Carl Durrek, Author at Car Reporters

1Jul

By Carl DurrekNo Comments

Audi, Ford, Hyundai, MINI, Mitsubishi, News, Nissan

Hatchbacks that Go Farther

If the price of a gallon of gasoline ever made it back down to the price it was in the 1970s or even the early ‘80s we might never worry about fuel mileage again, but because that price continues to be as much or more than a gallon of milk, one of the most common questions dealers get for vehicles is “What is the gas mileage?” Gas mileage is measures under ideal driving and vehicle conditions; which mean you need to maintain your new car, truck, or SUV properly and drive at least somewhat conservatively in order to benefit from decent gas mileage. (more…)

28May

By Carl DurrekNo Comments

Brands, News, Toyota

The Complacent Era is Over

For a full decade the midsized truck segment had only a few offerings which came with little competition. With no entries from both Ford and GM, many of the automakers that still had players in this category left them to give similar features and style year over year with no changes as they sucked up the segment and brought it down from the heights it once was. The end of this era is finally over with the release of the two midsized truck offerings from GM, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Having these two show up in the style and capability they offer has sent many of the other truck building teams back to the concept room to come up with a new look and feel for their midsized trucks to be competitive. (more…)

22May

By Carl DurrekNo Comments

News

Rides Some Stars Drive

Stardom and fame come with huge incomes and with such a large amount of disposable cash many of these celebrities choose to drive specially made vehicles. A few even make their own car companies hoping to create even more wealth with a business venture with their name on it. Whether you find these cars and companies interesting, eccentric or just plain ridiculous, these cars are pretty cool to look at and learn what is inside them that makes them so special to these owners, even if the only special part is the statement that the owner has enough money to have something this cool. (more…)

The Future of the Automotive Industry is Data

16Apr

By Carl DurrekNo Comments

News

The Future of the Automotive Industry is Data

Most major retail segments in the United States have gone to using big data as a driving force for their marketing. The car business was one of the first to adopt it decades ago, but this was mostly done at the manufacturer level. Big ad agencies with big budgets used big data to determine how to post which message at what time on which venue. Today, there's a shift that puts the automotive industry back in the forefront of the business intelligence revolution. It isn't just the automakers using big data anymore. It's the dealers as well. This shift has been made possible by the increased availability of localized data about consumers - what they're buying, how they're buying, and why they're buying it. What used to be national or regional can be broken down into meaningful informat...

14Apr

By Carl DurrekNo Comments

Brands, Dodge, News

Where is Dodge Headed?

To know the answer to this particular question it might be better if we explore where Dodge has been and then discuss where it is headed. For 100 years Dodge has been a brand of confusion about most things except the ideal they want to push hard to be the leader in whatever they are doing, but that is where the confusion comes in. Dodge has given us strong and powerful muscle cars, has had cars that were designed specifically for women, offered awesome pickup trucks, branded some of the best family haulers around and even remade some Japanese compacts in the name of offering the vehicles that America wants and is trying to have in their driveway. Unfortunately because of this muddled history, Dodge has been more of a chic brand for many years and other than the Ram Trucks (now a sep...

2015 Infiniti Q50: Taking Over the Mid-Sized Luxury Sedan Market

13Apr

By Carl DurrekNo Comments

Brands, Infiniti, News

2015 Infiniti Q50: Taking Over the Mid-Sized Luxury Sedan Market

The market of mid-sized luxury sedans is already chock full of great offerings from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, and now the Infiniti Q50 aims to reach higher than all of them and take over. This model offers a comfortable interior, advanced electronics, and a look that is both appealing and somewhat elegant at the same time. The Q50 falls in line between the Q40 and the Q70, giving luxury sedan buyers something in between the two to fully appreciate. Most buyers will also appreciate the below luxury price of the Q50 which makes it just that much more enticing. Any vehicle that aims to take on the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 would have to be nothing short of amazing and Q50 is certainly that. The handling and power are signature features of Infiniti to be enjoyed...

9Apr

By Carl DurrekNo Comments

Brands, Jeep

Thanks for the Jeep, Bob

It isn't every day that you get to see a game show winner. Television game shows often have a vehicle as their big prize and if this Jeep Wrangler is to be believed, Bob Barker helped the owner get their ride.

8Apr

By Carl DurrekNo Comments

Brands, Honda, News

The Honda Crosstour is Gone

Even Honda lays an egg every now and then. The Crosstour was one of them. The much-maligned crossover had it bad from the start and never really recovered both in reviews as well as sales. It was uninspiring, a stark contrast to things that the Japanese automaker has done in the last couple of years. We won't really miss it. We're just glad it didn't stick around for long enough to make it awkward when it left. (more…)

External Airbags? Why Didn’t I Think Of That?

8Apr

By Carl DurrekNo Comments

News

External Airbags? Why Didn’t I Think Of That?

The race is on for tech companies like Google, Apple, and others to build their own driverless vehicle. Google has prototypes, and it is rumoured that Apple does as well. Safety has been a big concern when it comes to the self-driving vehicles, with many arguing that it isn’t safe. Google has set out to prove those critics wrong by creating a completely safe vehicle for both passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. How you may ask? By adding external airbags to the car. It seems like an ingenious idea. Airbags have been standard of new cars, trucks, and SUV’s for many years now on the interior of the vehicles, why not on the exterior. Think how this could change driving as we know it today. With soft pillowy airbags on the exterior of the cars, it could cushion the accident and leav...

Does Learning to Drive a Stick Shift Make for Better Drivers?

22Feb

By Carl DurrekNo Comments

News

Does Learning to Drive a Stick Shift Make for Better Drivers?

In this world filled with technology and advanced instantaneous gratification we see people almost daily trying to perform the task of driving without the first thought of what they are actually doing. Instead of paying attention to the road or the rules of the road, they are busy on their cell phones (hopefully not texting, but you know some of them are), eating, drinking, looking for stations on the radio or just about anything but actually being in tune with the task at hand. This may be why we have so many governmental regulations regarding the types of cars that can be bought, driven and sold here, to protect us from ourselves, but the reality is we simply need to be better drivers. (more…)