Months ago, in a related article, I covered five new or revised car models set to be launched on the North American market. The Jaguar XK, Saturn Sky, Toyota FJ Cruiser, Land Rover Freelander, and Dodge Nitro are already in showrooms or soon to make their appearance there. Beyond these five there are quite a number of other models also being planned and some have already been released. Let’s take a look at five more models catching the attention of auto enthusiasts everywhere.
Nissan Versa – Yes, Nissan has its own Scion fighter planned and just in time too as two other cars, the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, will also be making their debut in the fast crowding Generation “Y” category. The Versa looks more like a Toyota Matrix as opposed to the bread box looking Scion xB. Available as a four door sedan or five door hatchback, the car will come equipped not stripped and include an AM/FM/CD sound system, air conditioning, 6 speed manny tranny, and power mirrors as standard equipment. Best of all, the roomy Versa will be priced at about $12,000, right in Scion territory.
Toyota’s latest model is the subcompact Yaris, a replacement for the Echo and the newest entry level car for the division. Retailing for just under $11,000 the Yaris may impact the sales of another, slightly larger Toyota model. Is it the Corolla? No. How about the Matrix? No. The model I am thinking about is the Prius, Toyota’s compact hybrid hauler.
The whole idea of buying a hybrid car is to conserve fuel and save money, right? In part, that is a true statement. However, the price of a vehicle must also be factored in and the Yaris will be retailing for $10,000 less than the Prius. In addition, the Yaris is a real gas sipping car. EPA figures are showing that the Yaris will deliver 34 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. This compares to the 60 mpg city and 51 mpg highway for the Prius…and we all know that hybrid fuel economy figures are being widely attacked from all quarters for being vastly overstated.
Posted in Vehicles | Also tagged Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, General Motors, GM, hybrid cars, Jeep, Pontiac, prius, Toyota, Yaris |
Hyundai’s all-new near-luxury sedan, the Azera, has been received with critical acclaim. Consumers and critics are calling the Hyundai Azera the highest quality, most luxurious Hyundai to ever appear in the highly competitive US market. A recent award from the automotive consultant group, AutoPacific has underscored what many are quickly learning: the Hyundai Azera is a car that leads in customer satisfaction. None of this is a surprise to Hyundai, but it may be as surprise for you. Read on for a look at Hyundai’s darling near-luxury sedan.
Near-luxury, you say? Yes, it is a category reserved for cars that have many luxury appointments and high engineering standards without the price. Retailing at just over $27,000, the Hyundai Azera is a bargain when compared to similar cars from BMW and Lexus, but not quite the engineering and technological marvel of these two competitors, however. Yet, the Hyundai Azera is offering plenty for consumers at prices well below that of its would-be competitors.
Under the umbrella of the General Motors, the Buick Motor Division is very much responsible for the Buick Century. This model of vehicles is a line of full size performance vehicles that had ran from 1936 to 1942 as well as in 1954 to 1958. The vehicle brand, Buick, also used the name Buick Century in 1973 to 2004 for its value-added intermediate line of cars.
The very first time that the Buick Century made its way on the automotive jungle, this vehicle actually took the place and niche of the Buick Series 60. This happened when the Buick division decided to rename the whole model line up for the 1936 model year. This was due to the celebration of engineering improvements and design advancements. What actually happened to the Buick Century was that it was a combination and concoction of the shorter Buick Special bodies’ wheelbase to the Buick’s engine that holds eight cylinders. During this era, the Buick Century was actually the fastest in its brand line up. It was capable of performing under sustained speeds. Because of this fact, the vehicle was dubbed as the “banker’s hotrod”.
Lots of folks are speculating about GM’s future. If you take all the press reports at heart, you would think that General Motors is on life support. Quite frankly, the opposite is true especially when you look at the global picture. In 2005, “the General” sold more than 9 million cars worldwide, the first time the automaker reached that figure since 1978. Yes, U.S. auto sales are down and some are calling for GM to reduce its many brands, currently numbering 8. Who should GM let go? Or, should General Motors stick with the game plan and maintain all 8 brands?
