No Clear Successor To Town Car And Crown Vic In Fleets
Taxi-cab companies, police forces, and executive-car services will soon be left scrambling for vehicles. That's because, after years of speculation about the matter, Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) is expected to discontinue its large, body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive sedans about a year from now.
After a 30-plus-year run with the same basic mechanical underpinnings—and only one major redesign, for 1992, the Crown Victoria has been a staple for cab companies and police forces; while the related Lincoln Town Car has long been a favorite of livery companies (it makes up 75 percent of those fleets).
In New York leading contenders in the taxi fleet include the Ford Escape and Toyota Sienna, as well as the Toyota Prius.
Ford stopped offering the Crown Victoria to all but fleet customers back in 2008, but it's continued to sell its sibling, the Mercury Grand Marquis, in model years since.
These large sedans remained so popular for so long for several important reasons, including pillowy ride quality, a roomy back seat, a huge trunk, a good safety record, low repair costs, and longevity. It wasn't unusual to see well-kept vehicles in some fleets with more than 400,000 miles on the clock.
Pending federal fuel economy rules might have something to do with Ford's decision not to continue making these sedans which, this writer has previously been told have a rather high profit margin. The 2010 Lincoln Town Car and the 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis are rated at an EPA 16 mpg city, 24 highway.
About 25 years ago, as old Checker Marathon cabs were being retired, taxi fleets grew to favor the Crown Victoria. Other rivals at the time included GM's full-size cars like the Caprice, though that model suffered from an ill-received refresh in the 1990s and was discontinued shortly thereafter.
Chrysler has been offering an increasingly popular Dodge Charger Police edition, but these models haven't caught on in other fleets. Ford has been working on a new rear-wheel-drive platform related to that in the Mustang, and suggested with this 2007 Ford Interceptor Concept, but company finances and fuel economy spikes were factors that led to the project's demise.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2011 Porsche Panamera, Cayenne: Greener With Auto Start Stop
When you're sitting at a stoplight or stuck in traffic—and you're lucky enough to be behind the wheel of a new 2010 Porsche Panamera or 2011 Porsche Cayenne—you might notice the engine ever so smoothly shut off.
Yes, it's supposed to do that; the feature is called Auto Start Stop. But unless you've driven a hybrid, like the Toyota Prius or Ford Fusion Hybrid, for example, you're probably not very familiar with the idea, or the sensation.
To newbies, it can be a little disconcerting. Will the engine restart quickly enough when you need it? Will the air conditioning and all the accessories work seamlessly? And is the system robust enough to handle potentially hundreds of starts and stops in a particular day? The answer to all those questions is yes.
Big in Japen, sought-after in Europe
In more fuel-economy-minded Europe and Japan, the word is out that start-stop systems can save a lot of fuel in gridlock. There, they've already become quite common, especially in upscale yet fuel-efficient vehicles, with BMW and Mazda among several brands becoming leaders in installation.
While lots of automakers have been talking about start-stop—for years, now—Porsche is the first automaker to widely deploy this green feature in the U.S. in its non-hybrid vehicles—including the high-performance Turbo V-8 variants.
It's tough argument for economics alone, as start-stop doesn't boost the Panamera's EPA fuel economy ratings, but in real-world driving in especially congested stop-and-go conditions or through long series of unsynchronized traffic lights it might reduce fuel consumption (and the emissions from idling) by five percent or more.
The U.S. version of Auto Start Stop on 2010 Panamera models defaults to the 'off' position, and each time you start the sport sedan you need to rearm the feature by pressing the button—something that very few drivers—even if they intend to use the system and save fuel—are going to remember.
2011 models will remember your preference
In the 2011 Panamera that's now already on sale, as well as in the 2011 Porsche Cayenne models, that clunky arrangement changes. Start-stop will now return to its last mode of operation—activated or deactivated—as soon as you start the vehicle, and it will remember multiple modes for different users/keys.
