Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Wheel.
Ode to the Road. Top Story - April 2018.
In 2017 I took a road trip around the American west with my girlfriend. The car that took us on the month-long journey was a red Mazda 3 that we affectionately named “Peppa.” Last month, Peppa’s lease ran out and we had to say goodbye. I wanted to take a moment and recognize Peppa’s contribution to our eventful travels by recapping five of the more memorable drives of 2017.
By Jordan Long8 years ago in Wheel
Car Salesman Secrets to Know Before You Buy Your Next Car
It's a pretty well-known fact that car dealerships are where some of the most high-pressure sales tactics happen. People generally expect a car dealership to be an arena of rip-offs, with many assuming that every little aspect of dealerships are designed to fleece people a little more.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart8 years ago in Wheel
Don't Text and Drive
We have all heard the the slogan, "Don't Drink and Drive." The same idea should also apply to those who have the urge to send a text message while driving on the open road as well. Operating a cellular phone whilst driving has only been banned in a few states across America. In 2015, states like California New Jersey and Hawaii has all seen this ban come into effect. This ban has also been in effect across various cities in North America as well. This ban came into effect due to a significant increase in the number of motor vehicle fatalities that were directly caused due to texting while driving. Studies have shown that being distracted while texting and driving is actually more dangerous than getting behind the wheel after you have been drinking. That being said, there should be a ban on texting while driving in all states across America and every city in North America as well. Next time you get behind the wheel, do yourself and others on the road a favor. Leaving your phone in the back seat in case you need to pull over to make a call in case of an emergency. If you do have the urge to send someone an email or text while you're out and about cruising, leave your cellphone at home. Taking this into consideration, will save you and others a lot of grief and misery. Above all else, refraining from using your cellphone while you're behind the wheel can save lives. Including your own. Please don't text and drive.
By Janelle Ouellet8 years ago in Wheel
10 Useful Cleaning Hacks for Your Car
So many of us find it to be such a hassle to clean our cars. Since they get so dirty often, having to clean it every now and then is seriously draining. Not to mention that we have to spend money on carwashes whenever our car gets the slightest bit dirty... which is about once every two weeks. But it's not just only the exterior, the interior of the car gets really... really dirty. There are even spots in our car where we forget to clean. If you're like me, there's trash all over the place. In the cupholders, the floor, in-between the seats, everywhere. While most of the time it's me making the mess, but my friends are pretty messy, too. Curse them...
By George Nekilan8 years ago in Wheel
Good Reasons to Buy a Tesla
Tesla is one of the newest car brands in the American market, and it's already started to change the way cars are sold in the US. As the brainchild of Elon Musk, Tesla proved that an electric-only fleet of cars can be a great way to build business and help save the world.
By Skunk Uzeki8 years ago in Wheel
Settle It Down
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines road rage as "The operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property." This doesn't just pertain to other drivers on the road. It is any driver or pedestrian that the aggression is targeted at. Rage is defined as 1: violent, uncontrollable anger, 2: feel or express violent behavior. To do this while operating a motor vehicle of any sort is considered road rage. Some examples of road rage are, but not limited to, cutting off other drivers, verbal insults, physical threats, dangerous driving, no turn signal, excessive honking, and insulting gestures.
By Rachel Anderson8 years ago in Wheel
The Harm of Gender Roles in Car Culture. Top Story - March 2018.
“The masculine dominance of car culture is sustained even though an increasing number of women drive and work as car journalists” (Wollen and Kerr, 363). In her article “Men, Motors, Markets, and Women,” Grace Lees-Maffei uses the previous statement to describe the ways in which women are more and more so getting involved in car culture, yet the culture itself is leaving them at the fringes. As of 2012, males represented less than 50 percent of drivers on the road, leaving the majority of driver’s license-carrying individuals to be women (DeGroat). Yet, due to gender roles, and the overt masculinization of car culture, girls and women are being pushed away from getting involved in and learning about the cars they are driving.
By Emily Fritz8 years ago in Wheel
The Miles on My Car
I bought my first car when I was 20-years-old. It was a 2011 Mazda3i Sport with a pearl black finish. I purchased it for $12,000: my largest purchase yet. What I didn't know at the time was that it was going to be the vessel that would be with me as I reached many major milestones in my life.
By Liz Galante8 years ago in Wheel
Urban Space
According to Bill Watterson, the legendary American cartoonist, “If you can’t win by reason, go for volume.” This piece of language stands to be true in relation to the body of work analyzed in this essay for many reasons. As this writing progresses, we will explore the many validations of evidence that support why volume and reason win the favor of the author’s writing. Clive Thompson says, “Self-driving cars will be a positive impact on the world, as parking lots will reduce.” Ultimately he has made a great argument with many reliable sources to back his thesis.
By V O I C E | Omniverse8 years ago in Wheel
Tips for Buying a Car with Bad Credit
True story: back before I had a credit score of 750, I was a person who had serious financial struggles. My ex caused me to lose my job. I just had my only child and was too sick to work. I had to default on loans in order to make sure that I had enough cash to feed us. At my lowest credit score, I had around a 525. That's really, really bad.
By Skunk Uzeki8 years ago in Wheel
Revving Up For Formula 1 2018: 6 Key Questions Ahead of the Season
As F1 enters it's second season under the new regulations and leadership, there can really only be one goal: improvement. Now, don't get me wrong, 2017 was a nice introduction to a new era. It's just that, well, for the changes to really justify themselves, everything should be just that tiny bit better in 2018. Cars were fast in 2017 now they should be even quicker (which they are). Things, got a whole lot more interactive and social media savy in 2017, now it should get even better in that department, etc.
By Art-Peeter Roosve8 years ago in Wheel
