Here’s something you probably never thought about. The new hybrid electric cars are not only cutting down on air pollution but also noise pollution. That’s good right?  Well, it is, but then there is another problem.   Silent electric cars are some what of a problem for the blind.  Congress is considering federal regulations for electric cars.  I can see their point. Yes, the driver of a vehicle should take responsibility and not hit somebody, but that doesn’t always happen, and a blind pedestrian has no chance if there can’t hear the vehicle.  So, Fisker and other automakers as well as toying with different ideas to decide how to have the electric cars alittle noiser.   Fisker will emit a sound from speakers that are in the bumpers.  BMW was thinking of allowing the customer to choose their own sound for their vehicle.  Some are thinking maybe a ringtone that you could manually push on your steering wheel. Whichever way the automaker chooses, it sounds like electric cars will be getting louder.  I guess a quiet car cannot completely happen after all.

An annual survey was done by Consumer Reports shows that the Asian automakers (Japanese and Korean) are the top for reliability in vehicles. They took 8 out of the top 10 spots. That’s pretty impressive.  An interesting fact is that several Ford models are consistently scoring higher than Honda and Toyota.  The Consumer Reports stated that “Ford is now making some vehicles that have world-class reliability due to the fact that the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan have been at the top of their class for a couple of years now.  That means that the Fusion and Milan are considered more reliable than the Accord and Camry, which are known for trust and reliability. 

Good news for Ford…..not such good news for Chrysler.  Chrysler had only one model that was recommended by Consumer Reports for their reliability and they came in last out of the 33 brands that are sold in the U.S. Not so good, Chrysler.  For GM, 21 of 48 models scored average or better for reliability. Not so good for GM either. 

The survey also found that higher-priced cars are not necessarily more reliable and that less-expensive small cars and midsize family sedans were the most reliable.  Also, the Honda Insight hybrid was found in the survey to be the most reliable vehicle and the Volkswagen Touareg was the least reliable. 

The number 1 brand for reliability….drum roll please…..Scion by Toyota.  This is the second year in a row for them to get this honor as the top brand!  Good for them, but somewhat surprising for me. I guess because the Scions don’t appeal to me, I would never consider even looking into them and checking out the details of these vehicles. Maybe I’m dumb and I should be!

The sad reality in the auto industry these days is that people aren’t brand loyal anymore, according to Bill Vlasic of the New York Times News Service.  Back in the 1980s, dealers didn’t have to do much at all to get customers to trade in their Ford for a Ford or their Toyota for a Toyota.  About 4 out of every 5 Americans were repeat buyers in the 1980s.  And furthermore, the “allegiance often continued through generations of families.”  Well, not anymore. Partly because the consumers have become more fickle in their tastes and also because of everything that has gone on in Detroit, there is no brand loyalty anymore.  Sad but true.  Only about 20%  of consumers this year have stayed with the same brand when they purchased new vehicles, according to a study done by the Oregon-based firm CNW Marketing Research. 

Just five years ago, Chevrolet and Ford were the top 2 brands in the U.S. market each with more than 16% of the market share.  Chrysler had 3 brands, Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep, in the top 10.  Not anymore.  Toyota sits atop these days with 14% of the market share.  Then Ford, Chevrolet, Honda, and Nissan.  Chrysler is no longer in the top 10 and has been replaced by Hyundai and Kia.

The reality is that people trust many brands and improvements in the vehicles have made people willing to give up their brands to try something new and exciting for now…until the next vehicle comes out with new technology and exciting features to try out.  Oh well, maybe someday we will be more loyal again. In the meantime on the flip side, it keep the automotive companies thinking and trying to be more innovative in their new models.  Right?

The Tokyo Motor Show began today (press only-open to public starting 10/23-11/4) and of course there were many new concept cars unveiled.  Many automakers had decided not to participate in this show due financial difficulties but those that have exhibits there are trying to make the most of the situation.  Lexus is showing off the LF-A super car with a 500 horsepower engine.  I was reading alittle about the LF-A at topspeed.com and people aren’t saying nice things. They don’t like the look of it and aren’t buying the super car advertising of it as well.

Another concept car unveiled at this show is the Toyota FT-86.  This is a compact, rear-wheel drive sports car that supposedly provides “driving joy and excitement.  Also the Toyota FT-EV II was introduced which is a compact electric vehicle designed for short distances. 

Mazda also are showing off a new concept as well as a new engine and transmission at the Tokyo Motor Show.  The Mazda Kiyora has a Mazda Sky-G engine and Sky-Drive transmission, which are both being debuted at the Tokyo show as well.  The Sky-G engine has greatly improved fuel economy due to thermal efficiency. 

