Cheap is the new black, or so we're told--luxury-car buyers are opting for less features and lower prices as we begin to pull out of phase one of the Great Recession. [Automotive News, sub. req'd.] There's no MultiAir V-8 in the works for the Alfa Romeo brand, despite its new kinship with the Dodge...Read More»
Last week rumors that Chrysler might split the Dodge brand into separate car and truck divisions emerged, but today the company has confirmed: the Dodge Ram Brand will sell pickups and the Dodge Car Brand will sell passenger cars. The decision is part of Chrysler's ongoing restructuring and...Read More»
General Motors came out of bankruptcy swinging, putting Bob Lutz on the front line of a full-court press junket to promote GM's new vehicles and new technology. We haven't heard much from the other restructured kid on the block, Chrysler, or its new Italian spouse; however, some interesting news is...Read More»
If you’re the type of buyer who, upon taking delivery of a new car, reads the owner’s manual from cover to cover, you might be a little disappointed to find that these tomes are missing from new 2010 Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep products. Beginning with the 2010 model year, Chrysler will be the...Read More»
Moving cars out of factories and off dealer lots is the fundamental premise of the industry, whether it's done by sales, leases or fleet deals. But when your company is threatened by inevitable bankruptcy and low resale value makes leasing a costly proposition for the manufacturer, some corners...Read More»
Three new sets of crash-test results released late this week by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) appear to leave very little, if any, room for improvement. All three of these vehicles—the 2010 Dodge Journey, 2010 Lincoln MKT, and 2010 Mazda Mazda3—achieved top ratings in all...Read More»
When comes to Detroit's Big Three, Ford is the belle of the ball these days: the company never accepted bailout dough from the U.S. government, and as a result, Ford's brand and its sales are both doing pretty well. However, one of the company's flagship models -- the Ford Mustang -- has recently...Read More»
It’s official; as of January 1, 2010, the much-loved Sprinter van, made by Daimler, will once again have the three-pointed star in the U.S.—and be sold by Mercedes-Benz rather than Dodge. Automotive News reports that the Sprinter will be sold by 120 appointed dealerships as part of Daimler Vans...Read More»
For 2010, Chrysler has slimmed down the choices on its Dodge Caliber hatchback and spiffed up the interior, to make the car more competitive with the best of its class. It now offers just two engines and two transmissions, slightly improving the gas mileage. We've never rated the Caliber...Read More»
Having just come through a complicated series of bankruptcy proceedings, you might think Chrysler would want to take a break from courtrooms for a while. However, on August 21 the company filed suit against its former parent, Daimler AG, in U.S. bankruptcy court. According to Chrysler, Daimler has...Read More»
Chrysler's lifetime powertrain warranty won't be a part of the new Fiat-owned operation, but there's a new warranty poised to take its place: a 5-year, 100,000-mile offer that sticks with the car. The warranty change is effective with all 2010 model-year cars and trucks. There's a strong argument...Read More»
According to new data released by the American Customer Satisfaction Index, U.S. auto buyers have become happier with their vehicles over the past 15 years. Between 1996 and 2009, auto customer satisfaction has risen by five percentage points, from a 79% average to 84%, with the bulk of that...Read More»
On quiet residential streets, the 2009 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty is about as far from subtle as you can get. From the front it looks like a (slightly) scaled-down semi, its hoodline almost at average eye level; and in the week we had the Ram, we actually looked down on a Suburban that was just ahead of...Read More»
Chrysler last year tried to sell its Viper sports car—production facilities, tooling, and all—and failed. But the Viper isn't dead yet. If the rumors are right, the Viper might be very much alive in the company's future-product plans—and getting its own Ferrari/Maserati-derived engine. Fiat...Read More»
Want American-made and fuel-efficient? A small car, too? You don't have many choices. Shoppers are valuing fuel efficiency more than before, especially now that they might be able to take advantage of a $4,500 Cash-for-Clunkers incentive. While there are plenty of stars-and-stripes-waving larger...Read More»
If you want to get an automatic transmission—as most car shoppers prefer—on a Nissan, you'll most likely end up with a CVT. That's, to put it as simply as possible, a belt-and-pulley system rather than gears and hydraulics. Nissan has just announced that the CVT it uses across most of its...Read More»
We haven't spoken much about the Dodge Circuit lately -- not since Marty Padgett pointed out that the much-vaunted EV was included in Chrysler's restructuring plans. But we have good news for green roadster fans: Car & Driver has run a piece on the Circuit praising the car and noting that...Read More»
The good times for Hyundai keep on rolling: J.D. Power and Associates has given top marks in its Vehicle Launch Index to the 2009 Hyundai Genesis. The Index "quantifies how well new vehicle models -- including new entries to the market and all new redesigned models -- perform during the first eight...Read More»
Porsche ranks as most appealing nameplate for the fifth consecutive year. That's according to J.D. Power and Associates' 2009 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, which was just released. Yet Porsche only had one top-placing model in Power's study, the Cayenne. Across all...Read More»
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