Well, I braved snow-covered highways to get to attend the first media day at the Detroit auto show (NAIAS). But I’m not sure why I’m here. Many manufacturers–including Buick, Ford (2010 Taurus pictured), Jaguar, and Mercedes–opted to introduce their new vehicles at special events in the days leading up to the show. In other cases (the Chevrolet Spark comes to mind)… More →
Month: January 2009
The price of a Soul (when you’re the buyer)
Noting BMW’s success with the modern MINI and Toyota’s (past) success with the Scion xB, Kia decided it wanted a piece of the custom compact car action. Which meant creating a car with some character–not something we see often from the Koreans. Based on photos, Seoul’s Soul comes surprisingly close to the mark. While not a match for the MINI’s… More →
Ford’s plan for survival?
I’ve been wondering for some time what Ford’s plan for survival, much less success, might be. Detroit has traditionally gotten by by hitting one out of the park from time to time–while striking out most times at bat. But Ford isn’t swinging for the fences the way GM is. Its cars aren’t dramatically styled. It doesn’t have a moonshot like… More →
Snow handling: the problem generally isn’t the car
I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating. People frequently complain to me about how their car handles in the snow. Sometimes they ask which car they should buy instead. Well, the problem usually isn’t the car. It’s the tires. Some tires handle much better than others in the snow. And winter tires handle best of all. I’ve been… More →
January challenge
After noting the dates of the Chicago Auto Show, I realized that the February results will have to be released on the 5th to avoid that media frenzy. Which will be tough, since the current survey won’t end until late at night on the 2nd. Actually, it’s even worse. The press release firm we use requires a two-day lead time.… More →
Lose your job, walk away from your Hyundai
Realizing that people weren’t buying cars because they feared losing their jobs, Hyundai now includes job loss insurance in the deal. Buyers who lose their jobs within a year taking delivery can return the vehicle to the dealership without damaging their credit ratings. An insurer pays off the loans. One problem with this scenerio: the insurance only covers the first… More →
What’s Mercedes thinking?
Every once in a while while checking the car pricing data I come across something that must be an error, except it isn’t. I came across such a case when going over the 2009 Mercedes ML350 today. On the ML350 you can get leather upholstery. And you can get a “Heating Package,” which includes heated seats in both rows and… More →