2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie on 2040-cars

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Kia leads J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study for 2022

For the first year ever, Kia leads J.D. Power's annual Vehicle Dependability Study with a score of 145 problems per 100 vehicles. Buick (147) and Hyundai (148) round out the top three. The highest premium brand on the list is Genesis, with a score of 148. It's common for so-called "mass market" brands to lead this particular study, according to J.D. Power, as "premium" brands "typically incorporate more technology in their vehicles, which increases the likelihood for problems to occur" and aren't necessarily built to a higher standard that less-expensive brands. The highest-rated single nameplate is the Porsche 911. It's the third time out of the past four years and the second year in a row that Porsche's quintessential sports car has taken top honors. Porsche as a brand sits in seventh place (162) just behind Lexus (159) and ahead of Dodge (166). At the very bottom of the list is Land Rover with a dismal score of 284; the SUV specialist held the same unfortunate distinction on last year's list. Ram (266), Volvo (256), Alfa Romeo (245) and Acura (244) also performed poorly. The overall industry average score sits at 192 — mass market brands average a score of 190 while premium brands sit 14 points lower at 204. While Tesla is unofficially included in some of J.D. Power's results, the agency says the sample size it has access to for this study is too small to include. As has been the case for the past several years, infotainment systems dominate the list of problems reported by owners. Popular (or unpopular, depending on your point of view) complaints include built-in voice recognition (8.3 PP100), Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity (5.4 PP100), built-in Bluetooth system (4.5 PP100), not enough power plugs/USB ports (4.2 PP100), navigation systems difficult to understand/use (3.7 PP100), touchscreen/display screen (3.6 PP100), and navigation system inaccurate/outdated map (3.6 PP100). While problems with the car's infotainment and technology packages are indeed bothersome, it's important to remember that such issues aren't usually leaving owners stranded with an immovable vehicle like a broken transmission or blown engine would. Culling infotainment complaints from the results would reduce the average problem-per-100-vehicle score by a staggering 51.9 points. The vehicles included in this study are from the 2019 model year. That means owners have had three years to get to know their cars and trucks. It's the 33rd year that J.D.

Roadkill pits every project car against each other

The guys behind Motor Trend's monthly Roadkill series have collected nine of their favorite project cars from their videos and pitted them against each other in a battle royale to determine a winner. It's 44 minutes long, but it's completely worth the investment of time.
The cars run the gamut from a 1973 Chevrolet Ramp Truck, a 1975 AMC Pacer and a legitimately impressive 1967 Chevy Camaro, and they are pitted against each other to see which is the fastest around an autocross course. The drivers include Roadkill's two hosts and Motor Trend's Johnny Lieberman and Carlos Lago. It's reminiscent of the best episodes of Top Gear and worth a watch.
So it's the weekend - the perfect time to relax. Grab your preferred beverage, get comfortable and enjoy 44 minutes of some seriously ratty but utterly cool project cars as they are throttled within an inch of their lives (or past it). Scroll down to check out the video.

Didn't get the toy you wanted for Christmas? Grab this '79 Dodge Macho Power Wagon

This Christmas, kids everywhere got tons of toys, but what about the grownups? Adults like toys, too, and we particularly like this 1979 Dodge Macho Power Wagon pickup for sale on eBay. Dodge plugged it as one of its "adult toys" back in the day, which makes it the perfect post-Christmas purchase for anyone who's feeling a little left out. Dodge began advertising a lineup of specialty trucks as "adult toys" back in 1977, during the period when trucks were first becoming personal-use vehicles rather than just workhorses. Dodge's specialty models ran though the end of the decade and included the Street Van version of its B-series panel van, the Macho Power Wagon 4x4 pickup, the Warlock short-bed stepside pickup, the Ramcharger SUV, and even a variant of the Ram 50 mini-pickup. The Macho Power Wagon was a 4WD W100 pickup with a Sweptline bed, and could be had in short- or long-wheelbase configurations. Two-tone paint included black on the lower body, the hood, and the roof. Tape stripes, painted spoke wheels, and a bed-mounted roll bar added to the look. This '79 Macho Power Wagon is a long-bed version, riding on a 131-inch wheelbase. It's powered by a 318-cubic-inch V8 with dual exhausts, mated to a three-speed column-shift automatic and four-wheel drive. Not the most manly powertrain, maybe, but it was the late '70s, and one's engine wasn't as important as one's graphics. This Power Wagon's visuals make an emphatic statement indeed, with the two-tone white and black livery set off with bright orange stripes, wheels, and most critically, POWER WAGON emblazoned on the bed and tailgate. It's enough that we can forgive the missing roll bar. Inside, we find a vinyl bench seat, a floor-mounted shifter for the two-speed transfer case, and a period-correct Craig cassette stereo. Factory A/C is also present. Sure, you could get a new Ram 2500 Power Wagon, but would that really have the gold-chain-in-a-bed-of-chest-hair swagger of this beast? If this Adult Toy speaks to you, we would point out that sometimes the best presents are the ones you get yourself. Related Video: