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The 10 Cleanest Gas-Powered Cars


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2008 Dodge Ram Pickup 3500

If you’ve turned on your TV, logged onto the Internet, or picked up a newspaper in the past week, chances are you’re at least generally aware of what’s currently happening with Volkswagen. But if you’ve been living under a rock, here’s a summary: Volkswagen made an amazingly efficient, clean diesel engine…that ended up not being so clean. By using a defeat device, VW’s 2.0-liter diesel engine was able to pass the EPA’s emissions tests while actually polluting at a rate of up to 40 times the tested numbers. The audacity of the transgression is shocking enough, but now that the investigation has begun to expand beyond VW’s 2.0-liter TDI 4-cylinder, the entire future of diesel-powered cars may be in question.

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How To Buy Your First Family Car

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family car tips

My first family car was a 2004 Honda Pilot.

It was the first car I ever purchased new, and I bought it for the specific purpose of transporting two small children (and the 2,673 pounds of gear that goes with them).

There was something special about getting that car, probably because I knew I’d use it from the time I had to install baby seats until my kids learned to drive. Buying that car wasn’t just a selfish act, it was like inviting a new family member in to take care of a couple of precious babies.

Well, my hopes of a long relationship with the Pilot ended just 6 months after the purchase, when a fire consumed the SUV (the family was fine) and left me with nothing but the charred remains of a dream.

I bought other family cars, of course, most recently a vehicle to accommodate two more kids. Needless to say, I have a lot of experience buying family cars and have put together some tips to help others. Whether you’re just starting your family journey or are a seasoned vet, there will be some advice here to help you. (If you’d rather take a look at a list of specific vehicles that have great seating/cargo capacity and safety ratings, feel free to check our recent list of Family-Friendly Kid-Haulers.)

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From Germany mit Love – 5 Frankfurt Show Models Worth Watching


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Kia Sportage, front dynamicSure, there are some exotic vehicles on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show, including the Bentley Bentayga and the Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. However, there are plenty of models coming to the U.S. that made their debut overseas and could impact your buying choices in the near future.

Kia Sportage
It seems hard to believe, but the 2017 version will be the fourth generation of the Kia Sportage. The European version was introduced in Frankfurt, but there’s little reason to believe the U.S. version will look substantially different on the exterior.

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5 Used Cars to Buy to Learn the Art of the Manual Transmission


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Updated 8/13/19

Last year, we revisited the death of the manual transmission. For shoppers who still want to learn or those who want to refresh their skills on the open road, they’ve got a few options when it comes to used cars. Here’s our list of the top used cars for learning to use a manual transmission for every walk of life.

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Leather Seats: The Beginning of the End?

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2013 Audi Q7 interior

I don’t eat animals, but I’ll sit on them.

I’m a vegetarian, because I happen to believe that a life shouldn’t be taken so that I can eat. This isn’t nearly as controversial today as it’s been in years past, and it’s far easier now to go meat-free than ever.

This comes up in conversation quite often, and I have a canned response to inquiries regarding my beliefs. There’s one recent question, though, that tripped me up.

“Don’t you have leather seats in your Audi?”

Well… *pause* Yes. Yes, I do.

And in my Subaru.

Apparently I won’t eat animals, but I’ll gladly sit on their flesh.

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