Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Suzuki showing signs of distress, scaling back U.S. operations

Struggling Suzuki is shrinking in many ways. Insiders say the company is slashing marketing while sales and the dealer roster dwindle. The many signs of trouble: -- In a market up 13 percent through March, Suzuki was down 2 percent to just 6,561 sales.

Consumer Reports gets top vehicle picks mostly right

Despite the publication's uncomfortably broad definition of reliability -- it spans everything from "the engine fell out" to "the touchscreen display shows fingerprints too easily" -- automakers still clamor to get on the Consumer Reports recommended vehicle list. This year's winners cover a broad spectrum of vehicles, and for the most part, we're in agreement with the magazine's editors, with one significant exception at the top of the list. Best overall vehicle went to the Tesla Model S.

Kia styling chief Schreyer is fluent in Koreapean

The way Peter Schreyer sees it, there is one key difference between European and Korean automakers: Europeans design from the heart, Koreans from the head. "In a European company, everybody is a car driver, a car enthusiast," says the Germany-born design chief of Kia Motors Corp. "Everybody from the CEO to the little designer to people on the production line, they want to build cars they want to drive themselves." Koreans can be more market-oriented: "They look at the big picture, which markets to explore or conquer.