Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s drive to develop and market new driving technology is well known, but former employees say he brushed aside their concerns about the safety of the company’s Autopilot system. Several employees, including a former Autopilot engineer, told CNN Money that their concerns fell on deaf ears, as Musk always reverted back to […]
The post Musk Pushed Back Against Tesla Employees’ Autopilot Concerns: Report appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Higher July U.S. sales? Yes and no; Ford CFO: 'The growth is over'; Report: QNX founder now core member of Apple car team; Daimler plans Hungary plant; One giant leap for cupholders?
This small-scale British invasion is good news for U.S. Range Rover owners whose vehicle just don’t feel exclusive enough. UK-based Overfinch, which designs and installs mechanical and appearance “enhancements” for Range Rover products, is coming to the small city of Danville, Virginia. The 40-year-old company plans to open new retail outlets, in addition to its […]
The post Overfinch Sets Up Shop in Virginia, Aims to Make Range Rovers Great Again appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
You remember the Avista — the sexy concept coupe unveiled by Buick at the North American International Auto Show in January (before being spirited away forever)? Apparently, several people at General Motors weren’t happy that the concept’s shapely flanks and lithe profile saw the light of day, despite favorable reaction from the media. According to an […]
The post Buick’s Avista Concept Seriously Pissed Off Some People at GM: Report appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
The hints keep piling up that the Škoda brand could one day arrive on our shores. Volkswagen Group’s Czech subsidiary keeps dropping clues that it wants to enter the U.S. market, but the surging automaker’s CEO recently added his own voice to the rumor mill, according to Autocar. Company head Bernhard Maier said if the automaker does […]
The post Skoda Teases America, Again: CEO Says the Kodiaq Would Be a ‘Home Run’ in the U.S. appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
There’s sad news from Down Under. No, Paul Hogan is still alive, and no, dingoes didn’t get into a local kindergarten. The last Ford Falcon Ute rolled off the assembly line in the Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows today, ending 55 years of continuous production, Car Advice reports. The death of the FG X Falcon Ute heralds […]
The post The Greatest (Attainable) Car You Never Owned Was Just Killed in Australia appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
“I hope someone’s watching.” That thought ran through my head on my first night in the 2016 Lexus RX 350. No, I wasn’t doing something the cops should know about. This is TTAC, not Vice. See, night had just fallen, and Lexus’s stalwart midsize luxury crossover was taking me home. I pulled up to the […]
The post 2016 Lexus RX 350 AWD Review – Tradition in Disguise appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
The long-anticipated Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid, expected later this year, has once again been postponed for the U.S. and Canada. This is at least the fifth time it’s been delayed in North America since its 2013 Japan-market launch. Mitsubishi’s U.S. market public relations manager, Alex Fedorak, confirmed the latest delay. “Following a thorough evaluation process, we […]
The post 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Again Postponed, Won’t Arrive Until Next Summer appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Is there anybody left in this country who gives a single damn about Volkswagen? If so… why? This is a company that has spent the past 40 years treating their American customer base with the kind of contemptuous disdain that most of us associate with the wait staff at Le Bernardin. The thousand injuries of Wolfsburg […]
The post Volkswagen Needs A Hot Passat — Once Again appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Buick is all about China, where the brand claims more than 5 percent market share. Buick’s achievements in the United States, once storied, are now not nearly so impressive. Buick’s market share in America today is half what it was in 2002, after volume declined in eight of 14 years, tumbling from more than 430,000 […]
The post Buick Tells TTAC To Pump The Brakes, It’s All Good — We Never Said It Wasn’t appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
How Fields plans to boost Ford profits, 'play through' stock swings; UAW's beef with Nissan; Renault trims Ghosn's bonus; Ferrari to lighten up with next-generation platform.
Has a nation ever been thirstier? Are we so blessed with beverages that we now assume every occupant of a vehicle is double-fisting it? The answer, it seems, is “yes.” Otherwise, Ford wouldn’t roll out a center console cupholder sporting four drinky holes. If the Waltons and the Brady Bunch were real, instead of being […]
The post America Reaches Peak Cupholder — It Can’t Go Further Than This appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
It’s actually happening. Yes, really. TTAC is getting, by way of my brother Sanjay, a 2017 Ford GT. Check out the order form.
