Strategies for Smart Car Buyers
Rants and Raves
July 16, 2008
Ah, sweet sleeping child. If only there were some way to suspend her in this state for the whole trip, but alas...
My husband and I are taking our 2-year-old on a road trip to the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend. It's not an epic trip, but the last time we took her on a car ride that lasted more than an hour was over a year ago, so we're a little nervous about keeping her (and, let's be frank, us) happy and occupied during the 6-hour trip.
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- Bryn MacKinnon July 16, 2008, 12:00 PM
- Categories:
- Driving, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
- Technorati Tags:
- driving with kids, family road trip, Honda Accord
July 9, 2008
It's all about bashing Detroit these days. Everywhere I look someone is groaning about the automotive industry. The dialogue goes something like this: Why didn't they think of alternative technology sooner? Why did they wait so long? Why were they thinking producing all those big SUVs?
There's a legitimate point to those questions, yet I sometimes find myself defending domestic automakers. Especially because I have seen the other side of the industry... the non-business, philanthropic side.
Last weekend, for example, I attended the Essence Music Festival that takes place around the 4th of July every year in New Orleans, sponsored by Chevrolet. The festival incorporates hip music with inspiring empowerment sessions. Hence the motto, "Party with a purpose." Chevy thinks of itself as "America's brand," and there's nothing more American on the 4th of July than lending a hand where it's needed.
Chevrolet, which has partnered with Essence Magazine on this festival for the last eight years, provided 100 hybrid vehicles for transportation and sponsored an online talent competition, Voice of Tomorrow (which awarded the winning singer a set of keys to a 2009 Chevy Malibu.) But what really stands out at this weekend is Chevy's involvement with the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools Music Therapy programs.
The CDF Freedom Schools serve 8,500 children across the country, spanning 64 cities in 25 states. In the Gulf-area, The Freedom School is helping more than 1,000 students, in line with the "Revolution to Rebuild" theme that Chevy developed last year.
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- Holly Reich July 9, 2008, 2:00 PM
- Categories:
- Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
- Technorati Tags:
- Chevrolet, Chevy, Chevy Malibu, Children's Defense Fund, Essence Music Festival
June 27, 2008
Not all of us – women and men alike -- grow up with the benefit of having a gearhead in the family who turns us on to all things automotive and sparks a lifelong interest in cars. Put me in that category. My dad checked his own oil and tire pressure, but that was pretty much the extent of the dirtying of the hands in our driveway...
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- Bryn MacKinnon June 27, 2008, 12:05 PM
- Categories:
- Car Maintenance, Rants and Raves
June 23, 2008
With all the talk of hypermiling and fuel-efficient vehicles, something else is being overlooked: Left lane road hogs.
You know, the innattentive idiots that go too slowly in the left lane, forcing everyone to brake, change lanes, and pass them on the right? All that unnecessary acceleration means wasted gas!
Not too mention the traffic jams it causes...
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- Joanne Helperin June 23, 2008, 5:06 PM
- Categories:
- Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, Rants and Raves
June 16, 2008
Even though Toyota's Camry has been the best-selling car in America for the last nine out of 10 years, the African-American population isn’t buying it.
"Here's this nameplate that's ubiquitous," says Monica Warden, account director for Burrell, Toyota's agency for African-American advertising.
"But for an African-American woman, it's not even in her consideration set. Our preliminary testing found they think of it as suburban, not urban; as solid but boring...
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- Holly Reich June 16, 2008, 9:37 AM
- Categories:
- Car Design and Car Shows, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
June 13, 2008
That’s Christine up there, one of the scarier cars in movie history and star of Stephen King’s love-gone-wrong story about a 1958 Plymouth Fury and her owner. Christine is one of the more famous cars with a name, and she’s my tidy segue to the topic for today’s Frivolous Friday (the 13th): naming your car.
My dad had a green ‘67 Ford Mustang fastback who was named The Frog by his then-girlfriend. I have an 8-year-old Civic named Dee Dee who has never let me down and as far as I know isn’t in love with me...
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- Bryn MacKinnon June 13, 2008, 8:55 AM
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- Rants and Raves
June 10, 2008
And more on the
J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study.
The
Chevy Malibu, winner of the North American Car of 2008, was also named a J.D. Power midsize car segment winner...
