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Ford recalls 310,000 trucks to fix problem with driver’s front air bag

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 310,000 trucks in the U.S. because the driver’s front air bag may not inflate in a crash.

The recall covers certain F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks from the 2016 model year.

The company says dust can accumulate in a cable inside the steering wheel, interrupting the electrical connection. Ford says it's not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem.

Dealers will replace the steering wheel wiring assembly at no cost to owners, who will be notified starting July 5.

Why Hyundai and Kia have everyone else playing catch-up

In the past few years, Hyundai and Kia vehicles have skyrocketed to the top of Edmunds’ rankings in some of the most popular vehicle segments. For example, you’ll find a Hyundai or Kia in the top spots for three-row midsize SUVs, midsize sedans, and multiple categories of electric vehicles. This changing of the guard can come as a surprise for car shoppers expecting to see more familiar brands like Chevrolet, Ford, Honda and Toyota.

This success isn’t attributable to one single factor, such as short-lived marketing schemes like rock-bottom pricing or unsustainable rebates. Let’s take a closer look at what these sister South Korean automakers are doing well and where they’re still coming up short.

DISTINCTIVE DESIGN

First impressions matter, and this holds true when people are shopping for a new vehicle. Hyundai and Kia clearly recognize the importance of standing out in a crowd. Whether it’s a family-friendly SUV with three rows of seating or an electric SUV on the technological cutting edge, a bold exterior draws attention and holds interest.

Japan’s Honda records lower profit, projects recovery ahead on sales rebound

TOKYO (AP) — Honda’s profit for the fiscal year that ended in March dropped 1.7% as sales took a hit from a semiconductor shortage and restrictions in China related to the coronavirus pandemic.

But the Japanese automaker said Thursday that recovery was on the way, forecasting record sales and operating profitability for the current fiscal year.

Net profit for the fiscal year that just ended totaled 695.2 billion yen ($5.2 billion), as declining auto sales and rising research costs offset the perks of a favorable currency exchange rate.

A cheap yen is a plus for Japanese exporters like Honda because it raises the value of overseas revenue when it is converted into yen.

Edmunds compares: Honda Pilot vs. Hyundai Palisade

The Honda Pilot first joined the automaker’s lineup for the 2003 model year and it’s been a popular choice for midsize crossover SUV shoppers ever since. Twenty years later, the 2023 Pilot enters its fourth generation with updated front and rear styling for a more truck-like shape than its predecessor. This more rugged design is highlighted by the new-for-2023 off-road-themed TrailSport trim.

In comparison, the Hyundai Palisade is a relative newcomer among midsize three-row SUVs. Introduced in 2020, the Palisade made a name for itself thanks to its spacious cabin and many standard features. For 2023, the Palisade gets an exterior makeover along with a tougher-looking trim called XRT, an upgraded touchscreen interface and more available features.

The experts at Edmunds put these practical three-row SUVs in a head-to-head comparison to see which is the better choice.

PERFORMANCE AND DRIVING The Honda Pilot’s 3.5-liter V6 delivers 285 horsepower to the wheels courtesy of a 10-speed automatic gearbox. Going by the numbers, the 2023 Hyundai Palisade’s 291-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 and eight-speed automatic are a match for its Honda rival. During Edmunds’ testing, the Palisade needed 7.6 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 mph, compared to 7.8 seconds for the Pilot. Outright speed is not the Palisade’s or Pilot’s strongest selling point. If towing is important, know that both the Pilot and Palisade have identical max tow ratings of 5,000 pounds.

Toyota’s profits rise as global chips supply crunch subsides

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota’s January-March profit edged up 3% from the previous year on robust sales as a chips supply crunch gradually eased.

Toyota Motor Corp. racked up 552.2 billion yen ($4 billion) in quarterly net profit, up from 533.8 billion yen ($3.9 billion), according to results released Wednesday. Quarterly sales soared nearly 20% to 9.69 trillion yen ($72 billion).

