Car

Don’t Let Car Repairs Break the Bank — Here’s How To Cut Costs

By Jaime E. Love 2 months ago

No one ever looks forward to getting their car repaired, but given enough time, it’s an inevitable certainty. You can’t avoid repairs, but you can take some steps to reduce the amount they set you back. When you feel a knock, hear a squeal or notice a rattle, do the following before you drop your car off at the shop — and prevent the most expensive repairs in the first place with a few proactive tips.

Last updated: March 11, 2020

Know Your Car

One of the best ways to save money on repairs is to do something you should do anyway no matter what you drive: Learn a little about your vehicle. Check out the manufacturer specs online and get to know your manual to prevent costly repairs and unnecessary wear and tear in the first place. That includes things like ground clearance, which tells you how much

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Fear of job loss, uncertainty stalls car buyers — so Ford came up with an idea

By Jaime E. Love 2 months ago

Karl Brauer went to work in mid-June doing a job he loved, and he ended the day with news it had come to an end.

“I was let go the day after my seventh anniversary,” said Brauer, 50, a longtime industry authority as executive publisher of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader.  “I’ve got a wife and we’re a single-income family with two kids, 21 and 19, with one on the autism spectrum and both in college.”

He had no warning he was going to lose his job. A few weeks before, he had been out new car shopping, but held off.

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“There are plenty of people out there who just have no idea what is going to happen,” Brauer said. “They may feel completely confident in their job, but they’ve got friends or relatives

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Buying a Car That Comes from Canada Sounds Fun, Until There’s a Recall

By Jaime E. Love 2 months ago

From Car and Driver

  • Local TV station KEYT in California helped the owner of a Mercedes C63 AMG S, which originated in Canada, get needed recall work done.
  • At first, the owner was told the dealer wouldn’t touch the recall work, since the car has a Canadian VIN, and that he should take it to Canada for service.
  • The Mercedes dealer did update the car’s software in the end, but this dilemma points out that gray-market vehicles can cause their owners some red tape.

Importing a car means bringing roughly equal amounts of excitement and challenge across the border. When the car in question is a Canadian 2015 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG S, or any other car that originated in Canada and is being brought into the United States, it might come with enough automotive cooties that your local dealer may be hesitant to work on it.

That’s what happened

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Daimler Designer Says Mercedes Is More Of A Lifestyle Brand Than Car Maker

By Jaime E. Love 2 months ago

Don’t worry, it’ll continue to build mostly cars.

Daimler is in the midst of an interesting process of reconstructing its business. Or, rather, restructuring its operations, which includes deeper ties with other manufacturers, rethinking of the Smart brand, and turning Mercedes-Benz into a much more than just a carmaker. In fact, Daimler’s lead designer believes the marque is already more of a lifestyle brand than an automaker.

In a recent Skype interview with Forbes‘ Nargess Banks, Daimler and Mercedes chief design officer Gorden Wagener provided details about the latter’s transition into a luxury lifestyle brand that offers a wide range of products, varying from small electric city cars to Maybach limousines. 

“I don’t see us as an automotive company so much but more of a lifestyle and luxury brand as our work goes way beyond cars,” Wagener said when asked to define the company he is working

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