2009 LA Auto Show Coverage by Autoblog

Joel Arellano

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Survivor secures new sponsor after GM break-up. Is it another automaker?

by Joel Arellano (RSS feed) on Sep 1st, 2006 at 5:29PM

Nearly as fast as bidders came out of the woodwork for Aston Martin's possible sale, CBS secured new sponsorship for its hit reality-show "Survivor" after General Motors canceled its advertising. States Chris Ender of CBS, "The upcoming edition of `Survivor' has a full roster of advertisers across a wide range of categories and GM's position has been filled."

CBS would not state who was the new sponsor or if it was even another automaker. Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., and all three American brands of DaimlerChrysler declined advertising on the show. Representatives from Honda Motor Co. stated the automaker does not comment on its advertising.

Related:
[Source: Associated Press via Fox News]

Forbes Top Four best vehicles for college students

by Joel Arellano (RSS feed) on Aug 29th, 2006 at 11:33AM



Talk about tough standards. When Forbes compiled vehicles for its annual "Best Cars for College Students" list, they found only four vehicles qualified to meet its criteria of being affordable, safe, and reliable. Interestingly, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry, which they deemed the "standard" by which similar vehicles are measured, failed to make the list. According to Forbes, both did poorly on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests, with the Accord receiving the lowest rating of "poor" for rear-crash protection and the Camry receiving a "marginal" rating in the same test.

So who are the fortunate foursome? They are:
  • Chevrolet Cobalt - $13,590
  • Ford Escape - $19,780
  • Honda Civic - $14,560
  • Hyundai Sonata - $17,195
How each vehicle scored in the IIHS safety test, Consumer Reports, and J.D. Power can be found on each slide. What do you think? A+ to Forbes on their choices? Or back to school for them? Seems like no one at Forbes even considered keg capacity, the degree to which a car's stereo can annoy neighbors, or maximum number of friends that can be squeezed in for a trip to Windsor.

Related:
[Source: Forbes]

Subaru to pull a Jackson and undergo another nose job

by Joel Arellano (RSS feed) on Aug 28th, 2006 at 8:07AM



Subaru's "propeller grill" has been received by both the media and the public with, to put it lightly, mixed feelings. Well, the automaker's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, has decided to put the kibosh on it and ordered a redesign.

According to spokesman David Rowley of Subaru, the grill will not be applied to the upcoming Liberty and Outback, which will debut in Australia in September. The upcoming Impreza, due out in 2007, will also be sporting a new proboscis. States Rowley, "It's fair to say the design will not appear on future Subarus. We had always said the aerospace theme could be applied in a variety of ways, like the way it's been presented on the Impreza and Tribeca."

Rowley would not state what the new design will be for future Subies. However, it will be based on work from (now ex-) Subaru chief designer Andreas Zapatinas. Zapatinas, as you may remember, had previously designed cars for both Alfa Romeo and Fiat.

[Source: CARSguide]

Deju vu: consumers buying low-priced, quality, Korean cars in Japan

by Joel Arellano (RSS feed) on Aug 26th, 2006 at 9:02PM



Korean automakers like Hyundai continue to make inroads in Japan against domestic manufactures like Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. Hyundai Motor Japan, which has been doing business in Tokyo since 2001, sells six models with its high-end Grandeur (Azera) costing a little over $29,000. However, states a salesperson, "It (Grandeur) does not pale in comparison with Japanese cars of the same class in terms of quality and equipment. But the price of the car is about 1 million yen ($8,547) less."

Quality products at low prices have also helped the automaker worldwide. According to Business Week, Hyundai Motors ranked third in global corporate brand value for 2006, just after Toyota and Honda but ahead of Nissan. South Korean auto exports to Nippon nearly quadrupled in the past ten years, as well. Hyundai alone hopes to double its sales in the country in 2006 and plans to increase its dealerships from 57 to 70 within three years.

[Source: Kyodo News via The Japan Times]

Toyota's Crowns take a beating in China

by Joel Arellano (RSS feed) on Aug 26th, 2006 at 7:09PM



Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co., a joint venture between Toyota Motor Co. and the Chinese FAW Group, issued a recall on all Toyota Crown sedans built between February 21st through September 20th last year. The problem is a weak adhesive used to hold the rubber strips that seal the windshield. According to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, the strips could break loose and strike other vehicles or pedestrians.

