http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:20:39 -0500 Tips and Advice -- find out how to maintain, service, insure, wash and wax, and change the oil in your car with tips from TheCarConnection.com. Lifestyle/Fashion http://static.thecarconnection.com/website/tcc-feed.jpg http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039572_cars-trades-new-models-bring-subaru-a-record-year-of-sales http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039572_cars-trades-new-models-bring-subaru-a-record-year-of-sales Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:21:00 -0500 As overall auto sales have slumped, Subaru has been one of the few bright spots in the auto industry this year, with many year-over-year sales increases to report; in fact, through November of this calendar year, Subaru has already sold as many vehicles as it did in all of last year. And over the past year, Subaru has gone from the 19th ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039571_focus-on-fours-direct-injection-helps-keep-hyundai-on-a-roll http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039571_focus-on-fours-direct-injection-helps-keep-hyundai-on-a-roll Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:37:00 -0500 As shoppers remain worried about the day-to-day economics of driving, Hyundai is looking like one of the best-prepared automakers. The automaker has a new focus, for its new and upcoming products, of keeping weight and engine size down, and it shows both in the new 2010 Tucson introduced at the LA show today and the 2011 Sonata introduced ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039537_mazda-reconfigures-2010-mazda6-looks-at-new-option-strategy http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039537_mazda-reconfigures-2010-mazda6-looks-at-new-option-strategy Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:31:00 -0500 The 2009 Mazda6 was, by almost all accounts, an excellent product arriving at an inopportune time--when auto sales temporarily ground to a halt and the market itself underwent a massive recalibration. Mazda had initially offered the Mazda6 in a dizzying array of build combinations, but that proved a little overambitious--and difficult for ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039536_ford-wows-with-2011-fiesta-interior-cant-compare-mazda2-yet http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039536_ford-wows-with-2011-fiesta-interior-cant-compare-mazda2-yet Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:45:00 -0500 Whether it was an odd coincidence or a calculated move, the 2011 Ford Fiesta and 2011 Mazda2 were both introduced at the LA Auto Show, on the same day. What makes it significant is that they're closely related. While we've heard varying figures, it's fair to say that they share more than just a few pieces. TheCarConnection.com spent some ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039534_mazda-emphasizes-zoom-zoom-qualities-to-cast-wide-with-mazda2 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039534_mazda-emphasizes-zoom-zoom-qualities-to-cast-wide-with-mazda2 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:09:00 -0500 After seeing the three Mazda2 models that Mazda was showing at its LA auto show stand--one plain, one with a tuner look and snowboards mounted on top, the other with a strong motorsports tone--we couldn't help but wonder whether Mazda is planning to go a little Scion with its '2'. According to Chris Hill, Mazda's vehicle line manager, the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039531_mitsubishi-best-buy-test-miev-u-s-electric-car-due-in-2011 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039531_mitsubishi-best-buy-test-miev-u-s-electric-car-due-in-2011 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:53:00 -0500 Mitsubishi today announced a new partnership with electronics retailing giant Best Buy, to place four vehicles initially with Best Buy's Geek Squad computer-tech team. Through the agreement, the companies hope to study real-life vehicle range and any issues that might arise in a hard-use fleet environment. The new arrangement would place ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039482_la-show-patrick-dempsey-on-hand-for-2011-mazda2-debut http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039482_la-show-patrick-dempsey-on-hand-for-2011-mazda2-debut Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:52:00 -0500 Though the two curtained-off stages at the Mazda stand here at the first press day at the Los Angeles auto show were merely ceremonial--everyone knew they covered the new 2011 Mazda2--there were still some surprises. For one, Mazda brought out a couple of Mazda2 models tricked out with lifestyle accessories--hinting that Mazda plans to offer a ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039478_volkswagen-up-light-concept-hints-at-future-hybrid-models http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039478_volkswagen-up-light-concept-hints-at-future-hybrid-models Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:23:00 -0500 At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Volkswagen revealed an all-new concept car, called the Up! Lite, that demonstrates a new focus on fuel-efficiency and hybrids by getting straight to numbers; its carbon-dioxide emissions are just 65 grams per mile and at 70 mpg, it's the most fuel-efficient four-passenger vehicle in the world. With a little ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039443_lincoln-mks-ford-flex-are-tops-in-nav-system-satisfaction http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039443_lincoln-mks-ford-flex-are-tops-in-nav-system-satisfaction Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:00:00 -0500 Happy with your nav system? So are a lot of Lincoln MKS and Ford Flex owners. The Clarion-supplied navigation systems in those vehicles have the most satisfied customers. Also ranking high are the systems in the Acura TL (Pioneer), Ford F-150 (Clarion), and Porsche 911 (Harman/Becker). Toyota's Denso-supplied nav system placed low on the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039306_driven-2010-mitsubishi-miev http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039306_driven-2010-mitsubishi-miev Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:51:00 -0500 Over the past year, the little Mitsubishi MiEV electric minicar has been making the rounds in the U.S. and abroad, with test fleets in the works in a number of countries. And although Mitsubishi hasn't yet announced how the MiEV might be sold or leased to the public in the U.S., it hasn't hesitated to let us in the motoring press sample ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039302_do-volvo-infiniti-accident-avoidance-systems-make-a-difference http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039302_do-volvo-infiniti-accident-avoidance-systems-make-a-difference Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:56:00 -0500 A number of luxury vehicles--and a few other tech-focused models like the 2010 Toyota Prius and 2010 Ford Taurus--now offer features designed to warn you when you stray from your lane, whether due to inattention or drowsiness, or might not notice what's in your blind spot. But typically these systems often come as part of technology packages ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039030_does-the-2010-lexus-ls-600h-park-itself-as-well-as-a-ford http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039030_does-the-2010-lexus-ls-600h-park-itself-as-well-as-a-ford Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:59:00 -0500 For several years Lexus has offered an Advanced Parking Guidance System (APGS; also called Intelligent Parking Assist) option on its Lexus LS 460 and Lexus LS 600h, and the same system is offered in the 2010 Toyota Prius. The Lexus/Toyota system was, and still is, the first and only system in the U.S. market to automatically steer the vehicle ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039243_2011-ford-mustang-gets-new-v-6-305-hp-30-mpg-highway http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039243_2011-ford-mustang-gets-new-v-6-305-hp-30-mpg-highway Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:32:00 -0500 An all-new engine promises to make the base V-6 Ford Mustang a lot more exciting for 2011. Today (and in advance of the LA Auto Show pressers), Ford officially announced that a new all-aluminum 3.7-liter DOHC V-6 will power the 2011 Ford Mustang, producing an impressive 305 horsepower and 280 pound-feet. Two new six-speed transmissions (versus ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039023_driven-mitsubishi-i-minicar http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039023_driven-mitsubishi-i-minicar Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:21:00 -0500 Would you buy a K-Car? It's probably not what you might think. So-called kei cars (or K-cars) are popular in Japan because of their tax exemptions and parking advantages. In this segment created more by regulation more than demand, they're limited to about 134 inches in length (more than two feet longer than the smart fortwo) and 58 ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038999_2010-suzuki-swift-nobut-the-feds-say-so http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038999_2010-suzuki-swift-nobut-the-feds-say-so Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:05:00 -0500 The next-generation version of the Suzuki Swift, due out next year, isn't quite a sure thing for the U.S. market; but we've been told it's been engineered this time with federal regulations in mind. If the 2011 Suzuki Swift does come to these shores, it would take on the growing segment of sporty subcompacts, including the 2011 Ford Fiesta, ..]]>