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The Cashback or the APR Deal
Which is better for your next car purchase?
How-To Guides
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How to Save on a New Car
Shopping for a new car is exciting. Actually buying one can be an ordeal.
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How to Lease a Car
Taking out a lease requires understanding many variables.
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How to Buy Car Insurance
Car insurance policies are priced on six different coverage areas. All six prongs influence the price you pay.
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How to Buy a Used Car
Thanks to increased demand coming out of the economic downturn, prices on many late-model used cars have risen, increasing the importance for consumers to get the best value for their money.
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Electric Car Startup Tesla Repays U.S. Loan
WSJ.comLuxury electric-car maker Tesla Motors Inc. said on Wednesday it has fully repaid a $452 million federal loan it received in 2010, and said it would be able to finance development of its next two vehicles without selling new shares.
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To Spark Buyers for Electric Cars, Drop the Price to Nearly $0; A new round of discount leases on plug-in cars combined with electric-vehicle incentives, could make a battery-electric car extraordinarily economical
WSJ.comThis car deal sounds too good to be true: Drive a car, almost free.To entice drivers to try electric-powered cars, auto makers are lowering the price of entry to the zero-emission lifestyle.
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Regulators Scrutinize Auto Lenders Over Add-Ons
WSJ.comThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued subpoenas to U.S. auto lenders over the sale of extended warranties and other financial products, according to people familiar with the investigation, expanding a civil probe that lenders ...
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Replacing a 1990 Mercedes-Benz
WSJ.comQ: My 1990 Mercedes 190E is on its last leg and I want to spend no more than $45,000 for a new Benz. I like the 190's six-cylinder engine, but the C250 I am considering has a four-cylinder. Will it perform almost as well as my old car since ...
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Fiat 500e Review: The Bosses Don't Love It, but You Will; The company's losses on the electric car notwithstanding, it's a worthwhile car in many ways
WSJ.comRECENTLY, CAPITALISTS were scandalized when Fiat and Chrysler Group Chairman Sergio Marchionne revealed that his company loses $10,000 apiece on the Fiat 500e, an electric retrofit of the wee-posh 500 built solely to satisfy California's ...
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GM, Ford Team Up to Develop New Transmissions
WSJ.comDETROIT—General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. have teamed up to produce two new transmissions as the auto makers look to keep in step with their rivals both foreign and closer to home.
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Avoid the 'Tire Slime'; Columnist Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles
WSJ.comQ: I drive approximately 30,000 miles a year for my job. I've always kept a can of "fix a flat" in my trunk for emergency use. My new VW has a tire-pressure monitoring system and my mechanic says not to use flat-tire fixers as they will ...
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Moto Guzzi California: Ponch, Your Ride Is Here
WSJ.comMOTORCYCLE RIDING is sketchy enough that these days I do it infrequently and with great care. I really have to want to ride a particular bike, not professionally but personally. And I wanted to ride this bike, the new Moto Guzzi California ...
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Introducing the 97-Month Car Loan
WSJ.comLast month Nakisha Bishop took out a loan to buy a $23,000 Toyota Camry and pay off several thousand dollars still owed on her old car. The key to making it work: she got more than six years—75 months in all—to pay it off.
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Why Do Coupes Cost More Than Sedans?
WSJ.comQ: I am in the market for a new car and have been looking at Audi, BMW, Cadillac and Mercedes. The one thing I have come across time and time again is that the coupes are all more expensive than the sedans (same engines and everything). Is ...
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At 210 MPH in a Bugatti, for a Long, Long Time
WSJ.comSOON AFTER CO-PILOT Pierre-Henri Raphanel waved his hand signaling me to level off, no more speed, we were comfortably cruising between 210 and 212 miles per hour. It was a cold, bright afternoon and, like many convertible drivers in ...
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Changing Gears: Cars Ditch Familiar Shift Levers
WSJ.comThe 2013 Ram 1500 SLT is a beefy pickup with a 305-horsepower engine, a cab that stands more than 6 feet tall and a bed that can carry more than 1,400 pounds of stuff.
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Porsche Cayman S: 911's Little Brother Grows Up
WSJ.comTHE GERMAN AUTOBAHN is not a polished monument but an ongoing civil-engineering megaproject, a national priority, forever being widened and overpassed as Europe's largest economy struggles to increase its surface carrying capacity and open ...
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Is Going Diesel Worth It?
