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Consumer Reports: Hyundai Genesis New Top-Rated Upscale Sedan, Bests Lexus ES 350 [Hyundai Genesis]

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Plucky Korean upstart Hyundai has beaten rivals from Saab, Pontiac, Lexus, Toyota, Acura and Lincoln; the Genesis has just been named Consumer Reports’ new top-rated upscale sedan. Who knew Hyundai was the new Lexus?

Evaluated against the Lexus ES 350, Acura TL, Nissan Maxima, Pontiac G8, Lincoln MKS, Toyota Avalon, Buick Lucerne and Saab 9-5, the Hyundai Genesis sedan came out on top. Consumer Reports stated, “Its luxurious and spacious interior and
quietness far transcend its relatively modest price.”

This backs up Ray’s Hyundai Genesis review, in which he said a lot of stuff about Kimchi, but also that the Genesis easily satisfied the needs of entry-level luxury buyers if they’re willing to look past the badge snobbery.

Consumer Reports’ Press Release Follows:

Hyundai Genesis Outscores Competitors, Becomes Consumer Reports’ top-rated “Upscale Sedan”

Genesis narrowly outpoints Lexus ES 350 to take top spot

YONKERS, NY - The Hyundai Genesis outscored four competitors to become Consumer Reports top-rated vehicle in the competitive “Upscale Sedan” category. The Genesis, which achieved an “Excellent” overall road test score, now outranks 12 vehicles from Lexus, Acura, Lincoln and others including the Lexus ES 350.

The Genesis’ performance in CR’s battery of tests solidifies the automaker’s reputation as a builder of high-quality vehicles in several diverse automotive segments. Previously, Consumer Reports named two Hyundais, the Elantra and Santa Fe, as “Top Pick” vehicles in the small sedan and midsize SUV categories respectively.

“The Hyundai Genesis rivals high-end luxury sedans but costs considerably less,” said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center in East Haddam, Connecticut. “Its luxurious and spacious interior and quietness far transcend its relatively modest price.”

The Genesis was tested against four other new or redesigned upscale sedans—the Acura TL, Nissan Maxima, Pontiac G8 and Lincoln MKS-for the February issue of Consumer Reports. Prices ranged from $33,660 for the Pontiac to $40,880 for the Lincoln.

Two other vehicles in the test group also earned Excellent overall road test scores, the TL and Maxima. The G8 and MKS achieved Very Good overall scores.

The eight other vehicles in the Upscale Sedans category including the ES 350, Toyota Avalon, Buick Lucerne and Saab 9-5, were all tested previously.

In addition to the five upscale sedans tested, CR also purchased and tested the Jaguar XF luxury sedan. Though it obtained a Very Good overall score, it still ranked near the bottom of the group of 12 luxury sedans that Consumer Reports has rated.

But the redesigned Honda Pilot has slipped from being one of Consumer Reports’ top-rated three-row SUVs to midpack. The Pilot now ranks eleventh out of seventeen midsized, three-row SUVs that have been tested by CR.

Full tests and ratings of all six sedans appear in the February issue of Consumer Reports, which goes on sale January 6. The reports are also available to subscribers of www.ConsumerReports.org. (Road test vehicles of recently tested vehicles are also available free at CR’s web site.)

The issue also contains a report on the conversion of a hybrid Toyota Prius to a plug-in hybrid. Consumer Reports chose a Hymotion L5 conversion kit sold by A123 Systems, which the company claims can yield more than 100 mpg. Fuel economy in CR’s converted Prius jumped from 42 to 67 mpg overall for the first 35 miles of driving. At almost $11,000, the plug-in conversion clearly won’t save consumers money overall. However, the technology itself proved viable.

The TL is the only vehicle in this month’s test group that is Recommended by Consumer Reports.

CR only Recommends vehicles that have performed well in its tests, have at least average predicted reliability based on CR’s annual Car Reliability Survey of its more than seven million print and web subscribers, and performed at least adequately if crash-tested or included in a government rollover test.

CR doesn’t have reliability data yet on the Genesis, MKS, Maxima, G8 and XF.

