http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:03:06 -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/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/1038992_driven-2010-suzuki-grand-vitara http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038992_driven-2010-suzuki-grand-vitara Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:35:00 -0500 While the all-new 2010 Kizashi sedan is earning Suzuki some well-deserved attention, we can't forget that SUVs are what Suzuki has really built its name on in the U.S.  Vehicles like the Samurai, Sidekick, and Vitara forged a path for Suzuki as the producer of sturdy, compact, off-road-capable, and sometimes-eccentric (X90) SUVs. The vehicle ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038836_first-drive-2010-lexus-gx-460 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038836_first-drive-2010-lexus-gx-460 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:03:00 -0500 Stepping into the brand-new 2010 Lexus GX 460 for the first time, it's hard not to feel a bit nostalgic. Why? Among mid-size utes, the Lexus GX 460 is the last one standing; it's the only vehicle this size that sticks with the body-on-frame construction long preferred those who do heavy towing, and by some off-roaders. Luxurious mid-size ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038759_mitsubishi-debuts-sync-rival-called-fuse-in-2010-outlander http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038759_mitsubishi-debuts-sync-rival-called-fuse-in-2010-outlander Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:04:00 -0500 It's about time that another automaker took on Ford's Sync hands-free communication and entertainment interface. One of the best rival systems--at least in affordable vehicles--comes from an unlikely source: Mitsubishi. The new 2010 Outlander is the first vehicle to get the handy interface. In a way, it figures. Mitsubishi used to have a geeky ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038613_driven-2010-mitsubishi-outlander-gt http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038613_driven-2010-mitsubishi-outlander-gt Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0500 In the three years since the second-generation Mitsubishi Outlander first went on sale, Mitsubishi has gone through a sort of identity crisis here in the U.S. market. While the Japanese automaker's compact Lancer models--especially the high-performance Evolution and Ralliart--have been generally well received, Mitsubishi's larger vehicles, ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038327_driven-2010-mazda-cx-9 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038327_driven-2010-mazda-cx-9 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:11:00 -0500 Mazda's CX-9 can be more than a little deceiving. Get caught up in the driving experience--as you actually can in the somewhat nimble-feeling CX-9--and you might actually think you're driving a tall but reasonably compact wagon. That is, until you look back from the front seat at the spacious three-row interior or assess from the outside ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037929_2010-hummer-h3-and-h3t-treading-water-before-real-change http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037929_2010-hummer-h3-and-h3t-treading-water-before-real-change Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:58:00 -0500 Hummer is in the midst of a move--from General Motors to China's Sichuan Tengzhong--but the brand has announced details for its 2010 H3 SUV and H3T pickup, which are slated to go on sale next month. Changes are minimal. The standard engine is still a 239-horsepower, 3.7-liter five-cylinder engine, but most noteworthy is that the H3 line finally ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037469_driven-2010-acura-rdx http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037469_driven-2010-acura-rdx Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:15:00 -0400 Cutting through marketing hype, the Acura RDX is one of relatively few crossover vehicles that actually do feel like agile sport sedans--especially if you'd like to keep the price well under $40k. That is, provided you're one of those people who won't consider wagons like the BMW 328i Sport Wagon, Cadillac CTS Wagon, or upcoming Acura TSX ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037363_2010-toyota-rav4-sport-cleaner-look-more-convenient-layout http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037363_2010-toyota-rav4-sport-cleaner-look-more-convenient-layout Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:37:00 -0400 Last year the Toyota RAV4 got a little bit of a facelift, with a refreshed front and rear appearance, a stronger and more refined base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and an upgraded feature set. But it was a little surprising--as it had been when the RAV4 was last fully redesigned for 2006--that Toyota didn't address the RAV4's most ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037342_acura-announces-tsx-sport-wagon http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037342_acura-announces-tsx-sport-wagon Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:49:00 -0400 A couple of months ago, we mentioned that Honda was looking to bring an upscale wagon to American showrooms. Today, it's been made official: in one of the briefest press releases we've received in recent weeks, Honda has announced that an Acura TSX sport wagon will arrive in the U.S. in the fall of 2010 as a 2011 model. No additional details ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037200_driven-2010-subaru-outback http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037200_driven-2010-subaru-outback Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:35:00 -0400 In Portland and Seattle, or throughout the coastal or mountain backcountry of the Pacific Northwest, you won't have to look long to find a Subaru Outback. They're every which way you look, in the driveways of everyone from windsurfers to skiers to antiquing empty nesters. And if there's an official car of this region, this is it. With the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036660_bluetooth-ipod-connectivity-expanded-in-2010-toyota-venza http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036660_bluetooth-ipod-connectivity-expanded-in-2010-toyota-venza Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:46:00 -0400 The Venza carries into its second model year with no significant changes. That's the short story, however some people might find the Venza's entertainment system considerably more functional; tech-savvy shoppers will be quick to verify that an USB auxiliary port and iPod connectivity are newly standard across the 2010 Toyota Venza model ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036389_2010-honda-element-lives-up-to-its-pet-pawtential http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036389_2010-honda-element-lives-up-to-its-pet-pawtential Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:47:00 -0400 Thanks to its easy-clean cargo floor and tall, versatile layout, the Honda Element has been a longtime favorite for dog owners. Yet the number of official pet-friendly accessories for the Element, along with most other popular dog-haulers, has been surprisingly limited, leaving families to search for aftermarket solutions--or simply ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036335_hummer-sale-to-chinas-tengzhong-official http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036335_hummer-sale-to-chinas-tengzhong-official Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:17:00 -0400 The saga of GM's sale of HUMMER has finally come to a close. With the sudden collapse of the Penske-Saturn deal last week, many feared a similar fate would befall HUMMER, but today's announcement of the sale agreement between GM and China's Tengzhong puts those fears to rest, at least for the present. The deal must still secure final ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036283_toyotas-answer-to-deadly-floor-mats-zip-ties http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036283_toyotas-answer-to-deadly-floor-mats-zip-ties Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:31:00 -0400 In a move almost too strange to be fiction, Toyota is apparently advising its Toyota and Lexus brand dealers to zip tie loose floor mats to the seats in the 3.8 million vehicles affected by the recent safety recall. Of course, it's phrased much more eloquently than that. "We have reviewed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ..]]>