Jonathan McGrew, Contributing Writer
Articles
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If you are a Jaguar fan then the X-type is no stranger. Jaguar tried to introduce the car about a decade ago to compete with the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class—basically the entry-level...
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2011 Mazda3 Makes the List As IIHS Top Safety Pick
Mazda should be beaming as much as the front-end of their Mazda3s with the recent announcement from Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). The 2011 Mazda3 has made the IIHS “Top Safety Pick.” The Mazda3 earns the top rating of “Good,” in front, side, rear and rollover...
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Fiat 500 Goes Smaller Ahead of MINI With Coupe Format
If you have been following the trends of both MINI and Fiat you might wonder if going even smaller is the new “thing” for 2011. Recently, we reported on the progress of the MINI Coupe and while not everyone is raving about the design it is still an interesting car. Fiat apparently...
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2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Refresh Creates Envy Among Current Owners
In 2007 Mercedes-Benz came to market with the fourth generation C-Class. It was a car positioned to entice those looking to make the move to the luxury brand, but not quite ready to step up to the payments of an E-Class. The problem was that the car was a little light on the touches that one might...
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I Spy: BMW’s i8 Hybrid Sports Coupe Caught On Video
The announcement of the all-new BMW sub-brand took the automotive industry by surprise earlier this year, but after check out the facts sounds like an interesting move to differentiate BMW’s offering in the hybrid and electric market. Our last report covered the car formerly known as the...
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8.9 Earthquake Spares Small Car Manufacturing Plants in Japan
As the full effects of last week’s 8.9-magnitude earthquake are still sinking in there has been questions in the automotive industry as to whether Japanese car manufacturers would be affected. Now there are bound to be some issues especially considering the damage to the nuclear power plant...
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When you think of Subaru the first thing that might come to your mind is the WRX or possible all-wheel drive. Neither of those are incorrect, but Subaru wants to stand for more than that; the company...
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2011 Hyundai Elantra Wins Best Value and Fuel Economy
There is no doubt by now that you have seen gas prices rise in your area. There is also no doubt that this may seem like déjà vu. Let us remind you of the summer of 2008 when gas prices were climbing to all time highs here in the U.S. and consumers were starting to dump their large...
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Ford Makes EV Competition With Focus Electric's Superior Cold Weather Performance
For the last couple of years we have see the electric vehicle (EV) market on the move. It is something we have been watching with great fascination here at AllSmallCars.com. From the success of the Tesla Roadster (despite some bad reviews) to the launch of U.S. made electric microcars, the TH!NK...
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Gas Prices Got You Blue? Check Out These Top 5 Fuel-Efficient Car Picks
If you have turned on the news in the last couple of days then you have probably heard about the rising of gas prices. Okay, who am I kidding, if you own a car and have been to the gas station recently you are undoubtedly aware that the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is hovering...
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Recall Alert: 2006-07 Honda Civic Hybrids Need Drivetrain Fix
Something popped into my head recently when I thought of recalls; it is a verse from a popular Salt-n-Pepa song modified. “Yo, Pep, I don't think they're gonna play this on the radio. And why not? Everybody has recalls.” And no truer words have been spoken and not even manufacturers...
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EVO Fights Back As Mitsubishi Tries To Redirect Extinction Rumors
You might have seen our coverage earlier this week on “EV Killed the EVO Star: Mitsubishi Kills the EVO.” It seemed like an appropriate play on words and even more appropriate is the response. Yes, that would be denial and redirection. Mitsubishi was quick to post on its Facebook page a...
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In a move that is sure to upset the loyal Rally and Racing fans that have embraced the last couple of generations of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, reports surfaced today that the company will...
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7 Small Cars Make List Of 25 Cars Worth Waiting For
Recently, my April 2011 print edition of Car and Driver came in the mail and the cover article peaked my interest. Who wouldn’t want to know what the “25 Cars Worth Waiting For” are, especially given the new technology being incorporated into cars? It feels like it is just a...
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Mitsubishi i EV To Be Orderable On the Web In 90 Days
AllSmallCars.com has been following the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, now know to the U.S. market as only “i,” for a couple of years now. However, it seemed as though the eagerness had cooled off when Nissan beat Mitsubishi to the punch by releasing its longer range and larger Leaf electric...
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Video Break: 2011 Chevrolet Volt Attracts More Than Just Young Buyers
General Motors is quite proud of their 2011 Chevrolet Volt and they have a perfect right to be. The Volt is changing the way consumers view electric vehicles and it helping to change the adoption rate even if the Volt isn’t quite completely powered by electricity. A case in point is a recent...
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Recall Alert: Gear Issues For North American THINK City
The THINK City hasn’t been having a good go of it lately during its short run in the North American market. As of the end of February, the THINK City has been recalled three times with the latest recall said to affect 23 City models. According to Detroit News, the automaker reported that it...
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2011 Geneva Auto Show Preview: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback
Chevrolet has been making inroads at repairing their small car reputation since the poor safety records (especially side impact) of the Cavalier and the lack luster performance and style of the Cobalt. Yes, the Cruze has been quite the improvement over past small Chevrolet cars, so much so that it...
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Ford is at it again and by it we mean cooking something up that will take the B-segment by storm. The latest to hit the press ahead of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show is a little CUV concept that is based...
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2011 Chevrolet Volt: Long-Term Tests Show Winter Capabilities
If you haven’t been following it, Motor Trend has a 2011 Chevrolet Volt in their fleet for long term testing. These long-term tests tend to reveal what the real day-to-day experience with a vehicle can be. It doesn’t mean that it is the ideal or even the exact experience every consumer...
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2012 Mustang Boss 302: Newest Model Gets Back To Track Roots
The Boss name, as it relates to the Mustang, has a strong 41-year history that goes back to a championship SCCA racing steed. So whenever there is a resurgence of the name it is normal for enthusiasts (especially of the racing variety) to compare it to the vehicles hay day when it was produced from...
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2011 Porsche Cayman R: Bringing Some Competition to the 911 Neighborhood
Diehard Porsche fans will never sway from the 911, it is the model to own if you were just going to buy one and one Porsche only. However, since the introduction of the mid-engine Boxster platform in 1997, drivers and enthusiasts have wrestled with the romance between predictable handling that...
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Fast Company Names Nissan In 50 Most Innovative Companies List
Nissan has been having a pretty good ride since it announced the Nissan Leaf and now that customers are actually getting their cars delivered people are on pins and needles to see how livable the cars really are. The success of the Leaf aside, the fact remains that Nissan has succeeded to be the...
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2011 Chevrolet Volt Takes Center Stage at Global Green USA Pre-Oscar® Party
Last Thursday, found celebrities, environmental activists and the 2011 Chevrolet Volt at the 8th Annual Global Green USA Pre-Oscar Party. The Volt has been named North American Car of the Year and Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year, so it seems fitting that it would take center stage...
Jonathan McGrew