AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 2, 2022 --

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Giulia Quadrifoglio make the Car and Driver Editors' Choice list for the fifth consecutive year

Chrysler Pacifica continues its run as Editors' Choice for Minivans

Jeep® Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L take Editors' Choice honors for Mid-Size SUV

Ram 1500, 1500 TRX and 2500/3500 continue their presence on Editors' Choice list

A total of eight vehicles from the Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Ram and Jeep® brands are among those selected by the editors of Car and Driver for the 2022 edition of the publication's annual Editors' Choice honors.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 1, 2022) — As vehicles become increasingly automated, automakers realize some technology may give drivers the false sense that the vehicle can drive itself. To counter this, driver monitoring systems with either a camera or steering wheel detection are used to prevent the deadly consequences of a distracted driver. However, new real-world testing by AAA found systems using a driver-facing camera are best at keeping motorists focused on the road. Unfortunately, the technology is not foolproof and a driver determined to cheat the system can defeat it.

“The key to a safe active driving assistance system is effective driver monitoring that can’t be easily tricked,” said Greg Brannon, director of AAA’s automotive engineering and industry relations. “Vehicle technology has the potential to improve roadway safety, but the last thing we want are ineffective features in the hands of uninformed or overconfident drivers.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 24, 2022) — Despite typical low seasonal demand for gasoline, pump prices are clawing their way higher. The national average for a gallon of gas is $3.33, two cents more than a week ago. The culprit is the rising price for oil, which is now bobbing around $85 per barrel, nearly $20 more than in November. Last week, both OPEC and U.S. energy officials said the COVID-19 omicron variant is no longer expected to slow the continued recovery of petroleum demand in 2022. Despite this, OPEC and its allies are maintaining their planned modest production increases and will not dramatically ramp up output. The result will be a continued tight supply of oil.

“Since dipping to $3.28 in the first week of January, the national average for a gallon of gas has slowly started to rise again,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “And as long as the price for oil remains elevated, consumers will be feeling it at the pump.”

Most car owners know that they should get their oil changed regularly. But what many people don’t know is that they should also change their car’s oil filter regularly.

Not changing your car’s oil filter can lead to several problems, including clogged filters and decreased performance.

So if you haven’t had your car’s oil filter changed recently, now is the time to do it. At Virginia Auto Service, Scottsdale & Phoenix, Arizona, we can help you with all your car repair needs.

Signs of Clogged or Leaking Oil Filter that you should urgently address:

Overheating Engine

When a car’s engine air filter becomes blocked, you’ll notice that performance and fuel economy suffer when driving on open roads as well at gas stations.

If you don’t have enough flow-of-engine fluids, your car will gradually wear down and become less efficient. As a result, it decreases your vehicle from performing essential functions like starting up in cold weather and will lead to costly repairs.

With new major spending packages investing billions of dollars in electric vehicles in the U.S., some analysts have raised concerns over how green the electric vehicle industry actually is, focusing particularly on indirect emissions caused within the supply chains of the vehicle components and the fuels used to power electricity that charges the vehicles.

But a recent study from the Yale School of the Environment published in Nature Communications found that the total indirect emissions from electric vehicles pale in comparison to the indirect emissions from fossil fuel-powered vehicles. This is in addition to the direct emissions from combusting fossil fuels -- either at the tailpipe for conventional vehicles or at the power plant smokestack for electricity generation -- showing electric vehicles have a clear advantage emissions-wise over conventional vehicles.

"The surprising element was how much lower the emissions of electric vehicles were," says postdoctoral associate Stephanie Weber. "The supply chain for combustion vehicles is just so dirty that electric vehicles can't surpass them, even when you factor in indirect emissions."