Daily coverage of the world of cars.
Today we officially launch Vinder, a revolutionary new car match-making app that helps lonely car searchers discover their next joyride. Tons of people are infatuated with their cars, and Vinder is the first app that gives this group the chance to swipe right and find the perfect car for a quickie test drive or perhaps commit to a cross-country trip.
John “Bugsy” Lawlor and the New England Motor Press Association gave one of New England’s worst winters ever an emphatic boot this past weekend. Having assembled an impressive fleet of new cars and trucks, not to mention a mouth-watering buffet, Lawlor and his Automotion crew hosted a large and varied group of auto journalists for NEMPA’s 2015 Winter Vehicle Awards testing.
Roads were relatively clear but very wet, and withering grey remnants of this year’s record-setting snowfall lingered just beyond the pavement. But having the opportunity to put a large and varied assortment of cars through its paces refreshed everyone’s perspective and attitude. We all learned a ton and had a blast, and we now eagerly look forward to ditching snow tires, opening car windows and roofs wide, and hitting the back roads in something speedy and nimble.
The list of cars available for testing included everything from hot compact all-wheel-drive hatches to full-size trucks, with a number of muscle and sports cars tossed in for good measure. My co-workers and I did our best to sample as wide a range as possible, though we’ll confess that some of our choices were driven by parking-lot logistics. NEMPA’s Winter Vehicle Awards winners won’t get announced until springtime, but here are some thoughts on the cars we drove.
Every driver has a different set of expectations and needs for his or her primary vehicle. What meets my needs might not work for you at all, and your ideal car might be the last one I’d ever consider buying for myself. No wonder arguments about cars often get out of hand.
CarGurus user reviews provide a good idea of whether and how well a particular car met the needs of one driver, and based on car reviews received from our users over the course of the last year, it looks like most drivers are pleased with their cars. Our user reviews invite submitters to score a car from 1 to 5 points in a number of different categories, and with more than 10,000 reviews received from April 2013 through April 2014, three categories received average scores of 4.5—Reliability, Style and Overall—and Front Seat, Handling, Power and Price each earned averages of more than 4.
The two categories that received the lowest average scores were Cargo Space at 3.9 and Fuel Economy at 3.7. These qualities generally have had to be traded off in vehicles, since increasing size reduces fuel economy with all other things being equal. But cars get better with every passing year, and these days it’s possible to find vehicles with plenty of room as well as reasonable gas mileage. So here’s a look at our top 10 2014 vehicles for cargo capacity and mileage across a number of segments.
Summer’s finally here. Even for those north of the Mason-Dixon line, the 70-degree weather is here to stay. While many people already have their summer vacations planned, there are those of us who just want to go on an adventure. Let’s be honest—who didn’t want to join Jenny as the VW bus whisked her away from Alabama and headed for San Francisco in “Forrest Gump”?
In our quest for the ultimate “old-school road-trip car,” we’re looking for something spacious, utilitarian and ready to travel from coast to coast. Here’s a list of our top pick for a number of categories.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., February 22, 2011 – A study released today by leading online automotive community CarGurus.com shows that the majority (53%) of used cars listed for more than 30 days have at least one price drop. Newer used cars (model years 2007 – 2009) show even more aggressive price reductions, with 63% of cars listed for more than 30 days having at least one price drop. Since these newer models stay listed on average 45 days, the data suggests that consumers looking for deals should wait for the initial price drop before buying a used car.
In conjunction with the study, the company also introduced its new price tracking feature. Users of CarGurus’ DealFinder car shopping service now get access to the price history and days on market data for more than 2 million car listings. The first of its kind in the online car shopping market, price tracking enables users to keep tabs on the price drops for specific listings either online within DealFinder or through opt-in email alerts.