General Motors' bold marketing strategy that allows customers to drive its cars for up to 60 days with a money back guarantee has been extended. The "May the Best Car Win" program, whose advertisements show a given GM model going up against a rival, has gotten folks who may not have considered a GM car into the showrooms, and more importantly, into the cars.
The program has been such a success for the company -- with very few cars returned -- that it has earned an extension. Originally slated to end on November 30th, the program has been extended to January 4th, 2010. All the details on the program are provided on the 60-day Guarantee site, though note that they haven't yet updated the extension date on the bottom of the page.
Autonet Mobile and General Motors last week announced a deal to bring on-the-road Internet to the rest of the domestic automaker's brands: Chevrolet, Buick and GMC. The pair previously made the service available on Cadillac vehicles last spring.
Positioned as a tool for business people on the go who need to stay connected, the service also makes a great backseat babysitter for the connected-tech generation. If rear-seat entertainment system with a built-in DVD player kept kids quiet a decade ago, as teens they probably now prefer texting friends on their iPhones.
Americans don't like wagons. Never mind about the killer combination of versatility and drivability; coolness counts in this country, and the old-fashioned station wagon hasn't been hip since the mullet went out of style. But now traditional body-on-frame SUVs have fallen from grace as well, victims of volatile gas prices, inherent packaging inefficiencies and a burgeoning sense that bigger isn't always better. That's where so-called crossovers come in: car-like underneath but SUV-like in appearance and elevation, they're the latest in wagons for those who wouldn't be caught dead in one.
Our quarry in this Edmunds Comparison Test is the best new entrant in the rapidly expanding Compact Luxury Crossover segment. The field consists of four notables that have joined the ranks within the past year: the 2009 Audi Q5, 2010 Cadillac SRX, 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 and 2010 Volvo XC60. Since we limited ourselves to rookies, respected veterans like the Acura RDX, BMW X3 and Infiniti EX35 went uninvited. As for the redesigned 2010 Lexus RX350, we determined that its midsize interior dimensions and doughy ride would clash with this crew's intimate cabins and capable suspenders.
Shoppers in this segment want more than just typical crossover virtues like good visibility, secure handling and stout styling. They're also after an upscale cabin, premium features and confident power. Practicality counts, too, and that includes price, as these "CUVs" start at less than $40,000 -- well shy of cost-no-object territory. Details below on our winner by a hair, our loser in a landslide, and the wholly respectable tie for second place.
General Motors Co., which suspended leasing last year during the credit crunch, has today reinstated leasing on eight models in five states, though the 2010 Cadillac SRX will be available to lease nationally.
The leases are offered by U.S. Bank on the models sold in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan and Ohio.
Leasing allows many consumers to drive a more expensive vehicle than they could afford to buy, so GM's pull-back from leasing hit sales of GM's high-end vehicles particularly hard. GM is waiting to see the response to its pilot program before deciding how extensively to approach leasing on a nationwide basis.
The latest highlights from Edmunds.com and its blogosphere.
Green Car Advisor: Chrysler to Build Four Versions of Fiat 500 in U.S. Automotive News is reporting that the Italian automaker Fiat will bring its Fiat 500 subcompact vehicle to the United States under the Chrysler nameplate. Fiat, now a 20 percent owner of Chrysler, expects to have the car stateside in about 18 months. It will be offered in four styles plus a possible SUV configuration for the U.S. market.
Auto Observer: "Good" GM May Not Be All That Good As General Motors hurries through its bankruptcy proceedings, analysts have questioned the viability of the core brands that are left in the wake of their restructuring. The fate of GM will be largely dependent on the success of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC. But are these remaining brands ready to provide a solid foundation on which to build a better company? Regardless of the where the company stands in its restructuring process, GM has pledged to honor any product-liability claims made prior to the bankruptcy filing.
Inside Line: 2010 Jaguar XF Supercharged Makes Debut, Priced at $68,000 Jaguar XF buyers who are looking for more power, but feel that the XFR is a bit much, now have another option. The 2010 XF supercharged debuted Monday, and commands an $18,000 premium over the base XF. Follow the link for more details on the XF Supercharged and the XFR.
Straightline GM Slashes Prices for All-New 2010 Cadillac SRX When the completely redesigned 2010 Cadillac SRX arrives in showrooms this summer it will bare a price tag that's $7,000 cheaper than the car it replaces. With a price tag of $34,155, the new, smaller SRX is now in the ballpark of the surprisingly afordable Mercedes-Benz GLK350.
Karl on Cars Death or Euthanasia? Cars I Won't Be Missing Editor in Chief Karl Brauer examines the many models (and makes) that'll soon be sent to the big junkyard in the sky -- and how he won't be attending their funeral.
Edmunds.com Is a Higher Gas Tax the Better Way to Lower Fuel Consumption? Once only a passing discussion on The West Wing and within environmentalist circles, raising the national gasoline tax to curb fuel consumption is a now growing debate throughout the country ... and the Edmunds blogosphere.
Faced with imminent bankruptcy and revamped federal fuel economy standards, General Motors will likely be forced to nix many of its niche vehicles in favor of volume-selling, fuel-efficient small and midsize cars. Some won't be missed, but I say the following three deserve a new lease on life, even while the fallen Detroit giant struggles for air.
Green Car Advisor: Don't Panic Over the New CAFE Standards
Under-informed automotive enthusiasts have been in a tizzy over the Obama Administration's new corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. But fear not fellow petrol heads, this will not result in the equivalent of spaying and neutering all vehicles. As also covered in Edmunds Daily
, the CAFE standards are not the same as EPA mileage estimates -- in fact, they're quite a bit more generous than most would expect. So if you see Inside Line's Mechanic
curled up in a ball, weeping uncontrollably, please clue him into the reality of the CAFE standards.
Inside Line: Cadillac Lifts the Veil On Its New Lexus Fighter When it comes to the luxury crossover segment, the Lexus RX 350 rules the roost. Cadillac will join the fray with the redesigned 2010 SRX, and fights the good fight. What happens when the dust settles? Head over to Inside Line and find out for yourself.
Straightline: 2010 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo Well, maybe it'll have a nice personality. BMW releases more information on its oddly-styled ubersedanwagon. Sir Mix-a-Lot would be proud, but quite frankly, we're still scratching our heads. Take a look, but don't say we didn't warn you.
One of the most popular questions we get is, "What is the definition of a hybrid?" Recently, Edmunds' Director of Testing, Dan Edmunds, broke it all down and demystified the technical jargon in a new article.
Briefly, the most basic definition of a hybrid is a vehicle that uses more than one form of onboard energy to achieve propulsion. In practice, that means a hybrid will have a traditional internal combustion engine and a fuel tank, as well as one or more electric motors and a battery pack. Some of the terms associated with hybrids are motor-generator, start-stop, regenerative braking, and electric drive.
Those terms are defined in his article, along with the three "hybrid layouts":
I've spent the last week driving a 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, a $73,000 luxury SUV meant to provide all the appeal of the traditional Escalade but with a sincere nod to Mother Earth. Whether you want to talk value, performance or just plain logic there's one undenaible truth to this vehicle -- it's a complete boondoggle.
