Real Wheels

Warren Brown has covered the car industry for The Washington Post since 1982.

Brown test drives all types of cars, from luxury sedans to the newest minivans and hybrids. His On Wheels auto reviews are lively, detailed accounts of cars' good and bad qualities.

Brown's Car Culture column addresses the social, political and economic trends of the industry.

Brown comes online Fridays at 11 a.m. ET to answer your questions on every aspect of the automotive industry -- from buying your dream car to the future of the internal combustion engine.

The transcript follows below.

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washingtonpost.com: This discussion will begin momentarily.

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Springfield, Va.: I'm having trouble finding Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel in the D.C. area. Do you have or can you get the status of stations having ULSD fuel, preferably with Cetane rating of 45 or better?

We drive a 1999 Jetta diesel and have found that most stations in the FFX area either do not have or have not posted signs that their tanks have ULSD fuel available. We can use the LSD in our car but have had trouble with carbon build up, however anyone driving a 2007 Mercedes diesel will ruin their engine if they use the LSD rather than the ULSD.

I talked with a Shell station manager today and he stated that Shell will not have it in stations until summer. My understanding is that ULSD was to be in stations by 15 Oct 2006.

Warren Brown: Hello, Springfield. I've used several in Northern Virginia, including a BP station on Wilson Blvd. Try this: Google "ultra-low sulphur fuel,Washington metropolitan area." That is how I found the stations in Arlington.

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Vienna, Va.: Last year I rented a Chevy Malibu LT four-cylinder in Texas for a week and loved it. It was the first time I hated to return a rental. It handled well, was comfortable and looked great. I was thinking of buying one after I retire later this year, but I hear that the 2008 Malibu is going to be based on the same platform as the Saturn Aura. Is that true? If so, how will it change? I like it as it is; Chevy isn't going to mess it up, are they?

Warren Brown: For one thing, Vienna, it will look a whole lot better, both in terms of exterior and interior execution. The new Malibu looks and feels like a much more expensive car. I haven't driven it yet, but I suspect that ride and handling on the new Malibu will equal or surpass anything available in a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. Chevy has gotten competitive.

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Starkville, Miss.: The Miata I have my eyes on has the package that includes side sills. Are these a problem getting damaged hitting bumps and high pavement?

Warren Brown: Yes.

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Rockville, Md.: Hi, Warren. I know that a new expanded MINI hatchback is coming in a few weeks. Do you know when the improved MINI will be available as a convertible? Will the new version be worth waiting for?

Warren Brown: If it's the Sidewalk concept convertible that Mini has been showing off at all of the car shows, it will be worth the wait. What a stunningly beautiful little car!

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Winston Salem, N.C.: Thanks for taking my question, and love your work. I've read a lot lately that with the redesign of the Scion xB, there is no longer an "inner city vehicle" on the market. I say that there is still the Mini, Fit, Versa, etc., and the Smart ForTwo is on the way, and hopefully the Nissan Cube will be brought over soon. In any case, do you think that the U.S. market will embrace a micro-car segment, and will the automakers consistently put forth worthwhile micro-cars, as they do in many other markets?

Warren Brown: Hello, Winston Salem:

Hunh? The new Scion xB "no longer an inner-city vehicle"? Says who? It is very much an urban runner, right along with all of those you name. And in a few months, we'll have yet another, the American Smart ForTwo. And Americans will embrace it. People who believe that gasoline prices will remain below $3.00 a gallon clearly haven't been paying attention to growing global oil demand and other developments affecting fuel prices.

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Alexandria, Va.: I have a 2000 VW Jetta. A Part called "Number 3 Cyclinder Piston" is malfunctioning and car is not drivable. The mechanic I took my car for diagnosing told me that the whole engine needs to be replaced. Is it true? What could have caused that part to malfunction. The car has 78,000 miles.

Warren Brown: I don't know, Alexandria. But we have many auto technicians in the audience who do. So, I hereby invite their response.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi, Warren. Forgive me if you've answered this a million times already, but I'm newly back in the area and just started to follow you again.

I'm looking for a replacement to my 1999 Jetta GLS VR6 (135,000 miles and has been a lemon since day 1). Most important is a V6 engine with as small an overall length as possible. I've always enjoyed being able to squeeze into those small spots in the city and the weight of the Jetta with the V6 seemed to make the acceleration even better.

Open to both new and used. My max price is the mid-20s. What should I be looking at?

Thanks much!

Warren Brown: The new Nissan Altima, 3.5-liter V-6, relatively easy on the gas; and it's easy to maneuver in city traffic/parking. There are others, of course. But this is the one, along with the equally competent Saturn Aura, that's caught my attention.

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Bethesda, Md.: Hi Warren,

My husband and I feel in love with the Chrysler Aspen at the car show. We were thinking of getting the MDX, Pilot or XC90. What do you think of the Aspen? Have you driven it?

Warren Brown: I like the Aspen, priced from (rounded numbers) $31,000 to $34,000. Comes with a 4.7-liter V-8 engine, but still gets ana almost respectable 18 miles per gallon on the highway. I'd recommend the two-wheel-drive version for the Mid-Atlantic region where, despite recent experience, we normally don't get that much snow. This is the Chrysler 300 sedan as SUV.

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Raleigh, N.C.: Hi Warren,

What's your take on the Daimler/Chrysler situation? Do you think Chrysler would have any suitors as a spin off from Daimler and has the "partnership" helped or hurt Daimler?

Warren Brown: I just heard a news clip from the normally conservative Keith Crain, dean of automotive journalists and the esteemed publisher of Automotive News. In summary, he said that "anything is possible," including my often laughed at prediction that the Chrysler Group will be bought in whole or part by the Chinese, namely Chevy Automobile Co. of Wuhu, China, the company that will supply Chrysler's small cars in the future. I truly believe this.

At any rate, what's clear is that the German bankers who fund Daimler-Benz--oops, I mean, for the time being, DaimlerChrysler--never, ever liked Chrysler and are anxious for Daimler-Benz--oops, DaimlerChrysler--to go back to being Daimler-Benz without the "oops."

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Fairfax, Va.: Any tips on how to best tell when your local car shop is taking you to the cleaner's on various "routine" tune-ups/replacements?

Warren Brown: Hello, Fairfax:

The best car repair shops usually are the ones that communicate best with their customers. And they do that by, first, listening to the customers' complaints. They check the car and then call the customer to describe in understandable terms what has been found wrong with the vehicle, if anything. They then provide a repair cost estimate and ask the customer to authorize the repair.

The upsellers, the cheats, often start quoting repair prices before they've heard the customer's complaints. Or, they pretend to listen and then do a series of "repairs" without ever telling the customer what is being done, or why. This is called "trapping." Once the repair is done, it puts the unwary customer in the position of having to pay the price, outrageous though it may be, just to reclaim the repaired vehicle.

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Oxford, Ohio: Good morning Warren. I enjoyed your review of the new BMW 3-series. The problem is now I want one! Could you explain how they managed to eliminate the problem of "back slip" with a manual transmission? That's a big deal for those of us in the dwindling band of stick-shifters. Also, what do you think of their all-wheel drive system? Thanks!

Warren Brown: Both the 328i and 328xi, the all-wheel-drive version, are among the best compact sedans made by anyone. They are expressly driver's cars, engineered for maximum enjoyment behind the wheel. Generally, gearing employing electronic detentes helps to eliminate back slip. Absolutely amazing! No worries about moving from "stop" on hills with these babies. I like the 328i so much, I've bamboozled BMW into letting me drive the ENTIRE 3-Series line. I love this job!

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Freedonia, S.C.: Warren,

When you write a review you always mention if a car has ABS, but you never say if the brakes are front disc/back drum or all wheel disc.

Warren Brown: Point noted. Will work that into future columns. And I thank you for the nudge.

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Baltimore, Md.: Mr. Brown,

Is the Jeep Patriot worth buying? It seems to be an excellent deal for the MSRP.

Warren Brown: Priced (rounded) from #14,000 to $21,000, yes, it's a good value compact SUV. Interior materials aren't the greatest. But they are durable. And the 2.4-liter, 172-horsepower,. inline 4-cylinder engine isn't the King of Oomph. But it will get you where you're going, and it will do it at 23 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the hwy, which isn't bad for a sport-utility-vehicle. Available in two-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive.

