Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 9, 2012, 2:00 pm
For a company that makes good full-size SUVs, we have wondered for some time why Mazda hasn’t made a smaller one. Well, now it has. Only thing is, the CX-5 needs more power to compete with cars like the Honda CR-V. But it costs less and gets better mileage. And comes with a lot of stuff standard,...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 9, 2012, 5:00 am
The two truck companies in America are: Ford and Chevrolet. While the good folks in Auburn Hills may note a certain brand missing from that short list, General Motors marketing chief Joel Ewanick believes his company and the Blue Oval are the only two truck builders worth mentioning. In a chat wi...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 8, 2012, 2:00 pm
Clint Eastwood and Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad were in fact crying out against the diseased business of politics that has infested and infected the country. So it’s only natural that those affected (or infected) would respond as they did: that it was really an Obama campaign ad and an attempt to pu...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 8, 2012, 5:00 am
Can anything come close? Have you ever thought Mercedes-Benz would be so much cooler if only it offered a car to compete with the Porsche 911? Of course you have. We all have. Because if there’s one thing that would make planet Earth a better place to live, it’s more competition for the 911....
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 7, 2012, 2:00 pm
Honda CRX: the next economy car? As fuel economy becomes a top concern of car buyers, confusion predominates over how it’s measured and how best to achieve it. I don’t know a way through this morass (who does?), but a return to some basic principles of physics in auto design might help. The EP...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 7, 2012, 5:00 am
Is there any single automobile that represents failure more than the old Ford Edsel? No. No there isn’t. Some modern failures might come close (the Pontiac Aztek comes to mind) but the Edsel remains as the epitome of a new car gone bad. It wasn’t supposed to be that way, of course. All the mark...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 6, 2012, 3:18 pm
In Mexico, where I watched the Super Bowl and drank mezcal with friends, ESPN cut away to Mexican ads, so I missed out on the much-ballyhooed car commercials. We watched stuff like DoveMenCare with only a quick shot of a Maserati. But the U.S. ads were all online this morning, including the much-pr...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 6, 2012, 5:00 am
Amidst all the over-the-top advertising consisting of naked M&Ms, marrying bacon, and prank-pulling monkeys, a dark figure menacingly but inspirationally put the “super” back in Super Bowl advertising. From the first scratchy-voiced pronouncement of “It’s halftime,” it was immediate...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 3, 2012, 2:00 pm
You’ve probably heard the big news that Ford is changing its slogan from “Drive One” to “Go Further.” It’s another move in the constant shuffle of ad agencies and irrelevant marketing that car companies engage in. This slogan is almost as dumb as Hewlett-Packard’s “Everybody On.” ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 3, 2012, 5:00 am
I don’t believe that Super Bowl ads should be shown prior to the Super Bowl. I know companies love the extra hype and attention it brings, but to me, it’s like when a movie preview shows all the funny parts. It sucks all the joy out of the actual movie. While I enjoy the Super Bowl for the foo...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 2, 2012, 2:00 pm
Last year, BMW sold more than 67 percent of its cars in Europe with diesel power (X5 M50d above). Diesels were bought by 66 percent of Audi buyers. In total, German drivers bought 49 percent of their cars with diesels in 2011. In the U.K., 981,594 diesels were sold in 2011—that is, 51 percent of ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 2, 2012, 5:00 am
Does engineering know no limits? The draw of diesel-powered cars, for many people, is the increased fuel economy they offer. In some cases, diesel cars compete with hybrids in terms of the number of miles a car can be driven on a single gallon of fuel. Auto writers routinely sing the praises of ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 1, 2012, 2:00 pm
A true sports car for the masses—that is, people who can actually afford to buy it—the VW Golf GTI has been a winning car since its introduction in 1975. My son owned two of them—one an older, beat-on Mk 1 (first generation, early ‘80s), the second a Mk 3 (2002, with a V6). I had a 2003 wit...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Feb 1, 2012, 5:00 am
Does the truck in this photo look familiar? At first glance, it could very well be an upcoming version of a slightly tweaked Ford F-150. Grainy pictures are pretty typical of shots from early in a model’s development. Yet there’s something just a little off about the picture that doesn’t seem ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 31, 2012, 2:30 pm
Manufacturers are behind it, dealers hate it, but the California Air Resources Board (ARB) recently approved a plan to require automakers (those accounting for about 97 percent of new light-vehicle sales) to sell increasing volumes of electric, plug-in hybrid, or fuel cell powered cars by 2025. The ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 31, 2012, 5:00 am
Two conflicting reports from the last couple of days have cast all kinds of confusion on what car buyers look for when shopping the major auto brands. One story says car buyers don’t see any real differences in car companies, while another says car buyers are heavily influenced by their general f...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 30, 2012, 2:00 pm
Buyers want quality and reliability, but only 38 percent were basically influenced by ratings, analysis and reviews when buying a new car. Some 43 percent avoided particular models and brands by following their preconceptions, hearsay and “common knowledge.” J.D. Power’s ninth Avoider Study a...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 30, 2012, 5:00 am
Go to Ford’s campus in Dearborn, Mich., and try to find someone who isn’t smiling. The company recently reported its best annual earnings since 1998, making 2011 the second most profitable year in the company’s 109-year history. After all the money was tallied, Ford’s net income for 2011 ca...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 27, 2012, 2:00 pm
So there, we blew it all in the headline. But the Prius C’s big story is that it appears to be a quite good subcompact hybrid from the king of the hybrids. And it will sell in the U.S. “with a starting MSRP below $19,000.” It will be lighter and cheaper than its competition and beat them by b...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 27, 2012, 5:00 am
