The future of the automobile in the next few years is going to be very exciting - even incredible. As electronics, computers and great designs get more defined and less expensive, they enter the automotive world with more frequency. Electronics and electric motors are so very dependable now, cars are chock full of them. I still remember the cars of the 1960s, when many people avoided options like power windows because it meant just one more thing to break. That is mot the case anymore; just about all cars in the United States have power windows. The advanced electric technologies in modern automobiles are incredible, what with autopilot capabilities and electric motors that have landed both in hybrids and full-electric vehicles such as the Tesla and the Nissan Leaf. The result is more powerful vehicles with better fuel mileage and lower emissions; this is the best of all three worlds. For me, hybrids represent the best of these technologies. The easy definition o ... read more

What is the right amount in vehicle maintenance? This is one of the questions that is always going through my mind is.  Too much and you’re wasting money; not enough the vehicle life and dependability of you vehicle flies out the window. The owner’s manual has great information on what to do and when. But-and this is a big but-is the manufacturer's recommendations  sufficient to ensure the vehicle will have a long life? On one end of the spectrum is the “up sell” of fluid changes (the oil or fluid wiped on a white rag showing how dirty it is, shocks that are seeping slightly or the air filter that is somewhat dirty. (Remember, a slightly dirty air filter will NOT affect your fuel mileage, advanced electronics engine controls compensate for this on vehicles 95 and newer. A real plugged air filter should be replaced because it will cut engine power)  The other end of the spectrum is oil services every 20,000 miles, no reco ... read more