Q&A:  Drips on driveway cause concern 12-28-2009
Question: My 5-year-old car has begun to leave a few drips in the driveway after being parked overnight. It's a dark oily color. How serious a problem is this?

Bentley offers it all, for a lot 12-28-2009
Once in a while, life serves up one of those little disconnects that reminds you of an old dubbed-into-English Japanese horror movie, where the actors' lips seem to be saying one thing, their voices something entirely different.

Quirky Scion seeks a second wind 12-21-2009
DETROIT — What's wrong at Scion? In a year when small cars should flourish, Toyota's small-car brand is in the tank.

Toyota Prius: Who says it isn't easy being green? 12-21-2009
It was that unusually famous frog, Kermit, who sang, "It's not easy being green." He was right, when it came to "green" cars at least.

Ford slogan rings true; Chrysler's outlook realistic 12-21-2009
Two years ago, Ford's then-new sales chief Jim Farley pledged that the automaker would "democratize technology." 

Dealer calls for work that Toyota doesn't 12-21-2009
Question: I have a 2006 Toyota Camry that has had all the needed maintenance that my dealer recommends.

Affordable luxury: GM's Chinese designers capture 
the essence of opulence in the 2010 Buick LaCrosse 12-21-2009
It was different then, but then again, it was a different world. Seventy years ago, Buick was among the most revered brands.

The ice man cometh, Is your vehicle ready? 12-21-2009
Now that the calendar has been reduced to a single page, we can look forward to a season of increasingly cold temperatures, and eventually, ice-covered roads.

Everyday brilliance of sporty Cadillac not to be ignored 12-21-2009
DETROIT — The five-star 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon adds practicality to the style and performance of Cadillac's terrific CTS sedan.

A stylish makeover doesn't dilute 
the Subaru Forester's utility 12-14-2009
Wait a minute, this is a Subaru? It's really hard to believe.

News out of the headlights 12-14-2009
Most attention last week focused on General Motors Co.'s board firing CEO Fritz Henderson and the Los Angeles Auto Show's rollout of new cars like the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Sienna. 

A first peek at Nissan electric car 12-14-2009
SEATTLE — While international diplomats are meeting in Copenhagen to hash out a new climate policy, the car company Nissan came to Seattle looking to inspire a few, well, guinea pigs in an experiment to see how its new all-electric car will fit the American lifestyle.

Coming soon on a highway near you 12-14-2009
Fuel prices may have eased, but the economy remains sluggish. Never fear: A fresh batch of peppy economy cars is heading to showrooms in the near future. 

M&S-rated tires should do for winter 12-14-2009
Question: I am getting conflicting advice regarding replacement tires for my 2006 Ford Focus.