Foreign Cars

GM and Toyota Dive Deeper Into Car Sharing

Nov 2, 2016 by tgriffith

MAVEN

How would you like to rent a car in less than a second?

The idea of instant access to a vehicle could be appealing, especially for people who don’t own a car and live in a big city. General Motors and Toyota are the latest major automakers to get on board the car-sharing trend and could help turn it into a new normal for urban-dwelling commuters.

The idea of a car company venturing into the by-the-hour car rental business might seem to fly in the face of their desire to sell cars meant for individual ownership, but the younger generation seems to be demanding a change in how they transport themselves.

They don’t want to own cars, but they want convenient, inexpensive access to them.

Cue Maven.

The Changing Purpose SUVs

Oct 26, 2016 by tgriffith

2017-audi-q7-inline4

Sport utility vehicles entered the automotive scene as 4×4 alternatives to station wagons, sedans, and minivans. They quickly became the go-anywhere, haul-anything preference for families across the United States. These were the vehicles that allowed drivers to skip the Holiday Inn and venture deep into the woods if they so desired.

They were large, heavy, and capable rigs that rode high and gave drivers a commanding view and comforting presence in the midst of the surrounding Civics and Corollas. The fact that early V8-powered SUVs sucked gas fast enough to watch the fuel gauge drop didn’t matter, because gasoline was cheap and the economy was strong.

Then the bottom fell out in 2007 and the game completely changed. Large SUVs became symbols of excess and waste. Filling their gas tanks required a second mortgage. Falling sales inspired a new breed of SUVs, one that could still haul up to 8 people, but compromised some off-road ability for more civilized fuel economy numbers.

It’s an evolution that continues into this day and is embodied by the new Audi Q7.

The Luxury Market’s New Look

Oct 17, 2016 by tgriffith

A car grabbed my attention from about four lengths ahead on the highway coming into downtown. A Bentley? No, it didn’t have the right rear end. A Rolls? Definitely not.

Once I got closer I realized that the car was a new Lincoln Continental and looked darn good cruising among the mass of plebeian automobiles on the highway. So good, in fact, that I had to wonder when the last time was that a Lincoln caught my attention and demanded a double-take.

Okay, in all honesty, the last time it happened was with the MKT, a crossover SUV of exceptionally unfortunate proportions. The Continental, though, turned my head for all the right reasons. Seeing that car, paired with the recent release of the Genesis luxury brand, got me thinking that the luxury market suddenly looks a lot more interesting than it did even a year ago.

Subaru BRZ sT: A True Performance Car?

Sep 1, 2016 by tgriffith

2015-subaru-brz-ts-sti-01

Reporting on news based off of trademark filings can be a little iffy. Companies routinely file for, and renew, trademarks even if they have no intention of ever using them.

Sometimes companies even trademark a name just to keep another company from using it.

With that in mind, we bring you news of a possible new “performance” variant of the Subaru BRZ, potentially called the tS.

The Scion-esque name has been filed by Subaru with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which could be a foreshadow of things to come.

Canine-Friendly Cars for the Dog Days of Summer

Last updated: Mar 20, 2018 at 1:20PM
Published on: Aug 12, 2016 by Matt Smith

Nigel, Erik Ross's Dog — Nigel the terrier loves feeling the wind in his face

We may be CarGurus, first and foremost, but that doesn’t prevent us from being proud pet owners, too. From French Bulldogs and Miniature Pinschers to Labradors and Great Danes, the dogs of CarGurus are a widely varied bunch. My own dog, Taylor, looks enough like a Labrador to keep landlords and kennels at ease, but her mix of breeds puts her solidly in the “mutt” camp. Regardless of size or breed, however, dogs are always a hit at CarGurus. Maybe that’s because dogs have such a social history with the automobile. They chase them, they hang their heads out the windows, and I don’t think I’ve ever met a dog who didn’t get a case of the wiggles every time it hears, “Want to go for a ride in the car?”

Foreign Cars

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