In Gear offers a fresh look at the world of cars – its technology, economics, and future – through the eyes of Monitor staffers and other automobile writers from around the world.
A 2013 Ford F-150 truck is displayed at the 2013 Pittsburgh Auto Show in Pittsburgh, Penn. The Ford F-150 ranked as the 'most American' car, followed closely by the Toyota Camry, which has recently edged out F-150 sales. (Gene J. Puskar/AP/File)
Top 10 'most American' cars
In today's increasingly connected world, we often ask ourselves, "What do national borders mean?" Companies like Coke and Sony do business around the globe, and anyone who's been on Facebook knows that we often have more in common with folks on the other side of the planet than with our next-door neighbors.
For auto shoppers who focus on where their vehicles are made, such concerns aren't just academic. When a car is assembled in the U.S. from parts shipped in from Japan, Mexico, and Thailand, can you really call it "American"?
Thankfully, the folks at Cars.com have released an analysis that puts such questions to rest. (Well, sort of.) In compiling its 2013 American-Made Index, Cars.com looked at three factors to determine the ten "most American" vehicles:
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- The origin of a car's parts (i.e. whether they were made in the U.S. or elsewhere)
- The vehicle's point of final assembly (i.e. where it rolled off the assembly line)
- Sales statistics (i.e. the car's popularity with American shoppers)
This year, the Ford F-150 has retaken the #1 spot on the American-Made Index. According to Patrick Olsen, the site's Editor-in-Chief, "Strong sales and 75 percent domestic-parts content propelled Ford's popular F-150 to the top of the index for 2013, a rank it held from 2006 to 2008." ( Continue… )
A Tesla Model S electric sedan is driven near the company's factory in Fremont, Calif. Among electric car drivers, 93 percent choose to lease their plug-in cars. (Noah Berger/Reuters/File)
Electric car: lease or buy?
You're considering a plug-in electric car.
Should you lease or buy?
It's a question that all new-car shoppers face--but for electric cars, there are some special considerations.
Each financing option has its pros and cons, so we've outlined the reasons you might opt for each alternative.
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LEASING
- The Federal income-tax credit of $2,500 to $7,500 is wrapped into the monthly payment, so you avoid paperwork and up to 15 months of waiting to realize the cash
- You're protected against permanent loss of battery capacity; at the end of the lease, you just turn the car in--and any pack loss isn't your problem
- You're protected against potentially low resale value for used electric cars (the math is complicated due to the various financial incentives)
- Leasing deals for still-pricey plug-in cars give you a lower monthly payment (in part because you're not building equity)
- In California, you still get the state's $1,500 to $2,500 purchase rebate in the mail even if you lease
( Continue… )
The base model of the new BMW X5, a luxury SUV, will be rear-wheel drive only for the first time in the X5's history. Drivers looking for all-wheel drive can get it if they pitch in a few more thousand dollars. (Lee Jae-Won/Reuters/File)
2014 BMW X5 makes its debut
BMW recently unveiled the third-generation of its "sports activity vehicle," the X5. With a new look, updated technology, and new drivetrain options, the only question left was price. Today BMW priced the new 2014 X5 from $53,725 including a $925 destination charge.
For the first time in the X5's history, the base model will be rear-wheel drive only. Opting for BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive will take the price tag to $56,025. Both of these models are powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six cylinder engine rated at 300 horsepower.
For those seeking a combination of fuel efficiency and torque, there's the xDrive35d model priced from $57,525, powered by a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine rated at 255 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque.
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Until the new X5 M is unleashed, the top-of-the-line X5 is the xDrive50i with 445 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. Priced from $69,125, it's not cheap, but considering the current X5 M hovers around $90,000 without options, it's far from the most expensive X5 model.
All 2014 BMW X5s feature BMW's automatic start-stop system, 40-20-40 split-folding rear seat, and Servotronic speed-sensitive power steering. On the infotainment and telematics front, the new X5 comes with iDrive 4.2 with navigation and a touchpad, 10 years of BMW Assist eCall service, 10 years of BMW TeleService, and BMW Apps.
The rear-wheel drive sDrive35i, all-wheel drive xDrive35i, and xDrive50i will be in U.S. showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2013. The diesel-powered xDrive35d will join the gasoline-powered models in showrooms a few months later.
