Chronicling the Ever-Changing Automotive Industry
Lexus announced today the changes for its 2011 ES 350 luxury sedan. The ES will start at $35,525, an increase of $350 over 2010 models, and no longer does it require premium unleaded fuel. Instead, it will get 19/27 city/highway mpg on regular fuel. The aforementioned change is the big one, and the rest are fairly minor tweaks. Click past the jump for more details and a high-resolution picture gallery.
Continue reading ‘Lexus announces the 2011 ES 350′
This week, the EPA gave Ford the results from its fuel economy tests on the new 2011 Lincoln MKX, and the numbers are great for a crossover of its size: 19/26 city/highway, with a combined 21 mpg. That’s for the front-wheel drive (FWD) model, so expect the all-wheel drive (AWD) model to get 17/24 city/highway, and 20 mpg combined.
Continue reading ’2011 Lincoln MKX: EPA Certification’
Nissan has launched a one-page “microsite,” giving viewers their first glimpse of the redesigned 2011 Quest minivan. While there are plenty of minivans out there, Nissan has traditionally played a niche role, first selling rebadged Ford Windstars, and later its own quirky but sporty design. Click here to view the microsite.
Continue reading ‘UPDATED: First Glimpse: 2011 Nissan Quest’
Today, Honda has announced the pricing for its upcoming 2011 CR-Z. The new hybrid from Honda is supposed to bridge the gap between hybrid fuel economy and sportiness. From the performance figures I’ve seen, it’s leaning more towards fuel economy, but the inclusion of a manual transmission bodes well for the CR-Z. Standard features include automatic climate control and USB input for the stereo, with the upmarket EX trim level including things like a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a beefed-up stereo. GPS navigation will be an optional feature as well. Click past the jump for pricing, EPA mileages, and a gallery of high-resolution pictures of the CR-Z.
Continue reading ‘Pricing for 2011 Honda CR-Z Announced!’
I’ve written about the upcoming 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid before, and even speculated on its gas mileage. Now it’s official! The EPA has run the new luxury hybrid through its paces, and certified it at 41/36 mpg city/highway. Those numbers match the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, its Ford-branded sister car.
Continue reading ‘Certified: 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Gas Mileage’
Buick Regal GS
The average age of a Buick customer is north of 60 years old. While that has kept Buick from becoming a part of GM’s history like Oldsmobile and Pontiac, it isn’t enough to sustain itself as part of the new GM. The most obvious course of action would be to lower that average age to somewhere closer to 30 years old. The big question then is to ask how a car company can accomplish this, especially given GM’s current lack of funds to do a lot of research and development.
Continue reading ‘Buick: The new Pontiac?’
