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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.

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.

New-car touch controls can become frustrating and distracting when winter gloves enter the picture. Here's why physical buttons may still matter for safe cold-weather driving—and why automakers are beginning to reconsider touchscreen-heavy dashboards.

Once-cheap cars from the 2000s are becoming surprisingly difficult to find in clean, original condition. From Honda Civic Sis and Subaru WRXs to Pontiac GTOs and Ford Focus SVTs, these affordable favorites are quietly disappearing.