The post TTAC Scores a New 2017 Ford GT appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Ford Motor Company says its profits dropped 9 percent in the second quarter, and warns that leaner times are coming. Net income, global market share, and earnings per share all fell, but the automaker’s financial news wasn’t all bad. Still, Ford plans to do some cost cutting as the red-hot new vehicle market cools off […]
The post Ford Hits a Profit Wall in North America appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
General Motors today fêted Buick as the planet’s fastest-growing volume automaker. Ignored in GM’s press release was the Buick brand’s declining volume in Buick’s home market. As if we needed more evidence that North America is an increasingly unimportant component of Buick’s future plans — Buick is discontinuing the Verano, its most popular car model in […]
The post Buick Don’t Need You, Son appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
A glitzy Mercedes-Benz commercial that touts the 2017 E-Class as a vehicle that “can drive itself” has consumer and safety advocates fighting mad. A number of groups are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to take action against the automaker, saying Mercedes mislead the public. In a letter to FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez, the groups […]
The post Mercedes-Benz Slammed Over Misleading Commercial appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
It seems so recent that the degree to which I detested the Lincoln MKT was off the charts. Few vehicles more sorely offended me. The Lincoln MKT’s styling, it seemed to me, suggested that its designers wanted the MKT to appear as though it had a head cold; that its swollen sinuses were infected. The MKT’s […]
The post In Defence Of: The Lincoln MKT appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
The National Transportation Safety Board didn’t assign any blame in its initial report into the fatal May 7 crash of a Tesla Model S, but did confirm new details. The agency claims Joshua Brown’s vehicle was in Autopilot mode at the time of the crash, and was travelling above the 65 mile per hour speed […]
The post Driver in Fatal Tesla Crash was Speeding While on Autopilot: NHTSA appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
This must be getting boring for the guys and gals in Stuttgart. For the 12th year in a row, Porsche ranked first in J.D. Power’s new vehicle appeal study, but other automakers are closing in on its crown. This year’s Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study found that driver-assist safety features cause drivers to fall […]
The post Porsche (Go Figure) Ranked Most Appealing Brand in J.D. Power Study appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
In every hobby, there is a phenomenon where acquisition or consumption of everything is the essence of the passion. Car nuts certainly can relate, as there are those who must collect, install, and promote every possible tuner part on their cars. The well-off car enthusiast may collect every iteration of a particular classic car. For golfers, […]
The post Was Your Focus RS Order Cancelled? Buy This Cool-Looking Ford Instead appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles knows what models bring home the bacon, so there won’t be many corporate tears shed over its decision to axe the Chrysler 200. Yesterday, the automaker announced $1.48 billion in funding to retool its Sterling Heights, Michigan assembly plant, paving the way for the next generation of Ram trucks. To free up […]
The post Fiat Chrysler Spends $1.5 Billion on Next-Generation Ram; Hands Chrysler 200 December Death Notice appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Czech vehicle names and badging are piling up at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, adding fuel to the rumors of a stateside Škoda launch. On July 14, Škoda Auto filed a trademark application for VRS, which is the performance variant of the brand’s Octavia lineup. If the Czechs do invade the American marketplace, they might bring […]
The post Something Hot (and Foreign) This Way Comes? Skoda Trademarks VRS Name in U.S. appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Have you ever sat in a Ford Transit Connect and said to yourself, “Gosh, I like this, but it’s just so darn big!“? Well, if Ford’s latest trademark filings are any indication, the Blue Oval might soon have exactly what you’re looking for. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Ford filed trademark applications […]
The post Ford Files Trademark Applications for ‘Transit Courier’ and ‘Courier’ in U.S. appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Customers are having their 2016 Ford Focus RS orders cancelled, and the automaker is giving differing reasons as to why, depending on who you ask. Ford is telling dealers and buyers who placed orders for Ford’s hottest hatch that they’ll receive 2017 models instead. This, for a model Ford said it could build as many as […]
The post Ford Cancelling Remaining 2016 Focus RS Orders, Customers Will Have to Wait for 2017 Model Year appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
FCA revises sales reporting, streak ended in '13; End near for Dart, 200?; VW buyback plan gets early OK; Report: Tesla driver speeding; Cadillac XT5 strategy; Toyota's '18 entries.
