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I'm looking forward to driving anything BMW. That goes twice for a BMW diesel.

Supply affects sales. My hunch is that VW is selling many copies of the new VW overseas. But I have to check.

Most new automatic transmissions are computer-controlled, which means many of them shift more efficiently than most humans do with a manual gearboxes. Efficiency in power transmission usually means a fuel saving. So, yes, many modern automatics are just as efficient, if not more efficient (in terms of fuel economy) than manuals. And you're right, congestion and urban sprawl rob much of the joy from manual shifting. There also is the matter of "automated manuals" or "manumatics," which can be operated manually or automatically. There is a growing market for that technology.

First, decide what you want--sedan, SUV, or  a crossover-utility wagon such as the Honda CR-V or Chevrolet Equinox.

Next, why do you want it? Actual transportation needs? Are you carrying more people than stuff, more stuff than people, or a combination of both?

Are you transporting pets, say a large dog, on a regular basis? If you are, that pretty much rules out a sedan.

Check edmunds.com, cars.com, kbb.com, autobytel.com, Consumer's Digest and Consumers' Reports to ascertain what is available in your price range.

Shop. Carmax generally is a good bet. But don't ignore independent dealers who might have some gems.

Nearly all truck manufacturers nowadays are trying to up the fuel economy of their products. That includes the people at Chevrolet. Typical approaches to better mpg includes cylinder deactiviation--running on four cylinders, for example, when eight aren't needed; smarter, lighter weight, more efficient transmissi0ns; turbocharged and super charged engines. The trick is to reduce fuel consumption without reducing the prowess of the truck. GM, Ford, Ram, and Nissan are all getting good at that.

It's a good question. Times have changed, leaning more toward form following function. The function nowadays is to reduce fuel consumption by any means possible. That usually means aerodynamic design and the elimination or reduction of any form--square design, ornate body folds--that interfere with the most efficient (in terms of fuel savings) movement of the vehicle through the air. In 50 years, we'll probably remember most of today's cars as laughable dinosaurs. Many cars will drive themselves. Some will fly. Alternative fuels will  play a major role. Nuclear power is not unthinkable in this picture.

If it's between the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, I'd go with the Honda Odyssey. Both are excellent family minivans. But, to me, strictly subjective, the Odyssey looks and feels better. There's also the Chrysler Town & Country, or, is it the Dodge Town & Country nowadays? Also, check out crossover-utility models such as the Mazda CX-9 and the latest, excellent version of the Kia Sorento.

Hi, 

I'm here and ready to answer questions on car repairs and how to find a trusted shop to do the work.

Thanks

This is just the type of situation that consumers come to us every day with. We built a car repair estimation tool that after entering in your information, will give you an idea of what these repairs should cost. Head over to http://repairpal.com/estimator and enter your information, and there you will get the fair price for a dealership in your area, or you can find a Top Shop that will guarantee the price you see in our estimator. 

Along side the estimate you will also find information that can help you avoid the common pitfalls that lead to incorrect repairs, overcharging etc. The next step is for a shop to recharge the system, add a fluorescent dye into the system and check for leaks. The local garage sounds like they are taking the appropriate approach here, but the dealer is correct in that when the leak is found, it can be a very expensive repair.

Thanks for acknowledging Art of Repair Pal, who is with us today. We'll try to bring him back as often as possible. As for John and Helen Taylor of Australia, I've heard of that couple and think I might've met them in my travels. They are the king and queen of  hyper-mpg driving--squeezing as many miles per gallon as possible out of an engine, which is easy to do with a Volkswagen diesel. But let us not entertain the go-nowhere-argument that one technology is preferable to another, better than another. I and others have made that error for too long. The truth is that our automotive future will see a wide diversity of power systems, often adapted to specific tasks. It's not the winner-takes-all scenario of simplistic reporting on "News" at 11.

No. It's a rumor no more valid than the latest Hollywood romance gossip. What happened is that companies such as Hyundai, Kia, Chevrolet, Ford, Chrysler, et cetera have all caught up with Honda and Toyota in the quality wars. Honda is no longer alone at the top of the quality heap. It now has very competitive company. But the Civic remains an excellently reliable, safe (check out its ACE body structure), and fuel-efficient choice for small-car commuting.

