General Chat

Chevy Malibu: The Best Non-BMW Available Today?

Feb 11, 2016 by tgriffith

Without any logos, could you guess the car?

A new ad from Chevrolet suggests that putting the Chevy logo on a car reduces its value by about $40,000.

That’s not the intent, of course, but it’s one way of interpreting the ad for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu.

Before we go any further, I need to say that I think the 2016 Malibu is the best sedan Chevy has built in decades. It’s worthy of instilling pride back into American cars and is a noble competitor to the Accords and Camrys of the world.

The new Malibu is sleek and well designed, has a high-quality luxurious interior, and offers plenty of technology to keep the driver and any passengers informed and entertained.

Its latest ad, though, is a head-scratcher.

Would You Pay $149,000 for a $50,000 Shelby GT350?

Feb 9, 2016 by tgriffith

2015 Ford Shelby GT

Do you remember the first time you bought a new car?

Mine was in 2004. The Honda Pilot was in its second model year, and I had to have one.

I did my research and learned everything I could about the SUV. Keep in mind, this was coming up on 12 years ago, and the era of online car research was still in its infancy. I learned enough to know which trim I wanted and the price I was willing to pay.

What I wasn’t prepared for was a little thing called “market adjustment,” a phenomenon that has been taken to all-new levels in 2016.

Kia Next to Compete With the BMW 3 Series?

Feb 8, 2016 by tgriffith

kia-novo-concept-02-1

Here are the carmakers you might expect to field competition to the BMW 3 Series:

Audi
Mercedes-Benz
Lexus
Acura
Infiniti
Jaguar
Volvo

Each of those automakers builds a vehicle that could be considered a sports sedan, and each has its own selling points and unique qualities when compared with BMW’s venerable sedan.

Other brands might like to get into the sports sedan game, but just don’t have the heritage to build a world-class competitor that would be taken seriously.

So a Kia entry in the sports sedan market would seem to have a snowman’s chance in summer, right?

Jeep Wrangler’s Future Includes a Hybrid, a Diesel, and a Pickup

Feb 3, 2016 by tgriffith

Last week on this blog we proposed some of the cars that are worth re-imagining with different bodies. It was fun and included everything from an F-TYPE with a backseat to a hyper-luxury minivan.

Neither of those are safe bets to hit the market anytime soon, but the vehicle that got us thinking about such possibilities is the ubiquitous Jeep Wrangler.

The Wrangler just might be the most famous 4×4 of all time, and the next few years could turn out to be some of the best it has ever seen.

Here’s what’s coming down the road for Wrangler fans.

Five Tips for Test-Driving a New-to-You Car

Jan 28, 2016 by Keith_Griffin

In the course of a year, it’s possible to review more than 75 new cars, trucks, and crossovers when you’re an automotive journalist. That’s not put forth as some kind of bragging. It’s just to demonstrate that driving more than 6 new vehicles a month gives one an insider’s view on test-driving new cars.

Let’s look beyond all the things you need to do before going to a dealership. That’s been handled well here in other articles at CarGurus. Instead, here are five insider tips to keep in mind for test-driving a new or new-to-you car.

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