The CarGurus Blog

I’m pretty much a fan of all things ’80s. The hair, the music, the movies, the cars… well, most of the cars. The Toyota trucks and Honda sedans were pretty great, but the rest were perfectly forgettable.

The DeLorean DMC-12, though, straddled the line between forgettable and iconic. Then, it was a watered-down attempt at a sports car. Now, it defines the entire decade thanks to its ability to accelerate to 88 mph and transcend time.

One look at a DeLorean and everything great about the 1980s jumps to mind, including life-preserver vests and Huey Lewis and the News music.

Within a year, new electric DeLoreans could be available for you and me to purchase. No more scouring the used listings for acceptable deals on old models with under-powered gas engines!

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Chevrolet Volt

Sometimes the universe chooses crazy ways to tell us things.

Whether in life, love, or work, sometimes things happen that are just too much to write off as coincidence and can only be described as the work of fate.

In addition to pulling the strings of how and when people meet or opening the door to new potential career paths, it seems the universe has taken an interest in the furtherance of electric cars.

Allow me to explain.

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Imagine walking toward the entrance of your local grocery store when, as you pass the row of parked cars, you hear the clip-clop of an approaching horse.

Surprised, you stand still and wait, not wanting to get run over by a Clydesdale.

But instead of a majestic animal, a diminutive Nissan Leaf glides by, emanating the sound of hooves on pavement.

It seems ridiculous, but something similar could soon become law.

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I’ve never been excited about an electric car. Ever.

I don’t even like electric golf carts or those little shuttles that sneak up on unsuspecting travelers in airports. Put a gas engine in those things and watch folks get out of the way!

As I’ve said here many times, my problems with electric vehicles stem from their limited range, outrageous cost and, most of all, the misguided notion that fueling a car with coal-produced electricity is any better than efficiently using gasoline. Not to mention the toxicity of making, and disposing of, the battery packs.

With all that said, the 2013 Ford C-Max Energi could be a car that begins to change the minds of people like me.

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The "unpluggable" Model S

The Tesla that couldn’t move.

The Fisker fires.

The A123 bankruptcy.

The CODA Automotive layoffs.

It’s been a rough end to 2012 for the U.S. electric vehicle industry, but all hope is not lost. Maybe Chinese companies can step in and take some ownership in an effort to right what sometimes looks like a quickly sinking ship.

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The very satisfying Chevy Volt

The Chevrolet Volt: Electric without the anxiety.

If I sat on the marketing team for the Volt, that’s a slogan I might throw out there for consideration. While it’s possible to drive the Volt for months on end on electric power only, thus never needing to stop at a gas station, the car provides the option of driving from Boston to Seattle if the owner so chooses. That’s because the Volt’s genius powertrain allows for all-electric trips of roughly 40 miles or can use its small gas engine to extend range all the way to… well… Seattle.

While the car costs way too much (in my humble opinion), has suffered from a terrible marketing campaign and has been at the center of a heated political debate, owners seem to love the experience of the Volt and would buy one all over again. Which is more than Nissan can claim about its fuel-efficient Versa.

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One in 10 new cars sold in the United States is registered in California.

That’s quite the statistic and justifies the importance of the Los Angeles Auto Show to automakers. With the unveilings officially under way in Southern California, it’s time to take a look at the most exciting, potentially game-changing vehicles that have debuted so far.

The show this year is an interesting representation of the different directions the car industry is getting pushed. Cars powered by gasoline, electricity and diesel are represented, along with plenty of raw performance cars that somehow manage to take decent fuel economy into account while shredding tires and blistering the pavement.

Read on for more.

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2013 Ford Fiesta

In my book, many interesting conversations can be had using the words “turbochargers” and “superchargers.”

In a conversation with a friend this weekend, though, my mention of the words were met with a blank stare. I guess not everyone is into cars or even terribly knowledgeable about what makes them tick.

Our talk began with a question. My friend asked, “What do you think of electric cars?”

Well, that’s quite the can o’ worms in my world, and talking through the answer took the better part of the next 30 minutes. We discussed everything from the environmental impact of battery manufacturing to electricity production to supporting infrastructure to the mechanics of how superchargers and turbochargers work in gas and diesel engines. Of course, my bottom-line answer to her question was this: Electrics have the right idea in saving fuel, I’m just not convinced of their execution. I’d prefer to go with an economical turbo gas or diesel vehicle.

Like maybe the 2014 Ford Fiesta, with a 1.0-liter EcoBoost 3-cylinder.

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The next Toyota Supra?

You might want to begin thanking everyone who bought a new Scion FR-S.

Because of the success of Toyota’s new little sports car, the company is considering bringing back the vaunted MR2 and Supra names. Yes, these rumors have been floated before, but now that Toyota has confirmed the public’s thirst for its performance offerings, there will probably be more on the way.

This possibility was mentioned in yesterday’s Car of the Year post, but since then a little more info has surfaced. Not all of it good.

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The 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year

Anyone can give out a Car of the Year award these days. In fact, the list of COTY awards seems to grow every year. There’s the old stalwart, the Motor Trend Car of the Year, but there’s also the North American Car and Truck of the Year, the World Car of the Year, and now the Popular Mechanics Car of the Year. Perhaps there should be an equally prestigious “tgriffith Car of the Year.”

Maybe there will be.

With such a wide variety of awards, it’s pretty hard to label the one true Car of the Year. In this era of “everyone’s a winner,” every car has some chance of winning some kind of award.

Motor Trend, though, seems to have nailed this year’s choice.

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