Recent Posts by Rick DeBruhl's Car Life

Road Test: 2013 Audo A8 L 3.0
17 May 2013

My wife likes to think of cars as having personalities. If they were to come to life how would they look and act? 2013 Audi A8 L 3.0 If that’s the case, and if the 2013 Auto A8 L 3.0T were Continue Reading

Road Test: 2013 Ford Escape
08 May 2013

I think I can sum up my week with the 2013 Ford Escape with one sentence: What took Ford so long? 2013 Ford Escape Titanium The Escape is a solid compact SUV that runs great and looks even better. And it’s those Continue Reading

2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee
01 May 2013

Did you ever meet someone who didn’t impress you at first, but after a while you became great friends? 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee That’s the way I felt about the 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. It didn’t wow me right Continue Reading

Road Test: 2013 Buick Enclave
24 Apr 2013

The 2013 Buick Enclave walks a very fine line. 2013 Buick Enclave It sits somewhere between Chevrolet and Cadillac in the GM line-up. The problem is that these days everyone wants their cars a little more upscale, so Chevy is Continue Reading

Skip the Nitrogen for Your Tires
22 Apr 2013

When it’s time to decide whether you want to pay extra to put nitrogen in your tires, there are two questions you need to remember. Number one: Is it better? The answer to that is yes. Number two: Is it worth Continue Reading

Road Test: 2013 Mercedes GLK350
26 Mar 2013

The 2013 Mercedes GLK350 is a great car. The only question is whether it’s worth the money. But before you answer that question, you need to figure out how much money you’re talking about. My test car was the fully Continue Reading

10 Least Expensive Cars to Insure
26 Mar 2013

Let’s see, you searched for the car with the best mileage. You made sure it uses regular gas because it’s a lot cheaper than premium. You bought a car with a long warranty to avoid expensive repairs. You even made sure that Continue Reading

Road Test: Nissan 370Z Convertible
20 Mar 2013

The 2013 Nissan 370Z Convertible is a driver’s car. I say that not just because it has a 332 hp motor with a six speed transmission. It’s not just because the Touring edition has upgraded suspension and brakes that allow Continue Reading

Average New Car Price
11 Mar 2013

The average price of a new car last year was $30,550, and apparently my neighbors can’t afford it. That’s the word from Interest.com’s 2013 Car Affordability Study. It ranked 25 cities on the abilities of the people who live there to Continue Reading

Road Test: 2013 Volvo S60 T6 R-Design
05 Mar 2013

The whole time I was driving the 2013 Volvo S60 I wanted a group of bad guys to start chasing me. You see, while the Volvo S60 look may look like just another mid-sized upscale sedan, I had the T6 Continue Reading

$322,000 Microcar Record!
26 Feb 2013

What’s a microcar worth? How about $322,000? That’s how much someone paid for 1958 F.M.R. Tg 500 ‘Tiger’ at the Bruce Weiner microcar collection auction. A British built, four-wheeled sporty version of the Messerschmitt three-wheeler, it actually had a formula one-styled sub-frame. Its Continue Reading

Road Test: 2013 Dodge Charger SRT8
22 Feb 2013

I picked one heck of a week to be sick. There I was sniffling and sneezing, lethargically lying around the house trying to find enough energy to take the medicine that never really worked. And the whole time, out in the Continue Reading

Road Test: 2013 Subaru Legacy
12 Feb 2013

The 2013 Subaru Legacy is like that kid who comes from a quirky family and is now trying hard to blend in with the popular crowd. Let’s face it, Subarus have always been just a bit different. Their styling never Continue Reading

Road Test: 2013 Chevrolet Volt
08 Feb 2013

When talking about the 2013 Chevrolet Volt, let’s make one thing clear from the start. The Volt is an electric car. Yes, it does have a gasoline engine. But unlike hybrids (such as the Prius), the Volt’s gasoline engine is Continue Reading

How About a Microcar?
30 Jan 2013

Looking for some new wheels and you want something small? And since you think that the Fiat 500 is huge and the Smart Car is just darn big, where you can you turn? How about the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum? Continue Reading

