Monthly Archive for May, 2010

GM Recalls 2010 SRX over Engine Failure concerns

Published on May 28, 2010 in Recalls. 0 Comments Tags: 2010, Caddy, Cadillac, engine, failure, gas, knock, octane, recall, SRX, turbo.

If you’ve been reading Road Reality for any length of time, or delved into past articles, you’ll notice that a month or two ago, I stopped posting every little recall. If a recall involves a danger to the driver or passengers, I certainly will mention it, but otherwise I’ll leave it to the manufacturer to notify you. While this recall doesn’t necessarily pose a danger to drivers, it shows that the new GM is quicker to react to problems than it used to be, and at least in this case, has their consumers’ best interests in mind. Read on for why engines could be failing on 2010 Cadillac SRX crossovers.

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Report suggests Ford planning to shutter Mercury

Published on May 27, 2010 in Industry Update and Manufacturer Update. 0 Comments Tags: close, down, Ford, Mercury, shut, shutter, shuttering, shutting.

Since it’s sales are down 74% since 2000, it’s no surprise that Ford would want to shut down its Mercury brand. Bloomberg has reported that 2 inside sources close to the plan have told them about the probable closing. For some years now, the impression consumers have of Mercury is that its vehicles merely represent another trim level for Fords. In the same vein as what got GM into a lot of trouble, most Mercurys are badge-engineered Fords, with slightly better interiors and some different exterior colors and parts. It’ll be a shame to see such a long-running marque disappear. If it’s shut down, Mercury would join Pontiac, Hummer, Oldsmobile and Saturn in the annals of history, and sales would wind down over the next 4 years or so. Keep your browser tuned here for updates to this story.

by John Suit

Source: Bloomberg

Jay Leno’s Garage: 2011 Ford Mustang GT

Published on May 26, 2010 in Hot Car - In Dealerships and Under the Hood (In Depth). 3 Comments Tags: 2011, Ford, Garage, GT, Jay, Leno, Mustang.

Jay Leno may be known for The Tonight Show, but outside of that, he’s known for his web show, Jay Leno’s Garage. This week, Jay took out a 2011 Ford Mustang GT, and put it through a fairly thorough test drive, including freeways, corners, and even a burnout. He does a walk-around with the car, showing off some of its features, and he harps on the 412-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine a lot. Jay Leno has a 65 Mustang GT350, one of the faster variants from the 1960′s, and he apparently loves driving it. After driving the 2011 model, he agrees, and even goes as far as comparing it to pricier cars from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Click past the jump to see the video.

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Ford Fiesta: 40MPG Highway, 29MPG City

Published on May 17, 2010 in Hot Car - Upcoming. 0 Comments Tags: 2011, economy, EPA, Fiesta, Ford, fuel, Mustang, V6.

Well, I’ve said a few things about the upcoming Ford Fiesta before, but now the EPA has given it the official fuel economy workout, and the results are impressive: 29 MPG in the city, and 40 MPG on the highway. After getting their new 2011 Mustang V6 a rating of 19/31 city/highway, Ford is on a roll with its new small car. The fuel economy numbers for the Fiesta are well above the average car, bordering on diesel and hybrid levels of fuel thriftiness. Mind you, this is for Fiestas equipped with the optional automatic transmission. The Fiestas rivals, namely the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, get 5 and 4 less mpg on the highway, respectively. The Fiesta will go on sale this summer, and looks to be a hot seller in the compact car arena.

by John Suit

Source: Ford

Sales Figures: April, 2010

Published on May 11, 2010 in Industry Update. 2 Comments Tags: 2010, April, Sales, Sales Figures.

The numbers are in, and it was an interesting month. Hyundai, which has seen great improvement in its products in the past couple of years, has been enjoying a meteoric rise, as bigger companies are downsizing (I’m looking at you GM) or getting their reputations hammered in the press (ahem, Toyota). In April, however, Hyundai saw a decline in the number of sales over the previous month. This is most likely due to other manufacturers’ incentives and special financing deals, most of which are being carried over from April into May. Read on for the rest of my analysis.

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Video: MythBusters crash cars for science

Published on May 6, 2010 in Fun Stuff, General and Under the Hood (In Depth). 0 Comments Tags: Adam, car, Discovery, Hyneman, Jamie, MythBusters, Savage, video, wreck.

MythBusters Host Jamie Hyneman

On last night’s MythBusters, hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman wrecked a bunch of cars. Why, you ask? All in the name of science. In a previous episode, Jamie said that two cars hitting each other at 50mph was the same as one car hitting an immovable object at 100mph. Viewers wrote letters to the pair of hosts, complaining that Jamie was incorrect. Read on for the videos and more synopsis.

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Monthly Archive for May, 2010

GM Recalls 2010 SRX over Engine Failure concerns