Your complaint does not surprise me. Dealer's DON"T make money selling stripper cars. They don't make money selling stripper anything. The profit margins grow on "fully loaded" and "popularly equipped" models. Trying to buy a stripper car at something close to cost is like trying to find a nun in a stripper's club.

There are many possibilities here but a few items to be aware of are:
1. Was the brake hardware replaced and installed correctly?
2. Did you use OE Parts? This is very important, aftermarket parts increase the chances of noises occurring.

Mini Cooper is a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW Ag, which means, yes, it shares parts with BMW. That shouldn't be surprising. All manufacturers are involved in pasrts and platform sharing arrangements of one sort or another.

Not from me, not at tis moment. I am working on it.

You can look for ASE certified technicians and be sure to look for ongoing training achieved, and generally their certificates will be on display.  Also look at warranty.

At RepairPal we actually do rigorous screening of all aspects of repair shops by our certified master mechanics and we call real customers from the shop's list to ensure that do great work.  We do this so you don't have to.

Of all those mentioned, I'd first choose the Audi A8 and then look at the BMW 7-Series. The Porsche  Panamera is an answer to a question that no one in the market asked. Porschephiles don't like it. And many of the noveau riche buyers who do like it are, well, noveau riche. Want to prove that yours is not old money? Buy a Pnamera.

This is hard, as shops generally don't like you to bring in your own parts.  Just like a restaurant doesn't like you to bring in your own steak to cook, and charges corkage fees.  They do count on parts as part of their fee.

That said, check out RepairPal for your make, model, year and zip for the repair, and you'll get a fair price on the part piece of your repair, as this shop could be overcharging you on parts.

I'd go for the Mitsubishi i-MIEV. Here's why. I can run all over my Northern Virginia neighborhood in the thing (45-50 miles driving) without using an ounce of gasoline. Instant torque goes to the rear drive wheels, which means I don't have to file an application to enter local freeways. It's also one of the highest quality, least expensive all-electrics available. And there's this, something Mitsubishi's marketers need to get off their sorry tales and promote, Mitsubishi's forte has always been in electronics. The company knows what it is doing with electric vehicles.

Please, Art Shaw of Repair Pal, handle this one.

Look, the EPA mileage system has been improved and made more realistic (Circa 2008 model-year, if I remember correctly). But it's far, far from perfect. Understandably. There are so many variables--driving habits, road quality, weather, tires, tire condition, time of commuting. I could go on forever. It is why I and so many other auto journalists strive to give mileage actually experienced in our reports.

That difference between foreign and domestic offerings actually has diminished over the years as more car companies turn to simultaneous, 24/7, computer-assisted design and engineering, global parts and platform sharing and three-dimensional "printing," essentially designing and engineering an entire vehicle on computer before actually moving to metal. Ironically,  governmental standards (international) are driving the trend. Your Chevrolet Malibu here wears an Opel badge in Europe.

I absolutely love the looks of it. Notice to Ford: Soon, please. I'm looking forward to driving it so that I can do a  full report.

Unfortunately most customers have had bad experiences with car repairs, whether with dealers or independents. Dealers have advantages on parts, information and training capabilities for car repairs.  However, not all dealer service departments think of customer satisfaction as the most important measure.  We think that will change over time, we're trying hard to help by calling real customers to understand their real car repair experiences. 

It's a modest, but meaningful sharing of platforms between Ford and Mazda nowadays. Ford is now more committed to being Ford as Mazda is now more committed to being Mazda. But the car manufacturing business is devastatingly capital intensive. Ford and Mazda will get together whenever and howevr convenient to save costs.

If you trust the mechanic and you're using OEM parts, then take it back and have him figure it out.  These problems sometimes take continued effort to get fixed, and a good quality mechanic will keep digging until the problem is resolved.  Information is key in these situations - checking service bulletins and for updated parts from the manufacturer may be necessary.

I will support extended warranties, which I think mostly are a waste of money, the day an automobile manufacturer goes on record saying that a certain component, or the entire vehicle, will fail date certain after new-vehicle purchase. I don't recall seeing or hearing any manufacturer advertisements such as that.