Cars

Buying it, keeping it running, and the jobs worth doing on your own driveway.

The BRO Gear GuideBuy once, fix it, pass it down: a cost-per-use calculator, a warranty decoder and a repairability checklist.Judge it before you buy

StoryDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

The tire gauge nobody has managed to improve on

A small metal tube with a needle has outlasted every gadget built to replace it. Here's why it earned a spot in the Hall, and how to buy one that stays accurate.

Nobody at the parts counter can guess which engine you have

From the Cars archive

Older stories

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

What to check before you hand a stranger cash for a car

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

Your first project car should be boring, cheap and popular

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

Twenty minutes with the engine off tells you most of it

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

The car servicing that can't wait, and the kind that can

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

What should actually be in your boot from November to March

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20265 min

The used cars still worth buying and how to spot one

Cars on video

Worth an hour of your evening

From channels we rate. Plays on YouTube or TikTok.

Doug DeMuroOct 10

The New 3 Series Is Here!

Doug DeMuroOct 9

The New Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series Is HOT

Doug DeMuroOct 9

Doug Reacts to the Jaguar Type 01! Saleen Returning? New Porsche Supercar?! THIS CAR POD! EP132

Scotty KilmerOct 8

How to Replace Brake Pads and Rotors in Your Car (COMPLETE Guide)

1A Auto: Repair Tips & Secrets Only Mechanics KnowMay 21

Most Common Brake Installation Mistakes!

Car and DriverMay 1

How to Replace Your Car's Brake Pads

The F-SeriesSep 6

1987-1993 OBS F-Series: Front Brake Pad Replacement

Scotty KilmerDec 30

How to Check Used Car Before Buying - DIY Inspection

DEBOSS GARAGEJun 28

12 Things To Check Before Buying A Used Car

ChrisFixMay 7

How to Test Drive and Buy a Used Car

Budget MechanicMay 8

How to Inspect a Used Car For Red Flags and Not Get Scammed

Chevy DudeNov 24

INSPECT Like a PRO! The BEST Way to Check a Used Car

Royalty Auto ServiceDec 25

Everyone Should ALWAYS Do This Before Buying A Used Vehicle!

The Car Care NutDec 7

Don't Make These Mistakes When Buying a Used Car!

CarEdgeSep 21

DO NOT Do This When You Test Drive a Car | Former Dealer Explains

Car WizardAug 7

4 things you MUST check before you buy any used car! CAR WIZARD shows how not to be scammed!

TikTok@powertool1990

What to look for when buying a used car part 2 #mechanic #automotive #cars #carbuyingguide #carbuyingtips #mechanics #mechanicsoftiktok #techtips #tips #toyota #honda #reliablecar #foryoupage #fyp #usedcar #inspection

TikTok@xiucheshimei

Detailed inspection of a used car#tips #car #drivinglessons #fpy #foryou #diy #knowledge #cardrivinglessons

TikTok@roadskillshub

Five secrets to buying a used car – learn them to avoid buying a scrapped vehicle! #cartips #drivingskills #expertising0 #viralvideo #carknowledge

TikTok@billythecarkid

Always ask the dealership for the full vehicle inspection report—this shows what the mechanic actually found, not just what was repaired. Carfax is useful, but it only shows documented repairs, not the real condition of the vehicle during inspection. #negotiation #carbuyingsecrets #buyingacar #carbu

Cars quizzes

Quiz yourself, then your friends

All quizzes

GuideDean ShawOct 7, 20265 min

How to jump a dead car, in the order it really happens

Red to dead, black to metal, and the one cable you'll swear you put in the trunk last winter. A correct jump start with the honest parts left in.

