http://www.post-gazette.com/cars Auto news and reviews en-us Copyright 2010, post-gazette.com. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:40:24 -0400 15 http://www.post-gazette.com/includes/2007design/images/150x30pg_now_logo.gif http://www.post-gazette.com/ 144 39 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10212/1076783-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml After decades of low expectations for affordable compact sedans, the market for plain, stripped-down products is simply withering away. Shoppers might be happy with a small car, but with a new generation and more tech-savvy comes less of a willingness to skimp on everything else. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10212/1076784-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml A sharpened exterior, interior upgrades, and improved fuel economy are just a few of the improvements Nissan has announced for a modestly revamped 2011 version of its Rogue compact crossover. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10212/1076785-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml Among models that go out on the edge with respect to design, there are those that are obviously a little too forced, and others for which the whole package just feels cohesive and complete. The 2010 Ford Flex is one of the latter; its boxy look and bold details might just match to your practical and fashionable needs, and the new EcoBoost turbo engine finally gives it a sprightly feel without bumping fuel economy close to the single digits. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10212/1076786-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml It's the peak of summer-job season. And while in the past savings from teens' summer jobs used to often go towards buying a first used car, today it's more likely to go be used for a smartphone, and young drivers are more likely to share the family car—a safer option, anyway—or stay out of the driver's seat altogether. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10212/1076768-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml BUYERS of collector cars sometimes justify purchases in terms of their investment potential, which can be significant even in times when stocks and real estate are shaky. But in recent years, the returns have been strongest for cream-of-the-crop classics -- cars typically so pristine and valuable that they are rarely driven. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10212/1076769-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml TESTED 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10212/1076770-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml FOR more than 30 years, Formula One racecars have benefited from powerful brakes that vastly outperform the systems available on any showroom model. The gap may be narrowing, though: high-tech materials similar to those on the racetrack began showing up in exotic sports cars about 10 years ago, and some luxury models now offer them as well. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10212/1076771-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml BLACK art is an apt description of tire design, an activity whose major advances include the invention of the pneumatic tire in the 19th century and, in the 20th century, the development of steel-belted radials and tubeless tires. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10212/1076685-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml DETROIT -- The government's bailout of the U.S. auto industry last year sparked political hand-wringing about the end of capitalism and allegations that President Barack Obama aspired to be CEO of what critics dubbed "Government Motors." Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076447-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml For the fifth time in the last six years, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was named the most desirable model in the entire industry. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076448-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml For safety-conscious car shoppers, it's been more than a little daunting over the past couple of model years to tell the difference between the safest models on the market and those that are merely good. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076449-185.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml If you get great service, and a consistently low price that competes with independent repair shops or franchised service centers, would you return to the dealership to get your older, higher-mileage vehicle maintained or repaired? Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10211/1076318-456.stm?cmpid=autonews.xml LOS ANGELES -- Toyota Motor Corp. announced another large recall of autos in the United States on Thursday, this time for a steering problem in 373,000 Avalon sedans built for the 2000-2004 model years. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400