Tesla Repays Government Loan

Electric carmaker Tesla Motors has repaid in full a U.S. Department of Energy loan, according to the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company.

Tesla said the $451.8 million wired today represented the balance, plus interest, of a $465 million loan awarded in 2010 under the DOE's Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program. The program, which launched under President George W. Bush in 2007, has also benefited plug-in-vehicle development at Fisker Automotive, Ford Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. Tesla is the first company to repay its loan, with nine years to spare.

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Volvo S60

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? Cars.com reviewer David Thomas thinks that’s the case with the 2013 Volvo S60 T6 R-Design. This top-of-the-line trim adds a more powerful turbocharged six-cylinder engine to the midsize sedan, but its base engine — a turbocharged five-cylinder — has more than enough power, Thomas says.

2013 Volvo S60 Review

VW to Retrofit Late-Model Diesel Vehicles to Prevent Misfueling

Pumping gasoline into the tank of a diesel vehicle can be a costly mistake. To prevent that from happening, Volkswagen of America has issued a service action and will refit 209,500 diesel vehicles in the U.S., according to Automotive News. Affected models are TDI versions of the 2009-12 Jetta, the 2010-12 Golf and the 2009-12 Jetta SportWagen.

"As diesel engine passenger vehicles become more popular, auto manufacturers have seen an increase in the number of misfueling cases where diesel engine vehicles are mistakenly fueled with gasoline," VW said in the notice to dealers. "The resulting fuel system contamination can lead to costly repairs that are not covered under warranty."

Minnesota, Midwest Gas Prices Spike Before Memorial Day

Generally, gas prices spike leading into Memorial Day weekend, which signifies the start of summer road-trip season. This year, refinery issues in the Midwest are putting a bigger hurt on Minnesota and surrounding states than the rest of the country.

The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.65. On average, Minnesota drivers are paying $4.27 for a gallon, which is nearly 17% more than the national average, according to AAA. A year ago, Minnesota's average gas price was nearly 3% less than the national average. In the past month alone, Minnesota's average gas price has increased more than 24%.

They're not alone. Here's a chart of the biggest price spikes over the past week and month.

What's Included in a Tuneup?

Actually, there is no such thing as a tuneup in the traditional sense of replacing parts to bring the ignition and fuel systems up to specs for maximum performance and efficiency, and there hasn't been for years.

About the only things left from the traditional tuneup are new spark plugs, which is typically done every 100,000 miles, and replacing the air filter periodically. The federal EPA and Department of Energy say that replacing a clogged air filter will not improve gas mileage but can improve acceleration 6% to 11%. The agencies do not say what benefit can be derived from fresh spark plugs, but computers that control today's engines adjust the air-fuel mixture and spark timing to compensate for wear, such as when the electrodes on spark plugs are worn down.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Video

The changes are few, but their impact is great. Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek says the subtle precision of improvements to the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee have made a good SUV a great one. Perhaps the biggest strides were made in tech upgrades — Chrysler's responsive, easy-to-use 8.4-inch touch-screen multimedia system and a configurable instrument cluster are high points. Another is an eight-speed automatic transmission that makes the Grand Cherokee both quicker and more fuel efficient. Watch the video above.

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More Jeep Grand Cherokee News on Cars.com

U.S.-Built Nissan Leaf Gets Mileage, Sales Jolt

Nissan is getting a lot of mileage out of its decision to move production of the 2013 Leaf to the U.S. from Japan — not just in terms of fuel economy improvements but in sales figures as well. The EPA has given the electric vehicle's 2013 version a 16-mpg bump in its mileage ratings thanks to enhancements made following the move stateside. Meanwhile, a price reduction helped propel the Leaf to its best sales month ever in March, bringing total U.S. sales to 25,000 since the car debuted.

The EPA now rates the Leaf at 129/102/115 MPGe city/highway/combined compared with its previous rating of 106/92/99; that amounts to a combined-mileage increase of 16 mpg. According to Left Lane News, a more aerodynamic front fascia and a 129-pound weight savings thanks to a new charging unit made the mileage boost possible.

Inside the IIHS' Crash Tests: Video

You're probably familiar with how front, side and rear crash tests work, but what about the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's newest and toughest test — the frontal small-overlap evaluation? Small-overlap crashes account for nearly a quarter of frontal crashes that result in serious or fatal injury, the agency reports. The test is meant to mimic when a vehicle's driver-side front end crashes into a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph … but what does that look like and how does it affect the occupants inside? Check out the video above for a breakdown of the crash and a look inside the different types of dummies that IIHS studies. (embed video above)

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2014 BMW 5 Series: What's Changed

• Most significant changes: New diesel engine and standard navigation
• Price change: Most 5 Series are up $1,200 to $1,700 compared to 2013
• On sale: August 2013
• Which should you buy, 2013 or 2014? Those who want navigation can get it slightly cheaper on the 2014 528 and 535 sedans 

BMW expands its diesel engine offerings with the addition of a 5 Series diesel in a mildly refreshed 2014 model. Along with a more-efficient diesel engine, the refresh adds minor front and rear styling tweaks as well as new standard features such as navigation, larger center console storage compartments and cupholders.

The diesel-powered 535d sedan's turbocharged six-cylinder makes 255-horsepower and 413 pounds-feet of torque. BMW says the diesel will have "substantial fuel economy gains over its gasoline-fueled counterpart," though official EPA figures won't be available until closer to the car's August on-sale date. The 535d's available all-wheel drive puts it in a rare class of diesel, all-wheel-drive sedans along with the 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Bluetec — surprisingly, we're asked frequently about diesel, all-wheel-drive sedans at Ask.cars.com.

Why I Drive the 2013 Honda Civic Like a Hybrid

Our long-term Honda Civic has only been in our fleet for a few months, but I've already racked up several weeks' worth of drive time in it. Besides the fact that it is a very capable commute car with a nice stereo and comfortable seats, I've found myself driving this car differently than I expected. I drive it like a hybrid.

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When I test hybrids I generally don't employ hypermiling techniques to rack up impressive mileage figures, but I do drive the cars "smarter" while still keeping up with traffic. That means accelerating smoothly without hammering down the gas pedal, coasting when possible and when in heavy traffic leaving room between the car in front of me to reduce braking.

The other day I realized I was doing all this in the Civic too.