Over 20,000 sedans have been recalled. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries resulting from the issue.

[Source: MarketWatch]

Warren Buffet auctions Town car for charity

by Joel Arellano (RSS feed) on Aug 25th, 2006 at 9:05AM



Billionaire Warren Buffet will be auctioning his 2001 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series next month on eBay (a standard Town Car is pictured). The light-gold, full-sized sedan with a light-beige interior also comes with Buffet's custom "THRIFTY" license plate and an etched brass plaque with his signature. No surprise, there are only 14,000 miles on the odometer.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit Girls Incorporated, a youth-service program for girls ages 6-18.

While we applaud Buffet's generosity, we wonder if his purchase of that 2006 Cadillac back in June had any influence in his decision.

[Source: Daily Auto Insider via Car and Driver]

Kia study shows keeping quiet good for travel

by Joel Arellano (RSS feed) on Aug 24th, 2006 at 9:53AM

Well, here's an issue where people may want to seriously keep their mouth shut. According to a study by Kia Motor UK, 53 percent of drivers think they're the better half-in driving, that is, compared to their significant other (SO). Worse, nearly 20 percent would consider dumping or serving divorce papers if they felt their SO was too critical of their driving skills.

Kia Motor's recommendation? Share the driving, chose the traveling music together and plan plenty of stops. The latter not only gives relief to bodily necessities, but any tempers as well.

[Source: Pocket-lint]

Top ten most fuel-efficient large vehicles

by Joel Arellano (RSS feed) on Aug 23rd, 2006 at 11:56AM



You want a fuel-efficient vehicle, but due to family obligations, job needs or simply outward appearances, you've disregarded a hybrid, compact or mid-sized sedan. So what's left?

Business Week has scoured a variety of large vehicles, looking for the best in terms of fuel-efficiency and cargo/passenger space, and finally selected its top ten to fit virtually any owner's want or need. After you've reviewed their picks, comments are open for your opinions.

The top ten vehicles include:
  1. Luxury Sedan-Overall Fuel Economy - Lexus GS300
  2. Luxury Sedan-Most Space - Lincoln Town Car
  3. SUV-Overall Fuel Economy - Chevrolet Trailblazer
  4. SUV-Most Space - Toyota Land Cruiser (pictured)
  5. Minivan-Overall Fuel Economy - Honda Odyssey
  6. Minivan-Most Space - Toyota Sienna
  7. Large Sedan-Overall Fuel Economy - Ford Five Hundred
  8. Large Sedan-Most Space - Ford Crown Victoria
  9. Pickup Truck-Overall Fuel Economy - Toyota Tundra
  10. Pickup Truck-Payload - Chevrolet Silverado
[Source: Business Week]

VW recalls Brazilian cars

by Joel Arellano (RSS feed) on Aug 21st, 2006 at 11:25AM

Volkswagen AG has issued a second recall in Brazil. According to the German automaker's Brazilian branch, it has discovered cracks in the fuel injector system which would need to be replaced. Affected vehicles include the CrossFox (pictured), Fox, Golf, Kombi, Polo, and SpaceFox. In total, over 40,000 vehicles are involved in the recall.

The first recall involved updating various vehicles' software.

Related:
Volkswagen recalling 34,000 Passats

[Source: Bloomberg]

Spying on upcoming VW Tiguan

by Joel Arellano (RSS feed) on Aug 21st, 2006 at 10:38AM

The Detroit News obtained another shot of the upcoming Volkswagen mid-sized crossover, the Tiguan. Based on the Concept A, the vehicle's unique name is based on the words "tiger" and "leguan", the latter German for iguana. The Tiguan concept will debut at the second Los Angeles autoshow later this year with the production version to be displayed next year at the 2007 Frankfurt show.

Related:
Spy Shots: 2008 Volkswagan Tiguan
VW Tiguan begins to take shape
Volkswagen christens the Concept A with an, er, interesting name
POLL RESULTS: Name that Volkswagen

[Source: Detroit News]

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