Cars.com Expert Staff Bios

Patrick Olsen, Editor-In-Chief

"A native of Los Angeles, I have worked as a newspaperman for most of the past two decades in both the Chicago and L.A. areas. As Cars.com's EIC, I work with this great team to bring you all the news, research and advice you'll need to buy your next car. I'm not a gearhead, but more of a fan of how cars are becoming smarter, more comfortable and more fun."

First car: 1985 Toyota pickup with absolutely no options, including no rear bumper

Joe Wiesenfelder, Executive Editor

"After six years in the magazine business, I made the jump to web publishing in 1995 to apply my experience with photography, video and the written word. I joined the Cars.com launch team in 1997 and, well, time flies.

"I'd say my emphasis is cutting through marketing claims and technobabble to determine what really matters to car buyers. Nothing tees me off more than supposed improvements that degrade the driving experience. I'm the harshest critic of transmission performance that you're ever likely to meet, and I remain baffled by the SUV craze, but I judge all vehicles on their own merit. If I have a shortcoming, it's a blindness to the image aspect of vehicles. SUVs and sports cars don't make you cool, and minivans don't make you lame. Many people, and the entire state of California, clearly disagree."

First car: My first car was a 1971 Oldsmobile Delta 88 whose 455-cubic-inch engine awoke the car nut in me — and made me a big-block snob for eternity. I survived more than 10 years owning a '79 Fiat Spider I bought from Tom ("Click") Magliozzi from NPR's Car Talk, which I recently replaced with the "tuna boat" a 1984 Mercedes 300D turbo diesel. I keep a 2002 Mazda Miata SE as a reliable backup.

David Thomas, Managing Editor

"I've gone from editing Cars.com's news blog KickingTires and Ask.Cars.com to overseeing not only the stories on our site but also how we reach car shoppers via social media. Like the rest of our team, I try to keep my hands in a bit of everything and review new cars, take part in our Shootouts and even "star" in a video or two. I have a thing for station wagons and own a 2010 Subaru Outback and a 2005 VW Passat wagon. Secretly, though, I lust for a BMW M3 and lately have fallen for the Infiniti JX."

First car: 1989 Ford Probe

Senior Editors

Bill Jackson

"I handle the Buying Guides and parts of the Research channel here, in addition to writing car reviews. I've moved all over the place, both as a kid and as a former newspaperman. I like any car that carries my bike, Nordic skis and camping gear."

First car: 1973 Volkswagen Beetle

Eric Rossi

"I manage the Cars.com's multimedia team. I have my hands in all forms of digital media in the office, but I'm a car junkie at heart. I've been to every Chicago Auto Show since I was 3, and I can only keep a car for about two years before the need for something different gets the best of me. I've been fortunate to combine my passion for video production and my love of cars here at Cars.com. I began my career at Cars.com after graduating from Bradley University, but during college I ran my own car detailing business called 'A Touch of Hollywood.'"

First car: 1990 Toyota SR5 pickup truck named Mabel

Kristin Varela

"I'm the Senior Family Editor at Cars.com and the mom of two amazing girls, ages 9 and 11, and an adorable stepdaughter, age 7. My mom-mobile is whatever car I'm testing, and that's what you'll see me driving when I take the girls to dance classes, piano lessons or school. How's that for mixing work and family time? I do manage to find time for simple indulgences like bubble baths, yoga or an hour with a good book, and I relish the time I spend with my girls. They still kiss me when I drop them off at school, so I'm a happy mama."

First car: A red 1985 GMC Jimmy S10 with a rusty white stripe down the side and a personalized license plate that read "QUEPASA." What can I say? I'm a recovering nerd who left high school early every day to attend Spanish classes at the local university.

Mark Williams

"I'm a veteran automotive journalist with 25 years of experience. I've worked at Four Wheeler magazine, including two years as editor. In 2000, I joined Motor Trend as its expert on all things pickup, SUV and four-wheel drive. In addition, I became editor at Truck Trend. Before joining PickupTrucks.com, I was a freelance automotive expert, loaning out my writing and enthusiast-market expertise to outlets such as Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, PickupTrucks.com, Amazon.com and several others. I was a Motor Press Guild board member for several years, and I'm also a long-time soccer coach, most recently finishing my ninth season as the local junior high head coach. I live in Southern California with my wife and enjoy camping, hiking, skiing, big trucks and towing, and back-country 4x4 driving."

