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Making Good On Their Promise, Hyundai Releases 2009 Genesis

Initially introduced to the mass public back in February in the form of two commercials that actually managed to be snarkier then those of their luxury brand competitors, the Hyundai Genesis was touted as the working man’s luxury sedan. True to the projected Summer-2008 release date, the Genesis has been released to the public. Surprisingly, it turns out that upon closer inspection, Hyundai might have actually had a reason to be a little bit supercilious.

Offered with two trim levels, the 3.8 and the 4.6, the Hyundai Genesis shares roughly the same dimensions and luxuries as both the BMW 7-series and the Lexus LS460 - for about 40-grand less. The Genesis 3.8 retails for $32,250 and comes equipped with a 3.8L V6 engine and 290-hp; the 4.6 starts out at $37,250, upgrading the V6 to a V8 and boasting a powerful 368-hp. Standard equipment on both models include Electronic Stability Control (ESC), heated front seats, proximity entry & push-button start, Homelink transceiver, AM/FM/CD/MP3/XM and iPod auxiliary input jacks, and Bluetooth technology. Although admittedly an impressive package, the fact remains that the Genesis is still a Hyundai and thus doesn’t handle quite the way its luxury competitors do.

In a nutshell, the Genesis probably won’t be successful in swaying those consumers looking specifically to buy brands already well-established in the luxury market, but it will offer an almost-too-good-to-be-true option for those looking for more bang for their buck.

Interest in Ford and GM Rises, Chrysler Falls

2008_ford_fusion Believe it or not, according to a new Consumer Reports survey, 81 percent of respondents looking to buy a new car are likely to consider a domestic brand.

Yeah, that news came as a surprise to me, too, considering the negative press the domestics have received over the last year.

Looks like a little patriotism goes a long way, because less than 50 percent of folks will consider an Asian or European brand.

Sounds good for the domestics so far, doesn’t it? Well, not if you’re Chrysler. While interest in Ford increased 17 percent from last year and interest in GM increased by 6 percentage points, interest in Chrysler was down 28 percent among all respondents.

While those numbers appear good at first glance for Ford and GM, the survey says only 9 percent of the people interviewed are likely to buy a new car in the next year. Ouch.

Looks like a recovery of the new-car market won’t happen anytime soon, especially for Chrysler. Let’s hope Fiat can turn those numbers around with some desirable cars!

DealFinder can help you find a great used-car deal

On the other hand, among people considering a car purchase, 61 percent are looking specifically to buy used. That seems like a smarter choice for a lot of people in times like these.

If you are one of those 61 percent, or just curious about used-car prices, check out a cool new tool called DealFinder that allows you to search for cars for sale in your area and even tells you if the price is great, fair, or too high compared with national averages. Even if you’re not looking to buy, it’s neat to see what car prices are doing in your area. You can even list a car for sale there for free.

Would you consider buying a domestic new car? If you’re looking for used, search through DealFinder and let us know what you find!

-tgriffith

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Who Should Have the Right to Repair Your Car?

right_to_repair My Lexus dealer wanted at least $1,100 to perform the 30,000-mile service on my wife’s 2004 RX 330.

I say “at least” because the service guy said the price could creep all the way up to $1,800. I nearly spit the contents of the “free” can of Coke they gave me right out my nose. I also took the keys back and tore out of the dealership.

Later that week I found a shop that checked and topped off the fluids and replaced the engine oil, oil filter, air filter, cabin air filter, and wiper blades for $130.

Sure, I didn’t get “genuine Lexus replacement parts” but I’m just fine going with Fram if it saves me a thousand dang dollars. I’m sure there are other benefits of returning to the dealer for service, but I won’t even try to justify spending a grand on them (though the Coke there is exceptionally good for some reason).

I mention this because I think auto manufacturers should make the same service technology they provide to their dealerships available to all independent shops. That way people like me could feel confident we’d get the same service for our cars when we didn’t choose to bring them back to the dealer.

Car buyers get screwed enough when buying a car from the dealer - we shouldn’t continue the pattern every time we need our cabin air filter changed.

Keeping repair costs fair is the goal of the Right to Repair Act, which is

bipartisan legislation that would require automakers to provide the same service information and tools to independent auto and maintenance shops, as well as to consumers, that the automaker dealership service centers receive.

