Archive for December, 2009
Recall Alert: 2009 Audi Q5
Posted on 29. Dec, 2009 by admin.
Volkswagen has issued a recall for 6,054 Audi Q5 vehicles from the 2009 model year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall affects vehicles manufactured between Nov. 25, 2008, and June 4, 2009. The vehicles may have an incorrectly manufactured left and/or right A-pillar trim cover clip. In these cases, the A-pillar trim could become loose when the sideguard head protection airbags deploy during an accident.
If this were to happen, a stray trim piece could injure one of the front-seat occupants.
Dealers will inspect the clip in the middle of the left and right A-pillar covers and replace it for free if it does turn out to be faulty. Owners can contact Audi at 800-253-2834 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.
2009|Audi|Q5
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Analysts Predict Slow Recovery for Auto Sales in ’10
Posted on 29. Dec, 2009 by admin.
After a dismal year in car sales for 2009, experts see 2010 bringing a slow recovery.
When the final sales figures for December arrive, the year will probably see car and light truck sales at around 10.4 million, which is the lowest point in nearly 40 years, when the U.S. had 70 million fewer people.
The economic crisis, recession and bankruptcies of Chrysler and GM all contributed to the 36.4% plunge from 2007, when sales were over 16 million. The only silver lining is that the annual sales rate has been steadily improving in the past few months, from 10.3 million in October to 10.9 million in November to an expected rate of 11.2 million in December.
Most analysts, including J.D. Power and Associates, see 2010’s sales improving to about 11.5 million vehicles sold. Pricing firm TrueCar Inc. puts the number at 11.4 million, while the investment firm Deutsche Bank has a rosier view of about 12.5 million sold.
If it were any other year, these estimates would forewarn of disaster. The disaster phase has now passed, and automakers have prepared themselves by cutting costs and lowering their break-even point. While challenges remain, the industry is preparing itself for a slow recovery.
Experts Say Auto Sales Will Accelerate in ’10 — Slowly (Detroit News)
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Pontiac, Saturn Go on Fire Sale
Posted on 29. Dec, 2009 by admin.
With the fates of Pontiac and Saturn sealed, GM will face the prospect of moving the last vehicles of those brands off lots, and that’s good news for consumers. The automaker will offer extremely nice incentives to put you in a car from one of the discontinued brands.
This could both inflate GM’s December sales and cut the cost of a Pontiac or Saturn vehicle by as much as 46% off the sticker price.
The end-of-brand fire sale was sparked by a Dec. 23 letter sent from GM to its dealers saying it would pay them $7,000 for every new Saturn or Pontiac that is moved to rental-vehicle or service-vehicle fleets of the dealers. The vehicles then would have to be described as used to customers because the dealer will technically be the first owner. But the discount could still be tremendous.
The cost of the program to GM will be considerable, and Ward’s Auto estimates that as of December, GM still has 14,500 new Pontiacs and Saturns on the lots. GM has not commented on the financial impact. All deals on parts, service and warranties remain covered by GM.
If you’re looking to capitalize on the deal, you’d better hurry. The offer expires Jan. 4, the last day of the December car-sales month.
GM Plans Pontiac Fire Sale (Wall Street Journal)
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Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Mazda Mazda6
Posted on 29. Dec, 2009 by admin.
Mazda was pretty disappointed to see last year’s redesign of its family sedan, the Mazda6, fail to connect with buyers. Cars.com reviewer David Thomas is equally perplexed. He can’t see why shoppers in this segment would fail to give the Mazda6 a shot considering the value and performance it offers. Read his full review to find out why the Mazda6 looks especially tempting to him.
2010 Mazda Mazda6 Review
2010|Mazda|Mazda6
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2009 in Review: Automotive Roller Coaster
Posted on 29. Dec, 2009 by admin.
We can say this about 2009: At least it’s over. Car sales plummeted then skyrocketed with the Cash for Clunkers program, and two of the largest automakers in the world went bankrupt. And those were just the major plotlines of what was a busy year for us covering everything on wheels.
