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Showing posts from 2026

How Much Does It Cost to Keep a SAAB on the Road in 2026?

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  2008 SAAB 9-3 2.0T - 59,600 miles  Here's how much it costs to keep a SAAB on the road in 2026. I have a SAAB-specific repair shop near my home in Cherokee County, just outside Atlanta, GA. For some, that one thing alone will be the make-or-break circumstance. I rarely do repairs myself. I used to, but I just don't enjoy it anymore. I have two SAABs. The first example (shown above) is a 2008 9-3 Turbo sedan. This car has 59,000 miles and is powered by SAAB's reliable 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder engine. For the most part, this car is very reliable and gives no big problems. It's fun to drive, gets about 25 miles per gallon, and has modern safety features like head curtain airbags, traction control, and stability control. This specific car has the moonroof package, optional leather seating, an automatic transmission, and the cold weather package.  Since this is a car for a teen driver, I added a backup camera and an Apple CarPlay radio for a cost of $800 three years ago when ...

Kia Sportage Hybrid Being Built at HMG Metaplant

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Production of the Kia Sportage Turbo Hybrid has begun at the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) Metaplant near Savannah, GA. The small SUV is so popular that it is also built at a dedicated Kia facility in West Point, GA. Think about what that says about the popularity of Kia in the U.S. People like Kia vehicles.  Metaplant is Impressive HMG is the parent company of several brands, including Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia. Hyundai Motor Group's gigantic 2,900-acre site is in Ellabell, GA, near Savannah. This is an impressive feat, considering the groundbreaking was just over three years ago, and now it’s cranking out new cars.   Today, the Metaplant is up and running, and it is producing electric cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 9, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and now the Kia Sportage Turbo Hybrid. The Metaplant is a modern state-of-the-art facility that includes flexible assembly lines that lack the typical fixed tracks, in addition to the more familiar fixed, moving assembly line. The plant is also a ...

Many New Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep Models by 2030

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  The 2027 Ram Rumble Bee SRT and its 6.2L supercharged V8 are part of a larger, global plan to help parent company Stellantis capture more market share and save the automotive world from boring four-wheeled people pods.  Stellantis (the parent company of brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and others) has a roadmap that represents a kind of reset for its North American lineup. Globally, the company will focus on Jeep, Ram, FIAT, and Peugeot. FIAT is an obvious choice, as the brand has been like Toyota in terms of reach. In many European and South American markets, FIAT models dominate the automotive landscape .   New Affordable Vehicles  Part of the new Stellantis plan includes new EVs, hybrids, performance trucks, and lower-cost entry vehicles to expand market share and address rising vehicle prices through the end of the decade. Specifically, Stellantis plans to launch nine vehicles priced at less than $40,000 by 2030 in North America, including two ...

Honda Moves Forward

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  This is a new Honda hybrid sedan prototype. Honda will have 15 new hybrids by 2030. Some Honda models may look unchanged for even longer than usual over the next few years. However, a bunch of new Honda vehicles are already on the way.  As a result of spending money (lots of money) on developing electric vehicles, many of which Honda has wisely cancelled, the company has posted a net loss for the first time in almost 70 years. This is a testament to just how well-run Honda has been for decades. While Honda is a smaller company than many of its competitors, they still make very competitive, very engaging, and reliable cars. Something other, bigger manufacturers still can’t figure out.   All of this is the real-world impact of misplaced, big-investment electric car plans, something the market conditions simply do not support. Many electric vehicles were built to comply with unreasonable pending legislation, primarily driven by California. Anytime you're building a car (or...

Chevrolet and Nissan Top New Car Loan List

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The Chevrolet Trax is one of 5 Chevy models that top a recent Capital One Auto Navigator list of the most frequently purchased new cars by buyers borrowing money for the purchase. Here's a trend in new car buying – and it's a trend that will continue well into 2026. According to the latest Capital One Auto Navigator data, Chevrolet figures prominently in new car sales for people who are borrowing money for a new car. Capital One is one of the largest automotive lenders and is growing, according to Auto Finance News.   When Capital One customers borrow money to buy a new car, five of the top 10 vehicles are Chevrolet models. The indication is that people are looking for value above all else. Vehicles like the Chevy Trax and Equinox, Nissan Kicks and Sentra, and Kia K4 show that value figures prominently in today's new-car-buying landscape. Familiar Names Nissan has several models that start under $30,000. The Kicks is a small crossover SUV with decent features and extra sty...