September 3, 2010
Inside Line: 2011 Kia Optima EX First Drive
The new Optima shares exactly zero external sheet metal or interior panels with the Sonata, so the vibe is entirely different. Whereas the Hyundai Sonata comes across as svelte -- pretty, even -- the 2011 Kia Optima looks taut, purposeful and ready to go.
Green Car: How a $41K CNG Van Can Be Cheaper Than Its $25K Gasoline Cousin
We know CNG is cheaper and cleaner than gas or diesel and we know fleet managers are looking for every way they can to cut a penny here and a penny there from operating costs. But $41,890 for a van?
Weekly Top Three: Cool Car Colors
A number of automakers have recently come out with specialized or retro paint colors. And so, inspired by the Synergy Green Chevrolet Camaro and the Plum Crazy and Furious Fuchsia Dodge Challengers, here's a list of some car colors I've really liked over the years.
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- Ron Montoya September 3, 2010, 1:00 PM
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- Edmunds Roundup
September 3, 2010
Mercedes-Benz is upgrading the Mobile Application portion of its mbrace telematics system to include remote concierge service. The mobile app already allows remote services such as door locking and unlocking, vehicle location, roadside assistance and a dealer locator.
Previously concierge service was only available from inside the vehicle. The Mobile Application 2.0 version of mbrace, which is supplied to Mercedes-Benz by Hughes Telematics, allows owners to access concierge services such as restaurant and entertainment recommendations, directions, traffic info and other features from their smartphone. And if requested, destination info can be sent directly to the car's navigation system.
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- Doug Newcomb September 3, 2010, 10:00 AM
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- Automotive Technology, Car Audio and Electronics, Mercedes-Benz
September 3, 2010
If you're ooking to move to a community that's virtually crash-free, Fort Collins is your best bet. The average driver in the Colorado city of 140,600 people will experience an auto collision every 14.5 years. That's about 31 percent less likely than the national average, according to Allstate Insurance, which named Fort Collins "America's Safest Driving City" for 2010. Allstate's report ranks the 193 largest U.S. cities in terms of car-collision frequency to identify which have the safest drivers as measured by Allstate's claims data.
In addition to having drivers who seem to be very cautious, Fort Collins also "supports multiple transportation options including 18 bus routes and 200 miles of on-street and off-street trails for pedestrians and bicycles," according to its website. Makes you wonder if that might have something to do with its low accident rate. After the jump, find out about the big cities with the lowest accident rates, along with the list of the other top-ranking safe-driving cities.
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- Carroll Lachnit September 3, 2010, 9:30 AM
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- Car Safety
September 3, 2010
The extended Labor Day weekend is a great time to give your car a quick checkup, and the holiday is a traditional favorite among shade-tree mechanics. Generally pleasant weather across the country makes this a key opportunity to prep your machine for the upcoming change in the seasons, and we had a timely visit this week from the folks at Craftsman Tools. They were kind enough to stop by and let the in-house gearheads drool over the latest offerings for the do-it-yourself mechanic.
Joining the Craftsman lineup for 2010 are a number of slick ratcheting wrenches, and grippier hand tools. If you've spent any time working under the hood, it's hard not to appreciate the ingenuity of some of the latest tools, which allow you to employ the time-saving levers against even the most diabolically positioned fasteners. Available online, at Sears and select ACE hardware outlets, see more pix and info on some of Craftman's coolest new wrenches after the jump.
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- Paul Seredynski September 3, 2010, 9:00 AM
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- Car Maintenance
September 3, 2010
I've changed the pads in my front disc brakes several times but have never replaced the rotors. So I was pleased to see that Dan Edmunds, our director of vehicle testing, did a major DIY photo-essay on the repair he did to the 2009 Ford Flex Limited from our long-term test fleet. He also talked about what led up to the need for a brake job, the symptoms and many small points that make the job easier to do. He wrote about doing the rear brakes and rotors in a separate post.
