Surf City Garage Code Red Active Wheel Cleaner Review

Cleaning alloy wheels is one of my least favorite car care chores. If you don’t stay on top of it, brake dust will ruin a nice set of alloys. The dust clings to the wheels and – if not removed periodically – will turn that gorgeous surface into a nasty mess. I’ve tried lots of wheel cleaning products over the years, but I’ve never found my go to bottle. I’m always on the lookout for new products to make car care easier, faster and more effective.

Earlier this year, I tested the Surf City Garage Clayzilla paint cleaning system. When the folks at Surf City saw the review, they asked if I would like to test more of their products and I happily agreed. You might think I live a glamorous life, with a different shiny new car in the driveway every week, but the fact of the matter is that I spend a considerable amount of time keeping those cars clean. If I had opened a detailing business at the same time I tripped into the car review game, I’d be in better financial shape.

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2015 Corvette Stingray – Highway MPG Testing

“Wow, I’ll bet that gets great fuel economy on the highway!” is the last thing that most (normal) people think when seeing a Stingray cruise down the street. And yet, it’s true. The Corvette’s long been known (by those who know) to deliver solid MPGs when conservatively driven out on the open road. At long last, I had the opportunity to test it.

The positively scrumptious 6.2 liter V8 in the 2015 C7 Corvette pumps out 455 horsepower and 460 foot pounds of torque. It features cylinder deactivation and an Eco-mode (for fuel economy, of course) and can be fitted with a seven-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. I was double-lucky to test a manual-equipped car. I found the clutch pressure to be reasonable, the shift mechanism quite good. Dealing with an overload (seven!) of speeds in the gate is eased by gear indicators on the digital dashboard and heads-up display (HUD).

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2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Delivers the MPGs

There are a lot of folks that think a four-cylinder engine is just about the worst thing you could drop between the fenders of a pony car. I’m not one of them (anymore). While I was skeptical initially, after spending a week in the saddle of an EcoBoost Mustang, I’ve come around to the idea. A traditional muscle car must always have a V8 under the hood. But a pony car can be wicked fun (and fast), without traditional muscle.

I put a Guard Green EcoBoost Mustang Premium to a week-long test. It was fitted with the six-speed automatic, and 201A – Equipment Group (which includes the Shaker Audio System, Memory Driver’s Seat, Blind Spot Mirrors and cross-traffic alert) along with with adaptive cruise control. This is the most refined Mustang I’ve ever driven, edging out the 2015 Mustang GT I tested last month.

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2014 BMW 328d Sport Wagon xDrive AWD Diesel Review

MPG-o-Matic 2014 BMW 328d Sport Wagon xDrive Review Summary: The BMW 328d xDrive isn’t just the most fuel efficient all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicle sold in America today, it’s a marvelously fun to drive alternative to the gas-sucking SUV. We found the 328d’s official fuel economy ratings (31/43/35) to be conservative and easily achieved highway figures in the 50 mile per gallon (MPG) range.

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2013 Honda Civic Hybrid Review

MPG-o-Matic 2013 Honda Civic Hybrid Review Summary: The Honda Civic Hybrid received a cosmetic refresh for the 2013 model year. While the updated interior and exterior design touches set the latest Civic Hybrid apart from the austere models of previous years, the competition’s never been tougher. Although Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) System is efficient, it is not capable of pure electric engine-off gliding, as are the systems from Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota. Nevertheless, the Civic Hybrid remains a reliable choice that’s fully capable of combined fuel economy in the mid-to-high 40 mile per gallon (MPG) range when driven properly.

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