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- Holly Reich June 10, 2008, 8:42 AM
- Categories:
- Car Design and Car Shows, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
June 3, 2008
I'm so impressed with Audi.
At a time when a lot of automakers are talking about how important the women's market is, Audi is actually putting its money where it's mouth is. The company recently hosted what I believe to be the first all-women, manufacturer-sponsored weekend. There, Audi A4's female designers and (male) product manager presented slideshows discussing what went into the A4s design -- from the earliest hints of creative inspiration to the final design. 
We also had the opportunity to drive the German-spec, 2009 Audi A4 around the Infineon Raceway and the surround streets in Sonoma, California, in an approximation of the Audi Driving Experience...
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- Joanne Helperin June 3, 2008, 12:58 PM
- Categories:
- Car Design and Car Shows, Rants and Raves, The Car I Drove Last Night, What Women Want in a Car
May 29, 2008
Gas prices may be rising in the US but that doesn't seem to be affecting travel across the pond.
A view of NiceThe following information from
Travel Weekly caught my attention.
AAA PREDICTED that 25.1 million Americans will travel internationally this summer, an increase of 2.6% over last summer. According to the report, which was produced by
Global Insight, travel from the U.S...
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- Holly Reich May 29, 2008, 1:29 PM
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- Rants and Raves
May 23, 2008
Would you want to drive a Smart Fortwo from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back (a 270-miles trip)? Yeah, neither would I. But recently some of our fearless staffers did just that. It was part of a fuel economy test called the Gas-Sipper Smackdown that pitted the Fortwo, a diesel VW Jetta, a Ford Focus (all three from our long-term test fleet) and a Toyota Prius against each other in a fuel-economy cage match to the death...
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- Bryn MacKinnon May 23, 2008, 9:01 AM
- Categories:
- Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
May 21, 2008
The new Forester is bigger, better-looking and offers more features than ever before.
With its transformation into a sport-utility from a wagon, the Forester is finally ready to compete with bestsellers like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
Has Subaru built the best Forester yet?
Read the Full Test on Edmunds.com.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
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- Donna Derosa May 21, 2008, 10:59 AM
- Categories:
- Rants and Raves
May 19, 2008
Beverly Rae Kimes, author of essential books of automotive history, has passed away.
Kimes was active in the Society of Automotive Historians and had served as the group’s president. She was also a longtime editor of Automobile Quarterly as well as a frequent contributor to the Mercedes-Benz Club of America magazine The Star.
Perhaps equally important was the inspiration she gave to a generation of female automotive journalists who followed in her footsteps. As a blogger said in tribute to Kimes: “she was the exception to the rule” when she began in the almost exclusively male bastion of automotive journalism...
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- Kelly Toepke May 19, 2008, 11:42 AM
- Categories:
- Rants and Raves, Women in Motorsports
May 16, 2008
Pedestrians walk and bike in ItalyThe last few days I have been in Modena, Italy on a business trip. Like most European cities, I see people of all ages walking and biking instead of driving around town to do their errands.
I realize that not all of you reading this blog live in a city and drive to do your errands but I think we can all take another look at WALKING. It’s free, doesn’t leave a carbon footprint and is better for your health.
Walking is free, doesn’t leave a carbon footprint and is good for your health...
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- Holly Reich May 16, 2008, 10:08 AM
- Categories:
- Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
May 15, 2008
My 2-year-old daughter and I have spent a good deal of time with the Recaro Como convertible car seat now, and I’m pleased to report that we both are very happy with its performance in most areas. We’ve tested it in a large percentage of our long-term test vehicles, including the 2008 Honda Accord, 2007 Saturn Aura, 2008 Buick Enclave, 2008 Cadillac CTS, 2008 Hyundai Veracruz, 2007 Honda Fit, 2008 Pontiac G8, and 2005 Volkswagen Jetta. I thought it was time for a little update on how it's been working out.
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- Bryn MacKinnon May 15, 2008, 4:28 PM
- Categories:
- Car Safety, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
“There is a planned strategy here,” said Bob Burns, 3D Experience Events Manager for Land Rover North America.
“
"What’s that?”" I questioned, expecting an extremely technical explanation to ensue. His answer; “"Get stuck!”"