January
We learn that Fiat would acquire Chrysler, setting up a tumultuous year that saw Chrysler’s sales decline more significantly than any other company.
The 2009 Detroit Auto Show features some significant new models, including Ford’s new Taurus, Cadillac’s SRX and the new Toyota Prius. All had successful launches.
Cars.com debuts its second Super Bowl ad and scores <
February
The economy takes a toll on driving. But as people drive less to save money, fewer people die in traffic accidents.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announces its new roof strength ratings, which took effect in November. The ratings make it much harder for a new car to earn a Top Safety Pick designation.
March
By the end of the month, it becomes clear that the Obama administration is going to bail out GM and Chrysler, but only if the two meet specific goalposts. Surprisingly, both did, but not before months of political wrangling and the frayed nerves of car dealers and other stakeholders.
Halfway across the globe, Indian car company Tata announces that its new Nano minicar would retail for around $2,000, making it the world’s cheapest new car.
April
At the end of the month, President Obama announces the controlled bankruptcy of Chrysler. Pushing through the process at unprecedented speeds avoids a cataclysmic drop-off in sales. This made the decision to push GM through bankruptcy a lot easier.
Before that happened, however, GM announced that no matter what happened, the Pontiac brand would be wound down. The famed performance brand was the first to fall, but other GM brands would follow.
May
GM announces before it heads into bankruptcy that it will sever franchise contracts with 1,100 dealers. It was believed that reducing the number of dealers would make the company more competitive. Months later, however, many dealers have successfully petitioned their representatives in Congress to negotiate a return to the GM fold.
Word also comes that GPS systems might fail in the near future, possibly starting in 2010, because of a faulty satellite network.
June
This month will go down in history as the month GM filed for bankruptcy. Once deemed too big too fail, General Motors went through a speedy restructuring process; dropped Saturn, Pontiac, Hummer and Saab; and fired its CEO. His replacement resigned just five months later.
Details of the Chrysler-Fiat merger come to light, and we broke down what it might mean to U.S. customers.
Cars.com releases its annual American Made Index, where the Toyota Camry overtook the Ford F-150 as the top-selling car with the most content from the U.S. of A. It was an illustration of just how skewed some common notions of domestic and import really are.
The year also might be known for texting awareness. In June, a study is released stating that texting while driving may be more dangerous than driving drunk.
July
You couldn’t get the auto industry in front of the news much more than watching two domestic automakers go bankrupt. But in July, the Cash for Clunkers program begins after a few missteps. We would go on to write 83 blog posts on the subject.
We also detail where the various GM brands stood with the company about to emerge from bankruptcy.
August
Cash for Clunkers keeps roaring in August and gets extended.
The sale of Hummer to a Chinese buyer was well under way, but even today we’re not sure where that stands. Also in August, GM thought it had a sale for Saab well in hand. That didn’t quite work out the way it wanted.
September
The GM bankruptcy might have gone swimmingly, but the plan to sell its undesirable brands starts to fall apart. This is the month that the deal to sell Saturn collapses and the company winds down the brand, leaving dealers in a lurch and owners with vehicles losing resale value.
Toyota takes a huge hit to its vaunted reliability record with a massive recall of 3.8 million vehicles because of unintended acceleration issues.
Honda doesn’t have it as bad, but it gets slammed on Facebook and across the Internet after unveiling images of its new Accord Crosstour online.
October
We told you texting would be a big deal in 2009. In October, a poll finds 97% of people want texting while driving banned. One commenter notes that more than 3% of drivers he encountered on his commute were texting, so clearly there’s some conflict with the numbers.
We run our follow-up series on the state of U.S. automaking with an in-depth look at Indiana and how it plays a part in the overall auto industry.
GM also gets closer to selling Hummer to a Chinese company while Chrysler throws everyone a loop by spinning off the Dodge Truck lineup into its own brand, simply named Ram. Millions are spent on marketing the lineup throughout the rest of 2009, but their sales decline continues without any gains from the campaign.
