If you were one of the lucky North Americans who got hit by your first winter storm of the year last night, you probably woke up to terrible driving conditions.

Owning a vehicle has plenty of additional costs including paying for gas, general maintenance and registration fees. For the most part, it’s difficult to save on those, but there is one thing you can save on and that’s car insurance.

When we planned to put together a list of track tips, the folks at Nissan said they wanted to be a part of it. We thought perhaps they’d ship us a 370Z and foolishly hoped for a NISMO GT-R, but instead they sent us something unexpected … a Maxima.

“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads,” quipped Doctor Emmett Brown in the closing scenes of Back to the Future. Wowing moviegoers, the eccentric scientist had up-fitted his time-traveling DeLorean with hardware that enabled it to fly.

Forward collision warning systems are now being offered on a lot of vehicles, even affordable ones, but should you pay the extra money for a feature you may never use?

So, you don’t have a driver’s license yet. That’s unfortunate. You’re missing out on the joys of unfettered personal mobility.

So, you’ve signed up to participate in an open track day or autocross event. First off, congratulations, but perhaps more importantly, are you ready?

A recent European study has revealed that there are seven different types of drivers on today’s roadways.

There are more and more ways to get your hands on a used car thanks to services like Craigslist and eBay. But if you don’t know what you’re doing you can end up with a car you regret buying, or even in an unsafe situation.

“Just ease on the brakes,” my driving instructor says while slowly clenching his fist, demonstrating the desired technique.

Modern cars are full of wondrous technology, but sometimes, things go wrong.

When it comes to buying a car, there’s often an overwhelming amount of dealer options available, so you may be wondering which ones you should consider and which ones are a rip off.

Vehicles equipped with more powerful 48-volt electrical systems will start hitting the road in significant quantities in the near future. This shift will increase fuel efficiency considerably without breaking the bank.

Modern cars are packed full of features and little luxuries designed to help make it easier and safer to drive while trying to give you more for your buck, but not all features are appreciated equally.

J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study (IQS) is closely watched by automakers, media and the car-buying public. But does this highly influential report deserve the attention it receives?

Warranties are often advertised as a fix-everything safety net, but are they actually useful?

Encounters with law enforcement are rarely fun. It’s one of the most dreadful feelings in the world when red and blue lights fill your rear-view mirror.

You’ve worked your way through driver’s training, studied the rules of the road and even know how to use a roundabout. You’re well on your way to getting a license, but you’re not there just yet. To avoid failing your big exam here are a few common reasons people don’t pass a driving test and some tips to avoid these pitfalls.

When it’s time to purchase a new ride what’s the first place that comes to mind? For most people it’s probably a dealership. But did you know it’s possible to buy a car or truck at Costco? In fact the membership warehouse sold nearly 400,000 vehicles last year.

In order to make cars as efficient as possible, automakers are resorting to turbocharging their engines, but a new kind of turbocharger is on the way that could change the game.

In the race to improve efficiency and cut emissions, more and more automakers are turning to forced induction as a way of increasing fuel economy without sacrificing drivability.

According the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, teen driving deaths have decreased 56 percent over the last two decades.

If you’re concerned about the reliability and quality of your next car, you’re likely analyzing a number of different factors, including where the car was produced. With a large number of cars being made in Mexico, should you expect less than stellar reliability or quality from these vehicles?

Is your vehicle not living up to the promises made on its window sticker? Do your real-world miles per gallon look like the prices on a fast-food value menu? If fuel economy is falling short here are some possible culprits and a few solutions to maximize your MPG.

Luxury is the antithesis of austerity. If you want the finest, fastest or most feature-laden, you’re going to have to fork over cash and usually lots of it.

Updated January 2019

Just about every vehicle owner dreads the moment when their car, truck or SUV won’t start. What should you do? Who should you call? Can you fix it yourself? Here’s a list with ten common reasons why cars don’t start up and what you can do about it, all backed up by an expert from the Universal Technical Institute. 

Are your tires worn out after seeing several thousand miles of asphalt? It’s time to get a new set, but now you might be asking yourself “what kind of tires should I buy?”

For the past nine years as a BMW technician I’ve heard more and more complaints about how expensive regular car maintenance is becoming.

The check engine light can be a bane or boon when it comes to owning a car, especially considering hundreds of things could trigger it.

One of the biggest reasons to get a dash cam is to protect yourself after an accident.

You may have heard about run-flat tires, which are designed to allow you to continue driving for up to 50 miles after a puncture occurs.

