Author Archive
Mazda 6 Aerodynamics Lead to 32 MPG
2014 Mazda 6
In Consumer Guide’s opinion, the redesigned 2014 Mazda 6 has leapt to the top of the pack of the extremely competitive midsize-car class. In addition to its athletic character, this car is remarkably fuel-efficient. In our three Mazda 6 testers, we have averaged 30.6, 30.8, and—with our long-termer—32.0 mpg. In 330 miles of 95-percent highway driving, Consumer Guide editor Don Sikora averaged 40.3 mpg.
5 Cars to Avoid
Hyundai Veloster
Across America, dealer showrooms are brimming with attractive vehicles, those that wow you with their gorgeous builds and/or dynamic performance. Some cars, however, are more like flashy blondes. They’re appealing on the surface, but once you examine them closely, you’re not so impressed. To wit . . .
Unlike the Volkswagen Beetle, the Smart FourTwo never caught on with Americans as a small, affordable, counter-culture transportation option. Like Volkswagen, however, Smart is known for an amusing and clever ad campaign, though few Americans have ever seen it. We’re correcting that here. Smart ads…
The badge of the 1977 Chevrolet Chevette Sandpiper, which was on both sides of the car.
Nowadays, it’s probably not a good idea to name a car after an ethnic slur. (Just ask Paula Deen.) But to some Americans in the 1950s, stereotypes seemed like a handy, shorthand way of identifying a group of people. Back then, those of Scottish descent were known for being frugal. Hence, thought the marketing whizzes at Studebaker-Packard, why not make a stripped-down model and call it the Scotsman? Let’s explore the Badges of Humility.
Cheap Trim Levels
Horsey Horseless Carriage
Recently, while thumbing through a 1919 issue of Motor Travel: A Magazine for Automobile Owners, I stumbled upon an article titled “The Motor Car Back in ’99.” This story profiled an automobile that was made to look like a horse, mostly as a calming effect for real horses that shared the road. The article explained:
Best Luxury Cars for Tall Drivers
BMW 5-Series
While luxury cars tend to offer more comfortable front seats than non-premium cars do—not to mention all kinds of power adjustments—they don’t necessarily offer more room. In fact, with sleek styling that’s meant to woo well-to-do customers, headroom is often more limiting in luxo vehicles.
Best Cars for Tall Drivers
The 2014 Kia Cadenza offers 45.5 inches of maximum front legroom
Are you sick of “sardining” yourself into a bucket seat? Tired of driving with your kneecaps on the steering wheel? Fed up with banging your noggin on the headliner? If you’re over 6-feet tall and need a vehicle to accommodate your large frame, look no further. We’ve got you covered.
1966 Volkswagen Ad
In a previous blog, I questioned whether Shaquille O’Neal truly had enough legroom to fit in that Buick LaCrosse—you know, the one in the commercial that has aired incessantly for more than a year. Today, I stumbled upon this ad, which shows the late basketball legend Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain (who, like Shaq, was 7-foot-1) trying to get into a Volkswagen Beetle back in the late 1960s.
Chrysler has agreed to add trailer hitch assemblies to 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokees and 2002-2007 Jeep Libertys as a means to prevent fires caused by rear-end collisions. Pictured is a 1993 Grand Cherokee.
Chrysler Group officials were undoubtedly seething over the last two weeks. On June 3, NHTSA asked the company to recall 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokees and Jeep Liberties (years ranging from 1993 to 2007) because some of those SUVs had caught fire in rear crashes. Chrysler contended that the recall was unjustified.
To me, satellite radio is the greatest car feature since the stereo. After a lifetime of listening to the same old same-old on terrestrial radio, including the seven Fleetwood Mac Rumours songs that are played daily on every rock, oldies, and “light FM” station (am I right or am I right?), it’s liberating to have more than a hundred channels to choose from.
