Latest Jeep is smallest ever

December 29, 2016

With styling at once rugged and endearing, the newest member of the Jeep family is the smallest model ever offered with the nameplate. And, as we’ve come to expect from Jeep, the Renegade is also wholly capable of extreme off-road sojourns. In other words, yeah it’s cute, but it deserves to wear the legendary seven-slot grille too. With that said, the folks at Jeep know a lot of people are going to be attracted to the Renegade more for its look than its capability. To that end, the Renegade Trailhawk is offered for those who are more into dust busting. This model boasts four-wheel ...

One maintainer for two pickup truck batteries

November 17, 2016

Dear Doctor: I purchased a 2016 Ram 3500 heavy-duty pickup truck with the Cummins diesel engine. This truck has two 12-volt batteries. I believe in using battery maintainers for my vehicles. Can I use two maintenance chargers at the same time, or should I alternate between the two batteries? — Jim Dear Jim: I have two batteries in my Chevy pickup truck and they are connected in parallel. When I use the maintenance charger I connect the positive to either battery and the ground connection to the engine block. There is no need for two maintainers. Dear Doctor: I own a 2004 ...

Ridgeline is back for 2017

October 5, 2016

After a more than two-year hiatus, Honda's has brought its Ridgeline pickup truck back for 2017, and it's bigger, more powerful and better looking than ever.The previous Honda innovations are still there, like the all-composite bed that doesn't need a bedliner and the tailgate that drops open in traditional style or swings to the side to make reaching into the bed easier. The lockable storage compartment built into the bed floor is still there, too.But the new Ridgeline features some innovative features, as well, including an optional pickup bed-mounted audio system for tailgate ...

How to silence brake squeal

October 5, 2016

Dear Doctor: I've had constant squealing in my brakes on my 2004 Toyota Camry. Many dealer mechanics tried to silence it, but could not, and I even had the brakes replaced. What are your thoughts?- RobertDear Robert: We average up to 20 brake replacement jobs a week - and many of them are on Camry vehicles. I have yet had a customer return with a squeak complaint when the brakes are properly replaced using quality brake replacement pads or factory Toyota pads. When you buy factory Toyota pads they do not come with the shim pack and you must buy those separately. Without the shim pack, ...

Cadillac CT6 provides smooth ride

September 29, 2016

Cadillac's newest and biggest luxury sedan, the 2016 CT6, is roomy, stylish and surprisingly agile and comes with innovative features such as cameras that can record the car's surroundings, even when the driver isn't there.The CT6 also is the most fuel- efficient full-size, non-hybrid, gasoline-powered luxury sedan in the U.S., where it is rated by the federal government at 22 miles per gallon in city driving and 31 mpg on highways. This is for a base rear-wheel drive CT6 with 265-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine.Consumer Reports labeled the CT6, which debuted for the 2016 ...

Luxury from WWII era

September 29, 2016

Prior to World War II most American automobile manufacturers were not really interested in making their products streamlined or fuel efficient. Producing luxury cars in that era meant making them heavy for a smooth ride and spacious for passenger comfort.Cadillac introduced a series 62 model in 1941. One of the fastback four-door sedan models left the factory wearing a two-tone coat of paint labeled Fair Oaks over El Centro separated by Ivory pin-striping.The handsome Cadillac was sent to the Scott-Smith Cadillac dealership in Philadelphia. With a base price of $1,495, the sedan was ...