2010 toyota rav4

Despite the countless issues that have plagued the Tesla Model 3’s production and delivery process, Tesla did manage to sell an impressive number of them last year. And that figure, when contrasted with all the other cars sold in the U.S. last year, paints a very bleak picture of the state of American luxury car brands indeed. Yesterday, as part of Tesla’s fourth quarter and 2018 full year update call, the automaker included a statement that claimed the 3 had not only outsold all other premium sedans, but all other premium vehicles: With nearly 140,000 units sold, Model 3 was also the best-selling premium vehicle (including SUVs) in the US for 2018 – the first time in decades an American carmaker has been able to secure the top spot. Advertisement Of course, whenever any automaker makes sweeping, grandiose statements like that, it’s always worth investigating. Obviously, this isn’t an objective test, since the definition of “premium” can … [Read more...] about The Tesla Model 3 Killed the Rest of American Luxury

This is the 2011 Subaru WRX STI sedan. It's a four-door version of Subaru's legendary rally rocket, and it marks a return to the form factor that made the model famous. Is it any different from its hatchback sibling? Advertisement Full Disclosure: Subaru flew us to Aspen, Colorado and put us up in a very nice ski lodge so that we could bring you this review. While in Aspen, we saw a Porsche 959 parked on the street, looked at real-estate listings for $20-million-dollar winter cottages, and counted 50 (yes, 50) private jets parked at the airport. Who says the rich are different from you and me? When I was little, I had a pet hamster. For reasons that are lost to history, I named this hamster Squish. Like most hamsters, Squish was a laid-back, goal-oriented dude; his life resembled mine in many ways, only with more time spent burrowing. Squish and I were happy largely because we knew what we liked. I liked building Squish houses out of paper-towel tubes and watching him eat them, … [Read more...] about 2011 Subaru WRX, STI: First Drive

Folks, we’ve got another huge Takata airbag recall for you. Plus, some news about upcoming General Motors layoffs and a United Auto Workers guilty plea. All of this and more in The Morning Shift for Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019. 1st Gear: Another Takata Recall Takata, the automotive parts supplier that is responsible for the biggest auto recall in history over faulty airbags, is recalling more cars again over another airbag safety issue. Advertisement The Bloomberg. About 1.4 million other cars now require repairs From the story: Components Takata supplied to five of the world’s biggest car manufacturers may absorb moisture that could either cause air bags to rupture or under-inflate, according to a notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website. The recall involves parts produced from 1995 through 1999 and sold to BMW, Volkswagen AG’s Audi, Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Emphasis mine, because it’s … [Read more...] about Another 1.4 Million Takata Airbags Recalled After BMW Driver’s Death

The 2019 Subaru STI S209 may just look like a modified Subaru sedan on the outside, but it’s technically a product of STI, Subaru’s motorsports division. When STI went to homologate the car to our crash and emissions regulations separately from Subaru, it faced one setback: the U.S. government couldn’t wrap its head around what exactly the car was supposed to be. Advertisement The STI S209 is a heavily modified version of the 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA, which itself was a modified version of the regular 2018 Subaru WRX STI. It’s the latest in a series of what Subaru and its motorsports division, STI, refer to as “S-cars,” which are modified performance versions of Subaru’s street cars. Until now, S-cars have never been exported and were only ever sold in the Japanese market, the most recent being the S208 back in 2017. Because of the heavy modifications, those cars were always deemed too difficult and costly to certify for sale in the … [Read more...] about Why The 2019 Subaru STI S209 Is A Pain To Even Sell In America

Two Los Angeles Police Department officers have been charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting four women while they were on duty. Prosecutors said all the women were arrested by the two officers for drug-related crimes. The case has been under investigation since 2013, with the officers on paid leave for at least part of that time. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that they believe James Nichols and Luis Valenzuela, both 44, began sexually assaulting women they’d arrested soon after they became partners in December 2008, working as undercover officers in narcotics enforcement. They are accusing of sexually assaulting the women at “various locations, including in their police vehicle,” the statement said. The victims are aged 19, 24, 25 and 34. The abuse is said to have continued until March 2011. Advertisement Both men are being charged with forcible rape, rape under color of authority, oral copulation under color of … [Read more...] about Two LAPD Officers Charged With Repeatedly Sexually Assaulting Women While on Duty