Car gear, narrowed to three good options.
Every guide starts the way a service write-up does: what's going wrong, why it's happening, and what fixes it. Then we give you three picks, one for most drivers and two for specific situations, with the trade-offs spelled out.
Start with the part of the car
Battery
- Portable jump starters for a car that won't start on a cold morning
- Battery maintainers for a car, truck or motorcycle that sits for weeks
Tires
- Portable tire inflators for when the tire pressure light comes on in the cold
Wipers
- Winter wiper blades for wipers that streak, chatter or ice up in the cold
- Ice scrapers and snow brushes for a car buried in frost, ice or snow
Under the hood
- OBD2 code readers for when the check engine light comes on
This season's guides
Concern
Car clicks or cranks slowly on cold mornings.
Guide
Portable jump starters
Concern
Battery is dead after the car sits for a few weeks.
Guide
Battery maintainers
Concern
Tire pressure light comes on with the first cold snap.
Guide
Portable tire inflators
Concern
Wipers streak, chatter or freeze up once it gets cold.
Guide
Winter wiper blades
Concern
Clearing frost, ice and snow off the car takes forever.
Guide
Ice scrapers and snow brushes
Concern
Check engine light comes on and you don't know how serious it is.
Guide
OBD2 code readers
Why only three
A list of fifteen products leaves the hard part to you. Three picks, each for a different situation, lets you choose in a minute. Each guide says who each pick is for, who should skip it, and where a maker's claims are hard to compare.
The site is run by a former dealership service advisor. Here's how we pick, and more about us.