Category: Auto

  • Chevy treads the ‘high desert’

    Chevy treads the ‘high desert’

    Add yet another model to the swelling list of “big-buck pickup trucks” — the Chevrolet Silverado High Desert, which will be available this fall via an option package on 2017 LT, LTZ and High Country versions. Coming with distinguishing interior and exterior trim, the High Desert trucks feature a new water-resistant lockable storage system with…

  • Driving costs hit six-year low

    Driving costs hit six-year low

    Thanks in large part to affordable gasoline prices, the average annual cost to own a new car is the cheapest it’s been so far this decade, falling to $8,558 according to the 2016 Your Driving Costs study conducted by the AAA in Orlando, Florida. That comes out to 57 cents for each mile driven based…

  • CVT drone?

    CVT drone?

    Steering You Right with Sharon Peters By Sharon Peters CTW Features Q: We’ve test driven some cars with CVT transmissions and they all made this odd, sort of droning sound. Is this typical of this technology? A: Unfortunately, it is, among most of them. Would-be purchasers appreciate the improved fuel economy that comes with a…

  • Going to potholes

    Going to potholes

    One of the most bothersome legacies of winter weather in at least half of the nation is a preponderance of potholes. Those roadway divots, caused largely by seasonal freeze-thaw cycles, are responsible for $3 billion annually in vehicle damage, according to the AAA in Orlando. This includes punctured tires, bent rims and assorted suspension woes.…

  • New police pickups are heavy-duty cruisers

    New police pickups are heavy-duty cruisers

    Better slow down the next time you see a black pickup truck on the highway. That’s because it could be the police. Ford recently announced it would begin selling its full-size F-150 pickups in both extended SuperCab and four-door SuperCrew configurations with a new Special Service Vehicle package. All black with a monochromatic grille, bumpers…

  • My aching back!

    My aching back!

    Car seats having multiple adjustment controls might promise luxury-car comfort, but they can be counter-productive if not adjusted properly. Maintaining correct posture is paramount to avoiding back pain, which reportedly plagues 60 to 80 percent of us all at some point in our lives. “Correct seat adjustment and seating position of the driver and passenger…

  • Mind the troopers

    Mind the troopers

    Steering You Right with Sharon Peters Q: My son is a state trooper, and many times he’s almost been hit by drivers speeding by, only inches away when he’s at an accident site on the side of the road or has stopped a motorist. You’d think people would know that this is a dangerous situation.…

  • Pothole trouble

    Pothole trouble

    Steering Your Right With Sharon Peters CTW Features Q: Color me oblivious, but until my son completely blew out a tire and wrecked a rim driving through a pothole in another state, I had no idea they could wreak such massive damage. How about a primer on this danger so I can share the information…

  • Detours on the road to self-driving cars

    Detours on the road to self-driving cars

    By Jim Gorzelany CTW Features While most auto industry insiders and observers believe that self-driving cars eventually will rule the roads, there’s still not timeline as to exactly when we’ll all be able to just sit back and enjoy the ride. For their part, the industry analysts at the Boston Consulting Group in Boston, Massachusetts,…