WSJ.comQ: I am thinking seriously about buying a diesel-powered Grand Cherokee, most likely in the 2015 model year. By that time, reliability figures and real-life testing will be around in abundance.
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Five Cars and the Quest to Please All Buyers
WSJ.comAmerican car buyers are a tricky bunch to please. Consumers want luxury and performance, but they want fuel economy. They're intrigued by electric cars but they are far more likely to buy a family-size sport utility. They want affordable ...
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BMW M6: A Hurtling Flume Ride on Dry Land; Dan Neil on why the tire-slaying, mind-blowing, budget-busting BMW M6 is one of the top five cars in the world
WSJ.comJOIN ME IN the Sierra Nevada in, say, 1910. It's spring among the redwoods. You are a "flume herder," which means your job is to break up logjams in the chutes of rushing water, armed only with your trusty peavey. Look it up.
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Breaking Up With a Broken-Down Car Is Hard to Do
WSJ.comWhen David Groeger was 17 years old, his parents bought him a white, 1998 Mustang convertible as a birthday present."In high school, it was the coolest car that was," says Mr. Groeger, who grew up on Long Island, N.Y. "People knew me for ...
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Mercedes CLA45 AMG lands at New York auto show
MarketWatchMercedes-Benz’s increasingly active AMG performance division has thrown its hat into the performance small sedan ring with this: the 2014 CLA45 AMG 4Matic, which starts at $48,375 after a debut at the New York auto show, which runs through ...
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New Efforts to Shorten the Car-Buying Process
WSJ.com"Let me run that by my manager."To minimize the use of that shopworn delaying tactic—and other haggling strategies that can drag out the car-buying process—more companies are experimenting with ways to slice the time consumers spend in ...
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Don't Paint It Black
WSJ.comQ: After a lifetime of economy cars, I'm finally at a place where I can indulge in a luxury car. Problem is their colors are so boring—beige, white, gray, black and an occasional winy red. Cadillacs look like hearses and Mercedes-Benzes ...
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Lexus ES 300h: A Smooth, Elegant Guilt-Eraser
WSJ.comTHE SPECIMEN in question is a luxury sedan of goodly size and weight, around 3,700 pounds, with 200 hybrid horsepower, generous leather seats, big audio, exceptional soundproofing, and a cabin filled with fine joinery and brushed alloy ...
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Columnist Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles
WSJ.comQ: I recently bought a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. It's a great little car, but when accelerating the automatic transmission seems a little rough. As I drive, there is a slight jolt or jump among the various speeds. Is this roughness normal for ...
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A Pricey Way to Zip Down Your Private Mountain
WSJ.comTHE WORD "SLED" has been with us a long time. Its roots go back thousands of years, to the Old Saxon slido and Old German Schlitten, which roughly translates as "Look out, I can't stop."
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Is Regular Gas Good Enough?
WSJ.comQ: Do you think my Mercedes-Benz S550 with a 429-horsepower, twin turbo V-8 engine would perform satisfactorily on regular-grade gas? Mercedes recommends 91-octane fuel, but the per-gallon difference of 15 to 20 cents seems a high price to ...
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Ram's Got a Truck That Jingle Jangle Jingles
WSJ.comOH HONEY. Aren't you the big stud.Can we delve into this "Longhorn Edition" thing? A Western/rancher-themed upholstery-and-trim package for the Ram 1500 truck, the Laramie Longhorn package takes personal obliviousness to new heights. ...
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A Lamborghini for the tall driver in a huge hurry
MarketWatchThe Hindus call it darshan, the blessing one receives by being in the presence of a great person. Say what you want about Lamborghini—of all exotic-car brands, the one that most flirts with the ridiculous—its cars are remarkable and noble ...
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Evolution; Drive All-American; Through 60 years of changes—and some not-so-great years—there's always been something that makes a Corvette a Corvette
WSJ.comPEOPLE THROW around the word "icon" but rarely think what it means for a culture to spontaneously decide that something is sacred. As of 2013, the phrase "Chevrolet Corvette" has been in the lexicon for 60 years, and somehow this product ...
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Acura RLX: Larger, but It Still Comes Up Small
WSJ.comCHIVALRY DEMANDS that I offer Acura a blindfold and a cigarette, because the marque is about to get it right in the heart.The car at issue is the 2014 Acura RLX, a 310-horsepower, six-speed, midsize luxury sedan (base price: $49,345) ...
