James Raia

Articles by James Raia

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CarMax Makes Fortune Magazine's Top-100 List, But Only Employees Really Know

The recruit, face painted, a full pack strapped to his back and rifle in hand, shouts out, “Good morning, first sergeant.” I’ve never been in the military, but from the stories I’ve heard from friends who served, it’s not quite what the commercial represents. Which brings me to the announcement this week of Fortune Magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies To Work For.” Only the employees of the companies know for sure. But in terms of the automotive industry, the Fortune list may provide an insight into part of the problem for the workforce employed by auto working manufacturers and their affiliated companies. Only one automotive industry company, CarMax, made the list — at No. 46. Based in Richmond,

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Hyundai Earns Three Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Awards

For the first time, three Hyundai models have earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award. The Hyundai Veracruz and Santa Fe received awards in the midsize SUV segment and the Hyundai Entourage in the minivan segment. All winning vehicles are recognized for their ability to protect people in front, side and rear crashes. This marks the third straight the Entourage has received the highest honor — the IIHS Top Safety Pick award in the minivan category. All three vehicles also earned five-star crash test ratings, the highest government rating under NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program, for both frontal and side impact. Top Safety Pick awards recognize vehicles that do the best job of protecting people

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Ferrari Sees (More) Red In ’07 — And It’s All Good

It would be a disastrous year for almost any other auto manufacturer. But selling 6,400 cars in a year is huge — at least for Ferrari. The Italian manufacturer announced this week that its sales total for 2007 represented a 14 percent increase from 2006. According to ANSA, the Italian News Agency, the company’s greatest success of the year came with the car maker’s announcement of its new prototype, the F430 Spider. Ferrari currently has  more than 1,850 orders for its Scuderia model, including 500 orders in the United States. The manufacturer also currently has orders for 430 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano models. The sales of the luxury car maker in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East jumped by

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Ford Escape, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Ford debuted a smaller, less expensive alternative to The Explorer, its vastly popular sports utility vehicle, in 2001. In North America, it was called The Escape and in Europe it was called The Maverick. The new compact SUV was developed in conjunction with Mazda, which in turn is owned in principle by Ford. Thus, the Escape, the Mazda Tribute and Ford’s Mercury division SUV, the Mariner, are not surprisingly quite similar. A hybrid version of the Escape was introduced in 2004 and this year with the 2008 model, the Escape and its SUV siblings have all been redesigned. Why? The SUV market has expanded so dramatically in recent years, even industry leaders have had to adjust to retain their share

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The Future Is Near: GM Talks Driverless Cars

Have car, no driver required. General Motors Corp., has announced cars that drive and park themselves could be ready for sale within 10 years. According to an Associated Press article, much of the technology already exists that will allow the vehicles to operate using radar-based cruise control to lane-changing warning devices. Rick Wagoneer, GM’s chief executive, discussed driverless cars as part of his speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In a recent interview with AP, Larry Burns, GM’s vice president for research and development, said “This is not science fiction.” The most significant obstacles facing the vehicles could be human rather than technical: government regulation, liability laws, privacy concerns and people’s passion for the automobile and the

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Car Manufacturers’ Decree: Green Is Cool, Just Not The Color Green

Few trends are more trendy than “going green.” But in the automotive industry, the concept and the color don’t match. According to recent study from DuPont, only two percent of new vehicles built in North America in 2007 were painted green. Green was even a less popular choice than yellow, which accounted for three percent of manufacturers’ color choice. While green cars are far from the rage, cars painted white are now the North American industry leader. For the first time in eight years, according to a report on MarketWatch.com, white overtook silver as the most popular color choice, with a 19 percent of the market. Silver was second, not far behind white, with black as the third most popular

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California Fuel Cell Partnership: Worthy Of A Good Look Or Visit

The Sacramento Auto Show was largely underwhelming this year. Electrical difficulties prompted the shut down of two display building at Cal Expo. And manufacturers’ presentations were uninspired – like the reps were going through the motions of presenting new vehicles for the umpteenth time — which they were. There were a few exceptions, including the display and energy of the presentation at the California Fuel Cell Partnership booth. The California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) is a collaboration of 34 organizations that believe fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen have the potential to change the future of transportation. The CaFCP web site, www.cafcp.orfg, provides information about the progress that CaFCP’s automotive, energy, fuel cell technology, government and associate members are making

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Mazda RX-8, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Sports cars are rarely known for comfort or convenience. But Mazda does a good job of overcoming the stigma with the RX-8. It’s a coupe with four doors (sort of) and it’s about as comfortable as sports cars get. Mazda further differentiates itself in the sports car class via its signature rotary engine. It’s the system that replaces pistons pumping in cylinders with triangular rotors spinning in oval chambers. My weekly driver was the 2008 Grand Touring model, the most expensive of the three options, including the Sport and Touring. Each has a 1.3-liter, 232-horsepower engine with a six-speed manual transmission or a 1.3-liter, 212-horsepower engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. (The automatic allows manual shifting via floor lever or

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Cadillac CTS, 2008: The Weekly Driver (Video)

