Behind the Wheel | 2009 Toyota Venza: High-End Nest for Pampered Empty Nesters
5/1/2009 external link
Toyota customers seeking a fresh-feeling blend of style, comfort and practicality may find the Venza was worth the wait.
Auto Ego | Mercedes-Benz 300D: He’s in It for the Long Run
3/1/2009 external link
Renowned for their durability, the big Mercedes diesels built from the mid-1970s to the mid-’80s have made Tom Cucciniello a true aficionado.
Technology: Coal in Your Stocking? Fuel Up the Cadillac!
2/1/2009 external link
Three decades ago, General Motors developed a prototype powertrain under the hood of a Cadillac Eldorado.
Motoring: The Senator Behind the Window Sticker
2/1/2009 external link
One milestone of 2008 was the 50th anniversary of the window sticker, the now-ubiquitous price sheet that has helped to make new-car purchases a bit less confounding.
Left in Limbo as Dealers Fail
3/1/2009 external link
Over the last year many consumers have experienced problems with defunct car dealerships.
Automakers Fear a New Normal of Low Sales
6/1/2009 external link
The across-the-board decline in car sales is certain to put more pressure on the fragile finances of manufacturers.
Auto Industry Still Coming to Grips With the Damage of 2008
5/1/2009 external link
Each of the six largest automakers, including foreign and domestic brands, is expected to say that its sales in the United States fell at least 30 percent in December.
City Will Slash That Parking Fine, if You Ask
2/1/2009 external link
New York City has been offering reduced parking fines since 2005, but the discounts have gone unnoticed.
Workers Ordered to Give Up City-Owned Cars
2/1/2009 external link
In a move to cut costs, the Bloomberg administration has asked city agencies to sell nearly 700 city-owned cars.
Ford Hybrid Emphasizes High Mileage
31/12/2008 external link
The midsize Fusion Hybrid is Ford’s strongest effort yet to break the dominance of Japanese automakers in hybrid passenger cars.
GMAC Makes It Easier to Get a Car Loan
31/12/2008 external link
The day after an injection from the government, the financing affiliate of G.M. said it would immediately ease the conditions for borrowers to have access to its loans.
Winners and Losers ’08: One Writer’s View
30/12/2008 external link
Picks and pans for 2008 -- the year that could go down in history as the year the American auto industry went, uh, down in history.
A Hybrid That’s Not a Hit
28/12/2008 external link
Relatively few buyers have been swayed by the technical wizardry of the so-called two-mode hybrid from General Motors.
A Market Segment That Dare Not Speak Its Name
28/12/2008 external link
The BMW X6, Ford Flex and Infiniti EX35, all offshoots of existing platforms, seem to present different ways of flirting with the concept of a station wagon.
Black Workers Hurt by Detroit’s Ills
30/12/2008 external link
Automakers and their higher wage scales provided a route to the middle class for many African-Americans.
A South Korean Carmaker Seeks State Aid
30/12/2008 external link
Ssangyong Motor Company and its Chinese majority shareholder, SAIC Motor Corporation, are seeking help from the South Korean government to stave off a collapse of the ailing automaker.
U.S. Agrees to a Stake in GMAC
30/12/2008 external link
The Treasury Department took a stake of $5 billion in GMAC and agreed to lend $1 billion to to help it reorganize itself as a bank holding company.
Kerkorian Sells the Rest of His Ford Shares
30/12/2008 external link
Kirk Kerkorian’s final pullout from Ford completed a costly retreat for the investor, who has a mixed track record with investments at all three Detroit automakers.
Foreign Automakers in the U.S. Cut Back
23/12/2008 external link
Although they have ample credit, foreign-owned carmakers with U.S. operations are facing slowing sales.
Car Slump Jolts Toyota, Halting 70 Years of Gain
26/12/2008 external link
The grim forecast from Toyota is the latest sign of the global auto industry’s slowdown after years of profits and expansion.
