http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:14:07 -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/1039579_2009-los-angeles-auto-show-best-in-show http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039579_2009-los-angeles-auto-show-best-in-show Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:30:00 -0500 The 2009 Los Angeles auto show is over--for the press, at least. In the shadow of continual turmoil at GM, the show fielded a few important new production vehicle introductions, but not a lot more. The lightweight proof? The second press day, where more than half of the gathered journalists had disappeared and jumped early flights home. High ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039632_l-a-auto-show-2010-audi-a3-tdi-earns-green-car-of-the-year http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039632_l-a-auto-show-2010-audi-a3-tdi-earns-green-car-of-the-year Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:06:00 -0500 The 2010 Audi A3 TDI has been dubbed Green Car of the Year, making it the second time in a row that a clean diesel vehicle has taken the honor. (Last year's winner? The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.) Ron Cogan -- editor of Green Car Journal, which presented the award yesterday at the L.A. Auto Show -- pointed out that although there are a number ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039530_fisker-no-special-favors-from-vp-biden-in-delaware http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1039530_fisker-no-special-favors-from-vp-biden-in-delaware Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:51:00 -0500 Last month, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made car news when he inadvertently revealed plans for a range of vehicles to come from Fisker, the new car company setting up shop in Biden's home state of Delaware. Biden's gaffe came off as "vintage Joe" to Washington watchers, but raised questions in the auto industry: was there any quid pro quo in ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038490_2009-los-angeles-auto-show-coverage http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1038490_2009-los-angeles-auto-show-coverage Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:29:00 -0500 It's not quite the glamorous Staples Center--home to the Grammys and a certain celebrity endpoint this year--but just next door to the tabernacle of music sits the Los Angeles Convention Center. The convention center's the next roosting spot for the car world, as the industry sets down next month for the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The L.A. ..]]> 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/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/1037918_rolls-royce-ghost-goes-greenish http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037918_rolls-royce-ghost-goes-greenish Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:16:00 -0500 Early last month, we reported on surprising rumors that less-than-green Bentley is developing a hybrid powertrain for 2011. Not wanting to be left out of all the eco-fun, Bentley's high-end rival, Rolls-Royce, now says that it's also working on a hybrid powertrain -- one for the new Rolls-Royce Ghost. There's no official drop date, but reports ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037736_ontario-goes-green-with-new-plates-hov-perks http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037736_ontario-goes-green-with-new-plates-hov-perks Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:21:00 -0500 High Occupancy Vehicle lanes help reduce traffic congestion by encouraging carpools. In states like California and Virginia, they're also used as incentives for green car buyers, since drivers of approved hybrid and electric vehicles can cruise the HOV lanes even when traveling solo. Now comes news that Ontario is trying out a similar policy ..]]> 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/1037307_super-gaff-o-matic-biden-reveals-entire-fisker-lineup http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037307_super-gaff-o-matic-biden-reveals-entire-fisker-lineup Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:46:00 -0400 Vice President Joe Biden, known for repeated instances of foot-in-mouth disease, unwittingly spilled the beans on Fisker Automotive's plan for a Delaware-built, three-vehicle family of plug-in hybrids. Fox News reports that Biden told press gathered in Wilmington, Del., that Fisker would eventually build 100,000 plug-in hybrid sedans, coupes ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037220_honda-retools-new-product-lineup-boosts-profit-estimates http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037220_honda-retools-new-product-lineup-boosts-profit-estimates Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:15:00 -0400 Honda's reputation as a manufacturer of green automobiles is about to get a little greener: the company is retooling much of its product line, including the popular Honda Civic, to boost fuel economy and keep auto prices low. Given the lingering financial crisis plaguing most of the world and oil prices that have shot from $30 to $80 a barrel ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036546_first-drive-2010-volkswagen-polo http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036546_first-drive-2010-volkswagen-polo Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0400 Is it 1973 all over again? Volkswagen is amping up for a fuel-economy battle with Honda and Ford, right here in America, with a new hatchback. Only this time, some of the names have changed, and so have the rules. Come 2011 or so, it's the VW Polo readying for a fight with the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta. The fuel economy sea-changes and ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037169_toyota-develops-a-new-plant-but-not-the-kind-you-think http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037169_toyota-develops-a-new-plant-but-not-the-kind-you-think Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:40:00 -0400 Global warming's a hot topic these days (no pun intended), but there's another that's even hotter: geoengineering, or using technology to decrease atmospheric temperatures rather than forcing changes in human behavior. Most geoengineering plans are a little wacky (e.g. floating 16 trillion mirrors in space), but Toyota's attempt isn't nearly ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036542_video-volkswagen-launches-the-fun-theory-campaign http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036542_video-volkswagen-launches-the-fun-theory-campaign Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:30:00 -0400 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035918_breaking-toyota-recall-affects-3-8m-prius-lexus-cars http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035918_breaking-toyota-recall-affects-3-8m-prius-lexus-cars Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:04:00 -0400 The Federal Department of Transportation has issued an "urgent" warning to owners of several Toyota and Lexus models, strongly advising them to remove the floor mats on the driver's side to prevent the accelerator pedal from sticking. Issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the advisory notice urges that drivers ..]]>