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Mazda6: Solid, traditional sedan

Faced with stiff competition and an onslaught by crossover sport utility vehicles, the 2017 Mazda6 perseveres as a solid choice for anyone who values driving enjoyment along with the traditional virtues of a midsize four-door sedan. The Mazda6 enjoys a reputation for reliability and, in the current climate, you might even add exclusivity. Among the 10 best-selling midsize sedans, it ranks last behind the Subaru Legacy and Volkswagen Passat. The 2017 Mazda6 has one powerplant for three trim levels: Sport, Touring, and the version tested for this review, the Grand Touring. It is ...

Corolla turns 50, gets new look

Toyota has marked 50 years of its stalwart and economical Corolla by giving it new styling and features and a nicer interior while keeping it under $20,000. The base model, the Corolla L starts, at $19,385, including the destination charge. It comes with a 132-horsepower four-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission that a driver operates like an automatic. For the first time, the cheapest model comes standard with a backup camera and Toyota's pre-collision system suite, which includes pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, radar cruise control ...

Transmissions need to learn

Dear Doctor: I purchased a 2015 Jeep Cherokee two years ago and it ran beautifully for 18 months. Then the check engine light came on, and the dealership told me it needed a new transmission. After the transmission was replaced it was fine when I drove it home. But the next morning I noticed the Jeep was not shifting correctly. When I brought it back to the dealership I was told the vehicle had to be warmed up to 180 degrees before it would shift properly. Are they right? –– Al Dear Al: Today’s vehicles have everything electronic, including the transmission. Any time a battery ...

‘57 Star Chief for Pontiac family

Jim Humlong, his father and his brother all owned different 1957 Pontiac vehicles. Eventually, all the Pontiacs were traded in for newer cars — a move now regretted by Jim Humlong. Decades passed before Humlong saw in a car magazine a well-equipped Star Chief Custom Catalina hardtop advertised for sale. He corresponded with the seller and learned this particular Pontiac had spent time in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan with the majority of the time in California. The time in California explains the rust-free condition of the car. The odometer showed the Pontiac had been ...

Ford set to offer diesel F-150 truck

By TIM SPELL Motor Matters Ford introduces a freshened, more-capable 2018 F-150 pickup truck. Set to go on sale this fall, the F-150’s headline grabber is an improved five-powertrain lineup, highlighted by a first-time diesel-engine offering. “Our customers have asked for a diesel and we have responded,” said David Filipe, F-150 vehicle line director. “We’ll have it available in the first quarter of 2018.” Specification details on the 3.0-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel haven’t been announced. Filipe said the engine will be mated with a 10-speed automatic ...

Mercedes S550 offers convertible

For those who can afford the luxury of a Mercedes S-Class and want everyone to know it, the German automaker is offering its S550 convertible for the first time since 1971. Worried that the four-seat sedan will be draughty or lack the atmosphere of its fixed-roof version? Don’t. The 2017 S550 Cabriolet comes standard with a new intelligent climate control that uses 12 sensors and 18 actuators that automatically keep the driver comfortably warm or cool, even with the top down. This climate control can combine with heated seats, heated armrests, neck-level air vents that are built ...