Downturn Will Test Obama’s Vision for an Energy-Efficient Auto Industry
26/12/2008 external link
The auto bailout will give President-elect Barack Obama a tool to prod the industry to change, but it will also test his resolve as he pushes it in new directions.
Canada Agrees to Its Own Auto Bailout
21/12/2008 external link
The governments of Canada and its Ontario province offered the industry 4 billion Canadian dollars in emergency loans.
Wheels: Concerns Over Chinese Auto Part Recalls
20/12/2008 external link
Safety advocates say that American consumers are facing greater danger as Chinese manufacturers increase the number of automotive parts they are sending to the United States.
Plug-In Hybrid Goes on Sale, in China
20/12/2008 external link
On Monday, BYD Auto of China began selling the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid car in the world, beating General Motors and Toyota to market.
Chrysler to Shut Factories for a Month
18/12/2008 external link
The automaker said it would close its plants for two weeks longer than usual in response to plunging vehicle sales in the United States.
Hertz Tosses Some Car Keys Into the Ring, Battling Zipcar
17/12/2008 external link
A new model for rental-car companies in an economic environment that has hurt businesss.
Observatory: Diesel, Made Simply From Coffee Grounds (Ah, the Exhaust Aroma)
16/12/2008 external link
Scientists at the University of Nevada, Reno, have made diesel fuel from used coffee grounds.
On Washington: From Detroit to Jerusalem
17/12/2008 external link
As a sitting president and a president-elect maneuver over how to bail out Detroit, there may be some lessons in the Middle East peace process.
Vital Signs: Risks: Child’s Weight Tied to Type of Crash Injury
16/12/2008 external link
A new study suggests that while heavier children are no more likely than others to be injured in car accidents, they are much more likely to hurt their arms and legs.
After Its Big Cuts, Detroit Makes Lots of Small Ones
17/12/2008 external link
As sales continue to plummet, the Big Three automakers are scrutinizing every budget line for potential savings to save cash.
Collecting: Detroit's Small Packages Arrived, and Left, Early
14/12/2008 external link
A wave of small cars from American manufacturers failed to captivate car buyers in the early 1950s.
Greentech: Long-Lived, but Not Immortal: Fears Fade on Hybrid Batteries
16/12/2008 external link
Hybrid critics have long said that battery replacement would wipe out savings on gasoline, but the issue is fading as a concern.
Nascar’s Sponsors, Hit by Sticker Shock
21/12/2008 external link
Nascar, which relies on corporate sponsorships more than other sports, is particularly vulnerable in an economic crisis.
Car Dealers Brace for Closings, or for a Fight, as Detroit Seeks Help
9/12/2008 external link
Many auto dealers believe they are on the chopping block no matter what happens to the Detroit automobile companies.
Vital Signs: Perceptions: Putting a Face Value on Cars
9/12/2008 external link
According to a new study, people who were shown pictures of cars attributed personalities to them.
Behind the Wheel | 2009 Pontiac G8: Excitement, Yes, but Is It Too Late?
14/12/2008 external link
While the future of Pontiac is in doubt, the V-8 version of its new G8 arrives with the power and grace to hang with luxury-sport titans.
Around the Block | 2009 Dodge Challenger: Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing
6/12/2008 external link
The 6-cylinder Challenger SE, little brother to the muscular SRT8, will attract crowds even as it sits in the driveway.
Cars Didn’t Cause the Crisis
28/12/2008 external link
The disconnect between the auto companies’ balance sheets and the products they sell is the No. 1 thing that many citizens don’t grasp about the industry.
Detroit, We Have a Problem
28/12/2008 external link
Next year may be worse, but when the perfect storm finally ends there will be better, more relevant cars to buy.
Last Call for Horsepower
28/12/2008 external link
Business may be bleak now, but there is reason for optimism. There’s even hope for the internal-combustion engine.
