Archive for October, 2009
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: September 2009
Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by admin.
The Cash for Clunkers program ended before September began, so every sales number for the month should be free of any government-spurred buying frenzy. Overall, sales for many automakers were actually up, but GM and Chrysler took huge hits of 45% and 42%, respectively. Among GM’s numbers were huge losses from dead or to-be-sold brands like Saturn (down 83.7%), Hummer (down 81.5%), Saab (down 72.6%) and Pontiac (down 52.5%).
There’s some silver lining in the overall picture. Even with slower sales, other automakers weren’t hurt as badly by sales in September as they were earlier in the year. Ford and Nissan only dipped 6% and 7%, respectively, compared to September of last year. It was also in September 2008 that the U.S. economy spun into a freefall. That means October 2009 might look rosy compared to October 2008.
Brands seeing positive growth last month were Kia and Hyundai, Volvo, BMW and Subaru.
On to our best-sellers. The list is nearly the same as last month with lower overall sales and mostly the same players. The Toyota Prius would have been No. 11 with 10,984 units but just missed the cut. It barely outsold both the Ford Fusion (10,834 units) and Chevy Malibu (10,479).
Top 10 Best-Sellers
- Ford F -Series: 33,877
- Toyota Camry: 25,745
- Honda Accord: 20,826
- Toyota Corolla; 20,741
- Chevy Silverado: 19,401
- Honda Civic: 16,093
- Honda CR-V: 14,554
- Dodge Ram: 13,452
- Chevy Impala: 13,047
- Nissan Altima: 12,149
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Study Shows Hybrids Pose a Greater Danger to Pedestrians and Cyclists
Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by admin.
Hybrids are “significantly” more likely to have low-speed accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians than normal gas-powered cars, according to a new study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Hybrids that were turning, slowing or backing up were twice as likely to strike a cyclist or pedestrian because the electric motor makes so little noise. Advocates for the blind have been making this point for years, but this study confirms that hybrids can be a low-speed danger to the sighted, too.
The idea of adding a noise-generating device to hybrids has been tossed around, and Nissan has already made a presentation to NHTSA about creating a sound mechanism. Lotus and other companies have also tested similar devices.
Researchers examined more than 8,000 hybrid crashes and nearly 560,000 involving standard internal-combustion-engine vehicles in 12 states to collect their data. None of the low-speed crashes produced any fatalities, and it was only at these low speeds that hybrids were more dangerous.
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September 2009 Top 10 Year-to-Date Pickup Truck Sales
Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by admin.
Top 10 Pickup Truck Sales, Year-to-Date, September 2009
Notable Items:
- Second month in a row that Ford F-Series sales are up over a year earlier due to increased incentives, fleet sales growth and interest from core truck buyers and small businesses.
- Dodge Dakota sold only 399 units in September
- Honda Ridgeline sold 1,430 units in September
Update #1: Corrected YTD sales for Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Sierra
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App Links Your iPhone to GPS
Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by admin.
Pioneer is introducing an iPhone app that allows you to transfer map destinations from your iPhone to your in-dash GPS. How is this useful? The AVIC Feeds app lets you program any number of destinations (restaurants, movie theaters, etc.) into your iPhone before you get in the car, and then they immediately available as points of interest on your Pioneer GPS. This saves the time of rifling through menus while in the car.
Locations are first chosen via Google Maps and then downloaded to the GPS by Bluetooth. Simply click on the push-pin icon for the destination and the GPS gives you the route. This eliminates the need to use your phone as a GPS unit, which can be a pain if you can’t get a cell signal.
The free AVIC app works with the Pioneer AVIC-U310BT, which retails for $599, and the opulent AViC-Z110BT, which will cost you $1,599.
Yikes, that’s an expensive app.
New App Connects iPhone to In-Dash GPS (Wheels)
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Feds: Distracted Driving an ‘Epidemic’
Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by admin.
Calling distracted driving an “epidemic,” the Obama administration convened a two-day meeting to figure out how to get a cell phone and text-happy nation to leave their handheld communication devices alone in the car.
Last year, 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 injured in crashes where at least one driver was reported to be distracted, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia have made texting while driving illegal; seven states and D.C. have banned talking on handheld cell phones while driving. The U.S. Senate is considering legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that would tie 25% of states’ annual highway funding to enacting a texting ban.
Driver distraction can also come from fiddling with the radio, looking at a map or eating. You can’t outlaw everything that distracts someone, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood noted that much of the responsibility lies with drivers to make sure they’re operating their cars safely.
Furthermore, as we’ve pointed out so many times, many researchers are convinced that hands-free communication devices like Bluetooth are nearly as distracting as holding the phone to your ear. So what do you do about emergency systems like OnStar or voice-recognition technology like Ford’s Sync?
A texting ban seems like a good place to start at least, but there are plenty of questions to answer before a national policy comes into focus.
Administration Takes Aim at Distracted Driving (New York Times)
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Who’s Yer Daddy: A Brief History Of Ford Super Duty Pickups
Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by admin.