You’re walking down the aisle of your local auto-parts store and you happen to notice the shelf full of fuel-system cleaners. They might be nestled between oil additives and those bottles of goo designed to quiet noisy engines. The packaging looks nice and the price is usually right, but is this stuff a necessary maintenance item or vehicular snake oil?

Car insurance is a necessary evil, an extra expense you really can’t drive without. Coverage is important both to protect yourself and others when the unexpected inevitably happens.

Updated January 2019

You may have come across an car listing that says the vehicle in question has a rebuilt engine, but what does that mean, and should you still buy it?

Diesel engines are something of a mystery to many drivers, especially in North America where gasoline is the king of motoring fuels. Of course compression-ignition has a host of benefits compared to spark plug-equipped powerplants, not the least of which is dramatically better efficiency.

Your insurance company can’t verify the annual mileage you drive, your marital status or who in your household drives your car, so why do they ask those questions when it comes to getting an insurance provider?

Whether they deserve it or not, dealerships often have less-than-favorable reputations.

There are a number of options out there to help you sell your car, turning a usually frustrating experience into something far more manageable.

For millennia man has tried to see into the future.

There may be no greater joy in life than knowing a newborn is on the way.

Direct injection offers numerous benefits over port fuel delivery but could it be a bigger headache than it’s worth?

Shopping for a used car can be tricky if not downright intimidating. Nobody wants to be ripped off.

Japanese automakers including Toyota, Lexus, Honda and Acura are often seen as makers of long-lasting, reliable cars. But do all cars from Japanese automakers feature extraordinary reliability?

To quickly answer the inquiry posed in this article’s title, NO! Modern vehicles do not need to have their crankcase lubricant exchanged every 3,000 miles. However, there are caveats and you need to be aware of them. We’ll explore these in greater detail after the jump so go ahead and click the link. We’ll wait for you.

With essentially two powertrains under the hood and a number of additional electric components, gas-electric hybrids are without a doubt complex vehicles. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re prone to breaking down.

You probably loathe car salespeople. Most of us do and in many instances they probably deserve their sullied reputation.

No, you’re not imagining things. Both new- and used-vehicle prices are on the rise and American motorists are paying more than ever to purchase cars and trucks.

Buying or leasing a new vehicle can be terribly stressful. This is understandable because cars and trucks are often the most expensive things people purchase after their homes.

Looking to lower your car-insurance premium? Aren’t we all? Well, one easy way to cut the cost of coverage is to raise your deductible.

Cars and trucks manufactured today receive a vehicle identification number (VIN). These complex alpha-numeric identifiers may seem completely random but in fact they contain a treasure trove of information.

Like an addendum to Murphy’s Law, the unforeseen tends to happen when you least expect it; misfortune is like a lot like a combination ninja/cat burglar/stealth bomber. Glance away for a split second and BAM, something bad happens.

Getting rid of that eyesore on your lawn or in your garage doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.

From boots to bags and wallets to watch bands, leather is a premium material. In many ways it’s synonymous with luxury. Could you imagine if Prada knitted purses out of yarn or if Rolls-Royce covered its seats with burlap? These ultra-premium products owe much of their appeal to the humble cow.

Insurance is something everyone needs but no one wants to pay for. Shelling out a big chunk of change every month for an essentially invisible service seems like a gross financial burden until you actually need it.

This may come as a shock to some drivers, though hopefully NOT ones with kids. Believe it or not children’s car seats actually have expiration dates, though not because they’re made of dairy products or tuna salad.

Diesel. To many American drivers the “D” word is something of a mystery. It’s associated with construction equipment, tractor trailers and hillbillies “rollin’ coal” in their modified pickups, spewing more black smoke than a burning pile of used tires.

Roundabout, traffic circle, rotary, gyratory, whatever you call these curving intersections they can be quite confusing to drivers that have never experienced one before. With yield signs, bike lanes and pedestrian crossings there’s a lot going on in a small area and plenty of opportunity to screw things up. But here are a few helpful hints on how to navigate these labyrinthine road junctions.

Few drivers appreciate the importance of tires until they’re stranded on the side of the road with a flat. The truth is every mile we drive depends on these rubber donuts. In spite of their importance tires are surprisingly vulnerable; even a tiny puncture can keep you from going anywhere.

Updated March 2019

There are two affordable options to get into a car without settling for an econo-box. The first is to lease a new car and the second is to buy a used one, but which path is the better choice?