Archive for April, 2009

Car Accident (old lady) Funny

2009 Chrysler Town & Country Limited

Beyond that, this Town & Country was equipped with Chrysler’s “Swivel ‘N Go” seating system, a $495 option that adds a small table and swiveling second-row bucket seats with integrated booster seats (an additional $225) and seatbelts, so they can be flipped around when the car is in motion. These replace the standard “Stow N Go” seats and aren’t foldable. Fortunately, despite the flashback to the old-school days of removable seats, these are lightweight and not hard to remove — put the release handle into unlock mode, then get behind and pull up. But they do need be stored somewhere (hope there’s space in the garage). The table is stored in the floor in front of the second row. It’s a neat idea, but with the second-row seats turned around and the table in place, anyone taller than the average 10-year-old will be wondering where to put his legs, doubly so if the driver is north of six feet in height. The kids should enjoy it, provided the two rear-facing ones are immune to motion sickness.

Another included option is the Mopar Exterior appearance group, which for the sum of $937 adds running boards, bright doorsills, premium floormats, and splash guards.

Given the minimal mechanical changes, the 2009 T&C’s ride remains relatively the same as the 2008 model, with the exception of its slightly grabbier brakes. The Town & Country moves smoothly and deliberately, its 240-hp 4.0L V-6 hauling the 4600-plus lb of minivan with relative authority when the gas pedal is buried in the floor. Its steering is better than on many sedans, striking a nice balance between weight and responsiveness, and the suspension isn’t too soft.

While extra bells and whistles neither make nor break the vehicle, they do make it more appealing, albeit at the cost of eroding Chrysler’s cost-advantage over the Japanese and Korean competition. Ticking every option on the list brings the pricetag to $44,667, not exactly the easiest pill to swallow for cash-strapped families. Skipping the sunroof ($895), trailer tow preparation group ($600), and exterior appearance group reduces that to a more manageable $42,235 while retaining all the comfort and safety features offered.

Our test vehicle also was equipped with the Internet – a uconnect web mobile router from Chrysler’s Mopar accessory arm to be exact. It works on 3G and 2.5G cellular networks based on the CDMA standard, the same used by Verizon Wireless. Speeds on 3G networks are said to be 400-800 kbps down and 128-300 kbps up, comparable to DSL. On slower 2.5G networks found in more remote areas, speeds drop to 120-200 kbps down and 50-100 kbps up, roughly two to four times faster than dialup. Connecting to the router is simple. The process is similar to connecting to hotel wi-fi – connect to the network, start up the browser, click the login button and go.

Around Los Angeles, the Internet worked reliably and reasonably quickly, though noticeably slower than cable. There were no page load time-outs, but it was slower in hilly areas due to reduced reception. In well-connected areas, it is strong and consistent enough for streaming audio or YouTube.

However, don’t watch too many clips of guys with bad haircuts falling off bicycles. Because it is on a cellular network, the service, provided by a company called Autonet Mobile, is data restricted. The base $29/month plan has a monthly allowance of 1 gigabyte, which can be burned through quite quickly by flash-intensive sites. Opting for the pricier $59/month service gives you a much more reasonable 5 gigabytes for the month. There’s also $35 activation fee and Autonet requires at least a one-year contract, so there’s no “activate it only for a road trip” option. On top of the service, the router itself costs $499 plus a dealer-dependent installation cost that, per Mopar, in the $35-50 range.
Sourced via motortrend.com

Hyundai Motor Boosts 2009 China Sales Goal on Tax cut (Update2)

Hyundai Motor Co. boosted its 2009 China sales forecast by more than 11 percent as tax cuts spur demand for small cars in its third biggest market.

South Korea’s biggest automaker now expects to sell more than 400,000 vehicles in China compared with an earlier prediction of 360,000, Noh Jae Man, Beijing Hyundai Motor Co. president, said in an interview today at the Shanghai motor show.

General Motors Corp., the largest overseas automaker in China, has also raised its sales forecast as the government cuts taxes and hands out subsidies to revive flagging auto demand. Seoul-based Hyundai boosted China sales 49 percent in the first three months of the year.

“Fortune is smiling upon Hyundai now,” said Sohn Myung Woo, a Seoul-based analyst at KB Investment & Securities Co. The carmaker is benefiting from “a weak local currency and the Chinese government’s incentives on small cars — a Hyundai strength.”

China cut the sales taxes on cars with engines of 1.6 liters or less in January to revive demand after auto sales rose at the slowest pace in a decade last year. Four of the six models that Beijing Hyundai makes qualify for the incentive, including the Elantra, Elantra Yuedong and Accent small cars.

Hyundai on Feb. 1 said it aimed to boost sales at its Chinese venture by 22 percent this year. Sales in China accounted for 11 percent of Hyundai’s global sales last year. That only lagged behind South Korea’s 21 percent share and the 14 percent sold in the U.S.

GM expects China industrywide sales to rise as much as 10 percent this year, compared with an earlier forecast for an increase of less than 3 percent, it said last month. The automaker expects its own growth to outperform the market by as much as 3 percentage points.
Sourced via bloomberg.com

2009 Toyota Venza

Most days a common, boring, good ol’ four-door sedan makes all the sense in the world. It can comfortably swallow a nuclear family, even Lassie and Garfield, as well as a week’s worth of groceries or travel bags. It is easy to step into or hop out of, offers a nestled-to-the-pavement driving feel, and swigs fuel at a more miserly rate than a big sport/ute. Yet, some days, when a stroller won’t squeeze into the trunk or the old kitchen table needs hauling away to Goodwill or the family is itching for a weeklong camping trip, it’s the huge, gas-guzzling sport/ute – not the frugal, frustrating sedan — that seems the ideal transporter. And, let’s face it: It’s days like those that convince a majority of SUV-buying Americans a hulking rig is not only preferred but also absolutely necessary, even for everyday use. But is it really? Isn’t there a compromise or, rather, a crossover? A vehicle that bridges the divide-something that drives, handles, and sips like a sedan yet totes passengers and cargo like an SUV?

Indeed, there is, and we’ve assembled three of the latest and greatest-the Ford Edge Sport, the Nissan Murano SL, and the Toyota Venza-to determine which is the ultimate compromise. Each is a car-based, two-row crossover offering athletic moves, peppy front-drive V-6 powertrains, combined fuel economy of at least 19 mpg, and substantially more interior volume than your average family sedan.

For 2009, the new-in-2007 Edge inherits a $35,530 Sport trim, which features a monochromatic eight-piece body kit and, most notable (make that noticeable), 22-inch forged and polished wheels. Our tester, fitted with a $385 audiophile package and the double-deuces, appeared aggressive, a bit menacing, and, well, almost toylike — a giant, plastic box and a “Hot Wheels” banner could’ve made it a centerpiece at FAO Schwarz. Given its ’09 debut, this $35,915 Sport was the Edge Ford had in its L.A. fleet, so we were happy to see if the modern duds as well as the sport-tuned suspension would engage us more than had previous Edges.

Nissan’s Murano, just reintroduced for the 2009 model year, entered this competition with flamboyant fresh styling, a renowned VQ-series V-6, and, as we learned in our 2009 Sport/Utility of the Year testing, a well-sorted chassis. Our $30,010 SL tester, loaded with a $1170 dual-panel sunroof and $4500 worth of packages, all of which included, among other items, a backup camera, Bose audio, Xenon headlamps, Bluetooth, power liftgate, and leather, came in at $35,805.
Sourced via motortrend.com