That just makes sense, don’t you think? The more advanced our vehicles become, the easier it is for manufacturers and dealers to monopolize the service of our cars. That’s not a path I want to go down.

I’d rather support a local small business while saving money on maintaining my car than fork over thousands of dollars to a corporate dealership chain. Even if it means giving up my free can of Coke.

Assuming you’d receive the same service, would you rather take your car to an independent repair shop, a dealer, or do the maintenance yourself?

-tgriffith

Honda Not Giving Us Fits, but CR-Z Hybrids Instead

Since it has gotten such lousy reviews on the new Insight, Honda apparently hopes the new CR-Z Hybrid will do better, even as it uses basically the same powertrain. The difference is that this car, like the beloved CRX before it, will appeal to the sporty set. Judging by the many positive comments on the Autoweek story, a lot of them will be tempted. Sign up for email info from Honda here.

The CR-Z Hybrid will go on sale in Japan in February 2010 and should be in the U.S. by the middle of next year. Honda seems ready to commit to an across-the-board hybrid lineup, as Toyota has. Whether that will work in this country is anybody’s guess. The Insight was the top-selling car in Japan this year (until the new Prius took over the crown), and Honda has new, better, two-engine powertrains under development for its larger models.

Let us not forget, however, that Japan has government incentives to go hybrid, as well as higher gas prices. Hybrids are going to be niche vehicles here unless either or both of those conditions change.

Honda also announced that the Fit Hybrid will become available in Japan before the end of the year; there are no plans to bring it here. This news may not send thrills and chills up your spines, CR-Z fans, though the Fit will cost lots less and may well sell better. But, my God, it’s ugly.

If the CR-Z Hybrid were in the $20,000 range, as predicted, would you buy one? What would tempt you?

—jgoods

Aston Martin to Rebadge the Toyota iQ

Aston Martin's Cygnet concept, based on the Toyota iQ

Apparently, a lot of people think the Toyota iQ is a good idea.

Our original post on the minuscule Toyota questioned whether or not the car made sense for the United States, especially with gas prices well below the $4-per-gallon mark.

I remain skeptical, even though a lot of great comments made valid arguments. If one thing can change my mind, though, it’s Aston Martin.

Toyota iQ

The elite car maker is taking the tiny iQ and giving it a new super-luxo skin, complete with a new grill, headlights, trademark side vents, leather interior, and an all-new name: the Cygnet. Go ahead and laugh if you want - I did when I heard Rolls-Royce was decking out a set of MINI Coopers - but Aston Martin’s reworking of the iQ looks like it’s going to work.

At first, the Cygnet will be offered only to existing Aston Martin customers at a price of about $33,000. Only time will tell if they’ll make them available to the public. The iQ, though, should make it to the U.S. as a Scion in late 2010, as a 2011 model.

I still think the iQ and Cygnet are just too small for the United States, but this comment from reader Jerry Zabin and others like it are pretty convincing:

I just returned from Berlin and I saw the Toyota IQ up close. LOVE IT!!! If this car becomes available in the U.S., I am a definite buyer! Gas prices continue to rise and this car would fit the bill. With US carmakers in peril, it is no wonder…the day of the gas guzzler has passed! In Berlin, gas is nearly $5.25/gallon and you rarely see large cars on the road. Let’s get with it America….conservation is no longer optional, it is necessary. The Toyota IQ fits the bill!

If you’re like me, you’ll take Aston Martin’s endorsement of the iQ to heart. Maybe there’s something to this small-car thing after all.

Will a $33,000 rebadged Toyota hurt Aston Martin’s credibility?

-tgriffith

The Mysterious Case of 81 Missing Cars and 3 Dealer Employees

missing-cars When a car dealer employee arrives to work after a day off and finds an empty lot, her first reaction might be serious regret for not working on a very busy sales day.

These days, though, it’s more likely the lot was cleared out by thieves than by paying customers.

Such is the case at Nebraska dealer Legacy Auto Sales, who woke up earlier this week to find 81 Fords and Toyotas missing, worth an estimated $2.5 million. Also missing were the dealer’s owner, general manager, and controller.

