When Will the 2011 Ford Super Duty Go on Sale? (Ask.cars.com)
What Weighs 6,000 Pounds and Can Fit in a Cargo Box? (PickupTrucks.com)
Driving School Proves Winter Tires Make a Difference (MotherProof.com)
Archive for February, 2010
Today’s News From the Cars.com Family
Friday, February 26th, 2010NHTSA to Test Lexus Vehicle, Investigate Electronics for All Automakers
Friday, February 26th, 2010The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration purchased a 2006 Lexus ES 350 attached to a sudden acceleration complaint in order to test the vehicle. The Lexus was once owned by Rhonda and Eddie Smith of Tennessee, who testified before Congress that in a harrowing incident the vehicle accelerated suddenly on the freeway for six minutes before Rhonda Smith regained control.
NHTSA will study the vehicle at its Vehicle Research and Test Center in East Liberty, Ohio.
Additionally, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that electronic throttles — which have come under scrutiny in the sudden acceleration investigation — will come under review by U.S. safety officials. This applies not just to Toyota, but all automakers. The purpose will be to see if electromagnetic interference (for instance, from power lines) could affect vehicles’ computer systems.
NHTSA Will Test Runaway Toyota Vehicle (Detroit News)
2010 Acura ZDX Video
Friday, February 26th, 2010
The first thing Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder notices about the 2010 Acura ZDX is that you should probably watch your head when getting into the backseat. Because of its unique design, the ZDX ends up with some unwelcome cargo limitations, which Wiesenfelder points out. However, when he gets up to the interior surrounding the driver, his attitude toward the ZDX becomes more favorable. Watch this video to find out why.
Driving Game Offers Twitter Functionality
Friday, February 26th, 2010Sure, the Department of Transportation is all over driving distractions in the real world, but what are gamers supposed to do?
Activision has introduced Twitter functionality into its upcoming racing game “Blur” using Bizarre Creations’ social network interface. Players will be able to send tweets from within the game to hype their race victories, how many fans they have, cars they’ve unlocked, who’s ahead on the leader board, or just jaw at their friends in the multiplayer mode.
And when someone crashes into you because they’re busy tweeting, you have every right to bemoan the culture of driver (in a video game) distraction.
GM Takes Second Look at Hummer Bidders
Friday, February 26th, 2010As GM attempts to off-load brands like Hummer and Saab, the entire process feels like the end of a horror movie when the monster keeps popping back to life.
Just as Hummer’s fate appeared sealed when the Chinese industrial machinery company Tengzhong couldn’t get the sale approved by the Chinese government, the Wall Street Journal reports that a flicker of hope remains for the SUV brand.
GM is apparently taking a second look at two previous suitors that made bids for Hummer before Tengzhong but were rejected as insufficient. The Journal did not say which companies made the offer, but it did confirm that GM turned both down sometime last year.
It remains likely that GM will simply have to wind down the brand as it did with Pontiac and Saturn, but Hummer remains a widely recognized — and for some, a fiercely beloved — brand.
GM Weighs Two Offers for Hummer (The Wall Street Journal)
11,000 Have Ordered New Mustang
Friday, February 26th, 2010The 2011 Ford Mustang didn’t get a redesign, yet interest in it has spiked nevertheless. Ford says that 11,000 customers have already ordered the ’11 Mustang, which is three times — three times! — the number of advanced orders the last model had before its launch.
Ford decided to attribute this to the Mustang’s improved fuel efficiency. The V-6 shows some fairly impressive mileage gains, with a combined EPA rating of 30 mpg without sacrificing performance. This is a 25% improvement over the last model, and Ford says orders for the V-6 have shot up 19% over last year. All this with 305 horsepower under the hood.
Special packages, such as the Mustang Club of America Special Edition and the California Special, have also seen a bump in sales numbers that have exceeded Ford’s expectations.
The base model ’11 Mustang starts at $22,145 and goes on sale this spring.
