If you didn't know all-wheel drive was an available option for the Dodge Avenger, Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Caliber, you're not alone. Only 1.5% of Avenger buyers checked the AWD option box, and the Sebring take rate was an abysmal .7%. The Caliber fared only slightly better at 4.4% for the 2008 model, but that's not nearly enough to keep Chrysler from canceling the option for the 2009 model year. AWD was fast becoming a mainstream option when those models were being developed, but the ability to move all four wheels at once drives down fuel economy. The MSRP goes up, too, and Chrysler [more]

Introduced in 1963, the Porsche 911 is one of the most successful competition cars ever built. Despite its unconventional rear-engine platform, the 911 Carrera holds recorded wins in nearly every type of automotive competition. Continuously upgraded and refined, Porsche has introduced a mid-cycle refresh for the 2009 model year. While the cosmetic changes are immediately apparent, the most significant improvements – two new engines and a new double-clutch transmission – are hidden under its sleek skin. We spent a long day putting the 2009 911 Carrera through its paces on a race track [more]

Toyota worked up an entirely new platform for its new iQ minicar, which features a very unique 3+1 seating arrangement in an effort to outsmart its competitors. Such a development takes a good deal of resources and Toyota seems to be considering ways to defray that cost through additional models based on the same underpinnings. The latest vehicle architecture to add to the always active rumormill would be a small two-seat roadster. If the German buff book Auto Motor und Sport is correct, expect the new sub-Miata-fighter to debut in concept form at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show and be called the Spider. [more]

Toyota worked up an entirely new platform for its new iQ minicar, which features a very unique 3+1 seating arrangement in an effort to outsmart its competitors. Such a development takes a good deal of resources and Toyota seems to be considering ways to defray that cost through additional models based on the same underpinnings. The latest vehicle architecture to add to the always active rumormill would be a small two-seat roadster. If the German buff book Auto Motor und Sport is correct, expect the new sub-Miata-fighter to debut in concept form at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show and be called the Spider. [more]

Canadians waiting for the day when they can purchase a Scion without heading south of the boarder can soon rejoice. Toyota's "hip" brand will go on sale in Canada in 2010, seven years after the marquee went on sale in the U.S. Canada will receive all three Scions at launch, the tC the xB, and the xD. And Scion ordering will be no different than it is in the States, with plenty of a-la-carte options available to personalize your Gen Y-mobile. Although sales have taken a hit of late, Scion has been very successful for Toyota overall, as 70% of all Scion buyers are new to the Toyota family. [more]

Owners of the new crop of clean diesels will have another maintenance item to concern themselves with if their new cars are equipped with urea injection. The EPA requires that all diesels meet strict new emissions standards, which almost always requires the use of either a NOx trap or urea injection. To ensure that the system is working, a sensor checks both the level and the quality of the urea solution and will keep the car from starting if the tank is empty. The new VW Jetta TDI doesn't use urea, but the new Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC vehicles do. According to Mercedes, a counter will appear [more]

Apparently tough and muscular are favored by truck and SUV buyers. Who knew? In a Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch poll, active car shoppers picked the look of Ford's trucks and non-luxury SUVs over the competition. Though the poll was done in April, current sales numbers seem to prove it, with some of Ford's pickups seeing more than 50% sales increases over last year despite rising gas prices. Ford recently increased its sales predictions of the Edge, and says its new Expedition had its eighth consecutive month of higher sales in April. Ford's May sales overall were down 10.4%, a drop the [more]

The federal government has gotten more interested in greenhouse gases, and as a result there has been a lot of tough talk concerning raised CAFE numbers. Much less time has been devoted to reducing CO2, which is the single largest contributor to global warming. Now that the spotlight is shining squarely on emissions, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel has thrown out the 2008-2011 CAFE rating for light trucks. The 2008-2011 changes represented the largest jump in fuel economy in the history of CAFE, with MPG going from 22.2 to 24, but with the growing problem of greenhouse gases, that [more]

click above image to view all of the SEMA-bound trucks and CUVs from FordFord has already told us that its main focus at this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas will be the new Focus. Nevertheless, the Blue Oval knows that the F-150 pays the bills and there's no faster growing segment than CUVs right now. As such, Ford will have a whole contingent of customized pickups and CUVs in Sin City at the end of month. On hand will be the Project 2008 F-150 FX-2 V2 sporting many items you can pick out from the Ford Racing parts catalogue, as well as set of nice looking 22-inch GT500-style wheels. There's [more]

We feel bad for Volkswagen. It deserves credit for quietly selling diesel-powered vehicles in the U.S. and for decades offering customers the benefits of an extra long range and ample torque. Finally the feds wise up and regulate high-polluting sulfur right out of our diesel fuel, and in the process make it impossible for VW to sell its current lineup of TDI models that don't meet the new emissions standards. So for 2007 there is no Jetta, Rabbit or Beetle TDI models being sold by Volkswagen.But here it is! The 2008 Jetta TDI, spotted at the AltWheels festival in Boston. In order to meet the [more]