A turn signal normally keeps a relaxed, predictable beat. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Then, without warning, it sounds as though someone has doubled the tempo. The arrow on the dashboard flashes furiously
The car comes out of the wash looking excellent, apart from one headlight. Behind the clear lens is a patch of mist, as though someone breathed on the inside of it. The other lamp may be perfectly
There was a time when checking automatic transmission fluid involved a dipstick, a rag, and five minutes under the hood. Now the dipstick has vanished. The filler may be buried beneath the car, the fl
New luxury SUVs have a real talent for making wealthy people feel good and second owners feel smarter. That is especially true when depreciation gets violent. Because there are cars that los
A used hybrid can be a really smart buy. That is the good news. The other news is that people sometimes shop for one the same way they shop for any regular used car, and that is where thin
Used cars are expensive enough now that people are starting to look in places they used to ignore completely. That is how government surplus auctions end up back in the conversation. On pap
BMW and reliability have had a weird relationship for a long time. There was a stretch where people talked about older BMWs like they were carved out of granite. The straight-sixes had a reputa
Plug-in hybrids always sound like the sensible answer when you first hear the pitch. You get some electric driving for the short stuff. You still have a gas engine for road trips. No full commi
There's a number that car salespeople don't bring up, and financial advisors mention mostly to people who already bought the car. The moment you drive a new vehicle off the dealer's lot, i
The sticker price is the beginning of what a car costs, not the end. What you pay over the next five years in maintenance, repairs, and reliability surprises adds up to a number that can exceed the di