Benjamin Preston

Benjamin Preston is an automotive reporter immersed in the complex and ever-changing worlds of electric and autonomous vehicles, car buying and sales trends, financing, and insurance. He is always on the lookout for information that will benefit people from disadvantaged communities, as well as tricks that can help the average motorist stay ahead of the repair and maintenance curve. In short, he aims to keep consumers from all walks of life in the loop on niche issues that may otherwise escape their notice.

Benjamin holds a masters degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Prior to joining CR, he was a web editor for the New York Times’ autos section, and wrote about cars and other topics for a variety of publications including Time, the Guardian, Jalopnik, the New York Daily News, BBC, and Hagerty. But not before working as a beach lifeguard, an auto mechanic, an ambulance crew member, a surveyor, and a string of other unrelated jobs that kept him from getting bored doing the same thing for too long.

In his ever-dwindling spare time, Benjamin also serves as a volunteer firefighter, specializing in car accident recovery and vehicle extrications, and he does all manner of DIY repairs and improvements on his century-old Craftsman house and anachronistic cars.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS:
“My reporting—my life, really—has taken me everywhere from Baghdad to the Detroit auto show, along the U.S.-Mexico border, and everywhere in between. If my travels have taught me anything, it’s that stuff—consumer products—is at the center of daily life all over the world. That’s why I’m so excited to be shining light on what works, what doesn’t, and how people can enrich their lives by being smarter consumers. When I’m not reporting, I can usually be found at home with my family, at the beach surfing, or in my driveway, wrenching on my hot rod ’74 Olds sedan.”