In response to media reports, a lawsuit, and federal investigations into potential sales figure tampering, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is changing the way it records sales. This means that the automaker’s much-touted 75-month sales streak is dead. FCA admits that under the new method, its year-over-year monthly sales gains ended in September 2013. Ad copy is […]
The post Not so Hot Anymore: Fiat Chrysler Changes Sales Reporting Method, Ends Winning Streak appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Volkswagen’s multi-billion-dollar make-nice deal with U.S. regulators and owners was given a tentative green light today, after a federal judge gave the settlement his preliminary approval. The San Francisco hearing is the first of two, and approval of the $14.7 billion buyback and compensation plan could get a full go-ahead on August 25. The hearing […]
The post Judge Gives Preliminary Approval to Volkswagen Settlement; Owners Have Two Years to File Claims appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
With so many parents using crew cab pickups as family haulers, it’s gotten to the point where a regular cab full-sizer starts to look weird. Well, Nissan has one on tap that looks weirder. Nissan will offer a regular cab Titan and Titan XD this fall, part of its plan to flesh out the lineup […]
The post Nissan Takes a Chainsaw to the Titan, Offers a Regular Cab Version appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Ten days ago, we were reaching the final stages of a basement semi-renovation that would see GoodCarBadCar’s headquarters moved from the top floor of GCBC Towers to the basement. The new office would make room for a new miniature inhabitant upstairs, create easier outside access for the dog, and carve out greater work/life balance. Ikea […]
The post The Minivan Once Again Proves Why It’s The Best Vehicle Concept appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Just slightly over twenty-nine months since taking delivery of my 2014 Accord V6 Coupe 6MT and I’m already out of warranty. That’s not strictly true; there’s still powertrain coverage until the 50,000-mile mark. Certain items, like seatbelts and airbags and catalytic converters, will be replaced on Honda’s time for the rest of this decade, if […]
The post 2014 Honda Accord V6 Coupe 6MT Long-Term Test: 37,000 Miles and Counting appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Ford just ran through its 2017 product lineup, shouting, “You get upgraded Sync 3, and you get upgraded Sync 3…!” Today, the automaker announced that a new version of its Sync 3 infotainment system will be available on every 2017 Ford product. The system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, meaning your phone never […]
The post Ford Updates Sync 3, Offers It in All 2017 Models appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Volkswagen is toying with the idea of creating a hot, performance-oriented Passat variant that grabs people’s souls, assaults their eyes and won’t let go of their imagination. It shouldn’t bother. According to Motor Authority, the automaker wants to wring more sales out of its increasingly overlooked midsizer by appealing to the enthusiast set. Even with […]
The post Volkswagen Shouldn’t Bother Creating an Enthusiast’s Passat appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
His company’s product is under investigation by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk likes the favorable press the NHTSA gave to its Autopilot system. Musk tweeted a link to a Wall Street Journal report that quotes NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind praising the semi-autonomous driving system at a Detroit conference last […]
The post On Autopilot, Elon Musk Has a Friend in NHTSA Chief appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles stopped inflating monthly sales figures after uncovering the practice last year, according to sources within the automaker. The two insiders told Automotive News that the practice, which involved artificially boosting sales numbers before rolling them back the following month, was discovered by an internal review in mid-2015. FCA sales chief Reid Bigland […]
The post Fiat Chrysler Knew About Inflated Sales Figures: Report appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
SUV sales are exploding in the United States. It doesn’t just seem as though the quality, origins, price, power, credibility, and style of a utility vehicle matter not one whit — it really doesn’t. Critically panned and antiquated SUVs such as the Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot are selling better than ever. The original Audi […]
The post Can Volkswagen USA Succeed With SUVs? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Last week, our own Tim Cain broke down exactly why the Dart was destined for the dustbin. Steph asked in April if the Dart would outlast the Obama administration, a question answered last week with a resounding “no” from Auburn Hills. And before that, I asked you what company could build a replacement for the Dart, while offering up my own […]
The post What Would a Mazda3-based Dodge Dart Successor Look Like? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Forget head-scratching model names like Tiguan and Touareg. For its new midsize crossover, Volkswagen scrapped its naming-by-German-committee tradition and turned the process over to its American division. When the new models goes on sale next year, expect a rugged, easy-to-pronounce name designed solely for the U.S. market, Automotive News reports. That name could be “Teramont.” Volkswagen […]
The post Will Volkswagen’s Three-Row Crossover Be Called Teramont, or Something Else? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
The Honda CRX is one of my all-time favorite cars, especially the first-generation 1984-87 models. I have owned quite a few of them and found that the CRX’s combination of reliability (if you didn’t overheat and blow the head gasket), driving enjoyment, fuel economy, and cheap purchase price was impossible to beat for a daily […]
The post Junkyard Find: 1986 Honda CRX appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
After ridding itself of the limp carcass once known as Rover over 15 years ago, BMW — the former parent of Land Rover — looks like it might provide V8 motivation to future Land Rover and Jaguar models. According to Automobile, BMW wants an engine partner in order to amortize development of an upcoming 4.0-liter twin-turbo […]
The post Jaguar Land Rover Eyeballing Bavarian V8s For Future Models appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Elk. Majestic creatures, and delicious, too. You can cut that meat with a fork. But colliding with 900 pounds of it in the smallest car on North American roads is no one’s idea of a picnic. That’s exactly what happened last week, when a tiny, first-generation Smart Fortwo went head-to-head with a bull elk on […]
The post Smart Fortwo vs. 900-Pound Bull Elk: Who Wins? Do Both Lose? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Volkswagen’s emissions scandal gave oil burners a bad name, but Mazda isn’t ditching its plans for a diesel roll-out in North America. The automaker has an internal timeline for a stateside launch of Skyactiv diesels that will meet stringent U.S. pollution regulations, Automotive News reports. When they’ll show up is anyone’s guess. Speaking at the Japanese launch […]
The post Mazda Still Plans to Launch Diesels in the U.S. appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
GM welcomes ethical hackers; Tesla's battery bash; Automotive Hall of Fame's Motown move; New Mercedes marketing chief; Mini, Serena get ready for Rio.
