Earlier this week, we received some alarming news: preliminary data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests that the number of U.S. traffic fatalities rose by nearly 8 percent in 2015. All told, NHTSA believes that some 35,200 drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians lost their lives last year. The Centers for...
From The Car Connection: 2017 Mercedes-Benz E Class Review Mercedes-Benz has long laid claim to some of the most technologically advanced vehicles on the road. With the new E-Class, it says it's outdone itself: the new 2017 E-Class is even more flush with technology than its nearly-new S-Class. 2017 Nissan Pathfinder adds power, new look, safety...
For several years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been working on a plan that would require all new cars to come with backup cameras--the kind that project rear-views on display screens, often on a vehicle's center stack. When that rule goes into effect on May 1, 2018, it'll be the beginning of the end for rear-view...
Family crossovers are competitive like late-night arm wrestling tournaments between siblings during summer break. In that regard, the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder just strapped in for the fierce family fracas. Whether it does enough to go over the top will be up to buyers later this year. This year's Pathfinder is a far distant also-ran in the three-row...
It can steer for you, brake for you, it can even entertain you. Is the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class the smartest car on the road today? By Mercedes' reckoning, it is. As a rival for vehicles like the Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, Cadillac CTS, Lexus GS, and Jaguar XF, the E-Class has its plate full just competing on virtues like interior comfort, fuel...
Buying a car is serious business, especially when you're buying one fresh off the assembly line. In fact, a study from Bankrate reveals that most U.S. families can't truly afford to buy brand-new vehicles. To reach that conclusion, Bankrate used three important figures: the average price of a new car, which was $33,865 according to KBB at the time...
Despite today's low fuel prices, the cost of gas is still a concern for most motorists. Many are drawn to less expensive fuel available at convenience stores and supermarkets, but will the money they save today cost them big bucks down the line? According to AAA, the answer could be "yes". AAA hired an independent lab to test a range of gasolines...
From The Car Connection: 2017 Cadillac XT5 Review It’s now been more than 15 years since Cadillac reinvented itself with Led Zeppelin-infused ads and an edgy Art & Science design theme that really showed up the lozenge-shaped exteriors of the time. Volkswagen Dieselgate update: European owners get shafted, and can 85,000 3.0-liters be...
We know that teen drivers are more accident-prone than any other group of motorists. We tend to think that their troubles behind the wheel are linked to their lack of experience, but researchers say that there may be more to it than that. Specifically, they lay much of the blame on the developing teenage brain. Emily Falk from the University of...
Summer's here, and the time is right for dancing in the streets--unless you work for Volkswagen, where dancing is kept to a strict minimum thanks to the ongoing Dieselgate scandal. Here are a few of the not-so-clean diesel stories that have crossed our desks in the past few days: Fix is possible for 85,000 3.0-liter diesels in the U.S.: Remember...
If you've seen photos of Shanghai or Beijing engulfed in smog, you know that China has room for improvement on the environmental front. But change is coming quickly to the world's most populous country, and nowhere is that more visible than in the auto industry. Roughly 40 years ago, China began to realize that its highly centralized style of...
From The Car Connection: 2017 Ford Escape Review The 2017 Ford Escape is essentially a tall wagon—not unlike most compact crossover SUVs. It's a sporty one, at that, and that informs everything from the way it drives to the way it doesn't quite coddle its passengers. It's rakish, sporty, and contemporary. Family SUVs, luxury cars, dominate...
North American Car of the Year jurors announced Wednesday their list of eligible vehicles for the 2017 awards, which include for the first time a separate category for SUVs. The list of 43 cars, trucks, and SUVs will be winnowed down to lists of semi-finalists, which will be announced in September. Voting for the final awards will begin in late...
It's a question that's been on our mind for years: when autonomous cars collide, who's at fault? Sadly, the question is no longer hypothetical, but very, very real following the death of a driver using Tesla's Autopilot self-driving system in his 2015 Model S. Less than a year ago, several companies at the forefront of autonomous car technology...
The figures aren't yet official, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's early estimates suggest that 35,200 motorists, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians died on U.S. roads in 2015--an increase of 7.7 percent over 2014. That's a remarkable uptick. In fact, the last time the U.S. saw such a sharp increase in auto-related deaths...
From The Car Connection: 2017 Kia Sorento Review Last year the Kia Sorento received a full redesign, with completely new sheet metal, a new body structure, a newly available turbocharged inline-4 engine, plus modest gains in interior space and major gains in general cabin comfort and ride quality. Tesla 'self-driving' mode linked to first traffic...
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling more than 37,000 Dodge Journey, Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country, and Ram ProMaster vehicles from the 2015 and 2016 model years. According to the automaker, some of those vehicles may have a problem with their transmission pumps. The issue has been found on vehicles with six-speed automatic...
Some people aren't very excited about the new Ghostbusters film. Others can barely contain their enthusiasm. And still others are, like, "Meh, I'll watch it on Netflix next time I'm sick." No matter where you fall on that spectrum, though, you can probably get fired up about this: today and tomorrow, Lyft is offering rides in the Ecto-1, the...
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation of Tesla and its self-driving Autopilot software in the wake of a driver's death. The fatal collision took place in Williston, Florida on May 7 when a tractor-trailer crossed the path of a 2015 Tesla Model S. Accounts say that the car drove under the truck's trailer...
From The Car Connection: NHTSA to 300,000 Honda, Acura owners: Don't drive cars until airbags are replaced (breaking) If you own any of the following list of cars, the NHTSA has an urgent message for you. DO NOT drive them until you get the airbag replaced. According to the Federal safety agency, its most recent tests indicate that the Takata...