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Following the Manual; Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles
WSJ.comQ: I own a 2005 Lexus LS 430 with just over 38,000 miles. A Lexus service rep suggested I have the timing belt and water pump changed soon. Charge: $1,250. The manual says to change them at 60,000 miles. Is time a factor or can I wait?
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GM to Bring Back Camaro Z/28
WSJ.comGeneral Motors Co. for the second time this year reached back in time for a storied muscle car name as it looks to jump start its Chevrolet brand in the U.S. and potentially around the world.
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Manual Transmission: An Endangered Species; Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles
WSJ.comQ: I'm looking for a new four-door sedan and prefer a manual transmission. In the past I have driven a VW Sirocco, VW Rabbit and Volvo 850, all with stick shifts. My first vehicle was a 1970 Ford Bronco with three on the tree [three-speed ...
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When an iPhone Isn't Enough
Barrons.comSmartphone cameras just keep getting better. Witness Google's promise last week that its Nexus phones will soon have "insanely great cameras." But there is still no comparison to the optical quality, sensitivity to low lighting, and ...
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Cruising For a Savings? Columnist Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles
WSJ.comQ: I've been led to believe that you can save gas by turning off cruise control going up and down moderate to steep hills. Is that true?Toby Knox, Shelburne, Vt.
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Columnist Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles.
WSJ.comQ: Recently in England we rented a Volkswagen Golf diesel of exactly the same make and model as our car in the U.S. After 1,062 miles driven, we noted fuel consumption of 55 miles per gallon, after accurate conversions, on our English ...
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Chrysler Car Launches Hit Snag
WSJ.comIn 2009, Chrysler Group LLC Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne sketched a bold plan for the company's future: Under Fiat SpA, Chrysler would get the Italian auto maker's small car designs and technology to revitalize an auto lineup starved ...
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Five New Technologies to Make Driving Easier
WSJ.comThere's a technology revolution in the auto business, and it involves more than streaming radio apps and voice-activated Facebook updates.Consumers who haven't shopped for a new car for five or more years—and that's a lot of people, since ...
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Would You Drive This Car? Auto Makers Unveil New Concept Cars; Corolla Tries to Shed its Dowdy Image
WSJ.comWhat if you could exit your car through gull-wing doors and control its interior features with a wave of your hand? Would a back-seat wine cooler enhance your driving experience? These are just a few ideas car makers are testing at the ...
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BMW M5: Too Smoothly Outrageous for America
WSJ.comBUILDING A CAR, any car, is uncertain work. Witness the drumbeat of recalls issued by manufacturers year after year. That's why car makers spend a lot of money on testing and validation. And the more heroic the automobile, the more extreme ...
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The Detroit Show, and the Only Car That Matters
WSJ.comONE NIGHT IN July, Gilbert Villarreal and three of his engineers tucked in to a dinner at On the Border restaurant in Auburn Hills, Mich. Mr. Villarreal's company had landed a contract to build a small fleet of plug-in hybrid commercial ...
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India Car Makers Post Mixed Sales
WSJ.comNEW DELHI—Several of India's car makers Tuesday reported a drop or a modest increase in sales for December, despite year-end discounts and the recent introduction of new models.
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How to Keep a Deer Out of the Headlights
WSJ.comQ: I recently had a too-close-for-comfort encounter with a deer. What is your opinion/recommendation on use and types of deer whistles? We recently had our mechanic install a brand called "The Hornet."
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Peugeot Shows New Vehicle Direction
WSJ.comVELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France—PSA Peugeot Citroën unveiled a new vehicle platform that will be used in many of the auto maker's future models, including some to be developed as part of its 11-month-old alliance with General Motors Co.
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What's the Best Tire Pressure for a Saab?
WSJ.comQ: The sticker inside the driver's door on my 2004 Saab 9-5 Aero states a cold-tire pressure of 43 for the front wheels and 42 for the rear, but the Saab Dealer has told me that the tire pressure should be in the mid-30s. I want to inflate ...
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Ford Fusion: Passion Seizes the Family Sedan
WSJ.comOUT OF ALL FORD'S trout-mouthed wonder cars, the expectations are highest for the Fusion, the company's freshly redesigned C/D sedan, a segment that in the U.S. represents more than one million annual sales (Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, ...
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Postal Service Ghost Protocol; The mail chief has a brilliant idea to cut Saturday delivery.
