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    Alex Kierstein

    Alex Kierstein

  • I miss Davey G. Johnson: Memories of a brilliant friend

    On June 5, automotive writer Davey G. Johnson went missing at a rest stop along a river in Calaveras County, Calif., while on a motorcycle ride. Today, we have learned that the sheriff's department in Calaveras County has recovered Davey's body from the river. Davey was known and admired throughout the small world of automotive journalism, and he helped our Alex Kierstein land his first job in the business.

  • 2020 Jeep Gladiator Overland Video Review | A road trip to the trails

    The 2020 Jeep Gladiator is one of the most anticipated new pickups of the past 30 years. It combines a wild mix of fun and rugged features that no other truck in its class can even dream of. On top of all that, it looks great — a long wheelbase and bed do nothing to diminish its Wrangler-derived presence or charm.

  • Should I be concerned about EV range? | An EV Owner’s Journal

    Whatever the "must-have" range number is for you, these 200-mile-plus capable EVs are probably closer to the target. Heat induces stress on batteries, shortening their life, especially air-cooled units like those found in the Nissan Leaf. The Leaf (infamously) reduces fast-charging speed after several charges to keep the battery healthy — it's a feature, not a bug, but it's one that may affect how you were planning on using it.

  • Mazda is developing gas and diesel inline-six engines

    Once the favored engine configuration for luxury and high-performance cars, the inline-six suffered a bit when the transverse (east-west) engine configuration became popular during the shift to front-wheel drive cars. Add Mazda to that mix: An investor report first spotted by Jalopnik and confirmed by Mazda reveals that the company is developing a Skyactiv-X and Skyactiv-D inline-six that will be installed longitudinally (north-south) in a new "Large Architecture" platform. Mazda has a 2.2-liter turbodiesel inline-4 that has had a long and convoluted development and certification process, but is finally showing up in the 2019 CX-5.

  • Grappling with the dark side of EVs | An EV owner’s journal

    Let's start by refuting some common misconceptions about EVs, some of which weighed on my mind before I started this buying process. Over the course of my career writing about and reviewing cars, I've heard all sorts of things about the horrible environmental impact of mining lithium, how the minerals used to make batteries enrich problematic regimes in other countries, and how much carbon dioxide is released in battery production. It had fueled a general skepticism about EVs – are they too good to be true?

  • 2019 Chevrolet Bolt Review and Buying Guide | A compact EV with big range

    With new challengers in the form of the Nissan Leaf Plus, Hyundai Kona Electric, and Kia Niro EV, the Bolt's once-formidable range is no longer a unique selling point.What's new with for 2019?Not a lot. There are also some new features for the Bolt through the myChevrolet app on iOS and Android, incorporating some new features from partner charging networks EVgo, ChargePoint, and Greenlots, giving drivers more information about charging stations through the Bolt's infotainment system. Remember, the Bolt doesn't offer built-in navigation even as an option, so you can't use the infotainment system to find a charging station unless you have a smartphone on board.

  • Maxwell RHEV Prototype First Drive Review | More than meets the eye

    You'd have no idea that the co-founders of the startup based out of Seattle had grafted a salvaged Voltec powertrain from a junkyard Chevy Volt into this Ram ProMaster. Somewhere, a battery pack lurks. Maxwell's co-founders, CEO Max Pfeiffer and engineer Trey Camp, open the cargo area to reveal a completely unaltered space.

  • Dirt cheap: Jeep Gladiator lease offer is $143/month

    Leases are complicated to understand — there's money factor, capitalized cost, fees, taxes, and residual values to consider. So while the real-world month-to-month cost for you isn't always easy to understand, the basics of a new 2020 Jeep Gladiator Sport lease is easy: It'll be relatively cheap.

  • Nissan brings fascinating GT-R-derived cylinder coating tech to Altima

    Update: Nissan got back to us with comment about weight and friction reduction. According to Jesus Ruis, New Model Engineering manager, the friction reduction varies with RPM from about 50 percent under 1,000 RPM to around 10 percent at 3,000 RPM, and the weight reduction is about 4.4 lbs. Nissan has announced that its Decherd, Tennessee, assembly plant will start using a fascinating cylinder-coating technology in the Altima's 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine, a technology that the company points out has been used in the high-performance GT-R.

