KickingTires

Tesla Repays Government Loan

Joe Wiesenfelder — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:03:32 PDT

Electric carmaker Tesla Motors has repaid in full a U.S. Department of Energy loan, according to the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company.

Tesla said the $451.8 million wired today represented the balance, plus interest, of a $465 million loan awarded in 2010 under the DOE's Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program. The program, which launched under President George W. Bush in 2007, has also benefited plug-in-vehicle development at Fisker Automotive, Ford Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. Tesla is the first company to repay its loan, with nine years to spare.

The payment comes a week after a Tesla stock offering that raised more than $1 billion — fueled, no doubt, by the first profitable quarter in the company's history as well as critical acclaim for the Model S that included Consumer Reports declaring it the best car it has tested since 2007.

Apart from being freed from the stigma associated with government investment, Tesla could garner additional goodwill from consumers and investors if the deal results in a profit, as some have predicted.

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Volvo S60

Jennifer Newman — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:04:14 PDT

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? Cars.com reviewer David Thomas thinks that’s the case with the 2013 Volvo S60 T6 R-Design. This top-of-the-line trim adds a more powerful turbocharged six-cylinder engine to the midsize sedan, but its base engine — a turbocharged five-cylinder — has more than enough power, Thomas says.

2013 Volvo S60 Review

VW to Retrofit Late-Model Diesel Vehicles to Prevent Misfueling

Jen Burklow — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:21:07 PDT

Pumping gasoline into the tank of a diesel vehicle can be a costly mistake. To prevent that from happening, Volkswagen of America has issued a service action and will refit 209,500 diesel vehicles in the U.S., according to Automotive News. Affected models are TDI versions of the 2009-12 Jetta, the 2010-12 Golf and the 2009-12 Jetta SportWagen.

"As diesel engine passenger vehicles become more popular, auto manufacturers have seen an increase in the number of misfueling cases where diesel engine vehicles are mistakenly fueled with gasoline," VW said in the notice to dealers. "The resulting fuel system contamination can lead to costly repairs that are not covered under warranty."

The service action involves retrofitting affected vehicles with a fuel filler neck cap and a sleeve to prevent owners from mistakenly inserting gasoline nozzles, which have a smaller diameter than diesel fuel nozzles. Running a diesel car on gasoline can cause it to stall. The leading manufacturer of diesel vehicles in the U.S., VW redesigned 2013 vehicles to accept only diesel fuel nozzles. If a driver tries to insert a gas nozzle instead of a diesel nozzle, the fuel tank gate stays shut.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received about 160 complaints about the issue, many of them from VW itself. NHTSA began investigating VW diesel vehicles in February 2011 after receiving dozens of complaints linked to failed fuel pumps. Most of the complaints involved gasoline in the tanks. NHTSA has upgraded its investigation to an engineering analysis, which can lead to a recall — but that hasn’t happened yet.

VW said it will begin contacting owners May 28; dealers will add a misfueling guard and fuel filler neck cap to affected 2009-12 vehicles free of charge to customers. For more information, call VW at 800-822-8987.

Minnesota, Midwest Gas Prices Spike Before Memorial Day

David Thomas — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:00:00 PDT

Generally, gas prices spike leading into Memorial Day weekend, which signifies the start of summer road-trip season. This year, refinery issues in the Midwest are putting a bigger hurt on Minnesota and surrounding states than the rest of the country.

The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.65. On average, Minnesota drivers are paying $4.27 for a gallon, which is nearly 17% more than the national average, according to AAA. A year ago, Minnesota's average gas price was nearly 3% less than the national average. In the past month alone, Minnesota's average gas price has increased more than 24%.

They're not alone. Here's a chart of the biggest price spikes over the past week and month.

The West Coast is also seeing gas prices increases. In Oregon, the average price of regular unleaded gas is up 9% in a month. California and Washington state have seen 3% increases in the past month.

The East Coast, the South and Texas are seeing minimal price fluctuations at the pump. New York and Florida, for example, have seen prices drop slightly over the past month.

What will the impact be on summer travel?

Hard-hit states still might not see a drastic drop in people willing to travel by car.

A round trip from Minneapolis to Chicago, for example, is roughly 800 miles. If you drive a fuel-efficient sedan like a 2013 Honda Accord at 36 mpg highway, this trip will cost $94.88 at Minnesota's current average price of regular unleaded gas. That's $15.33 higher than last year. Most families should be able to budget an extra $15 for a summer vacation.

If the car is full of cargo and the summer sun is beating down on it, expect mileage to be closer to the combined city/highway fuel-economy rating; for the Accord, that's 30 mpg. Using Minnesota's current average gas price, the trip would cost $113.88, which is a manageable increase of $18.40 over last year.