Spacious and well appointed, the rear-wheel-drive Genesis offers good value and is a compelling alternative to luxury vehicles costing thousands more. This car’s forte is swaddling passengers in silence. The engine sounds polished and road noise is strikingly absent. The interior rivals those of the very best luxury cars, with its optional stitched-leather dashboard facing and consistently high-quality materials. The only real drawback is its ride, which can be unsettled at times and doesn’t live up to the standards set by other luxury cars. The Genesis 3.8 ($36,000 Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price as tested) is powered by a 290-hp, 3.8-liter V6 that feels quick and smooth and delivers a decent 21 mpg in CR’s own fuel-economy tests. The six-speed automatic transmission provides smooth, quick shifts. Braking is excellent.

The redesigned Acura TL is a nice car, with responsive handling, a slick powertrain and commendable fuel economy. But when compared with the previous TL, which was CR’s Top Pick in this segment for years, the latest generation is not as impressive. Vague steering saps the fun out of its handling, the trunk opening is small, and other competitors have roomier rear seats. The base-model TL ($35,715 MSRP as tested) is powered by a 280-hp, 3.5-liter V6 that delivers excellent acceleration and a respectable 23 mpg overall on premium fuel. The five-speed automatic transmission is both quick and smooth. Brakes are excellent overall.

The Maxima is a quick car, but it doesn’t add much over the less costly Nissan Altima overall. While it’s pleasant, it falls short in some ways. Handling is responsive, but at low speeds the steering is overly light. The car is quiet and the ride is decent. But the new coupe-like silhouette compromises visibility, trunk room, and rear-seat comfort. The Maxima 3.5 SV ($33,700 MSRP as tested) is powered by a 290-hp, 3.5-liter V6 that gives the car quicker acceleration than some V8s. Expect 22 mpg overall on premium fuel. The continuously variable transmission works very well overall; it’s also the only one available. The Maxima’s brakes are very good overall.

As a bargain sports sedan that can challenge the performance of models from BMW and Mercedes, Pontiac’s G8 is a success. It handles and rides as well as the best cards in its class. The G8 GT’s acceleration is very impressive, with a zero-to-sixty time of 5.7-seconds. But the downside of that is poor fuel economy-at just 17 mpg overall on regular fuel. The G8 GT ($33,660 MSRP as tested) is powered by a huge 361-hp, 6.0-liter V8 engine that makes it blisteringly quick. The smooth six speed automatic transmission with a tall sixth gear makes highway cruising relaxed. The brakes are very good overall. (A 256-hp, 3.6-liter V6 with a five-speed automatic is also available in the base G8, but CR didn’t test it because a more powerful V6 with a six-speed automatic will arrive in 2010.)

In the tradition of large domestic luxury cars, Lincoln’s MKS is built for pampering, not for spirited driving. Handling lacks agility, and the engine is too noisy for a car in this class. The interior amenities and finishes are pleasant, but the MKS feels too much like the Ford Taurus, on which it is based, to justify its luxury price tag. The MKS ($40,880 MSRP as tested) is equipped with a 273-hp, 3.7-liter V6 engine that performs well, but is not as quick or smooth as its competition in this class. CR measured its fuel economy at just 20 mpg overall on regular, which is not impressive. The six-speed automatic transmission is not as slick as most in this class. Brakes are very good overall.

BMW X6 M Teased In Sneak Preview Video [2010 Bmw X6 M]

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:45:00 +0000

It looks like BMW’s M division is doing something it said it never would: building an SUV. The BMW X6 M will use tuned versions of the X6’s 400 HP V8 and torque vectoring differentials.

It’s the latter, called Dynamic Performance Control that we’re most interested in. The system is capable of parsing torque both front to rear and side-to-side, directing it to an individual tire even. When we tested the X6 we found that it worked like stability control, but enhanced, rather than reduced performance. For the X6 M, it’s been tweaked to “reduce understeer” which we can only assume increased oversteer. That’s a good thing, we found the V8-engined BMW X6 to be considerably more nose heavy than its 6-cylinder sibling, resulting in a slightly ponderous driving experience.

The other big addition is a high-power version of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. No power figures yet, but figure on a healthy increase over the stock unit’s 400 HP, 450 Lb-Ft rating. We don’t think it’s optimistic to expect both numbers to be over 500. It’s also rumored that this engine could be used in the next M5.