Check the CarGurus used car listings for a 2005 Chrysler 300, and you will find plenty of examples priced somewhere around $11,000-$14,000. Do some negotiating and you can probably score one even cheaper. So what would make a bone-stock 300 worth a million bucks? Nothing. Not even if said car trans...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 26, 2012, 2:00 pm
Ford has announced tentative pricing for its 2013 Escape in four trim levels. Starting prices range from about $22,500 (depending on your zip code) for the base car to $36-37,000 for the Titanium, all fitted out with stuff you might love but don’t need. A good description of what’s in each trim...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 26, 2012, 5:00 am
Will we finally meet a Lamborghini SUV? A Raging Bull family sedan? An Aventador roadster? All are possibilities, and, from what we hear, the Geneva Motor Show in March will finally confirm (or deny) the presence of at least two new Lambo models. That’s big news, and would double the lineup of t...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 25, 2012, 2:00 pm
World racing fans were shocked last week when Peugeot, after some real successes, abruptly withdrew from the Le Mans LMP (Le Mans Prototype) 24-hour competition. Peugeot has had a great back-and-forth duel with Audi, both running turbodiesels, particularly last year, when the team lost by some 13.8...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 25, 2012, 5:00 am
A great story yesterday at Bloomberg got me thinking about the constant fight in the auto world to be number one. Every automaker fights to become number one and then, when it gets there, spends ample amounts of marketing money bragging about its greatness. They all do it, whether it’s having the...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Jan 24, 2012, 2:00 pm
*UPDATE: Some House Republicans charged in a Wednesday hearing that NHTSA delayed investigating the Volt’s battery fire, basically to protect General Motors, the Volt’s reputation, and President Obama’s reelection campaign. Dan Akerson, GM’s chief, and David Strickland, NHTSA Administrator, ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Nov 2, 2011, 6:00 am
... CarGurus Central are big fans of Tesla Motors. The company, led by ... of criticism and then delivered the Tesla Roadster to around 2,500 ... of dollars in loans and investments. Tesla proceeded to develop the Model ... . The bigger question is: Can Tesla keep up the success? The ... sta...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Nov 1, 2011, 2:30 pm
... history of Abarth in the press release at the end of Autoblog’s story. Fiat won’t sell a ton of these cars, but people who want more performance in a city car with some sharp looks and the cachet of the Abarth name could be willing customers. I might just be one. What do the Europeans kn...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Nov 1, 2011, 6:00 am
... be in one of these: A Volvo Clarkson’s car on the aforementioned stunt was a ... The Swedish know safety. Back in Saab’s heyday, the company routinely racked up excellent  ... and early ’90s (think the 1988 BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E Class or S Class) are safe and cheap. Find...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 31, 2011, 2:00 pm
Maybe you’ve been watching the photos coming out of Thailand. This one is of Honda’s underwater assembly plant near Bangkok, which is likely to be out of commission for up to 6 months, affecting 3 percent of global output. And who can forget the pictures from the earthquake/tsunami disaster in ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 31, 2011, 6:00 am
It’s funny how modest a kids’ dream car can be. As a young teenager, my car obsession was a 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang convertible. I’d drool when spotting one on the street and flip through the local classifieds checking prices and wondering how I could save for one before my 16th birthday. For ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 28, 2011, 2:00 pm
Back in August, we gave you our take on the pros and cons of driverless cars. Among other smart things we said: “The big issue for a lot of people is losing control. It’s a bit like the drunk who won’t give up the keys to his car.” The U.S. seems to be in the grip of a widespread fear of lo...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 28, 2011, 6:00 am
The BMW M3 will lose it’s V8 in favor of a turbo six. The vaunted BMW M5 V10 engine has been parred down to a twin-turbo V8. Mercedes-Benz will develop a straight 6 and replace it’s 6.3-liter V8 engines with a 5.5-liter turbo 8. Yes, the theme of the day is downsizing. Automakers across the b...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 27, 2011, 2:00 pm
The car above, the 2012 Kia Optima SX Turbo, has been getting excellent reviews. One writer called it “hands down the best looking mid-size sedan on the market today, and possibly of the past decade.” And then went on to praise its Saab-like cockpit, its performance, equipment, and base price of...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 27, 2011, 6:00 am
Scion FR-S Concept Toyota is like an old man. “Stodgy” might be a good word to describe the company’s driving dynamics lately. Yes, its rock-solid reliability reputation seems to be intact, but there’s not a lot of spunk left in the ol’ company. Its cars have gained weight. They don’t ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 26, 2011, 2:00 pm
Some folks laugh at SEMA, the auto aftermarket show that opens next week in Las Vegas: the dopey cars with bolt-on wings, the girls with bolt-on bras (lots of photos here) and so forth. But SEMA represents a vast industry of automotive specialty manufacturers and distributors that make and sell all...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 26, 2011, 6:00 am
Uh oh, Ford… The new Explorer, Fiesta, and Focus all had below-average reliability in their first year. As a result, Ford’s overall reliability rank among 28 major car makes slipped from the 10th to the 20th spot this year—the biggest drop for any major nameplate in Consumer Reports 2011 Annu...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 25, 2011, 2:20 pm
A hybrid for this car? The tougher U.S. fuel economy (CAFE) standards have forced some radical rethinking by two of the world’s largest auto companies. They really have no other choice, as long as the government commits to the flawed idea of CAFE, with all its loopholes, contradictions and costs...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 25, 2011, 6:00 am
Are odometer rollbacks a thing of the past? I haven’t given much thought to odometer rollbacks since the mileage counters entered the digital era. I guess I just figured those computerized numbers couldn’t be changed, because there isn’t a physical number to “roll back.” Silly, naive me....
