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2015 Jeep Renegade Preview

Can a Jeep be “green?”  Historically the answer has been “No.”  While it’s true Jeep has a long tradition of producing rugged off-road vehicles fuel economy has never been one of its strengths.  The only Jeep to average as high as 26 miles per gallon (combined City/Highway) is the affordable but unloved Patriot/Compass twins and […]

5 Green Cars to Avoid

Sometimes being green just isn’t enough.  These five cars show that not only is it not easy being green (forgive me Kermit), it can be almost disastrous.  With that in mind, here are five “green” cars it might be best to avoid. 5) Fiat 500.  The Fiat 500 is, as my wife would say “just […]

2015 Lexus CT 200h Preview

Expensive, slow and ugly.  Hard to see out of and uncomfortable.  That’s what I thought when I first drove the Lexus CT 200h hybrid in 2012.  Now, almost three years later, Lexus is getting ready to release an updated version of the CT hybrid for 2015.  Will it be a fresh meal or just a […]

2015 Chevy Trax Preview

With the success of the Buick Encore it was as certain as night follows day that GM would create a knock-off version for Chevrolet.  Perhaps the Chevy version should have been named the Sequel, not the Trax, because that’s what it is … a 2nd version of the Buick original.  Of course the key to […]

2015 Honda HR-V Preview

Almost twenty years ago Toyota introduced the first of the “Cute Utes” to the United States with the RAV4.*  In those days the RAV4 was one of the smallest SUVs on the market.  Well, actually it wasn’t an SUV in the traditional sense, but it had optional all-wheel drive (which Toyota misleading labeled “4-wheel drive”) and […]

NHTSA To Require Backup Cameras in 2018

NHTSA To Require Backup Cameras in 2018

An idea whose time has come. Backup cameral will be required on all vehicles under 10,000 pounds sold in the United States.  The rule takes effect in May of 2018.  The NHTSA estimates that rear cameras will significantly reduce the risk of fatalities and serious injuries caused by back over accidents. The NHTSA reports that on […]