The Year in Cars: October 2007

Not only are we getting a BMW 1 Series coupe, we’re also getting a convertible in the spring. And around the same time we’ll get to test — presumably — a new M3 sedan.

Staff photographer Ian Merritt debuts his first photo blog post on the 2008 Dodge Viper, and follows it up with a surprising look at the Honda Accord.

Who would have thought that newly redesigned cars would sell well?

The Year in Cars: September 2007

• We’ve seen Stow N’ Go. Now we get Crate N’ Go. No, seriously.
• We try a bunch of early drives in new GM products like the 2008 Saab 9-3 and 9-7X Aero, Pontiac Torrent GXP, Buick LaCrosse Super, Chevrolet Corvette and the hybrid versions of the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon.
• Smart hysteria continues as a sub-$12,000 price is announced. No, we still don’t have a dealer list.
  

The Year in Cars: August 2007

• There aren’t a lot of new cars introduced in August but one new crossover seemed to be in short supply.
• We have a faceoff for high-rollers but it doesn’t include the new Bentley Continental GT Speed. Two more pricey droptops get special treatment. 
• We get our first drive in the redesigned Toyota Highlander.

The Year in Cars: July 2007

• July kicks off with a big bang as we get our first official look at the U.S.-bound BMW 1 Series. Five months later, we price out a 128i versus a 328i identically equipped, and the two are just $3,000 apart. Maybe this video will make us feel better.
• Shock! Gas aides don’t work. Gas-powered V-8 BBQ grill does.

The Year in Cars: June 2007

“Fast Cars & Superstars” gets under way. We talk to Kasey Kahne, Gabrielle Reece, Laird Hamilton, John Salley, and there’s a winner. Who would have guessed a come-from-behind win from this guy?

Mother Proof joins the Cars.com family.

Hyundai, Ford and even Mercedes show gains on various quality lists.

Honda says goodbye to hybrid Accords, Brad Pitt says hello to hydrogen BMWs and Toyota sells its millionth hybrid.

The Year in Cars: May 2007

• May starts things off with a few days of track time and surprise up-close time with the new Pontiac G8.
• Our monthly Faceoff takes on cheap speed, a favorite topic.
• Cars.com goes mobile. Now you can find nearby inventory and prices on the go.
• Say what? Pricey navigation systems hurt resale value? We knew there was a reason to ask Santa for a TomTom.
• Before U.S. journalists drive one, over 12,000 people plop down $100 deposit on a Smart ForTwo. Seven months later we still don’t have a list of dealers.

The Year in Cars: April 2007

Oops. We had a few days where updating this series was impossible. Sorry about that. We’re back and catching back up with the year that was 2007. In April we hit another auto show, this time in NYC.

• The New York Auto Show is intriguing, if not as memorable as Detroit. Highlights include the new Subaru Impreza, Subaru WRX sedan and hatchback, small GM concepts, Jeep Liberty, 2009 Ford Flex and others. The winners and losers aren’t a surprise.
• The Great Car Faceoff concludes after much debate.

The Year in Cars: March 2007

We truck on as winter moves to spring, auto show season moves to Geneva and a certain madness that has no relation to the month begins. 

• Man! Fender-benders can be expensive. In simulated crashes, repairs cost more than some of our first cars.
• Our Faceoff of the month tackles manly SUVs.

The Year In Cars: February 2007

We continue our countdown to 2008 with a recap of February ’07. If you missed January’s look back, go catch up then hurry back over to see what piqued our interest a month later.

• The month starts off with a major Faceoff between the Toyota Tundra, Chevy Silverado and Ford F-150.
• Trucks continue to be a theme at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show, where the 2008 Dodge Dakota and Nissan Titan debut, along with plenty of SUVs, crossovers and hatchbacks. But the unquestioned winner of the auto show is Pontiac’s muscular G8 sedan.

The Year in Cars: January 2007

Today we start our look back at the year that was 2007 from the perspective of the car buyer, shopper and enthusiast. Over the next few weeks, we’ll give a brief overview of what happened and what impact the news of the day had on the year overall. Each day we’ll highlight a different month leading up to the new year. Tell us what your favorite happenings were in the comments below.

January always starts the year in cars off with a bang in Detroit with the annual North American International Auto Show. It showed off some great cars this year, including the new Chevy Malibu, Cadillac CTS and Nissan Rogue, but the show was stolen by the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt concept car, which we would hear about throughout 2007.

From there, things just kept getting more and more interesting: