New Vehicle Reviews
Archive Reviews
Industry News
This Week's Vehicle
Welcome to the Driver's Side
For nearly two decades, Jimmy Dinsmore has been putting new vehicles through their paces and telling readers what they really need to know before getting behind the wheel. As a longtime automotive columnist whose Driver’s Side reviews have appeared in the several newspaper and websites, Jimmy has built his reputation around something refreshingly simple: reviewing vehicles from the perspective of the people who actually drive, own and live with them. His automotive reviews can be traced in the Cincinnati/Dayton market to at least 2011, and today his work continues to appear under the Driver’s Side banner as part of his syndicated content.
More Than Specifications and Horsepower
Anyone can read a spec sheet or glance over a Monroney, but that doesn’t tell much of the story. Jimmy goes further.
Over the course of his automotive journalism career, Jimmy has driven and evaluated approximately 60 new vehicles each year, giving him hands-on experience across nearly every corner of the market, from affordable family vehicles and pickup trucks to performance cars, luxury SUVs, hybrids and the rapidly evolving world of electric vehicles. That breadth of experience allows him to recognize not only what has changed from one model year to the next, but also which changes actually make a difference to the driver.
Driver’s Side has always approached automotive journalism from a consumer-first perspective. Rather than burying readers in technical terminology or repeating manufacturer talking points, Jimmy focuses on the questions that matter after the vehicle leaves the showroom: How does it drive? Is it comfortable? Is the technology intuitive? Does the interior work for everyday life? Is the performance meaningful? And, perhaps most importantly, is it worth the money? That straightforward, practical approach has been part of the philosophy behind Driver’s Side for years.
Experience Creates Perspective
After thousands of hours behind the wheel of new vehicles, Jimmy brings something to automotive reviews that cannot be recreated with AI or by simply comparing numbers: perspective.
He has watched SUVs transform the American marketplace, trucks evolve into sophisticated everyday vehicles, infotainment systems become central to the driving experience, and electrification move from an industry experiment to a significant part of the new-car landscape. That history gives him the ability to judge a vehicle not only against its competitors today, but against the vehicles, technologies and trends that came before it.
Jimmy’s automotive knowledge also extends beyond weekly vehicle reviews. He is the co-author of two books exploring important pieces of American automotive history, including Mustang by Design: Gale Halderman and the Creation of Ford’s Iconic Pony Car and Ford F-Series Trucks: 1948-Present: A History of America’s Most Popular Pickup.
Reviews for People Who Actually Drive
The goal of Driver’s Side isn’t to tell you what vehicle you should like. It’s to give you enough insight to decide for yourself.
Expect candid opinions, real-world observations, industry perspective and a little personality along the way. Some vehicles will impress. Others will disappoint. And occasionally one will completely change expectations.
Whether you’re actively shopping for your next vehicle, keeping up with the latest automotive technology, following changes in the industry or simply love cars, trucks and SUVs, Driver’s Side gives you an experienced view from the place that matters most—the driver’s seat.