Page 13 - Auto Features News Today

LOS ANGELES — You can fly from Burbank to Bozeman, Montana, one of the gateways to Yellowstone National Park, for $38 round trip, thanks to fares offered for Aug. 11-18 on startup Avelo Airlines. Super deal. Then you decide to book a rental car. The best price for an on-airport rental that turned up on Kayak, a search aggregator, was — wait for it — $2,028 for a week. That’s through Hertz, which chooses the model for you and asks you to pay in advance. Welcome to car wars, t...

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson might have been designed after the jagged edges of the Santa Catalina Mountains that surround the compact SUV’s Arizona namesake. Or the chiseled stones that flood the street markets of Tucson’s annual Gem and Mineral Show. Or maybe the Lamborghini Aventador’s dramatic lines, since Hyundai’s design chief Luc Donckerwolke once penned the Italian sports cars. Whatever its inspiration, the Tucson is one of the most striking compact utes in the U.S.’...

Q: I recently bought a new 2021 Mazda SUV. The color is white, and at the time I thought that was what I wanted. But now I am not so sure. I am going to keep the vehicle but feel that I would like it to be a different color. Is it OK to repaint a new car? Would the paint job work, or would there be a problem? Any insight you could give me would be helpful. M.B., Las Vegas A: Sure, you can paint a new car, but there is an alternative. Get it wrapped. 3M makes a paint wrap film specifically desig...

Q: I recently was gifted a 1979 Negrini moped. It has a 49cc, two-cycle engine. After some extensive cleaning it appears to be in good condition. The owner’s manual calls

Hyundai’s long-awaited Santa Cruz pickup has finally broken cover, and it largely stays true to the scene-stealing concept that was a hit at the 2015 North American International Auto show. The production model will measure 195.7 inches long — 15 to 17 inches less than midsize pickups like the Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma. The dramatic looking little truck features a short bed, four-door cab and innovative headlights that seem to vanish into the grille when theyâ€�...

The ability to walk and chew gum will go a long way toward determining which automakers survive this decade. Engineering talent and investment capital are being pulled in two different directions like never before. On one hand, automakers are scrambling to develop electric and self-driving vehicles — fabulously challenging and expensive undertakings — or be left behind. On the other, customers only buy a handful of EVs today, and true self-driving vehicles are years away. EVs and self...

Q: The Illinois Tollway recently announced that cash tolls will no longer be used. People who don’t have a transponder and/or out-of-staters must pay within 14 days. And they must figure out what they owe. My question: Why doesn’t the tollway use machines that accept credit cards? The whole world has come to accept credit and debit cards as a result of COVID. It would make life much easier. A.F., Evanston, Ill. A: The tollway system does accept credit cards, but not at toll booths, wh...

Kia is the latest to answer it, with a resounding “Sorta.” Car companies want to know not because they’re caring friends, concerned with drivers’ emotional welfare, but because there are two conflicting narratives about minivan owners: 1. They revel in their role as parents, and minivans’ unrivaled practicality for carrying kids, sports gear and the odd labradoodle. Their minivan is a badge of honor. 2. Like a supporting character in “Wandavision,” they’r...

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is expensive. With a starting price of $74,995 including destination charges, it costs as much as the most expensive variants of Land Rover’s new Defender. That’s $46,000 more than the price of a base Wrangler. The Wrangler Rubicon 392 is loud. Speeding down a long two-lane highway near Moab, Utah, on March 30, it barked and belched like an angry junkyard pit bull. It reached 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, nearly a second faster than a Jaguar F-Type sports c...

GMC’s 830-horsepower electric 2024 Hummer SUV will be even more capable than the 1,000-hp electric Hummer pickup, thanks largely to trail-friendly dimensions that will let it negotiate tighter spaces. Due to go on sale early in 2023, the electric Hummer SUV is nearly 2 feet shorter than it’s sibling pickup. At 196.8 inches long, the SUV is 3.4 inches longer than a GMC Acadia midsize SUV. For comparison to other off-road SUVs, the Hummer is about a foot longer than a four-door Jeep Wra...