How to Buy New Tires for Your Car

tire code

Save money by shopping carefully for new tires. You have been driving your car for three or four years and have noticed that your tires are showing signs of wear. Regular rotations and the occasional realignment have kept your tires in fairly good shape, but the miles have piled up … Read more

The Average Salary of Automotive Body Technicians

car crash

Information updated January 22, 2019. What automotive body technicians earn. By Charles K. Green Automotive body technicians are tasked with repairing and refinishing automotive vehicle bodies. They may also straighten vehicle frames. Such professionals report to a supervisor to find out which parts are to be restored or replaced. Technicians … Read more

Tesla Motors Unveils Supercharger Network

EV maker seeks to eliminate range-anxiety completely. The problems with electric vehicles go beyond high prices and basically boil down to two significant issues: restricted range and long charging intervals. For commuters, an electric vehicle is an ideal option, but for everyone else EVs can be a major inconvenience. If … Read more

How to Change Your Car’s Oil

Our local 10-minute oil change store finally has gotten it right: you don’t have to change your oil every three months or 3,000 miles unless you drive your car hard. As in taxi fleet hard. These days, shops have realigned their businesses to perform oil changes per manufacturer recommendations. That … Read more

Behind the Wheel of a 2012 CODA Sedan

Updated October 3, 2012. Compact CODA Sedan joins the EV fray. If you never heard of CODA Automotive before, you are in good company. This Los Angeles-based automaker has launched its first model, a 5-passenger all-electric compact sedan. This past week I had the opportunity to drive one of the … Read more

The Average Salary of Automotive Engineering Technicians

multimeter

What automotive engineering technicians earn. Information updated October 2021. Automotive engineering technicians work with engineers, examining proposed vehicle designs and changes, and conducting tests. Such tests are performed to gauge an automotive component or system, to measure its performance, efficiency, and durability. Notably, these professionals are part of the broader … Read more

2014 Ford F-150 Will Feature An Aluminum Body

2014 Ford F-150

Popular pickup truck to replace steel with lightweight aluminum. The next generation Ford F-150 pickup truck will debut next year, but if Ford has its way it’ll come in as much as 700 pounds lighter than the current truck. That’s because Ford plans to make user of lighter weight materials … Read more

5 Ways to Celebrate the 4th With Your Car

Friends, family, food and fireworks. There is something special about the 4th of July, a date marking America’s independence from Britain. I have fond memories of the holiday dating back to the 1960s as a boy growing up in New Jersey. Our town kicked off the celebration with a parade … Read more

2013 Toyota Venza: The Camry Wagon You Wanted

Beefy wagon offers utility and three trim levels. Toyota hasn’t offered a Camry wagon since the 1990s, a small loss for most consumers as the Toyota Sienna minivan and a host of SUVs have made up for the lost utility. Still, Toyota knows that consumers may want something a bit … Read more

You Can Put Together a Car Emergency Kit

How to assembly a do-it-yourself kit for you car. Retail stores including auto parts retailers sell car emergency kits that contain many of the essentials you need in the event of a breakdown. Some new cars come equipped with these kits or they can be ordered as a special, but … Read more

IIHS Outlines 5 Components For Safer Teen Driving

teenage driver

Teens and cars can be a recipe for disaster. Or at least teenagers that are not subject to various Graduated Driving Licensing laws in their respective states. GDL is a trend that is spreading, one where states put restrictions on novice drivers in a bid to reduce accidents and lower … Read more

2013 Cadillac XTS Overview and Dimensions

2013 Cadillac XTS

The newest model in the Cadillac arsenal is its XTS sedan, a larger five-passenger vehicle powered by its front wheels. All-wheel-drive is optional. New for the 2013 model year, the Cadillac XTS replaces a pair of discontinued sedans: the STS and the DTS, formerly known as the Seville and the … Read more

How to Find a College Grad Car Deal

They’re out there. And you may have heard some buzz about them. What am I talking about? New car deals for college grads. It is true that car manufacturers are interested in getting the business of recent college grads. Grads typically are just launching their careers and some are shopping for their … Read more

2013 Chevrolet Traverse Overview and Specs

2013 Chevrolet Traverse

GM likes to call its Chevrolet Traverse a midsize model, but this vehicle offers a cavernous interior and room for up to eight people. Yes, it is smaller than the bulky Tahoe, but when it comes to offering the best blend of room, utility and fuel efficiency, the Traverse should … Read more

7 Car Brands You Won’t See in the USA Anytime Soon

car brands not in US

Tough market and competition keeps some automakers away. The U.S. auto industry is the second-largest in the world, having been bypassed by China in 2009. China’s ascendancy came as the U.S. market tanked, but its recovery is in progress and promises to be a good one. Car manufacturers the world … Read more

LEGO Fans Rock the Super Car Models

Lego cars

Bringing the wonder of LEGO to super car design. Update: May 23, 2012 — The developer of the Vampire GT Supercar would like LEGO to take his idea and make it into a supported product. He can’t do this without your support, however. If you like Paul Boratko’s work, then … Read more

7 Automotive Career Training Schools

Students seeking a career in the automotive sector will find several different opportunities awaiting them. Those with a degree in engineering can pursue careers as automotive engineers, earning close to $80,000 per year on average, among the highest wages in the industry. Others may work as automotive body and related … Read more

Specifications of a 2013 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T

Hyundai Sonata 2.0T engine

Turbocharged engine brings performance to the Sonata line. The 2013 Hyundai Sonata continues where the previous model year sedan left off, bringing to customers a roomy five-passenger sedan that is big on value, looks and fuel efficiency. This model also has performance credentials to offer as a 2.0-liter turbocharged four … Read more

The Average Salary of Automotive Engineers

Information updated May 2, 2020. By Charles K. Green What automotive engineers earn. Automotive engineers help shape auto trends, by developing new or improved vehicle designs. Such planning can cover the car’s body, its powertrain system, and other vehicle systems. Engineers make use of computer-assisted technologies to build, modify, and … Read more

2013 Kia Rio Overview

2013 Kia Rio

Smallest Kia gets a new design. The smallest model in the Kia line up is its subcompact Rio, a vehicle that is sold in sedan and hatchback configurations. Kia markets the Rio and Rio 5-door models separately, but unlike earlier models the only difference between these two is its body … Read more

Semi-Autonomous Cadillac Possible by 2015

Advanced Cadillac XTS features Super Cruise technology. Autonomous driving may still be about a decade away from arriving on the market, but that isn’t stopping General Motors from bringing semi-autonomous driving to its all-new Cadillac XTS. The large sedan, debuting this year, wont be outfitted with Super Cruise technology, but … Read more

Refreshed Mercedes-Benz G-Class Drops Cover

Luxury off-road favorite receives a nip/tuck. African safari venturers are accustomed to enjoying safe rides and may be escorted through Botswanian lion country or through a South African game preserve in the sturdiest of vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, an iconic sport utility vehicle with upright pillars and rugged good looks, … Read more

Chrysler Introduces Dodge Durango Special Service Vehicle

Durango model makes three police cruisers from Chrysler. Auto Trends has been keeping a sharp eye on the police pursuit market lately as several important changes have been made. Police Cruiser News Earlier this month we reported on the fortunes of Carbon Motors, a would-be developer of police-spec sedans. That Indiana-based … Read more

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Overview & Specs

2012 Chevy Silverado 1500

Generation after generation, there has been a full-size Chevrolet truck available for consumer and work purposes. Indeed, the first Chevrolet truck was introduced in 1930 with the Silverado name appearing some 45 years later in certain trim levels of the C/K truck. In 1998, Silverado became the model name for … Read more