GuideDean ShawOct 6, 20266 min

Changing your own oil in the driveway, the way it really goes

The video says twenty minutes. Plan on ninety, a shower and one trip back to the parts store. You'll still come out ahead.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

ReviewWes DunbarOct 6, 20267 min

The new truck tugged the wheel and Grandpa checked the tie rods

Fifty years of backing up by turning around, one backup camera, and a lane assist system Grandpa calls "the passenger." He's half right.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

PartnerGermProof.com

StoryDean ShawOct 4, 20266 min

Detroit's best idea was a big engine in a cheap car

The muscle car began as a loophole, a price tag and a few engineers who knew exactly who was buying. That's still the formula worth chasing.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideDean ShawOct 3, 20267 min

The spark plug job is easy until the last quarter turn

Gapping, torque and the hand-start habit that keep a simple plug change from ending with a stripped aluminum head and a tow truck.

GuideDean ShawSep 26, 20266 min

A supercar is bought. A coachbuilt car is argued into existence

The one-off cars from Rolls-Royce and Ferrari cost millions. The rules for commissioning one scale all the way down to your local shop.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

The best collector-car deals aren't under the auction lights

Televised auctions set the market. Estate garages, regional sales and patient private-seller hunting are where you actually beat it.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

What to Buy When You Need Three Rows and a Trailer Hitch

A straight read on the new trucks and SUVs that actually work for a full house, a full driveway and a job that starts at six.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

The Classic Cars Still Cheap Enough to Buy This Year

Seven cars the market still files under used instead of collectible, plus the one rule that decides whether you win or bleed.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Start With a Weekend Project, Not a Barn Find

Most project cars die in the disassembly phase. Pick the job that fits the two days you actually have, and the car stays a car.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Sell Your Car Yourself and Keep the Dealer's Margin

The private sale is worth thousands more than a trade-in, and most of that money is earned in the two hours before you list.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Find the Rust Before It Finds Your Brake Lines

A flashlight, a magnet and twenty minutes under the car will tell you whether you're looking at a project or a trap.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Pick the truck by the door jamb sticker, not the tow rating

A half-ton that says it tows 11,000 pounds will still be illegally overloaded by a 7,800-pound travel trailer. The math is in the door.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

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GuideRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20265 min

The lease is cheaper every month and that's not the point

Work a $38,000 SUV through both deals, month by month, and the winner isn't obvious until year four.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

6 min

What a Classic Car Actually Costs You Every Year

6 min

Getting your motorcycle license and choosing a first bike

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Pull Your Own Check Engine Code in Ten Minutes

A twenty-dollar scanner and a parking space is all it takes to find out whether that light means a loose gas cap or a tow truck.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

6 min read

Replacing a Car Battery Without Waking Every Warning Light

The swap takes twenty minutes. The part nobody tells you about is what your car forgets the second the power goes away.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

Older articles

Older Cars stories

Cars

The tire gauge nobody has managed to improve on

Seven car upsells to turn down before you sign

A trunk kit is four jobs, not a hundred pieces

Spend your money on the stands, not the jack

The transmission quote that almost bought me a new truck

Nobody at the parts counter can guess which engine you have

From the Cars archive

What to check before you hand a stranger cash for a car

Your first project car should be boring, cheap and popular

Twenty minutes with the engine off tells you most of it

The car servicing that can't wait, and the kind that can

What should actually be in your boot from November to March

The used cars still worth buying and how to spot one

Worth an hour of your evening

Quiz yourself, then your friends

How to jump a dead car, in the order it really happens

Changing your own oil in the driveway, the way it really goes

The new truck tugged the wheel and Grandpa checked the tie rods

Detroit's best idea was a big engine in a cheap car

The spark plug job is easy until the last quarter turn

A supercar is bought. A coachbuilt car is argued into existence

The best collector-car deals aren't under the auction lights

What to Buy When You Need Three Rows and a Trailer Hitch

The Classic Cars Still Cheap Enough to Buy This Year

Start With a Weekend Project, Not a Barn Find

Sell Your Car Yourself and Keep the Dealer's Margin

Find the Rust Before It Finds Your Brake Lines

Pick the truck by the door jamb sticker, not the tow rating

The lease is cheaper every month and that's not the point

What a Classic Car Actually Costs You Every Year

Getting your motorcycle license and choosing a first bike

Pull Your Own Check Engine Code in Ten Minutes

Replacing a Car Battery Without Waking Every Warning Light