How Many Miles Can a Car Last? Is it Possible for Most Cars to last 300,000 Miles?
By Lauren Fix, The Car Coach The average age of cars on the road keeps getting older, as technological advancements in today’s cars make them increasingly durable. Drivers who switch cars every few years probably don’t worry about the “how long do cars last?” question. But shoppers looking to maximize their vehicle’s longevity should consider […]
A Tale of Two Geniuses
Elon Musk is hailed as a “genius” by some. And he is, but not in the way they mean it. Like Henry Ford, Musk took something he didn’t invent that was essentially a curiosity and recast it in a different way. The difference is that when Henry Ford simplified the car by standardizing parts and mass […]
If “Safety” Really Mattered
Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared as NMA weekly E-Newsletter #716 from October 2022. In several objective ways, new cars are less “safe” than cars built decades ago. A strong statement. One that probably seems ridiculous, too, given all the “safety” features new cars have that old cars did not, and the fact that new […]
The Vehicle Weight of the Matter
This is a tale of two trucks, kinda. Both are not really trucks. They have beds like trucks do, but neither was built on truck-type (rear-drive) layouts or have or offer four-wheel-drive and a two-speed transfer case as trucks, properly defined, always do. Both are basically cars made to look like trucks and there’s nothing […]
Used Car Market Won’t Recover Till 2025
By Lauren Fix, The Car Coach Prices of new and used cars seem to be fluctuating every day. You probably don’t want to hear this but, the car industry (both the new and used-vehicle markets), has seen prices skyrocket in 2022, and my prediction, it won’t recover for three years. The car insurance savings app Jerry, […]
ADAS Accidents—A Perfect Storm Towards the Car of the Future?
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director This post originally appeared as NMA E-Newsletter #709 from August 2022. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, a weekly one-topic look at a motorist issue, click here. Automakers and safety advocates have pushed for more Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) on new vehicles for years. But is […]
A Measure of the Obsolescing
Once upon a time, the car industry was accused of planning obsolescence i.e., designing cars to be replaced, ideally as soon (and as often) as possible. The accusation was true, but only superficially so. What the car industry did back in the ’50s was make superficial cosmetic changes such as redesigned bumpers, relocated headlights, and maybe taller […]
California Looks to Cripple Supply Chains and Economy by Banning Diesel
By Lauren Fix, The Car Coach California Governor Gavin Newsom recently stated, “It’s a ‘Moral Obligation’ for California to ban diesel-powered trucks to rectify ‘Decades of Racist’ practices.” How does that make any sense? It doesn’t! The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is considering new regulations to ban the sale of all diesel semi-trucks by […]
If “Safety” Really Mattered: NMA E-Newsletter #716
By guest writer Eric Peters In several objective ways, new cars are less “safe” than cars built decades ago. A strong statement. One that probably seems ridiculous, too, given all the “safety” features new cars have that old cars did not, and the fact that new vehicles must pass a battery of crash tests before […]
Precious Metal
The 2022 Toyota Tundra no longer comes with a V8, even as an optional engine. Instead, it comes standard with a twice-turbo’d V6. With or without battery-electric assist. Not because this is what Tundra buyers want. Rather, it is because of government demands, which Toyota (like all car companies) must comply with the standards. The previously standard V8 wasn’t […]