Skip to main content
Denis Flierl - Senior Reporter and specialized automotive journalist

Member for

14 years 2 months
Bio

Denis Flierl | Senior Reporter

Denis Flierl is a Senior Reporter at Torque News and a specialized automotive journalist with over three decades of industry expertise. Since 2012, Denis has been a mainstay of the Torque News editorial team, drawing on a deep background in high-level consulting for major global automotive brands. This unique "behind-the-scenes" experience allows him to provide readers with a wealth of insider knowledge that extends far beyond the standard spec sheet.

Based in Parker, Colorado, Denis is a prominent member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP). He utilizes the region's high-altitude terrain as a rigorous testing ground to provide "boots-on-the-ground" analysis for readers across North America. He specializes in breaking automotive news, exclusive owner perspectives, and technical deep-dives into vehicle reliability and maintenance.

Technical Specialization & Authority

  • Truck & 4WD Technology: With a focus on long-term reliability, he frequently reports on Toyota, GM, Ram, and Ford truck platforms, analyzing mechanical faults, drivetrain durability, and the transition to EV technology.
  • Data-Driven Reporting: Prioritizing a "Technical-First" structure, Denis anchors his reports in Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), official manufacturer recall data, and technical specifications to empower consumers with factual, actionable information.

Work Experience & Education

  • 2012–Present: Senior Reporter and regular contributor on Torque News, hundreds of automotive reviews on Automoblog, and a contributor to JC Whitney. 
  • Automotive Consultant: Over 13 years providing strategic, technical, and market consulting for major global car brands (Ford, GM, Ram, Toyota, Tesla).
  • Professional Test Driver: Years of hands-on vehicle evaluation, verifying real-world performance against engineering claims in Colorado's extreme high altitude environment.
Advertising


Technical Philosophy & Reporting Standards

In an era of automotive reporting often clouded by marketing hype, I adhere to a strict objective standard. My goal is to respect your time and intelligence by delivering neutral, reporting-style language. Whether I am investigating machining debris issues in a new V6 engine or detailing a Starlink software update, I prioritize technical descriptors such as "critical fault" or "thermal limit" over emotional narratives.

I see myself as a bridge between the factory's technical world and the driver's everyday world. My "education" in this industry was forged by three decades of collaborating with the engineers who build these machines and the technicians who keep them on the road.

Personal & Other Works 

Advertising


Outside of the automotive world, Denis is an accomplished writer and the author of the novel "Kingdom Runner," available on Amazon.

Connect with Denis

Visit DenisFlierl.com for technical deep-dives, vehicle testing archives, and full investigative reports.

Do you have a technical news tip, a specific DTC question, or an automotive query? Follow Denis for the latest data-backed insights:

About Torque News

Since 2010, Torque News has served as a dedicated, independent voice in the automotive world. For over 15 years, our team has focused on providing expert analysis and honest, "boots on the ground" vehicle reviews. Driven by a commitment to transparency and technical accuracy, we prioritize the reader’s needs over marketing hype to help you navigate a rapidly changing industry.

Article Published Comments
CR’s Best Car Brands and the Most Reliable Cars Report Card, It’s Subaru At the Top Of Both Now 2
I Brought In My Toyota Tacoma After Suffering a Botched Repair On the Worst Feature Ever, This Is Why Dealers Get a Bad Name 0
Subaru Is Not All the Way Back 3
I Was Trailering a $130K Corvette With My GMC Sierra Denali at 1:00 AM When A Wheel Came Off, “It Was a Miracle That No One Got Hurt” 24
It’s Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 Again in Car&Driver’s 10 Best Cars of 2025, But Which One Is the Best? 5
Subaru Dealer Says In Its IG Post, “We Bought a Kia and the Engine Blew Before We Made It Home” 2
Chief Tesla Cybertruck Engineer Interview Is Revealing, “I Never Wanted To Be the Next Elon Musk or Whatever” 4
Did You Buy a Nissan Frontier Lift Kit On Facebook? Nissan Dealer Says Its Parts Director Sold 200 Factory Kits on Facebook and Pocketed $575,000 1
The Next-Gen Subaru Baja You Want Now 43
My Ford F-150 Has Lost So Much Value, $20K In Negative Equity Since Ford Decided to Tank the Brand Due to Reliability and Cutting Corners 73
I Bought a 1998 Subaru Forester With 183,286 Miles, Took a 20,000 Mile Road Trip, Drove It Another 3 Years, and Decided It Was Finally Time To Let Her Retire 12
I Found a Rivian R1T At Auction For Cheap, It's Not Something I've Seen Out Here, I Love My Teslas, But I’d Choose the R1T Over the Cybertruck Any Day 2
I Was Told By Tesla To Disregard Some Traffic Rules When I Was Training Autopilot’s Software 1
Subaru Won’t Accept Anything Less Than Zero 7
I Bought a New Chevy Silverado, 4 Months In, the Bank Wants $35K From Me On My Old Truck, the GMC Dealer Never Paid It Off 28
Subaru Mgr Embezzles $144K From Vermont Dealer, “We Caught It Early On, It Could Have Been Devastating If It Went On Any Longer” 0
2025 Subaru WRX Pricing and Model Guide, One Trim Is New, Two Are Discontinued 0
Massive Toyota Lawsuit Includes RAV4 and 9 Other Models, “Toyota Has Long Been Aware of the Door-Lock Defect But Has Routinely Refused to Repair the Issue” 173
Head-To-Head 2025 Subaru Outback Vs. 2025 Honda CR-V, U.S. News Says the CR-V Wins Convincingly, But I Disagree 1
I Found a Flaming $150K Audi E-tron GT On Our Service Lift, It’s Hard Enough To Get an EV Fire Out On a Road, One Inside Presents A Whole New Set of Issues 1
Subaru Salesman Says “I Had No Idea I Could Do These 5 Things Hands-Free On My Subaru” 1
Subaru Office Mgr. Embezzled Nearly $200K From Dealer, “It’s a Shame That an Employee of 22 Years Could Betray Our Trust Like That” 0
This Is For Anybody Who Is Looking To Buy A New 2025 Kia Carnival, Don’t Buy It, My Battery Died 3 Times, They Are Pretty Clueless How To Fix It 1
Tesla Vs. Rivian Lawsuit Settlement - “An Alarming Pattern of Our Workers Poached By Rivian Were Caught Red-Handed Stealing Trade Secrets” 0
Nissan Altima Customer Becomes Irate When Dealer Refuses To Fix His Car For Free, “He Slammed His Knee Into the Seatbelt Buckle Crushing One Of My Fingers” 0