Auto News 5

Where top levels of fuel efficiency, versatility, and space are priorities, the mini-ute, mini-minivan and mini-SUV are tremendously appealing used-car buys. With the space busy families want, and the promise of infrequent stops to refuel, models like these are growing in popularity in the new-car market making the selection of used models even more tremendous than ever.

Here's a look at some of the most appealing small, high-utility vehicles in the used-car market today, as well as what their owners love, and what they say you should check for when considering a used model. Read on if you're planning to visit a used-car lot looking for a machine that's big on space and small on fuel consumption.

Remember: If you settle for a model that doesn't have full service records, visit your favourite mechanic for a full fluid change and tune-up for maximum confidence, longevity, and mileage.

2004 to 2007 Chevrolet Optra Wagon

2004 Chevrolet Optra (Photo: Chevrolet)

The Draw: Low resale values of this Daewoo-based Chevrolet station wagon combine with relatively solid reliability to make it the affordable highlight of our list. Look for a fuel-efficient 2.0L 4-cylinder on all models with automatic or manual transmission. Styling, comfort, and interior space, as well as ease of entry and exit, were all highly rated by owners. For the price, many of these owners confirm that the Optra Wagon is tough to beat for cargo capacity. Driving dynamics and braking performance are rated well, too.

What to Check: Common sense used-car checks should be your starting point with this machine. Though the Optra Wagon looks solid where reliability is concerned, shoppers should ensure proper functionality from all interior accessories, check tire wear, fluids, and all lights.

A test drive should see a fairly quiet ride that's free of front end clunking or grinding over bumps, and the brakes should stop the car quickly and in a straight line. Note that any unusual vibration or squealing from the brakes indicates a problem, as does a spongy pedal that wants to go to the floor. Ensure the automatic transmission, if equipped, moves smoothly through its gate and engages the selected gear with no issue. Issues with sporadic performance or hesitation are likely caused by a bad engine sensor.

2004 Chevrolet Optra (Photo: Chevrolet)

Continue reading Feature: Popular Used Rides for Maximum Utility

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel says he is "sad" the 2013 season, characterised by his history-making dominance, is now over.

But the Red Bull driver does not have much company, made plain by the many visibly empty seats at the usually-bustling Interlagos finale.

"It was the worst it has been in recent years," a woman serving at an official merchandising stand at the Brazilian grand prix admitted to O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull. (Photo: WRi2)

The television figures were also down in 2013, with last year's average of 5.58 million viewers per race in Germany down to 5.28 this season, according to DPA news agency.

And according to 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter, formula one fans should expect more Vettel dominance in the future.

"I think it's hard to believe that he won't beat Michael's record," he told CNN, referring to Schumacher's seven titles.

"I thought nobody would ever beat that record," added Scheckter.

Despite the sweeping rule changes for 2014, Red Bull is also confident it can keep its run going. Bild newspaper reports that the team has signed up two simulator drivers - Sebastien Buemi and Antonio Felix da Costa - for 2014.

"Next year, the simulator will be running virtually around the clock," said Dr Helmut Marko. "Vettel can't do it alone."

Indeed, with his fourth championship firmly in the bag, Vettel said he will be doing "nothing" for the next few weeks.

"First of all I hope that I will not get sick when all the stress goes away, which can easily happen," he is quoted by DPA.

"And I will not be eating much bacon, because the weight next year could be critical."

Sebastian Vettel, winner in Singapore. (Photo: WRi2)

Also critical will be the influence of the engine manufacturers, as Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull's supplier Renault grapple with the new turbo V6s.

"It is impossible to know how it's going to be until we are in Melbourne," team boss Christian Horner is quoted by Austria's Der Standard. "Everything else would just be speculation."

Let's all take a moment of silence to think back on our fondest M3-inspired memories. I know you each have at least one. Why look back on memories? Well, it'll be rather hard to make new ones as this is the last generation of M3 coupe we'll see on the roads. As the M4 coupe is slotted to take its place, we'll bid the E92 M3 adieu.

Before you get all up-in-arms about it, the sedan (the F80) will still remain. I know, I know, not the same bit it will have to do!

The M3 coupe is more than just a car, it is a brand unto itself. This vehicle deserves its spot in the performance automotive history books, and after my week behind the wheel of the bright orange M3 I have to wholeheartedly agree.




What is the BMW M3?
An easier question might be: what isn't it? This vehicle is so much to so many: sports car, icon, performance vehicle, family car, track star, city slicker, dream car, poster child, The One. The M3 is, perhaps, one of the most well-rounded cars on the road today. Equal parts sporty and practical with great exterior looks and a comfortable interior, the BMW M3 might just be BMW's best-known model -- and rightfully so.

