On December 1, Ford dealers will start taking orders for its new 6.2-liter 2010 V8 Raptor. The pickup, now the most powerful half-ton truck on the market, makes 411 hp and 434 lb-ft of torque -- 91 hp more than the standard 5.4-liter Triton V8. The high-speed off-roader will start at $41,995, including destination and delivery.

Also today, Ford announced a limited-edition race version, the 2011 FR Raptor XT.

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IL News: Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport With Heritage Package
A new set of accessories for the Corvette Grand Sport was announced at the 2009 SEMA show. They range from dark chrome fender badges to Grand Sport branded floor mats. The accessories will be available at Chevrolet dealerships in early 2010.

Straightline: Toyota Sends Out Floor Mat Warning Letters, Reassures Customers on YouTube
Speaking of floormats, Toyota is going to great lengths to reassure consumers that their vehicles aren't defective. They've mailed out letters to owners affected by the recall, and have posted a you tube video giving their side of the story. The letters and video are available after the jump.

Auto Observer: For Once, Rising Gas Prices Could Help Auto Industry
It may seem strange, but analysts have observed that higher gas prices can spur demand for the smaller fuel efficient vehicles that automakers are incorporating into their lineup. This in turn will help the industry as a whole.

Sometimes knowing what not to do is just as helpful as knowing which path to take. Our "Top 10 Ways to Waste Gas" list shines a light on practices to avoid if you'd like to reduce your carbon footprint and save money at the pump. 

Pricing has been set for the 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour, which will be offered only in high-line EX and EX-L (leather seating) trims. Opting for the EX-L also means you have the options of all-wheel drive and a navigation system.  Slated to go on sale November 20th, the Crosstour will range from $30,380 for the EX to $36,930 for the EX-L 4WD with Navigation.

We recently got behind the wheel of the Crosstour and came away with mostly good impressions of Honda's new niche market, luxury crossover vehicle. Please note that the preliminary specs and pricing data we currently have on the Crosstour are being updated, but the prices reflected in this blog are accurate.

For several years Chrysler has been the only automaker offering satellite TV as an add-on option for its rear-seat entertainment systems, and now it will be the only automaker offering broadcast TV as well. The service will be provided by FLO TV, which was developed by Qualcomm, and offers around 20 channels, including CBS, NBC, Fox News, MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.

Audiovox will supply the hardware for the Chrysler system, which will be available for through the company's Mopar parts division as a dealer-installed option. Audiovox introduced the product at the Consumer Electronics Show last January and recently announced that it will soon launch it nationwide through the Audiovox brand Advent's "expeditor" network, which works with car dealerships -- not just Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealers. Possibly at a price that could undercut Chrysler.

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Chrysler is recalling an estimated 12,674 vehicles because of a possible tire and wheel separation issue. Possibly effected vehicles are the 2009 and 2010 Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger and Chrysler 300. It only affects those models with rear-wheel drive (therefore all Challengers).

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration summary of the problem, "these vehicles may have been built without a front wheel spindle nut. While driving, a tire and wheel separation could occur, increasing the risk of a crash."

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Safe to say, when a distracted driver runs his car into a pedestrian, it's more than likely the pedestrian will suffer the most damage. So Volvo, the automaker best known for obsessing over the safety of its cars' occupants, is now focusing on protecting the people around its cars, as well.

Next fall, the redone 2011 Volvo S60 will be offered with a new technology tagged "Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and Pedestrian Safety" - which not only predicts when a pedestrian is likely to cross into the car's path and warns the driver, but also takes over braking if the driver fails to respond. The aim is to have the car avoid hitting the pedestrian altogether, if possible, or at least to lessen the impact if a collision of car and person is inescapable.

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We recently got our first in-person look at the radically redesigned 2010 Jaguar XJ as it was showed off to current Jag owners and the media in Hollywood. If you haven't seen it in pictures already, we've provided plenty of them here, but the car in person is just as breathtakingly different than anything that's come before.

There may be a little XF here and a little Citroen C6 there, but this is a distinctly different luxury flagship that breathes a gust of fresh air into the stale Jaguar brand. It's like Prince Charles went into a closet and reemerged several minutes later as Keira Knightley.

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The strength of a new car warranty is something most shoppers don't think of until they are signing the sales contract. And they think of it then because the dealership's finance manager tries desperately to ram an extended warranty down their throat.

The time to think about the warranty is before you start car shopping. And the best way to do this is to review our warranty and roadside assistance chart . Take a moment to click the link and scan the chart. Then I have a quiz question for you.

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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.  

This week's column comes courtesy of item (1) below, which has blown our collective mind with its all-around competence. Used to be that automakers would take years or even decades to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but now we see revolutionary changes occurring from one model cycle to the next. Hyundai started it, and now other automakers are following suit. I can think of three, that's right, three recent cars in particular that we've found to be enormously better than expected.

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Drive by new car dealers and used car dealers and it's hard not to notice the difference. The new car dealer typically has a much larger building and lot, as well as nicer furnishings inside and out.  The used car dealer, meanwhile, will likely have a smaller facility, a less luxurious showroom and a dearth of manicured real estate. So of course, the new car dealer will have better used cars, right?  Don't be so quick to answer that...

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Edmunds analysts have reported that three-year-old used cars currently sell for about 16 percent more than they did this time last year. Typically, used car prices rise 4.6 percent from year to year.

"The remarkable price increase is easily attributed to basic economic principles: used car supply is down, and demand is up," said Edmunds.com Analyst Joe Spina, who is responsible for the True Market Value Used Vehicle Appraiser data.

Spina added that, "in recent years, automakers largely withdrew from leasing and now the effects are starting to kick in, so off-lease inventory is starting to dry up. Also, thanks to relative softness in the new car market, there aren't as many used cars being traded in. Meanwhile, demand is up because many traditional new car shoppers are now considering used due to the economy."

Domestic cars are benefitting the most from the price spike. Three-year old domestic cars are selling for about 18 percent more than they did this time last year, while European used car prices fell during the same period.

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This year has seen a plethora of new luxury CUV's enter the market, including the Audi Q5, Volvo XC60 and Mercedes-Benz GLK, along with the redesigned Cadillac SRX and Lexus RX350. Lost among this roll-out is the Lincoln MKX. While some may just label the MKX as a Ford Edge rebadge, the MKX offers some important advantages. Read about them, and some available advantageous incentives, after the jump. 

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