Archive for the 'Polls' Category

Opinion: Distance to Empty? (w/Poll)

Published on February 16, 2011 in General, Polls and Under the Hood (In Depth). 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Starting about 15 years ago, some vehicles began shipping with Distance To Empty (DTE) computers on-board.  These DTE computers take a few variables into account and give the driver a running update of how many miles he or she may drive before they run out of fuel.  Now that I’ve owned a few vehicles which feature these displays, I have come to realize that there are two ways manufacturers calculate DTE: Optimist, and Pessimist (my own names for them).  Read on for the explanation of each and which one I think is better.

Continue reading ‘Opinion: Distance to Empty? (w/Poll)’

Share

Wrap-up: 2009 L.A. Auto Show

Published on December 8, 2009 in Fun Stuff, Hot Car - Upcoming, Industry Update, Polls and Predictions. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

With so many cars having been introduced this year at the L.A. Auto Show, A good synopsis of what’s been going on this week is called for, rather than a lot of details that won’t make a huge difference in your buying decisions in the next 12 months.  That said, we’ve reported on some of the cars below (you can click on their name to read Road Reality’s report), but here’s a list of cars I think are going to make a splash when they go on sale, in alphabetical order, followed by a description for each car:

2011 Chevrolet Volt
2011 Ford Fiesta
2011 Hyundai Sonata
2011 Mazda Mazda2

2011 Toyota Sienna
2010 Volvo S60

Continue reading ‘Wrap-up: 2009 L.A. Auto Show’

Share

Dirty Words: Fuel Mileage

Published on December 4, 2009 in General and Polls. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Fuel mileage is still a hot topic these days, over a year after the $4.00/gallon price spike.  Some people still don’t go on road trips or drive as much as they used to, but most people have gotten used to paying almost $3.00 per gallon of gasoline.  We seem to forget that only a couple of years ago, the price of gas was under $2.00, and closer to $1.50 in some states.

When looking at a new car, do you take its fuel mileage into account, or are you more concerned about its size, luxury, reviews, or some other reason?  Email me and let me know!

In the mean time, please let us know how important fuel mileage is to you when shopping for a car.

by John Suit

Share

Micro Machines – Tiny Cars in the US?

Published on December 3, 2009 in Hot Car - Upcoming, Industry Update, Polls and Predictions. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Mini Cooper

In 2001, the Mini Cooper really brought the small car to America.  BMW, the current owner of the Mini brand, showed that Americans were willing to pay for a premium small car.  The Mini gets good gas mileage, has “go kart” handling, plenty of creature comforts, and sells for thousands more than its same-size siblings.

Continue reading ‘Micro Machines – Tiny Cars in the US?’

Share

Breaking News: Ford, Geely come to terms with Volvo's Intellectual Property

Published on November 27, 2009 in Industry Update, Manufacturer Update and Polls. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

As part of Ford’s renaissance, they have been cutting costs and pumping money into research and development (R&D).  It started in 2007, when current CEO Alan Mulally was hired.  He immediately leveraged part of Ford in order to get $4 billion in operating costs, which he then sunk into R&D to bring Ford’s car offerings up to par with their foreign rivals.

The fruits of those labors are coming to fruition, with Ford’s Fusion taking Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award for 2010, and many other Ford cars being received well by American consumers.  Another thing Mulally did was to begin selling off underperforming brands that Ford owned.  First, Aston Martin was sold to a British conglomerate, and then Land Rover and Jaguar were sold to Tata Motors, an Indian company.  Ford then sold its controlling interest in Mazda, and Volvo went up for sale.

Continue reading ‘Breaking News: Ford, Geely come to terms with Volvo's Intellectual Property’

Share

How do you say Chrysler in Italian?

Published on November 24, 2009 in Manufacturer Update, Polls and Predictions. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Chrysler LogoEarlier this year, Fiat Group purchased 20% of Chrysler Group, leaving 55% to the UAW (United Auto Workers) and the rest to the US and Canadian Governments.  To American drivers who remember when Fiats and Alfa Romeos were last sold in the United States, this can conjure up bad memories of rotting floorboards, rusty fenders, and finicky engines.  I think the new Chrysler/Fiat merger means good things to those of us stateside, and I’ll tell you why.

Continue reading ‘How do you say Chrysler in Italian?’

Share
Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes