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Look, we get it. Times are tough all around and everyone’s trying to save a dollar. Jimmy’s swimming team registration is due, Jane needs a new stick for hockey, and the back deck is starting to look like Keith Richards after a rough night. And, oh yeah, the family vehicle desperately requires a new set of tires.

The Acura RDX was entirely redone and this new generation model is more high tech than ever before. Besides a handsome new style and better driving dynamics, the new RDX also got an entirely new infotainment system and interface, and this is the first time it has been implemented in an Acura vehicle.

Updated March 2019

You might want to drive all year long on winter tires to save money, time or both, but that you shouldn’t do it.

Updated April 2019

Costco is more than just a membership warehouse. Sure, they sell pallets of blue jeans and ketchup by the gallon, but there are countless other products and services available.

This article has been updated for 2019.

Electric cars are becoming increasingly mainstream and they’re getting better and smarter in terms of tech and fuel economy. 

Updated January 2019

In the quest to find a new car, there are a lot of questions that need to be asked. Questions about cargo room, technology, options, luxuries and other various elements will come up more than a few times while shopping for a new car. However, from the car driver’s perspective, there are just three main questions: 

How comfortable is the driving experience? 
How fun is it to drive? 
How good is the car on fuel?

SEE ALSO: Manual Transmission Supra Still Being Considered

A major factor in answering those three questions has to do with the right transmission. Let’s face it, manual transmissions aren’t for everyone. They require familiarity and a level of perfection to get just right. With a traditional automatic transmission, drivers have been able to experience a fairly comfortable, yet less engaging experience. Still, an automatic transmission can leave any driving enthusiast unsatisfied. Luckily, progress has been made in the world of automatic transmissions that can help alleviate those woes.

As evidenced by recent consumer trends and sales figures, the crossover is all the rage.

Back in 2016, a consortium of automakers representing more than 99 percent of the U.S. auto market agreed to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature on virtually all new cars by Sept. 1, 2022.

Rust. It’s the four-letter word that has sunk more secondhand car transactions (and broken more post-purchase inspection hearts) than any other.

Cadillac does it. Porsche does it. Audi does it. Even Mercedes and BMW. It’s a Hot V turbocharger. Why go against the norm when it comes to snail placement? This is why, and how it works.

Generally, when I set out to do a car review, it involves doing a lot of groundwork and a great deal of planning. Plus coffee. Gallons of coffee.

Four-wheel steering was once a gimmick, a not-quite-ready technology most famously embraced by Japanese sports cars at the beginning of the ’90s before eventually fading from the market. Revived on occasion in the ensuing decades — perhaps most notably by GM’s ‘QuadraSteer’ pickups — it has seen a surge in applications in recent years, especially among luxury brands.

What’s up with that tuned car in traffic beside me today?

Washing your vehicle is a time-consuming, wet, and messy enterprise, and while it can be fun if you’re an enthusiast who enjoys caressing every last curve and corner of their car’s sheet metal, for almost everyone else it’s a chore.

Direct injection. Just about every car has it now, and those that don’t probably will in the next few years. It can add power, reduce emissions, and is a big part of why just about everybody is offering tiny turbo engines that make big horsepower. But how does it work? And why does my dealer want to blast walnut shells into my engine?

There’s no question that warranty coverage is one of the main reasons many people buy a brand new car rather than test their luck on the secondhand market. Knowing that you’ll have peace of mind for the first several years of ownership, at the very least – and in some cases, as long as a decade – makes it worth paying that new car premium.

A Milwaukee tool kit like this one doesn’t come up for sale all that often.

Is there any nugget of shade tree mechanic wisdom more cherished than the 3,000-mile oil change interval?

The vast majority of the fuel currently sold in North America – with a few notable exceptions, such as Shell V-Power in Canada, and a number of independent gas station chains in the United States – is blended with up to 10% ethanol.

Experience and proven instruction count when doing a DIY car repair.

Nitrogen. It’s all around us – the atmosphere is in fact 78% N2 – but is it in your tires, too? Probably not.

Unless you live literally under a rock – can we join you if you do? – you’ve heard about the Takata airbag recall. It’s been all over the news for years now affecting 37 million vehicles. Maybe you don’t know what it’s all about? Maybe you’re curious if you’re affected? It is something you should care about.

Gasoline marketing strategies are problematic, at best, when it comes to figuring out what ‘grade’ of fuel you should be running in your car.

Before we get too far into this festival of definitions and hair-splitting, it is important to know that – absent of all other considerations – power to all four wheels simply gets you up to crashing speed more quickly. Four- (or all-) wheel drive does nothing to improve stopping distances and does very little if your vehicle is equipped with worn tires that resemble party balloons.

