In a wacky team-up worthy of a comic book crossover or a buddy cop film, Microsoft and Toyota are joining forces in a $12 million initiative that will grant Toyotas the ability to stream music and connect online to information services, along with other superpowers. [More]
cars
Ex-Hertz Employee Shares 3 Tips On Saving On Your Next Rental
By 3.31.11
A former slinger of keys for rental car company Hertz has stepped forward from the shadows to share his three tips for saving on your next car. [More]
Wells Fargo Is Worst Friend Ever, Borrows $377.09 For Two Weeks Without Asking
By 3.31.11
Tom is angry at Wells Fargo, because they’re borrowing $377.09 from him without his permission. When Wells Fargo purchased Wachovia a few years ago, Tom’s car loan came along with it. Every month, the bank would draft a payment of $384.43 from Tom’s account. His last payment was due in March, and it was only $6.34, but Wells Fargo just went ahead and took the entire $384.43 out of habit. [More]
Detroit Loses 25% Of Population In A Decade
By 3.25.11
The rallying cry of “Detroit, What?” may have to be changed to “Detroit, Who?” following US Census results that show the Motor City has lost 25% of its population from 2000 to 2010. [More]
Guy Who Tweeted Chrysler F-Bomb Blames Tweetdeck
By 3.17.11
The social media marketer whose f-bomb tweet on Chrysler’s official Twitter account cost him his job and his firm the car maker’s account blames his screwup on Tweetdeck, reports WXYZ. [More]
Chrysler Fires Social Media Firm After Tweeting F-Bomb
By 3.10.11
Chrysler “will not renew” the contract of the social media firm whose employee sent out a cranky tweet ragging on Detroit drivers and using the f-word, AdAge reports. Why didn’t they just make fun of it? Perhaps give out a coupon code for discounts on driving lessons for Detroit motorists? Because that would denigrate the serious hard work Detroit residents and the car industry in general have been putting into rebuilding, said Chrysler’s Manager of Electronic Communications, Ed Garsten, on their blog: [More]
Chrysler Tweets No One In Detroit "Knows How To F****** Drive"
By 3.10.11
Chrysler is in damage-control mode after its official Twitter account chirped, “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to f****** drive.” Yeeks, that’s gonna backfire. Screenshot of NSFW language inside. [More]
The $2,300 Tank Of Gas
By 3.10.11
A man’s eyes popped out his head and went “Awoooga!” when they saw his receipt for pumping 13 gallons of gas: $2297.84! Since he paid with his debit card, that meant real money was immediately drained from his bank account, causing a $1,300 overdraft. At first the gas station manager just shrugged his shoulders and blamed the bank, but he changed his tune after news reporters walked in asking questions about the receipts. [More]
Why Compact Cars Give You The Most Value For The Money
By 3.9.11
To frugal drivers, value and efficiency are sexier than horsepower and design. With fuel economy, cost of ownership and resale value in mind, Forbes evaluated cars on the market and chose the most value-packed models. Most are compacts, with the Mazda2, Nissan Versa and Chevrolet Cruze taking three of the first four spots on the list. [More]
Man Gets Pick Of Hyundais After Threatening To Write "LEMON" On His Rear Window
By 3.4.11
Michael leased a 2010 Hyundai Genesis and found that none of the buttons on the steering wheel worked. No horn, no cruise control, no radio volume. It’s been in and out of the shop several times for steering wheel issues. When he called up the regional office to complain they seemed to take his issue a little more seriously after he said he was planning to get a windshield marker and write that he got a $40,000 lemon from Hyundai. Now he’s getting to pick a new Hyundai of his choice. Here’s the timeline: [More]
Consumer Reports Announces Its Top Car Picks For 2011
By 2.28.11
Our test-happy kin at Consumer Reports have released their annual auto issue, which means it’s time for the magazine’s list of its top picks in 10 categories. [More]
Recalled Windstar Not Worth Fixing, Ford Wants To Buy It
By 2.24.11
Eric owns an elderly (model year 1999) Ford Windstar, and isn’t particularly interested in trading it in for a new car for financial reasons. Ford recently recalled hundreds of thousands of older Windstars, and Eric dutifully brought his car in for repair. Instead of a freshly safe car, he received an offer of $3,700 for his van. If he wanted to keep the van, he would need to sign a document absolving ford of any liability if anything goes wrong with the car. What would you do? [More]
More People Want To Buy Car After It's Used As Slam Dunk Contest Prop
By 2.24.11
Even though it didn’t put up much defense as Blake Griffin posterized it during Saturday’s NBA slam dunk contest, the Kia Optima became much more desirable after Griffin used it as a prop. [More]
Gas Prices Rise Amidst Egyptian Turmoil, But Now Holding Steady
By 2.1.11
The upheaval in Egypt is raising prices at the pump, with average prices rising to $3.10 a gallon, according to data from GasBuddy. Though Egypt is not a major supplier of oil, the Egyptian-controlled Suez canal and the nearby Sumed pipeline are key pass-through points for the world’s oil supply, and there are concerns that the civil unrest could spread to other oil-producing countries. As of Tuesday upwards pressure on oil prices eased off as so far back the protests haven’t disrupted transportation. [More]
Beware After-Market Auto Warranties From Third Parties
By 1.26.11
The Better Business Bureau sent out an alert that it’s been bombarded with complaints about extended auto warranty companies. Gripes include deceptive sales practices — including high-pressure phone sales tactics to get customers to pay upfront for contracts they can’t see — as well as insurance fraud. [More]
Toyota Allegedly Conspired To Keep Canadian Exports Out Of US — Get A Piece Of The Class Action
By 1.26.11
If you bought or leased a new car in the Toyota family from Jan 1, 2001 to April 30, 2003, you could get some cash in a new class action lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges a conspiracy between Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. and the Canadian Automobile Dealer’s Association (CADA) to keep Canadian car exports out of the states and raise prices for American consumers. [More]
Get Ready For $4-A-Gallon Gas
By 1.21.11
With the economy kinda sorta picking up, and consumers in China, India and Brazil buying cars in droves, gas prices are expected to keep going up, and may hit $4 a gallon by early spring, when Americans finish scraping the ice off of their windshields and begin planning road trips. And unlike 2008, when gas last broke the $4 barrier, only to later drop to lower prices, $4 may be a new baseline, followed by $5 gas as early as next year. [More]
Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left Turns
By 1.19.11
When you think about it, left turns across two lanes of traffic going in opposite directions are kind of crazy. Only an admixture of luck, skill, and a collective social agreement to, as a general rule, avoid crashing into each other keeps you alive. In fact, left turns increase the potential for an accident and also waste fuel. So traffic engineers have come up with a new street design, called “superstreets” that get rid of left turns from side streets onto major roads. And a new study says they are both faster, and safer. [More]
