There will be no bailout for Saab – and so, no bailout for Saab owners. Sweden’s other automaker, formerly an appendage of GM, recently filed for bankruptcy liquidation – not reorganization. It no longer builds cars and no longer intends to build cars. There will be no 2013 Saabs – no more new Saabs,...
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Heather Peters (no relation to this writer) is hopping mad at Honda. She says her ’06 hybrid Civic’s actual mileage more than just varied: About 30 MPG vs. the EPA (and Honda) advertised 50 MPG. So she’s going after Honda in court – small claims court – for $10,000. Which is the maximum payday...
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When does it no longer make economic sense to pay for new repairs to an old car? When is it time, in other words, to throw it in the woods – or just sell/trade the thing? Here are some guidelines: * You can’t depend on it anymore - Is it realistic to expect that...
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Is it once very 3,000 – or once every 10,000? The articles one finds online try very hard to be definitive – which is why they’re often inaccurate. For example, I recently came across an article that stated with the certainty of the Dear Leader that “savvy car owners know that changing the oil...
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I’ve done a lot of driving in all kinds of different conditions, from the sublime to the brutal, in thousands of different types of vehicles -everything from a UAZ Soviet military truck to a Jaguar XJ220 supercar back to a Geo Metro after a week in a Viper ACR. I’ve spent hours on empty...
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Here’s the first known victim of the latest CAFE (government fuel efficiency) increase to 35.5 MPG: The compact pick-up truck. And the American truck buyer. Ok, that’s two victims. I’ve just discovered that Ford has dropped the Ranger – America’s last compact-sized truck - for 2012. But not from its lineup. Just from its...
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It’s always a good idea to have a used car you’re thinking about buying checked out by a mechanic before you buy it. But you don’t have to be a mechanic to do a few basic checks yourself – checks that can uncover red flags about the car’s condition and prior treatment. Find several...
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Lots of questions come up when the subject turns to cars. Here are a few that come up often – along with some answers that may help: * Is it a good idea or a bad idea to buy a former rental (or cop) car? Mixed bag! Most people would probably be fearful of...
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You don’t have to be a cranky old fart to find yourself increasingly at odds with the multiplexed interfaces, mouse inputs and menus, touch screen displays and tyrannical computer “aids” that are becoming commonplace features on modern cars – and which sometimes do their best to back seat drive you into vein-popping fury. It...
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There are two main schools of thought when it comes to dealing with a cop during a traffic stop (or “safety” checkpoint). One of them is disgustingly obsequious, unworthy of a free people. The other is absolutely correct – in principle – but elements of it, if followed to the letter, can and probably...
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