By Sue Mead
Talk to the truck guys at Ford and you’ll find they’re down-right bullish about the newest offspring: The 2011 Super Duty line of pickups. In fact, they’re perfectly proud about the latest prodigy as a result of its increased capabilities, its cutting-edge technologies and a plethora of upgrades. But the truck that debuted at the State Fair of Texas isn’t the result of several years of work improving the previous Super Duty. It’s the culmination of more than a decade of focus on Ford’s heavy-duty pickups.
“We’re pretty confident in our DNA, especially with Super Duty,” said Pat Schiavone, Director of Ford Truck Design. Credited with the design of the 11th-generation Ford F-150, the best-selling truck in the world, Schiavone pointed out that the Super Duty blueprint has been “consistent from Day One.” While Ford pickups go back to the F-1 and the F-Series line of trucks, the ’99 Super Duty model was crafted as a unique extraction from the bloodline.
“In ’99, we were a little more tentative about what our customers would think, but we’ve been consistent since then,” Schiavone said. “Now, we have more confidence; we make it tougher and they (our customers) say you can’t make it too tough. We’ve made it bolder and stronger with every generation and, now, it’s even more so.”
Ford drew a firm line between its light and heavy-duty pickups when it introduced the 1999 F-Series Super Duty trucks. It featured the legendary 7.3-liter Power Stroke diesel V-8.
When a new branch was cleaved from the F-Series family tree, Super Duties were influenced by Ford’s semis and big trucks, with a drop-down belt line and huge mirrors, to help with trailer towing. “We didn’t know how that would play out,” Schiavone explained. “The change with big mirrors was about durability, form-following-function, and trying to distinguish it from the F-150, but we’ve come to see it as a part of what Super Duty is.
“It’s been absolutely wonderful,” Schiavone said. “Harley would never stray too far with what Harleys would look like and Ford wouldn’t either. We started with big nostrils and we’ve continued with big nostrils, big lamps, big mirrors and a big grille.”
Schiavone says that the Super Duty is about the customer and what the customer likes is a capable look.
“It can’t be too tough for us and for them. The grille has grown and the headlamps have grown and, the truth is, they function better,” Schiavone said. “The same with the bumper; it’s about big chrome, about how we’ve tuned and refined it, and it’s also about the world’s biggest Ford Logo. If we go one step bigger, it’ll be on the front of a dealership.”
1997 Ford Powerforce Concept: Designed by computer and powered by a 6.8-liter V-10. The 2011 Super Duty is a direct descendant of this truck. It’s styling set the tone for an entire generation of Ford heavy duty pickups. Note the vertical exhaust stacks behind the cab.
The last generation Super Duty was influenced more by the 2002 Tonka Truck concept model, the designer noted, whereas the new version is more like the Super Chief concept truck. What has really influenced pickups, however, is the uniquely-American, three-box shape, which Schiavone said is more of a cue from semi-tractor-trailers, rather than something like a locomotive, because these are considered the biggest trucks — the Peterbilt and Kenworths with the big grilles.
“When people think of the Super Duty, it’s not about cues from a locomotive or tools, it’s about the capability of big trucks and their image—and it’s not the look of the new aero ones!,” Schiavone explained. “It’s also about the integrity of Harley Davidson; I’ve been working with and gotten to know ‘Willie G.’ very well and learned how important it is to maintain integrity.” Willie G. Davidson is a legendary motorcycle designer at the famed company that his grandfather founded.
Looking back at the ’08 Super Duties, Schiavone told an interesting anecdote of this now ancestral version that grew even larger and wore an even bolder exterior than the 2002-03 models. This Super Duty was created with lowered lamps, a bigger grille, a tougher bumper, and a more defined chamfer on the front end.
The 2008-10 Ford Super Duty featured new styling and the introduction of the F-450 pickup with up to 24,500 pounds of towing capability
“The headlamps were tilted back, and customers in cars were complaining that they were blinded from behind. Again, with form following function, we dropped them down and, at first it felt really, really wrong,” Schiavone said. “But, we dropped them down even lower, until we reached a point where the design was executed properly. We had no idea where the firestorm was created, with people writing and saying ‘I hate this truck’. But, a year later they loved it. I totally expect to get the same kind of noise with the new model. If it looks right to us in the studio, we’ve done our job. It’s tougher and tougher again. And it’s the new Daddy!”
For Doug Scott, Ford Truck Group Marketing Manager, the 2011 Super Duty is the “launch of a powertrain wrapped in a new truck.” Scott said the big story is how much the capability of the powertrains has grown, and the all-new Ford-designed and Ford-engineered diesel engine is the heartbeat of that tale.
Ford started sourcing diesels from Navistar in 1983, using a 6.9 liter, with 170 hp. and 315 lb. ft. of torque, says Scott. A second version, the 7.3-liter diesel, was rated at 190 hp/395 ft. lbs. of torque. The next milestone was branded diesels–the “Power Stroke” diesels that originated with the 1994 model line.
