J.D. Power APEAL Study: Porsche’s On Top, But Hyundai Wins Big
J.D. Power’s Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study looks at how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based upon owners surveyed three months after purchase or lease of a new vehicle. The study looks at over 80 specific attributes of each new vehicle, and the data reflects information from over 73,000 participants.
In terms of manufacturers, Porsche has won the top nameplate award for the seventh consecutive year, and is followed in 2011 by Jaguar and BMW. Land Rover scored fourth place on the list, followed by Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.
Luxury nameplates at the top of the APEAL list may be business as usual, but some of the individual vehicle awards will come as a surprise.
The 2011 Hyundai Equus took top honors in the Large Premium Car segment, beating out the 2011 BMW 7-Series and the 2011 Audi A8. In its first year of sales, the Equus has earned Hyundai a five-percent share of the luxury market, pulling in the bulk of pirated buyers from Lexus, Cadillac and Infiniti. The segment win helps to position the Equus as a serious contender in the large luxury sedan market.
Chevrolet may be selling lots of Camaros, but when it comes to vehicle satisfaction, the big winner in the Midsize Sporty Car segment is the 2011 Dodge Challenger, which also took top segment honors in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Survey.
Don’t feel bad for Chevrolet, however. Its Volt serial hybrid may be the most controversial and politicized car to ever come out of Detroit, but Volt buyers love it. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt beat out the 2011 Volkswagen Golf and the 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer as the highest rated Compact Car in the APEAL survey.
Full results of the APEAL survey, including winners in the SUV and truck categories, can be found at the link below.
[J.D. Power, via Motor Authority]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Analysts: Gas Prices Could Bring Economic Recovery To A Halt
Just when it looked like people were more willing to spend money again on non-essential items—and on more essential (but deferrable) purchases like new cars—rising prices at the pump could grind some aspects of economic recovery to a halt.
After a major price spike in summer 2008, when prices topped $4 a gallon on a national average, gasoline prices plummeted at the end of 2008 to well under $2 then after a quick rise to about $2.50 have risen only gradually until about a month ago. Prices have risen about 40 cents a gallon over the past month.
Although prices this time aren't expected to spike with the volatility they did in 2008, many analysts haven't ruled out $4 gas this year—especially after political events in the Middle East and North Africa.
According to Nielsen Wire, a 50-cent increase in gas prices would cost the typical U.S. household about $52.50 per month, and if prices were to rise two dollars, that would mean $210 a month, or more than $2,500 a year.
Compounding the situation, Nielsen says, is that commodity prices are also on the rise, pushing profits down and leaving manufacturers and retailers afraid that if prices rise, they'll alienate shoppers. And with wages not keeping pace with inflation either, they will.
Ultimately, this stint of higher gas prices, however long it might last, will result in less eating out, more value-conscious shopping, and the increased use of coupons—along with trip compression.
Will this affect new-car purchases, too? It might be too early to tell, but as we've already reported that it appears to be creating a run on small, fuel-efficient cars, it likely will to some degree. As to whether it will damp an already depressed auto market even further...let's hope not.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Subaru, Honda, Infiniti Top ALG Residual Value Awards
If you're thinking of getting a new Subaru, here's one more pro to put on the list: some of the strongest resale values in the business.
ALG, a respected authority for residual values and depreciation data, and the leader for establishing the residuals that are used to determine new-car leasing rates, has named Subaru its top-rated brand for 2011.
That's great news for Subaru and Subaru shoppers, as quiet simply, the better a vehicle rates in residual value, the less it will cost to lease, and even if you buy, ownership costs are likely to be lower over the long run, as you'll get more money on trade.
Subaru edged out Honda, which ranked a strong second place. Mazda ranked third among mainstream brands.
"The sustained high quality of Subaru's products, as well as its consistent message about the benefits of all-wheel drive, continue to inspire a remarkable loyalty among its customer base," said Raj Sundaram, the company's senior VP. "This has allowed Subaru to achieve strong sales growth without relying on heavy discounting or fleet sales, which is another key to its ranking atop the mainstream brands again this year."
Honda has two winners: its Honda Fit, in the Sub Compact Car category, and the new 2011 Honda Odyssey minivan. Nissan was also a high achiever, both the Maxima (Fullsize Car) and GT-R (Luxury Sports Car) garnering the best residual values in their segments.
