2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport on 2040-cars

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2014 Pikes Peak Hill Climb Practice Day 1

This year the big news about the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is about who isn't showing up. Sebastien Loeb, fresh off his record setting run last year, hasn't bothered coming back (and probably won't unless someone breaks his record). The Millen family is also noticeably absent. Rhys and Rod have been driving here for the past couple of decades but it looks like Rhys is focusing his efforts on Global RallyCross.
Last year Pikes Peak added a fourth practice day on Tuesday to allow drivers to get more time on the mountain. It's an optional practice day, but most drivers show up.
Today, both Time Attack divisions (1 and 2) as well as Unlimited division drove the lower third of the mountain. Pikes Peak Open, Open Wheel, Electric Production, Electric Modified, Exhibition and Vintage all practiced on the middle section, and bikes power sports did the top section.

Mitsubishi delays Outlander PHEV yet again for the US

Mitsubishi was so close this time. The company showed the US-spec version of the plug-in Outlander crossover at this year's New York auto show, with plans for it to go on sale in the summer or fall of 2016. But once again, the beleaguered green family hauler has been delayed. HybridCars learned from Mitusbishi public relations managers for both the US and Canada that the Outlander PHEV won't go on sale until next summer. No specific reasons for the delay were given outside of a need "to meet a level of competitiveness that will exceed customer expectations." While we hope for Mitsubishi's sake the company releases the best product it can make, we don't think the expectations of our market will be that high, since there are no plug-in hybrid SUVs in the Outlander's class and price range. Unfortunately delays have been a recurring problem for this model. We first thought it would arrive in 2014 after launching in Japan. But ever since the original announcement, problems including battery production issues and regulatory demands have prevented the Outlander PHEV's US introduction. In the meantime, Japan and Europe have had the crossover for a few years. The car has since been refreshed, and we were promised that updated model but no dice yet. HybridCars also points out that the Outlander PHEV has been the best-selling plug-in hybrid in Europe. We imagine it could be a major success here since it combines plug-in tech with the ever-popular crossover body style, but we won't know until next year. At least as long as it doesn't get delayed again. Related Video: News Source: HybridCARSImage Credit: Drew Phillips Green Mitsubishi Crossover Hybrid PHEV

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.