The CarGurus Blog

Daily coverage of the world of cars.

Foreign Cars

Honda Ridgeline: The Best Midsize Pickup?

by

2017 Honda Ridgeline

Don’t say you saw this coming: The Honda Ridgeline is making a name for itself as a competitive midsize pickup.

In fact, it’s creating a new niche of buyers who want the handling, ride, and everyday drivability of a sedan with the ability to haul loads of stuff every now and then.

The Chevy Colorado and Toyota Tacoma offer that combination platter of capability, but the Ridgeline turns the dial up to 11, and buyers are taking notice.

The thing is, Honda is scooping up buyers before Ford has the chance with its all-new Ranger. Continue reading >>>

Mercedes-Benz A-Class Coming for the Millennials


by

Any luxury automaker that doesn’t have a premium compact on the market is missing out on a huge, and potentially imperative, market.

No longer are BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi in the business of selling only large luxury vehicles to well-off Boomers. The market has shifted in favor of millennials, and with that change comes the need for a smaller breed of luxury-brand vehicles.

That’s why we’re seeing mini crossovers, tiny sedans, and hatchbacks from Audi and BMW. Now, after 20 years of existence in European countries, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class will join the party. Continue reading >>>

Should You Be Worried About Replacing a Used EV’s Batteries?


by

2017 Chevy Bolt

One of the benefits of owning an electric car is not needing to buy gasoline. The cost savings add up year after year, even when you include the cost of electrons to recharge the batteries.

Two of the biggest concerns since the advent of hybrid and EV technology are electric range and potential cost of replacing battery packs.

Range anxiety has mostly been solved as EV range steadily increases to over 200 miles per charge. Replacing battery packs has, so far, proven to be a non-issue, but it’s bound to become one as the earliest EVs continue to age. How much should people expect to pay once the inevitable happens?

About half of what the car cost new, at least according to Chevrolet. Continue reading >>>

The New Nissan Titan: Good, But Will Anyone Notice?


by

The U.S. auto industry can confidently make the claim that it builds the best full-size trucks in the world.

Some foreign automakers attempt to compete, but so far no other company has come close to matching the reliability, capability, or popularity of the American Big 3.

Simply put, if you want a truck to haul a massive horse trailer or 5th wheel camper, you won’t find anything better equipped for the job than a truck straight out of Detroit.

If, on the other hand, you want a full-size truck for runs to Home Depot and helping friends move couches, Toyota or Nissan would be happy to sell you one.

That’s the impression, anyway. Nissan wants to change the way Americans see its full-size truck so it re-engineered the new Titan to give Detroit a run for its money. So far, though, buyers aren’t taking the bait. Continue reading >>>

End of the Road for the VW Beetle?


by

Could the Volkswagen ID replace the Beetle?

Few vehicles are as iconic or as long-lasting as the Volkswagen Beetle. Beetles are easily identifiable and immediately recognized as Volkswagens almost anywhere in the world.

The original Beetle, officially known as the Type 1, began production in 1939 and continued until 2003. Volkswagen built 21,529,464 original Beetles which makes the car the longest-running and most-manufactured car of a single platform ever made.

The New Beetle, as it was known, debuted in the United States in 1997 ran until 2011, when it was replaced by the current Beetle that still remains in production today.

Its existence, however, may finally come to an end, and VW’s diesel scandal may be at least partially responsible. Continue reading >>>