Not long ago, Ford relied on low prices (even lower after hefty incentives) to sell its cars. But in the last few years it has sought, with a fair amount of success, to take a big step upmarket. The average transaction price of the 2012 Ford Focus has been about $5,000 higher than that of the 2011. Are they attempting… More →
Month: August 2012
Is Ford cheating the specs for the new 2013 Escape?
Inputting the interior dimensions for the redesigned crossover, the combination of 43.1 inches of front legroom and 36.8 inches of rear legroom surprised me. I’ve been in the new Escape, and its rear seat is considerably tighter than most in the segment. Yet these specs from the brochure (and various popular car sites) suggest it should rank among the roomiest.… More →
2013 Chevrolet Spark Price Analysis
It wasn’t so long ago that the Chevrolet Aveo seemed to small for American car buyers. But in addition to getting a new name, Sonic, when it was redesigned, the once-smallest Chevy also got larger. So for 2013 Chevrolet is introducing an even smaller car, the Spark. How much smaller? Compared to the Sonic, the Spark has a half-foot less… More →
2013 Dodge Dart Price Analysis
Chrysler recently introduced the first product of its relationship with FIAT, the 2013 Dodge Dart. The Dart is based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and is available with many upscale features not offered elsewhere in the segment. They’re clearly attempting a premium position. But does this mean a premium price? The least expensive model most people will consider, the Dart… More →
Fuel Economy Survey Upgrade
We’ve enhanced our fuel economy survey and results. Now you can: edit previous entries enter the fill-up date on a tank indicate heavy cargo or towing (for exclusion from the public stats) enter comments report on electric vehicles toggle the units used in the results (either MPG or g/100m, for example) Also, you can now view fuel economy results and… More →
Specs for Non-US Models and Powertrains
Members outside the U.S. and Canada have enrolled over 6,000 cars. In many cases either the model or the powertrain isn’t offered in the U.S. And, if we hadn’t entered specs for it in the database, no information could be posted about the car. I’d love to see information on these cars, so for the past week I’ve been entering… More →