First car: 1966 Volkswagen Beetle

Reviewers

Joe Bruzek

"I'm the resident answer guy for Ask.cars.com and am always in the thick of new cars and industry news to answer our readers' questions. I'm a hopeless gearhead, and even off the clock I'm infatuated with hot rods and fast cars. When I was 1, my dad propped me up in the driver's seat of his 1964 Corvette roadster ... and it was all downhill from there. Before Cars.com, I attended an automotive technology school and worked in automotive service centers. I interned at the multicultural automotive publisher OnWheels Inc., where I got my first taste of auto shows from the media side. Going to public days will never be the same: What, no interpretive dancers around the new Camry? C'mon."

First car: 1990 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car. It still had the stripe and unit numbers down the side and on the back. It was large, loud and powerful, and I miss it like a lost dog.

Mike Hanley

"After briefly writing for Racingone.com, I joined Cars.com in 2002. I've held a variety of positions since then and am currently one of the site's resident car reviewers. Though I often give high marks to cars with superb handling qualities, I have a soft spot for old Detroit land yachts. I also tend to prefer manual transmissions, though I'm thankful today's stick shifts are more refined than the one in the 1951 Willys Station Wagon that I learned on."

First car: 1975 Chevrolet Impala coupe

Kelsey Mays

"A Seattle native, my experience includes heading up the automotive section of a west Los Angeles weekly, as well as brief stints writing for Edmunds.com and TrulyHollywood.com. As my dilapidated 1994 Toyota Celica proves, I'm a stick-shift purist and bona fide car geek — no doubt explaining the serious imbalance in my time-spent-researching-camshafts to time-spent-dating ratio."

First car: 1994 Toyota Celica

Editors

Colin Bird

"I'm the newbie on the team. I primarily focus on writing for KickingTires, but I also lend a hand to the Cars.com Facebook page as well as PickupTrucks.com. I've been an obsessed automotive geek for almost my entire life. I started out as an avid commenter and forum participant. I eventually launched my own car-enthusiast website and became the host of a community-led podcast. I joined Cars.com in 2008 in another department before joining the editorial team. I prefer to focus on practical driving machines over fantasy cars, and I care deeply about automotive safety, fuel efficiency and renewable energy."

Dave Lee

"After 10 years as a newspaper copy editor in Indiana, Wisconsin and North Carolina, I jumped over to the online arena, where I edit Cars.com's blogs, reviews and other editorial content. I learned how to drive on a 1986 Nissan Sentra that later developed a temperamental ignition that only I knew how to start. It was a tricky maneuver that involved turning the key all the way forward, releasing it slightly, and then jerking the key forward again — all while reciting a quiet prayer. It worked about half the time."

First car: 1998 Honda Accord

Jennifer Newman

"Jennifer is a married urban mom with two busy boys, ages 4 and 8. On the weekends, she can be found navigating Chicago's streets in her 2009 Nissan Versa, which she bought during the Cash for Clunkers program. She spends her weekdays working as a copy editor and blogger for Cars.com. Her miniscule amount of downtime is spent playing "Star Wars" with her oldest son and building Lego creations with her youngest."

First car: Ford Escort, no idea on the year

Chad Rubel

"My first car had a wonderful safety feature: You could never lock your keys in it since you needed the key to lock it. When I got the car, there was one significant problem: I didn't know how to drive a stick. The lessons with my father didn't go well, but eventually I learned that life skill. And now, I only want to drive automatics."

First car: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird, very used

Multimedia

Matt Avery

"As the primary videographer for Cars.com, shooting cars is second nature to me. In my role, I've been able to combine my two passions — media and cars. I've worked as an ASE-certified technician for both BMW and Mercedes-Benz while living on the East Coast. I graduated with a degree in electronic media and film from Towson University and began working as an assistant writer and production assistant for "MotorWeek." Whether it be the Rolls-Royce Phantom or Toyota Sienna, nothing brings me more satisfaction than infusing creativity into my shots to highlight the car or truck I'm shooting. If the viewer enjoys what he sees, I'm happy and know it was a job well done."

First car: Two Ford Mustangs that I modified during my high school years.

Lindsay Bjerregaard

"After graduating from the University of Iowa, I started at Cars.com as a multimedia intern. In my first week I shot video of a Jaguar XK convertible, so I knew this job was going to be a perfect fit. I mainly shoot, edit and appear in videos for the site. My 2007 Toyota Corolla — Steve Carella — has starred in multiple advice videos."

First car: 2000 Ford Taurus

Ian Merritt

"As the staff photographer here at Cars.com, I spend a lot of time behind the wheel. In my next life, I will be a rickshaw driver. I grew up in northern Vermont, so I'm a sucker for any four-wheel-drive car that eats snow. My family has parked at least one and at times upward of three Subarus in my parents' driveway since 1988."

First car: A black 1988 Mazda 323 hatchback base trim with a four-speed manual transmission, but no tachometer or passenger-side mirror. Thanks, Grandma.