Some people have told TrueDelta that what they’d really like to know, more than average repair rates, is which problems are especially common with a given car. This way, when shopping for a used car they would could: Closely inspect typical problem areas Check if likely repairs have already been performed In response, TrueDelta is launching the Common Auto Repairs… More →
Month: November 2007
Upgraded Fuel Economy Survey
Since the Fuel Economy Survey began, the survey has asked for a miles per gallon or liters per 100 kilometers figure, depending on where you live. But a number of members emailed me asking for the ability to enter the distance traveled and amount of fuel used individually, and the price of the fuel as well. This way they could track… More →
Concept cars: what are they good for?
It’s auto show season again, so we’re being teased with a slew of new racy “concepts.” Time to wonder what these might indicate about future production cars, and wonder what the point is to the things in the first place. Over at the Autos Blog for the Detroit News, reporter Neil Winton laments that the Worthy New Jaguar XF Rejects… More →
Why the Cadillac CTS won Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award
Just the other day I wrote about how my father has ordered a 2008 Cadillac CTS, his first GM car in a quarter-century. This morning we learned that the car has won Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award. Some people are bound to be surprised by this win. Off the top of my head, I can think of three reasons why… More →
Yet another “last chance”
The Financial Times is calling the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu GM’s “last-chance saloon.” Where have I seen this headline before? Oh, yeah, pretty much every time one of the domestic automakers has launched a major new sedan in the last quarter-century. But the reality is that no one product is going to make or break the manufacturer. The company’s situation might… More →
My father buys his first GM car in 25 years
Back when I first got into cars, I talked my father into buying a 1983 Pontiac 6000 STE instead of a Saab 900 Turbo. The Saab was neat, and he really wanted it. But Detroit had gotten to me with all its flag waving, and the magazines were talking up the Pontiac as a legitimate alternative to the Audi 5000,… More →
Which 2008s might be included in the February results?
A few weeks ago I posted that including as many 2008 models as possible in the next set of results was a top priority. I’ve even put the header into the pot–the 2008s with the most responses will replace the current vehicles in the header. (Maybe this will become an annual thing.) So, who’s in the running? Buick Enclave –… More →
Before signing any papers, drive the car
A car can have problems from the momment you drive it off the lot. Sometimes these problems can be difficult or even impossible to fix, such as an odd vibration when driving on the highway. Once you sign the papers and leave the lot, though, the car and its problems are yours (at least until a lemon law kicks in). To… More →
What’s a serious rattle?
TrueDelta’s results currently include all shop trips that included a successful repair (unless this repair was a simple reflash). We don’t yet distinguish between “serious” repairs and minor ones. Often this is suggested. But doing this can be very tricky. As I first reported back in June of 2006, Consumer Reports’ method contains a serious flaw: they ask that only… More →
Getting those quarters to drop…
You know those arcade games where you drop a quarter in, and if it lands just right a bunch of previously dropped quarters–that appear to be teetering on the edge–will fall into the trough? Well, TrueDelta’s Vehicle Reliability Survey is much the same way for me. As people respond at the end of the quarter, I watch as the number… More →