Tag: jalopnik.com
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GM Used A Sticker To ‘Fix’ Minivan Doors That Whacked Peoples’ Heads
The minivan was a revolutionary concept in the 1980s when Dodge and Plymouth first introduced the Caravan and Voyager, respectively. There were some earlier minivan-esque vehicles produced before the Chrysler minivans like the Stout Scarab and Volkswagen Transporter, but the Chrysler products were the first front-engine, front-drive minivans to become true sales successes. Competitors didn’t…
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This Pickup Beat Ford’s Maverick In Consumer Reports’ Best Cars Made In America List
Word from CarEdge is that a whopping 117 different new vehicle models have rolled off production lines across America in 2026. There’s an abundance of choice if you want to support domestic manufacturing — or to potentially shield yourself from the worst effects of recent tariffs. But as with cars assembled anywhere else in the world, not all…
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Why 5-60 Is Usually A Superior Performance Metric Than 0-60
Ah, the vaunted 0-to-60-mph test. We all know and love (or loathe) this car acceleration test metric -– even non-gearheads get the gist of why it exists. The prevailing wisdom is pretty straightforward: does a car leap off of the line quickly from a stop? Look up the 0-to-60 time, and you (kind of) have…
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Brake-By-Wire Sounds New-Fangled, But It’s Been Around For 25 Years
Bosch has been an important innovator in the braking industry since 1927, pioneering systems like anti-lock brakes and electronic stability programs back in the 20th century. The company — whose magneto ignition device made spark plugs possible – hit the headlines in 2025 with another advance: a brake-by-wire system in which the brake pedal isn’t mechanically part of…
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Car Colors Used To Be So Cool, They Inspired Guitar Companies To Use Them, Too
The results are in, and once again the most popular car colors are white, gray, and black. Boring! If you want to know what it was like when parking lots weren’t an endless sea of sameness, walk into your nearest guitar shop, and behold the spectrum. Many of the classic shades you’ll find were originally…
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Are There Times Where Aftermarket Tires Outshine OEM Tires?
For as many automotive brands, segments, trims, and options out there out there to tickle any consumer’s fancy, there are just as many (or more) tire brands. A tire may be selected by a manufacturer to increase fuel economy and wear life, enhance grip in different scenarios, or even maximize ride quality — it all…
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Mini Has Been Making Drivers Smile For 25 Years Today, And I’m So Glad
BMW created something truly remarkable when it revived the iconic Mini Cooper for the 2002 model year, injecting a healthy dose of exciting driving dynamics and genuine style into the otherwise rather sedate turn-of-the-century hatchback market. The fourth-generation Volkswagen GTI was not the chuckable, gritty, rowdy, machine that its predecessors were, and even the Honda…
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The 10 Vehicles Most Likely To Get Stolen In The US
There’s no shortage of “these are the most stolen cars” articles, and they’re usually grounded in research by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The problem with these lists is that the NICB is looking at aggregate theft data (that is, how many of each model are stolen across the country in a year). There are certainly…
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2026 Subaru Crosstrek Is Consumer Reports’ Top Subcompact SUV (Or Is It A Car, Maybe?)
The 2026 Subaru Crosstrek is, by most accounts, a perfectly good commuter vehicle. It’s small enough to feel versatile on the road, big enough to qualify as practical, quite affordable starting at $28,415 (including $1,420 for destination), and its symmetrical Subaru all-wheel drive and slightly lifted nature mean it holds its own on a trail…
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Why Being Last On Consumer Reports’ List Of Safest Cars Doesn’t Mean A Car’s Unsafe
Car safety has come a long way, and no matter how you look at it, that sort of progress is a general win for the many pedestrians and motorists you see on the road. If, however, your purchase decision hinges on one car (or car brand) being safer than the other, then this Consumer Reports…