Automotive

/

Home & Leisure

Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Affordability crisis: 'Alarming' new car prices push buyers toward used vehicles, but they're pricey, too

Automotive / Automotive News /

Tony Grey needed new wheels, but he didn’t want to buy a new car. It took the retired San Jose computer designer three weeks to locate a used SUV in good condition at the right price, at a Santa Clara, California, car lot.

At $28,800, the 2023 white Nissan Pathfinder with 40,000 miles was the best deal Grey found — and slightly below the ...Read more

Henry Payne/The Detroit News/TNS

Big screens, stick shifts and hands-free driving: The best auto features of 2024

Automotive / Automotive News /

Gizmos, whirligigs, whatsits. Engineers solve problems with new gadgets, and automobiles are rolling toy chests.

Cars, trucks and SUVs have long played a game of one-upmanship with multi-cylinder engines and multifunction seats. Now, in the electronics age, they also impress with big screens and apps. Here are my favorite features of the past ...Read more

Marc Grasso/Boston Herald/TNS

Auto review: 2024 Toyota Tacoma gets a great refresh

Automotive / Automotive News /

Toyota has been making great strides in the truck segment of the market, and one of its best moves was refreshing the popular Tacoma. Recently, we tested the 2024 Tacoma TRD Off-Road in attractive Blue Crush Metallic, which seems more purple in the sunlight, riding on 17-inch machined wheels.

Powered by a 2.4-liter iFORCE turbocharged engine, ...Read more

Subaru/Subaru/TNS

Auto review: Multi-talented Solterra is short on range, but much quicker at the plug

Automotive / Automotive News /

It’s been two-and-a-half years since I first drove the Subaru Solterra electric crossover at its press preview in California. It was quiet on the streets of Santa Barbara and peppy on freeways, and it proved its off-road chops on Catalina. It was short on range, long on recharge times and a bit pricey but charming. It’s appreciably better ...Read more

Nissan/Nissan/TNS

Auto review: Redesigned 2025 Nissan Armada is truly a big kahuna

Automotive / Automotive News /

It’s no secret that Americans live large. Anyone who’s been to Buc-ee's, the world’s largest convenience store, can attest to that. If you have, you won’t be surprised that we are also the fattest population in the world among high-income countries. So, is it any wonder that we love such full-size SUV stalwarts as the Chevrolet Tahoe, ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Honda, Nissan deal may be key in fight against China's BYD

Automotive / Automotive News /

Honda Motor Co. absorbing Nissan Motor Co. could give the two struggling Japanese brands the scale they need to take on China’s BYD Co., sales figures released Wednesday show.

Honda, which earlier this week sketched out plans for a deal that amounts to an acquisition of Nissan, sold 3.43 million cars globally in the first 11 months of 2024. ...Read more

The Crucial Role of Safety Features When Buying a New Car

Automotive / Automotive News /

When it comes to purchasing a new car, the focus often lands on style, performance, or fuel efficiency. However, safety features should be a top priority for any buyer. Advanced safety technology not only protects drivers and passengers but can also save lives in critical situations. Here’s why safety features are essential and how you can ...Read more

Robin Buckson, The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS

Why automakers seek partnerships to reduce costs, advance tech faster

Automotive / Automotive News /

In the increasingly competitive automotive market, General Motors Co. and rival automakers have realized pairing up is not only beneficial but necessary for cost reduction and quicker technological advancement.

GM has long understood the benefits of partnerships. The Detroit automaker, for example, has a longstanding partnership with Japanese ...Read more

Jakkar Aimery/The Detroit News/TNS

Ford to give $1 million for Trump inauguration

Automotive / Automotive News /

WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. will contribute $1 million and a fleet of vehicles for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in January, a company spokesperson told The Detroit News.

The company did not reveal what kinds of vehicles it would provide, but the Dearborn automaker joins a growing list of major businesses pitching in for Trump's...Read more

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Motormouth: EV battery life

Automotive / Automotive News /

Q: What happens to an electric motor power source battery in an EV, plug-in hybrid or hybrid if it is not used for 6 months or more at a time? I am familiar with putting a gasoline engine battery on a maintainer. Related question, what happens to an electric motor battery, in each type of electric vehicle, if it loses all charge in normal use?