We had the chance to take notes on Auto Start Stop and put it through the paces in both the new Panamera V6 and Cayenne V6. But it's a difficult feature to pin down or explain simply. Sometimes you'll be at a stoplight and the engine will stop; other times in seemingly identical conditions it won't; and sometimes the engine turns off a while after you stop or a while before you take off from the light. According to Porsche, start-stop has a total of 56 variables that affect when start-stop temporarily turns the engine off, and for how long—everything from engine temperature and battery drain to recent driving style.
No matter how abruptly you lift off the brake pedal, the engine starts smoothly, almost without a shudder. How are restarts also so seamless? A Porsche official explained that the start-stop system uses data from the crank position sensor and actually primes the fuel injector for the next cylinder to help assure a quick, smooth start.
If your everyday commute involve lots of idling, yet a Hybrid doesn't quite match what you want, one of these Porsches might be just the ticket for going just a little bit greener.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Congress Cracks Down On Lending, But Car Dealers Squeeze Through
Car dealers, at least for now, don't have to answer to the same regulations, restrictions, and oversight that would apply to nearly every other type of consumer lending.
After the House of Representatives voted to exclude auto loans earlier this week, the Congressional committee negotiating a final version of the financial-regulation bill, together with the Senate version that passed last month, agreed on a provision that would exempt auto dealers from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau oversight. The bill goes to the House and Senate for votes next week, where it's expected to pass and be signed into law by President Obama.
The move represents a full victory for auto dealerships and specifically the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), which had been lobbying hard in recent weeks to make sure that dealers aren't overseen by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the new consumer-finance agency that looks after the mortgage, credit-card, and consumer loan industries—including the often-criticized payday loan business that's still given a long leash in some states.
"The goal all along was to keep a new, untested government agency from creating burdensome and unnecessary rules that would make it harder and more expensive for car buyers to access auto credit," NADA spokesman Bailey Wood said, prior to the final word on the exemption.
Bill could have put the squeeze on sales, dealers argue
Auto dealers have consistently argued that any more regulation in this area would put a sizable dent in their business and potentially reduce the number of people who are qualified (or able) to purchase a vehicle, and that with all the economic difficulties in the industry, this is not the time to do it. Main Street shouldn't be given the same treatment as Wall Street, a number of Senators successfully argued last month.
Up until last night, there was still a chance that the new agency would maintain some limited authority for rulemaking affecting dealers.
2011 Toyota Tacoma: Production Moved To Texas, More Automatics
Toyota has announced pricing and released details regarding its Toyota Tacoma compact (or mid-size) pickup for 2011.
Air conditioning is no longer an option on four-cylinder Regular Cab models—all of them get it—and upgraded 15-inch styled steel wheels are now standard on the base 4x2 Regular Cab. Base, SR5, TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport, and X-Runner models of the 2011 Toyota Tacoma all get a newly redesigned grille.
The engine lineup and mechanical specs remain unchanged; the 2011 Toyota Tacoma comes powered by either a 159-horsepower, 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine or a 236-hp, 4.0-liter V-6, paired with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic for the V-6 or a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic for the four-cylinder. Tow ratings range up to 6,500 pounds with the V-6.
Satellite radio is available on more Tacoma models, as it's now included with the six-disc CD changer. Cruise control, a sliding rear window, keyless entry, and steering-wheel audio controls have been made more available with a Convenience Extra Value package on Double Cab models.
The offerings combining the base four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission have been expanded for 2011, while fewer trims in the lineup offer the manual gearbox.
Pricing has changed by $1,020 for the entry-level Tacoma Regular Cab, but most of the models have gone up just $275 for 2011. That leaves the current range running from $16,365 to $27,525, not including Toyota's destination fee of approximately $800 (it varies by region).
Overall, at The Car Connection, we appreciate the Tacoma's affordability and its fuel-efficient base engine, as well as its simple interior layout, reputation for toughness and reliability, and strong resale value, but note that its ride quality and seats aren't nearly as good as in full-size trucks.
For 2011, Toyota's moving a big chunk of Tacoma production from the shuttered NUMMI plant over to a non-union plant in San Antonio, Texas. Some U.S. Tacomas will still be built in Baja California, Mexico.
The 2011 Toyota Tacoma models will begin arriving to dealerships in late July.
