No engine? Idea's just hot air

September 7, 2008

Q: We have a viable plan for a compressed air motor, but as private citizens we lack the funding to develop a working prototype.

Recent columns

• At 4,000 pounds, souped-up Lucerne is super-sized

  September 7, 2008

  Perhaps it would have been better to bring out a high-mileage version before a high-performance rendition.

• Electronic wizardry comes standard on 2009 Acura RL

  August 31, 2008

  The ride is smooth, handling secure. Twisties are no challenge. Stability control is standard along with full-time all-wheel-drive that directs torque front to rear or side to side when wheel slippage is detected to maintain traction. All-season maneuverability.

• 'General preference' to recommend what buyers want

  August 31, 2008

  Q: I don't agree with your general preference for the big, cushy cars common in the U.S. Europeans have been driving fuel-efficient, small cars for decades. And they prefer manuals.

• Electronic wizardry comes standard on 2009 Acura RL

  August 31, 2008

  If you want to know what the weather will be three days from now or whether there's an accident three blocks from here, the 2009 Acura RL is at your service.

• 'General preference' to recommend what buyers want

  August 31, 2008

  Q: I don't agree with your general preference for the big, cushy cars common in the U.S.

• Genesis of a luxury car from Hyundai

  August 24, 2008

  Hyundai first made a name for itself in the U.S. in 1986 with a subcompact $4,995 Excel. After some fits and starts, Hyundai is ready to go upscale with a full-size $40,000 Genesis flagship for 2009.

• A head-scratcher for satisfied Prius owners

  August 24, 2008

  Q: We and every other Prius owner we've met are strong advocates for the car, so the many put-downs in your review of the Prius (Transportation, Aug. 3) aren't easily understood.

• A head-scratcher for Prius owners

  August 24, 2008

  Q: We and every other Prius owner we've met are strong advocates for the car, so the many put-downs in your review of the Prius (Transportation, Aug. 3) aren't easily understood.

• Ad, warranty fees are legit

  August 17, 2008

  Q: Is it customary to pay for the dealership's advertising?

• Unyielding Pilot running on all 3, 4, 6 cylinders

  August 17, 2008

  When a vehicle controls the number of cylinders in use based on its need for more or less power, you'd think the automaker would shout it from the highest mountain—especially with gas prices rising like CEO salaries.

• Ad, warranty fees are legit

  August 17, 2008

  Q: Is it customary to pay for the dealership's advertising?

• At long last, a hybrid from Chrysler

  August 10, 2008

  Better late than never?

• Extra pounds tough on car too

  August 10, 2008

  Q: In replying to a reader question about the men converting the Prius into a plug-in hybrid (Auto letters, July 27), you said the addition of 300 pounds of lead-acid batteries could cause the vehicle to be unstable.

• Extra pounds tough on car too

  August 10, 2008

  Q: In replying to a reader question about the men converting the Prius into a plug-in hybrid (Auto letters, July 27), you said the addition of 300 pounds of lead-acid batteries could cause the vehicle to be unstable.

• Redesigned Prius can arrive none too soon

  August 3, 2008

  A motorist turns off the engine to coast the final block home.

• Not only SUVs are fuelish

  August 3, 2008

  Q: Who's complaining about high gas prices? Certainly not the drivers of large SUVs, vans and pickup trucks zooming along at 75 to 80 m.p.h.

• Not only SUVs are fuelish

  August 3, 2008

  Q: Who's complaining about high gas prices? Certainly not the drivers of large SUVs, vans and pickup trucks zooming along at 75 to 80 m.p.h.

• Prius gets 100 m.p.g. at a price

  July 27, 2008

  Q: On my way to work, I spotted a Toyota Prius with a bumper label that read: "100+ Mile Per Gallon Hybrid" and the Web address www.pluginproject.com. I checked out the Web site to learn that two guys modified their own Prius with a battery pack to achieve 100 m.p.g. Pretty impressive.

• Prius gets 100 m.p.g. at a price

  July 27, 2008

  Q: On my way to work, I spotted a Toyota Prius with a bumper label that read: "100+ Mile Per Gallon Hybrid" and the Web address www.pluginproject.com. I checked out the Web site to learn that two guys modified their own Prius with a battery pack to achieve 100 m.p.g. Pretty impressive.

• What do you get when you cross tiger, iguana?

  July 20, 2008

  Don't ever let Volkswagen name one of your kids.

• No deposit? Few return calls

  July 20, 2008

  Q: I went looking for a new Toyota Highlander and found most dealers have only black, white or silver in stock. I told a salesman I wanted a Limited in red, blue or green without a navigation system. I asked him to call me if he could locate one.