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Rockville, Md.: The Department of Transportation issued rulings last year stating that 2010 vehicles will be held to specific mpg standards, with an upward sliding scale beginning with 2008 models. For example, the Jeep Wrangler, which currently gets 16/19, will be required to get 26.4 in 2008 and 27.6 in 2010. Do these standards still apply? If so, how will automakers be able to manufacture cars that get more than a 50 percent increase in mpg. And the big question: If they have the technology to this in a year or two, why haven't they applied that technology in this year's models?

Warren Brown: All of those are good questions, especially the one about how the EPA's new method of calculating mileage will affect future federal mileage standards. Lobbyists on both sides--those for and against tougher standards--already are gearing up for that one.

But I'm of the opinion that higher mileage standards are meaningless in the absence of any requirement for consumers to pay more of the real costs--energy, environmental and societal--of using their cars and trucks. Liberals and conservatives alike shy away from that one. It seems that no politician anywhere is interested in telling American consumers the truth, which is that their fuel prices are affected by global developments, and those developments mean an end to cheap gasoline in the United States and, thus, more sacrifice from everybody involved in the energy-use equation.

Correction: Our dear, much-maligned President Bush did say those things in a Delaware speech right after his latest State of the Union address. And the Bush Administration is looking at the possibility of initiating congestion pricing in the United States to help reduce the amount of gasoline we waste every day in needless traffic jams. It will be interesting to see if the mouthy, pro-environment Democrats sign on to that one.

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Franconia, Va.: Warren,

What's the name of the Mercury sedan that comes with all-wheel drive?

Warren Brown: The Milan, which is a cosmetically different version of the Fusion.

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RE: Brakes question: What difference does it make? Are there performance differences, longevity differences, etc.?

Warren Brown: Generally, all-wheel disc brakes perform better than front-discs and rear drums.

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New York, N.Y.: I'd like to buy the new Astin Martin Vanquish, but I can't swing it alone. Would you like to start a car club time share with other readers?

Warren Brown: Great idea, New York. But no, thank you. I'd like to win the lottery and pay for the expensive addition to our house, with construction beginning in late march or early April.

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Lebanon, Pa.: Warren,

Is GM going to do anything about the lack of power in the H3? Five cylinders just isn't enough to move it around on the highway.

Warren Brown: I suspect that GM will do something to increase the power of the Hummer H3, if only to please those of you who think that 242-horsepower isn't enough, which I think is just short of ridiculous. That 3.7-liter, 5-cylinder, 242- horsepower engine can get you a speeding citation just as effectively as anything else. Please don't ask me how I know.

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Falls Church, Va.: For the Jetta owner with the non-functioning piston: If the piston isn't working, the only way to get the engine working again (other than pouring a can of "engine rebuild in a can" down the oil filler) is to rebuild the whole motor. It is more cost effective to exchange it with a reconditioned motor.

Warren Brown: Thanks, Falls Church.

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For the Jetta Owner: I know three different people with VWs. They LOVE the service dept at Lindsey VW. I think it is in Reston/Sterling.

Warren Brown: And thank you.

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Alexandria, Va.: Aside from your test drives and reviews and columns (all of which I love), what else gets your motor runnin'? With all the on-goings in the industry, I know you have your hands full but are you learning new things (auto technology?), studying auto-social trends, anything like that? What do you see yourself doing in 15 years?

Warren Brown: I've written three books. I'm working on three more, all at the same time, which is my insane way of doing things. One is a book of poetry, "The Harlequin Cafe and other Poems on Race, Sex, and Love." Another is a fictional history of the practice of something called "passage" in Louisiana, which is a look at how landed gentlemen spawned "second families" with attractive women of color, a circumstance in my late mother's personal history. And the other is on women and divorce. It's how I spend my spare time, studying, writing, looking at weird social stuff. And, of course, I intend to continue traveling worldwide.

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Clifton, Va.: Preventing back slip let out clutch gently while depressing accelerator until car doesn't move and you feel clutch just starting to engage then ease off clutch and apply gas. No slip. And no it doesn't ruin clutch I had 240000 miles on my BMW 3 series

before I sold it on the original clutch. Car saw a lot of track days and auto cross use.

