Tag: jalopnik.com

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,…

Smartphones, smart watches, smart TVs, and smart homes have been a part of our lives for a while now. You can even buy a smart toaster. It was always inevitable that smart highways would come along. They’ve already begun to pop up around the globe in places like China, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom,…

Undercover police cars are difficult to spot by design, but for those of us who are truly car-obsessed, there are often telltale giveaways. This can include clocking the obscured light pods in the grille and/ or window, noticing the lack of roof rails, or by noticing something off about the license plate, but that last…

Ford has had its share of infamous missteps. The Pinto is usually the one that gets called out, but the Bronco II doesn’t live in pop-culture infamy the same way — though it arguably should. Ford frantically pushed the Bronco II into the booming two-door SUV segment, and it quickly developed a reputation for deadly rollovers…

Tesla’s supremely misleadingly-named ‘Full Self-Driving’ has caused controversy among Tesla drivers and lawmakers alike in regards to its efficacy. The system has been known to blow past school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop signs deployed, struggle with railroad crossings, and it might try to run you off freeway overpasses, as a…

The word restomod is a mashup of restoration and modification. The idea is to teach old cars new tricks, imbuing them with modern features and reliability, while preserving their vintage style and vibe. Restomods are not replicas. Original factory specs are largely tossed out the window in favor of new, custom interpretations, using original bodies…

Causing a car accident can be an expensive proposition, even if you’re covered. According to U.S. News & World Report, the average rate hike for getting into just one accident is an additional $1,312 per year. That’s more than $100 per month. The rate goes up the more accidents you have, and that’s not even…