Among luxury brands, Infiniti ranked at the top and was significantly improved from last year. ALG pointed to the strong foundation the G35 sedan has given the brand, as well as the QX56 SUV, which it noted is priced lower than rival models. Acura was the second-place luxury brand, followed by Lexus.
Hyundai ranked in the Residual Value Awards for the first time for its Elantra, which topped the Compact Car category—likely surpassing longtime high-achievers such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
ALG noted that domestic brands still aren't leading many segments; the Ford F-Series Super Duty remained the only domestic-brand winner for the second year in a row.
Here's the complete list of 2011 winners:
Sub Compact Car: Honda Fit
Compact Car: Hyundai Elantra
Midsize Car: Subaru Legacy
Fullsize Car: Nissan Maxima
Sporty Car: MINI Cooper Countryman
Alternative Powertrain: Volkswagen Golf TDI
MPV: Honda Odyssey
Compact Utility: Subaru Forester
Midsize Utility: Subaru Outback
Fullsize Utility: Mazda CX-9
Midsize Pickup: Toyota Tacoma
Fullsize Pickup: Ford F-Series Super Duty
Near Luxury Car: Acura TL
Luxury Car: Lexus LS 460
Luxury Sportscar: Nissan GT-R
Luxury Alt-Fuel: Mercedes-Benz E 350 BlueTec
Luxury Compact Utility: BMW X3
Luxury Midsize Utility: Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Luxury Fullsize Utility: Infiniti QX56
[ALG]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
TCC’s Best Car to Buy 2011 Nominees: Sedans and Wagons
Work trucks aside, the heart of the U.S. new-car market is for sedans, hatchbacks and wagons under $50,000.
TheCarConnection's Best Car to Buy 2011 award will pick one vehicle from among the 40 new or significantly revised cars, crossovers, SUVs and minivans to hit the road this model year. And for our inaugural award, the list of new sedans, wagons and hatchbacks arriving in showrooms and eligible to win is a long one.
We've included nearly every new car fitting our parameters, and in this niche, 19 cars qualify to compete for our Best Car to Buy award. They all slot in with a base price of less than $50,000; each has been made available for a full road test by our editors; and each will be on sale by January 31, 2011, if not already on dealer lots.
Some of the contestants are still under wraps: come Monday, our first drives of the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger will be live on TheCarConnection. We'll be driving the Acura TSX Wagon soon, and are including it here based on its slight mechanical differences from the well-reviewed TSX sedan. Also on the list: the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, which should make the trip from its Alabama factory to the brand's showrooms just in time to make our deadline.
Can any of these vehicles top the impressive new green machines, minivans, or SUVs and crossovers also due in 2011? You'll find out soon, as High Gear Media will be handing out our Best Car to Buy 2011 awards next week, during the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show media days.
You can follow the build-up here at TheCarConnection, on our Facebook page, or via Twitter @CarConnection #BestCarToBuy. In the meantime, the nominees from the world of sedans, hatchbacks and wagons, with our judges' notes:
2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon: Acura's appealing compact sedan grows a backpack without gaining too much weight.
2011 BMW 5-Series: The follow-up to five generations of fame, the new 5er sedan outweighs bigger size with ripe turbo power.
2011 Buick Regal: Once a Saturn, always an Opel, the Buick Regal brings continental manners to the mid-size sedan class.
2011 Chevrolet Cruze: Chevy's new compact sedan erases the Cobalt from our internal hard drives, though the hatchback would be a welcome addition.
2011 Chrysler 200: Chrysler says its new compact four-door is good enough to ditch the old Sebring nameplate.
2011 Dodge Avenger: Like the 200, the Avenger gets a new cabin and a new powertrain, but the sheetmetal revamp is less extensive.
2011 Dodge Charger: The HEMI is back, and it's hooked up with a new look that's even more in-your-face American than the average UCF match.
2011 Ford Fiesta: Piping hot off the European design desk, the Fiesta has major subcompact street cred off the bat--and SYNC to draw in all the mobile-media addicts.
2011 Hyundai Elantra: Borrowing the look from the bigger Sonata, the new Elantra swaps staid for savvy and aims squarely for Honda's Civic.
2011 Hyundai Sonata: Whether it's four-cylinder, turbo four or hybrid four, the new Sonata delivers astounding value in a handsome package.
