The Infiniti M35h Hybrid will start at $53,700 when it goes on sale March 18th. At that sticker price, the hybrid will slot between the V6-powered M37 range and V8-powered M56 models.
The M35h hybrid uses a single electric motor and two clutches to achieve full-hybrid operation. It will come only in a rear-wheel-drive configuration [...]
Filed under: Cars on February 26th, 2011 | No Comments »
The fourth and final wave of the "Phone in one hand. Ticket in the other." pilot campaign to test the effectiveness of high-visibility enforcement for distracted driving will begin this weekend in Hartford, Connecticut, running from February 26th through March 4th. The program funded by the Department of Transportation started last spring in Hartford, as [...]
Filed under: Cars on February 25th, 2011 | No Comments »
Ford is recalling 144,000 2005-2006 F-150 pickup trucks due to risk of inadvertent air bag deployment occurring shortly after start up. Most customer complaints are on trucks built at the Norfolk Assembly Plant from November 2004 through June 2005.
Ford explains that "during assembly, a specific airbag wire located in the steering wheel could have been [...]
Filed under: Cars on February 25th, 2011 | No Comments »
Last month, NASA reported they could find no electronic gremlins in Toyota’s electronics that could cause the cars to suddenly accelerate out of control. The space agency points to mechanical issues, related to floor mat entrapment and sticky pedals. Toyota added under-carpet padding to that list with a new recall today that affects more than [...]
Filed under: Cars on February 25th, 2011 | No Comments »
Toyota has announced two separate voluntary recalls today due to problems with vehicle floor mats. The first affects approximately 20,000 2006-2007 Lexus GS 300 and GS 350 all-wheel-drive sedans to modify the shape of the plastic pad in the driver’s side floor carpet. If the floor carpet around the accelerator pedal is not properly placed, [...]
Filed under: Cars on February 24th, 2011 | No Comments »
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, spurred on by 32 complaints of engine stalling. All but one complaint was filed in the last year. NHTSA estimates that there are 43,941 related vehicles.
NHTSA says, “Consumers have reported incidents of inverter failure while driving, with [...]
Filed under: Cars on February 24th, 2011 | No Comments »
Just as the Volkswagen New Beetle has its roof squashed, Volkswagen is introducing a new soft-top convertible at the Geneva Motor Show next month. And after four years with the Eos and the New Beetle convertibles, the company is bringing back the Cabriolet nameplate.
VW’s new Cabriolet looks much like the Eos hard-top convertible, only [...]
Filed under: Cars on February 23rd, 2011 | No Comments »
A brand known for safety rather than fuel efficiency, Volvo is racing to get into the green game with electrified vehicles. This week it announced a new plug-in diesel hybrid version of its overseas-only V60 wagon that it says is "production ready."
This V60 (an S60 wagon) is what's known as a "through-the-road" hybrid, with each [...]
Filed under: Cars on February 23rd, 2011 | No Comments »
It’s been a long journey for the Ford Explorer. Introduced in 1990, the Explorer muscled the family minivan out of many suburban driveways. It also reigned as Consumer Reports’ top-rated SUV for several years in the late 1990s. At one point, Ford was selling over 400,000 Explorers a year.
That was until car-based SUVs started showing [...]
Filed under: Cars on February 23rd, 2011 | No Comments »
Gasoline prices are up around the country in all areas compared to the week before. The national gasoline average is $.53 above the price this time last year. Diesel fuel is about $.74 above this time last year.
National regular gasoline prices
Price
Change from last week
Regular gasoline/gallon
$3.19
↑ .05
Diesel fuel/gallon
$3.58
↑ .04
Regional regular gasoline prices
East Coast
$3.17
↑ .03
—New [...]
Filed under: Cars on February 22nd, 2011 | No Comments »