[Toyota]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2010 Lexus HS250h And Suzuki Kizashi: Top Safety Fail?
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its latest test results—of two sedans, the hybrid 2010 Lexus HS250h and the almost-mid-size 2010 Suzuki Kizashi, for its new roof-crush test. And it's not all good news this time.
Both the HS250h and the Kizashi were given the 'acceptable' rating, meaning that they don't provide the best protection—and thus don't qualify to be given the sought-after Top Safety Pick designation.
The new roof-crush test helps gauge the chances of injury or fatality in a rollover by measuring how much force the roof will take, from a specific metal plate and roof location, before deforming five inches. That force is then compared to the total weight of the vehicle. Currently, the roof only needs to withstand 1.5 times the vehicle weight, but by 2016 a new standard requiring roughly double that will be phased in.
In this round of tests, the Lexus HS 250h withstood 3.60 times its curb weight, while the roof of the Kizashi took 2.92 times its weight. Unfortunately for Suzuki, that already puts the Kizashi near the bottom of the pack, among what the IIHS calls "midsize moderately priced cars." The only two vehicles that have been given the lower 'marginal' rating include the 2010 Kia Optima, and the 2010 Hyundai Sonata, which has already been replaced by an all-new 2011 Sonata.
Both the Kizashi and the HS250h have already earned top five-star ratings in all frontal and side crash tests from the federal government. While the HS250h has earned a 'good' rating from the IIHS in frontal protection, the Institute still hasn't yet tested the Kizashi for frontal or side protection.
Roof protection isn't exactly something you can add easily to a vehicle, so these two models might be saddled with these results for a long time.
Manufacturers can request a retest—usually at the expense of the automaker—if they believe that changes made to the vehicle might improve its performance. For instance, Mercedes-Benz did this in 2007 after scoring just 'acceptable' overall with the previous E-Class. A retest didn't improve its score, however.
[IIHS]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Buy By September, Get Free Maintenance On New Lincoln Models
If you purchase or lease a new 2010 or 2011 Lincoln between now and September 7, 2010, you'll get one more perk that might bring some peace of mind: free scheduled maintenance.
The maintenance program includes all oil changes, tire rotations, and inspections, as well as wearable items such as brake pads and wiper blades.
Two weeks ago, Ford announced that it would phase out the Mercury brand later this year. But in cutting the brand the automaker won't be downsizing; it will instead expand its Lincoln offerings. The luxury brand will get its first-ever compact (C-segment) vehicle, plus an new, exclusive V-6 engine, EcoBoost engines available across the line, and more advanced features such as active noise control, retractable glass roofs, adaptive suspension systems, and MyLincoln Touch, a new touch-screen and voice-based interface that's making its debut on the 2011 Lincoln MKX.
A number of automakers have been rolling out free maintenance this year as a perk to help move more vehicles. Jaguar is offering five years or 50,000 miles of free maintenance on all 2011 models, while Volvo and Volkswagen are among several other brands offer free-maintenance perks.
The strategy works well as it helps the dealership build a relationship with the customer, builds confidence in the brand, and isn't as likely to chip away at residuals and resale value the way that higher sustained cash-back incentives would.
The move is likely to make dealerships a little happier as well. Of 1,712 dealerships that carry the Mercury brand, 276 are Lincoln-Mercury franchises.
[Lincoln]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Frugal Shopper: Plenty Of Deals, But Not On Crossovers
Looking for a great deal on a truck? The 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is selling for an average 21 percent off MSRP—meaning that, in some cases, you might be getting a well-equipped full-size truck for a discount of $8,000 or more. But if you had a more economical, carlike utility vehicle in mind, consider yourself lucky to get a few hundred bucks knocked off the price of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox.
This summer is looking to be a great time to buy a vehicle, with crossovers the one exception. Due to high demand and low inventory, vehicles like the Equinox and its sibling the GMC Terrain are in particularly short supply, according to vehicle pricing experts at TrueCar. Meanwhile, plenty of strong deals remain for sedans and large trucks.
