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Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.

2020 Kia Soul Review | Everything you need to know

The 2020 Kia Soul finds itself at the heart of the growing subcompact crossover segment, offering a compelling blend of space, value and style. It wasn't always that way, however. Now in its third generation, the Soul was once a boxy oddball with few, if any, apples-to-apples competitors. Today, the subcompact crossover segment has effectively been built up around it, yet despite this competition, it remains one of the most characterful and well-rounded choices. A lack of all-wheel drive may be a detriment to some buyers, but it's also no longer alone in that regard. What's new for 2020? The Soul is all-new and represents the third-generation model, but it follows the same successful formula as its predecessors. Its trademark proportions have been maintained, and apart from more cargo capacity and a few extra inches in overall length, its dimensions inside and out are consistent. However, its styling has been reworked (note the wraparound LED taillights, the Kia grille that's been grossly enlarged and moved to the lower bumper, and the thin slit of lighting above) and the cabin features a new, more cohesive design that seems to wrap behind the dashboard from door to door (it's very Jaguar). The 2020 Soul also introduces two new models: the more rugged-ish, crossover-like Soul X-Line, and the sporty GT-Line, which is the only way to get the powerful turbocharged engine upgrade. Importantly, fuel economy has improved across the board, in part thanks to a new CVT transmission. What's the interior and in-car technology like? It's a shame that Kia didn't make the interior as fun and characterful as the exterior. It certainly funks things up a bit with triangular patterns in the doors, a squircle-shaped center infotainment pod and tweeters nestled into triangular air vents, but apart from the pricey GT-Line (see the red trim above), it's all rendered in various shades of black or dark grey, effectively hiding them in a colorless, drab interior. On the other hand, characterful interiors can also be ergonomically challenging (see Mini), and like other Kias, the Soul impresses with simple and easily reached controls — including the standard seven-inch touchscreen. You don't need to be a member of this car's Millenial (or younger) audience to figure the thing out. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, along with a single USB port (and an extra two arrive along with wireless smartphone charging in the EX and GT-Line 1.6T trim levels). How big is it?

2020 Kia Telluride makes surprise debut at New York Fashion Week

About two and a half years after the concept's debut in Detroit, the (mostly) production 2020 Kia Telluride has been revealed in New York for Fashion Week. The odd location for the reveal has to do with a partnership with fashion designer Brandon Maxwell who got Kia to donate to his childhood school district in Marfa, Texas, as part of the deal to display the SUV at the show. It has also been customized to fit Maxwell's Texas-themed line of fashion for spring and summer of 2019. Although the production SUV is partly obscured by custom features such as the off-road bumpers, skid plates, auxiliary lights, ladder and spare tire, this is still our best look yet at the SUV. There's clearly a lot of influence from the old concept, but there's also been quite a bit of compromise for production. It's a clean design that's still pretty squared off. The headlight and grille design borrow heavily from the concept, and the taillights are pulled right from it. It's much taller now and more rounded. The rear hatch isn't upright and vertical anymore, the front fascia has been given an arc that softens it, and the proportions between the headlights and grille seem like they may still be in flux. Kia is still keeping many of the technical details under wraps. The company says that the Telluride will have seating for up to 8 passengers, and that it's a few inches longer and wider than the current largest crossover in its line, the 7-passenger Sorento. It will also have a V6 under the hood. Availability and pricing still have yet to be announced, but we expect it to go on sale early next year. The crossover will be assembled at Kia's factory in Georgia. Related Video: