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Washington, D.C., Bureau Chief

Fred Meier

D.C. Bureau Chief Fred Meier, who lives every day with Washington gridlock, has an un-American love of small wagons and hatchbacks.

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Along with the entries for the vehicle’s base price and extra-cost options, a destination charge is simply part of the bottom-line suggested retail price for the car.
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To help you decide if leasing works for you, we’ve listed some of the major advantages and disadvantages of leasing versus buying.
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Dealer-installed options are added by the dealer before the vehicle is offered for sale, and they usually include equipment or services.
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The most recent quarterly report on auto finance shows that higher interest rates meant to help tame inflation also have raised the cost to finance a car.
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In a lease, you are not paying to buy the car at the full purchase price. Instead, you pay for the depreciation of the car during the time of the lease.
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Some automakers furnish complimentary maintenance programs that last anywhere from one to five years from when the car was new, but there are limitations.
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When properly equipped, these model-year 2024 SUVs offer excellent all-around capability with maximum tow ratings ranging from north of 8,000 pounds to 10,000 pounds.
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Here are vehicle brands offering retail buyers some level of complimentary scheduled maintenance for the 2024 model year.
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E-roadways are an industrial-strength relative of the kind of inductive Qi charging technology that lets you wirelessly charge your devices, but how do such inductive-charging roads work for EVs?
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All-wheel drive is great to have, but buying and driving a vehicle with it can entail significant cost premiums.