Through its Price Flex figures, TrueCar has noted a great range in actual transaction prices for some models—indicating that if you push for a good deal, or shop around, you might get a much better price. Among those highest-rated models in price flexibility are the 2010 Honda Insight, Hyundai Elantra Touring, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Jeep Liberty, and Volkswagen Routan. The least flexible—and the least likely to benefit any more from bartering, perhaps—include the 2010 Audi R8, Ford Expedition EL, GMC Terrain, and Chevrolet Equinox.
Among domestic brands, Chevrolet and Ford are offering an average discount of about 14 percent off MSRP, while Chrysler is at 11 percent.
If you want to get a 2011 model, you have many options, and some of them are already discounted. Toyota Honda, Kia, and BMW are at this point offering the highest discounts on their 2011 models. BMW, in fact, has rolled out much of its 2011 lineup already—including the 2011 3-Series, 5-Series, 7-Series, M3, X5, X6, and Z4. Including Toyota's generous incentives program, the 2011 Toyota Camry is already selling at 10 percent below MSRP, while the 2011 Honda Pilot, Volvo C70, BMW 7-Series, and Kia Sorento are selling at seven- or eight-percent discounts.
For June, the largest incentives are offered on three luxury models: the 2010 BMW M6 ($12,500), 2010 Infiniti QX56 ($6,000), and Volvo XC70 ($5,000). And thanks to incentives, you can get a 2010 Chevrolet Corvette for, on average, 12 percent off MSRP.
Here are TrueCar's most-discounted models for this month:
Top 2010 Models by Body Type for June | ||
Body Type | 2010 Models | % Below MSRP |
| Pickup | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 21% |
| Sport Utility | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 19% |
| Sedan | Hyundai Sonata | 18% |
| Coupe | Ford Focus | 15% |
| Van | Kia Sedona | 13% |
| Convertible | Chevrolet Corvette | 12% |
| Wagon | Hyundai Elantra Touring | 11% |
[TrueCar]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Preview: 2011 Honda Odyssey
What is it: The latest version of the best-selling minivan in the U.S.
Key facts: Lower roofline but slightly wider; improved seating and fuel-efficiency
On sale: Fall 2010
Price: est. $27,000 - $43,000
Honda has given an up-close look and video walk-around of its new 2011 Odyssey minivan, which had already made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show this past February.
While there weren't many surprises, and the presentation was devoid of mechanical details, Honda did release a bunch more pictures of the Odyssey (above) and go into greater detail about seating and interior appointments.
The chief engineer of the 2011 Honda Odyssey, Art St. Cyr, said that the objective in remaking Honda's best-selling minivan was to "make the Odyssey more intuitive, more functional and more comfortable, wrapping the entire package in a stylish and distinctive deisign" that will appeal to Generation Y as well as the original target Baby Boomers.
While the "more modern styling," as Honda put it, is a bit controversial—especially the "lightning bolt" hump along the rear window and the rather odd curvature of the rear fender—there's no denying the automaker has come up with a better way to manage space.
Front-seat occupants get a new lumbar adjustment, at least in top-of-the-line Elite trims, and more padding has been added to the door lining and armrests. More exterior width translates directly to interior width, with almost an inch more of shoulder room. To accommodate the myriad of small electronic items that a family is bound to have, Honda has added a Media Tray that's designed to hold cellphones and media players. Power outlets have been moved next to the compartment.
Instead of a fold-down tray between the front seats, the 2011 Odyssey gets a larger center console that's actually removable when you need to carry large cargo items. Honda has also added a new cooler box, and the Odyssey's 15 cupholders can accommodate anything from a Red Bull can to a Big Gulp.
In the second row, the center seat has been made wider, while the primary configuration remains two captain's chairs. Both outboard seats move, so that child seats can now be fitted into any of the three positions.
Access to the third row has been improved with a tip-forward function at the second row, and improvements have been made in the rearmost row to help accommodate adults. Honda says there's more legroom in the third row, and three adults can now fit comfortably. And that odd window line does help improve outward visibility for third-row passengers, Honda says.
Third-row seats can still be folded flat into the floor (with a one-touch stow function for the third row), and with the second and third rows down 4-by-8-foot sheets of plywood can fit. Several smaller cargo cubbies have been added for first-aid kits, emergency kits, and such.
