May 17, 2012
Salt Lake City, UT
Karl Malone Toyota is delivering the first Scion FR-S in Utah this Thursday, May 17th from 5:30PM – 8:00PM. “This is sure to be a fun and informative event. We’ll have snacks, drinks and prizes. Plus we have a grand surprise in store for one special individual,” says Andy Madsen, General Manager. Come by this Thursday to meet Karl Malone and familiarize yourself with Scion’s newest sports car. A presentation of the FR-S, which was unveiled in 2011 and stands for front-engine, rear-wheel drive, sports car, will start off the event at 5:30PM along with snacks and drinks. Read the rest of this entry »
Karl Malone Toyota & Scion Deliver The First Scion FR-S In Utah On May 17th
May 16th, 2012
Mission for vehicle designers: Cut weight, but keep the look exciting
May 14th, 2012
By Mark Phelan
Detroit Free Press (MCT)What if automakers could slash the weight of their vehicles 30 percent, 40 percent, even 50 percent?
A panel of top designers will discuss that as part of the annual Michelin Challenge Design contest.
Reducing vehicle weight is one of the most challenging and rewarding areas in automotive development.
Every ounce of weight you remove from a part affects all the parts around it. Those parts then affect their neighbors, and so on.
“This is about more than just styling,” said Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics and moderator of the panel discussion at the Automotive Press Association this week. “It requires an understanding of where the market is going and what technologies are available or near. Read the rest of this entry »
BMW’s Rocket Science
May 14th, 2012
By Aaron Cole
For Utah RidesWhen buying a car there’s an oft-forgotten point that hardly gets made before, during or after the sale: the point of diminishing return. It’s the point where a buyer stops, looks around, and says, “Scotchguarding the trunk will help when I carry a five gallon drum of ketchup. But how often do I carry five gallons of ketchup?” Read the rest of this entry »
Click and Clack: What’s Making This Old Farm Tractor Stall?
May 14th, 2012
By Tom and Ray Magliozzi
King FeaturesDear Tom and Ray:
Do you ever address questions about old farm tractors? Our 1945 Farmall-A starts well and runs well for about 10-20 minutes, but then it starts to miss and then stalls out, typically while going up a slope — even a small one. Along with our local mechanic, we checked out the carburetor (the original Schebler), the fuel lines, put in new plugs and added B-12 Chemtool and STP Lead Substitute additives to the gasoline. The problem will not go away, and we really need this little old tractor to mow our fields and haul logs. Any suggestions? We have a new Zenith-type carburetor on the shelf, but I don’t want to put that in unless that’s the problem for sure. I will be grateful for any words of wisdom on this. Thanks. — Will Read the rest of this entry »
2012 Land Rover LR4 A Mostly Ideal Family Hauler
May 14th, 2012
By Sarah Lacey
For Utah RidesMy week in the 2012 Land Rover LR4 was mostly bliss. It’s so easy to get along with, for the most part. The exceptions to the dominantly enjoyable experience have mostly to do with expenses and not the LR4’s personality and behavior. Read the rest of this entry »
Trucks returning to what made them popular
October 24th, 2011By AARON COLE
Managing Editor, MediaOne of Utah
The chassis is really a canvas.
Of all the vehicles available for purchase, pickup trucks by far offer more possible combinations than any other model.
Most manufacturers offer at least three different engine options, two different powertrain options (four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive), at least three different cab configurations, at least two different box sizes, and that’s even before you start talking about the color of the paint on the outside.
“A full-size product lineup is about the most complex of anything out there. We’ve tried to keep our product offerings as simple as possible, but still provide enough diversity to meet the need of a broad range of consumers,” said Richard Bame, national brand manager for Toyota. “Trying to shop on the web is particularly intimidating … for those very reasons.” Read the rest of this entry »
Once a work truck, now a play and everyday truck too
October 24th, 2011By ANDY STONEHOUSE
Special for UtahRides
The pickup truck arms race has yielded some wild and wooly choices for manly men and their burly machines — but, really, do you need a high-powered pickup that’s tough enough to race the Baja 1000 or pull a 17,000-pound trailer?
The rock-crawling monster truck might appeal to the kid inside you, but occasionally, the issues of practicality need to guide you in your choice of four-wheeled finery. Read the rest of this entry »
Trucks take unbeaten path to better fuel economy
October 24th, 2011By AARON COLE
Managing Editor, MediaOne of Utah
Few vehicles are asked to do as much as pickup trucks, but consumers are asking truck makers for one more trick to their repertoires.
Fuel economy has leapfrogged into the top spots in many car buyers’ minds thanks to $3-something gas these days. And truck makers are responding.
But it might not be in the way that you’re thinking.
“If you go back to the mid-2000s, when we were doing our research on capability vs. fuel economy, you’ll find that buyers weren’t willing to trade capability for fuel economy at all,” said Bob Hegbloom, director for the Ram truck brand. “Now, we ask, ‘Would you sacrifice those the capabilities?’ And the answer is still no. People are more aware of it now … that’s really all.”
Hegbloom’s sentiment is echoed almost universally among truck makers: People would like better fuel economy, but when it comes to pickups, it can’t be at the cost of performance. Read the rest of this entry »
Click and Clack: What’s the real story with the timing belt claim
August 30th, 2011Dear Tom and Ray:
About a year ago, I had the timing belt replaced on my 2003 Subaru Outback. Then, last week, I had the head gasket replaced at a different shop. When they replaced the head gasket, they looked at my timing belt and said I needed a new one! The reason was because they could not see any writing on the belt, and they said if it was replaced last year, there would still be writing visible, as it takes 40,000-50,000 miles to wear the writing off a belt, even an aftermarket one. So, now I am wondering, Did they really replace my timing belt last year, or did they rip me off? — Jim Read the rest of this entry »
2011 Kia Optima Hybrid: No longer just a pretty face
August 30th, 2011By Steven Cole Smith
The Orlando Sentinel
Perhaps the most astounding story in the automotive world is the success of Kia, which only entered the U.S. market in 1993 with the little Sportage SUV, then the Sephia, an anonymous-looking sedan. In 1997, Kia declared bankruptcy, and a majority of the company was sold to the other major Korean manufacturer, Hyundai. It wasn’t until 1999 that Kia vehicles were available in all 50 states. Read the rest of this entry »