...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Federal regulators propose new plan for evaluating self-driving vehicle tech

Automotive / Automotive News /

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Friday announced plans to further evaluate the safety of vehicles equipped with automated driving systems, a potential precursor to nationwide standards for rapidly advancing self-driving technology.

The ADS-equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program, known as AV STEP, would create a ...Read more

Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America/TNS

Why it's impossible to make a car without China, regardless of tariffs

Automotive / Automotive News /

WASHINGTON — Even as the Trump and Biden administrations have taken and maintained aggressive stances on reducing China's role in major U.S. manufacturing sectors, auto industry veterans say it remains impossible to build cars and trucks without help from the Far East.

That will likely stay true even if Republican President-elect Donald Trump...Read more

Henry Payne/The Detroit News/TNS

Racy Honda Prelude coupe returns to US as a hybrid

Automotive / Automotive News /

The sporty Honda Prelude is back.

The Japanese automaker announced the return of the iconic two-door coupe to North America with a concept that closely resembles production plans. The Prelude is scheduled to join the brand’s lineup late next year as a 2026 model. Prelude first washed up on U.S. shores in 1979 and was discontinued in 2001 ...Read more

Marc Grasso/Boston Herald/TNS

2024 Mercedes Benz E-class has the appeal sedan lovers demand

Automotive / Automotive News /

With the 2024 models phasing out of the review fleet and 2025s arriving daily, Mercedes made a special request to get the E450 in for a classic luxury review. We enjoyed it very much.

Put your seat back and imagine the year is 1965, with big-body muscle cars all the rage while the length and engine combination demanded ultra plush comfort. We ...Read more

Volvo/TNS/TNS

Auto review: A New battery-electric flagship for Volvo -- the 2025 EX90

Automotive / Automotive News /

Designers always spend the most time working on exterior car designs to attract buyers, sometimes with disastrous results. But it’s the interior that matters more, as that’s what any car owner and their family and friends is going to look at the most. That dichotomy comes into play on the 2025 Volvo EX90, Volvo’s new battery-electric ...Read more

Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS

UAW reaches secret deal with Rivian to make unionizing easier

Automotive / Automotive News /

In recent months, the United Auto Workers reached an agreement with Rivian Automotive Inc. that would make it easier to unionize the company’s workforce — contingent on the electric-vehicle maker ever reaching profitability.

Under Rivian and the UAW’s confidential pact, the automaker would adopt a neutral stance toward efforts to organize...Read more

Russ Mitchell/Los Angeles Times/TNS

GM, ChargePoint partner to install up to 500 ultra-fast charging ports in US

Automotive / Automotive News /

General Motors Co. and ChargePoint, a leading charging company, are partnering to install up to 500 ultra-fast charging ports in the United States, the companies said Wednesday.

The companies didn't specify where the stations will be but said they would go in "strategic locations." The locations should be open and available to the public before...Read more

Mandel Ngan/Getty Images of North America/TNS

Biden administration grants key waiver for California auto rules, EV mandate

Automotive / Automotive News /

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration finalized a decision Wednesday allowing California to enact influential and long-planned vehicle emissions regulations that set an effective 100% electric vehicle requirement for one-third of the U.S. auto market by 2035.

The regulations — if they survive the significant administrative and legal ...Read more

Mandel Ngan/Getty Images of North America/TNS

Biden administration grants key waiver for California auto rules, EV mandate

Automotive / Automotive News /

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration finalized a decision Wednesday allowing California to enact influential and long-planned vehicle emissions regulations that set an effective 100% electric vehicle requirement for one-third of the U.S. auto market by 2035.

The regulations — if they survive the significant administrative and legal ...Read more

Henry Payne/The Detroit News/TNS

Late surge will lift 2024 auto sales to five-year high, Cox projects

Automotive / Automotive News /

Analysts at Cox Automotive, an automotive services company, expect new vehicle sales in the United States for 2024 will come in at just over 15.8 million, beating a previous forecast and marking the best year since 2019.

After a strong fourth quarter, automakers are expected to post sales of 15.85 million in 2024, up 2.3% from 2023's 15.55 ...Read more