• No deposit? Few return calls

  July 20, 2008

  Q: I went looking for a new Toyota Highlander and found most dealers have only black, white or silver in stock. I told a salesman I wanted a Limited in red, blue or green without a navigation system. I asked him to call me if he could locate one.

• MKS gives luxury a voice at Lincoln

  July 13, 2008

  Lincoln has launched a new flagship: the 2009 MKS.

• It's usually rebate or cut-rate loan

  July 13, 2008

  Q: Regarding the rebate on the 2007 Hyundai Sonata purchased by one of your readers (Auto letters, June 8), it brought to mind my purchase of a 2004 Chevy TrailBlazer. I got a $5,000 factory rebate but the question that has always been on my mind is whether I also was entitled to a low-cost or no-interest loan on the purchase; the dealership didn't offer it. I'm considering the purchase of a new vehicle and if the dealer could have but didn't make the financing offer in 2004, I will buy from another dealer.

• It's usually rebate or cut-rate loan–not both

  July 13, 2008

  Q: Regarding the rebate on the 2007 Hyundai Sonata purchased by one of your readers (Auto letters, June 8), it brought to mind my purchase of a 2004 Chevy TrailBlazer. I got a $5,000 factory rebate but the question that has always been on my mind is whether I also was entitled to a low-cost or no-interest loan on the purchase; the dealership didn't offer it. I'm considering the purchase of a new vehicle and if the dealer could have but didn't make the financing offer in 2004, I will buy from another dealer.

• Gas sippers unite – then buy one

  July 6, 2008

  Q: Why can't our politicians get the word "conservation" out of their mouths? We need a mind-set change, and the media should be leading the way.

• Gas sippers unite – buy one

  July 6, 2008

  Q: Why can't our politicians get the word "conservation" out of their mouths? We need a mind-set change in this country, and the media should be leading the way.

• Hybrid SUV a tight fit, except at pump

  July 6, 2008

  Like Kermit said, it's not easy to be green.

• Forester hitches its wagon to crossover craze

  June 29, 2008

  The Subaru Forester isn't the most fuel efficient machine out there. Not the fastest, either. Nor the roomiest, quietest or most stylish.

• 4-cylinder clues it's not a V-6

  June 29, 2008

  Q: Three months after buying a new car that was supposed to have a V-6, I found it had a 4-cylinder. The salesman and sales manager assured me it had a V-6 and had me sign the papers without showing me the box that read "4 cyl." In April a woman hit my bumper and her insurance company sent me paperwork noting my 4-cylinder car was fixed. Two days later I called the dealership. The sales manager said to come in, and he'd try to rectify the situation. In mid-May I went back and was told they'd buy my car for $14,000 and sell me a V-6 model for $20,000. I feel I originally signed the bill of sale under false pretenses. From the beginning, I told the dealership that I wanted a car with a V-6 engine.

• 4-cylinder clues that it's not a V-6

  June 29, 2008

  Q: Three months after buying a new car that was supposed to have a V-6, I found it had a 4-cylinder. The salesman and sales manager assured me it had a V-6 and had me sign the papers without showing me the box that read "4 cyl." In April a woman hit my bumper and her insurance company sent me paperwork noting my 4-cylinder car was fixed. Two days later I called the dealership. The sales manager said to come in, and he'd try to rectify the situation. In mid-May I went back and was told they'd buy my car for $14,000 and sell me a V-6 model for $20,000. I feel I originally signed the bill of sale under false pretenses. From the beginning, I told the dealership that I wanted a car with a V-6 engine.

• Nothing sinister about EV1

  June 22, 2008

  Q: Why can't General Motors build an electric car now?

• EV1 a good building block, not a cover-up

  June 22, 2008

  Q: Why can't General Motors build an electric car now?

• Tweaked Sonata hits nearly all the right notes

  June 22, 2008

  Hyundai has its work cut out for it.

• Ta-ta to Ford, hello winsome Jaguar

  June 15, 2008

  The time spent feeling sorry for Tata lasted only as long as it took to stroll around the 2009 Jaguar XF much less before slipping onto the sumptuous leather seats and watching the gearshift dial rise from the center console.

• 4WD divided by 2 = less utility from SUV

  June 15, 2008

  Q: I have two Ford Explorers—a 2002 with two-wheel-drive and a 2004 with four-wheel-drive; both have V-6s. The 4WD gets substantially worse mileage than the 2WD so I removed the front driveshaft; while 4WD is great for Chicago winters, I don't need it in the summer. I thus converted it to rear-wheel-drive and picked up an estimated 3 to 5 m.p.g. I would be interested in your opinion?

