News By Topic: Editorials and Commentary

New Federal CAFE Standard Announced by President Obama; Edmunds.com Comments

May 19, 2009

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Today changes are being announced for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations, which are intended to encourage automakers to build and sell more fuel efficient cars, leading to a cleaner environment and less dependence on foreign oil. The new regulations, which will go into effect in ... Continue reading

The Hostmen—The World’s First Fuel Cartel

May 18, 2009

Edwin Black May 18th 2009 The following research arose from the bestseller Internal Combustion: How Corporations and Governments Addicted the World to Oil and Derailed the Alternatives (Dialog Press). Buy it here. In the fifteen hundreds, peat fuel was surpassed by an even more distasteful alternative: coal. The same m ... Continue reading

2009 Infiniti G37S Coupe Review and Roadtrip

May 17, 2009

INFINITI G37S COUPE Road Therapy and Automotive Indulgence From a Shunpiker’s Journal By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau I’ve been planning this road trip for quite some time. Every spring the Midwest Auto Media Association (MAMA - a group I joined a few years ago while covering the Chicago Auto ... Continue reading

2009 Mazda6 i Sedan Grand Touring Review

May 17, 2009

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS 2009 Mazda6 i Sedan Grand Touring Say "mid-size sedan" and you'll likely immediately think of one of the two or three most popular cars in that most popular of categories. Cars designed by committee, with input from focus groups and customer clinics to ensure the broadest possible ... Continue reading

2009 Mazda6 Grand Touring Review

May 17, 2009

2009 MAZDA6 GRAND TOURING By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau Mazda has had its ups and downs in the mid size sedan market. They began hot with the first 626 in the 1980s. The upstart brand had a certain European ambiance in both styling and performance that outpaced both the American and Japanese competit ... Continue reading

VW CC,Honda Fit, BMW X5, Infiniti G37 and FF Publishing All In This Months Letter From Europe

May 17, 2009

<p>Had an old friend on the phone from Kuala Lumpur this morning. An Aussie, he’d spent most of his life in England working as press chief of an organization representing auto makers and suppliers. Yes folks, 25 years ago there were Austins, MGs (the real thing, not the Chinese remake), Rover (yet again, the origi ... Continue reading

12 Cars That Could Spoil a Chrysler-Fiat Deal

May 15, 2009

As the Chrysler bankruptcy proceeds, the odds are improving that enough of the automaker will survive to consummate a merger with the Italian automaker Fiat. But how, exactly, will the reformulated Chrysler return to profitability? The company claims that Fiat's innovative small-car technology will fill a gaping hole i ... Continue reading

GM and China: What Are They Thinking?

May 14, 2009

Special to The Auto Channel SeekingAlpha by Tom Lindmark May 14, 2009 Industrial production in China wasn’t up to snuff in April but GM has some plans to help boost the numbers. The government released statistics today (treat all government statistics from China with some skepticism) that showed factory output ris ... Continue reading

Strong Work Ethic at BYD, Maker of Electric Cars

May 12, 2009

I was a bit surprised when my article last week on BYD’s (BYDDY.PK) new e6 electric car and the related post with videos of Wang Chuanfu received far more attention than coverage of Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRK.A) Q1 2009 results. However, perhaps I should not be surprised given the intense interest in the auto ... Continue reading

2009 Toyota Yaris - Heels on Wheels Review

May 10, 2009

HEELS ON WHEELS: 2009 TOYOTA YARIS REVIEW HEELS ON WHEELS By Katrina Ramser San Francisco Bureau The Auto Channel INTRO TO THE TOYOTA YARIS With compact economy cars becoming evermore desirable, the Toyota Yaris stands out as one of the cheapest choices – mentioned as both a compliment and concern. The Yaris is al ... Continue reading

2009 Toyota Venza-Heels on Wheels Review

May 10, 2009

HEELS ON WHEELS: 2009 TOYOTA VENZA REVIEW HEELS ON WHEELS By Katrina Ramser San Francisco Bureau The Auto Channel INTRO TO THE VENZA VEHICLE Ford Flex. Honda Ridgeline. And now the Toyota Venza. All examples of new car shapes ready to push beyond what consumers know and love (and often get bored with). In case you're w ... Continue reading

2009 Nissan Murano - Heels on Wheels Review

May 10, 2009

HEELS ON WHEELS: 2009 NISSAN MURANO REVIEW HEELS ON WHEELS By Katrina Ramser San Francisco Bureau The Auto Channel INTRO TO THE MURANO The Murano deserves the lavish attention both consumers and media have bestowed. The 2009 Murano is stylish, safe and every bit a luxury SUV/crossover – but thousands below the pri ... Continue reading

2009 Subaru Forester - Heels on Wheels Review

May 10, 2009

HEELS ON WHEELS: 2009 SUBARU FORESTER REVIEW HEELS ON WHEELS By Katrina Ramser San Francisco Bureau The Auto Channel INTRO TO THE FORESTER VEHICLE The Forester dropped its nerdy look and adapted an SUV sex appeal that seems to work for both consumers and automotive media alike. The 2009 Forester has the honor of being ... Continue reading

2009 Dodge Journey - Heels on Wheels Review

May 10, 2009

HEELS ON WHEELS By Katrina Ramser San Francisco Bureau The Auto Channel INTRO TO THE JOURNEY VEHICLE If you’re a Chrysler loyalist, the first thing you'll notice about the all-new Journey is how much more chiseled and roomier it is than its similar siblings, such as the Jeep Compass or Dodge Caliber. This 7-passen ... Continue reading

2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring Review

May 10, 2009

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring Can an automaker come back from the dead? This is not a rhetorical question, as some of the biggest names in the industry are currently up against the wall. They could learn a lesson or three from Hyundai. When Hyundais were first imported here from Kor ... Continue reading