January 5th, 2006 by admin
The luxury car manufacturer is spending the bulk of their ad dollars on or in conjuction with BET
With a mix of podcasts, blogs, flash ads, and BET editorial reviews, Lexus is targeting the technologically-savvy African American.
The Toyota luxury brand’s four-week effort is centered around
LexusFusion.com, a microsite where visitors can subscribe to podcasts, view a behind-the-scenes video of the making of a radio spot, and tell friends about the site. Independent interactive shop ImagineThat developed the online portion of the effort.
This ad campaign is designed to launch their newest SUV, the Lexus IS. Look for the flash ads on VIBE.com, blackplanet.com and BET.com.
See Also
January 3rd, 2006 by admin
Warranties for Hyundai and Kia have always been impressive
With fantastic warranties, but sketchy performance, Americans have displayed a love/hate relationship with Korean car manufacturers, Hyundai and Kia.
”The Japanese are starting to get worried about the Korean brands for the same reasons the domestics worried about the Japanese,” said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research. ”The Japanese are looking over their shoulders right now.”
A recent J.D. Power survey of 34,000 new-vehicle buyers this year concluded that fewer people feel compelled to ”buy American” and more accept Korean brands.
CNW says the median age of Hyundai buyers is 30 and for Kia it is 28, the youngest in the industry. The average age of Honda and Toyota buyers is 42 and the industry average is 45.
This year Hyundai actually beat Honda and Nissan in a customer survey, put out by JD Power. The study measured problems within the first 90 days of purchase, ranking 11. Kia ranked 29.
Consumer Reports chose the Hyundai Sonata as the most reliable vehicle of 2004.
See Also
December 30th, 2005 by admin
Should you have the right to have your vehicle repaired where you want?
Dealers hope you aren’t concerned enough to complain about their computer overrides, disallowing independent repair shops from repairing vehicles.
Now, two or three times per month, his computerized diagnostic equipment shows unknown codes when hooked up to an auto with a problem.
"The scanner gets codes, but no translation comes up, meaning the information hasn’t been released," Danneman said.
Manufacturers aren’t allowing shops access to some of the information they need to repair today’s computerized automobiles. They aren’t allowing independent’s to include the information in diagnostic tools that can be used on many different types of vehicles.
See Also
- Right to Repair
Should Dealerships Have The Right To Force You To Use Their Repair Services?
December 28th, 2005 by admin
Car Buyers Won’t Purchase From a Shaky Company
When Daewoo folded years ago, many customers were left with cars they were still financing that could not be fixed when they stalled because parts were not available. Warranty’s purchased from the manufacturer were voided and the buyers were left to bear the burden of a car that no longer had a parent company to back it.
A recent survey suggests buyers won’t enter into a similar situation this year.
There’s been talk in automotive circles that General Motors may be on the road to bankruptcy court. But GM executives may do a U-turn after reading the results of a new study that finds car buyers wary of buying a car from a bankrupt company.
The survey by Directions Research, Inc., found that only 26 percent of respondents said they would buy or lease a car manufactured by a company that was in bankruptcy.
GM will probably not collapse, but bankruptcy might be an option they choose. This survey may discourage that once attractive alternative.
See Also
- AutoWarranties.com
Warranties available on any year, make, or model vehicle with any mileage
December 26th, 2005 by admin
A Year In Review
Detriot’s news of late has been doom and gloom. With strikes, low sales, and dismal growth, the auto industry doesn’t have much to celebrate.
General Motors Corp. Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner sent a memo to workers in November assuring them bankruptcy isn’t an option for the world’s largest automaker, but concerns about GM’s financial health persist. The company recently announced a plan to cut 30,000 jobs and close 12 facilities by 2008. Next year, the automaker, which has a Fort Wayne plant, plans to sell a majority stake in its profitable finance arm, GMAC, to raise cash.
Ford Motor Co. is expected to announce its own restructuring plan in January. The nation’s No. 2 automaker had its share of turmoil this year, including an expensive bailout for its former parts division, Visteon Corp.
But, analysts say things are looking better for the coming year.
Despite the gloom in Detroit, 2005 will end on a fairly high note. Analysts are predicting full-year sales of around 17 million vehicles, a healthy pace that has held steady over the past 6 years.
See Also
December 24th, 2005 by admin
Best Cars, Trucks, Vans and SUVs of 2005
Sometimes the most fun about a new year is reading the predictions, year-in-reviews and top ten lists that all the experts release this time of year. MarketWatch has released their Top 10 Autos of 2005:
All of these cars share a common trait — they were all fun to drive in the extreme! So return your seats to the upright position, and fasten your safety belt. Here are our personal top ten best cars of 2005.