November
We detail the future Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep lineups.
The IIHS releases a much smaller list of Top Safety Picks.
December
The year certainly doesn’t go out with a whimper. In fact, Tiger Woods roars into the tabloid headlines, as does his now infamous Cadillac Escalade. It turns out the Woods family had two Escalades on loan from GM. This is months after the two severed their long-running Buick sponsorship.
GM’s losing streak continued as it was unable to sell Saab to anyone, even with oodles of cash handouts from the Swiss government. That leads to CEO Fritz Henderson resigning on the eve of the L.A. Auto Show, stealing any headlines for the 40 mpg Chevy Cruze compact sedan. See, bet you didn’t even remember that new model’s debut.
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Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Acura RDX
Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by admin.
When Acura first rolled out the RDX, it hit a juicy vein in the compact luxury SUV segment that had yet to be overexploited. These days, nearly every luxury automaker has an entry-level crossover with a relatively low price tag. Does the RDX manage to distinguish itself even though the competition has caught on? For the answer, check out the full review of the 2010 RDX by Cars.com reviewer David Thomas.
2010 Acura RDX Review
2010|Acura|RDX
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Recall Alert: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain
Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by admin.
GM has issued a recall for 59,031 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall affects certain models for failing to comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard that involves windshield defrosting and defogging systems. The software in the center instrument panel for certain vehicles can cause the heating, air-conditioning, defrosting and radio controls (as well as panel illumination) to stop working.
This can be especially dangerous if the defrosting system fails and a driver’s visibility becomes obscured, possibly leading to an accident under many different driving conditions.
Dealers will replace the computer module in the center instrument panel for free. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 800-630-2438, GMC at 866-996-9463 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.
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Scientists Study Effects of Crashes on Pregnant Women
Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by admin.
Biomedical researchers at the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences recently completed a three-year project that studied how to better protect pregnant women in car accidents.
Partly funded by Ford, the study gathered data on tissue composition and dimensions of pregnant women and their fetuses to develop a computer-aided model of pregnant drivers and passengers that will eventually help automakers design better crash protection systems for expecting mothers.
The government doesn’t keep statistics on the number of fetal deaths that occur each year in car accidents, but the researchers estimate it could be anywhere between 300 and several thousand, roughly four times the number of children between infancy and 4 years old. Auto accidents are also the largest cause of death among pregnant women.
The researchers used CT scans to outline the dimensions of the fetus, uterus and placenta at 30 weeks and tested the effects of different levels of force on uterine and placental tissue samples, so they can devise more accurate simulations of how crashes affect the bodies of pregnant women. Researchers hope to develop crash test dummies that can simulate a pregnancy.
It will take several years before the research actually creates any changes in safety systems, but Ford plans to include instructions for pregnant women in the safety manuals of its 2011 vehicles, with information based on guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Until then, pregnant women are still advised to wear their shoulder and lap belts properly and avoid shifting the lap belt from the pelvis to higher on the abdomen.
Scientists Study Car Safety for Pregnant Women (Detroit News)
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Recall Alert: 2005-2007 Chevrolet Corvette
Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by admin.
GM has issued a recall for 22,090 Chevrolet Corvettes from the 2005-07 model years and Corvette Z06s from the 2005-06 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall affects vehicles equipped with a removable roof; the adhesive between the roof panel and the frame may partially separate causing snapping noise, wind noise, a roof panel movement or leaking in the headliner. It’s possible that the roof panel could detach from the vehicle entirely. If the Corvette is in motion, the panel could strike a vehicle following behind it and cause an accident.
Dealers will install a newly designed roof panel for free. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 800-630-2438 or NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236.
2007|Chevrolet|Corvette
2006|Chevrolet|Corvette
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The Top 10 Significant Trucks of the Decade
Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by admin.
Despite the economic challenges of the past two years, it’s hard not to look back at the past 10 years without calling it the Decade of the Pickup Truck. Sales of full-size pickups hit 2.56 million units in 2004, and Ford’s F-Series trucks remain the nation’s best-selling vehicles, 33 years in a row.
