Author: Tabitha
Owners of full-size pickups, utility vehicles and tall trailers know how difficult it is to reach across or on top their vehicles when washing them. The Anngrowy Microfiber Car Wash Kit comes with an adjustable aluminum handle that can be locked at 18, 33, 46 or 62 inches. Also included is a removable chenille mop head that is claimed by the company to not scratch. Order yours in blue or green for $21, or add a separate wash mitt plus a 64-ounce bottle of Mr. Pink foaming car wash soap for a total of $43 at www.amazon.com.
On hot or cold days, your vehicle’s climate system is made to keep the driver and the front-seat passenger comfortable. That not might not be true for those seated behind you, however. The Noggle was designed to help by directing cool air in summer — and warm air in winter — to second- or third-row passengers. The colorful flexible hoses fasten to an air vent without tools. The Noggle is available in a six-foot length for forward-facing passengers second-row passengers, eight feet for rear-facing infants, and 10-foot versions for minivans and utility vehicles with three rows of seats. Prices start…
Toyota’s premium division is upping its game in the compact utility-vehicle class for 2022 with the second-generation NX. It uses the same basic structure as the Toyota RAV4, but is uniquely styled with Lexus’s wide-mouth grille as the focal point. The NX also offers a wide range of new powertrains, starting with a 203-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder in the NX 250. The NX 350 gets a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder that makes 275 horsepower. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard. On the hybrid side, the NX 350h is equipped with the 2.5-liter engine plus front and rear electric motors that combine to…
The five-passenger companion to the automaker’s eight-seat Pilot utility vehicle receives a makeover for 2022. In step with current trends, the Passport appears more aggressive, with character-altering mesh-style grille, prominent headlights and protective front and rear bumpers. The new-for-2022 TrailSport trim package further accentuates these revisions by way of a blacked-out grille insert plus wider tires and 18-inch wheels. There’s orange stitching on the seat covers with the TrailSport logo emblazoned across the headrests. There’s no change to the Passport’s ride height (8.1 inches) or to the 3.5-liter V-6 with 280 horsepower. All-wheel-drive is also standard. The Honda Passport TrailSport…
There are times when working on your vehicle — from cleaning it to changing the tires — that you need an adjustable-height stool that also doesn’t take up valuable garage space when not in use. The Portable Telescoping Stool from Steel Vision Tools is one option. The base can be locked in 11 different positions (up to 18 inches high) and the 11-inch diameter seat also serves as the stool’s storage case (a carrying strap attaches to it). The stool is made of polypropylene (plastic), weighs less than three pounds and is designed to support up to 300 pounds. Purchase…
The Jotto Desk from Diversified Products is designed to beef up your office on wheels in a number of different ways. The company’s car-desk series provides plenty of space for most laptop and tablet-style computers while the generously sized surface area also makes it ideal for writing/editing documents. The unit’s base installs without the need for drilling into the floor and the swivel top lets either the driver or the front passenger to use it. The Jotto Desk is designed to fit most vehicles (a list of compatible models is displayed on the company’s website). Purchase for $360 at www.jottodesk.net.
Following more than 15 years of development, Michelin is readying a special tire-and-wheel combination, called the Uptis, for passenger vehicles. The airless system is puncture-proof — which means no more flat tires and the related down time — and is claimed to require less energy to produce. In turn, this reduces landfill waste and the tread is claimed to last up to three times longer than that of traditional tires. They weigh less than traditional wheel-and-tire combos, too. General Motors will be the first North American automaker to offer the Uptis as an option once it receives the necessary government…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has given one of the California-based start-up’s electric sedan models an official estimated range of 520 miles. The Lucid Air Dream Edition, one of five Air-branded models, comes with a 113-kilowatt/hour battery system plus front and rear electric motors that make a net 933 horsepower. The car stickers for $169,000, but less expensive models start with the $77,400 Air Pure. Its 480-horsepower system achieves a still-respectable 406 miles of range on one charge. At the opposite end, the Air Dream Edition Performance makes 1,111 horsepower, has a 471-mile range and sells for the same $169,000…
This isn’t an automotive-related item, but who wouldn’t want an office chair as unique as this. It’s an actual ejection seat from a Boeing B52 Stratofortress bomber that was first flown by U.S. Air Force pilots in the mid 1950s and is expected to remain in service for another 25 years. MotoArt, the company responsible for creating these unique chairs, modifies them for civilian use by attaching an aluminum swivel base with industrial casters, and adding leather or vinyl seat cushions in your choice of colours. MotoArt says it takes about 100 hours to produce each made-to-order office chair, which…
You might be familiar with the one-quarter-scale Visible V-8 plastic model (based on General, Motors’ 1950s-era overhead-valve engine) that is made by Revell and sells for about $90 on amazon.com. There’s a less-expensive dual overhead cam V-8 kit ($30) that’s smaller than the Revell (6.7 by 8.0 by 7.1 inches), but its 500-plus parts are mostly made from cast aluminum alloy and stainless steel. Once together — the company says it takes about five hours — the 5.5-pound engine moves using a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack that attaches directly above the flywheel. All parts, installation tools and instructions are shipped…