Tag: jalopnik.com

Michelin makes some of the best tires in the industry. In fact, Consumer Reports ranks Michelin as the top tire brand in 2026, beating well-known brands such as Continental, Goodyear, and Bridgestone when it comes to overall performance and tread life. Among the different types of tires tested were the Defender2 and Primacy Tour A/S,…

You’re in your car, minding the law, keeping to the speed limit, when someone scurries past you as if they’re running late for work. Then, a minute or so later, that very same car is now waiting at the stoplight, watching you emerge from the distance in their rearview mirror. And to rub it in…

Comparing a Formula 1 engine to that of a run-of-the-mill Camry is like comparing the SR-71 to a Cessna. One’s tailored for mass-market appeal while the other is about precision at any cost, and both have their own set of rules to follow. That said, it’s not uncommon to see F1 tech trickling down to…

While some auto-industry innovations come and go, turbocharging tech has proven its worth and is absolutely here to stay. While the technology won favor in the late 1970s and ’80s as a way of boosting performance, turbochargers are now favored for their ability to produce more efficient engines, which don’t drink as much fuel as…

You may not think much about the spark plugs in your car’s engine, but those small devices require precision manufacturing and valuable metals to keep your vehicle humming. It’s not unusual for a typical spark plug to feature steel, copper, and nickel, but many contain rare earth metals like platinum and iridium to extend the service…

It’s true. America produces more oil than it consumes. That’s one of the reasons the U.S. is described as “energy independent.” On the surface, then, it doesn’t seem to make sense that gas has gotten so expensive. That energy independence, though, is not true independence. On the contrary, much of the oil that the U.S.…

Tires are important. They may only have two points of contact, each the size of a credit card, but they’re the only two contact patches you get. When it comes to tire architecture, there’s a clear classification – tubed and tubeless. There is no confusing the two, unlike all-season and all-weather tires for cars.  It was…

Diesel power has been a staple on most roads around the globe for decades now, with everything from trail-busting Toyotas to frugal autobahn cruisers opting to run on this alternative to gasoline. However, despite a brief revival period in the U.S. — which was largely ruined by a major scandal — diesel has never really…

There’s an awful lot of spinning and vibration going on when a car’s engine is running. Not only is it due to the crankshaft being spun by the pistons as they travel up and down during their strokes, but there are lots of other various parts moving as they do their duties. One of the…

Fixing vehicles by throwing parts at them until they run right isn’t a very good feeling. It’s better to have an idea of what the problem is, if possible, before running to the parts store. Diagnostic tools can save time and money in that regard. What about spark plug testers, though? Are they worth it,…