PickupTrucks.com and AutoPacific have compiled a list of the Top 10 Significant Pickup Trucks of the Decade from all of the new trucks sold between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2009. These trucks introduced new innovations, pushed the segment into new territory and made the competition sweat while helping their driver’s sweat less. There’s no rank order, but we’ve identified the pickup that was Most Significant.
2000 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab
Why it’s significant:
First compact pickup truck to offer four full-size doors and a configuration that prioritized passenger space over cargo capacity.
Crew cab pickups were popular in overseas markets long before they arrived in the U.S. Nissan was the first to offer buyers another choice beyond a regular or extended cab. Buyers loved the idea because entire families could now travel comfortably in pickup trucks on long trips or around town jaunts. The idea quickly gained traction with every manufacturer, and soon the crew cab made up almost half of the mix of all trucks sold.
2001 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra Heavy Duty with 6.6-Liter Duramax Diesel
Why it’s significant:
Made GM a serious player in heavy-duty pickups and raised the bar for diesel engines.
In 2000, GM held less than 10 percent market share in the three-quarter-ton and one-ton truck segments. Its 6.2-liter and 6.5-liter diesel engines weren’t competitive with the mills in Ford’s and Dodge’s trucks. But GM’s joint venture engineering and manufacturing agreement with Isuzu Motors of Japan changed all of that. With Isuzu’s help, the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks debuted with the all-new 6.6-liter V-8 turbo-diesel. It broke new ground in horsepower, torque and fuel economy and helped GM jump to more than 30 percent market share by 2002.
2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
Why it’s significant:
Combined the best attributes of a full-size SUV and pickup truck in a single vehicle.
The wild-looking Chevrolet Avalanche debuted as a lightly disguised concept at the 2000 North American International Auto Show, though GM intended to build it to fill the gap between the Suburban and Silverado full-size trucks. Its patented convert-a-cab system made it versatile for carrying passengers or cargo, by offering pass-through access between the cabin and bed and a removable rear window. Unibody exterior styling was unique, as well as the use of a multilink rear suspension and composite bed — traits that would be reused later in the decade by the Honda Ridgeline.
2004 Nissan Titan
Why it’s significant:
The first true full-size half-ton pickup truck from a Japanese automaker.
Japanese car companies had successfully entered almost every segment of the U.S. car and truck markets except the unique domain of the North American full-size pickup truck when Nissan unveiled the 2004 Titan. Sure, Toyota marginally stuck its toes in the segment with its T100 pickup in 1993, but the T100 was too small and underpowered to be a serious contender.
The Titan met about 80 percent of half-ton buyers’ needs with its 300-hp, 5.6-liter V-8, an advanced five-speed automatic transmission and a choice of extended cab or crew-cab configurations. It quickly gained a loyal following, but later years' sales were hampered by reliability issues with early trucks.
2005 Toyota Tacoma
Why it’s significant:
The best-selling small truck in the U.S.
Small truck sales have dwindled throughout the decade, but Toyota has managed to keep sales of the Tacoma relatively strong and take market share in this neglected segment. Just before the turn of the century, the Ford Ranger outsold Tacoma by more than 2-to-1. Today, it’s the exact opposite. The Tacoma offers a broad lineup of cab, body, wheelbase and engine choices with strong capabilities and excellent performance and refinement. What more could small-truck buyers want if they’re not going to buy a full-size pickup?
2006 Honda Ridgeline
Why it’s significant:
Created a class of one with its unique unibody construction and a trunk in the bed.
Love it or hate it (there’s no in-between), the Honda Ridgeline did what Japanese pickups have consistently done over the years: break new ground in terms of form and functionality. The Ridgeline came to market in 2005 with controversial slab-sided lunar-lander looks and all-wheel drive. It did away with conventional leaf springs in favor of an independent rear suspension that gave it great ride comfort and enough room for an in-bed lockable trunk, the first in a pickup. The Ridgeline also featured a dual-action tailgate that folded down or off to the side, like a door, to allow unimpeded access to the cargo box.
