Oil Change Intervals Changing?
It may not be necessary to change your vehicle's oil and filter as often as you once did. Recommended service intervals have been increasing over the past few years from as often as once every 3-4 months and 3,000 miles to as infrequently as once every 5,000 (or even 10,000 miles), depending on the car -- and its manufacturer.The reasons for the longer change-out intervals have to do with both improved engine designs (more efficient engines don't produce as many combustion byproducts, such as unburned gasoline, that can contaminate the oil) and improved oil formulations and additive packages -- which extend the useful life of the oil itself.
But there are several important caveats to be aware of.
Should Federal Gas Mileage Standards Be Raised?
Rep. Ed Markey thinks your next new car should get 35 mpg, which is a very nice idea -- provided you aren't concerned about the functional compromises and costs that might involve.
Along with Republican co-sponsor Todd Platts, Markey has authored legislation that would push federal fuel economy standards for both passenger cars and pick-ups and SUVs to 35 mpg. Up to now, trucks and SUVs have always been considered separately -- and subject to a less onerous 21.5 mpg "fleet average" (vs. the current 27.5 for passenger cars) on the entirely reasonable notion that it's unreasonable to demand close to 30 mpg from a vehicle that needs to be powerful enough to pull a 9,000-lb. trailer, etc.
Things You Can Expect To See More Of Soon
If you want to see progress in fast-forward, compare the typical new car of today with the typical new car of 2000 -- and then compare both with what the typical new car of 2012 is likely to be like (as far as we can imagine that).
In 2000, for instance, in-dash GPS units were still fairly rare -- and found almost exclusively on high-dollar luxury cars. In 2007, GPS is commonplace -- and available on modestly priced ($20k or so) new cars like the Honda Civic and Mazda3.
Within five years, GPS will become a "given" on most every new car, irrespective of price -- just like air conditioning and power steering are today.
New Car Review: 2007 Saturn Aura
If General Motors had been building cars like the Saturn Aura ten years ago, Toyota might not be poised to replace GM as the world's largest, most successful automaker.
As it is, Toyota (and Honda, too) may be able to hold onto customers -- and their dominance of the mid-size/family car market -- on the strength of their established reputations -- even if their current offerings are no longer clearly superior in the "well-built" and "more reliable" categories. And even if competitors like the Aura have more to offer in the curb appeal department (and elsewhere).