This was the wrap-up of four days and 1,000 miles at the
Land Rover G4 Challenge/ Nevada Passage adventure competition in the wilds of Nevada.
We were watching the first of ten two-person co-ed teams drive a Land Rover LR3 up the Nellis sand dunes in the Nevada desert. The object of the exercise was to get stuck and winch the last 200 feet of steep sandy hill.
In this case, winching was the art of using the 100-feet of coiled steel braided cable (mounted on the front the Land Rover) to prevent the vehicles from getting buried in the deep, soft sand. Pulling a fully loaded 6,000 pound vehicle with a kayak and two bikes strapped to the roof straight up a sand dune is a skill that demands lots of concentration, strategy, muscle power and endurance.
This last challenge was the last of a stunning round of gruelling athletic endeavours that included mountain biking, kayaking, rock-climbing, trail-running, orienteering, off-road driving and navigation.
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- Holly Reich May 15, 2008, 8:38 AM
- Categories:
- Rants and Raves, The Car I Drove Last Night, Women in Motorsports
May 9, 2008
With in-car navigation systems becoming more and more common, the dusty, old stereotype of men being unwilling to stop to ask for directions may also extend to women, too. With a good (and easy to use) nav system, now you don’t have to rely on the kindness (and accuracy) of strangers to help you find where you need to go. But not all factory-installed navigation systems are equal and many of them don’t include one of my favorite features: real-time traffic. If a factory navigation system is high on your new car must-have list, you’ll want to check out
this article on the best in-car nav systems that feature real-time traffic...
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- Bryn MacKinnon May 9, 2008, 6:24 PM
- Categories:
- Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
May 6, 2008
Sarah Fisher and Hillary Clinton have a certain amount in common. They are both groundbreakers, advancing women's position in areas strongly dominated by men. So it wasn't unfitting that Fisher decided to endorse Clinton.
Today the AP reported on Clinton's visit to Fisher's garage at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Fisher gave Clinton a team helmet and introduced her around...
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- Joanne Helperin May 6, 2008, 6:02 PM
- Categories:
- Rants and Raves, Women in Motorsports
May 5, 2008
Drive a
smart fortwo in NYC and you can instantly achieve rock star status. Sounds like an advertisement? But it's true. Everywhere I went people gave me the thumbs up for 'driving green', let me pass if I wanted (unheard of in the city), asked me for a ride or asked me where to get one...
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- Holly Reich May 5, 2008, 2:03 PM
- Categories:
- Car Design and Car Shows, Rants and Raves, The Car I Drove Last Night, What Women Want in a Car
May 2, 2008
There has been a lot of Top Gun quoting around the office here lately. “You can be my wingman anytime.” “That’s right, Iceman. I am dangerous.” “Because I was inverted…” It’s at epidemic proportions, really. But I’m not complaining. As a child of the ‘80s, Top Gun quotes are near and dear to my heart. So you’ll have to forgive me for getting all nostalgic again, but that movie brings back yet another car-related memory from my youth. This time, it’s station wagon-related.
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- Bryn MacKinnon May 2, 2008, 12:59 PM
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- Rants and Raves
Each year the
Automotive News Pace Awards reward innovation in the automotive supply chain.
This year, three of the 12 awards focused on parking and backing up.
While I have used a lot of the new technology for parking, I have yet to see anything this comprehensive. But, I admit, I feel a bit worried about the future of my teenagers. With all this hi-tech stuff will they be able to park in a pinch, I asked Dr. Bill Sharfman, Director of Judging for the Pace Awards.
“There is no substitute for learning how to operate your car properly,” he stressed.
However, he explained that these innovations will lead to a safer, less anxiety provoking and more confident driving experience.
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- Holly Reich May 2, 2008, 12:14 PM
- Categories:
- Car Safety, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
April 29, 2008
A few weeks ago, racing and sport seat specialist, Recaro, sent us two of its latest child safety seats to try. While Bryn's toddler has been spending time in the Como Convertible toddler seat, my 45-pound, seven-year-old daughter is the perfect size to road-test Recaro's Vivo high-back booster.
The Vivo, designed for children 3-12 years, 30-100 lbs, retails for $99.99, and provides ultra-thick side bolstering and head protection wings, as well as a height-adjustable back and washable micro-fiber and velveteen cover.
