Jonathan McGrew, Contributing Writer
Articles
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GM has been having good success with the newest in compact car offerings for the Chevrolet brand—namely the Cruze. That said, recalls have become a lot more high profile in recent years, which...
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Lexus Plans Performance CT 300h Hybrid For Sports Minded Consumers
Last year AllSmallCars.com took a little trip down to New Orleans to check out the prototype version of the Lexus CT 200h. Of course, we were pleasantly surprised with this entry-level luxury hybrid aimed at a younger market that is looking for upscale features with the hot-hatch image. At the time...
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IIHS Gives Volt and LEAF Top Safety Pick Award
Safety is a big concern when it comes to today’s modern automobiles and there has been a lot of interest around the subject when you add electric vehicles to the mix. A recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announcement may quell electric vehicle safety fears and help boost...
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2012 Honda Civic: Welcome Refresh or Missing the Mark?
Redesigns are a funny thing, sometimes they hit the mark and other times they leave you wishing they hadn’t changed the car at all. Right now we are on the fence about the 2012 Honda Civic redesign and it looks like we aren't the only ones. Our partner site, TheCarConnection.com recently...
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Total Eclipse: Mitsubishi Ends Eclipse Production with 2012 Model
If you ask people what Mitsubishi sports car is most memorable it wouldn’t be a surprise if they answered Mitsubishi Eclipse. In fact, the Mitsubishi Eclipse began its production in the U.S. back in 1989 as the replacement to the Starion coupe. The Eclipse quickly got the reputation for being...
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2011 New York Auto Show: 2012 Nissan Versa Gets More Expensive And Better Looking
The Nissan Versa has been one of those cars that suites those looking for good, economic, no frills transportation. Put another way, the Versa really isn’t anything to write home about; in fact the most impressive thing about the Versa used to be that it was the most inexpensive new car you...
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When you think of entry-level luxury sedans our bet is that the Suzuki Kizashi isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Instead you probably think of cars like the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz...
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MINI Goes High-End With Goodwood Sub-Brand
The MINI brand has quite the following and a range of products that can support those looking for something small and fun to high-performance to all-wheel drive. You might be familiar with the John Coopers Works model that designates the highest of high performance MINI models and the history that...
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Top 5 Small Convertibles For This Summer
With May and Mother’s Day just around the corner the summer is almost upon us and with summer comes the urge to be in the sun. When you pair sun with automobiles, then you have a couple of options to get out in the sun while on the open road—a convertible or a sunroof. Of course, for...
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Electric Cars Cause Consumers To Check Utility Bill More Carefully
There has been a large amount of commentary around electric cars, charging capabilities and the role of your local utility. The question that continues to come up is whether utilities can handle electric cars in mass quantities. That question isn’t just directed at the power grid, which is...
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Can Small Electric Cars Cut It As Taxi Cabs? BYD Says Yes.
When you think of a Taxi, especially if you live in the U.S., you probably think of a Ford Crown Victoria. That stereotype holds true, especially in urban settings like Chicago, San Francisco, L.A. and New York. The problem with that is the lack of economy from those vehicles and the impact on the...
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Small Cars That Can Haul…People That Is
Just because you want to drive a smaller car doesn’t mean you have to give up the ability to haul around a decent amount of people. There are a number of smaller options out there that also allow you to utilize a third row seat option. Okay, so small is a relative statement and we...
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Recalls aren’t exactly most manufacturers favorite things, but they are necessary to make sure that consumers stay safe. The most recent recall news in the small car arena affects the Kia...
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2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio: When Less Money Gets You More
What is a person to do when they can’t swing 50 G’s on a new convertible, but still want to have some fun in the sun? The answer is coming in later this spring when the Fiat 500 Cabrio or Fiat 500C hits the showrooms. Who can resist a cute Italian? Especially one that will only set you...
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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350: How Much Will This Small Car Set You Back?
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 is a car that people have been waiting for, especially from MB. It takes that needed blend of sophistication and sports car and gets it pretty much right on the money—at least for most people in the market for a high-end convertible. You might remember our spy...
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2011 New York Auto Show: Kia Hamsters Take Top Honors From Nielsen
The 2011 New York Auto Show has been full of surprises in new car announcements, but as we mentioned earlier this week the auto show has more than just announcements—they also have awards. Nielsen, a respected name in the advertising industry and responsible for rating and measuring the...
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2011 New York Auto Show: Mazda Shows Mazda3 With SkyActiv and Teases Diesel Variant
The 2011 New York Auto Show has been in full swing since last week with Press Day happening prior to the Friday show opener. So far it has proven to be a show with many announcements and a lot to see. We have already reported announcements from Hyundai, Mercedes, Mitsubishi and Scion already during...
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2011 New York Auto Show: Mitsubishi i Arrives In November For Cheaper Than LEAF
This week at the 2011 New York Auto Show Mitsubishi had some pretty interesting announcements for the zero emission market. The first answers our question of when we will see the Mitsubishi i arrive in the U.S.—November 2011 to be exact. The second regards how much the Mitsubishi i will set...
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The 2011 New York Auto Show is full of concepts, the newest production cars available to consumers and awards. One of the coveted awards during the New York Auto Show is the World Car of the Year....
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2011 New York Auto Show: Scion Debuts FR-S Concept Sports Car
This past week at the 2011 New York Auto Show Scion debuted their next sports coupe intended for the U.S. market. The Scion FR-S is being developed in conjunction with Subaru and is slated to rollout for sale in mid 2012. Think of this as a body by Toyota, Engine by Subaru deal with the celebrated...
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2011 New York Auto Show: A-Class Mercedes Showcased in the Big Apple
If you are an avid Merc person, the A-Class Mercedes-Benz is nothing new to you. What would be new is the ability to buy one in the U.S. That need might be increased when you see the new A-Class design. The car debuted for the world recently at the Shanghai Auto Show and it is a beauty. When it...
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2011 New York Auto Show: Hyundai Gives Prius Competitor Green Light For Production
Two more 40-mpg cars will arrive from Hyundai in the “next couple of years.” This comes from an executive interview conducted by Inside Line at the 2011 New York Auto Show. What is even more interesting is that one of those 40-mpg cars that Hyundai has confirmed will be moving to...
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2012 Volkswagen Beetle Loses the New and Gains Updated Lines
A while back (read years) AllSmallCars.com ran an article about the Volkswagen New Beetle and how it seemed to be a little long in the tooth for consumers. Indeed, the New Beetle as it had been called since reintroduction in the late ‘90s hadn’t seen a lot of change—at least none...
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We Sit Down With Ford’s U.S. Sales Analyst For the Scoop On the Small Car Market
If you have ever worked in the automotive industry in America then you have probably heard this: “American’s will never want to buy small cars.” On the whole, this was true one, even two decades ago, but the shift in interest in small cars is apparent. AllSmallCars.com caught up...
Jonathan McGrew