  • The Mazda6 diesel is coming, too, Mazda promises (again)

    As we noted our piece earlier today about the CX-5 diesel, we've been waiting for Mazda to bring its Skyactiv-D engines to market for years. Tripped up by an emissions certification nightmare that caused delays and resulted in lackluster power and fuel economy numbers, they're late to the party. How much longer can Mazda wait, really, once the CX-5 diesel is on sale?

  • Porsche 911 992 Targa spied at the Nurburgring

    You probably weren't holding your breath for the new 911 Targa, but if you were it's time to exhale. The most ... involved of the 911 variants was spied at the Nurburgring, and it will incorporate the same intensely complicated roof mechanism as its immediate predecessor, while also incorporating all the 992-specific styling tropes.

  • 2020 Jeep Gladiator: How to fold down the windshield

    The 2019 Jeep Gladiator has one of the coolest features of any truck on the market – a fold-down windshield, just like its Wrangler sibling. We're going to show you just how easy it is to flip it down and do some wind-in-your-teeth offroading – check out the video above for a demonstration.

  • 2019 Ford Ranger Review and Buying Guide | A solid midsize pickup truck

    The 2019 Ford Ranger represents a return for the Blue Oval's small pickup, but this time it's a competitive midsizer rather than the compact truck you might remember from before. What it does offer is a couple of cab configurations, available four-wheel drive, and lots of convenience and safety features. The Ranger faces tough competition from the Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Gladiator, and Chevrolet Colorado, but we think the Ranger has some unique advantages in the segment.

  • HOLD Does Ford’s 2020 Escape strategy make sense?

    If you're like us, the last couple of years for Ford has had our heads spinning. Cars are dead, but a crossover-ized Focus Active is coming. Meanwhile, Ford's small Bronco crossover will occupy some of the space between EcoSport and Escape.

  • 2019 Honda Passport Review and Buying Guide | The Goldilocks Honda SUV

    Honda's larger, three-row Pilot is a big crossover that's squarely aimed at families, with lots of minivan-inspired convenience features to make life with a car full of kids more livable. The two-row 2019 Honda Passport may essentially be a shortened Pilot with one less row of seats, but it also comes with an attitude adjustment. Honda is pushing the Passport as more of an adventure-ready crossover in terms of capability and looks, although it isn't ready for the sort of ultra-rugged terrain a Toyota 4Runner can handle, it largely satisfies the stated goal.

  • Electric Ford F-150 prototype shows off independent rear suspension

    Last month, our spy photographer caught an electric Ford mule wearing an F-150 body charging through a CCS fast charger at Ford HQ in Dearborn, Michigan. While mules don't necessarily always look like the production vehicle they'll spawn — take the oddly truncated Ford Ranger mule that's likely a Bronco in ill-fitting disguise — we've heard rumors about an electric F-150 for a long time. The typical solid (or "live") rear axle is gone, replaced by an independent rear suspension and differential that's very similar in its basic design to what the company uses on a number of products, from the upcoming Lincoln Aviator to the Ford Mustang.

  • 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Review and Buying Guide | Full-size but mid-pack

    The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is all-new compared to last year's model — if you're looking at used or leftover 2018s, we have a guide for you right here — and to level with you, it's a bit of a mixed bag.

  • 2019 Honda Talon 1000R and 1000X First Drive Review | Budget Baja blasters

    Apologies to the talented Honda Powersports design team, but the Honda Talon 1000X and 1000R are — like most side-by-side ATVs — homely contraptions by enthusiast car standards. Notice that I haven't said a whit yet about how the Talon twins move, because the first time I barreled into a whoop the size of a foothill at 45 mph and braced for a violent impact that never came, I started scheming, doing some desperate and feverish math. Use a Talon as intended, and you have too much fun to sweat the rough edges.

  • 2020 Ford Transit gets AWD, new gas and diesel engines, 10-speed auto

    With the 2020 model year come big changes for the Ford Transit van. Compared to the 2019s, the 2020 Transits will have a pair of new engines, a new automatic transmission, and some other goodies baked in. More interestingly for folks in areas with severe weather is available all-wheel drive, which is only paired with the gasoline models.

  • 2019 Maserati Ghibli GranLusso S Quick Spin Review | A mixed designer bag

    It's been a minute since we've driven the Maserati Ghibli (our first drive was way back in 2013), the twin-turbocharged, V6-powered smaller sedan from the legendary Italian outfit. In the last couple years, rumors have swirled that the Ghibli would donate its platform to the Dodge Charger and its Challenger and 300 siblings. Not that the Ghibli hasn't evolved in the six year since it went on sale.