11,000 Pony Up for New Mustang (Detroit News)
Some Used Chevy Impalas Have Missing Side Airbags
Friday, February 26th, 2010When Enterprise sold thousands of used Chevy Impalas to dealers, the car rental company missed the fact that optional side airbags weren't installed and the vehicles were sold as if they originally had this safety feature.
Window stickers on the side of the Impalas said the side airbags were intact when they were, in fact, removed by Enterprise during fleet purchases. GM allowed rental car companies to delete side airbags at the factory to save $145 per vehicle. More than 100,000 Impalas are now working their way to the used-car market without these airbags. There’s nothing illegal about this, except that customers must be aware of what they’re buying.
If you buy an Impala, you’ll know the airbags are missing if you find the deleted option code “AK5” on the identification plate in the trunk. Also, the door trim will be missing the word “airbag.” This applies only to older vehicles because GM no longer allows airbags to be deleted in fleet purchases.
Enterprise has admitted the error and said it will buy back the vehicles for $750 above the Blue Book value or pay $200 to the customer for the inconvenience.
Cars Found With Missing Safety Features (WIVB.com)
Toyota Sees Decline in Interest on Cars.com
Friday, February 26th, 2010As Toyota’s recall woes continue, they have made a very real impact on how shoppers are acting on Cars.com. Consumer interaction with dealers has declined dramatically for several top-selling Toyota models after two recalls over the past few months.
In the all-important midsize sedan segment, the Camry was neck-and-neck with the Honda Accord in consumer contacts over the past year. But since the first recall (for floormats) in the fall, the Camry has dropped behind Accord, but it still led all other models. After the second recall in January, the Camry fell to fifth in consumer contacts.
Which car has benefited the most? Well, the Accord (also declining before the Toyota recall) shot upward and remains in first place. But the new Hyundai Sonata — which launched in January with an aggressive ad campaign, including several Super Bowl commercials — shot up from eighth place to second, followed by the Nissan Altima and the Ford Fusion.
The compact Corolla has fallen as well. Once in a close battle with the Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta for first, the Corolla has now fallen to eighth in consumer contacts.
While the decline is clearly fueled by the current controversy, Toyota is also clearly in danger of losing the interest of today’s car shopper. In addition, the rising quality of Toyota’s competition could keep buyers from coming back the next time they’re in the market.
Today’s News From the Cars.com Family
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
My Toyota Isn’t Part of the Recall. Will It Drop in Resale Value? (Ask.cars.com)
Ford Announces 2011 Super Duty Power and Pulling Specs (PickupTrucks.com)
Clek Oobr Booster Seat Is a Dream, but Price Isn’t (MotherProof.com)
2012 Lexus LFA Supercar to Start at $375,000
Thursday, February 25th, 2010Lexus' first supercar, the 2012 LFA, will be limited to just 500 units worldwide when it goes on sale next year. It also will hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, thanks to a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic body and a 552-horsepower, 4.8-liter V-10 engine.
That’s why the $375,000 price tag sounds almost reasonable, and that’s before any destination charges. Lexus is also leasing the LFA with an intent to buy, which is a bit strange, but it might be to keep out prospectors looking to run up the price early in the sales process.
The $375,000 is a base price, with custom colors and interior trim adding more. But for the base price, you can pick one of the three following configurations:
Configuration 1 – Leather or Alcantara-trimmed seats.
Configuration 2 – Leather or Alcantara-trimmed seats, Lexus navigation system and Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound system.
Configuration 3 – Leather or Alcantara-trimmed seats, Lexus navigation system, Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound system and Lexus Enform with Safety Connect.
If the price is in your wheelhouse, don’t wait. Go to your local dealer and try to sweet talk them to even be considered for the LFA. In the rarefied air of supercars, most are spoken for well before they ever see public pavement. It might help if you buy an LX or LS — or two — to help things along.