This vehicle is so much to so many: sports car, icon, performance vehicle, family car, track star, city slicker, dream car, poster child, The One. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

2013 BMW M3 Price and Specs
With a starting price of just over $71k, the 2013 BMW M3 doesn't come cheaply. However, it's worth every single one of those 7.10 million pennies it would take to purchase a naked one. You might want to start counting them out now...

For those many pennies, you get a beast of a coupe with a naturally aspirated 4L V8 crouching beneath its bonnet that'll give you 414 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, all pushed out the rear wheels. Controlling that power is BMW's 7-speed M-DCT, a dual-clutch transmission that's almost as good as Porsche's PDK (yes, I said it).

You get a beast of a coupe with a naturally aspirated 4L V8 crouching beneath its bonnet that'll give you 414 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Driving the 2013 BMW M3
Driving the BMW M3 is bit like I'd imagine bungee jumping to be like: It's thrilling, exciting, scary at times, but you know you've got the right safety equipment so you let loose, maybe even cry out a little with glee, and enjoy every moment.

That's the beauty about this latest (and last) generation of the M3 coupe: Sure, it's gotten bigger, fatter, and heavier, but it's all in the name of safety and keeping the driver (and other occupants) safe no matter what the driver tries to pull.

With a multitude of adjustable bits and bobs with the likes of the M button (for maximum throttle response and gear ratios for performance) EDC control and the like, the 2013 BMW M3 can be as tame or as savage as you want. What kind of drive would you like to have that day? You decide. Brilliant.

The 7-speed M-DCT truly is a pleasure to swap gears with. The steering wheel mounted paddle shifters (large and metallic) are perfectly placed and flicking from gear to gear with them is just fantastic. Downshifting just to hear that exhaust burble and the V8 grumble is an intoxicating habit.

With responsive steering (that did feel a bit light at times), the 2013 BMW M3 seems to know where you want it to go before you've even told it. While one of the only complaints I have about the car is that it feels a bit fat, it still manages to throw itself beautifully around each corner in a well-sorted way.

With a multitude of adjustable bits and bobs, the 2013 BMW M3 can be as tame or as savage as you want. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Inside and Out of the 2013 BMW M3
With minimal overhang up front and in the rear, the 2013 BMW M3 is a contained beast with bulging bits here and there, as if its savage innards are trying to break free and wreak havoc on the road (because they are).

I adore the hood-vents hugging the vulgar bulge in the middle, as well as the deep air vents behind each front wheel. Add the carbon-fibre roof to the mix along with the oh-so-subtle decklid spoiler and quad exhaust tips and you've got yourself an extremely good looking automobile, no matter what colour you drape it in.

Inside, typical BMW fare is found. I'm not a huge fan of the stunted, gimpy-looking shifter knob that's basically a glorified button, however, it is functional and suits the centre stack.

My favourite part of the 2013 BMW M3's interior? The fat, chunky, fits-perfectly-in-my-hands steering wheel. There's something to be said for a well-made steering wheel, and the M3 has one of the best in the entire industry in my opinion.

Inside, typical BMW fare is found. I'm not a huge fan of the stunted, gimpy-looking shifter knob that's basically a glorified button, however, it is functional and suits the centre stack. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Comparing the 2013 BMW M3
While the Beemer has some stiff competition in the likes of the RS5 and C 63 AMG, there's something about an M3 that I believe will always make it come out tops. It is, after all, an M3. Storied and glorified, the M3 has every right to have the following it does. It is sad to know the coupe will no longer be, but here's hoping the M4 will bring in a new era of M-love.

From GMM

Caterham's future remains on track, despite the blow of finishing the 2013 constructors' championship dead last.

Since debuting in 2010, the green-coloured team has always fended off the attacks of its back-of-the-grid rival Marussia.

But in Brazil, Caterham had to face up to the reality of not finishing inside the top ten finishing positions in the teams' points standings for the first time.

It is easy to overlook the battle at the very back.

"Marussia's Max Chilton was the only driver this year to finish every single race," said Die Welt correspondent Simon Pausch.

"Even Sebastian Vettel didn't manage that. But Chilton scored exactly three hundred and ninety seven points less than the world champion," he observed.

The battle was intense at the back, between Marussia and Caterham. (Photo: WRi2)

However, former F1 team owner and boss Eddie Jordan insists that, for Caterham and Marussia, the fight at the back is crucially important.

"The top ten gets gets a fairly significant chunk of the prize money. If you're outside the top 10, you don't," he told the BBC.