A mid-size entry level luxury car, the Cadillac CTS was introduced in 2003 as a replacement for the Cimarron. Five years, later it’s become the manufacturer’s first success story in recent market campaign to sell vehicles to younger buyers. The CTS, in fact, is credited with rekindling the popularity of the Cadillac, whose sales dipped heavily in the 1990s in favor or Lexus, BMW and Mercedes. After its debut at the North American International Auto Show, success arrived quickly for the CTS after its public debut last August. Motor Trend magazine selected the CTS as its 2008 Car of the Year. After five years of the first generation CTS, it was redesigned for 2008, and it’s easy to see and

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Total Recall: 2007's Surprising Most Recalled Car List

Last August, for example, Ford Motor Co., announced it was recalling 3.6 million vehicles, mostly trucks from the 1990s, to fix a speed control deactivation switch. And last spring, Volkswagen began recalling 1 million new Beetles from the model years 2001 to 2007 to repair a brake light problem. “Now almost any time you pick up a newspaper, there is a recall,” said Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis at J.D. Power & Associates in Troy, Mich. According to Libby, overall car quality has improved. However, since automakers are using more shared platforms and parts, the chances the sample bad component resulting in recalls for the same reason in multiple manufacturers has also increased. Conversely, the increase amount of

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Cadillac CTS, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

After its debut at the North American International Auto Show, success arrived quickly for the CTS after its public debut last August. Motor Trend magazine selected the CTS as its 2008 car of the year. After five years of the first generation CTS, it was redesigned for 2008, and it’s easy to see and feel why the car has generated glowing reviews. The base model features a 3.6-liter variable valve timing V6 with 258 hp. My weekly drive was the more powerful option, a 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 VVT engine with 304 horsepower. It has a six-speed automatic transmission, which is standard on all models. On-demand, all-wheel drive is also offered with both engines when equipped with an automatic transmission. The

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Nissan recalls mass quatities of Altimas, Sentras

If the problem occurs, the engine could stop running without warning when the car is driven at low speeds. Jeannine Ginivan, a Nissan Motor Co. spokeswoman, said Monday there have been no reports of crashes or injuries corresponding to the issue. More than 650,000 of the recalled vehicles are in the United States, with the remainder in Mexico and Canada. The Japanese automaker reported the problem in a Nov. 16 letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nissan, which will begin to notify owners Dec. 10, will reprogram the electronic control module to address the problem. For more information, contact: Nissan at (800) 647-7261.

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Volkswagen Convertible, 2007: Weidel on Wheels

Even though the Beetle is still loved by women, the luster has worn off over the past decade even for the fairer sex. The Beetle has become commonplace and there is no big fuss or heads turning when the little “bug” is cruising down the road. When Volkswagen came back with the Beetle after a near 20-year departure in 1997, no hype was required for the unveiling. It seemed like every woman I knew was enamored with the endearing little Beetle, which became part of a successful retro campaign that drifted through the auto industry. Even my then 7-year-old daughter made it clear this was the car she wanted. Yet when I was driving the VW convertible last month, my

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Saturn Vue, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Instead, Saturn wanted more success in the compact SUV segment and redesigned the Vue. The 2008 edition, nearly identical to its global counterpart, the Opel Antara, further establishes the Vue’s reputation. It offers a smooth, steady ride and superior handling and steering. [ad#post] The new Vue also has a new Euro-style look with sleek exterior curves and improved cabin quality. But in its early versions, the Vue was a lot cooler. It had a retro look with white background on instrumentation dials, for instance, and unique netting on map and accessory side door bins. Nonetheless, with the 2008 edition, the Vue is likely to turn a few more heads and it’s a more comfortable vehicle than its predecessor. My weekly

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Honda Element, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

More important, Honda doesn’t make a car without a plan. The Element was introduced as an urban utilitarian vehicle with hopes it would appeal to younger drivers seeking pickup truck cargo space in an enclosed area. The vehicle has attracted a young crowd to some degree, but the average buyer’s age is surprising. After its first year on the road, the average purchaser’s age was 43, according to J.D. Power & Associates. Regardless of age, Element owners are largely those who seek a vehicle with easy access to cargo areas for sporting equipment, groceries, luggage and work supplies. In the first extended trek in my weekly test drive four years ago, I drove the four-wheel drive EX model. It had

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Ford Debuts Mustang (Again) To Honor Steve McQueen's Driving Legend

Approaching three decades since his death, Steve McQueen remains the “King of Cool,” most notably when it involves cars, motorcycles and high speeds. The latest homage to McQueen will occur Nov. 16-25 when Ford Motor Company introduces  a special edition Mustang to honor the 1968 vehicle McQueen drove in the movie Bullitt. The new vehicle will be available in black and in dark highland green, similar to the color of the Mustang used in the movie. Seven years ago, Ford manufactured its first McQueen commemorative Mustang. In the film, McQueen played Lt. Frank Bullitt and he often drove around the hilly streets of San Francisco in the Mustang and at excessive speeds. The climactic chase scene in the film is

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