2007 Toyota Tundra
Why it’s significant:
Toyota’s no-holds-barred attempt to gain ground in full-size trucks.
When the 2007 Toyota Tundra debuted, it was notable for being two things: big and powerful. But just being big and powerful doesn’t automatically sell trucks. Several mechanical issues that garnered high visibility online with truck buyers and a lack of a large loyal buyer base contributed to a huge falloff in Tundra sales after it almost met its first-year sales goal of 200,000 units. Today, the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and Ram 1500 all offer more powerful V-8 engines than the Tundra, and Ford is about to join that group, pushing the Tundra to fourth place for bragging rights. Tundra sales have shrunk to well below 100,000 units per year. It’s proof that the domestics still know how to build a superior vehicle.
2009 Dodge Ram 1500
Why it’s significant:
Ditched conventional leaf springs for a coil spring rear axle and added side saddle storage to the cargo box.
The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 could have impressed many simply for its more powerful Hemi V-8, handsome exterior and totally revised interior. But Chrysler carried its half-ton pickup much further by featuring a coil spring rear axle — resurrecting an idea that GM tried between 1967 and 1972 in its C10 and C20 pickups — that gave the Ram 1500 unparalleled ride comfort and quality for a half-ton pickup. Towing was limited to only 9,100 pounds, but after a year of additional testing and real world results, Dodge re-rated the Ram 1500 to tow up to 10,450 pound – with no mechanical adjustments.
2009 Ford F-150
Why it’s significant:
Remains the gold standard against which other half-ton pickup trucks are compared.
Ford gave its F-150 half-ton pickup a major revision for 2009 and gave buyers an astonishing seven different models to choose from before they even considered engine choice or cab type. Two more models have been added for 2010! It’s not the most powerful truck, but the F-150 features an excellent six-speed transmission and innovative features like Ford Work Solutions that make doing jobs with a truck easier. From contractor to urban cowboy, Ford has an F-150 to meet almost anyone’s needs.
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor:
Why it’s significant:
Ford had the guts to build a go-fast pre-runner-style factory pickup for less than $40,000
There’s nothing else like the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, and there likely may never be. It features a unique Fox Racing long-travel suspension that has a full 11inches of travel in the front dampers to absorb the impact from jumps – jumps! – made in the desert at speeds up to 100 mph. Its six-speed transmission is specially tuned with an off-road mode, and there’s a rear locking differential that works in two-wheel or four-wheel drive at speeds up to 66 mph. When other truck manufacturers mumble to themselves about the truck they wish they had in their lineup, Raptor is usually the first word that comes from their lips.
Honorable Mention: 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Several trucks in the list can be classified as sport utility trucks or SUTs. The Ford Explorer Sport Trac was one of the first SUTs and it continuously satisfied buyers in surveys. Based on the very successful Explorer SUV, the Sport Trac combined crew cab capability with SUV comfort and amenities but Ford never truly took advantage of the vehicle. The next generation Explorer, coming in 2010, will not have a Sport Trac derivative.
Honorable Mention: 2009 Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra Two Mode Hybrids
Today, the price of oil is well below $100 a barrel and calls for fuel efficient big trucks aren't quite as urgent as they were when GM first showed off its segment-exclusive full-size Two-Mode Hybrid pickups. The 2009 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Hybrids featured a 332 horsepower 6.0-liter V-8 paired with a technically advanced automatic transmission that included two 80 horsepower electric motors, three planetary gear sets, four sets of clutches and two hydraulic oil pumps. A 300 volt battery pack under the rear seat was powerful enough to accelerate the truck up to 20 mph on electricity alone — while pulling a 5,000 pound trailer! Fuel economy was rated at a remarkable 21/22 mpg city/highway. If GM can lower the cost of its next-generation hybrid pickups, perhaps we'll see this technology gain popularity.
