Cardone 22-2083 Rack & Pinion Complete Unit on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes GLA goes subterranean

FOR SUV owners looking to test their cars’ off-road credentials, the obvious place to put them to the test probably isn’t nearly 200 metres underground. But that’s exactly where the new Mercedes GLA found itself as it descended into Winsford Rock Salt Mine, 620 feet beneath the Cheshire countryside. The working mine, which supplies much of the UK’s gritting salt for wintry roads, played host to four standard (apart from extra driving lights) GLA models, which were lowered down into the mine nose first before being let loose in the 130-mile network of tunnels.

Volkswagen prices 2014 Passat 1.8T

Volkswagen is debuting a new engine in its U.S. lineup, a 1.8-liter four-cylinder turbocharged and direct-injected TSI engine known internally as EA888, and the first car to receive it will be the 2014 Volkswagen Passat. The Passat will stay the same on the outside for the 2014 model year, but the new 1.8-liter engine promises to deliver as much power as the outgoing 2.5-liter engine it is replacing, 170 hp, while gaining seven more lb-ft of torque for a total of 184 lb-ft.

2013 Ford Escape priced less than the 2012 model? Not exactly

If you ask Ford Motor Co. about the base price of the company’s redesigned 2013 Escape crossover, it will tell you that at $23,295, including shipping, it’s $200 less than the outgoing model. The problem is, that’s not quite true.