KickingTires

Today's News From the Cars.com Family

2009-11-20T17:30:00-06:00

A reader asks which new cars other than Buick offer a front bench seat, and Ask.cars.com provides a few options. Then, PickupTrucks.com reports on Toyota’s pending response to the investigation of Tundra frame rust problems. Finally, MotherProof.com takes a trip around the Internet for the best from the Momosphere.

Which New Cars Other Than Buicks Offer a Front Bench Seat? (Ask.cars.com)
Toyota’s Response to Tundra Frame Rust Investigation Due (PickupTrucks.com)
Momosphere: 11.20.09 (MotherProof.com)

2011 Hyundai Sonata Packing Power, Mileage

2009-11-20T15:50:49-06:00

The four-cylinder engine powering Hyundai’s upcoming 2011 Sonata sedan will get an expected 35 mpg highway, the automaker announced. This bests any other midsize sedan on sale today; its closest competitor is the Ford Fusion, which in its S trim level can get 34 mpg highway with an automatic transmission. However, the Sonata will also pack 200 horsepower and 186 pounds-feet of torque, which will make it the most powerful four-cylinder in the class, as well.

The engine is the company’s first use of direct injection, and it will be teamed to a continuously variable automatic transmission. It was designed in Michigan and will be built in Alabama. The 2011 Sonata goes on sale in the first half of 2010.

Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Honda CR-V

2009-11-20T14:08:17-06:00

As Cars.com reviewer Bill Jackson points out, the compact crossover segment is a crowded field populated by both luxury and non-luxury players alike. If you’re shopping for a small crossover, you are going to have an abundance of options. Which vehicles are a must test-drive? Despite a few kinks that Honda needs to iron out, Jackson says the popular 2010 Honda CR-V is one to put on the list.

2010 Honda CR-V Review

2010|Honda|CR-V

Chrysler Announces Year-End Incentives

2009-11-20T12:40:00-06:00

Kicking off today, Chrysler has announced its “Year-end Wrap-up” incentives on 2010 models for all four of its brands. Customers can choose from a few different options depending on which brand of vehicle they are buying. The deals will be offered now until Jan. 4, 2010.

Incentives for Chrysler vehicles include the choices of 0% financing for up to 60 months, consumer cash of up to $3,000, free all-wheel drive for the Chrysler 300, a free DVD entertainment system for the Town & Country minivan and an “attractive” financing rates coupled with a free service program for three years/36,000 miles.

Jeep customers can choose between 0% financing for up to 60 months, consumer cash of up to $4,000, or the same attractive financing rates and free service program for three years/36,000 miles.

Select Dodge vehicles will come with 0% financing for 60 months, consumer cash of up to $2,500 or free all-wheel drive on the Dodge Charger.

Finally, customers looking at the new Ram Truck brand will have the choice of a few combinations of incentives, including 0% financing for up to 48 months, 2.9% financing for 60 months or up to $2,500 of consumer cash. Ram will also offer 0% financing for up to 72 months or $5,500 consumer cash on most 2009 Dodge Ram trucks.

Iowa Town Has EV Charging Stations at the Ready

2009-11-20T11:37:33-06:00

Iowa businessman Mike Howard’s philosophy on electric vehicles that can be summed up as, “You’ve got to start somewhere.” Thus, Elk Horn, Iowa – population 650 — has four charging stations built and waiting for EVs, with another four stations planned for next year. In terms of charging stations, this single-handedly puts Iowa ahead of almost every other state, excluding those on the West Coast.

Each station costs $6,000; Howard has already spent approximately $30,000 on the total effort, with plans to drop another $50,000 next year to expand farther into Iowa and Nebraska. Howard wants to focus on Interstate 80 corridor, with eventual plans to build a charging corridor from Chicago to Denver.

Is this ambitious or pointless? With only 96 EVs out of the 4 million registered vehicles in Iowa (and only one converted Chevy S-10 pickup in Elk Horn), you’d undoubtedly think the latter. However, Howard might simply be better at reading the writing on the wall.

The Obama administration established a $3.4 billion grant program to develop electric vehicles and upgrade the power grid, but that money went primarily to Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington. As vehicles like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf hit roads in the next year, plug-ins will become a permanent fixture of the American automotive landscape; EVs are expected to be 2% of cars on the road by 2015 and 30% by 2030.

While the investment may take a while to pay off, could you imagine owning the largest network of charging stations on a major Interstate? As long as he has a good dose of patience, Howard could turn out to be prescient.

Tiny Iowa Town Has the Chargers, Awaiting Drivers (Associated Press)

2010 Acura ZDX On Sale Dec. 15

2009-11-20T10:00:40-06:00

If you’ve been anxiously awaiting the all-new crossover from Acura, your wait now has an end date. The ZDX will go on sale Dec. 15; it will start at $45,495, plus an $810 destination charge.

