http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:47:18 -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/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/1039009_toyota-to-shorten-then-replace-3-8m-accelerator-pedals-in-safety-recall http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039009_toyota-to-shorten-then-replace-3-8m-accelerator-pedals-in-safety-recall Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:36:00 -0500 Toyota announced today that it would recall 3.8 million of its vehicles to replace the accelerator pedals, to alleviate once and for all any chance of uncontrolled acceleration from the pedal being trapped by ill-fitting floor mats. While it develops new pedal designs, Toyota will have its dealers shorten the pedals on affected vehicles, ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038861_today-in-social-media-the-toyota-4runner-you-in-campaign http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038861_today-in-social-media-the-toyota-4runner-you-in-campaign Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:40:00 -0500 Social media is the bold, new frontier of marketing: terra incognita, Wild West, Deep Space. Sites and services like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Flickr allow advertisers to reach huge numbers of people at minimum cost and maximum speed; all companies have to do is post videos or photos of a product, make sure the right people see them ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038856_honda-lineup-ranked-most-fuel-efficient-in-america http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038856_honda-lineup-ranked-most-fuel-efficient-in-america Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:43:00 -0500 Nine automakers sell full lineups in the U.S., and the Environmental Protection Agency has ranked them according to fuel-efficiency. At the top of the EPA's list sits Honda, whose U.S. models average 23.6 miles per gallon; Hyundai (23.4 mpg) and Toyota (23.2 mpg) take home silver and bronze, respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, we ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038599_toyota-floor-mat-safety-recall-my-prius-goes-on-notice http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038599_toyota-floor-mat-safety-recall-my-prius-goes-on-notice Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0500 You're well aware that Toyota is recalling the 2004-2009 Prius--among a list of vehicles--for an issue with floor mats. Here at High Gear Media, we have at least two vehicles affected by the recall, both 2004 Toyota Prius hatchbacks, both even the same shade of blue. One of them's mine, and in the nearly six years we've owned our Prius, it's ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038556_iihs-picks-the-safest-new-vehicles-for-2010 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038556_iihs-picks-the-safest-new-vehicles-for-2010 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:24:00 -0500 The coveted Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) used to be quite exclusive--and a way for safety-conscious shoppers to narrow down their possibilities to a few top-rated vehicles in a segment. But since 2007, the number of Top Safety Picks has roughly doubled each year, going from just 23 ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038361_chevrolet-aveo-the-most-toxic-new-car http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038361_chevrolet-aveo-the-most-toxic-new-car Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:41:00 -0500 Do you avoid drinking out of clear plastic water bottles, using antiperspirants with aluminum, or cooking in non-stick pans? Use a water purifier and ionizer everywhere you go, always buy organic, mind your cold-water fish list, and have your tap water checked yearly? If so, we've found either a new source of anxiety in your life or a handy ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038195_2010-toyota-yaris-cheapest-new-car-with-stability-control http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038195_2010-toyota-yaris-cheapest-new-car-with-stability-control Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:00:00 -0500 It's not surprising at all that the smallest, least expensive vehicles typically get short shrift on features. You won't find power windows or mirrors, central locking, air conditioning, or even sound systems on some of the most affordable versions of the cheapest models. But while most automakers also skimp on safety features for these most ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038093_cash-for-clunkers-reveals-weakness-among-detroit-brands http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038093_cash-for-clunkers-reveals-weakness-among-detroit-brands Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:38:00 -0500 It's obvious from the comments on this site and others in the High Gear Media family that Cash-for-Clunkers remains a hot-button issue, and new data about the program is likely to fuel the fire: according to stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, most car buyers used Cash-for-Clunkers to swap out their domestic ride ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037931_do-dogs-leave-a-larger-footprint-than-suvs http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037931_do-dogs-leave-a-larger-footprint-than-suvs Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:38:00 -0500 Are dogs worse for the environment than SUVs? You'll find a number of sources trumpeting the widely publicized results from New Zealand researchers, concluding that yes, dogs are worse for the planet than SUVs. But don't kick out the hound quite yet and head for the Hummer dealership; according to the Seattle-based Sightline Institute, the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037883_toyota-posts-first-profit-in-months-lifts-sales-projections http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037883_toyota-posts-first-profit-in-months-lifts-sales-projections Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:51:00 -0500 Detroit's Big Three may have grabbed most of this week's headlines, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the world's automakers have been sitting on their hands. One story that isn't getting much play is the fact that Toyota Motor Company -- which posted its first-ever loss last fiscal year -- returned to profitability last quarter. Although ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037821_raising-the-gas-tax-auto-execs-push-an-unpopular-solution http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037821_raising-the-gas-tax-auto-execs-push-an-unpopular-solution Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:41:00 -0500 We've been here before. The government mandates more fuel-efficient vehicles across the board, yet the American public continues to gravitate toward what's big and powerful. Barring this era of greater responsibility and restraint, which might pass like a fleeting fancy with the recession, why not pick the bigger or more powerful car, we ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037501_ugliest-cars-of-the-past-50-years-you-might-be-surprised http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037501_ugliest-cars-of-the-past-50-years-you-might-be-surprised Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:59:00 -0400 Think that the design of the Volkswagen New Beetle is more hideous than iconic? Apparently you're not alone. Business Week has posted its "Fifty Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Years," including a number of models present and past, and the New Beetle is just one of the newer and still-produced models on the list. Others include the Cadillac ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037478_michael-pollan-eats-words-prius-driving-carnivores-are-ok http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037478_michael-pollan-eats-words-prius-driving-carnivores-are-ok Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:44:00 -0400 Last week, author Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, etc.) made headlines when he said, "A vegan in a HUMMER has a lighter carbon footprint than beef-eater in a Prius". This week, predictably, Mr. Pollan is eating those words: although studies have shown that meat-eaters generate two tons more CO2 per year than their vegan neighbors, the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037394_thefts-down-but-lojack-looks-ahead-to-hybrids-and-electrics http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037394_thefts-down-but-lojack-looks-ahead-to-hybrids-and-electrics Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:45:00 -0400 In any normal vehicle, a slight drain on the battery is no big deal. But if you have a hybrid--or, for that matter, if you have a finicky old British roadster in the garage that needs to be hooked up to a trickle charger all the time--you want to minimize what's tapping into your power. That's why LoJack has announced a new self-powered ..]]>