Natalie Merola

1 week ago | agirlsguidetocars.com | Natalie Merola

Remembering the minimalist yet quirky-cute face of MINI convertibles scooting around my college campus, I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to drive the new 2025 MINI Cooper in Savannah, Georgia. But there were choices to be made, and they weren’t easy: Which MINI models should I drive? Mini has given the entire lineup a fresh new look and feel for 2025, but thankfully, you can tap into the go-kart style driving and familiar legacy look starting under $34,000.

3 weeks ago | agirlsguidetocars.com | Natalie Merola

The first time driving an Infiniti QX80 is a little daunting. This full-size luxury SUV was just redesigned adding more features and notching the price up past $100K. I was curious how it could fit into my busy life and not spoil me for other cars, or make me feel too shabby for its luxe environs. The Sensory trim that we tested featured even more luxe details for its starting price of $100,645 (the entry level Pure model starts at $82,450); our test model had a final price of $107,215.

1 month ago | agirlsguidetocars.com | Natalie Merola

I can drive a truck, and I love their capabilities, but towing? I have never had to back up a truck and attach it to a trailer hitch—that’s a different challenge. But I like to be independent and learn new things, so when I heard that Ford was offering a Towing Bootcamp, a class that anyone can take, I signed right up. Our family has dreams of taking road trips to the national parks and scenic destinations around the country and hauling an RV so we can stay in the wild.

1 month ago | agirlsguidetocars.com | Natalie Merola

When we moved to a new neighborhood, I noticed some neighbors drove golf carts to the pool or mailbox. Other neighbors even rolled up to restaurants nearby. But when we looked into buying a cart we were disappointed; many were pretty basic, lacking the power, efficiency, and creature comforts you’d hope for, especially when you’re investing thousands of dollars.

Dec 2, 2024 | agirlsguidetocars.com | Natalie Merola

Boy moms face a particular challenge: Connecting with your kids in a way your parents probably didn’t connect with you. Thankfully, we have Monster Trucks. With any kid, one of the best ways to connect is through their favorite thing, and for boys, that’s often cars, as well as trucks, earth movers and machinery. Not that I didn’t like cars as a kid, too; when I was young I loved playing with Hot Wheels and watching my dad and brothers working on cars.