"The devil went down to Georgia; he was lookin' for a soul to steal," Charlie Daniels recounted in his famous song. By the time the devil left Georgia, however, he might've been the one who felt like he'd been robbed. According to personal-finance website Bankrate.com, Peach State motorists pay more each year to operate a vehicle than anywhere else in the U.S.
Factoring in the costs of fuel, insurance, repairs, taxes and fees, Bankrate found that Georgia drivers spend an average of $4,233 a year on their vehicles; that's nearly double the $2,204 a motorist spends in the nation's most modestly priced state, Oregon. The national average is $3,201, Bankrate reported.
"Georgians spend a lot of time in their cars thanks in part to Atlanta's sprawling communities and a lack of public transportation," Bankrate stated in a news release. "Those long commutes lead to above-average gasoline costs and insurance rates. And Georgia has the highest state automobile taxes and fees in the nation."
The 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL63 AMG earns its performance badge with its twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 boasting 550 horsepower and a 4.8-second zero-to-60 time. Beyond that, Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays describes the luxury SUV as something of a mixed bag. Whether in Comfort or Sport modes, the car-based SUV feels decidedly trucklike, while the second row doesn't offer the comfort or convenience features of competing SUVs. Watch the video above and decide if it's worth the nearly $120,000 starting price — and if you'd be willing to part with several thousand more for the premium stereo system.
Related2013 Mercedes-Benz GL63 AMG at the 2012 L.A. Auto Show
10 Years Later, SUVs Remain Vital for Luxury Brands
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Kia is recalling 9,345 model-year 2014 versions of the Sorento crossover due to a problem with the front axle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The affected vehicles are front-wheel-drive versions equipped with 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines and were manufactured between Jan. 7 and March 12, 2013 (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb). A manufacturing issue could cause the right front axle to fracture, resulting in a loss of power to the front wheels. This could lead to a crash.
The automaker has reported one customer complaint and 10 warranty claims related to the issue, but no accidents have been caused by the defect.
Kia will notify owners beginning in September, and dealers will replace the front axle shaft assembly for free. Owners can call Kia at 800-333-4542 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.
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Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder called Jaguar's new convertible a tour de force of eager power, engaging dynamics and head-turning looks. The F-Type's eye-catching styling is backed up by some pretty potent power. Wiesenfelder tested the 495-horsepower, supercharged V-8, good for a zero-to-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds. But how does it sound? Not as cool as you'd think.
Click here for his First Drive and check out Wiesenfelder's photos below.
As baby boomers, my husband and I have fond childhood memories of family road trips that included stops at drive-in diners that dotted the nation's byways in the '50s and '60s. So we were delighted to discover Red's Root Beer during a recent vacation near Paw Paw, Mich.
A by-product of the nation's love affair with cars, drive-in diners surfaced in the 1920s, survived the Great Depression and thrived afterward because of their "good cheap food and fun," writes artist Don Sawyer, who captures this slice of Americana on canvas, on dinerdon.com.
The popularity of drive-in diners peaked in the 1930s and '40s, falling victim to the rise of fast-food giants in the 1960s and '70s. Like drive-in movie theaters, drive-in diners seemed to be headed down the road to extinction.
However, the once-ubiquitous drive-in diner may be poised to pull a U-turn thanks to TV shows like the Food Network's "Drive-ins, Diners and Dives" and the Travel Channel's "Man v. Food," and chains like Sonic Drive-In, Ruby's Diner and A&W.
The Ford Fiesta has been a target for buyers looking for a frugal and inexpensive economy car. But it has always been lacking in the horsepower department, with performance best described as "adequate" instead of "entertaining."
All that changes with the car you see here, the 2014 Fiesta ST. If you're one of those performance car enthusiasts who always laments that the U.S. doesn't get the same high-zoot models that the European market enjoys, your prayers have finally been answered. Developed primarily by Ford's Team RS performance vehicle group in Europe with a little help from the American Ford Special Vehicle Team, the Fiesta ST is the hot hatch of the moment, following the arrival of the larger and more powerful Focus ST in the U.S. last year.
The upgrades are significant, starting with the powertrain: a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine making 197 horsepower and 202 pounds-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed manual transmission and directed through the front wheels via a special Torque Vectoring Control system. It's a fantastic little motor, and it pulls the Fiesta ST to 60 mph in just 6.9 seconds, plenty quick for any car but enormous fun in a subcompact five-door hatch.
"Downsizing done right." That's how Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek describes the 2013 BMW X1, the smaller, more fuel-efficient sibling of the X3. Car shoppers interested in the BMW luxury experience without the BMW luxury price by and large will find what they're looking for in this subcompact SUV. Bruzek says that while the X1 sacrifices some rear-passenger and cargo space, as well as high-tech features, buyers won't miss out on a plush interior and a zippy, agile driving experience — nor will they miss out on the $8,000 more they'd otherwise have spent on the X3.
In cars, the front-row bench seat has all but bitten the dust as bucket seats gain popularity. But the bench is alive and well in many pickup trucks.
Unlike sedans, most trucks still have the shifter on the steering column, making the bench seat an easy configuration to accommodate. Many front-row benches have a center position that primarily serves as storage with a center console. In a pinch, the console can be converted to a seat. While the bench seat is good for storage and adequate for comfort, is it a safe place for a passenger?
- Most significant changes: New seat fabric and updated auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Price change: An increase of $275
- On sale: The coupe is on sale now; the sedan hits dealerships Aug. 22
- Which should you buy, 2013 or 2014? The 2013.The price increase doesn't really get you anything.
Honda's best-selling car saw a hefty redesign for 2013; for 2014, coupe and sedan versions of the Accord get only a few minor changes and a slight price increase. Model-year 2014 versions of the midsize sedan will start at $22,745, and coupes at $24,415 — that's an increase of $275 over model-year 2013 sedans and coupes (all prices include a $790 destination fee).
Restyled for 2013, the coupelike Volkswagen CC sedan jettisons its two rear seats for a three-seat bench. Even with the bigger backseat, the CC doesn't fit three child-safety seats across it. The CC is best for families with kids in booster seats or those no longer riding in child-safety seats.
Source : blogs[dot]cars[dot]com
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