So if it wasn’t enough that Toyota has a recall for the accelerator pedal for 2.3 million vehicles, now there is rumor, well I think more than just a rumor that the Toyota Prius could get recalled now for brake problems. Yikes!  The president of Toyota called this situation a “crisis.”  I would say so.  I feel sorry for the Toyota dealers throughout the country that have ticked customers on their hands and ALOT of vehicles to fix and of course (as I would) everyone wants theirs fixed NOW!

Ford does not have an “official” recall in place, but they will be fixing 17,600 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids that have a software problem that gives the drivers the impression that the brakes have failed. This is not the case and at no time is the car without brakes, but still. That’s alittle unsettling for a driver to see that message!    The good news is that there is no safety concern with this “recall.”

Also I wanted to let you know that if you saw my blog earlier this week, I was talking about technologies in cars that are causing more distractions for drivers. Well, the Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, spoke today about how concerned he was that “gadgets and bells and whistles” are distracting drivers. Maybe something will get done to try to curb this problem. We shall see. 

When I think of the Jeep Wrangler, I think back to high school and 2 people that had Wranglers that seemed so unsafe but really fun to drive around in….especially off the roads!  So when I read the review on the 2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, I had to read it with an open mind.  When I did, I learned a great deal about the Wrangler, and I want one now!  Totally different vehicle.  I really like it.  It’s bigger, safer, fits all your gear (so families can fit in it!)   If you don’t need to fit any people in the backseat, the seats fold down for more cargo space or half and half if a person needs to sit in the back.

The only problem is that because it’s longer than the previous Jeep Wrangler (by 20.6 inches), this model is less versatile off road, but still better than it’s competition of the Ford Expedition or Chevrolet Tahoe.  There are three trim levels available. They are the Sport (starting at $23,410,) the Sahara (starting at $27,730,) and the Rubicon (the bomb! starting at $32,050.)  If you want to do serious off-roading, the Rubicon is the model for you.  The Sport and Sahara are available in either rear or four-wheel drive.  All of the trim levels have a 3.8-liter V6 engine with 202 horsepower.  A six speed manual transmission is standard on the four-wheel drive models.  A four speed automatic is standard on the two-wheel drive models.  Of course there are many options available, but one that stuck out for me was that the Sport comes with manual door locks and you need to buy the option for the power locks and remote. Interesting.  The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited will get 15 miles per gallon in the city and 19 on the highway for the four-wheel drive, and 15 city and 20 highway for the two-wheel drive.

Overall, I think that the 2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is worth a look.  I read a few good reviews on it and as I said it’s MUCH different than the Jeep from the good old days!

Do you have a fancy new car or are planning on getting one soon?  Well, you may very well have an opportunity to have some seriously cool technology in your dashboard, and yet another distraction while you are driving. Some vehicles will have 10 inch screens with availability to the web, 3-D maps, and high-def videos. You can even watch a movie…..all while driving!  Great!  Well, supposedly you will not be able to access some of the technology while your car is actually in motion, but still.  Sounds great but how can having a video screen and access to everything under the sun be good while you drive.  I understand that the automakers will limit some things, but there has to be something else.  More distractions cannot continue to happen while we are driving. Texting, talking, surfing the web……what’s next?  I know some of you probably think I sound like some little nerd that is prim and proper all the time. Not true. I like to follow the rules, but with these distractions it is hard to follow the rules all the time!  Too much other good stuff going on!!!

www.news.yahoo.com

Recently at the Detroit Auto Show, GM introduced the GMC Granite concept vehicle.  This is a subcompact crossover, which is 2 feet shorter than the 2010 GMC Terrain.  This vehicle is aimed at young buyers who may not have ever bought a GMC brand vehicle before.  GMC customers are mostly older with full-size sport utilities or pickup trucks.  GM is hoping to interest late teens to mid-30s clientele.

I guess GM hasn’t decided whether to put the GMC Granite into production, but it sure looks as though it will be.  It’s major competition is the Scion xB, Nissan Cube, and Kia Soul.  Assuming the Granite does become for sale, the price is expected to be competitive with its competitors in the range of $15,500-about $18,000.

The GMC Granite is 161.3 inches, the Cube 156.7 inches, Soul 161.6 inches, and the xB 167.3 inches.    There is a new turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission.  There are two doors on each side that open in opposite directions like French doors.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see if the GMC Granite comes into production, but it sure seems like this vehicle can compete with the others. Might be worth making.

For some of us, I might be alittle late with this blog, but at least you can buy the best vehicle for next year’s winter.  For the rest of us, we still have a good 6-8 weeks left of winter, so if you need a vehicle, I can help you.  Alright, this list is obviously just someone’s opinion, but the people at www.cargurus.com are pretty good, so I value their opinions.

Toyota 4Runner/Tacoma - can handle any weather situation.

Audi A6 Quattro

Honda CR-V

Subaru Forester

Jeep Wrangler - wouldn’t have been my first choice for the weather, but what do I know?

Volvo XC90

Suzuki SX4

Lexus RX

Porsche Cayenne

BMW 328i xDrive

Check out the cargurus website for their explanation of each if you are interested.