But families in larger vehicles such as a 2013 Chrysler Town & Country minivan with its 20 mpg combined rating would see costs for the same trip increase $27.60 compared to taking the trip last year.

Longer trips could be curtailed this summer, but even when we see gas-price spikes such as these, savvy travelers should be able to absorb the hit to the wallet by both packing light to save weight and packing extra food from home to save on fast-food costs on the road.

What's Included in a Tuneup?

Rick Popely — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:24:46 PDT

Actually, there is no such thing as a tuneup in the traditional sense of replacing parts to bring the ignition and fuel systems up to specs for maximum performance and efficiency, and there hasn't been for years.

About the only things left from the traditional tuneup are new spark plugs, which is typically done every 100,000 miles, and replacing the air filter periodically. The federal EPA and Department of Energy say that replacing a clogged air filter will not improve gas mileage but can improve acceleration 6% to 11%. The agencies do not say what benefit can be derived from fresh spark plugs, but computers that control today's engines adjust the air-fuel mixture and spark timing to compensate for wear, such as when the electrodes on spark plugs are worn down.

Even so, some car owners still dutifully take their car in periodically to have it "tuned up." Instead, service technicians will inspect and perhaps test the fuel, ignition and emissions systems to look for faulty vacuum hoses, oxygen sensors and other parts that can hurt performance. The federal government, for example, says a bad oxygen sensor can give engine computers false readings and reduce fuel economy as much as 40%.

Having your vehicle serviced and inspected periodically is a good way to extend its life and keep it operating efficiently. However, walking into a repair facility and asking for a tuneup is a bad idea because it indicates you're still living in the previous century and have extra money you would like to spend. Some in the auto-repair business will take advantage of those opportunities.

Look in the owner's manual for your vehicle (or separate maintenance schedule) to find what the manufacturer recommends, and see if you can even find the words "tuneup." For example, we looked at the maintenance guide for the Ford Fiesta that also applies to other Ford vehicles. The first mention of anything related to a traditional tune-up was to replace the engine air filter every 30,000 miles. The only other related item was to replace the spark plugs every 100,000 miles.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Video

Matt Schmitz — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:39:52 PDT

The changes are few, but their impact is great. Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek says the subtle precision of improvements to the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee have made a good SUV a great one. Perhaps the biggest strides were made in tech upgrades — Chrysler's responsive, easy-to-use 8.4-inch touch-screen multimedia system and a configurable instrument cluster are high points. Another is an eight-speed automatic transmission that makes the Grand Cherokee both quicker and more fuel efficient. Watch the video above.

U.S.-Built Nissan Leaf Gets Mileage, Sales Jolt

Matt Schmitz — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:59:10 PDT

Nissan is getting a lot of mileage out of its decision to move production of the 2013 Leaf to the U.S. from Japan — not just in terms of fuel economy improvements but in sales figures as well. The EPA has given the electric vehicle's 2013 version a 16-mpg bump in its mileage ratings thanks to enhancements made following the move stateside. Meanwhile, a price reduction helped propel the Leaf to its best sales month ever in March, bringing total U.S. sales to 25,000 since the car debuted.

The EPA now rates the Leaf at 129/102/115 MPGe city/highway/combined compared with its previous rating of 106/92/99; that amounts to a combined-mileage increase of 16 mpg. According to Left Lane News, a more aerodynamic front fascia and a 129-pound weight savings thanks to a new charging unit made the mileage boost possible.

The move from Japan also assisted in the sales increase by allowing Nissan to lower the price. Kicking Tires reported earlier this year that the automaker in part made the move to avoid currency fluctuations that wreaked havoc on Leaf pricing for 2011 and 2012 models imported from Japan. Nissan subsequently introduced a new base model, the Leaf S, and reduced the starting price by $6,400. The result has been a more than 423% year-over-year sales increase, taking the Leaf past the 25,000 milestone and reinforcing its position as the best-selling EV in the world, according to Nissan.

"With more than 25,000 Leafs in the U.S. and 62,000 around the world, we're seeing the adoption curve for EVs accelerate," Erik Gottfried, Nissan director of EV marketing and sales, said in a statement. "And there is tremendous interest not only on the West Coast but in a number of new strongholds like Atlanta, Raleigh, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, St. Louis and many more."

Inside the IIHS' Crash Tests: Video

Jennifer Geiger — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:10:40 PDT

You're probably familiar with how front, side and rear crash tests work, but what about the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's newest and toughest test — the frontal small-overlap evaluation? Small-overlap crashes account for nearly a quarter of frontal crashes that result in serious or fatal injury, the agency reports. The test is meant to mimic when a vehicle's driver-side front end crashes into a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph … but what does that look like and how does it affect the occupants inside? Check out the video above for a breakdown of the crash and a look inside the different types of dummies that IIHS studies. (embed video above)

2014 BMW 5 Series: What's Changed

Joe Bruzek — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:56:38 PDT

Most significant changes: New diesel engine and standard navigation
Price change: Most 5 Series are up $1,200 to $1,700 compared to 2013
On sale: August 2013
Which should you buy, 2013 or 2014? Those who want navigation can get it slightly cheaper on the 2014 528 and 535 sedans

BMW expands its diesel engine offerings with the addition of a 5 Series diesel in a mildly refreshed 2014 model. Along with a more-efficient diesel engine, the refresh adds minor front and rear styling tweaks as well as new standard features such as navigation, larger center console storage compartments and cupholders.

