VW Beetle goes macho

Is the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle really getting tougher? Or am I just getting softer? The reason these questions even comes up is that because the longer I drove the third-generation Beetle, the more I really liked it.

Fresh models draw the crowds

Are American consumers coming out of the cold and returning to car showrooms again? It certainly looks that way, if the past month’s sales figures are a reliable indicator.

Retailers installing chargers despite tepid electric car sales

Los Angeles — “Charge it” might soon have new meaning at shopping malls and retail centers across the country.

Company helps make safe Volvos stylish

Volvo has been synonymous with safety since, well, since seemingly forever. But safe doesn’t have to mean dull. Since 1963, ipd — a Portland, Ore., company — has been enhancing the dynamic performance of Volvo vehicles.

5 tips to follow on leasing cars

Leasing a car rarely is the most economical way to have an auto at your disposal. But if you like to have a new car every two or three years, leasing could be the way to go.

January auto sales a good sign, but rest of 2012 may be rockier than expected

So January has come and gone and Detroit remains snowless. It’s already becoming a strange year, though January looks better than last January, as overall vehicle sales were up 11.4 percent.

Compass finds its way in Jeep lineup

The 2012 Jeep Compass finally feels like it’s moving in the right direction. When it arrived in 2007, the car-based Compass was for poseurs in plastic.

• Photos: 2012 Jeep Compass

Odometer gives sense of where we’ve been

“Like sands through the hourglass ... so go the miles of our lives. ...”

Start transforming your Charger or 200

Psst! Hey, buddy. You know the Dodge Charger Redline and the Chrysler 200 Super S you liked so much at the recent North American International Auto Show?

Painful farewell to Saab’s heritage

More than 100 Saabs, from the streamlined 1947 prototype known as the Ursaab to a 2010 9-5 sedan, are to be taken from their home at the company’s museum in Trollhattan, Sweden, and sold to the highest bidder.

2012 Kia Soul Eco lacking in spirit

The 2012 Kia Soul has a lot going for it. So why would Kia, the fastest growing brand in America last year, want to muck things up by tweaking the Kia Soul just enough to annoy people?

• Photos: 2012 Kia Soul

Skyactiv brings Mazda3 to Earth

Skyactiv is not merely an engine or a transmission; it’s a philosophy, a way of living, or at least driving. It’s the belief that moderation will make your life greener. Skyactiv is also one version of the venerated 2012 Mazda3.

Mitsubishi i catches the eye, needs a socket

Being a transport pioneer is not as tough as it was in the horse-drawn wagon days, but it does have its challenges.

Higher mpg gas engines push hybrids to roadside

Motorcycle caddy plays right

Take six hot cars on a cool 150-mile drive

Buick LaCrosse an all-around good hybrid

A familiar scene for Midwest drivers

StrongBox a sure, secure storage solution

In tight market, dealerships ‘mine’ for used cars

EV designers choose fancy or familiar