2011 Infiniti G25: A 2.5-liter G sedan? Yes, and it's keeping the Infiniti's fame for sharp handling intact.
2011 Infiniti M37: The top-line Infiniti sedan qualifies in V-6 form only here, wrapped in gorgeous sheetmetal outside and finished to exacting standards inside.
2011 Kia Optima: A counterpart and a counterpoint to the Sonata, the Optima's catchy styling riffs give it a personality of its own--one its predecessor never knew.
2011 Mazda2: An out-of-country cousin to the Fiesta, the Mazda2 has pert good looks and steering to its credit.
2011 Nissan Juke: A wild offshoot of economy cars and crossovers, the funked-up Juke sports Nissan's most advanced engine and available all-wheel drive.
2011 Scion tC: A revamped tC draws itself with straighter lines and more power in a tuner-friendly format.
2011 Toyota Avalon: Big, quiet and unassuming, the Avalon does everything Toyota typically does well.
2011 Volkswagen Jetta: Supersized for American tastes, the U.S. version of the new Jetta has a cavernous back seat, and d'Silva-designed lines.
2011 Volvo S60: A sculpted bullet from Sweden lifts interior design to a Scandinavian plane.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
New Lincoln Crossover Coming, Based on Escape
Earlier this summer, Lincoln execs told High Gear Media about their plans to introduce seven new vehicles in the next four years. With existing products firmly in place--MKX, MKT, MKZ, MKS and Navigator--the brand's focus appears to be turning to the small-car segment.
A report from Louisville's Courier-Journal confirms that Ford will spin off a new version of the next Ford Escape, and will sell the companion model as a Lincoln.
Ford executives told the daily paper that the new crossover would be better equipped to sell against the likes of the Lexus RX, and would go into production when renovations and retooling at the Louisville factory are completed next year.
It also reports Ford will make an official announcement early in December regarding the plant's new vehicles, shortly before the factory assembles its last Ford Explorer on December 13. The timing would presage a likely concept vehicle, to be displayed at the 2011 Detroit auto show.
Ford had been expected to build a version of the Escape for Europe in Kentucky as well, but that Ford Kuga production plan has since been put into turnaround. Ford does confirm that the new Escape will share design themes with the next Kuga, even if they don't share a production facility.
Lincoln is also expected to add a compact sedan to its lineup, based on the upcoming Focus sedan and inspired by its Concept C from the 2009 Detroit auto show.
The Escape and Lincoln crossover will be part of the broad family of C-segment vehicles that include mechanically related vehicles from the 2012 Ford C-Max to the 2012 Ford Focus.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
With 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, GM Begins Its Reboot Of Chevy Small Cars
For the third time in less than three decades, GM is renaming its mainstream small-car line. And while the Cruze might be assembled in the same place as its predecessor, the Cobalt—in Lordstown, Ohio—the new Cruze couldn't be more different than the Cobalt.
Most notably, it's a world car. But unlike Ford, which is designing its Focus from the start for the U.S., Europe, Asia, and other major markets, where it will debut at about the same time, the Cruze first bowed in Korea in 2008. Since then, it's been introduced in more than 60 countries and, GM emphasized frequently during a press preview this past week, the Cruze has seen hundreds of small improvements, and the version we get benefits from nearly all of them.
As we reported in our First Drive of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, this new small sedan is conservative in style, but sophisticated and serious in a way GM hasn't been before, feeling like a mini-Malibu in many respects. And, as GM had no hesitation in bringing Corollas and Civics out to sample alongside the Cruze, the automaker is confident that it created one of the best-in-class cars this time. It did.
But how do you get the word out when small-car shoppers—particularly those on the coasts—don't even think to look at their Chevy dealership? To vast swaths of the country, it's been largely dismissed as the maker of big trucks and SUVs, a few unremarkable rental cars, and the not-yet-here 2011 Chevrolet Volt.
Off-the-radar could be a market advantage?
After decades of small-car offerings that haven't exactly hit the mark in the market, and young buyers for whom Chevrolet isn't even on the radar, that might actually be an advantage.
GM's small-cars marketing director, Margaret Brooks, actually agreed with that point. "It's like we're starting over," Brooks said.
And there's more behind that statement. In addition to the Cruze and Volt, GM has a small-car strategy in place, to bring both a sporty, more substantial replacement for the Aveo subcompact on the way, as well as a basie, economical Chevrolet Spark hatchback.