Changing your own disc brake pads is one of the great automotive repair secrets. A front disc brake job at a dealership can easily cost $250 plus $50 to turn each rotor (a step that is often not needed). Last time I did this to my 2000 Mitsubishi Galant ES, it took me 45 minutes and the pads cost only $20. Few special tools are required other than the torque wrench that Dan highly recommends buying.
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- Philip Reed September 3, 2010, 9:00 AM
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- Car Maintenance
September 3, 2010
Ford dealers will start taking orders today for the long expected four-door version of the F-150 SVT Raptor. The first high-speed off-road production vehicle will now be available in both extended cab (SuperCab) and four-door (SuperCrew) styles, and Ford has made the optional 411-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 the standard Raptor engine for 2011. The new four-door Raptor will feature a 145-inch wheelbase and a 5.5-foot cargo box. Pricing on the four-door option was not announced, but expect it to come in higher than the 2010 sticker's $42,235.
The Raptor four-door includes a higher towing a capacity (8,000 pounds), and a larger 36-gallon fuel tank. 2011 also sees a new color added to the Raptor family--Ingot Silver Metallic--that will be available with the standard black or optional Molten Orange interior. A new optional matte black hood graphic helps to reduce glare, and the interior features new instrument gauges that flank a 4.2-inch LCD info screen. More details and pix from the Ford release after the jump.
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- Paul Seredynski September 3, 2010, 8:00 AM
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- Ford
September 3, 2010
For the consumer whose car-buying ritual has involved getting a brochure at the dealership, there's a shock in store on the next shopping trip. While car brochures have been time-tested tools for consumers who want to learn more about the features and design philosophy of a vehicle, they're getting harder and harder to find.
But don't mourn (too much) the demise of the car brochure. Twenty years ago, about the only thing a consumer could use for information was those pamphlets, advertising and a chatty salesman. Consumers now get better and more personalized information from automakers' multi-media websites, mobile apps and mobile websites. And for the traditionalists, print brochures are just a download or order form away.
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- Ron Montoya September 3, 2010, 5:00 AM
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- Automotive Consumer News, Car Buying
September 3, 2010
A story this week in Edmunds Daily talked about the burgeoning vehicle-history report business, and how vital it is for used-car buyers to get the full rundown on the vehicles they're thinking about buying.
A recent statement from the Automotive Recyclers Association really drives that point home. It describes such shady activities such as VIN cloning and "curbstoning," which is a folksy-sounding name for unscrupulous car-flipping. Unless a used-car buyer runs an automotive history report -- or two -- he'll have no idea if the car he's buying might actually have been stolen, or was so severely damaged in the past that it's unsafe to drive now.
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- Carroll Lachnit September 3, 2010, 3:00 AM
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- Used Cars
September 2, 2010
When you ask someone for directions, they don't say something like, "In 500 feet, turn left." That's something you'd hear from a navigation system. A local -- and human -- might say something like, "Go to the church on the corner and make a left."
That's the idea behind NAVTEQ's new Natural Guidance turn-by-turn directions, which the company says will give navigation systems using its mapping software a "human touch." Natural Guidance is being launched this week at the IFA electronics expo in Berlin, and the new feature will be available for that city as well as Munich, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris and Delhi. And as with real-human directions, guidance will change based on certain environmental factors.
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- Doug Newcomb September 2, 2010, 3:00 PM
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- Automotive Technology, Car Audio and Electronics
September 2, 2010
Before going anywhere near a lot for some holiday-weekend car-shopping, would-be buyers should check their vehicle choice using three criteria. Test driving is an important part of the car-shopping process, but don't do that just yet. Your first step is to find the car's resale value. The second step -- if you're shopping the used-car market-- is to check out whether you could get a new model of the used car you're considering. The third step is to look at whether a competing vehicle -- possibly a "dark horse" choice -- might be an even better car than your current first choice.
Let's look at resale value first. Most of us know that all cars lose value as soon as they roll off the dealers' lots. But here's a little secret of car buying: Not all cars depreciate at the same rate. For example, the 2010 Chrysler Sebring Limited depreciates more than $7,000 in the first year. But in that same year, the 2010 Honda Accord, a similarly priced car, depreciates just $4,000. Basically, the Chrysler owner will spend $3,000 more than the Honda owner over time. The resale value of all new cars is listed in our True Cost to Own data.