Road Test: 2013 Nissan Maxima
30 Jan 2013

The 2013 Nissan Maxima is like an aging football quarterback. He’s a little bigger than he used to be, but he’s still got great moves. The problem is that there is a whole generation of flashier youngsters. Even his younger brother and his cousin are Continue Reading

Road Test 2013 Volkwagen Beetle
28 Jan 2013

Let me start by saying that I grew up in a VW family. We had a 57, 61, 67, 68, 69, 71, 73 and a 75. Most were Beetles, but there were a couple of vans and a squareback thrown Continue Reading

Is the Batmobile Worth $4.2 Million?
24 Jan 2013

A lot of folks who watched the Batmobile sell at Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale were left wondering whether the TV creation is really worth $4.2 million. As a car, that’s an easy answer: No. George Barris created the Batmobile using a Continue Reading

Kaiser Darrin: America’s First Sports Car?
18 Jan 2013

It’s ironic that the car helping to keep Henry Kaiser’s name alive is the one he didn’t want to build. Back in the early 50s Howard “Dutch” Darrin was working for Kaiser and not happy about it. His designs were falling Continue Reading

Back to the Future: Barrett Jackson Circa 1985
16 Jan 2013

While prepping for SPEED’s broadcast of this year’s Barrett Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, I came across an article I wrote back in 1985 (at least I think it was 85, I forgot to put a date on it). It Continue Reading

Road Test: 2013 Chrysler 300 SRT8
04 Jan 2013

I can pretty much sum up my feelings about the 2013 Chrysler 300 SRT8 in two words: Holy Cow! The SRT8 is one spectacular car. I was never really a huge fan of the Chrysler 300 styling. It’s one of Continue Reading

Top 3 Cars of 2012
04 Jan 2013

It’s time to list my favorite cars of 2012. Now it’s important to point out that this isn’t the ultimate top three cars of the year. Neither I, nor my expansive staff (which consists of me) drove all makes and models. Continue Reading

If I had a Million $$ – I’d buy me a Divco!
18 Dec 2012

We all have those cars from our childhood that standout. There was the 49 Plymouth my mom used to drive (and the first car I remember). Then there was the series of VW bugs my dad drove as I grew up. Continue Reading

Road Test: 2013 Lexus RX 350 F Sport
10 Dec 2012

Sometimes you just have to ask, “Why?” You know, like “Why do they need to deep fry a Twinkie at the state fair?” Or “Why do some men wear Speedos” (when they clearly shouldn’t)? Which leads me to the 2013 Continue Reading

Why Pay $10 to Look at New Cars?
03 Dec 2012

While lots of eyes are on the LA Auto Show this week, I’m still digesting my visit to the Arizona International Auto Show in Phoenix over the Thanksgiving holidays. Unlike the LA Auto Show where manufacturers debut lots of new Continue Reading

Watch out for New Car Drivers
27 Nov 2012

I’m no 007, but I am leading a life of danger. You see, week after week, I push the safety envelope. I don’t jump out of planes or wrestle alligators. I road test cars. Sure, I’m surrounded by a horde Continue Reading

Road Test: Lexus GS450h Hybrid
19 Nov 2012

The person who buys the 2013 Lexus GS450h has to be pretty self-confident. It’s not that the car stands out in some strange way. In fact it’s just the opposite. It blends in with all the other cars on the Continue Reading

Tesla is Motor Trend’s Car of the Year
14 Nov 2012

For the first time ever, Motor Trend’s Car of the Year doesn’t use an internal combustion engine. All hail the electric conqueror: the Tesla Model S. Tesla beat out all the big dogs to claim Motor Trend’s top award. Shocking. Continue Reading

Suzuki Abandons the US.
09 Nov 2012

If you own a car made by Suzuki, the resale value just took a hit. That’s because Suzuki has decided to stop selling cars in the United States. This isn’t going to come as a shock to most people. They Continue Reading

Will Flooded Cars Flood the Used Car Market?
02 Nov 2012

Pictures of flooded cars after Hurricane Sandy bring back memories of what happened after Katrina. Beware of Used Cars after Floods (Bloomberg) Water is not friendly to cars. While many of them will dry out and seem to be just fine, you Continue Reading

About: Rick DeBruhl's Car Life

Website: http://rickdebruhl.com/