For more information, be sure to read our full preview here. Also be sure to check our full review here, once we've slid behind the wheel of the 2014 BMW X5.
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The Nissan logo is displayed on the grill of a 2013 Nissan truck on display at the 2013 Pittsburgh Auto Show in Pittsburgh, Penn. The 2014 Nissan Versa Note, a subcompact hatchback, is on sale at dealerships now. (Gene J. Puskar/AP/File)
Test drive: 2014 Nissan Versa Note
The Nissan Versa sedan was new for 2012, but for all kinds of global-product reasons, the company carried over the previous-generation Versa Hatchback for a couple of years.
At last, a new Versa hatchback is here, only its name has morphed into Versa Note. Will it eventually just become the Nissan Note, as it is around the world? Only Nissan's internals, and maybe their personal trainers, know.
On paper, the 2014 Versa Note makes a case as a strong rival to the Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent. The Versa sedan is the cheapest car you can buy in the U.S., and the hatch is close, at $14,780 including destination. It's inexpensive, roomy, has lots of technology features available, and it's fuel-efficient.
But how does this all translate in the real world?
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A tidy package
The Versa Note is a tidy package. With short front and rear overhangs, it has an aero-smoothed shape that while not exciting, isn't as boring as the Toyota Yaris. Drag is somewhat low, at 0.3, and the taillights have similarities to the Juke and 370Z with a swoosh-like design. The Versa Note's rear end most resembles the Hyundai Accent hatchback, which isn't bad company.
Our favorite design element is the character line on the sides, which Nissan calls the squash line. It's supposed to remind you of the power and movement of a squash player, not of the vegetable. ( Continue… )
Irv Gordon's Volvo P1800 in Babylon, N.Y.last year. Gordon's car already holds the world record for the highest recorded milage on a car and he is nearing three million miles on the Volvo. (Seth Wenig/AP/File)
Volvo nears 3 million miles. Is it greener than a hybrid?
One of the more familiar perceptions of green vehicles is that the energy they require to build outweighs any benefits they may have in use.
The reality couldn't be more different, but there's still plenty to be said for getting the most out of the car you have, and extending its usable life.
Some people take that to extremes. Among them is Irv Gordon, a 73-year old retired science teacher from New York State and Guinness World Record holder for most miles driven by a single owner, in a non-commercial vehicle.
How many miles? Currently, Gordon's 1966 Volvo P1800 coupe has seen 2.99 million miles pass under its wheels, with the 3-millionth mile expected some time in September.
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Gordon bought the car new all the way back in 1966, and loved it so much his first weekend with the car already clocking up enough distance to require its first service on the Monday. He's had the car serviced with religious regularity, and over the past 15 years it's been looked after by the same Volvo technician, Nino Gambino at Volvoville in Huntingdon, NY. ( Continue… )
Tesla Motors Inc CEO Elon Musk demonstrates Tesla's new battery swapping program in Hawthorne, Calif., on June 20, 2013. The battery swaps are estimated to cost $60 to $80 for Tesla drivers. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)
Tesla 90-second battery swap to cost $60 to $80
Tesla CEO Elon Musk last night provided details on a new battery-swapping service for his company’s Model S electric sedan (and future models) that will allow owners to get a fully charged battery swapped into their cars in around 90 seconds.
Musk demonstrated the service using a pair of Model S sedans and also showed how swapping the battery is even quicker than filling the tank of a conventional gas-powered car.
The battery-swapping service will be done at special stations to be launched from this year. The first stations will be located next to Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] Supercharger stations along the high-traffic corridor between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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More battery-swapping stations will follow, with the next launches to take place along the corridor running between Washington D.C. and Boston.
Owners simply drive over a specially marked spot and remain in the car. An automated machine then emerges from a hole in the ground and swaps the battery with a fully charged one. For even more added convenience, the station will bill the owner’s pre-registered credit card for the service. ( Continue… )
A low-interest rate banner hangs on the side of an unsold Toyota Corolla at a dealership in Lakewood, Colo., in 2010. Pressure is building on carmakers to once again offer cash discounts and other incentives to boost summer car sales. (David Zalubowski/AP/File)
Summer car sales may be back in vogue
After a few years of late-starting, lackluster deals, the summer auto sale may be back in full force.