• Corolla at 40: A little wider, more solid

  June 8, 2008

  The Toyota Corolla has survived more than 40 years since its 1968 U.S. debut.

• No rushing the Chevy Volt

  June 1, 2008

  Q: Any news on General Motors battery-powered Chevy Volt? It seems that with gas at more than $4 a gallon, GM would be rushing this technology along. The car sounds promising.

• Strange BMW straight out of X-Files

  June 1, 2008

  The BMW X6 looks like a military weapon, with a front end that appears ready to take a chomp out of anything that gets in its way.

• It's no use skipping dealer

  May 25, 2008

  Q: Any advice or information on non-traditional methods to buy a new vehicle to save some money rather than just going to a dealer? How about buying on eBay or buying in Wisconsin rather than Illinois?

• Hood ornament can be an upfront sight for sore eyes

  May 18, 2008

  Q: I'm looking for a new compact and recently road tested two popular, highly recommended examples. Both had a lot going for them but came up short when I couldn't see any of the front of the car. No matter how I adjusted the seats or my neck, no car to be seen. Is this safe? I guess it doesn't bother others, but it bothers me. Am I nuts?

• Holy Hemi, Challenger update rocks

  May 18, 2008

  We've had novel many experiences piloting vehicles. Once a motorist forced a Mazda sports car onto the shoulder of the road to get a closer look. An officer flashed his red and blue lights for an up-close-and-personal inspection of a Pontiac Solstice.

• Diesel doesn't add up at today's prices

  May 11, 2008

  Q: Wake up. You said diesels are smelly and noisy but they aren't smelly or noisy anymore.

• Lancer's back—more woof than growl

  May 11, 2008

  You can get a 650-watt premium sound system with nine speakers plus a subwoofer that, when adjusted properly, will not only dissolve anything in your sinus cavities, but also melt the wax in your ears.

• Astra opens a new universe to Saturn

  May 4, 2008

  Seldom do TV car commercials capture our interest, especially not when professional drivers are zipping around mountain curves, through sand dunes or over frozen lakes. Real folks, after all, snooze at 10 m.p.h. below the speed limit in the passing lane.

• Sold cars listed online create a tangled Web

  May 4, 2008

  Q: I recently searched for a certified used Toyota via the Internet and found one at a suburban dealership. I e-mailed the Internet sales manager; he wrote back that the vehicle was in great shape and asked whether I'd like to see it. I said I'd be there that night. When I arrived the contact told me to wait in his office while he got the van to test drive. He returned to say the vehicle was sold the day before.

• Sequoia puts Toyota solidly in big leagues

  April 27, 2008

  The man had a choice of several spots but pulled in next to the full-size SUV.

• Pontiac compact gives off decent vibes

  April 22, 2008

  The driveway and car resting on it had long disappeared under a blanket of snow as Ms. Nature turned her attention to the mailbox.

• Child safety locks good way to close the gap

  April 20, 2008

  Q: My daughter has a 2000 Ford Expedition SUV and drops her kids off here often. Our driveway has a slight incline to the garage. When the kids open their back-seat doors, there is a gap between the door and the pillar. This is an open space through which our grandkids stick their heads to wave hello. The doors are heavy and could close on their arms or necks. Is there an easy fix? Is there a piece of plastic webbing that could be attached with a few screws?

• Pumping up operating costs

  April 13, 2008

  The villain, once again, is the price of gasoline.

• Oh, baby, 1-Series is (sm)all BMW

  April 13, 2008

  A baby Bimmer.

• Mitsubishi's gallant effort comes up short

  April 5, 2008

  Sometimes it takes more than a pretty face and shapely body to attract attention—at least in the auto industry.

• Clubman is a more maxi Mini

  March 23, 2008

  Whenever a cute little vehicle appears in the U.S., there are those who insist the smaller the car, the higher the mileage and the higher the mileage, the more likely we'd make petroleum last another millennium or two.

• Some room, less zoom in Mazda5

  March 16, 2008

  What exactly is it?

• Major player Volvo keeps wagons in game

  March 9, 2008

  The vehicle that first appeared in the rearview mirror a couple miles back as a tiny set of headlights shot past on an otherwise deserted country road.

• A curious, but satisfying, Journey

  March 2, 2008

  Journey is the first midsize crossover in the Dodge family. Its recent arrival in showrooms is driven largely by estimates that sales of the car-based sport-utilities are expected to top 1.2 million by the end of 2009.