For the record, GM’s 8 brands are: Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Saturn, GMC, Hummer, and Saab. You could take Saab out of that pack as the Swedish automaker (although fully owned by GM) builds few cars in North America. Still, GM includes Saab in its marketing schema so we’ll keep them in for argument’s sake.
Posted in Vehicles | Also tagged Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chevy, Daewoo, GM, Gmc, Holden, Hummer, Oldsmobile, Opel, Pontiac, Saab |
The venerable Buick Park Avenue is no more, having been replaced by the all new Buick Lucerne, a down market version of the Cadillac DTS. With a 275-hp Northstar V8 engine, the Lucerne becomes the first Buick car in nearly ten years to arrive equipped with a V8. The entire Buick line up is in the process of being overhauled, so let’s take a look at this make’s newest flagship and see how it plays a part in GM’s overall strategy.
If you are a fan of the Buick brand you have witnessed your fair share of changes over the past five years. Gone are the Park Avenue, LeSabre, Century, and Regal, and in its place are the Rendezvous, the Rainier, LaCrosse, Terrazza, and the Lucerne. All the changes are the result of General Motors’ broad realignment strategy in the wake of retiring the Oldsmobile brand, lifting Saturn into the fold, and setting strategy to compete against the nonstop onslaught of foreign brands including Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, and Infiniti.
All the car blogs lately have been speculating on the direction that the Ford Motor Company is going to take in the wake of declining sales and stiff competition. We know that Ford has too much capacity and we know that the company will be closing some key plants and laying off an as yet to be determined number of employees. What hadn’t been clear is which models would be cut from the line up. Now, it appears that Ford will exit the lucrative minivan market. That’s right, Ford apparently will stick with building cars, trucks, and SUVs, and leave the minivan market to the other players.
Ever since the Chrysler Corporation invented the minivan market back in the early 1980s with its line of “K-car” derived minivans – the Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager, and the Chrysler Town & Country – Ford has been playing catch up. Indeed, a series of forgettable “star” named minivans were served up by Ford and summarily rejected by consumers: the Aerostar, Windstar, and the Freestar. Later, both Honda and Toyota brought out their own entries and Ford, along with Chevrolet found themselves trailing badly in an overcrowded segment. Indeed, several GM divisions sell minivans, as does Kia and Nissan, making the market especially tight.
I, like so many people who have been following General Motors’ fortunes for some time, am wondering what the company’s long term plan of action is in the face of historic losses, plant closings, and unrelenting and widening competition. No, I am not talking about GM’s global operations, rather I am talking about the North American fortunes of the world’s largest automaker. Quite frankly, the North American market is currently unprofitable for the company while GM holds its own, even thrives, in many markets beyond our borders. The following are some suggestions to help “The General” not only get back on its feet again, but to halt the bleeding in North America.
File For Bankruptcy — It is time to play hardball with recalcitrant unions and government authorities who don’t understand that GM is playing on an uneven field. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai all build cars in the U.S. None of them are saddled by huge legacy costs, i.e. health and pension benefits, local tax burdens, etc. Yes, GM negotiated their contracts in good faith, however the market has changed tremendously over the past several decades and is wholly unfavorable to the way GM has been doing business since then. In addition, GM often operates at a disadvantage in foreign markets as local laws limit their ability to effectively sell their vehicles.
I have been enjoying reading the news these past few days, perhaps in a perverse sort of way. Pundits and prognosticators are all forecasting the pending doom of the world’s largest automaker as if the approaching layoffs and restructuring are signaling the venerable automaker’s end. Certainly, GM has some problems – big ones – but the company isn’t likely to go away or even file for bankruptcy. The news isn’t all that it seems to be on this subject either…GM will survive and likely thrive in the decades ahead.
Okay, I am not crazy. Could GM go away? Of course, as could any poorly managed company. Yes, executives are overpaid and so are union workers. There…I said it. GM has been taking it on the chin from Asian automakers for three decades now and their U.S. market share continues to dwindle. Still, it isn’t doomsday for the general. Far from it. Here are some things that I believe GM is attempting to do to as they restructure.
There is a new vehicle that now roams the streets and roads. And this one is the Buick Lucerne CXS. This Buick vehicle comes mounted with a 4.6 liter Northstar DOHC V8 engine where its power comes from. And mind you, this powerful engine actually has the capacity to product 275 units of horsepower at 5200 rpm. Aside from that, the engine can also create 292 pound feet of torque at 4400 rpm.
