by Chris Chase Commercial work vans are hardly a new concept, but the vans themselves have become more modern in recent years. It’s a transition that began in the mid-2000s when Dodge began importing renamed Mercedes-Benz Sprinters after the DaimlerChrysler merger. Those first Sprinter models created an appetite in North America for workhorse vehicles designed
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Cars that Pretend to be Crossovers
by Chris Chase By the mid-2000s, the crossover utility vehicle craze was well underway. Models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 were selling in big numbers to buyers who wanted a car-like driving feel in a rugged-looking vehicle with AWD traction. Those three models helped shape today’s crossover-centric marketplace. Fifteen years ago,
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Compact Used 4x4s
by Chris Chase The auto industry has seen many four-wheel drive, or 4×4, SUVs come and go. These off-road-ready vehicles were more common in the 1980s, when they were frequently positioned as extensions of pickup truck models. Those early SUVs proved popular for weather-tight cargo areas. However, by the 1990s, automakers began to realize many
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Used European Luxury Hatchbacks
by Chris Chase At the beginning of the 2010s, luxury carmakers were moving away from station wagons as the market for upscale utility vehicles grew. However, not wanting to alienate buyers who appreciate a wagon’s practicality and car-like driving feel, German brands, in particular, began introducing mid-size hatchback models to replace them. In this used-vehicle
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Affordable Used Coupes
by Chris Chase The compact-car mainstream consists of mainly four-door sedans or hatchbacks. However, a few automakers have toyed with coupe models to appeal to drivers who feel that a two-door car looks sportier, regardless of what’s under the hood. Honda is the only carmaker that has produced a small coupe for any significant period
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Used Boxy Compacts
by Chris Chase While the 2000s was not an especially memorable decade for the auto industry, it did introduce a handful of short-lived vehicle segments we wish had stuck around. Among them is this set of practical but weird-looking vehicles: The Scion xB, Nissan Cube, Kia Soul, and Honda Element. The Scion, Nissan, and Kia
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Often-Overlooked Used Japanese Luxury Cars
by Chris Chase The auto industry is a fickle one. Frequent technology innovations and the changing tastes of car buyers mean a car manufacturer has to work hard to keep its offerings relevant. In this used-car article, we’re taking a look at a handful of cars that made strong starts but fell into obscurity. You
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Luxury Full Size Hybrid Sedan
by Chris Chase Most of the upscale plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles reaching the marketplace these days are SUVs, reflecting that vehicle type’s popularity. However, luxury brands made their first forays into the electrified-vehicle segment about a decade ago with more traditional full-size sedans using gas-electric drivetrains. These cars showed luxury-car buyers that saving fuel
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Used Diesel Economy Cars
by Chris Chase Diesel engines looked poised for big things in the mid-2010s. Volkswagen was enjoying massive success with its TDI diesels, particularly in the compact Golf and Jetta models. And then the Volkswagen emissions scandal, known as Dieselgate, hit the fan. That killed diesel’s momentum here as increased regulatory scrutiny scared most other automakers
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Used Large Luxury SUVs
by Chris Chase As a mainstream vehicle type, the luxury SUV is a modern invention. Previously, large upscale utilities existed on the fringes of the marketplace, with the oldest models coming from humble roots. Land Rover’s Range Rover began in the 1970s as a rugged means of traversing the English countryside, and the original Mercedes-Benz
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