Sick of trying to motivate your Mazda MX-5 Miata’s prodigious tonnage? Thinking of giving that porker away to a friend? Help is on the way. The next generation of automotive journalism’s favorite ride will shed weight, thanks to the use of carbon fiber, Autocar reports. That could mean smaller engines for all markets. MX-5 program […]
The post Next-Generation Mazda MX-5 Won’t Be Smaller, Just Lighter appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Volkswagen’s Korean sales slump just became a sales cliff leading to the Challenger Deep. The embattled automaker suspended sales of most of its models in the Asian country ahead of a environmental review that could lead to a sales ban, Reuters reports. Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal is ever so slowly drawing to a close in the […]
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Toyota SUVs and pickups are popular with insurgents in overseas conflict zones, so why shouldn’t the U.S. military kick the tires on some? The U.S. Special Operations Command just placed an order for up to 556 vehicles outfitted for “unconventional warfare” use, most of them Toyota Land Cruisers, Military Aerospace reports. SOCOM’s contract with Battelle Memorial […]
The post U.S. Military Goes A-Team, Orders Covertly Armored Toyotas for Testing appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Driving off the dealer lot in a longed-for new vehicle is one of life’s richest pleasures, but there’s no joy if a buyer can’t find the chariot of their dreams. Now, imagine that your dream ride is a gray Chevrolet Malibu — a 1LT model with two common options. Doesn’t that seem like an attainable dream? […]
The post All This Man Wanted Was a Grey Malibu appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
After announcing a new bromance with Mazda just over a week ago, Isuzu is calling it quits with its old beau General Motors. (Or maybe GM caught Isuzu cheating behind its back. Who knows? The relationship dynamics at play between automakers are difficult to flesh out.) Regardless, midsize trucks — badged as both Isuzus and […]
The post Isuzu to GM: ‘It’s Been Grand, But I’m Dating Someone Else Now’ appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Two years of owner complaints and embarrassing media coverage forced Chevrolet to do something about the Corvette Z06’s overheating problems. The automaker plans to dial down the engine temperature of 2017 models by installing a new hood with larger vents and a modified supercharger cover, hopefully ending the overheating warnings that plagued Z06 models that ventured […]
The post Chevrolet Rolls Out Overheating Fix for Corvette Z06s appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tesla's data trove could aid its defense; Mazda mulls diesel in U.S.; GM recalls Impalas with flawed airbags; Hyundai's first Genesis store; Honda, Softbank to tap into driver emotions
If you’ve ever though the backseat and trunk in your 3 Series would be a perfect place to put a long, flat cargo space for hauling dirtbikes, start planning a move to Australia. According to Motoring, the German automaker is considering fielding a pickup variant Down Under — a move once thought impossible, but now looks […]
The post BMW Might Build a ‘Ute’ Pickup Just to Screw Mercedes-Benz appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s vision for his company’s future covers all the automotive bases, from personal vehicles to commercial trucks and transit fleets. In a blog post on Tesla’s website, Musk spelled out the steps of his “Master Plan, Part Deux” — a long-term update of his previous decade-long business plan. With the Model 3 on […]
The post Tesla Pickup, Compact SUV all Part of Elon Musk’s New Master Plan appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Enthusiast praise for the Mazda3 began before the current-generation compact Mazda arrived in late 2013. Previous iterations benefited from hugely positive reviews. “We’re going to love the 3 once it arrives in America,” Automobile wrote in December 2003. Credit for dynamic excellence was the norm a generation later. “Steering is direct and the suspension is firm […]
The post 2016 Mazda3 Wins Comparison Test, All The Losers Win Bigly In The Real World appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Would you be furious if you invested millions to open a dealership, only for the manufacturer to supply just one vehicle with any sort of consistency? Of course you’d be. That’s the problem some Hyundai dealers in China are facing now, who are in the unique situation of competing with another set of Hyundai dealers in the country. That’s a tall order: the […]
The post Furious Chinese Hyundai Dealers, With Only One Car to Sell, Suing Automaker for $135 Million appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Double hit on VW: As cost of scandal rises, 'deep' cover-up alleged; FCA compliance czar; Report: Benz, Ferrari recalls needed; Honda, Buick, Jag spy shots; Look son, no hands!