It’s fun to watch the ways in which different manufacturers are learning to manipulate the scary new world of the Internet. Porsche’s attempt to build buzz around the Porsche Panamera resulted in a fleet of lightly disguised cars being driven around city centers in the hopes of fan boy photos. BMW seems to want to take the content directly to viewers, using BMW Web TV to promote carefully formulated pieces of propaganda in advance of new product launches. Both are certainly more fun than paying spy photographers to take shots of “secret” prototypes. [via BMW Web TV]

PCH, Crypto-Italian Kit Cars Edition: Siata Spring or Belgian Backyard Lamborghini? [Project Car Hell]

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:30:00 +0000

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that’s the coolest… and the most hellish! You want a project car that’s different, don’t you?

Of course you do! Oh, sure, you’d have fun with a Lotus Esprit or Fiat 124 Sport Coupe (incidentally, the Lotus beat the Fiat rather handily in the Choose Your Eternity poll), but you wouldn’t have the pride of driving a ~~total oddball orphan~~ genuinely unique machine. That’s exactly what we’ve got for you today!

You may not have heard of Siata, but they were once legendary for their Fiat-based (and even Crosley-powered) sports cars. The Siata Spring was based on the rear-engined Fiat 850 chassis, and you’d have a helluva time finding one… until now. We’ve got this ‘69 Siata Spring (go here if the ad disappears), which seems to run and doesn’t suffer from much rust. What could go wrong, then? Well, a weirdo conversion of a nervous Italian machine, done by a now-defunct company… do we need to draw a diagram? This thing is going to be a never-ending project, so you might as well start figuring out how to stuff a WRX engine in the back!

Normally we wouldn’t consider a VW-engined Lamborghini copy to be a true Fauxborghini, but that rule wasn’t made for the likes of this fine Belgian machine (go here if the ad disappears). I’m not so good at reading Dutch or French, but that doesn’t matter much here. Just look at the photos and you won’t care about the “chassi et moteur vw” part! It appears to be a particle-board and duct-tape interpretation of a Countach, no doubt built in a Belgian prison from smuggled-in components and based entirely on a verbal description of the original car. It’s only 1,000 Euros, and you could make it your own! Thanks to Doede for the tip!

Siata Spring or particle-board Fauxborghini?
( polls)

Project Car Hell’s Greatest Hits

Honda Insight Hybrid: Official Euro-Spec Production Model, Unofficially [Detroit Auto Show]

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Official press photos of the new European market Honda Insight made their way onto the web today a wee bit earlier than Honda wanted. But, all that means is we’ve got a full gallery below.

We showed you blurry images of a leaked JDM Insight brochure last month, but we’ve received a set of leaked images ahead of the 2010 Honda Insight’s official debut on January 11th at the Detroit Auto Show. What’s shown is a European-spec model that will likely be very similar to our own U.S. version, though in left-hand drive configuration.
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What we can see from these new photos is that the production Insight has lost some of the Paris Motor Show Insight concept’s flashy lighting features and it’s also toned down the rear design quite a bit. Overall the translation from show car to production has served Honda’s earth-saving hybrid well.
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We’ll bring you the full story on the U.S. market car in a little over a week or when someone else breaks Honda’s Detroit Auto Show embargo.

[via CarScoop]

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid: Official Euro-Spec Production Model, Unofficially [Detroit Auto Show]

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Official press photos of the new European market Honda Insight made their way onto the web today a wee bit earlier than Honda wanted. But, all that means is we’ve got a full gallery below.

We’ll bring you the full story on the U.S. market car in a little over a week or when someone else breaks Honda’s Detroit Auto Show embargo.

[via CarScoop]

Commenter Of The Day: Slap Bracelet Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:00:00 +0000

In October 1990, the New York Times ran a story warning of the dangers and hazards of the year’s biggest fad, slap bracelets. The bracelets, which consisted of a thin strip of metal covered with pattered fabric that curled around the wrist when “slapped” on skin or any hard surface, were prone to tearing apart and the exposed metal strip would cut the wearer’s wrists. This was, of course, back in the days before it was cool for kids to slice up their arms and wrists. Thankfully for the health of the nation’s wrists this fad quickly faded, as fads do, and the slap bracelet is now a curious pop culture footnote; a minor milestone in the childhoods of millions of Gen-Y boys and girls.

Several years later, another annoying and short-lived fad popped up in the world of music: ska music. Whether it was vaulted back into the limelight by the success of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones song “Where’d You Go” or just a cruel prank perpetrated upon my ears by a vengeful Old Testament God, the radio airwaves in the mid-1990s were rife with the faux-Caribbean, faux-punk sounds of bands like No Doubt and Sublime. The craze quickly subsided, but occasionally it rears its ugly head today in the least likely of places, like in Ash78’s fitting rework of Reel Big Fish’s 1996 song Sell Out in response to today’s news that Michael Phelps’ ogrish mug will soon be used to sell Mazdas in Red China:

No more 50 meters
Putting on my silly cap
You know I don’t want that no more
And I didn’t ask when I’d get paid
I can’t speak Chinese anyway
I guess it doesn’t matter
I guess it doesn’t matter anymore

Zoom zoom, with me oh yeah
Zoom zoom, with me tonight
The crazy little Chinos gonna give me lots of money
And everything’s gonna be all right.

Good luck getting it out of your head. Thanks a lot, Ash!

Leaked Forza Motorsport 3 In-Game Artwork Reveals In-Game Race Posters [Video Games]

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:30:00 +0000

Are you still trying to eek out that last achievement in Forza 2? Hurry up because Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport 3 is filling your rear view mirror.

Although no official release date has been revealed, the company behind all the pretty in-game artwork has let loose a couple of teaser images of the new Forza Motorsport 3. Microsoft Game Studios has sub-contracted Kaarbo Designs to create menu graphics for all previous Forza Motorsport games and they’ve let loose some early pre-production proofs of Forza 3 in-game race posters. The images were found on Kaarbo Design’s website and then promptly removed adding to the legitimacy of the images. In response to the leak, Kaarbo has said that the posters “are only samples and are not to be used.” Something that may be finalized is the Forza 3 logo in the upper left-hand corner of each poster.
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While Forza 2 was big, it’s said that FM3 is so large that the DVD format has become an issue. With a total of 400+ cars and over 100 tracks it will likely ship on two separate discs. A preview of Forza Motorsport 3 will likely be shown later this year at the E3 show. We can’t wait to get our hands on a copy since our thumbs are just now healing from the first game.

[via xbox360 fanboy]

Commer Cob Down On The Punta Arenas, Chile, Street [Down On The Street Bonus Edition]

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Ever heard of the Commer Cob? British truck builder Commer based it on the Hillman Husky, and this solid example is still alive in Chile. Punta Arenas-based Pulloa got some shots for our enjoyment.

Pulloa, who also brought us the Punta Arenas Peugeot 404, has this to say about his find:

What I’ve got here, is a (to me) a very rare car. Its a Commer Cob. As I am fairly young , before this, (and a previous encounter, where I took pictures with my cellphone, but they were crap, so I never sent them) I have never seen this car before. After my first encounter with this unknown car, I told my father about it, and he told me that Commers were very common in my city a few decades ago, but there have totally disappeared. I found this example in a parking lot in my city, Punta Arenas, Chile.

I searched wikipedia for more info about the brand and the model. What I got is that Commer was a “British manufacturer of commercial vehicles which existed from 1905 until 1979″ and that “The Commer brand was exported widely, with examples, albeit collectors’ vehicles, still running far from the UK manufacturing base”. Just like this case.

The Cob, was a small delivery van based upon the Hillman Husky. If you search pictures of it, you’ll notice the similarities. Strangely, the Cob was, as I said before, the delivery van version of the Husky, so the majority of the photos I found in Google show versions with no rear windows.

As you can see in the pictures, is in pretty good state, mostly because, i believe, it’s not used as a daily driver, probably used more like a weekend car. Nevertheless, I think it’s a pretty cool car, in very good shape.

galleryPost(’DOTSBECommerCob’, 7, ‘Commer Cob Delivery Truck Down On The Chilean Street’);

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Chrysler December Sales Down 53%, Inventory At 115-Day Supply [Carpocalypse Now]

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:48:00 +0000

Chrysler sales for December, 2008 were down 53% compared with December, 2007. Although pickup sales were up 10%, the automaker finished the month with 397,659 units on hand, a 115-day supply of inventory.

Chrysler LLC Reports December 2008 U.S. Sales

- All Jeep(R) brand vehicles achieved sales growth over November 2008

- Chrysler Town and Country sales increased nine percent and Dodge Grand Caravan sales grew 14 percent compared to November 2008

- Dodge Ram light duty pickup sales rose ten percent versus November 2008

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Chrysler LLC today reported total December 2008 U.S. sales of 89,813 units, up five percent versus November 2008 (85,260 units), and down 53 percent from the same month in 2007. For the year, Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge U.S. sales decreased 30 percent (1,453,122 units) compared to total 2007 sales (2,076,650 units). Total sales were significantly affected by the industry’s largest reductions in fleet sales, 63 percent for December and 31 percent for the year.

