For this week's TTAC podcast, we chatted about the cars that U.S. News & World Report dubbed the best cars for teens for 2024. Now it's your turn. If you have a teen, or have a youngster approaching teen years, what would you buy them -- or advise them to buy? If you have grown kids, what did you have them drive? And of course, if you feel like it, you can chat about what you drove as a teen. Sound off below. [Image: Hyundai] Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by  subscri ..read more

Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru conducted a press event designed to explain why they’re walking away from full-blown electrification. While this is something numerous automakers have done in recent months, the “Multipathway Workshop” faced a predictable amount of criticism from EV acolytes. The event was hosted by a trio of Japanese CEOs and their top engineers to explain to the world how they planned on tackling emissions regulations without being overwhelmingly reliant on battery electric automobiles. According to Automotive News, the conference lasted roughly three hours and included numerous p ..read more

With graduation season in mind, these are the best cars for teens. At least according to U.S. News & World Report, anyway. John Vincent, the Senior Editor and Correspondent/Vehicle Testing at U.S. News, stops by to chat about their findings. Matthew Guy and I also discuss NASCAR's rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 and a wet 'n' wild weekend in racing -- while we primarily focus the conversation on NASCAR, you'd best believe some IndyCar and F1 talk snuck in to the proceedings. Plus, we chat about the best oil drains pans that we use. Well, the best that Matthew uses, anyway. It's been a minute ..read more

Today we bring you a car that remains one of my favorite casualties of the great bailouts/bankruptcies of the late Aughts -- a 2009 Pontiac G8. This one has a V6 and 190,000 miles on the odo. It needs transmission work, plus some minor interior work. The body has some dents and dings. Besides that, our seller says the engine runs well, the A/C blows cold, and the heat, is, well, hot. It could use a paint job as well, it seems. This car is in Kentucky and the asking price is $3,500. Click here to see more. [Images: Seller] Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, fea ..read more

Whilst the little Fiat 500 is presently only available with an all-electric powertrain, reports have surfaced that the Italian marque will soon offer the scamp with a gasoline-powered engine as well – potentially as early as the 2026 calendar year. To be clear, this was always in the hopper, if unofficially. Even though the present model was introduced as an electric-only city car, the specter of an IC powertrain was never off the table – nor should it have been. The pint-sized rascal has always been the right shape and dimension to accept an entertaining gasser mill, preferably one with a ro ..read more

The future of Tesla’s Supercharger team is anyone’s guess at this point, but that hasn’t slowed GM’s march toward adopting the automaker’s North American Charging Standard (NACS). GM will soon join Ford and Rivian as early adopters of the technology, with an official telling InsideEVs that it plans to “stick to the timeline that we previously announced.” GM’s original plan was to start the rollout in spring 2024, the end of which is coming up very soon. Despite the time crunch, the move will open charging to a range of electric models, from the Hummer EV to the Blazer EV, making them more ac ..read more

A couple of years ago, reports of child labor began dogging Hyundai, and it appears the government is finally ready to do something about it. The Department of Labor sued the automaker this week, naming three defendants: Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC, SMART Alabama LLC, and Best Practice Service LLC. The suit is due to reports of the automaker and its contractors employing a 13-year-old child, though earlier reports claimed that children as young as 12 were working in its facilities. Shockingly, the teenager put in adult-sized workweeks, clocking 50 to 60 hours on the assembly line ..read more

We mentioned today that a lot of car buyers are buying vehicles in boring colors. I already asked you guys if you like to be more colorful when it comes to car buying. Now I am asking you -- why isn't more of the car-buying public picking cars in brighter colors? This is a pretty simple, straightforward one that doesn't need a lot more setup. Sound off below. [Image: Dodge/Stellantis] Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by  subscribing to our newslet ..read more

With automakers having lost the plot in terms of new-vehicle pricing and dealers still tacking on markups, there are loads of people in need of cheap, reliable transportation. While you may not believe it, there are still models to be had for under $20,000 (USD). But your choices are effectively limited to the soon-to-be-discontinued Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Mirage, begging the question of which one should you buy before they’re gone. Presumed to be taken off the market within a year or so, the death of these vehicles will completely eliminate the existence of subcompact cars on our marke ..read more

Two drive notes for the price of one this week. Next up: A 2024 Fiat 500e Inspired by Beauty This EV has a 42 kWh capacity battery and just 117 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. I believe it's the first time I've driven a 500e -- and not only that, but I was faced with a road trip of about 150 miles. The range, according to the spec sheet, is "up to 149 miles." Tugs collar. I made it -- more on that below. What else did I think of this 500? Pros Though the horsepower and torque numbers are low, this is a small, lightweight car with the instant torque that accompanies most EVs. Therefore ..read more