What was once a tenuous toe-dip into green waters for car companies looks more and more like a sea change. Manufacturers today are increasingly utilizing dual-mode drivetrains both to improve fuel economy and to make better performing cars, even as they avail themselves of the hybrid cachet to hawk them. Today, there’s a hybrid for nearly every palate and purpose.
Category Archives: Consumer
The dustup over brake covers
Whether you’re looking to pick up a high-end ride, or you just dig chrome dubs and alloy mags, chances are you’ve caught the chatter over brake dust covers. What are they? What are they for, and do they do what they claim to do? In this Question of the Day article, I dig into the dirt surrounding these wheel shields.
Cheaper to keep her: the real costs of auto maintenance
If you’re like me, every time your “check engine” light pops on, or some component starts emitting an odd noise (or smell), a tiny counter in your brain rolls forward like an odometer. Is this the Big One? Should you take your beloved beater off life support and shell out for a new ride instead?
Just how much is too much to spend on repairs? The answer might surprise you. Let’s start by looking at how much you should expect to pay for repairs over the lifetime of your car and then compare that to the cost of buying a new one.
Seeing past the sticker: the cheapest cars to own
Sticker prices and financing aside, figuring out which car is really the cheapest to own can be a complicated affair. You have to consider the costs of sales tax, depreciation, fuel, interest on the loan, insurance, maintenance and repair. In this article, I’ll give you the rundown on the best deals over the long haul, broken down my MSRP, total cost of ownership (TCO) and vehicle category.
Which single piece of currency is worth the most?
Daniel Webster once said, “He who tampers with the currency robs labor of its bread.” That might be true, but it hasn’t prevented governments at home and abroad from revaluating, reissuing and just generally messing with these printed portraits of presidents and potentates. Was there ever a $100,000 bill? Find out as I reveal…