WSJ.comIs there a better tutorial in government failure than a monopoly that loses about $25 million every day, like the U.S. Postal Service now? This is an outfit that is proposing to cut what it does by roughly one-sixth and only solve about ...
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The Rise of the Rent-a-Porsche
WSJ.comForget first class, early boarding and hotel suites. If you really want to upgrade your next trip, get a Ferrari or a Bentley, try out a teched-out Audi or turn heads when you pull up to your destination in a Porsche.
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Is It Better to Buy a Used Car Rather Than New?
WSJ.comQ: I've always read that it's cheaper to buy cars three to five years old that have substantially depreciated. With used cars now holding such high prices, does new or used make more sense?
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Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles
WSJ.comQ: My 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser with 316,000 miles has been a prince of a vehicle. My only complaint is that I just replaced the starter for the fourth time! Is the starter undersized for this vehicle or ...
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A New Bundle Jungle for Travelers
WSJ.comWith your airline ticket, would you like to add "Ascend" or "Lift?" Perhaps you prefer "Choice Seats" or "Choice Plus?" Or maybe you're a "Main Cabin Select," "Main Cabin Extra" or even "Main Cabin Express" traveler?
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The Longevity of a Lexus
WSJ.comQ: My mother-in-law recently gave a 1991 Lexus LS 400 to my wife and me. She bought the car brand new in 1991, and now it has about 75,000 miles. We had to install a starter, brakes and rubber suspension boots to safely drive the car from ...
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German Auto Makers to Shake Up Luxury Market
WSJ.comGermany's luxury car makers, fresh from record 2012 sales, plan to launch new, lower priced models that would draw younger, less affluent U.S. customers away from mass market brands such as Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor ...
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Why Your Car's Mileage May Not Always Measure Up
WSJ.comIt's possible to get precise measurements of nearly every feature of a car, from trunk space to front hip room. But the most important attribute for many shoppers—fuel economy—is still just an estimate.
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Focus ST: Why should Europe have all the fun? Car review: Ford finally brings its Euro-spec hot hatch to the U.S.
MarketWatchFrankly, Santa, I haven’t actually been that good this year. For example, I wasted a ton of money on power tools. Would you like to hear my impression of my wife? It goes like this: “Four cordless drills?”
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A Porsche Cayenne for Diesel Fetishists Only
WSJ.comIN MY CONTINUING war on U.S. customary units of weights and measures, I would like to point out that, on Porsche's U.S. website, the fuel-injection pressure of the Cayenne Diesel is listed as 29,007 pounds per square inch.
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The Tow-Along Trailer Goes Posh
WSJ.comMauro Micheli has earned international renown over the last two decades as a designer of multimillion-dollar superyachts. His elegant designs for the Italian Riva line have reinvigorated a brand that has catered to celebrities such as ...
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How Auto Makers Keep You Coming Back
WSJ.comJohn Kwiecien, 47, is a commercial photographer who reckons he has owned vehicles from about 10 different brands since he started driving."I don't want to put myself in a box," says Mr. Kwiecien, who lives in suburban Detroit. He chooses ...
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Ford Posts $1.6 Billion Profit
WSJ.comDEARBORN, Mich.—Ford Motor Co. posted fourth quarter net income of a $1.6 billion on another strong performance in North America, but the second-largest U.S. auto maker forecast a wider, $2 billion operating loss in Europe this year.
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Dash Away, Lexus! Seriously, Throw the Dash Away
WSJ.comWE BEGIN WITH what Lexus calls the Remote Touch controller. I call it Satan.It's a sort of square, upholstered computer mouse, a gimbal controller about the size of a motel soap. In the car's center console, the controller ...
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Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles
WSJ.comQ: My son will get his driver's license soon. Time for my wife and me to think about the optimal car for him. We always hear that a bigger, heavier car is good for a new driver, primarily for the protection it affords. But large vehicles ...
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Renault Posts Fall in Profit
WSJ.comPARIS—French auto maker Renault SA on Thursday posted a 15% fall in net profit and it expects new vehicles and fewer sales incentives would return its money-losing automotive operations to profit this year.
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How to Pay for a Wedding
With most couples waiting to marry and three quarters of marriage partners living together first, many celebrants are paying at least part of their wedding bill.
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It’s never too early to start talking dollars...and sense.
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How to Manage Your Grocery Bill
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