How do you target this new generation? These are shoppers who grew up with Toyota and Honda, one GM official commented, and given strong product, they're much less likely to have preconceptions, and more likely to walk into the Chevy dealership than their parents.
Already conquesting with Equinox and Traverse
It appears to be true. Last week, GM revealed that so far this year nearly two-thirds of Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse buyers are new to the Chevy brand, and 44 and 45 percent, respectively for those models, traded in non-GM vehicles.
To some degree—as hard as it might sound to Baby Boomers—Honda and Toyota are what the parents always drove; Chevy is new and exciting. Sometimes not knowing a brand is better than knowing it too well.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2010 North American Car And Truck Of The Year: And The Winners Are…
Each fall, 50 journalists from the most respected automotive media outlets around the world get together to choose NACOTYs--in long form, the North American Car of the Year and Truck of the Year.
In just a few years of existence, the NACOTY have become one of the most respected awards in the industry. Designed to recognize the outstanding new vehicles in their segments, the awards also have given car shoppers and car enthusiasts an inside tip on the vehicles driving the future of the auto industry--vehicles like the 2009 Hyundai Genesis, the 2008 Mazda CX-9, and the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado.
I'm proud to report that this year I was selected as a member of the NACOTY jury. It's an honor that roughly equates to 20 years of weekends pouring over media kits and sites, shooting cars at sunrise and dusk, praying for a sane driving partner on press events, and sitting in the middle seat on cross-country flights to preview next year's new cars and trucks. And it's pretty humbling, when you consider the experienced hands already on deck.
Now, without further ado, let's see which car and truck took out this year's award. The 2010 Ford Transit Connect is the 2010 NATOTY, its slab-sided appearance speaking of utility and functionality. On the car side, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid wins the 2010 NACOTY award, its efficient hybrid drivetrain good looks, fine handling and solid value combining to win the day. Ford's domination of both Car and Truck of the Year awards will no doubt be noticed within the industry, and the Blue Oval can be relied up to capitalize on the success in its market, too.
To be eligible, a vehicle must be "all new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model.
Interestingly, Chrysler-branded vehicles were surprisingly absent from the list, while the rest of the field was almost equally divided among Japanese, European and American brands.
The jury pool for the 2010 awards reads like a who's who of the automotive media. It includes editors from Edmunds, Road & Track, Automotive News, Kelley Blue Book and USA Today, as well as the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, the Boston Globe, the Toronto Star and the Detroit Free Press. The jury also includes an experienced group of freelancers published across the Web, in print, and on camera.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Preview Drive: 2011 Nissan LEAF EV Prototype
High Gear Media has at last driven the 2011 Nissan LEAF electric car.
Okay, admittedly it's a stretch to say that we actually drove the LEAF, but we did take a quick spin in a vehicle that demonstrates, according to Nissan, how the LEAF will perform and feel behind the wheel.
In an unusual—and brave—move, Nissan is taking an engineering mule on a national tour, targeting hardcore EV enthusiasts, policymakers, and EV infrastructure people along the way. While creating a buzz for the production form of the LEAF, set to arrive next fall, is the primary goal, Nissan is clearly taking notes on how to tune and package the vehicle in its final form.
Alongside it sits the nearly cosmetically final (but not quite mechanically ready) version of the real thing. The LEAF itself is very attractive in person; the photos that have been sent around just don't do the proportions justice. The LEAF's snout has the sci-fi, space-ship character to suit the car's techy appeal, with drawn back headlights and an aerodynamically optimized yet sharp look, while the swoop of the rear flanks is unexpectedly sporty, almost voluptuous, in person, with a pronounced hot-hatch look from some angles in back. If Infiniti were to sell a vehicle derived from the Versa, this is how it would look.
And so it was that the mule we drove was actually a Versa five-door hatchback in appearance—inside and out—with few differences. If you overlook the "Zero Emission EV-12" logos and "test car" labeling on the vehicle, along with the unusual black-and-white two-tone paint and black-and-white spoked wheels, it was really just a Versa.
Of course that all changes as soon as you turn on the ignition, check the charge indicator, put the little Prius-style shift lever into 'D', and lift the brake. This mule does have a bit of brake creep, and Nissan is likely to keep the creep in the production form of the LEAF. As we eased into the throttle, we instantly noticed that there was very little of the high-pitched whine we've come to expect, to some degree, from inside the cabin of nearly every electric vehicle we've tested before—including the Mini E. Nissan has clearly worked to mute that in this Versa mule, let alone the LEAF.