It won’t come as a surprise that Volkswagen’s U.S. arm is eager to put all that happy-go-lucky “clean diesel” stuff behind it. Once the diesel emissions scandal sinks from the headlines like the Deepwater Horizon, the automaker plans to head in a different direction stateside, Automotive News reports, and oil burners won’t be a big […]
The post Volkswagen To Go From ‘Clean Diesel’ Pusher to ‘Barely Any Diesel’ Brand: CEO appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Hey you! Yeah, you with the William Fioravanti suit and Allen Edmonds wingtips. Why are you going fishing like a commoner with a lowly Porsche Cayenne? The discerning angler demands a BENTLEY BENTAYGA FLY FISHING BY MULLINER! Special tubes, trimmed in essential saddle leather with Linen cross-stitching, reside on the underside of the parcel shelf […]
The post Bentley Bentayga Fly Fishing by Mulliner Is for the Discerning Angler appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Bonus. It’s the money you didn’t expect to receive from your employer at the end of the fiscal year, the mussel bar you didn’t know existed at the new Yelp-hyped strip mall restaurant your significant other convinced you to try, the extra hour of sleep you grabbed exiting daylight saving time last autumn. There are […]
The post 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review – It’s Fun, and Really Fuel Efficient appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Volkswagen diesel owners will be able to spend many happy, polluting miles on the road, even after they request a fix instead of a buyback. Buried in the automaker’s $15.3 billion U.S. settlement is the expectation that most of the recalled vehicles will still spew twice the allowable rate of emissions after being repaired, according […]
The post Your Volkswagen Diesel Will Still Be a Polluting Automotive Pariah After Being Fixed appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
3 states sue VW for environmental violations, NY alleges cover-up; 'All-nighter' for Musk, new web address for Tesla; GM, Ford and the Brexit effect; Ford teams up with Jose Cuervo.
There’s a product drought coming to Cadillac dealers, and the earth will stay scorched a good two years. After the recent introduction of the XT5 crossover and CT6 sedan, buyers will have to wait until mid-2018 before the next new model arrives, according to a product update published in Automotive News. Dealers can use the time […]
The post Don’t Expect New Cadillac Models Anytime Soon appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Audi is apparently about to embrace electric vehicles with all the intensity of a daughter greeting her father on the tarmac after the war. According to Reuters, company sources say the automaker plans to make EVs account for 25 percent of sales by 2025 — a move that would erase the environmental stigma of its parent company […]
The post Audi Planning Massive Electric Vehicle Gamble: Report appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
The state of New York wants its pound of flesh from Volkswagen, as well as $450 million. A lawsuit filed against the automaker by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman alleges widespread knowledge of the emissions-cheating “defeat device” used in millions of diesel vehicles, according to the Wall Street Journal. The only way Volkswagen could pull […]
The post NY Attorney General Sues Volkswagen, Claims Dozens Knew About ‘Defeat Device’ appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is in hot water with federal authorities over the way it reports its sales. Late yesterday, it was revealed that the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission both launched investigations into the automaker, following months of accusations of inflated sales figures. In a brief statement, FCA said it […]
The post Federal Investigations Launched Into Fiat Chrysler’s Sales Practices appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
FBI, SEC probe FCA sales reporting; U.S. likely to miss 54.5 mpg goal; Delays at Saleen rile Mustang dealers; Ford executive shuffle; Germany mulls black boxes for auto-piloted cars.