Among their top picks for 2005:
- Car of the Year: Corvette Z06
- Best Sports Car: Mazda MX-5
- Biggest Surprise: Pontiac Solstice
- Bigger-Bucks Sports Car: Porsche Boxster S
- Best Sedan: BMW 330i
- Best Gas Sipper: Honda Civic Sedan
- Best Family Car: Honda Accord
- Best Wagon: Audi A4 Avant
- Proof That Detroit Ain’t Dead Yet: Ford Mustang 5.0
- Best Uber Alles Car: Ford GT
See Also
December 22nd, 2005 by admin
SUV Comes With Distinct Styling
If you’re looking for a stylish SUV that won’t break the bank, the Suzuki Grand Vitara may fit the bill. From the base price, at just under $20K to the luxury model at around $25K this car is affordable for most people and the gas mileage is affordable as well. And, with impressive underhood horsepower, even the car enthusiast should be pleased.
The Grand Vitara incorporates a unibody chassis and adds a ladder frame construction for more rigidity. The exterior hood is sloped atop dual projector headlamps. Fender flares and built in fog lamps give the impression of a much larger SUV. The swing open rear door is right hinged for easy loading but it opens the wrong side for curb access.
The 2.7-liter power plant is adequate, producing 184 pound feet of torque. It features a dual overhead cam with a self-adjusting timing chain, not a replaceable belt. Variable induction intake increases low speed torque for more power. One downside of the Grand Vitara during test week was its fuel mileage. I averaged just below 16 miles per gallon in city and highway driving with lots of hilly terrain. Four cylinder engines are not available this year.
The Grand Vitara offers an extended powertrain warranty of 7 year, 100,000 miles as a standard feature. This new Suzuki SUV is bound to be a powerful sales pusher. Look for the Suzuki Grand Vitara to hit dealerships in 2006.
See Also
December 19th, 2005 by admin
2007 Model Launches in New York
Look for a media blitz on the "New Tahoe" from Chevy. They’re launching the redesigned SUV in New York City with a performance by Mary J. Blige on a Chevy-branded stage.
The show will be part of Carson Daly’s New Year’s Special on NBC.
Chevy messaging will be on the ABC Studios Supersign, the Reuters Jumbotron and the ball-drop video monitors. The Chevy gold bowtie emblem will also be on the podium from which N.Y. Mayor Michael Bloomberg will push the button that drops the ball.
Blige’s performance will be part of a larger show that begins at 11:30pm on New Year’s Eve. Countdown Entertainment is responsible for the entire Times Square New Year’s Eve production.
See Also
December 18th, 2005 by admin
Geely Will Display at Detroit Auto Show
While the American auto industry continues to show trouble, Chinese automaker, Geely, is taking this opportunity to show their 5-passenger sedan, the 7151CK at the Detroit Auto Show.
"We are absolutely determined to produce a high-quality vehicle that can be marketed to the American consumer for under $10,000,” said Harmer, an attorney and former Washington lobbyist who said he was hired for his expertise in regulatory issues. "We’re not trying to barnstorm the American market. We’re going to protect the product and the credibility of our name.”
Geely expects to sell a little more than 100,000 vehicles in China this year, Harmer said. That’s about the same number of vehicles Mitsubishi Motors sold in the United States in the first 11 months of this year. GM sold 4 million in that time. Geely also plans to export 7,000 vehicles this year, mostly to Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Harmer said.
Harmer said Geely won’t start talking to U.S. dealers for another year.
Detroit auto show co-chairman Richard Genthe said several other Chinese automakers inquired about space at this year’s show, but Geely was the only one that committed to a booth. Geely decided to bring the 7151 CK last week, Genthe said.
"We’re excited to be the first show in the Western hemisphere to showcase a Chinese vehicle,” Genthe said.
This makes history as the first Chinese automaker to display at the Detroit Auto Show. There are other Chinese automakers targeting the American market, but when some displays cost as much as $2M, Geely is the only one actually displaying at the show.
See Also
December 16th, 2005 by admin
CorvetteBlog.com has chosen the Corvette Z06 as this year’s car of the year.
Corvette Z06 is this year’s car of the year according to CorvetteBlog.com
"We considered several cars for this award and actually narrowed our search to three vehicles," said Keith Cornett, Senior Editor of CorvetteBlogger.com. "The Corvette Coupe and the Corvette Convertible models were considered, But the Z06, with its heart-thumping 505 horsepower and relatively low super car price of $65,800 made the decision easy."
The Corvette Z06 marks the latest evolution of the Corvette icon. Rebuilt from the ground up, the latest Z06 features a 505 hp 7.0 liter LS7 aluminum block with an innovative Dry-Sump oil system. Massive six-piston front and four piston rear brakes can stop this beast 60 mph to 0 in 109 feet. The Corvette also features a strong, yet lightweight aluminum frame combined with a magnesium engine cradle allowing superior power-to-weight ratios. All these features add up to an unheard of MSRP of $65,800. out since the founding of the blog in August 2005.
While the car does look and sound gorgeous, keep in mind they didn’t put it against hundreds of cars. The contest was only between cars that were:
- made by Chevrolet
- Corvettes
Seems like a small talent pool, but, hey, it’s their contest.
See Also
