The automotive industry followed a disastrous year in 2009 with an encouraging sales year in 2010. About 11.5 million cars and light trucks will be sold in the United States this year, an improvement from 10.4 million in 2009. Automotive industry experts forecast sales of 12.8 million in 20111 and 17.1 million by 2015. But while several manufacturers’ brands — Buick, Cadillac, Infiniti, Ford, Hyundai and Jeep — had banner years in 2010, several manufacturers had dismal sales years. Mostly notably, Mazda and Suzuki had the worst sales years in 2010, combining for half of the top-10 poorest-selling cars
Thirty-five 2011 vehicles and seven companion models have been selected from more than 250 models and received Best Buy ratings from Consumers Digest magazine. The ratings, published in the December issue (on sale now), span 12 categories: Subcompacts, Compacts, Family Cars, Luxury Cars, Sporty Cars, Full-size Pickups, Small Pickups, Minivans, Compact SUVs, Midsize SUVs, Full-size/Luxury SUVs and Hybrids. The Best Buys — based on behind-the-wheel assessment, safety ratings, ownership costs, warranty, price, comfort, ergonomics, styling and amenities — reflect the publication’s view the vehicles offering exceptional value. “Value, as we see it, is based on purchase price and ownership costs
The 18th annual awards are chosen by automotive journalists from the United States and Canada who represent magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION Auto Shipping Quote–Car Financing–Car Insurance Quotes–Car Loans–Online Car Insurance–Rental Cars–Used Cars Twenty-seven new cars were eligible for the 2011 North American Car of the Year award and 14 have been selected as semi-finalists. The jurors did not vote on the trucks because there were only 14 on the original list. The North American Car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year will be announced in January at the North
The Mazda Miata is the gold-standard, fun-to-drive used car — at least according to Popular Mechanics. The general-interest “umbrella” magazine for all things mechanical has published a list of cars it considers the best used cars available for $3,000 or less.The Miata, the best-selling sports car ever made tops the list. The publication offers: “For three grand, you’re probably looking at a first-generation edition (1989–1994) with the 1.6-liter four-cylinder. Mazda built tens of thousands of them, and many folks who bought them barely drove them, so plenty of low-mileage examples exist.” “They’re enormously fun, with a lithe feel, telepathic steering,
Here are the top-10 most stolen cars in the U.S. in 2008, the most recently available list: 1. 1994 Honda Accord; 2. 1995 Honda Civic; 3. 1989 Toyota Camry; 4. 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup; 5. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup; 6. 2000 Dodge Caravan; 7. 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee; 8. 1994 Acura Integra; 9. 1999 Ford Taurus; 10. 2002 Ford Explorer. Esurance.com has suggested tips for avoiding auto theft. 1. Don’t be a dummy— simple common sense will go a long way towards protecting you against theft. Always lock your doors (even in your own driveway), try to avoid parking in
When Honda came out with the Pilot six years ago the Japanese automaker quickly had another hit. The Pilot became one of the forerunners in the eight-passenger midsize crossover segment. It’s a sport utility vehicle whose car-like qualities and hauling capabilities were lauded. Despite the accolades, one aspect of the Pilot got exposed – third-row seating was lacking. It wasn’t accommodating and the guess is in many Pilots the third row lay flat and it was left unused. The weakness remained, but the popularity of the Pilot grew with sales rising more to than 152,000 by 2006. But one year
The other car manufacturers to do well in 2010 include: Ford and its subsidiary, Volvo, Volkswagen and Audi with five top picks, and Chrysler with four cars in the top categories. “With the addition of our new roof strength evaluation, our crash test results now cover all 4 of the most common kinds of crashes,” said Institute president Adrian Lund. “Consumers can use this list to zero in on the vehicles that are on the top rung for safety.” Toyota and its Lexus and Scion subsidiaries had a strong showing in 2009 with 11 winners but were shut out for
But approaching the end of the first decade of the 21st century, editors at Cars.com have decided publish lists of the top-10 most improved and top-10 worst cars of the decade. The much-maligned Pontiac Aztec is on the list of the top-10 worst cars of the decade, but it isn’t worst. And the Chevrolet Malibu is the most improved car of the last decade? Really. Suffice is to say the lists are surprising. In reserve order, here are the top-10 worst cars of the decade and the top-10 most improved with a comments on the No. 1 worst and No.