“Last year Chrysler and all of our stakeholders persevered through extraordinarily difficult economic conditions, made the necessary adjustments and always kept our focus on serving our customers,” said Jim Press, President and Vice Chairman, Chrysler LLC. “As a result, our Company and our dealer network start this year stronger and better positioned to succeed in today’s marketplace.”

“From a customer perspective, we see consumers selecting vehicles based on their long-term transportation needs and committing to keeping vehicles for longer periods. As a result, characteristics such as utility, flexibility, efficiency and quality will grow in importance. In terms of product focus, Chrysler will continue to invest in quality and fuel efficiency improvements on its current lineup, while developing all-new vehicles for the next generation. From an organizational viewpoint, we will work with all of our stakeholders to continue the restructuring our Company. We have a special bond with the American people now and pledge to continue our efforts to provide the best quality and best value in the marketplace. We are committed to help drive America forward.”

December Sales Highlights

— All Jeep brand vehicles achieved sales growth over November 2008 sales. Jeep Wrangler, the brand’s top-selling model, marked sales growth of 15 percent (7,048 units) over November.

— Sales of the Jeep Patriot were up six percent in December (2,597 units) compared to November 2008. Year-to-date, Patriot sales grew 38 percent to reach 55,654 units.

— Minivan sales gained momentum over November. Chrysler Town and Country sales in December grew nine percent (8,152 units) and Dodge Grand Caravan sales increased 14 percent (6,927 units).

— Dodge Ram light duty pickup sales were up 10 percent (10,601 units) compared to November 2008, fueled by the availability of the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram.

— The Company finished the month with 397,569 units of inventory, or a 115-day supply. Inventory is down nine percent compared with December 2007, when it totaled 438,390 units.

January Incentives

Chrysler continues to offer customers highly competitive discount and financing programs to kick off 2009. In addition to offering discounts of up to $6,000 on 2008 MY vehicles and up to $3,000 on 2009 MY vehicles to all customers, the Company is also working with Chrysler Financial and additional financing companies around the country to create packages that offer customers a wide range of options for lease and purchase financing. On select 2008 models, 0% financing is available for 72 months, and rates as low as 1.9% APR are available on select 2009 models.

For the new year, Chrysler has entered into a partnership with Credit Unions across the nation to offer an additional $500 to $1,000 discount when any of the 90 million members of Credit Unions purchase or lease a new Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle. This program was successfully piloted in December in 12 states.

As Expected, No Toyota Solar-Powered Car [Over The Back Fence]

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:30:00 +0000

It’s been a couple days since The Nikkei reported the possibility of a Toyota solar-powered car. We knew it was bunk then, and now today, Toyota’s denying it.

Despite the best efforts of scientists, engineers, and the sun, there just isn’t enough energy to exclusively run a car on solar power reliably. The concept floated by the AP’s writer, crediting an unnamed source from an old article in The Nikkei, called for a combination of solar cells on the car supplementing the main power source of traditional home-mounted solar cells. But according to All Cars Electric, that’s not gonna happen, quoting Toyota spokesperson Jana Hartline who stated “we’re not aware of any such vehicle, planned or otherwise.”

Seems that would be the end the story, but this being the internet, there are no dead dogs, and even if there were, they wouldn’t be left to lie. Wired wonders loudly if there isn’t even a car concept involved here, but that solar cells are the project themselves. Considering the relatively minuscule amount of power available from car-mounted photovoltaic cells, the general push towards automobile electrification, and the huge investment rival Honda has made in a sprawling solar panel plant in the form of Honda Soltec, we’re wondering if this is the real story.

We know Toyota is working on electric vehicles and will be bringing a legitimate EV concept to the Detroit Auto Show in the form of the Toyota EV. Does it make sense to then take one more step and deliver the entire transportation package? It’s not inconceivable to offer house-mounted solar panels designed to charge up an EV as an option to buyers who want to completely get the carbon monkey off their backs. Of course all of this is speculation, but it sure makes for interesting net-banter.

[via All Cars Electric, Wired]