The Northstar DOHC V8 engine plus a combination of well selected Buick parts are just a couple of the good things you would find with this vehicle. You see, the performance of this Buick Lucerne CXS is yet another factor that you would have to consider. It does help a lot to know that this vehicle operates with a four speed automatic transmission system. Plus, it has got P245/50R18 tires to keep the bumps and potholes on the road to a minimum for the passengers.
There is plenty of information about buying new Buick cars and how to shop for the best deal, but what happens after the sale? What about warranty coverage and recalls? In this article, the focus turns to the post-sale questions and how to find the answers.
As with all new Buick cars, a warranty is offered to the new owner. It is important to remember, however, that not every repair is covered under warranty. Problems that are covered under warranty must be repaired at an authorized Buick cars dealership. The company actually recommends that all repairs, including those under warranty and those that are not, be done at an authorized dealership in order to maintain quality and knowledgeable service. The best way to find out if the shop is authorized to perform Buick cars warranty repairs is to simply ask.
During the 1980s, Buick was a brand that successfully straddled the fine line between luxury and performance. This GM division sold big, fluffy Park Avenues and LeSabres, while also selling the luxury/sport Riviera and the Regal. It was this last model, the Regal, which stunned the automotive world by winning Grand National awards during the early 1980s. Today, all four models have been terminated in favor of newer names including the Lucerne, LaCrosse, Terrazza, Rainier, and Rendezvous, models that didn’t even exist five years ago. Where is Buick headed? Will GM’s troubles finally kill off the brand? Will the Buick name ever regain meaning? A lot is riding on these questions; the answers may not be as simple to utter or imagine.
GM’s woes could spell Buick’s demise. At least that is the thought with some “experts” who believe that at least two brands need to be pruned from the GM line up to save the automaker. General Motors, for their part, has said that they will stick with all of their brands; instead, the company is using this crucial time to put into place a long and painful process to remake its entire image. With plant closings, layoffs, and big losses racking up, the world’s #1 automaker cannot afford a misstep, so whatever plans the automaker has for the company must be executed flawlessly, otherwise further trouble will ensue.
The Buick Motor Division of the General Motors Corporation is in transition, much like the rest of the venerable auto company. Old models have been canceled, new models added, and the current line up is radically different from just three years earlier. Now down to five models, the remaining vehicles in the Buick line up are all winners. Let’s take a look at each model and what they have to offer to you, the consumer.
Lucerne – Buick’s Roadmaster and LeSabre are both gone, but the full size Lucerne have taken their place. Featuring V8 power and luxurious appointments such as heated and cooled seats, liquid heated windshield fluid, and leather appointments, the big Lucerne is based on the Cadillac DTS, but the car sells for more than $10,000 less than its up market Caddy cousin.
Ford’s Slow Selling Hybrids
It looks as if consumers are agreeing with my stance regarding hybrid cars: they just aren’t worth the premium price. Only the $21,000 Toyota Prius is selling fairly well with sales for all hybrid models dropping across the board.
Posted in General | Also tagged auto writer, Cadillac, classic cars, Ford, GM, Jaguar, Pontiac, prius, Suzuki, Toyota, Yaris |
Driving does require you to have your full concentration on the road ahead. It is also very essential that your mind does not wander anywhere else. However, because of the frantic pace of the world today, it seems like anywhere a person goes, there is always something that you would need to take care of – bills to be paid, friends asking for advice, family members giving you last minute instructions, bosses looking for report, clients asking for a meeting, and many others.
Good thing that Parrot, a company that has already become a specialist in Bluetooth hands-free telephony, has been able to create the BTHFU (Bluetooth Hands-Free Units) for cars and vehicles. In fact, Parrot is actually a member and the current chair of the Bluetooth SIG Automobile working group. According to the company, the products that they are designing and developing have been made just especially for vehicles. And the BTHFU has been actually created along with the company Visteon. This new unit would be coming with digital signal processing, noise reduction features, as well as echo cancellation. You would be able to find this one in the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy which would be roaming the streets of China.