Posts Written by Jimmy Dinsmore

Italian things with an American influence are very popular in the U.S… Olive Garden. Robert De Niro. FIAT? I put the question mark there because the jury is still out on the popularity of FIAT (under the mothership of FIAT Chrysler America).…

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure initially if my tester this week would be appropriate for 95Octane, whose motto is Cars That Don’t Suck. In the past, the Chevrolet Malibu has been less than exciting.…

The compact crossover segment is one of the most compelling, and increasingly competitive ones in the auto industry. Every carmaker has an offering. And each has some sort of merit and value.…

And the winner is… It’s award season both in Hollywood and in the car industry. The 2016 Volvo XC90 three finalists for the prestigious North American Truck of the Year (NATOY) at the 2016 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), and was the much-deserved winner.…

To discuss my tester for this week, I turned to Old Man Webster’s famous book and I looked up the word “evolution.” The first definition really helped me talk about my tester.…

What car do you drive yourself? That’s the question I’m usually asked by readers. Truth be told, I don’t actually own a vehicle, per se. My wife has a 2013 Honda Pilot that she loves.…

Let’s be honest, most hybrids are not thought of as very exciting. In keeping with 95Octane’s motto of “Cars that Don’t Suck,” we decided to cover a hybrid that adds some excitement and sportiness to the genre.…

When you think Toyota and hybrid, likely the Prius probably comes to mind first. However, at 95Octane we like our hybrids with a little more to them than the Prius.…

Someone once said to me: “The Audi S7 is just an overpriced version of the A7.” Something more factually incorrect has never been said. While there are significant similarities between the less expensive A7 hatchback, a fine and exquisite car in its own right, the 2016 Audi S7 is most definitely better in all the ways that matter.…

Audi continues to evolve their small car offering. In the 2015 model year, the A3 sedan changed body style, moving away from a hatchback toward a sporty four-door.…

Hey kids, who wants to go off-roading today? Okay, that is likely not a conversation most dads will have with his family on a Sunday morning.…

Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a beloved fairy tale. Perhaps it was a favorite of the engineers at Honda. With the 2016 Honda HR-V, they’ve re-created their own version of the Three Bears.…

The Ford Edge has lived up to its name since it was first introduced in 2007. You may not initially think of it as an “edgy” vehicle, but it was actually ahead of its time back in its early days.…

I’ll start out by saying the Lexus GS 350 F-Sport is a paradigm in contradiction. It’s a car that is both conservative, but bold. Its looks are both brash but simple.…

Most carmakers are in a battle of keeping up with the Joneses and constantly wage a battle of one-upmanship. Such is the case for my tester this week – the 2016 Acura MDX.…