It fits you and your friends, too - up to five of them. And unless they're uncommonly big or unusually tall, the Flex offers comfortable seating for all.   ...[MORE]

We hope Cadillac dealers who have scads of 4.6-liter 320-horsepower Northstar V-8 models on their lots don't get too upset. But dear reader, forget eight cylinders if purchasing a new STS. This is a rare situation where 302 is better than 320.   ...[MORE]

John McCoy/staff photographer

Ford Motor Co. went back to the future in designing its 2009 Lincoln MKS as the flagship of the company's luxury brand.   ...[MORE]

Not every sport utility vehicle is a gas guzzler. Take the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid SUV - with new standard safety equipment, an improved ride, more power and new features. It has a higher fuel economy rating than some cars, including diminutive minis and non-hybrid Toyota Camry sedans.   ...[MORE]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - General Motors Corp. has begun work on a plug-in hybrid power system for its Saturn Vue sport utility vehicle that could save on gasoline use, Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said Wednesday at the Los Angeles Auto Show. He offered no timetable on when it will be available, however.   ...[MORE]

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday it plans to build its first European auto manufacturing plant in the Czech Republic to increase its presence in the European market.

Hyundai Motor will spend 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) for the plant, likely to be built in Ostrava, near the border with Poland, South Korea's largest automaker said in a statement.   ...[MORE]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Marina del Rey attorney was sentenced Friday to seven years and eight months in prison for his role in an auto insurance fraud ring that stole about $3 million, officials said.

Robert Belshaw, 56, was found guilty in March of five counts of money laundering and three counts of state income tax evasion.

A co-defendant and ring leader, Solomon Morris Davis, 61, of Rancho Palos Verdes, also was convicted on 20 counts of insurance fraud and conspiracy.   ...[MORE]

The letters regarding last week's column about my first motorcycle ride were filled with admiration for my daring to attempt something new, admonishment for my choice of riding apparel and plenty of good advice for my future adventures as a "motorcycle mama"... "Just noticed your article about your first motorcycle ride and I wanted to commend you on your article and your ride.   ...[MORE]

DriveTime: Alicia was just a few months shy of her 18th birthday when she attended a rally at her high school which emphasized our country's ever-growing need for organ donors.   ...[MORE]

The automotive mantra when a manufacturer launches a new or significantly upgraded vehicle is that it has held the line on prices, particularly when figuring in equipment now standard that was optional last year.   ...[MORE]

A new round of discount financing and the arrival of 2003 models are bringing car and truck buyers back into showrooms.

But in addition to kicking the tires and taking a test drive, consumers need to shop hard to make their way through an array of auto loans.

Despite a rocky economy, U.S. auto sales in August were up nearly 18 percent compared to a year ago and 2002 is shaping up as another strong year.   ...[MORE]

Children living near freeways have a greater chance of developing asthma, and people living in communities with airborne particle pollution are more likely to die earlier than those who don't, according to two studies released today...   ...[MORE]