I’m sure there will be more talk of the Tokyo Motor Show as the week goes on, but I thought this was some good information about some new concepts.  The thing is that I feel like most of these concepts have the same ideas. They are smaller, with more power and better gas mileage.  I guess that’s what people want. 

www.ap.org

Toyota is launching a new larger hybrid-only sedan that will be for sale in Japan - the Sai.  The Sai is “Prius’ new little brother that is actually bigger” according to The Associated Press.  Sai means talent and color in Japanese and will be sold in Japan starting December 7.  Currently, Toyota has not decided on global sales of the Sai.  Hybrids get better gas mileage because they switch between an electric motor and the gas engine.  The Sai will get 23 kilometers per liter, which equates to about 54 miles per gallon.  The Sai’s big brother, Prius, get 38 kilometers per liter, or about 90 miles per gallon according to the Japanese mileage test conditions. Toyota is promising that the new Prius will get 51 mpg in the city and 48 mpg on the highway in the U.S.  The Sai comes with a bigger engine 2.4 liter engine with the Prius getting a 1.8 liter engine, and supposedly the Sai is fancier and more roomy than its’ big brother.  It’s more expensive too. When the Sai goes on sale in December, it will cost about $37,500, which is 3.38 million yen compared to the Prius which costs $22,000 or alittle over 2 million yen.  So, I guess I thought I would just let you know about the new hybrid even though we cannot and may never be able to purchase it here in the U.S.  I would suspect that if the Sai is a success in Japan that eventually we will see it for sale here. Toyota would be crazy not too, especially because the Prius is the only model that is making any money for them as the company loses money like the rest of the automotive companies. 

As the fuel economy rules become stricter in the next few years, many automakers will be offering 4 cylinder engines in their vehicles to meet these rules.  BMW will be adding these four cylinder vehicles by 2012 in the 3 series.  Several others models by BMW are being considered for four cylinder engines.  The four cylinder engines with be equipped with twin-turbo diesel engines.  Someone made a really good point about these engines. People buy BMWs for performance and power and if you make a expensive, fast 4 cylinder engine then it won’t get the gas mileage that they need to get. Therefore the power that is needed for customers to want to buy the BMWs is going to have a hard time working in a 4 cylinder.  It’ll definitely have to be something new, because the current 4 cylinders are not powerful enough for the price tag of a BMW (in my opinion of course!)  Mercedes-Benz is also considering these engines, and again may have the same problems as BMW.  Well, the good news for these and other automakers is that they have time. It will be interesting to see how most of the automotive companies make out by 2016 when the mpg average needs to be 35.5.  Most have some work to do, others have ALOT of work to do.

I just read this interesting and different automotive article that I thought I would share with you guys.  Did you know that what you drive may let us know what kind of person you are?  I’m not sure that I totally buy this story, but it’s fun nonetheless!  So, forbesautos.com wrote an article what it means if you own a certain car. I thought I’d give you a brief synopsis of each car.  This information was found from a survey done by the San Diego-based market research company called Strategic Vision during a New Vehicle Experience Survey.  So, here’s some info. See if it fits you and what you drive.

Bentley- wealth - bank accounts of at least $5 million in investable assets. Yes, Bentley screams wealth but in a softer way than its competitors, they say.

Buick - old folks - 2/3 of the owners are over 55 and have an average household income of $75,000. The richer, older folks.

Chevrolet - Chevy owners have reputation of being behind in times.  13% of Chevy owners have never used the web, and 35% have a college education or higher.       

Ford- same as Chevy.  12% have never used internet and 45% have a college education or higher.  Ford introduced the Ford Sync to try to draw in younger owners.

Honda- usually pragmatic and well educated - 70% having college education or higher.  Honda owners are more tech-savvy with only 3% not using the internet. Honda owners buy for trust and dependability they find in car.

Lexus - wealthy and well educated with highest rating of 71% college education or higher.  Most Lexus owners are settled down.

Mini Cooper - sophisticated and wealthy with average income around $125,000.  Owners of Mini Cooper fall into four categories - “brand enthusiasts, design aficionados, social butterflies, and gas misers.” 

Scion - median age is 37, lots of first-time buyers. 

Toyota-  family brand. 1 in 4 Toyotas belong to someone with children under 18.  Median age is 55, 70% are married.  60% have college educations. 

Rolls-Royce - extreme wealth that share a “passion for life” according to a Rolls-Royce spokesperson.  Base price of these cars are $435,000…chunk change.

So, there you have it. Is it right???

So, Mike Hanley and Joe Wiesenfelder of cars.com have come up with what they call the “Worst Cars of the 2000s.”  Of course this is just their opinions, but I think I agree with them on most of the worst cars.  How you become the worst car could be because it was “poorly executed, ill-conceived, or downright dreadful to look at.” 

