Flipboard 2025 Car Tips

Many newer vehicles, including some with advanced driver-assistance or self-driving features, now monitor driver attention in an effort to reduce fatigue-related crashes. But while these systems can be remarkably sophisticated, they aren't mind readers.

If your navigation suddenly starts acting up after you park beneath a solar panel canopy, it's easy to blame the panels themselves. In reality, GPS signals are incredibly weak by the time they reach Earth, so anything that blocks, reflects, or distorts those signals can sometimes affect your device. The important question is whether the canopy is actually interfering electronically or simply making it harder for your GPS receiver to do its job.

You wash your car, wax the paint, and step back expecting it to look great. Then your eyes go straight to the gray, chalky plastic trim that makes the whole vehicle seem older than it really is. The good news is that faded trim is one of the most common cosmetic problems on modern cars, and in many cases it can be significantly improved.

I bought my pickup truck thinking it would be the perfect vehicle for the occasional home project, furniture haul, or weekend trailer trip. I never expected that the real shock would come every time I pulled up to the gas pump, where routine fill ups started taking a bigger bite out of my budget than I had ever imagined. If you've ever wondered whether the convenience of owning a truck is really worth the ongoing fuel costs, the answer may surprise you.

Moving from the country to the city can make car ownership shockingly expensive. Discover why urban drivers pay more and how city residents cut parking, insurance, fuel, and transportation costs.

Discover why extended warranties often refuse to cover known defects—and what you can do about it. This in-depth automotive guide breaks down warranty loopholes, TSBs vs. recalls, consumer rights, and effective strategies to get your repair approved. Learn how to fight back, document your case, and understand your true coverage so you’re never caught off guard at the service counter again.

Replacing your tires with the same size can still change fuel economy. Learn how rolling resistance, tire pressure, tread design, weight, and construction affect gas mileage and overall driving efficiency.

If your dealer keeps emailing about a “mandatory software upgrade,” it is easy to wonder whether you actually have a choice. In most cases, a dealer cannot simply force you to install routine software updates on your own car. The big exception is when the update is tied to a safety recall, because recalls are governed by federal safety rules and carry more legal weight.

Your friend is repeating one of the oldest rules in car shopping, and it exists for a reason. A first model year often means new parts, new software, new suppliers, and real-world testing that is only beginning once customers start driving the car every day. That does not mean every redesigned or all-new car is a mistake, but history shows the risk is usually higher when a vehicle is brand new.