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- Philip Reed September 2, 2010, 1:45 PM
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- The Savvy Shopper
September 2, 2010
With the slight improvement in the economy, nearly 10 percent more Americans will hit the road for one last summer vacation this year than were able to do so in 2009, says the American Automobile Association. The organization also estimates that 34.4 million people will be taking a trip of at least 50 miles. If you're a traveler who is going to take the highways, you might want to be sure your car is ready for the trip and we've gathered a few tips to help.
If you are on a budget, this article on low-cost road trips could save you some money. You may also want to prepare a few essential items for the family outing. After the jump you'll find a few preventative maintenance tips, courtesy of Midas, to get your vehicle get ready for the road.
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- Ron Montoya September 2, 2010, 1:30 PM
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- Car Maintenance
September 2, 2010
Hyundai-Kia said today that it is recalling some 2011 Kia Sorento and 2010 Kia Soul vehicles for mis-soldered wiring systems in the cars' interior lighting systems that could short out and start a fire. The recall affects more than 35,000 cars, including 11,213 Sorento vehicles and 23,972 Soul vehicles. The Soul also is the subject of an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation into a report of a Soul's steering shaft de-coupling from the steering wheel, resulting in a complete loss of steering capability.
The faulty wiring in the Soul is part of the advanced lighting speakers in the front-door trim panels of some models. In the Sorento, the wiring is part of the car's interior accent illumination, located in the front- and rear-door trim panels of some EX and EX V6 models.
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- Carroll Lachnit September 2, 2010, 1:00 PM
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- Vehicle Recalls
September 2, 2010
Edmunds Test Drive: 2011 Nissan Juke
Like many controversial designs, the new Juke has its fans, and they are quick to point out the Nissan's muscular, coupelike profile and its sporty driving dynamics.
Green Car: Ford Focus Electric Will Use Liquid-Cooled Battery System
The Ford Focus Electric, which will debut in late 2011 in the U.S. and 2012 in Europe, will be powered by a lithium-ion battery system that utilizes cooled and heated liquid to regulate battery temperature, extend battery life and maximize driving range.
Edmunds CarPool: Test Car Notes -- 2011 Ford Fiesta SES Automatic
I've driven the Ford Fiesta a number of times already, but it's always been the manual transmission version. Finally got to sample the automatic, which isn't just any old automatic but actually a dual-clutch six-speed automatic that Ford calls "PowerShift".
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- Ron Montoya September 2, 2010, 1:00 PM
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- Edmunds Roundup
September 2, 2010
There's a lot of excitement in Columbus, Ind., today as child safety-seat maker Dorel officially opens the Dorel Technical Center for Child Safety. And while the $21-million center is great news for the local economy, it's also of note for families with young children.
The center includes specialized research and design facilities that Dorel says it will use to improve its child safety seats. The center has computational engineering resources, environmental lab testing, three independent crash-test sleds and advanced side-impact testing capabilities. You can see the test facilities in action after the jump.
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- Carroll Lachnit September 2, 2010, 12:00 PM
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- Car Safety
September 2, 2010
After weeks of showing teaser images, Chrysler is now ready to fully unveil the all-new 2011 Dodge Durango. The Durango ditches the boxy exterior for a sleeker look. The interior comes from the same design studio that worked on the current Ram and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The team used a number of soft-touch materials and surfaces that are meant to give the car a more upscale feel. The three rows of seats can be configured in 22 different ways to accommodate different types of cargo.
The Durango has a stiffened unibody structure that is meant to improve its driving characteristics and towing capability. Buyers will be able to choose from two engine options, the standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine and the optional 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine with a multi-displacement system that can reduce itself to four-cylinder mode to conserve fuel. Both engines are available with all-wheel drive and provide impressive towing ability (7,400 lbs. with the V8 and a best-in-class 6,200 lbs for the V6). The Durango is expected to hit showrooms this fall.
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- Ron Montoya September 2, 2010, 10:45 AM
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- Automotive Consumer News, Dodge
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