Light vehicle sales were up 8.2 percent in May compared to the previous year, according to research firm Autodata Corp. Sales year-to-date are 7.3 percent higher than in 2012. That demand, paired with fairly lean inventory on lots, should have put automakers in the driver's seat as it did last year—which led to cash discounts, financing deals and other offers staying fairly flat.
But the recovering economy has put automakers under some pressure this year to keep up the momentum by increasing sales and gaining market share, said Lincoln Merrihew, vice president of transportation at market research firm Compete. "That can get pretty tough," he said.
At an American International Automobile Dealers Association meeting in May, executives for brands including Kia and Hyundai predicted a competitive summer with incentives that could limit profitability. ( Continue… )
Mazda Motor Co. President and CEO Takashi Yamanouchi and Mazda China CEO Noriaki Yamada pose with Mazda's CX-5 at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in Shanghai, China earlier this year. Mazda is expected to unveil the redesigned 2014 Mazda3 next week. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP/File)
Mazda to reveal new car via Microsoft Xbox Live
Mazda will stream the live reveal of a brand new model via Microsoft’s Xbox Live online gaming platform, the automaker has confirmed.
The new model, likely to be the redesigned 2014 Mazda3 we’ve been spying in prototype form for several months, will be revealed at 9:00 p.m. EDT on June 26 at a location in New York City, with the event to be streamed live over the Xbox Live network.
For those readers not signed up to Xbox Live, Mazda will also be placing updates on its official website (MazdaUSA.com). Here, a link will be placed that leads users to a Mazda landing page on the website Xbox.com.
The special landing page will include details of the event and a countdown clock, and will host a sweepstakes for one lucky entrant to win $2,500 to create their dream trip to a music event of their choice. To help build awareness, Mazda will also be making announcements on its various social media pages.
Mazda is keeping quiet on just what model will be revealed, though the only new Mazda we’re expecting this year from the Japanese automaker is the Mazda3.
Stay tuned for an update.
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The 2013 Honda Accord Sedan is parked on a road. The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid, which will go on sale in October, marks Honda's first Accord Hybrid since 2007. (American Honda Motor Co., Inc./PRNewsFoto/File)
2014 Honda Accord Hybrid hits stores this fall
The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid, a mid-size sedan that competes with hybrid models of the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, and Toyota Camry, will go on sale in October, its maker said today.
47 mpg combined
With a more powerful electric motor than its competitors, the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid matches the best EPA fuel efficiency ratings in the hybrid mid-size sedan category.
It also delivers a combined rating almost 60 percent higher than its gasoline Accord counterpart.
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Honda projects the new Accord Hybrid will achieve a combined EPA rating of 47 mpg (49 mpg city, 45 mpg highway).
That compares to the Fusion Hybrid at 47 mpg combined, the Sonata and Optima hybrids at 38 mpg combined, and the Camry Hybrid at 41 mpg. ( Continue… )
The Toyota Prius C hybrid is displayed on the final press preview day for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich., in 2012. The steep cost of a hybrid can be most effectively made up by drivers who spend at least 90 percent of their time on city roads, a study says. (Mike Cassese/Reuters/File)
Best time to drive a hybrid? When traffic is bad.
Show us someone who actively enjoys getting stuck in heavy traffic and we'll show you someone with nothing better to do.
But if you have little choice but to sit in that traffic on your way to work, a new study shows you'd be best off with a hybrid vehicle.
You probably didn't need a study to tell you that, of course--a look at the EPA window sticker of any hybrid vehicle will quickly show off its strengths.
The study, conducted by Carnegie Mellon University (via the Pittsburg Business Times), does put numbers on the hybrid car's benefits, showing you just how much better such a car is when faced with a congested commute.
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Hybrids aren't bad on the highway either, but there the benefits are much smaller given the cars' extra cost over conventional vehicles.
"Hybrid and plug-in vehicles cost more without much benefit to the environment," said CMU's professor of mechanical engineering and policy, Jeremy Michalek, in a statement. ( Continue… )
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