Hmm…doesn’t take much to put two and two together and make the connection here.

Looks like the auto freefall has translated into a lack of sales commission at this dealership, and when people start losing money, they start getting desperate. The more desperation sets in, the better the idea sounds of loading up 81 cars and trucks, hauling them out of state, and selling them at auction.

But it doesn’t take much to trace new cars, especially when they are sold under the VIN number. You’d think the owner of a dealership would know that better than anyone.

Police say that all three of the missing employees have been found and at least one of them arrested.

This case is a sad testament to the tough times we’re in and the depths people will sink to as they try to deal with it all. Oh, and if you bought a new Ford or Toyota this week in Utah, better check that VIN!

Can you believe a dealer owner would do something like this?

-tgriffith

Do you own one of the worst cars money can buy?

Though you wouldn’t know it by reading the news every day, now really is a great time to buy a new car. Buyers can find screaming deals around every corner, but I want to pass on a warning that some of those deals may be too good to be true.

U.S. News & World Report has issued its list of worst cars for the money, so if you’re determined to snag the deal of the century on a new car, don’t be fooled by these:

pontiac-g5

Guess how many G5s Pontiac sold in January nationwide: 10,000? 2,000? No, think lower. Like 767. Seems most of America already knows that the G5’s comfort, performance, and quality seriously lags behind the competition’s.

I’m a big Suzuki fan, but I still understand why the XL-7 made this list. Seriously, with a 5-year cost of ownership at $47,000, it’s hard to justify purchasing one unless you can get yourself a good half off of sticker. And good luck with that.

Turns out the only thing this Jeep commands is a 50- to 60-percent depreciation rate over 5 years. Who wants to take bets that this awkward monstrosity won’t survive past 2010?

I was disappointed to see the Titan on this list, but given that its fuel mileage doesn’t compete with other full-size trucks’ and it costs a good $5K more, the value factor just isn’t there.

When you’re competing with the likes of Infiniti, Lexus, BMW, and Cadillac, you sure as heck better bring your best. The S60 isn’t Volvo’s best… but let’s see what the 2010 version brings before making a final judgment.

We may get some hate mail for this one, but hey, we didn’t make the list, we’re just telling you about it. The Eclipse definitely has its fans, but its performance doesn’t stack up against other sports cars’.

Do you agree with this list? What do you think are the worst car values out there?

-tgriffith

Insight Hopes to Eat Prius’s Lunch; Fusion Waits in Line, Drooling

Last year Toyota sold 158,884 copies of the Prius; it hopes to sell 187,000 in 2010. Honda hopes to build 200,000 of its new Insights, half of which will be available in the U.S. beginning in April. Both companies are setting the table for a power lunch, since the cars are aiming at virtually the same market.

2010 Prius

2010 Insight

However, the Insight is cheaper (at around $20K, some 20% less than Prius), a little sportier, maybe a little better looking, with not quite as good mileage (41 mpg combined vs. the Prius’s 46). Except for its Civic Hybrid powertrain, the Insight is basically a Honda Fit with a new Prius-like body.

And everybody loves it, not least because it’s challenging Toyota’s long dominance in hybrids. But remember, Honda landed on these shores with the first hybrid, the smaller version of the Insight that a lot of people also treasured.

The iconic Prius enters its third generation with more power, better mileage, better acceleration, and a host of features, extras, and improvements over the earlier version. It’s larger and has some new styling touches. The press swarmed all over it at Detroit, reviews have been uniformly excellent, and its selling points of quality and tech leadership remain viable.

2010 Fusion Hybrid

Ford’s new competitor, the Fusion Hybrid, also wants a place at the table. This is a midsize car, not a compact, that gets 41 mpg city/36 highway). That certainly gets it within shooting distance of its rivals and brings another target into view, the Camry Hybrid. The car can do 47 mph on the electric motor only, faster than the competition, giving it better performance and economy in that range. Batteries are 20% more effective than those used in the Escape. And its price will be somewhere in the $27K—Prius’s range.

Wouldn’t it be a gas if Ford, with no bailout money, could take at least a piece of the hybrid pie next year?

Do you think Ford can build a successful hybrid? What will it take?

—jgoods

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