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 24, 2011, 2:10 pm
I confess I took my cue for this piece from Dan Neil’s Wall Street Journal post on the BMW 1M (above). The post is typically overwritten and even florid in Neil’s praise for the car, but, finally, near the end he gets to the point I was waiting for: The 1M Coupe is a total buttaface, one of the...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 24, 2011, 6:00 am
Remember when Google was just a search engine? I still remember the first time I saw the Google homepage. It was in 2001, and I worked at an ad agency. One of the hip designers had the sparse, mystifying, cryptic page constantly displayed on one of his Power Mac monitors. I looked at that page and ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 21, 2011, 2:30 pm
We’ve had a good deal to say on this blog on the subject of so-called chick cars, particularly about the male chauvinism evident in the promotion of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle. In one piece, I said, “In order to be real guys, many have to flaunt their sexist preferences in cars.” And the ches...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 21, 2011, 6:00 am
For the first 10 or so years of my winter driving career, my cars were equipped with nothing more than a slow-working heater and, maybe, a rear defroster. That made for some cold driving experiences and often required some extra time outside scraping the windows clear before hunkering down in the d...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 20, 2011, 2:12 pm
The EPA just rated the series plug-in hybrid Fisker Karma sedan, and the company immediately put out a press release saying how “delighted” it was at the results. What?! The EPA rated the Karma at 52 mpge (mpg “equivalent” for EVs and hybrids, that is, for combined city/highway driving). Th...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 20, 2011, 6:00 am
Instead of waiting for the next major auto show like a good little carmaker, BMW has decided an independent reveal (on its Facebook page, no less) would be the best way to handle the introduction of the all-new 2012 3 Series. Is the new car worthy of the spotlight-hogging attention ploy? By all in...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 19, 2011, 2:15 pm
As the world economy sags (or sinks, some would say), the car czars are finally taking note. Pent-up demand has kept the big guys afloat, and so has China. But the European crisis and the endemic sickness of the U.S. economy are hard to ignore. Looking at next year, Carlos Ghosn (above) forecasts �...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 19, 2011, 6:00 am
Being a child of the 1980s, I get excited by things that younger people don’t get and older people never liked. I know many of you can relate. Thanks to movies like Transformers and the revival of shows like Voltron, some of the greatest parts of the ’80s are coming back. There is, perhaps, no ...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 18, 2011, 2:00 pm
Nissan claims it has developed a 10-minute recharger for the Leaf, report the New York Daily News and POPSCI. The latter questions whether the new technology applies to the charger or the battery. The general bottleneck in reducing charging time isn’t in the charger or the amount of power that ca...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 18, 2011, 6:00 am
Who doesn’t like a good bargain? I’d venture to guess that very few people in this world would be proud to say they paid full price on anything. Especially a car. Maybe there’s a Ferrari fanatic or two out there who would happily gloat about dropping $100K on a pre-owned F430, but the majorit...
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 17, 2011, 2:00 pm
Here we go again. Dan Wheldon, a highly talented, respected and loved race driver dies in a horrifying crash that should have been prevented. IndyCar racing has now claimed six drivers since 1996. Six were injured in this 15-car crash alone. Driver Alex Zanardi lost both his legs in a crash in 2001....
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Steve H. posted an article on The CarGurus Blog - Oct 17, 2011, 6:00 am
It’s always difficult to choose a topic after such an intense weekend of auto-related news and events. Unfortunately, the biggest news this weekend was the tragic death of IndyCar champion Dan Wheldon, who died in a massive accident yesterday during the Las Vegas Indy 300. It makes other news and...
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