A new 16.2-inch wide-screen system provides entertainment and can even split the screen in half for two separate inputs. Back in the third row there are HDMI and RCA jacks, along with a 150-watt power outlet.
The powertrain in the 2011 Honda Odyssey has been upgraded with three-mode Variable Cylinder Management—for better fuel economy of up to 19 mpg city, 28 highway.
Check out the additional interior shots below. And stay tuned for more information, as we hope to get some time inside the Odyssey, as well as behind the wheel, in the near future.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Where Do Americans Spend The Least On Cars? You’ll Be Surprised
Where do people spend the least on their cars, gasoline, and getting around?
Surprisingly, among major cities, it's Detroit. Those in the Motor City know how to keep automotive costs down; Detroit residents spent a total of $2,124 on average in vehicle-related costs, including gas, topping even mass-transit-frequenting New Yorkers.
Locally, those in Scottsdale, Arizona spent the most on auto-related expenses ($6,682), while considering gasoline Austin topped the list ($10,128). Both Scottsdale and the state of Connecticut are known for having a rather high number of high-end import, classic and collector cars.
Those in Manhattan spent just $940 on gasoline and $1,542 on auto expenses annually.
But no matter where we are, we spend a very large chunk of what we make on cars and getting around. The social money-comparison site Bundle.com just released some very interesting findings that crunch the data locally as part of a series called "How America Spends."
The average U.S. household in 2009 spent $5,477 on combined auto expenses—that's $3,269 on maintenance and other expenses plus $2,208 on gasoline. According to Bundle, that's 14.5 percent of daily spending, and more than the average person spends on groceries or utilities, and well more than things like travel, hobbies, and even clothes.
Oklahoma residents spend the most on gas—indicating that commute distances are long, or vehicles aren't as fuel-efficient—while those in Connecticut spend the most on automotive maintenance.
Driving alone is pricey
Bundle finds a few answers, and it doesn't simply come down to what type of vehicles we drive, by region, or how far we commute. Hawaiians, it says, are second only to New Yorkers in having the lowest percentage of commuters who drive alone—a very effective method of reducing expenses.
Applying that observation on a national level, the more people drive to work alone, the more automotive-related spending. In Alabama, 83 percent commute alone in their vehicles, and residents of that state shed 16.3 percent of their household budget for auto expenses. As long as commute distances can be in California, 27 percent don't drive to work alone, and that's one of the main reasons why the state isn't among the top states in auto spending.
Frugal Shopper: Women Prefer Practical, Frugal Cars, Men Don’t?
When it comes time to purchase a car, men look for bold design statements, sexy sheetmetal, and scorching performance while women—well, women want something practical, economical, and safe, right?
You'd think times would have changed, but it appears not. The pricing intelligence firm TrueCar recently crunched the data—looking at vehicle registrations rather than the purchaser information, to eliminate the idea of household decision-making, and the survey says that women overwhelmingly prefer practical cars and small cars.
Kia ranked highest for female registrations, with nearly 46 percent of female vehicle registrations. Suzuki and MINI both ranked around 44 percent. TrueCar says that safety and value ranked high for all ten of the ten brands with a female ratio over 42 percent, which included Volvo, Subaru, and Hyundai.
Price and value seemed especially important, judging from those top ten brands. Other than for MINI and Subaru, all of these most popular brands with women had a discount of between five and ten percent off MSRP. In tenth place with women, Mitsubishi vehicles were discounted 10.1 percent from MSRP, on average, while 41.5 percent of them were registered to women.
No single brand has more female buyers than male buyers.
Exotic cars and exclusive ultraluxury brands are almost exclusively registered by men. TrueCar found that zero percent of Bugattis were bought by women, while Ferrari, Lamborghini, Tesla, and Aston Martin followed—all with less than ten percent. Specialty sports-car maker Lotus ranked just after these brands, with only ten percent purchased by women.
On a make-model basis, several truck models from GMC, Dodge, and Hummer also ranked near the top among vehicles that were mostly purchased by men.
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