Lexus launched with two models, the all-new, groundbreaking LS and the ES. Though many derided the latter as “just a Camry with a fancy badge,” and assumed it would go the way of the Chevrolet-based Cadillac Cimmaron, the ES has been a sales success, and for 2013 is entering its sixth generation. The new car is more closely related to… More →
Month: September 2012
Cases in Pricing Confusion: How much does Ford charge for the Fusion’s optional engines?
Ford offers the new 2013 Fusion with four different engines, a 175-horsepower 2.5-liter, a 178-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter (1.6T), a 240-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo (2.0T), and a Hybrid. With the mid-grade SE, you also have the option of adding either a sporty Appearance Package or a Luxury Package. In choosing among the engines and packages, a buyer might want to know how… More →
Car Reliability Survey results updated, through 6-30-2012
A few months ago the reliability survey was reworked to make it more flexible. This has reduced the extreme urgency of the original system, and increased the quantity and the quality of the resulting data. But I haven’t yet found a regular cadence with the new system. So while we started previewing the latest stats in early July, and we… More →
Same price for either Rio SX transmission? Yes, and no.
The 2012 Kia Rio subcompact car was available with a manual transmission only in its lowest trim level. If didn’t want a very basic car, you had to get the automatic. Car reviewers complained, so Kia is offering a small batch of the top trim SX hatchback with a manual transmission. Reading the accompanying press release, many people have concluded… More →
2013 Midsize Sedan Price Analysis
For 2013 Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, and Nissan have all redesigned their midsize sedans. Toyota and Volkswagen did the same last year. Is any of them clearly a better value than the others? Maybe the new Accord? Honda claims to have added “thousands of dollars in new standard features” to the 2013. Or, as is often the case in highly competitive… More →
Why the sad face? (reworked car reliability scale)
When we first developed the formulas for graphically representing TrueDelta’s car reliability stats, we had far less data. We had to rely on cars with small sample sizes to get an idea of the breadth of the range from “fewest repair trips” to “most repair trips.” We thoroughly revisited these calculations with the latest update. This time around, with more… More →
2013 Ford Focus ST Price Analysis
If you regularly drive twisty roads, or spend a lot of time at the track, then by all means get a powerful sports car. But for typical suburban driving, a hot hatch can be more fun. I really liked the Ford Focus in SE Sport trim, but the 160-horsepower 2.0-liter engine isn’t up to the capabilities of the chassis. For… More →