As part of its Pet Safety Program, Bark Buckle UP and Edmunds.com have collaborated to determine the top 10 vehicles whose features make them best suited for safe pet travel. Here are the top-10 choices with a brief comment, about the first listing, the Dodge Journey: Dodge Journey Ford Flex GMC Acadia Hyundai Tucson Jeep Liberty Kia Borrego Mazda 5 Mitsubishi Outlander Subaru Tribeca Volvo XC70 The complete story is available on www.edmunds.com. The synopsis of the Dodge Journey “To ensure the safety of drivers, passengers and pets, all gear must be secure when driving, and the Journey offers in-floor
The top-10 most interesting cars list coincides with what’s among the most historic presidential elections. Hagerty Insurance researched the personal vehicles of America’s past presidents and current candidates and selected one car for each individual most attention-grabbing for his time. The result is a fun and informative look at what drives American presidents or what American presidents (and candidates) drive. 1. William Taft (1909-1913): Baker Electric — Taft was the first president to own and drive cars during his presidency. One of the most interesting cars he owned was, ironically enough, “green” — a Baker Electric. This electric vehicle was
The new line created last September. Its vehicles are slated to operate on battery power alone for about 40 miles, according to Chrysler. Chrysler is also working on a new generation of hybrid vehicles with lithium-ion batteries that are lighter and store more energy than the nickel-metal hydride batteries now in wide use. Chrysler has not yet announced any partnership for the project or for the development of the batteries. General Motors Corp and Toyota Motor Corp are racing to develop rechargeable hybrid vehicles using lithium-ion batteries. GM’s all-electric Chevy Volt is scheduled to begin production in 2010; Toyota will
Chrysler has just announced a new highspeed wireless system call Uconnect. It will allow drivers to access the internet at stoplights while other passengers simultaneously utilize other high-speed internet features. This may sound like innovation and it may catapult the car world into “hot spot” nirvana. But to me it sounds like the automotive apocalypse. Do drivers need any more distractions? A Chrysler spokesman commented “We see great potential for this.” Potential for what? More absent-minded drivers? More head-on collisions? Increased road rage? The dealer-installed system, officially called UConnect Web, will be an add-on to Chrysler‘s UConnect information and entertainment
The Porsche 911 has the fewest quality issues, with 67 problems per 100 vehicles, the study noted. Lincoln took dubious honors, falling from No. 3 to No. 15, according to the results released June 4. Jeep is at the list, with Mini one position from the bottom. Saturn also faltered, falling to No. 33 from No. 20 in 2007. Ford and Mercury performed well both in the top 10. J.D. Power and Associates commended the auto industry for “a continued reduction in the level of defects and malfunctions” in vehicles. Overall quality improved by 6 percent in 2008 compared with
ForbesAuto.com, in its long article written by John Adams, is quick to explain vehicles purchased by car buyers under age 21 represent only 1.2 percent of all new car sales. Nevertheless, it’s interesting]]> to examine young car buyers’ habits, particularly considering 3.2 million kids in the United States have or will graduate from high school this year. Nine of out the top-10 (and ties) favorites among young car buyers are automobiles priced under $20,000. Ford has three cars on the list, Volkswagen, Toyota and Honda are represented twice. Jeep, Dodge and Chevrolet have one selection each. 10. Volkswagen Jetta; 9.
My weekly drive was the Grand Vitara X-sport. It had a 2.7-liter V6 engine, 185 horsepower and a five-speed automatic transmission. With its two-wheel drive and sunroof additions, it’s one of eight configuration of the vehicle positioned in the class featuring more heavily marketed and more expensive competitors like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota Rav4, Mercury Mariner and Jeep Liberty. Despite varying marketing campaigns, many compact SUVs seem remarkably similar. None are touted as speed burners or comfort machines. But as utilitarian vehicles for outdoors enthusiasts and families, the Grand Vitara stands out among its competitors in a few
The IIHS evaluates automobile safety via front and side-impact protection, stability control and rollover risk. The four-door Rendezvous had an abysmal three-star (out of five) NHTSA frontal impact rating. The 2008 Buick Enclave, a crossover SUV with a full roster of standard safety equipment, replaced it. Here’s the list of the most dangerous cars to be in during a car crash in 2007, according to IIHS. It’s an organization that represents the interests of the insurance industry. 1. Buick Rendezvous SUV 2. Ford Ranger/Mazda B-Series 3. Nissan Frontier 4. Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner 5. Toyota Yaris 6. Hyundai Accent 7. Toyota
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