The case of the worn rear tires

Wheels: Richard K. of Centerville writes by e-mail: “Over the years I’ve read your Straight Talk column with great interest. Until recently I didn’t have any reason to write and gain access to your experience and expertise. This past week I took my 2010 Mercedes E-350 in for a front-end ...

• 3:06 p.m. Thursday, May 9, 2013

EVOLUTION OF SPEED

It’s May in Indianapolis so I slip on my driver’s suit and racing helmet and wedge into the cockpit. Oh, wait, that didn’t happen. The first two things, anyway. There’s no driver’s suit or helmet needed to get behind the wheel of the 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. But only fashion ...

• 2:56 p.m. Thursday, May 9, 2013

FINAL CURTAIN CALL

A curtain call is warranted when a performance has been superior. The performer then comes out and takes one last bow. That’s sort of what’s going on with my tester for the week — the 2013 Chevy Avalanche. Whether this light-duty pickup’s performance since 2002 has been superior enough to ...

• 2:38 p.m. Thursday, May 9, 2013

MAZDA6: Fresh look for an old standby

The midsize sedan that can pass the eye test, though, is the Mazda6. But not just any Mazda6. Make it the redesigned-for-2014 version. This is the third incarnation of the front-wheel drive, 5-passenger Mazda6 and is far and away the best visually. Front wheel wells closer to the bumper and ...

• 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, 2013

Wheels of the Week: ARCA Reunion

• 1:20 p.m. Friday, May 3, 2013

BREAKING THE MOLD

In the world of family sedans, there’s plenty of competition. Most blend in with the crowd. Even the leaders of the pack, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, struggle to differentiate themselves from the crowd. For years, Ford’s family sedan offering, the Fusion, fell into the same-old, same-old mold. My tester ...

• 12:45 p.m. Friday, May 3, 2013

Wheels of the Week: Dick Lang’s 1963 Corvette

See photos of Dick Lang’s 1963 Corvette

• 9:53 a.m. Friday, April 26, 2013

MAKING AN IMPRESSION

Being open-minded is a good trait to have. In this business, it’s a must. Open-mindedness requires being able to come off of a prejudgement of something, even if that something involves a not-so-funny incident that becomes a funny story. Enter my tester for the week — the 2013 Ram 1500 ...

• 9:39 a.m. Friday, April 26, 2013

The new face of hybrids

We say hybrid, you say Prius. Hybrid. Prius. Hybrid. C-MAX. Uhhh... Ford may have come up with a game changer in the gas/electric hybrid car market in the United States. Toyota, the front-runner in this division with its Prius, now has some competition thanks to the 2013 C-MAX Hybrid. The ...

• 10:33 a.m. Friday, April 19, 2013

A HYBRID with some PEP

On the surface, my tester for the week seems like just another obligatory hybrid creation. Afterall, Volkswagen already produces fuel-efficient cars with fuel-sipping diesel engines. So when I got behind the wheel of the Jetta Hybrid I was curious, to say the least. I was already eager to drive the ...

• 10:22 a.m. Friday, April 19, 2013