So if you missed this news, texting while driving buses or big rig trucks is now banned.  I’m really glad that the government put this into law, but seriously I can’t believe all of the laws that are needed in order for people to use common sense.  This law should extend to anyone that drives and that people should not text, read the newspaper, put on makeup, eat/drink, etc. What should be done while driving is driving.  I find it to be crazy that we need a law to try to prevent texting and worst yet that it probably won’t stop most from texting while driving.  Think about it. It is against the law to talk on the phone while driving.  How many people have stopped talking on the phone. As you drive down the road the next time, notice how many people are talking on their phones.  The same thing will happen with texting. It will stop some people, but not as many as it should.  Drivers just need to use their heads and pay attention to the roads in general.  It hasn’t been that long since we had to actually get out at a pay phone to make phone calls. Just sortof pretend that this is still the case and pull over.  It’s as easy as that. We’ve become just a lazy country that needs to get in touch with people immediately.  Texting is dangerous to you and others.  Use your heads and be safe while driving.

In case you haven’t had the time to check out the auto news lately, I thought I would give you some things of importance (at least in my mind!)

1. The Detroit Auto Show is over and the Chicago Auto Show will begin in the middle of February.  Lots of concept cars were unveiled with certainly more to come at the Chicago Auto Show.

2.  GM is finally getting rid of Saab. Spyker is going to be the new proud owner of Saab. Good news for Saab lovers that desperately did not want to see Saab die.

3.  After the latest recall for Toyota, they have “halted” sales of all models that were recalled.  This continues to be bad news for Toyota. They are a good company so I bet they will find some way to get back on top, but some work will definitely need to be done.

4.  GM will start making their own electric motors for their vehicles in 2012 lower costs and improve quality.

Keep up to date with important/interesting auto news here at centercaps.net!

Things have not been too good lately for Toyota. See the real problem is that Toyota like Honda has a reputation of quality, durability, and steadiness and with recalls obviously this could permanently damage their reputations.    First, there was a recall of 4.2 million vehicles for floor mats that could jam the brake pedal back in September that brought some negative publicity to Toyota. Then there was a recall of 110,000 Toyota Tundra pickups in November for possibility of spare tires falling off. But the most crucial recall is the one from last week of 2.3 million vehicles for a problem that could cause the throttle to stick. That’s not good. And worse yet is that there is no way to fix this problem.  Toyota isn’t sure what to do about it. If this happens to you, you need to turn off the engine, pull over, and call a dealer.  There were several complaints made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about problems. One person was test driving a Toyota RAV4 with a car salesman when the car took off because the throttle was stuck.  Another driver slammed into a palm tree in Florida when the throttle would not close.

I personally have never owned a Toyota, but I know several people that have and they love their Toyotas and the reliability.  These major recalls in the last 4 months are possibility detrimental to Toyota. Many people will change their minds about buying a Toyota especially since this last recall there currently is no solution to the problem.  It’s too bad for Toyota because I’m sure their sales were affected last year with the auto industry problems in general and now they have all these recalls. A great deal of negative publicity. Let’s see how Toyota can fare.  I have a question to Toyota owners…..do these recalls cause you to have concern with Toyota vehicles, or are you ok with this company and they are just hitting alittle bump in the road?!  Let me know.  I would love to hear from you.

www.dieselstation.com

The new 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback is a nice looking car.  If you notice, the rear is more than just a regular hatchback, it is quite sporty with the spoiler on it! Fancy!  It’s different than it’s competitors, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. It’s a small car but according to different reviews, quite roomy inside.  There are many different models of this car.   The price ranges from $19,190 to a model that starts at $33,590.  It’s a four-cylinder engine but as the price increases so does the horsepower.

The thing is that the Lancer Sportback looks like a nice car for $20,000 but geez I don’t think I’d be dying to have this car for $33,000 let alone more.  I don’t know you can get many others cars for that price that are “more luxury” than a Mitsubishi.  No offense to Mitsubishi of course.  The gas mileage is ok, but not great.  You will get 17 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. Might be worth checking out but I’m not totally sold, the uniqueness of the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback is what has me interested for sure.

There were 6 (of the many more) 2011 models that were unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show that according to cnnmoney.com are “worth waiting for.”

1.  Honda CR-Z - It goes on sale this summer and it will be a hybrid.  It will get 36-38 mpg on the highway with the automatic transmission and alittle less with the manual. This will be safe small car.

2.  Ford Focus - You’ve heard a lot about this car. The anticipation is great. Hopefully this car pans out as everyone expects it to.  It should get about 33 mpg combined city and highway and the engine will be more powerful than the current Focus.

3.  Lincoln MKX - This is a crossover with a 305-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 engine. That’s power!  Lots of interior upgrades and technologies for this luxury vehicle.

4.  Mercedes-Benz E-class Cabriolet - This car goes on sale this spring.  This is a cloth top convertible.

5.  Ford Mustang GT 5.0 - another one that we’ve heard alot about.  5.0-liter V8 engine with 412 horsepower.  If you want to buy a Mustang, hang on and wait for this one I gues. It’s better than the 2010 model out now.

6.  Cadillac CTS-V Coupe - This is a supercharged 556-horsepower with the same engine as the four-door CTS-V sedan.  It will be available with either a 6-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission.

So hold on to your old cars until these new 2011 models are for sale. Might be worth your time.