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Stories by Jimmy Dinsmore
Small, tall, and undefined
The term crossover is difficult to define. Is it a car? Is it an SUV? My tester for the week further complicates the category. In fact, it has a confusing name that further confounds things. Move beyond the name of the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek and you discover a vehicle ...
FINAL CURTAIN CALL
A curtain call is warranted when a performance has been superior. The performer then comes out and takes one last bow. That’s sort of what’s going on with my tester for the week — the 2013 Chevy Avalanche. Whether this light-duty pickup’s performance since 2002 has been superior enough to ...
BREAKING THE MOLD
In the world of family sedans, there’s plenty of competition. Most blend in with the crowd. Even the leaders of the pack, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, struggle to differentiate themselves from the crowd. For years, Ford’s family sedan offering, the Fusion, fell into the same-old, same-old mold. My tester ...
MAKING AN IMPRESSION
Being open-minded is a good trait to have. In this business, it’s a must. Open-mindedness requires being able to come off of a prejudgement of something, even if that something involves a not-so-funny incident that becomes a funny story. Enter my tester for the week — the 2013 Ram 1500 ...
Many ‘hot’ careers don’t require 4-year degree
Nothing illustrates the vibrance and strength of a community like the jobs and workforce within it. The Miami Valley is chock full of hard-working people with strong work ethics. However, this region has certainly been hit hard by the recession and economic downturn. Now with the economy returning, jobs being ...
The new face of hybrids
We say hybrid, you say Prius. Hybrid. Prius. Hybrid. C-MAX. Uhhh... Ford may have come up with a game changer in the gas/electric hybrid car market in the United States. Toyota, the front-runner in this division with its Prius, now has some competition thanks to the 2013 C-MAX Hybrid. The ...
A HYBRID with some PEP
On the surface, my tester for the week seems like just another obligatory hybrid creation. Afterall, Volkswagen already produces fuel-efficient cars with fuel-sipping diesel engines. So when I got behind the wheel of the Jetta Hybrid I was curious, to say the least. I was already eager to drive the ...
3 TO GET READY . . .
Getting the opportunity to drive so many new vehicles can turn you into a car snob rather quickly. I vowed when I took this gig that I wouldn’t let that happen. And I think I’ve done an admirable job. So, this week I’m tasked with reviewing the 2013 BMW 328i ...
FUN from the top down
Sometimes owning a car is just about having fun while driving. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. Perhaps no car epitomizes that more than my tester for the week — the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle convertible. The Beetle is already a fun little car, but add the drop top and ...
Putting the sport back into SUV
Sometimes adding some excitement to something safe and sturdy can be a risk, but sometimes it can pay off. Enter my tester, the 2013 Ford Explorer Sport, which spices up the steady, conservative Explorer SUV with some turbo excitement. New for 2013 is the Sport trim, which features a turbocharged ...
KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
There’s just something about a pickup truck. From its rugged looks to its vast resourcefullness, the pickup truck will always be a highly-sought vehicle for the American consumer. Add to that new and improved fuel-saving technology, and the truck becomes even more attractive. Enter my tester for the week, which ...
Allroad, all right
The name Allroad sounds rugged and unrefined. And you wouldn’t normally associate those two words with the Audi brand. But the name Allroad does sound better than station wagon, which is essentially what my tester for the week is. The 2013 Audi Allroad returns from a seven-year hiatus to try ...
Dodge Dart hits a bullseye
You may have seen the clever commercials for the Dodge Dart where you can “register” for this compact vehicle, and have friends and loved ones help you pay for this new offering from Chrysler. The advertisement is clever, different and hip – much like the Dart itself. As such, I ...
Big. Bad. Jeep
Some weeks being the Wheels editor are better than others. And sometimes, it’s downright fantastic and memorable. My tester for the week was the 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. It’s those last three letters that made my week with this SUV so much fun — so much fun it’s hard ...
Appealing to the masses
The crossover vehicle is so popular. With the wheelbase and chassis of a car, the cargo room of a station wagon, and features of a small SUV (or dare I say minivan), crossovers are a little bit to a lot of people. That’s where my tester for the week, the ...
F MARKS THE SPOT
If being steady and consistent is a flaw, then the Lexus brand isn’t flawless. Yes, Toyota’s luxury brand delivers comfort and luxury, wrapped in a conservative, maybe even sometimes boring driving experience. What some may call boring, I’d say lacks a little “sport.” My tester for the week proved that ...
The HATCH is back
Hyundai needed to hatch a plan, so to speak. Their Elantra is a popular choice in the small car segment, and just last year, they made the Elantra Touring, which was a throwback-style station wagon. But, in doing so, they left a void in the market without having a true ...
Auto show is a great opportunity for potential consumers to kick the tires
Auto shows are good entertainment. You don’t have to be a car nut, or even in the market for a new vehicle to find enjoyment at a car show. But, if you are considering buying a new vehicle in the near future, the Dayton Auto Show makes for a fantastic ...
Escape from the norm
Sometimes when you do the same thing over and over for more than a decade, you need an escape. That applies to my tester for the week — the 2013 Ford Escape. The Escape has had the same looks, more or less, since 2001, so an upgrade was very much ...
Practicality is the new cool
Sometimes sacrifices have to be made when you have a family. That’s where the minivan comes into play. Traditionally uncool but oh-so-practical, the minivan segment has lost some of its market share to the crossover and SUV buyers, who want a little more flash to their family haulers, lest they ...
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