What could be greener than driving a car which produces zero tailpipe emissions?

One of the best ways to get outside and enjoy the outdoors during the spring and summer months is on the water.

Continuously Variable Transmission. Those three words are guaranteed to strike dread in the heart of any gearhead who has ever enjoyed a slick-shifting manual transmission or a crisp-shifting dual-clutch automatic. CVTs eschew traditional gears and instead use a brace of pulleys connected by a strong metal belt.

Finding an auto repair shop you can trust takes a lot of hard work and patience. But successfully nabbing a talented and honest one is worth it.

In this age of click-to-purchase and Amazon Prime, why is it so difficult to buy a brand new car online? Aside from boutique brands like Tesla, which have eschewed the dealer model in favor of direct sales, major automakers have been reluctant — or, as we’ll see later, unable — to fully expand their sales efforts onto the Internet.

Making the mistake of driving on under-inflated tires can prove to be more costly than you think.

Warmer weather and longer days usually mean two things: The start of spring and car and coffee season.

Warmer sun and longer days are finally here.

Have you ever thought of outfitting your car or truck with a custom leather interior? If so, cost was probably a major concern, but it really shouldn’t be.

Having good visibility during the rain is important for safe driving. Keeping your windshield clear takes more than a good set of wipers, however.

Winter happens to people all over the world, but there is nothing quite like a Canadian winter.

A few simple checks and tips can help ensure maximum peace of mind when buying a used GDI-powered car.

The route to car ownership is filled with many options and leasing can be one for those who do not want to commit to a long-term purchase.

A used sports car is a popular purchase for driving enthusiasts from all walks, and buying one is a joyous thing — provided it’s in sound shape and isn’t hiding some pricey issues that are about to turn your wallet inside out.

Deciding whether to lease your car or own it outright and finance it is not easy to do. Although owning might be seen as ideal, the advantages and disadvantages should be carefully considered.

Deep inside of your vehicle’s engine, a teensy little spark from the spark plug ignites precisely measured squirts of gasoline many times per second. This results in a rapid and continual series of tiny and controlled explosions that are contained entirely within the engine’s cylinders.

Buying a used car comes with its own set of unique challenges. But there is perhaps none no more important than spotting a flood-damaged one before it’s too late.

Driving an old car in modern traffic is a unique experience, one that can be fraught with anxiety. 

Buying a vehicle new or used usually requires a visit to a dealership of some kind. It may end up being a short and sweet relationship or a long and difficult one, but either way, there are ways to make the relationship worthwhile.

Technician Paul Kennaley witnesses something frightening almost every week: customers who ignore warning lights in their vehicle instrument cluster but fail to take proper (if any) action. Frequently, this results in expensive problems.

Luxury cars are fancy, which makes them awesome. Even better? Thanks to the magic of depreciation, you can buy a used luxury car for a steal of a deal at just a few years old and with highly reasonable mileage.

Selling stuff online can be a huge pain.

Whether you’re a fan of Christmas music or not, it’s basically inescapable this time of year.

Traffic can be bad in certain areas not only during Christmas, but through to the New Year as well.

Traffic during the holidays can be a serious drag, especially if you live in a major metropolitan area.

Several years ago, I decided that I wanted to head in a very different direction when it came to participating in high-performance driving events and time trial competition. I parked my modern, 400-horsepower sport sedan and picked up a 1978 Datsun 280Z with the goal of transforming it into a reliable and fun track car.

If you live in a condo, apartment, or anywhere that space and infrastructure to clean, maintain and care for your car is limited, it’s still possible to give your beloved car the TLC it deserves, provided you’ve got the right products and tools for the job.

What if you could accurately detect engine problems in just seconds without disassembling a single component? This sounds like the purview of a superhero or clairvoyant, but nearly anyone can do it, no cape or special powers required.

Batteries are not exciting things. They store power. They make our stuff work. You have to replace or recharge them sometimes. You can get new ones almost anywhere.

A car that reeks of smoke smell and cigarettes can lead to a host of problems. Those issues can range from small inconveniences such as dealing with uncomfortable passengers in your vehicle to major ones such as consistent exposure to third-hand smoke, which can be dangerous to your health.

When you buy a new vehicle, you’re paying for a lot more than just steel, glass, plastic, tires and an engine.

Most car collectors whose collections don’t reside on blocks in the yard have a lot of money. But having a fun car doesn’t have to be the exclusive purview of the financially well-endowed.

As with the other fluids in your car, engine coolant plays a big role in how your car is running and should be monitored consistently. The frequency of checks will depend on the type of vehicle as well as its overall mechanical condition and driving history.