We plan to try the Recaro Vivo in a variety of test cars and monitor its ease of installation, along with comfort commentary from the Peanut Gallery...
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- Kelly Toepke April 29, 2008, 2:37 PM
- Categories:
- Car Safety, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
April 21, 2008
"I believe that automotive recycling is one of the greenest industries in the world," noted Sandy Blalock, president of the
Automotive Recyclers Association tomorrow, at a recent
IMPA (International Motor Press Association) meeting in Manhattan.
"Every minute 26 vehicles are recycled in the US," she said.
Actually, I never thought about recycling autos. Jeans, paper, trash-sure...but my big understanding of recycling cars was the junk yards that I've seen in multitudes of scary movies...
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- Holly Reich April 21, 2008, 6:10 AM
- Categories:
- Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
April 18, 2008
Earth Day is approaching fast (it’s next Tuesday, in case you didn’t already know), and if you’re in the market for a new vehicle, it’s the perfect time to consider buying a car that gets the best fuel economy in its class. (Truthfully, every day is a great time to do this, but I needed a hook, didn’t I?)
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- Bryn MacKinnon April 18, 2008, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
April 17, 2008
India's
Tata Nano is not even for sale yet, but the $2,500 car is already changing the rules on how to develop low-cost vehicles.
When the Tata Nano hit the Geneva auto show this year, the buzz was skeptical. People were predicting that it would be nothing more than a shell on wheels. Not so...
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- Holly Reich April 17, 2008, 7:34 AM
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- Car Design and Car Shows, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
April 14, 2008
NHTSA's done a lot of good work under Chief Nicole Nason, about whom we wrote only weeks ago. Here's another new annoucement that The Driving Woman is applauding: At NHTSA's consumer site, Safercar.gov, you now can signup for automatic e-mail alerts if the government recalls tires or child safety seats.
This is great news, because so many people miss these recall notices...
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- Joanne Helperin April 14, 2008, 5:37 PM
- Categories:
- Car Maintenance, Car Safety, Rants and Raves
April 11, 2008
I’ve been suffering from public radio-based Clinton/Obama Fatigue these days, so I recently rediscovered the ‘80s stations on satellite radio. And maybe it’s all the “Listen to Your Heart,” “Funky Cold Medina” and “Janie’s Got a Gun,” but my mind’s been drifting to my first car a lot lately. My first car, a 1989 Ford Tempo GL sedan in Wild Strawberry with gray cloth interior. I actually really liked that car. I’ll wait until you stop laughing and can read again before I continue.
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- Bryn MacKinnon April 11, 2008, 2:55 PM
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- Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
April 9, 2008
The under approach.....so to continue the discussion from
yesterday on how to hold a steering wheel, in my google search I came up with the
JD Power article titled Steering for Optimal Control.
The JD Power piece supports the low riders. As quoted; ”The current recommendation for hand placement (if you imagine your steering wheel is a clock) is anywhere between 7 o'clock and 9 o'clock for your left hand and between 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock for your right hand. Although it may feel strange to have your hands so low on the steering wheel, this actually provides better control than the "10 and 2" method.
I asked Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing at Edmunds Inc. (no relation to Edmunds), for his opinion. He pointed to a line in the article that states, "A lower hand position (8 and 4 or 7 and 5) makes it less likely that you will overcorrect during an emergency maneuver, which is what often causes spins, slides, and rollovers."
His take? "This line of reasoning is an outgrowth of the popularity of SUVs. Since high CG [center of gravity] vehicles like these don't handle well in emergency maneuvers and are the source of most of the rollovers they allude to, this improper hand position is being advocated to compensate. You can't input very much when holding the wheel in this way--so you can't roll the thing over--or so goes the reasoning. They're trying to dull someone's natural reactions."
Furthermore, Edmunds says this theory is not taking into account the fact that stability control systems are becoming standard on SUVs (to pass the government rollover test) and will be required on all vehicles in a couple of years.
"Overcorrecting isn't an issue with stability control-equipped vehicles, so this advice seems directed at older SUVs," he said. "I agree that 12 or 6 is bad, bad, bad, but 7 and 5 is nearly the same as 6. I can't follow the logic on this one."