There are three trim levels -- the base ZDX, ZDX with Technology Package (yes, that’s the trim level’s name) and the ZDX with Advance Package. All ZDX models come with standard leather, all-wheel drive and what Acura claims is the world’s longest panoramic glass roof.

Keep reading for descriptions and pricing of the other trim levels.

The ZDX with Technology Package adds a navigation system with voice recognition, real-time traffic and weather, multiview rear camera, upgraded 415-watt audio system with 15GB hard drive, dual-zone automatic climate control system and push-button start.

The Advance Package adds blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, heated and ventilated front seats, premium leather seating surfaces, premium headliner material and a sport steering wheel.

ZDX $45,495
ZDX with Technology Package $49,995
ZDX with Advance Package $56,045

2010|Acura|ZDX

Fewer Than 200 Have Returned GM's Guaranteed Cars

2009-11-20T07:11:00-06:00

GM’s 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee program has proven to be a confidence booster for the company. Today, GM announced that fewer than 200 buyers out of 222,000 who purchased a new GM car have returned them unsatisfied. However, that’s out of 658 who took the guarantee offer over $500 in cash back. That’s a 33% return rate.

These returns don’t cost the buyer the full price of the car, but they are out taxes, fees and two car payments. This means those who returned cars were very unsatisfied and skeptical to begin with. GM says it is being proactive about the returns; they're following up with each customer and conducting high-level interviews with engineering staff to find out what the customers didn’t like. A few of the purchasers returned the cars for other models or trim levels, but many just didn’t like the cars or trucks.

Today's News From the Cars.com Family

2009-11-19T17:27:00-06:00

A reader wants to know which of the 2010 model year cars have the highest safety ratings, and Ask.cars.com explains how he can find out. Then, PickupTrucks.com has spy shots of the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Heavy Duty. Finally, MotherProof.com hops in the 2010 Buick LaCrosse for a full review. Find out if the midsize sedan can work for the whole family.

What 2010 Cars have the Highest Safety Ratings? (Ask.cars.com)
Spied! 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Heavy Duty (PickupTrucks.com)
2010 Buick LaCrosse (MotherProof.com)

What Are IIHS Least Safe Cars?

2009-11-19T15:34:02-06:00

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released its 2010 Top Safety Picks, which include all vehicles that received a “Good” rating in the different crash tests, but what about those vehicles that didn’t fare so well? USA Today wondered the same thing and looked them up for us.

The good news is there really aren’t any completely dangerous vehicles on the road anymore. Regulation and consumer demand for safer cars have increased vehicle-safety standards to new heights. Hence the term “least safe” in the headline.

Click the jump to find out which of the 145 vehicles listed by IIHS were rated “Poor” in at least one category.

Mini Cars
2009 Chevrolet Aveo — Poor when hit from the rear
2009 Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio — Poor when hit from the side or rear

Small Cars
2009 Volkswagen New Beetle — Poor when hit from the side
2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser — Poor when hit from the side or the rear

Large Luxury Cars
2010 Infiniti M35/M45 — Poor when hit from the rear
2010 Cadillac STS — Poor when hit from the rear

Small SUVs
2010 Ford Escape Hybrid; Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Mazda Tribute Hybrid — Poor in a rollover
2009 Hyundai Tucson — Poor in a rollover
2010 Jeep Wrangler — Poor when hit from the side

Midsize SUVs
2009 Hummer H3 — Poor when hit from the rear
2009 Kia Sorento — Poor when hit from the side

Minivans
2009 Nissan Quest — Poor when hit from the rear
2010 Toyota Sienna — Poor when hit from the rear

The Worst: What the Insurance Institute Rates as the Least Safe Cars (DriveOn)

Chrysler Could Lose Another 145 Dealers

2009-11-19T13:44:00-06:00

As part of its bankruptcy filings, Chrysler terminated 789 dealers, leaving roughly 2,400 shops in the U.S. Now, a credit issue may cause another 145 dealers to close their doors.

Chrysler Financial once backed loans to dealers so they could stock inventory. The company, which is owned by Cerberus Capital Management (Chrysler's former owner), is in the process of terminating all loans to dealers while maintaining its loan business to car buyers. It’s transferring this dealer business to GMAC now; the government is planning to wind down all of Chrysler Financial's business in liquidation by the end of 2011.

To back these new dealer customers, GMAC is asking for more collateral, which is often in the hands of Chrysler Financial in terms of mortgages and other debts the dealers have leveraged.

Sounds like a blast to be a dealer, doesn’t it? The financial wrangling has already led to 85 dealers not getting GMAC financing; another 50-60 dealers are still in negotiations.

Chrysler May Lose 145 Dealers on Lack of Financing (Bloomberg)