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Motormouth: When should I get an oil change?
Q: I drive a 1998 Toyota that has 62,000 miles on it. I have read your column faithfully for years and have learned so much from you. As you can tell from the mileage on my car, I barely put 2,000 miles on it in a year. The most I might drive in a day is 3-5 miles and sometimes I go days without driving at all. Also, I never do expressway ...Read more
Auto review: With RHO, Ram unleashes a rhino to take on the F-150 Raptor
HOLLY OAKS, Michigan — Raptor, meet Rhino.
The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO supertruck is here and it’s a worthy competitor to segment pioneer Ford F-150 Raptor. RHO is short for Ram High Output, and the acronym’s similarity to rhinoceros is no accident. This is a full-grown, armor-plated, earth-pawing, terrain-chewing, bone-crunching beast.
Better...Read more
Auto review: 2025 Nissan Kicks is competitive, but no standout
It’s been six years since Japanese authorities arrested Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn over allegations of false accounting. It marked the end of a tenure that had started strong, with Nissan fielding impressively rejuvenated products. But Ghosn’s vision ultimately faltered as he became consumed by increasing market share at the expense of all else...Read more
Auto review: Mercedes GLC43 AMG is one speedy SUV
As Mercedes has been pressed for years to deliver outstanding luxury vehicles, they have also instilled a great amount of sportiness to their fleet. When sports and luxury come together, it’s easy for consumers to demand more and more. With Mercedes historically leading the way in the German market, the GLC43 AMG is here and wow is an ...Read more
GM Fort Wayne workers OK strike authorization
United Auto Workers-represented workers at General Motors Co.'s Fort Wayne Assembly truck plant overwhelmingly approved a strike authorization vote over local issues at the plant, according to results Wednesday from Local 2209 representing workers there.
More than 70% of the voting workers approved a strike if it becomes necessary.
The vote ...Read more
A new car every month? Volkswagen launches subscription service
Volkswagen Group is using metro Atlanta as the starting line for a new subscription service that’s intended to offer an alternative to car leasing and vehicle ownership.
Volkswagen Financial Services, the German automaker’s finance arm, announced Wednesday it will launch its subscription service called VW Flex at select dealerships in the ...Read more
Stellantis cuts more jobs, pauses production at Detroit Assembly Complex
Stellantis NV continued to slash vehicle production and cut jobs in the United States this week, including at the automaker's Detroit Assembly Complex where the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs are built.
Vehicle production at both the Mack and Jefferson sides of the east-side complex is paused this week, with workers temporarily laid...Read more
Michigan voters split on $500M federal grant for GM to build EVs in Lansing, poll says
WASHINGTON — Michigan voters are deeply divided on whether the federal government should subsidize General Motors Co.’s retooling of a Cadillac sedan plant in Lansing for future production of electric vehicles, according to a new statewide poll commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV (Channel 4).
The survey of 600 likely voters, ...Read more
Motormouth: Hands on the wheel
Q: I see in a recent column you advocate holding a car steering wheel at the 3- and 9-o’clock position. As an older adult who took a driving safety class for an insurance discount, they advocate the 4- and 8-o’clock position. They said it gives optimal control and if you’re in an accident and your steering wheel airbag goes off, it’s ...Read more
Auto review: 2024 Honda Odyssey Elite is the minivan for many
While the minivan is almost extinct, thanks to the dominance of the SUV, the Honda Odyssey still has a favored spot in Grasso’s Garage. The 2024 Odyssey, assembled in Lincoln, Alabama, boasts tremendous room, comfort and style.
Our 2024 Honda Odyssey Elite tester came wrapped in Lunar Silver Metallic and a gray interior. Since Honda delivered...Read more
Auto review: Versatile, eco-friendly Maverick grazes a new trail
The economical Ford Maverick of the 1970s was a wildly popular sedan — equaling Mustang sales in its first year — as rising gas prices spurred shoppers to become more fuel conscious. The $1,900 starting price at launch didn’t hurt either.
Ford dusted off the nameplate a couple of years ago and is having similar success with the new ...Read more
Auto review: 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz EV is a modern-day homage
The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is more than an homage to another era. It’s representative of Volkswagen’s American market conundrum.
The German automaker is celebrating its 75th year in America, an astounding feat of marketing for a company established by Adolf Hitler in the late 1930s and popularized in the United States by an ad agency whose...Read more
Tesla soars to best day in 11 years after a blowout quarter
Tesla Inc.’s shares surged the most in more than 11 years after the carmaker reported surprisingly strong earnings and forecast as much as 30% growth in vehicle sales next year.
Third-quarter results were buoyed by Tesla turning a corner with the Cybertruck, which generated profit for the first time. Lower material costs, an expanding energy ...Read more
Stellantis will soon test solid-state batteries in Dodge Charger EVs
Stellantis NV said Wednesday it plans to launch a demonstration fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona electric muscle cars in 2026 that will be equipped with solid-state batteries — an emerging technology that some view as the future of EVs.
Stellantis is working with its partner Factorial Inc. on the solid-state battery project, a Massachusetts ...Read more
Trump can tap the brakes on the EV revolution, but not stop it
Tim Echols is a bona fide a conservative. The Georgia public service commissioner is an ordained evangelical minister, is solidly against abortion and founded a nonprofit to help teens understand the political process and “defend their Christian faith.”
But there’s one place where he’s a little out of step with his political colleagues...Read more
GM's Q3 results outpace expectations, automaker ups yearly guidance for third time
On the back of strong internal combustion engine sales and pricing in North America, General Motors Co. beat Wall Street earnings expectations on Tuesday with third-quarter net income of $3.056 billion, down just 0.3% year over year, on revenue of $48.757 billion, up 10.5%.
GM's incentive spend in the quarter as a percentage of the average ...Read more
UAW members diverge over presidential election as union rallies for Harris
WARREN, Michigan — The United Auto Workers has held rallies, solicited door-to-door canvassers and brought on members to make calls to support the candidates it's endorsed this election — topped by Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for president. But some are less than enthused.
"They won't say it in public that they're voting for Trump this...Read more
Motormouth: What's wrong with my seat belt?
Q: My driver seat belt fails to retract all the time and one day may damage the door. I’ve shown my belt retraction to two dealership mechanic foremen with pictures of it hanging outside the car. They say they can only fix it if it happens to them. Is there anyone else to turn to? My door sill paint is wearing thin.
J.S, Chicago
A: It will ...Read more
US agency launches investigation into Tesla's self-driving technology
Tesla's controversial "Full Self-Driving" mode is being investigated by U.S. authorities following a series of crashes, including one accident that killed a pedestrian.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened its latest probe into the leading maker of electric vehicles after receiving reports of four collisions that occurred ...Read more
Auto review: 2024 BMW X2 is a great compact coupe SUV for consumers
While the small category of Coupe SUV’s exist in the German markets, BMW delivers the compact coupe SUV consumers have been inquiring about. The BMW X2 xDrive28i offers a $42K base price range, and is both ultra comfortable and roomy.
Clocking in with a zero to 60 mph time at just over 5 seconds, the 312 horsepower compact coupe SUV is ...Read more