You don't need a hill holder just a deft touch. A friend's brother taught me this back 30 years ago. Easy to learn on hill out of traffic. I taught my sis the soccer player in less than 10 minutes. No electronics needed.

Warren Brown: Ah, Clifton, but even you must admit that age takes a toll on touching deftly--automotive or otherwise. A hill holder is to a manual transmission car what Levitra is to...well, you get the idea.

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Laurel, Md.: Used Mazda 5 or used Nissan Quest?

Or used Kia minivan?

Which should I choose?

I have a small family: just the wife and a child. And a small dog. I don't like SUVs and I am not keen on big minivans.

Warren Brown: Hello, Laurel. I think you'll be happy with the Mazda CX-&, sort of the Mazda5 with attitude.

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Lake Luzerne, N.Y.:

Which of the mid-priced crossover wagons has the biggest second seat? We are trading down from a minivan but still want room to haul our family of five (three teens) around with the fewest possible complaints.

Also, how can you tell (without visiting every car dealers' lot) which of them can fit a set of standard-size golf clubs sideways in the back?

Warren Brown: The GM trio: Saturn Outlook (absolutely love it!), GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. You'd be cheating yourself and your family if you didn't at least look at one of these.

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Smart for Three?: I have two sons. What micro-mini city car can you recommend that will hold all of us?

Warren Brown: Nissan Versa, not exactly micro-mini, but close--and with lots of legroom and headroom.

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Bowie, Md.: What is going on with Toyota? We all know that they will eventually be the #1 car manufacturer in the world, but there's constant PR from them that seems like their walking on eggshells with their dominance. They're worried about their tremendous success, they're worried about backlash, they're worried about dominating all the popular markets, etc. For a giant, they're acting quite meek.

Warren Brown: We know no such thing. And, frankly, Toyota, with its growing list of recalls and other problems attributable to rapid growth, is being sensibly cautious in not claiming a crown it hasn't won, yet; and one that it conceivably may never win, or wear for a long time. I'd suggest you take a close look at GM's continued global growth. There. See what I mean?

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Finksburg, Md.: Warren,

Have you had a chance to drive the Saturn Aura yet? For some reason, I find it to be extremely compelling, and I was wondering if it drives as well as it looks.

Warren Brown: It is extremely compelling. It drives as well as it looks. It competes with or beats anything in its class. And that is why people should be careful about waiting for GM to fall to second place. Any company that can produce vehicles as well as the latest crop of Saturn cars and SUVs has a more than fighting chance to remain No. 1. Hint: Many of those new Saturns are European Opels. Those of you who might want to know how the car world really works might want to take a look at GM's share of the markets in Europe, Asia, and South America. The giant has an enormous global footprint.

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Reston, Va.: RE: 2008 Malibu

Before that new design, Chevy never showed up on my Radar (just Camry and Accord); Did people at Chevy start drinking Red Bull? What a look inside and out.

If the new Impala (with V8, of course) has the similar design theme, put me first on the line.

Warren Brown: Then, you'd better hurry up and get to the head of the line. Methinks my long term bet on GM is going to pay off bigtime. God, it's good to be right!

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Columbia, Md.: I have a silly question regarding four-wheel drive. Does it work in reverse? I didn't try it in my Toyota FJ Cruiser, but wondered if it would work.

Warren Brown: Ah, yeah.

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Warren Brown: Okay, good folks. I've got to take care of other business. Thank you for jointing me today. If I missed your questions, fear not. Tune into Warren's Pit Stop, WTWP, Washington Post Radio, 1500 AM and 107.7 FM, from 9 am to 11 am, Saturday. Co-host JJ Gertler is away in India. Colleague Brian Armstead, who has returned from India, will be in the studio. We look forward to you joining us at 1-877-POST-1077. That's 1-877-POST-1077. Hey, the marketing people thought of that crazy number. All you have to do is call it, 1-877-POST-1077. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Eat Lunch, Ria. And drive carefully. Slippery roads where you're going, and not even that Land Rover can move safely on ice.

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