The Ford F-350 Tonka Concept previewed the styling revamp of the 2008-10 Super Duty trucks
As all work and commercial-grade models were built on and a part of the F-Series platform, it wasn’t until 1999, when the platforms split, that Super Duty became a dedicated platform and took on a new and distinct look and there were two differing vehicles in terms of appearance and capability, says Scott. By then, the 7.3 liter diesel had grown to a whopping 235 hp. and 500 ft. lbs of torque. “Whereas maximum towing had been 10,000 lbs., it was now 14,600, and payload increased from 5,100 up to 5,655,” enthuses the truck marketing manager.
In ‘93 and ’94, the 5.8-liter petrol engine was rated at 210hp./325 ft.lbs. of torque and the 7.5 liter at 245/400; in 2002 there were interior changes and a new 6-speed manual transmission, along with the third-generation Navistar diesel. In 2003, the 6-liter Power Stroke achieved 325/560, while the 5.4-liter V8 gasoline engine was rated at 260/350 and the 6.8 liter V10 made 310/425.
When the 2005 model freshening restyled the front end and interior and added Tow Command, the 6.0-liter engine gained more torque and was boosted to 570 (up from 560); the V10 bumped up to 362/457; the 5.4 liter was 300 hp. and 365 ft. lbs. of torque.
The 2006 Ford Super Chief played up luxury and offered a sneak peak at the styling of the new 2011 Ford Super Duty trucks
In 2008, the major change was new sheet metal and interior upgrades, along with engines that included the 5.4 liter and 6.8 liter, along with the 6.4 liter diesel that grew horsepower to 350 and torque to 650. Towing swelled from 16, 700 lbs. in ‘05 to 19,200 in ‘06 and to 24, 500 in ’08, when the payload of an F-450 was rated at 6,120.
“The 2011 Super Duty is all about big changes in powertrain capability — engine performance, towing and payload, plus the Ford-designed and Ford-engineered 6.7-liter diesel that evolved as a result of leveraging global resources,” Scott said, noting that the truck used “diesel resources in Europe, in particular; and using a dedicated diesel team, established at Ford, in 2007.”
The new 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbocharged V-8 diesel joins a new standard 6.2-liter V-8 petrol engine that replaces the 5.4; both have 6-speed transmissions, which help improve fuel economy. “We expect to have class-leading fuel economy; horsepower and torque; significant improvements over today’s gas and diesel offerings; and expect the Super Duty to be a segment-leader in payload and towing.”
Scott said the new diesel is also significantly quieter, so it’s easier for passengers to hear inside the truck, and there’s a “green angle” to both engines: the 6.7-liter diesel is B20-capable, “which is huge for the agricultural market and a ‘customer want’. The 6.2-liter gasoline engine is E85/Flex Fuel capable and, from a durability standpoint, it’s about towing, payload and engine performance.” Scott expects that up to 65 percent of new Super Duty buyers will choose the diesel option.
“It’s critical to the segment. We think we have the amped solution with the 2011 Super Duty.”
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2010 Subaru Outback Video
Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by admin.
The updated 2010 Subaru Outback has the perfect reviewer in Cars.com’s David Thomas because, well, he actually owns the previous generation. Bigger, meatier and now more SUV than station wagon, the 2010 Outback has quite a few changes, including styling, interior design and ride quality. Find out in this video if the 2010 has played too much with a good thing or if it’s only improved on what works.
2010|Subaru|Outback
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Deer-Car Collisions Increase 18% in Last Five Years
Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by admin.
While the number of cars on the roads in the U.S. has only increased by 7% in the last five years, the number of cars hitting deer has leapt 18.3% in the same period, according to claims data from State Farm, the nation’s leading auto insurer.
That’s 2.4 million deer between July 2007 and June 2009, or a mashed-up deer and a damaged vehicle every 26 seconds. State Farm doesn’t speculate what’s behind the rise, but it doesn’t exactly take a Ph.D. to figure it out when you look at the explosion of the U.S. deer population. In the last 10 years the deer population has doubled to 25 million to 30 million animals, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park officials. A century ago the deer population was 500,000.
The largest increases in deer-vehicle collisions have come in New Jersey, Nebraska (54% increase in both states) and Kansas (41% for Jayhawk fans). The most dangerous state for hitting deer remains West Virginia where you have a 1-in-39 shot every year at hitting Bambi. Michigan comes in second at 1-in-78, while Hawaii is the safest place for deer and vehicles with only 1-in-9,931 odds.
The average cost of vehicle damage was $3,050; maybe the deer are getting tougher because that’s up 3.4% from just a year ago.
To avoid hitting a deer, State Farm recommends you actually pay attention to those deer crossing signs and slow down, and use your high-beams as much as possible when driving at night. Deer are most active between 6 and 9 p.m., and if you see one there are probably others nearby. Also, do not rely on deer whistles. If you can't avoid hitting a deer, it’s better to stay on the road than swerve violently and risk losing control of your car.
Oh, Buck! Study Says Deer-Automobile Accident Rate Up By 18% Over Last 5 Years (Autoblog)
