The Best Car Websites

A true enthusiast doesn't limit themselves to one car website or blog, so here's my list of the best automotive sites out there.

Car Buying

Cars.com- While certainly not aimed for the enthusiast market, cars.com is my favorite car search tool. I've spent many days on the site just browsing for cars I could never afford and ones that I would be insane to actually buy. For me, being able to scroll through photos of Ferraris and classic Mustangs on dealer lots makes it seem more attainable and thus easier to fantasize about driving these cars. Maybe its just me. Anyway, I chose cars.com because of the ease in filtering the exact car you are interested in so you don't have to look at any automatic Mustangs...

Cars-on-line.com- This is my choice for those interested in searching for classic cars. Once you click on the link you'll be taken to a website that clearly hasn't yet moved into the 21st century. While the site is showing its age, it still shows you what classic cars are available in your area. Cars-on-line.com also lets you search purely by make and only accepts cars on its site that are truly classics, allowing you to see only best classic cars.

Blogs

Jalopnik- If you're a common reader of EAE you already know that Jalopnik holds a special place in my heart. Jalopnik's mix of bold writing style and "small blog" humor make it perfect for those who have a passion for cars. Jalopnik ignores those non-enthusiast readers that other blogs seem to cater to and in doing so has created a close-knit online automotive community.

Autoblog- Autoblog makes no attempt to match Jalopnik's humor or community but does do a great job of providing auto news. If you are interested in spy shots of the newest sports cars, you'll love Autoblog. Anytime I'm looking for the most up-to-date car commentary I head to Autoblog to get the scoop.

EAE's Mission for Automotive Excellence

What EverydayAutoEnthusiast brings to readers is a different reading experience than you will find on Autoblog, Jalopnik, Hemmings, etc. While EAE will include the automotive news and car reviews enthusiasts are accustomed to seeing, this website will yield bolder commentary and thus a close-knit (and likely smaller) automotive community. This blog is not trying to compete with the automotive giants and readers that follow me into the fray will be rewarded with writing that mirrors their own sentiments (unless you're a die hard automatic transmission aficionado, or an extreme environmentalist, in which case why are you here?). News of new cars likely to be complete disasters will be met with pessimism instead of the usual hold-judgement-until-we-drive-it mentality so common in other blogs. EAE will also bring more in the way of automotive gaming. I realize that many enthusiasts are either too poor, too young, or not willing to shell out thousands of dollars to purchase a new car and instead settle their need for speed with a controller. I was raised on Gran Turismo and still play Forza 6 everyday. Practically everyone can play video games and relate to both game reviews and reviews of cars in the game. Those interested in photography should also check out the blog as while I am no means a professional photographer, I have been shooting cars for about 10 years and have a very unique style. I like to photograph cars on the fly instead of going on photo shoots and picking a spot ahead of time. If you take a look at my review of the last-gen Audi A3, you'll see a couple of examples of what I am talking about. Overall, this site is meant to exist alongside your other blog favorites instead of as a replacement. Browsing Jalopnik and then coming back here should yield two different automotive reading experiences for the true enthusiast.

Want to show your support of the EAE cause? Check out emblazoned water bottles and other products here.

Top Gear's Episode 4: A Retrospective

I was recently reading Autoblog's review of the latest Top Gear episode and found that the post highlighted the show's struggles just about perfectly. The review largely compared the "new" Top Gear to the old show. It is worth noting that "old" Top Gear is my favorite show of any kind, and it blended automotive knowledge with comedy more seamlessly than any TV show in history. While reading the post I couldn't help but wonder if the new crew on Top Gear was given an impossible task; recreating the old show with different people. Mr. Turkus' view was that the new show failed at using the old show's "skits" like racing different modes of transportation and cheap car challenges. My concern about the show's success lies deeper. Instead of trying to make new people fit the old system, my thought is that you let the presenters build a relationship on screen and then cater the "skits" to the presenters themselves. A simple reboot of the same material seen in the old Top Gear leads to audiences expecting that the show deliver the same level and type of entertainment. The old Top Gear began with purely car reviews by Jeremy Clarkson in the 80's and only used the format we have grown accustomed to after Clarkson, Hammond, and May had established a relationship on-screen. Top Gear still has potential as millions of viewers still watch the show despite the obvious deficiencies. Developing new material would eliminate any comparisons to the old show and give the show a chance to succeed.

Making Top Gear "right" is essential to the automotive community as it is really the only program that offers true comedy that enthusiasts can relate to. Further, the old Top Gear brought even those with little interest in cars into the automotive universe with this comedic ability. The failure to keep those viewers will likely mean fewer "turned" enthusiasts who gain interest in car culture from the show. At least we can still look forward to The Grand Tour...

Fill those zombies driving behind you in on the EAE cause or keep these magnets on your fridge to let your loved ones know you're a serious enthusiast. Check out our magnets and other products here.