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- Holly Reich April 9, 2008, 7:35 AM
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- Car Safety, Rants and Raves, The Car I Drove Last Night, What Women Want in a Car
April 8, 2008
The views are staggering in Ibiza, Spain
We were test driving the
2009 Audi A4 Avant 2.0 turbocharged in Ibiza, Spain. This is just possibly the most beautiful place on earth with the kind of roads that enthusiasts dream about. My partner, 'Eric'. who writes for those kinds of magazines, was in the driver’s seat...
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- Holly Reich April 8, 2008, 12:09 PM
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- Rants and Raves, The Car I Drove Last Night, What Women Want in a Car
April 4, 2008
Recaro, the company that has been designing racing and sport seats for race teams and carmakers around the world for decades, added five new models to its child safety seat lineup this year (here), and we were able to secure one of the new seats to put through our battery of real-world test scenarios (read: I’m using it as my primary car seat in Edmunds long-term vehicles to shuttle my toddler around for a while).
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- Bryn MacKinnon April 4, 2008, 5:03 PM
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- Car Safety, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
March 26, 2008
We were going from New York to Washington, DC for the weekend and I decided to test drive a sedan instead of a large van or SUV. My teens are used to three rows and a home entertainment system. That wasn’t going to happen this trip. I was keen to try out the
2008 Audi A6 Sedan. They weren't pleased.
"What’'s up with this Mom?” they inquired, eyeing the Audi. “Have you lost your mind… where are we going to fit?”
"Just put your stuff in the trunk and let’s get on with it,”I quipped, expecting to have to do a major squish job with our luggage. Not so!
The trunk was deep and cavernous with room to spare after we loaded our various bags and equipment in. Even my kids were impressed. I can't remember loading so much into the trunk of a sedan--—families take note!
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- Holly Reich March 26, 2008, 6:48 AM
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- Rants and Raves, The Car I Drove Last Night, What Women Want in a Car
March 25, 2008
Old San Juan is a perfect location for electric cars
I was intrigued when I got a press release from the
Sheraton Old San Juan in Puerto Rico announcing the addition of electric cars to a package deal. This demonstrates how alternative transportation is spreading beyond the usual suspects--US, Europe and Asia. The Caribbean has been wise to the green mentality with eco-conscious notes in the rooms about towel usage, but this is the first I’ve heard about electric cars—besides golf carts.
First, a little history...
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- Holly Reich March 25, 2008, 12:14 PM
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- Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
March 21, 2008
Listen up, ethanol skeptics. Saleen, the 25-year-old company that has made a name for itself in the specialty market has created a roaring concept that can run on ethanol E85. Yup, that’s right! The company that has been involved with wild cars like the Viper, Prowler and Fort GT, introduced the
S5S Raptor at the
NYIAS. “The Raptor is designed to digest cellulosic ethanol...
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- Holly Reich March 21, 2008, 10:45 AM
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- Car Design and Car Shows, Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
The
2009 Nissan Maxima seemed to create a lot of buzz at the
New York Auto Show. I had to go back a couple of times to form my own opinion.
Yes, it’s worth talking about. The 2009 Nissan Maxima has upped the sensuality with an exterior design pegged “liquid motion” because it takes cues from the kind of waves that surfers love...
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- Holly Reich March 21, 2008, 8:59 AM
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- Car Design and Car Shows, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
March 20, 2008
With gas prices hovering around the $4/a gallon mark, I'm sure you're looking to save gas anyway you can short of
hypermiling. Fortunately our editors have tested the gas-saving tips you read about everywhere and proved which ones actually work.
Check it out at We Test the Tips, Part II.
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- Caroline Pardilla March 20, 2008, 12:07 PM
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- Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, Rants and Raves
March 19, 2008
NYC --first day of the International Auto Show
Sheryl Crow performs for Mercedes and Hyundai launches the 2010 Genesis coupe with an indoor track and a drifting performance by women race car drivers. As far as exhibitions go, the first day of the New York Auto Show was very quiet—no strobe lights, trapeze artists, cars hanging from the walls or dance troupes. The Big Apple is toned down this year. For the first time I can remember Jeep does not have an outdoor driving course—it’s a static display.
In the scheme of things, that’s OK by me...
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- Holly Reich March 19, 2008, 2:49 PM
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