There’s a little something for everyone in our automotive area, where you’ll find stories ranging from how to restore a classic motorcycle to how to judge when it’s time to trade in your old car.
Cars
Gas sippers
Gas prices are putting the hurt on us all — including military units in Iraq which pay, on average $3.23 per gallon for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel — but you can ease the pain at the...
2008 Honda Civic hybrid
Summary: The Civic hybrid ranks high on the mileage scale, but not as high as the Prius — and only a few mpg higher than some of the most efficient (and non-hybrid) small cars currently...
2008 Toyota Prius
Summary: The first mass-produced hybrid is still the most fuel-efficient new vehicle you can buy. Though other hybrids, like the Civic hybrid, can approach its highway mileage, the Prius’...
2008 Mercedes-Benz GL320
Summary: Diesel power allows this full-size, seven-passenger 4WD SUV to deliver 30-40 percent better economy than gas-powered equivalents (and the same mileage as the smaller, 5-passenger Mercedes...
2008 Jeep Compass/Patriot
Summary: The Compass (and its cousin, the Patriot) are among the most fuel-efficient small SUVs on the market, especially in terms of their city mileage. Buyers should be aware, however, that these...
Gas Sippers: 2008 Lexus ES350
Summary: Ten years ago, more than half the luxury cars on the market were front-wheel-drive; today, most are rear-wheel-drive — and burn more fuel. (The rear-drive layout is generally...
Gas Sippers: 2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec
Summary: All the size, luxury, power and performance of a Mercedes E-Class mid-sized luxury sedan, but with much better economy than the gas-burning versions of this car. “Bluetc” is...
Race City, USA
Mooresville, N.C., doesn’t call itself “Race City, USA,” for nothing. This small town is home to big business — the racing business — and the community rolls out the red...
Va-va-vroom!
2009 may be a full year away, but several ’09 vehicles are going to arrive at dealerships long before New Year’s Day.
Car storage: An engineman’s tips
After we published our 14-step guide to prepping a car for storage before deployment, we heard from Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Follman, an engineman with Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit 501...
Store your ride
Whether it’s a restored vintage muscle car or your late-model daily driver, no car should be parked and left to sit while you’re deployed.
Protect your car, data from hackers
In a late-model vehicle, an onboard computer -- the "ECM," or Electronic Control Module -- controls everything from basic engine operation to when and how firmly the transmission shifts.
5 tips for working with an auto dealer's service department
Death, taxes and dealing with auto dealership service personnel are three of the unavoidable ugly parts of life. But unlike the first two, dealing with the service department can be made less...
How to avoid buying a nightmare of a used car
Tales of deep woods-dwelling ax murderers may instill fear in Cub Scouts huddled around a flickering late-night campfire -- but few things are as frightening to adults as the real-life used-car...
7 tips when looking for your teen's first car
The ideal car for a first-time teen driver is one that decreases the odds of having an accident -- and minimizes the potential for harm if it does happen. We're talking pre-emptive damage...
Motorcycles
Hot wheels
What has a power-to-weight ratio better than a Ferrari Enzo, runs a 10-second quarter-mile, gets 40 miles per gallon and has an unrivaled ability to startle the locals when you zip around off base?
Hit the open road with ’07’s best cruiser bikes
Sport bikes are great fun — for about 30 minutes at a time. But if your idea of a nice ride means hitting the wide open road for hours, or even days, on end, then you’ll want something a...
Road rockets — 2007’s six hottest sport bikes
Warm weather — and track days — are back at last. If you’re in the market for a new sport bike, here is an up-close look at six of this year’s hottest knee-draggers.
Classic bikes of the ’70s are still around — and still affordable
The decade of disco may have been unkind to cars, but it was a golden age for motorcycles. In the 1970s, bike manufacturers dodged the double-whammy of becoming fuel-efficient almost overnight...
Sport-bike instruction offers fast fun on a track
Having a 140-horsepower sport bike in your garage is great. Learning to ride it to its potential -- and yours -- is even better. But most of us are limited by the realities of cops, crowded roads and...
Meet the Military Olympians
They serve in uniform—and on Team USA. Watch video profiles and more, courtesy of TriWest Healthcare Alliance. This week: Three awesome shooters.
Service Member of the Year
Win A Digital Camcorder
Meet the Military Olympians