The weight of this test version is "in the ballpark" of the weight of the final-spec LEAF—roughly the 3,300-3,500-pound range. And we were, literally, in a ballpark—the event parking lot of Seattle's Qwest field.
Read more
Fisker: No Special Favors from VP Biden in Delaware
Last month, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made car news when he inadvertently revealed plans for a range of vehicles to come from Fisker, the new car company setting up shop in Biden's home state of Delaware.
Biden's gaffe came off as "vintage Joe" to Washington watchers, but raised questions in the auto industry: was there any quid pro quo in Fisker's choice of the old GM Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky plant in Wilmington for its "Project Nina?"
Fisker spokesman Russell Datz says no. The purchase of the Delaware plant, and Biden's appearance at the press conference announcing its selection by Fisker, came as the result of a selection process that sifted through a raft of available, decommissioned assembly plants before settling on the former GM facility.
Fisker's Project Nina is the companion piece to its high-end Karma sedan and coupe/convertible. The latter cars are luxury plug-in hybrid sports cars to be launched next year, and to be built in Finland by Valmet. Project Nina's lineup of plug-in hybrids will include a sedan, a coupe, and a crossover vehicle; will be priced closer to the likes of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt; and will be built in the U.S., largely with the help of federal loans established to green up the U.S. car fleet.
Fisker looked at plants in California, Ohio, Michigan and Delaware and found Wilmington met the young company's business needs best, Datz says. The Wilmington plant made the short list easily, thanks to high quality ratings but mostly, by meeting five criteria laid out by Fisker for its new plant.
Not on the short list? Truck plants, like Chrysler's shuttered Durango assembly plant, also in Wilmington. "The way a truck is put together is much different," Datz explains, and the Chrysler plant wouldn't meet quality targets.
GM's plant, in contrast, had been building sportscars until quite recently. The fact that it had not been closed long gave it an edge--"the building's in pretty good shape," Datz says.
The Wilmington plant is also the right size for Fisker's long-term needs, he adds. At 3.2 million square feet, it's big enough to produce up to 300,000 vehicles a year--but had been tooled to build about 20,000 Solstice and Sky roadsters in its last configuration. "Not all of it will be utilized right away," Datz explains.
Another critical factor: Fisker's deal with GM to source Ecotec four-cylinder engines and apply its own plug-in hybrid technology. Most of the old equipment for GM's engine installation line is still there, and Fisker's recently won loans from Federal green-car programs gives the startup $175 million to upgrade the existing tooling where needed.
GM's recent upgrade of the plant's paint shop was an important factor. "We're looking to build cars that will compete with BMW and Mercedes-Benz," Datz says, "and we need a good paint job."
Port access played a role, "because we're going to export at least half of the cars we're going to build," he says.
And while the Detroit automakers are shedding unionized employees to cut costs, Fisker saw the UAW workforce in Delaware as an asset--a turnkey piece that could shortcut the often laborious training process.
"We're not a big company that can train--we just don't have the financial resources to do that, to go through the learning curve," Datz says. "The money that we save can be put back into product."
Of course, the intangibles of choosing a plant in the home state of the Vice President--while leveraging federal loans to vault a company into the big leagues--can't be measure. But that spiff came as an effect of the site selection process, Datz says, and Biden's appearance was merely "magic" for the announcement.
As for the now-notorious gaffe? Datz says the company wasn't "really shy" about its plans to build a range of vehicles under the Project Nina banner, but confirms that technically, Biden did reveal the company's future product plans.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
TLC’s ‘Family Armor’ Goes Inside Texas Armoring Corporation
We aren't entirely sure how an unassuming Mormon family from San Antonio, Texas found themselves in the armored car business, and we're even less sure how Texas Armoring Corporation scored a reality series wherein they convert "everyday cars into bulletproofed, bomb-resistant, gadget-filled fortresses, equipped with cutting-edge getaway gizmos and futuristic protective devices that rival 007". (The rest of TLC's show description is equally hyperbolic and awesome.) But one thing's for certain: we'll be watching the pilot episode when it launches Thursday night. [Discovery]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
