Jane O'Shea articles

A driver-monitoring warning can feel strangely personal when you know you are staring straight ahead. In many modern cars, however, the system is interpreting camera data rather than actually understanding whether your mind is focused on driving. Sunglasses can make that job harder because some monitoring systems depend heavily on eye and gaze information. The problem is real enough that vehicle-safety organizations specifically test driver-monitoring systems with different kinds of eyewear.

These once-common Japanese cars filled American roads in the 1990s, but many have nearly vanished. Revisit forgotten models from Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Suzuki, Subaru, Acura, and more today.

Modern connected cars can transmit information without the driver manually sending anything. Depending on the vehicle, that information can include mileage, diagnostic trouble codes, oil life, battery condition, location, and other operating data. Some manufacturers use this information to power maintenance reminders and vehicle health reports.

A teenager's first car does not need to be new, luxurious, or packed with every convenience feature. Safety deserves more weight in the decision, though, because drivers ages 16 to 19 have a fatal crash rate per mile roughly three times that of drivers 20 and older. The question is therefore not whether your teenager needs an expensive car, but whether the cheaper option gives up protections that matter when a new driver makes a mistake.

When I ordered my new car, the biggest available wheels seemed like one of the simplest upgrades on the option sheet. They looked sharper, filled out the wheel arches, and helped give the car the appearance I wanted. What I did not think much about was what those wheels would cost me several years later when the tires needed replacing. That is where an attractive factory option can turn into an unexpectedly expensive ownership decision.

Pickup trucks were originally designed around hauling, towing, and getting work done rather than recreating the interior of a luxury sedan. Ford's early F-Series trucks used purpose-built truck platforms, while comfort features gradually became more important as pickups increasingly served families as well as workers. Today's high-end trucks can offer leather upholstery, massage seats, premium audio systems, enormous displays, and sophisticated driver assistance technology. For drivers who grew up with simpler machines, some of the old features still have undeniable appeal.

To my father, his enormous old sedan is not simply a machine sitting in the driveway. He knows exactly how the steering feels, where every control is located, and how the car behaves on familiar roads. Asking him to replace it can therefore sound less like financial advice and more like asking him to surrender something that represents independence.

You lend your car to a friend for a quick errand, and hours later your insurance app suddenly shows hard braking, rapid acceleration, or another risky-driving event. That can happen because telematics systems collect data through smartphones, plug-in devices, Bluetooth equipment, or technology built directly into the vehicle. The important question is not simply whose car was driven. It is how your particular insurance program identifies the person behind the wheel.

A low monthly payment can make an expensive vehicle seem surprisingly affordable. The problem is that a dealer can reduce the payment without reducing the price simply by stretching repayment across more years. With auto loans increasingly extending beyond six years, checking the loan term has become just as important as checking the payment.