Automatic Transmission

Question: My husband uses our automatic transmission as though it is a manual shift. He changes gears many times, downshifting around corners and on freeway ramps. I feel an automatic transmission should not be constantly shifted and that his driving may lead to problems. We have a Dodge Ram 250 van. Can you give us any advice? --C.B.

General Motors Co. is recalling 426,000 Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn mid-size sedans to fix a transmission problem that could cause a car to roll away after the driver has left the vehicle. The recall affects model year 2007-10 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-10 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission and sold in the U.S. GM will be contacting the owners to tell them how to get their cars fixed. The problem results from tabs on the transmission shift cable end that may fracture and separate in the cars.

Consider the automatic transmission. Since Oldsmobile first mass-marketed it in 1939, its hydraulics, bands and torque converters have been propelling motorists down the road with no more action by the driver than moving the shifter from P to D. Left feet remain at rest and right hands and arms are free to serve other needs, be it radio or coffee or close personal friend in the passenger seat. What was once revolutionary has become routine for most American motorists.

Question: My wife's 1984 Buick developed a bothersome problem at 43,000 miles. Its automatic transmission slips. Under a heavy load, it seems to be free-wheeling or unable to downshift. For example, when she attempts to drive up our steep entrance drive, the car is left in a state of suspension. It finally catches hold and she moves up. It happens at stoplights as well. The Buick dealer speaks glibly about the need for a new transmission.

The car: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG The power: 518 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque coming from a 5.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V-8 routing power to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The photos: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG The speed: 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and a 155 mph top speed The bragging rights: Not the fastest SUV available (Porsche's Cayenne Turbo wins that distinction)

It happens once or twice a year, it seems. A youngster shifts the idling, unattended family car into gear and drives away. Very often, it's a vehicle with an automatic transmission. And in the wake of an accident Saturday that injured five North Hollywood children, some are warning that extra caution is warranted around cars with automatic transmissions.

The automatic transmission of BMW's new 740i is heard more than felt, reaching the ears as a soundtrack rather than shaking the senses by its mechanical gnashing. Apply the gas and first gear--a little lower than most--transfers power to rear wheels and the road without a hint of a lurch or a slap. Shifting into second--closer to first gear in other cars--is another seamless change.

For all the advantages of diesel cars - fuel economy, robust torque, bomb-proof durability - many U.S. buyers just aren't that into them. Volkswagen knows as much. So despite offering a wide range of fuel-efficient diesels, the company is now moving into hybrid territory. It took its first hybrid step with the Touareg SUV, which costs an eye-popping $63,000. Now VW is offering a Jetta Hybrid sedan. It's also not cheap: the loaded model we tested came to $31,975. Photos: Volkswagen Jetta Turbo Hybrid VW actually prefers you call it the Jetta Turbo Hybrid.

Just two weeks after Shelby American introduced a supercharged Ford Raptor at the 2013 New York Auto Show, Ford itself announced a special edition package for its meanest truck on the lot. The F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition makes no mechanical changes to the base Raptor that Highway 1 tested in 2011 , but instead focuses on the pretty stuff. A ruby red metallic paint joins the color palette, accented by unique graphics on the truck's bed. Inside, the Special Edition gets uniquely trimmed seats and other accents.

Imagine Batman and the Joker are interested in fractional ownership of the same pickup truck. The caped crusader would want it all-black, eminently capable of off-roading, with a penchant for getting airborne. His nemesis might favor it in a crazy shade of orange, with a maniacal engine under the hood and an anarchists' disregard for fuel economy. The truck would be order and chaos fused together. Yin and yang. It would be the 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. Based on the F-150, a truck that's been the most popular vehicle in the U.S. for decades, the Raptor package adds a whole mess of menace and off-road accoutrement.