For the teams with the smallest budgets, missing the top ten is significant -- particularly ahead of the 2014 season, when the new rules have ramped up the mandatory spending even further.

Caterham boss Cyril Abiteboul, however, insists finishing dead last does not jeapordise the team's future.

"Our shareholders and our partners have continued to support us unequivocally and the investments they continue to make, in infrastructure, resources and, most importantly, people, put us in a good position for the future," he said. "Now we'll regroup, recharge and come back fighting in 2014 in an all new formula one."

From GMM

An announcement about Ross Brawn's departure from Mercedes is now imminent.

Germany's normally-reliable Sport Bild says the news is coming "later this week", at the end of a period of strong speculation that the Brackley based team will install Paddy Lowe as the new boss.

Mercedes, and particularly chairman Niki Lauda, have made efforts to keep 58-year-old Briton Brawn on board in another role.

Ross Brawn. (Photo: WRi2)

But the big rumour is he could be headed back to Ferrari, where as technical director he presided over Michael Schumacher's ultra-dominant cars of last decade.

"Let's see," Brawn told the British broadcaster Sky on Sunday in Brazil, after he was spotted meeting in Stefano Domenicali's Interlagos circuit office.

"We will advise everyone in good time, but it's a pretty exciting year next year, so let's see what happens," he added.

Asked if Brazil was in fact his 'goodbye' to F1 altogether, Brawn smiled as he insisted: "(This is) not an answer."

An automotive market research company has settled with the state of New Jersey after being accused of using software code to monitor online consumer behavior without consent.

General Motors investors are focused on the possibility of stock buybacks or a dividend on common shares now that the Treasury has outlined its plans to sell the rest of its GM stake by year end, analysts said.

Kia Motors Finance was the top auto lender among mass-market brands and Lincoln Automotive Financial Services the top lender among luxury brands in JD Power's 2013 U.S. Consumer Financing Satisfaction Study released today.

We spend a lot of time expressing our automotive passions through text, telling stories of our wild drives and repair quandaries.

PSA has hired former Renault executive Carlos Tavares to replace Philippe Varin as CEO in 2014.

PSA has hired former Renault executive Carlos Tavares to lead the French manufacturer out of a six-year slump in European demand.

2015 Hyundai Genesis Review

Luxury sedan 2.0.

Namyang, South Korea -- Five years ago, Hyundai launched its first luxury car, the Genesis. Few car names have been so fitting, because the Genesis truly was the beginning of a change in perception and market reach for the Korean automaker. At the time, we said that Hyundai had “taken off its gloves,” launching a “no-holds-barred assault” on the luxury market with a car that was surprisingly impressive. The 2009 Genesis was a commendable effort complete with a powerful V-8 and rear-wheel drive—an ambitious feat for any car company, let alone one that had never done a premium vehicle of any kind in its then 41-year existence.

Photo Gallery: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Review - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Review - Automobile Magazine

2015 Hyundai Genesis Review | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Looking back into 50 years of Mustang history, we came across a motor with a few alter egos. The 1969

2015 Audi S3 Review

Sporting but subtle.

The 2015 Audi S3 creates little stir on a sunny, cool morning in Monte Carlo. Parked outside a posh hotel not far from the famous casino you know from James Bond films and mere steps from the iconic streets that make up the circuit of the Monaco Grand Prix, the S3 only hints at what it can do. It’s a handsome car, for sure, but it easily blends into the glamorous surroundings of a Royal principality where Ferraris and Bentleys are more common than Fords and Chevys. But the S3 isn’t meant to stand out in Monte Carlo, it’s meant to turn the heads of American consumers seeking a classy sedan with sporting character and luxurious features.

Photo Gallery: 2015 Audi S3 Review - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2015 Audi S3 Review - Automobile Magazine

2015 Audi S3 Review | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Further details have emerged this afternoon (25 November) concerning PSA Peugeot Citroen's decision to nominate former Renault COO, Carlos Tavares, to succeed Philippe Varin next year.

PSA Peugeot Citroen is confirming former Renault COO, Carlos Tavares, is to succeed current CEO, Philippe Varin next year.

Youtube user and co-founder of The Supercar Kids,

News of this weekend's apparently dramatic breakthrough in negotiations between Iran and the so-called P5+1 countries looking to limit any nuclear ambition on Tehran's part, has been hailed by domestic and French automakers.

Daimler Trucks Asia said it was combining the activities of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) and Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) for further sales growth in Asia and Africa.

News 25 Nov, 2013

Customer pays tribute to Ferrari F1 legend Niki Lauda with a one-off special edition of the 458 Italia