The diesel-powered 535d sedan's turbocharged six-cylinder makes 255-horsepower and 413 pounds-feet of torque. BMW says the diesel will have "substantial fuel economy gains over its gasoline-fueled counterpart," though official EPA figures won't be available until closer to the car's August on-sale date. The 535d's available all-wheel drive puts it in a rare class of diesel, all-wheel-drive sedans along with the 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Bluetec — surprisingly, we're asked frequently about diesel, all-wheel-drive sedans at Ask.cars.com.

All 5 Series now have standard navigation. BMW continues to add innovation to its iDrive system for controlling navigation and multimedia functions; this year, there's a new touchpad character-recognition feature integrated into the rotating controller. The touchpad recognizes letters as they're spelled with your finger. BMW says the rotary speller and voice recognition are still options for entering commands in addition to the touchpad.

The 528's stout turbocharged four-cylinder and 535's turbocharged six-cylinder gasoline engines carry over; however, under the 550's hood is a tweaked 445-hp V-8, up 45 hp from 2013. The newfound power propels the 550i sedan from zero to 60 mph a half second faster than 2013 models, now at 4.5 seconds. BMW's funky 5 Series Gran Turismo hatchback also receives the 445-hp V-8 in 550 models and gains 2.1 cubic feet of luggage room (to a max 17.7 cubic feet) from a revised rear section in all models — numbers are preliminary European specifications.

Exterior changes for 2014 are subtle and include slightly revised grille lines, redesigned lower air intakes and an extra crease in the rear apron; there's also more sharply contoured rear taillights. Like the smaller 3 Series, the 5 Series now shares Luxury, Modern and M Sport "Lines" with unique interior and exterior trim packages for a luxurious or sporty appearance. Adaptive high-intensity-discharge headlights are standard, and adaptive full LED low and high beams are optional.

Additional optional equipment includes a new rear-seat entertainment system with tablet-style displays mounted to the front seatbacks, a Harman Kardon sound system and ambient lighting with orange and white color choices. An available hands-free tailgate on the Gran Turismo and trunk on the sedan now closes with motion detection as well as opens.

The 2014 5 Series goes on sale with the base four-cylinder rear-wheel-drive 528i starting at $50,425 with destination — the six-cylinder 535i is $56,025. Those prices are up $1,700 compared to 2013. Diesel 535d models start at $57,525 with rear-wheel drive and $59,825 with all-wheel drive. The 550i ($64,825) is up $1,200, while the 5 Series hybrid pricing is unchanged at $62,325. Gran Turismo 535i models ($60,925) $ are $1,700 more expensive while the Gran Turismo 550i ($68,825) is up $100.

Why I Drive the 2013 Honda Civic Like a Hybrid

David Thomas — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:30:00 PDT

Our long-term Honda Civic has only been in our fleet for a few months, but I've already racked up several weeks' worth of drive time in it. Besides the fact that it is a very capable commute car with a nice stereo and comfortable seats, I've found myself driving this car differently than I expected. I drive it like a hybrid.

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When I test hybrids I generally don't employ hypermiling techniques to rack up impressive mileage figures, but I do drive the cars "smarter" while still keeping up with traffic. That means accelerating smoothly without hammering down the gas pedal, coasting when possible and when in heavy traffic leaving room between the car in front of me to reduce braking.

The other day I realized I was doing all this in the Civic too.

The reason? Those two darn strips of horizontal lights around the digital speedometer that go from blue to green the more economically you drive. Their placement high on the dashboard means it's nearly impossible to disregard them when driving. I guess I want to make them happy and go green more than I thought.

Another cue is the instant mileage meter directly to the right of the digital speedometer. Many cars have a similar readout, but it's usually in a less prominent position. Unlike the green bars, I'm not trying to push the meter all the way to the right, but it is like a score in a game. [Hyundai's Veloster actually has an mileage game built into its multimedia system.]

I also feel bad for the Civic.

Most of its life with us has been in urban driving and bumper-to-bumper commutes, which have resulted in less-than-stellar mileage totals. It hasn't had a road trip yet and rarely hits 55 mph. I'm routinely swapping the LCD screen from the music display to the trip computer so I can see if I'm moving the average mpg number up for the poor little guy.