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Automotive


There’s a little something for everyone here, ranging from how to restore a classic motorcycle to how to judge when it’s time to trade in your car.

Cars


  • Redesigns, hybrids and Harley inspiration lead next-gen trucks, SUVs
    The 2012 model year is almost here — and could mark a turning point away from traditional truck-based SUVs, at least as far as mass-market vehicles.
  • DIY upgrades to get your 4WD trail-ready
    Gunnery Sgt. Michael La Mar loves to drive on hammers — the Clawhammer, Jackhammer and Sledgehammer, among others.
  • Best small cars: Gas-sippers deliver on the road
    Gas is $4 a gallon, and it's barely spring. By summer, it could easily be $5 or more, and that reality is fueling a resurgence in the popularity of small, high-mileage cars.
  • Kansas guardsman wins Camaro, will appear on Spike TV
    Sgt. Matt Pierson made it home from Afghanistan for Christmas Eve — but Santa didn't come until nearly a month later.
  • Road map for survival: Outfit your car for any emergency along the way
    Your car doesn't need a survival kit.
  • Hot rides for 2011
    If the idea of walking onto a new-car lot reminds you of going into battle, you're not alone. The salesmen can be trickier than a Taliban ambush. But there may not be a better time to buy. "If you...
  • Inspection directions
    Buying a used vehicle can be a smart move, but you'll need to look out for some potholes in the road. That SUV you're eyeing may be perfect for going off-road, but you'll pay a ton for tires. The...
  • Plug in: Car trends 2011
    The days of gasoline refueling could be over for 2011 car-buyers who live on or near their duty station.
  • Behind the wheel of the world’s most powerful cars
    It's time to channel your inner Jason Statham.
  • A rough road
    Lots of people like the idea of owning a vintage car — but the reality is often not what they expect. It's kind of like buying a Great Dane puppy: Six months later, you discover you may have...
  • Take your time to find the best bargains
    Got your eye on that shiny new king cab over at the new car lot? Or the Mini Cooper? You're timing couldn't be better.
  • Don’t get taken
    The biggest secrets of successful used-car buying aren't really secrets — they're just not very well-known to those who don't buy used cars regularly. Here are the five big ones that people...
  • Car storage: An engineman’s tips
    After we published our 14-step guide to prepping a car for storage before deployment, we heard from Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Follman, an engineman with Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit...
  • Store your ride
    Whether it's a restored vintage muscle car or your late-model daily driver, no car should be parked and left to sit while you're deployed.
  • Is it time to trade in yet? The 5 factors to consider
    When should you start thinking about buying a new car?
  • Protect your car, data from hackers
    In a late-model vehicle, an onboard computer -- the "ECM," or Electronic Control Module -- controls everything from basic engine operation to when and how firmly the transmission shifts.
  • 5 tips for working with an auto dealer's service department
    Death, taxes and dealing with auto dealership service personnel are three of the unavoidable ugly parts of life. But unlike the first two, dealing with the service department can be made less...
  • How to avoid buying a nightmare of a used car
    Tales of deep woods-dwelling ax murderers may instill fear in Cub Scouts huddled around a flickering late-night campfire -- but few things are as frightening to adults as the real-life used-car...
  • 7 tips when looking for your teen's first car
    The ideal car for a first-time teen driver is one that decreases the odds of having an accident -- and minimizes the potential for harm if it does happen. We're talking pre-emptive damage...
  • Beat the ticket
    So you're no Kyle Busch on the roadway. But like any other local, you've been known to goose the gas pedal from time to time. And you've got the traffic citation to prove it.
  • Building on a concept
    Joseph Johnson's heart started racing as soon as he read the e-mail. For most of the crew aboard the destroyer Carney, already four months into its deployment in early May, it was just another piece...

Motorcycles


  • Hottest bikes of 2012: The best deals on 2 wheels
    With motorcycles hitting redline prices — not to mention more makes, models and marketing hype than ever — even the most road-hardened riders can find buying a new bike a daunting task.
  • Ride, baby, ride: Leave cabin fever in the dust while dreaming of 2011’s hottest new bikes
    If you're stuck in a cold climate, you can probably only dream about riding a motorcycle right now. But the days are getting longer, and the snow can't last forever. Some hot soup for the soul in the...
  • Veterans of the road
    Interested in acquiring a motorcycle that's also seen service? An option you might consider — one that's not well-known outside of the collector bike hobby — is to shop for an ex-police...
  • Road rage
    It looks like a souped-up golf cart crashed into a Cessna and then someone tried to put it back together. It's called a T-Rex, but there's nothing prehistoric about this three-wheeled genre-busting...
  • Pavement pioneers
    Bikes used to come only in primary colors — no shades of nuance, nothing that really deviated far from the Basic Concept. These days, you've got your choice of Frighteningly Fast or...
  • Motorcycle 411
    Buying the right motorcycle can be a challenge. Whether it's looks, operating characteristics or "ergos" (how the bike physically fits your specific body type), buying a bike is more like buying a...
  • Steer clear of troubled rides with this 17-step inspection
    Used bikes are individuals. Each has its own history, a past that has left it in better — or worse — shape than a seemingly identical counterpart. Some are well-kept cherries. Others are...
  • The sensational Spyder
    On initial contact, there's usually a three-step reaction. People stop — accompanied by a "Whoaaaaaaaaaa." Then they eyeball. Long and hard.
  • Classic bikes of the ’70s are still around — and still affordable
    The decade of disco may have been unkind to cars, but it was a golden age for motorcycles. In the 1970s, bike manufacturers dodged the double-whammy of becoming fuel-efficient almost overnight...
  • Sport-bike instruction offers fast fun on a track
    Having a 140-horsepower sport bike in your garage is great. Learning to ride it to its potential -- and yours -- is even better. But most of us are limited by the realities of cops, crowded roads and...
  • Restoring a classic bike may not be as hard -- or as pricey -- as you think
    So, you're ready to buy a motorcycle, but sticker shock sets your head to spinning.

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