More sedan, smaller, entry models bite the dust in Detroit

2018 Chevrolet ImpalaTwo years ago this month, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles essentially threw in the towel on the "automobiles" part of its name. Canceling the compact Dodge Dart and the mid-size Chrysler 200 sedans, the company doubled down on the pickup trucks and utility vehicles that had long been its profit centers. Now that decision has become a trend, spurred on...

Discounts soar on many small cars as market stampedes toward SUVs

2017 Chevrolet CruzeThe market's shift to crossovers and SUVs is well documented, but what may be less well known are the massive discounts some automakers now offer on small cars as a result. While those small cars may deliver smaller profit margins, automakers must now add in steep discounts to move them from dealerships to driveways. In this context, "small cars"...

2017 Mitsubishi Mirage G4: gas mileage review

2017 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 SE, Catskill Mountains, NY, Nov 2016The Mitsubishi Mirage is the underdog of small cars: slow, loud, and archaic, but scrappy. And it's been a much bigger sales success than Mitsubishi expected, given the small numbers of minicars and subcompacts sold in the U.S. these days. For 2017, Mitsubishi added a four-door sedan model dubbed G4 to the existing five-door hatchback, and gave...

Fiat to slash prices on aging small car lines: report

2017 Fiat 500SWhen it launched in the U.S. back in late 2010, the current Fiat 500 marked the return of the storied Italian brand to these shores. The little three-door hatchback gave buyers another retro small car in the vein of the BMW-built Mini Cooper. But six years later, the 500 is fairly old by industry standards, and it faces a market that has shunned...

Fiat to slash prices on aging small car lines: report

2017 Fiat 500SWhen it launched in the U.S. back in late 2010, the current Fiat 500 marked the return of the storied Italian brand to these shores. The little three-door hatchback gave buyers another retro small car in the vein of the BMW-built Mini Cooper. But six years later, the 500 is fairly old by industry standards, and it faces a market that has shunned...