J. Clarke articles

If you’re trying to make better money decisions this year, depreciation is the sneaky bill that shows up after the “great deal” high wears off. Some cars don’t just lose value—they drop it like a bad habit, turning yesterday’s splurge into today’s trade-in reality check. The goal here isn’t to dunk on anyone’s taste (drive what you love), but to help you spot models that can quietly torch your long-term costs.

Buying a motorcycle is usually an emotional decision. You picture open roads, engine noise, and that perfect stretch of asphalt calling your name. Helmets, on the other hand, tend to feel like a chore—something you have to buy before you earn the fun stuff. But here’s the twist: helmet safety science has quietly evolved into something genuinely impressive. If you’ve been on the fence about buying a bike, or upgrading your gear, the latest helmet research might be the most reassuring push you need.

The Cadillac CTS-V Wagon occupies a very specific place in Cadillac history. It combined the high-performance V-series formula with the long-roof body style of the second-generation CTS. According to Cadillac’s own documentation and later summaries, it was offered as part of the CTS-V lineup rather than as a separate experiment.

Gas prices may calm down one week and spike the next, but one thing hasn’t changed—drivers still want to squeeze every possible mile out of every gallon. The good news is that fuel efficiency in 2026 isn’t about suffering through slow drives or turning your car into a hypermiling experiment. It’s about smarter habits, better tech awareness, and a few surprisingly easy tweaks that experts agree still make a real difference.

There’s a sweet spot in the automotive world where price and perception don’t quite line up. These are the cars that make people assume you spent more than you did, quietly delivering upscale design, comfort, and tech without demanding luxury-brand money.

Once upon a very aerodynamic moment in the early 1980s, Renault decided it didn’t just want sensible sedans and quirky hatchbacks—it wanted drama. The result was the Renault Fuego, a sleek sports coupe that promised speed, style, and futuristic tech long before those things were expected from a mainstream brand. For a brief moment, it worked. Then the world moved on, and the Fuego quietly slipped into automotive obscurity.

Buying a used car from a private seller feels a little like agreeing to hold a stranger’s drink at a concert. It might be totally fine. It might also end very badly. Private sales can save you thousands, but they also strip away the guardrails dealerships provide, leaving you face-to-face with someone who may—or may not—be playing fair.

For decades, the American motorcycle story has been told like a one-horse race—Harley-Davidson thundering down the highway while everyone else eats dust. But that version skips a crucial chapter. Long before Harley became the name in heavyweight cruisers, another American brand wasn’t just competing—it was trying to outsell them outright. That brand was Indian Motorcycle, and its rise, fall, and resurrection is one of the strangest, boldest sagas in motorcycling history.

Before motorcycles meant chrome, leather, and midlife crises, the very first one looked like it escaped from a medieval woodworking class. Built almost entirely of wood, awkwardly balanced, and powered by an engine that barely behaved itself, the world’s first motorcycle was less Easy Rider and more experimental fire hazard. And yet, this strange contraption quietly kicked off the motorized world we now take for granted.