For the fiscal year ended in March, profit at Japan’s top automaker fell 14% on-year to 2.45 trillion yen ($18 billion). But it’s forecasting profit to rise 5.2% for the current fiscal year to 2.58 trillion yen ($19 billion).

Automakers worldwide have been hurt by a shortage of computer chips and other auto parts because of restrictions over the coronavirus pandemic that crimped production in various countries.

Edmunds picks the top convertibles on the road in 2023

The arrival of warmer weather across the U.S. will soon have a number of shoppers considering a wind-in-the-hair convertible. That’s because, for many people, having limitless headroom and a mobile means of sunbathing is automobile nirvana — though perhaps not for drivers who prefer loose-fitting hats.

There’s no shortage of makes and models available with a folding roof, and at prices on some models that won’t necessarily jeopardize a summer vacation fund. The automotive experts at Edmunds have helped refine these sun-loving car searches by choosing five of their top convertibles for 2023 based on their own testing and evaluations. The vehicles are listed in ascending order of price and include the destination fee.

2023 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA The Mazda MX-5 Miata is all about balance. While the Miata’s not the fastest small sports car by any stretch of the imagination, its affordable price and fun-to-drive nature make it one of Edmunds’ favorite convertibles. With sharp steering reflexes and tiny dimensions, the two-passenger Miata is a delight to drive on curvy roads. Its four-cylinder engine provides suitable acceleration, and it’ll go easy on your fuel budget.

The manually folding soft top can be quickly lowered from the driver’s seat. An available folding hardtop version, called the Miata RF, is also available. When raised, it provides added security and a handsome coupe-like profile. The bad news is that the Miata’s cockpit is quite snug and taller people might not fit. A tiny trunk is another drawback.

No one is driving this taxi. What possibly could go wrong?

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — I won't forget the first time I took a ride in a car without anyone sitting in the driver's seat.

It happened one night last September when a Chevy Bolt named Peaches picked me up outside a San Francisco bar. Our ensuing half-hour ride together produced, at first, a titillating display of technology's promise. Then an unexpected twist made me worry that the encounter had turned into a mistake I would regret.

Peaches and I were getting along great for most of our time together as the car deftly navigated through hilly San Francisco streets similar to those that Steve McQueen careened through during a famous chase scene in the 1968 film “Bullitt.” Unlike McQueen, Peaches never exceeded 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour) because of restrictions imposed by state regulators on a ride-hailing service operated by Cruise, a General Motors subsidiary, since it won approval to transport fare-paying passengers last June.

It was all going so smoothly that I was starting to buy into the vision of Cruise and Waymo, a self-driving car pioneer spun off from a Google project that is also trying launch a ride-hailing service in San Francisco.

Last call: Dodge unveils last super-fast gasoline muscle car

DETROIT (AP) — The last gas-powered muscle car from Dodge isn't leaving the road without some squeals, thunder and crazy-fast speed.

The 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170 will deliver 1,025 horsepower from its 6.2-liter supercharged V-8, and the automaker says it will be the quickest production car made.

Stellantis, formed in 2021 by combining Fiat Chrysler and France’s PSA Peugeot, says it can go from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in a scary 1.66 seconds, making it faster than even electric supercars from Tesla and Lucid.

It's what the performance brand from Stellantis is calling the last of the rumbling cars that for decades were a fixture of American culture on Saturday night cruises all over the country.

Interested in Integra?

There are times when I wistfully remember my 1990 Acura Integra, so imagine my excitement when news came the Integra was returning.

Pathfinder back on track

The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is a refreshing change for a vehicle that, ironically enough, had lost its way.

Power out the gazoo

VANCOUVER ISLAND MOTORSPORTS CIRCUIT, DUNCAN, B.C. — Toyota is investing heavily in a market segment it said a dozen years ago had ceased to exist, hot hatchbacks and sports coupes. And it’s coming with a cool new — or at least new to Canada — name: Gazoo Racing.

The Jeep that isn’t

The 2022 Wagoneer isn’t the largest vehicle I’ve ever driven, but it certainly feels like it is.

2023 Toyota Crown brings power, panache and parsimony to market

CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORTS PARK — It’s big, it’s bold and it’s set to become the flagship for Toyota in Canada, a market it hasn’t been sold in since 1965.

BR-Zee? More like BR-Wheeee!

NEW marketing slogan for the 2022 Subaru BRZ: you’ll be surprised by its usefulness!

EVs with a Vietnamese twist

NHA TRANG, Vietnam — This upstart automaker is only five years old yet is on the cusp of a massive global expansion driven by a jump into the electric vehicle market.

A ’ute that’s still cute after all these years

It’s been four years since we bought our 2018 Mazda CX-5, and while the 2022 Mazda CX-5 is, perhaps, the last refresh of this particular generation, no other affordable crossover quite ticks our boxes like our CX-5.

Truck pretender, or contender?

Take even a cursory glance at online pickup truck forums and a fairly constant theme will emerge about the 2022 Honda Ridgeline and all its ancestors.

They’re not real trucks.

True. But who cares?

Those who don’t like the Ridge will fill their pockets with Coloradoes and Silveradoes and F-150s and Rangers. Fine. We didn’t ask you.

Ford’s tiny pickup so popular, you’ll be lucky to find one

SALT SPRING ISLAND, British Columbia — People wouldn’t like the 2022 Ford Maverick, they said. Too small, they said. Not trucklike enough, they said. Well, what do they know, anyway?

Ford in Canada is practically sold out — 4,116 sold so far and more on the way, all spoken for — and is not taking any orders until the order bank for 2023 models opens later this summer.

It’s easy to see why.

The Maverick is compact, fuel-efficient, fun-to-drive and much more handy than its small size might suggest.

Skyrocketing gas prices fuelling increased interest in electric vehicles

When William York, an electrical engineer in Edmonton, took a 15-hour, 1,400-kilometre drive to Seattle, he planned the usual stops — bathroom breaks, meals, an overnight sleep — and arrived having taken roughly the same amount of time as most leisurely trips between the two cities.

The difference? York, 35, drives an electric vehicle.

At a time when gas prices are going crazy, it’s reasonable to expect more Canadian drivers will start to consider electric vehicles. As this story is being written, prices in Winnipeg are $1.739 per litre for regular gas. In Vancouver, $1.969. With only 13 years to go before the federal government’s target date for EVs to comprise all new vehicles sold, the pull towards electric is strong.

For York, dispelling the misconception that EVs aren’t suited for longer distances starts by retelling the story of his Seattle vacation. The limiting factor is urology, not technology.

Look past the me-too styling and the 2022 Forester has a lot to offer

When the Subaru Forester first arrived, a reasonable question was whether it was a low SUV or a tall station wagon. For 2022, that question is reasonable no more.

It’s grown considerably since its early days, to the point that size-wise, it’s nearly indistinguishable from its mid-size crossover competitors. It is taller and longer than my Mazda CX-5 and just a bit narrower, though that only translates into an extra litre of seats-up cargo space (817 for the CX-5 vs. 818 for the Subie). Seats down, however, the Subie’s extra length means the cargo volume beats the CX-5 by almost 500 litres.

While the Forester’s quirky, Goldilocks-approved size — not too big, not too small — is lost, what hasn’t been lost is the benefits to handling of its horizontally-opposed four-cylinder Boxer motor, which keeps the centre of gravity very low.

That motor, a 182-hp, 176 lb-ft non-turbo across the lineup, means reasonable if not stellar acceleration, which is more than compensated by outstanding fuel economy. For the tank I used during my test week, it averaged less than nine litres per 100 kilometres. By way of comparison, I thought our CX-5’s 9.9 l/100km average was pretty good.