When I traded SUVs in the past, I learned the hard way that the number a dealer offers often reflects a different math than the one that matters to you. Dealers think in terms of reconditioning costs, auction margins, and what they can get for the vehicle on their lot or at auction. You should...
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Maintenance
I remember the first time my ABS light came on: I was running errands, pulling...
Maintenance
Selling a car privately is as much about perception as it is about facts. Over...
Maintenance
I’m often asked by readers with older petrol cars how to squeeze more miles...
Buying Guides
I live and work in cities where traffic, tight parking and sudden incidents are...
I’m often asked by readers with older petrol cars how to squeeze more miles out of a tank without spending on costly engine work or electrification. Over the years, between my garage experiments and coordinating repairs, I’ve found a set of...
I live and work in cities where traffic, tight parking and sudden incidents are part of the daily routine. Over the years I’ve learned that a good dashcam isn’t a luxury — it’s a practical tool that can save hours of paperwork, protect you...
I remember the first time I nearly bought a used SUV that looked flawless in photos and on the lot — until I drove it and everything felt slightly off. The steering tugged, the car pulled to one side, and the doors closed like they belonged to...
I remember the first time I had to bleed brakes alone — standing over the car in my driveway, brake fluid bottle in one hand and a length of clear hose in the other, wondering if there was a smarter way than the awkward pump-and-pray method. If...
When it comes time to replace brake rotors, one of the first debates I have with readers, friends, or my mechanic is always the same: aftermarket or OEM? It’s a deceptively simple question with a lot of nuance. I’ve swapped rotors on my own...
I’ve had my fair share of good and bad experiences with garages — from a local independent that squeezed me in on a rainy Saturday to a dealership shop that wanted to replace parts that only needed cleaning. Over the years I’ve learned there...
Electric vehicles are still new enough that extended warranties feel like a murky area for many buyers. I get asked about this all the time: “Should I buy the extended warranty?” “Is the battery covered?” “What about software issues?”...
Winter changes everything about driving a front-wheel-drive (FWD) car. Grip levels fall, visibility drops, and the way your car behaves in a turn or on a slope can surprise you — often at the worst possible moment. Over the years I've lived...
I remember the first time a check engine light started flashing on me while I was merging onto the highway — that instant adrenaline rush and the frantic scanning of the dashboard. A blinking or flashing check engine light is one of those signals...
City driving changes the way I look at cars. Tight parking, stop-and-go traffic, potholes, and the need to keep running costs low mean that a compact car for urban use has to be more than just small — it has to be reliable, cheap to maintain, and...