January 2013

Consumer Reports: Ford Fusion hits high notes, but not all is OK

(January 23, 2013) YONKERS, N.Y. — Consumer Reports testers found that the redesigned Ford Fusion hits a lot of high notes but some prominent gripes keep it out of the top tier of the independent testing organization's midsized sedan ratings.   

Wheels may be the difference from show floor to driveway

(January 21, 2013) DETROIT — Consumers who have fallen in love with one of the 50-plus new vehicles being debuted at this year's North American International Auto Show, now underway in Detroit, may be in for a disappointment.

"On the show floor, you're seeing the top of the top of the line, with the largest wheel and tire package possible," said Keith Alinder, technical director for Wheel Pros, one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of aftermarket wheels.

McLaren celebrates 50 years of achievements

(January 21, 2013) "Life is measured in achievement, not in years alone."

When a 27-year-old Bruce McLaren penned those words in 1964, his new company, Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd, was less than a year old.

In those days, Bruce’s vision was shared by fewer than half a dozen loyal souls, who slogged across the world to race his self-made cars. Nowadays, the McLaren Group employs more than 2000 people, all of whom still share Bruce’s ideals of combining sportsmanship with solid engineering practice and cutting-edge technical expertise.

TrueCar grades the best manufacturers and brands for 2012

(January 20, 2013) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — TrueCar.com has released its 2012 Annual Performance Scorecards for automotive manufacturers and brands. The Performance Scorecards grade each manufacturer and brand on eight different measurements including pricing, sales, incentives, customer loyalty, market share and days in inventory data.

Toyota Prius c scores highest on new 'Greenest' list

(January 20, 2013) WASHINGTON, D.C. — With aggressive national fuel economy standards kicking in for model years 2012 to 2025, automakers have provided consumers with an impressive array of efficient vehicle options for 2013 according to new environmental automotive ratings released last week.

How long should marijuana users wait before driving?

(January 19, 2013) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — When Washington and Colorado voted to legalize recreational marijuana use in November, both states' lawmakers were forced to consider whether to update their DUI laws. But according to Edmunds.com the solutions aren't exactly cut and dried.

Edmunds says return your leased car early for a new model

(January 17, 2013) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Many car lessees may be eligible to upgrade to a newer car and reduce their monthly payments through "lease pull-ahead" offers, reports Edmunds.com, the premier resource for car shopping and automotive information.

Study: New-vehicle shoppers are considering more models

(January 16, 2013) WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — As perceptions of both reliability and actual vehicle dependability improve, new-vehicle shoppers are considering more models before making their purchase decision, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Avoider Study released today.

Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ win Cars.com's 'Best of 2013' award

(January 16, 2013) CHICAGO — Cars.com has announced at its annual Best Of awards show, that the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ are the winners of the site's highest honor, "Best of 2013." For the first time in Cars.com history, two car models co-developed by two automakers won the site's "Best of" award.

Ford earns top marks In Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards

(January 16, 2013) SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Ford earned top honors for the third consecutive year during the 17th annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards presented at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.  Ford was honored with awards for Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer and Overall Loyalty to Make. The Ford F-Series also won in the Mid-/Full-size Pickup category for the 15th time.