The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What are the best and worst cars to buy in 2019?

Photo: EurovisionNim

The Consumer Reports 2019 Top Picks in cars list includes six new winners – the Hyundai Kona, Subaru Ascent, and BMW X5, and three Toyotas – the Yaris, Prius, and Avalon.

The all-new Subaru Ascent is Consumer Report’s Top Pick in the midsized SUV category. Its smooth power delivery, comfy ride, functional interior, and suspension performance that rival some luxury cars helped put it to the top of the pack, said Jake Fisher, senior director of Automotive Testing at Consumer Reports. The top luxury SUV, the BMW X5, is among the best SUVs that CR has ever tested, Fisher said.  

“The Ascent really impressed in our rigorous tests and is a great all-around performer,” he said. “It’s a highly functional and comfortable three-row vehicle that will appeal to many families.”

Toyota led all the automotive brands with four Consumer Reports Top Picks for the second consecutive year. The Prius earned Consumer Reports Top Pick honors for a record 16th time, this year including in the newly created Hybrid/Electric Car category. The fourth-generation of the pioneering hybrid gets 52 mpg overall in Consumer Reports’ fuel economy tests, and maintains an outstanding track record for reliability and owner satisfaction, Fisher said. The Camry is the top midsized sedan for second straight year. This is the second time that the Yaris has been a Top Pick; the first time it made the list was in 2017. The Avalon is on the list for the very first time.

Honda recalls vehicles because car wash soap damage may cause them to catch fire

Photo: Kelvin Eng

Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are recalling about 106,683 Ridgeline sport utility trucks because they could catch fire after being washed in a car wash.

In 2017, 2018, and 2019 Ridgeline trucks, the acid from car wash soaps could cause the fuel pump feed line to crack. The damage increases the chances the trucks will catch fire.

The recall is expected to begin on March 7.

Honda is notifying owners, and dealers will repair and replace the fuel pump at no cost to owners.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Toyota and Fiat Chrysler recalling about 3.3 million vehicles due to faulty airbags

Toyota is recalling 1.3 million vehicles in North America and Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 1.6 million vehicles worldwide.

The air bag inflators can explode when deployed and scatter metal fragments, which can strike, injure, and even kill vehicle occupants.

Toyota’s announcement Wednesday includes 1.3 million vehicles in the United States.

Fiat Chrysler agrees to pay $800 million to settle charges of emissions cheating

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Robert Bosch agreed Thursday to settle charges related to “defeat device” software intended to circumvent emissions standards for air pollutants. Bosch, a parts supplier, supplied and programed the software used by Fiat Chrysler and Volkswagen in diesel vehicles.

The two agreements, to be filed later this month, will provide compensation for consumers who purchased or leased Fiat Chrysler vehicles containing illegal defeat devices and more than $172.5 million to 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Fiat Chrysler and Bosch attempted to pull the wool over the eyes of American consumers, and pollute their way to the bank, said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Nearly 1 million Ford vehicles are being recalled due to air bags that can explode and scatter metal pieces

Photo: IFCAR

Ford is recalling more than 953,000 vehicles throughout the world, with 782,000 of them in the United States, to replace air bag inflators that can explode when deployed and scatter metal fragments, which can strike, injure, and even kill vehicle occupants.

The maker of the air bags involved in the recall is Tokyo-based Takata, one of three major manufacturers of air bags. It provides air bags and other components to automakers around the world.

Included in the recall are the:

Best wishes on Election Day to us all

If you haven’t voted yet, be sure and do it. So much is at stake. Americans have the opportunity to tell a racist, sexist, anti-consumer, anti-environmental president that we don’t want his toxic policies any more.

I’m hoping for a Blue Wave. We must undo the harm that President Trump and his cronies are doing to the nation’s consumer and environmental laws. I’ve written article after article on this. Some examples of Trump’s terrible policies are:

• Allowing oil and gas companies to drill in the Arctic.
• Relaxing car pollution rules.
• Extending the life of dirty coal power plants.
• Weakening protection for student borrowers harmed by for-profit colleges.
• Allowing coal ash to be dumped into streams.
• Allowing association health plans that have a history of offering inadequate coverage, even scams.
• Weakening of chemical and pesticide regulations.

See the Brookings Deregulatory Tracker for more information on the Trump administrations deregulatory program.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

New York sues Exxon Mobile for misleading investors on climate change costs

 

Photo: Ben P L

Exxon Mobile Corp. is being sued by the state of New York for allegedly misleading investors on the risk that climate change regulations posed to its finances.

For years, Exxon told investors that it was accounting for the likelihood of stronger regulation by applying an increasing cost of emissions to its business planning and investment decisions, according to the lawsuit. However, Exxon did less than it claimed, deceiving investors on the company’s true financial exposure to climate change regulations.

Exxon marketed the company as a secure long-term investment and sought long-term investors such as life insurance companies and pension funds.

California auto insurance reform saves consumers $154 billion in 27 years

California drivers have saved at least $154 billion on auto insurance since voters approved Proposition 103 in 1988, according to an analysis by the Consumer Federation of America.

Since the vote, California has had the smallest increases in auto insurance cost, and at the same time is the nation’s second most competitive auto insurance market. For the liability insurance coverage that all drivers are required to purchase, Californian consumers have seen the average premium drop, while drivers throughout the nation pay significantly higher prices.

“We have been studying America’s auto insurance markets for years, and California has set the standard for savings, fairness, and real competition,” said J. Robert Hunter, director of insurance for the federation. “If anyone doubts that voters can make a difference, there is 150 billion dollars of proof in the wallets of Californians who enacted Prop 103 and reined in the insurance industry 30 years ago.”

General Motors recalling more than 1 million pickups, SUVs for power steering problem

 

Photo: order_242

General Motors is recalling about 1.2 million pickup trucks and SUVs due to a power-steering problem. The steering can fail momentarily because of a drop and sudden return in voltage, mainly during low-speed turns.

The company said 30 accidents and two injuries have been reported, but no deaths.

More than 1 million of the vehicles were sold in the United States, with 96,000 sold in Canada. A small number were sold in other countries.

Boomer bloggers inspired by end-of-summer activities and transitions

It’s hard to believe we now speak of summer – not the official astronomical season but our human timetable – in the past tense.

In my community, the Harbor Day celebration on Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer. This year, the weather was beautiful, as you can see from the photo above. Some years, I’m taking photos in the cold, wind, and rain.

• Tips for how to buy a used car on Labor Day weekend, which also are useful anytime.

• A guide for self-improvement during September, which is Self-Improvement Month.

• The fashion rules we grew up with, including don’t wear white after Labor Day.