WomanOnWheels.ca

Making license plates: The job you don't want!

Not in a jurisdiction such as Ontario, where they're made by prison inmates. (That's also the case in New Hampshire, where prisoners have to stamp out license plates that include the state's slogan, Live free or die...)

Find out more on how they're made in my Driving Force column in Metro.

Spring's here, and your car needs attention

Cars go through a lot all winter, and getting them clean in spring is key to making them last longer and look better. Find out what you should be doing for your vehicle in my gallery over at Sympatico Autos.

Why should you do oil changes?

Oil's possibly the most important fluid in your vehicle: without it, your engine can turn into a piece of scrap in a very short period of time. Changing it regularly can help prevent engine wear. Find out more in my Driving Force column in Metro.

What's the automobile's future?

I spent a week with the Chevy Volt, and while I've driven all sorts of alternative vehicles, I think this type of extended-range technology is probably the best choice for many people who want to go beyond plain gasoline. Read my opinion piece on it over at Sympatico Autos.

An interview with Peter Schreyer

I recently had the opportunity to interview designer Peter Schreyer, who transformed Kia and is now heading up Hyundai's design centres as well. Read all about it in my Toronto Star story.

In review: 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

I like the E-Class, with its understated luxury and comfortable nature. I drove the E 300 version - find out more over at Sympatico Autos.

Too much fuel? Push the button ...

Many vehicles now have "economy" buttons, which alter such things as the throttle response and transmission shift points for improved fuel economy. Find out more about Honda's version in my Driving Force column in Metro.

Some famous failures ...

Automakers hope every new model hits a home run, but that isn't always the case. There have been more than a few that failed, either in our specific market, or just overall. Check out my slideshow of famous flops over at Sympatico Autos.

Building auto parts: It's a numbers game

Automakers depend on mass production: that's how they bring the prices down and turn a profit. Find out more in my Driving Force column in Metro!

All about auto advertising ...

Do you know who started the trend of focusing on the driving experience, rather than the car? Or if Chrysler truly had "rich Corinthian leather?" Find out more in my trivia column in the Toronto Star.

You can, but you shouldn't ...

Large, thin plywood sheet tossed on top of vehicle? Check.

Loosely tied in two places with thin twine? Check.

Both driver and passenger have hands on load, which will be enough when the wind catches the edge of it? Check ... and full speed ahead!

You can, but you shouldn't ...

Spotted by a friend at a car show in California. Words just ... well, they fail me.

Some way-cool car stuff ...

Over several decades of visiting car shows, flea markets and museums, I've snapped shots of some pretty strange stuff. I finally pulled a few together and came up with a gallery of interesting cars and trucks over at Sympatico Autos.

Why your car crumples in a crash

It's not to make the body shop rich; rather, it's to save your life. Your car crumples to dissipate crash energy that would otherwise make its way to you. Find out more in my Driving Force column in Metro.

Economy of scale: Why mass production needs the masses

Building a car isn't cheap, especially if you factor in how much it costs even before the first one runs down the assembly line. Bringing down that per-unit price is the key to profitability, and it can entail everything from designing architecture that can produce numerous variants, to even working with the competition on big-ticket items. Find out more in my Sympatico Autos story.

Tire pressure: What's that warning in your dash?

Many new cars in Canada now come with a tire pressure monitoring system, or TPMS, which warns you if you have a low tire.

That's what it's supposed to do, but in the real world, these systems can be prone to false readings, especially in cold weather. Find out more about them in my Sympatico Autos story.

Tires: It's all in the rolling resistance

You might be surprised to know that part of the fuel your car burns is simply to overcome the rolling resistance of the tires. Friction costs you money, which is why most tires today are made with some form of low-rolling-resistance technology.

Find out more about it in my Sympatico Autos story.

Some cool old cars in great museums

Armed with my camera, I visited a few cool museums - the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum in Indiana, BMW's museum in Munich, and the Automobile Museum of Malaga in Spain, among others.

Check out some of the really cool cars I spotted by visiting Sympatico Autos.

Tips and tricks for staying safe

Driving is like playing chess: you have to be constantly thinking about what other people are doing, and preparing for whatever moves they might be considering.

Take that minivan in the photo, for example. The plate indicates an out-of-town driver who may not be familiar with the area, and who might suddenly jam on the brakes when he catches sight of something.

Check out my slide show at Sympatico Autos to see more!

Car insurance: A CLEAR difference

Car insurance premiums can vary wildly, depending on where you live and what you drive, but how do companies figure it out? Part of it depends on CLEAR, the Canadian Loss Experience Automobile Rating.

Want to know more? Check out my story at Sympatico Autos.

Got an older car? Get it appraised!

Your car doesn't have to be a show-quality vehicle to need an appraisal. Any time you have more into it than what you'd get for "black book" value, you should have an independent appraisal to protect you. Find out more in my Sympatico Autos story.

Crash testing: Dummies can only do so much

Crash-test dummies are invaluable when it comes to designing safer cars, but there's a limit to what they can tell us, since they don't have bones or soft tissue.

Researchers at General Motors are going beyond this, and studying real-world injuries as well. Find out more in my Sympatico Autos story.

Turn signals: Are you using them properly?

They're meant to signal your intentions, not tell people what you've just done. And, of course, the latter seems to be far more prominent on our roads these days. Read my rant at Sympatico Autos.

"New" stuff on your car? It may be older than you think ...

Some of the technologies on your car may seem high-tech, but they've been around for quite a while: anti-lock brakes, airbags, and starter buttons, for example. Find out more in my Sympatico Autos story.

In review: 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350

I've always liked the GLK, and now it receives a new V6 engine (along with a diesel) that improves the fuel efficiency. Find out more in my Sympatico Autos review.

All about auto platform sharing ...

You may have heard of "platform sharing," but have you ever wondered what it is? I found out ... and it's here in my Driving Force column in Metro.

Strange stuff at the New York Auto Show

A vacuum (which sucks, but doesn't!), a Cadillac at Lincoln, and 007 ... I have a wrap-up of some of the odder stuff at the New York Auto Show in the Toronto Star.

(But this guy wasn't included. This is Log Dog. That's all I know, and that's all I want to know ...)

All about Ed "Big Daddy" Roth

Back in 1987, I had the good fortune to meet Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, famous for his wild custom cars and that little character there, the Rat Fink (that's a key chain I bought from him). He was certainly one of a kind, and you can read all about him in my story over at Sympatico Autos.

What's a boxer engine?

You've probably heard that Subaru has a "boxer" engine, but do you know what it means? Find out more in my Driving Force column in Metro.

Look in the distance - it's a Nissan!

Of all the things that designers have to consider when they create a vehicle, I never thought that distance would be one of them - but it's true. Read more about Nissan design Taro Ueda in my Toronto Star story.