10.  Pontiac Aztek - ugly is all I have to say

9.  Daewoo - didn’t matter which model, the crash tests stunk, the cars were ugly, and the makes of them had a lot to be determined as well.

8.  Isuzu VehiCROSS - It was an expensive 2-door SUV, that was ugly, not a lot of interior room, and not a good drive either.

7.  Jaguar X-Type - it was poorly made, too small, not very sporty sedan that Ford (who bought Jaguar) tried to cut corners to make a cheaper car and it didn’t work out for them. 

6.  Pontiac Sunfire - bad crash test ratings, not a good engine were just a couple of its problems.

5.  Cadillac Catera - came out of the gate poorly and wasn’t able to recover even with upgrades and many discounts.

4.  Toyota Echo - Hanley and Wiesenfelder feel that the Echo was ahead of its time. When it was made in 2000-2005, high seating position and center-mounted instrument panels were new and not received well by customers, though people love them today. Oh well for Toyota.

3.  Jeep Compass - The brand Jeep is known for its good off-roading and the Compass does not fit into this category. Not a worthwhile Jeep vehicle.

2.  Chrysler Sebring - This car is still around today and still selling, but the guys think that this car has never had a chance to be competitive against midsize sedans, because it has uncomfortable front seats, poor interior quality and the style doesn’t have much to offer either.

AND the worst car of the 2000s is………

1.  Smart ForTwo - there isn’t a lot of passenger room, it has a tendency to roll over as a SUV does, and it has a manual transmission.  Not so good.

So, I agree with these guys on the top 10 worst vehicles of the 2000s.  Sad to say, but quite true, though I probably could have gone on and on with other vehicles that could have topped the list as the worst.  For every good, quality vehicle that has been sold in the 2000s, there have been at least 2 that have sunk.  Part of the auto industry.

There are some crazy new/old concepts that are popping up these days that are worth noting. 

First, there is the Toyota FT-EV II:

 www.dailytorque.com

This is an all-electric concept that will be making its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month.  Supposedly you can fit 4 people in this car (where I’m not sure.)  This is a city-use vehicle because it’s range is only about 56 miles with top speed of 62 mph.  It has some neat features, but not sure when the vehicle, if ever, it will be available.

Another concept that is old (2000) but coming back is the BMW C1.

  www.connect.in.com

This scooter concept originally went on sale in Europe in 2000, but there were quality problems and the sales weren’t good, so BMWpulled it.  Now it’s back (well sortof.)  It’s not for sale in its current form, but possibly will become available in the future.  The BMW C1 concept has a 27-horsepower electric motor that uses energy by a plug-in 125-volt lithium-ion battery. It can reach 50 mph in less than 7 seconds and has a top speed of 62 mph.  You will get about 55 miles between rechargings.  Definitely another city-use vehicle.  It has a steel frame and seat belt, so you don’t have to wear a helmet. 

Small is in for concept or not.  Everyone seems to want and produce small.  I guess I should start looking beyond the exterior. I just can’t stand the look of these small cars.

There is a guy named Ron Amadon that writes an article called Financially Fit-A Guide to Saving Smart and Living Well.  A recent article he wrote was the 5 best low-cost, high mileage cars out there in his opinion. Amadon says that he constantly hears the question: “What car would you buy that is well made, gets good gas mileage, and doesn’t cost much?”  So here is Amadon’s top 5 cars with these criteria. 

1.  Volkswagen Jetta Diesel - base price $23,169 and gas mileage between 30 and 41 mpg.

2.  Toyota Prius- the Prius has been updated substantially for 2010, especially on the inside that in my opinion desperately needed it.  The gas mileage is fantastic - 51 mpg in the city and 48on the highway.  The Prius starts at $21,000.

3.  Ford Escape Hybrid - Base price is $20,515 but you definitely will probably spend close to $30,000 at least once you get a few options.  The gas mileage is 31 mpg on the highway and 34 in the city.

4.  Kia Soul - The Soul is cheap!  The base price is just under $14,000. The gas mileage is 24 city and 30 on the highway.  It was named the top-safety pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and there is a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty.  Sounds pretty good to me. 

Rounding out the top 5:

5.  Honda Insight- The Insight gets 40 mpg in the city and 43 on the highway.  Amadon tested the top-of-the-line EX with a navigation system and is was only $23,770!  Base price is $19,800.  A sister/brother of the Insight is the Honda Fit, which starts at $14,900.

I am a big fan of the bigger cars. I don’t know if I will EVER be interested in these smaller vehicles.  I know that the gas mileage and price are good, but I can’t really get past the look. I just don’t like the look.  Maybe they will grow on me, who knows.