Consumer Reports New Top Picks for 2008: Hyundai Elantra SE, Hyundai Santa Fe, Chevrolet Silverado and Lexus LS 460L
February 29, 2008
- First time a South Korean automaker represented in Top Picks
- First time since 2005 a U.S. model makes list for pickup truck
YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Consumer Reports has
named four new models to its Top Picks list for 2008 — the Hyundai Elantra
SE and Hyundai Santa Fe as top choices for small sedans and midsized SUVs,
respectively; the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado as the top choice for
pickup truck; and the Lexus LS 460L as the best luxury sedan.
Consumer Reports New Top Picks for 2008: Hyundai Elantra SE, Hyundai Santa Fe, Chevrolet Silverado and Lexus LS 460L
February 29, 2008
- First time a South Korean automaker represented in Top Picks
- First time since 2005 a U.S. model makes list for pickup truck
YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Consumer Reports has
named four new models to its Top Picks list for 2008 — the Hyundai Elantra
SE and Hyundai Santa Fe as top choices for small sedans and midsized SUVs,
respectively; the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado as the top choice for
pickup truck; and the Lexus LS 460L as the best luxury sedan.
Consumer Reports New Top Picks for 2008: Hyundai Elantra SE, Hyundai Santa Fe, Chevrolet Silverado and Lexus LS 460L
February 29, 2008
- First time a South Korean automaker represented in Top Picks
- First time since 2005 a U.S. model makes list for pickup truck
YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Consumer Reports has
named four new models to its Top Picks list for 2008 — the Hyundai Elantra
SE and Hyundai Santa Fe as top choices for small sedans and midsized SUVs,
respectively; the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado as the top choice for
pickup truck; and the Lexus LS 460L as the best luxury sedan.
Consumer Reports Names Best Used Cars for Every Budget
February 29, 2008
CR identifies “Good Choices” and “Used Cars to Avoid” to help guide
used-car buying decisions
YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Finding a reliable
car for a reasonable price may seem difficult, but consumers willing to
consider buying a used car may be in luck. Consumer Reports’ latest survey
results reveal that there are hundreds of used-car models that provide good
reliability. Many can also be safe, fuel-efficient, and affordable. The
report, featured in the magazine’s 2008 April Auto Issue, identifies the
best and worst used vehicles for the last 10 model years, 1998 through
2007.
Vehicles featured in Consumer Reports’ “Good Choices” and “Used Cars to
Avoid” lists include all models that showed above- or below-average overall
reliability, respectively, in CR’s 2007 Annual Car Reliability Survey,
which drew responses on about 1.3 million vehicles. CR has found that
improved reliability has made used cars more appealing. Another added bonus
when buying a used vehicle is that the impact of depreciation, which is the
biggest expense associated with buying a new car, is reduced. In addition,
insurance rates tend to be less expensive.
The “Good Choices” list is categorized by price and features a variety
of used vehicles from various manufacturers that are available for less
than $4,000 to $30,000 and up. For consumers on a budget, CR found 30 cars
that can be purchased for under $4,000 including the 1998 Acura CL and the
1999 Buick LeSabre.
Consumer Reports’ “Best of the Best” vehicles list, which is derived
from “Good Choices”, includes vehicles that have performed well in CR’s
road tests and have had several years of better-than-average reliability
according to survey respondents. Models from Acura, BMW, Buick, Honda,
Infiniti, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Nissan, Pontiac, Porsche, Scion, Subaru,
Toyota, and Volvo appear on the “Best of the Best” list.
Vehicles that have had multiple years of much worse than average
reliability earned a spot on the “Worst of the Worst” list. Models from
Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln,
Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, and Volkswagen
consistently had more problems than other models overall.
If fuel economy is another major consideration when buying a used car,
Consumer Reports has identified affordable and reliable vehicles that
returned some of the best results in its real-world fuel-economy tests from
under $10,000 and from $10,000 to $20,000. There is also a list of reliable
cars that have performed well in CR’s tests and in independent crash tests
that are suited for teenagers.
For a full list of “Good Choices” and “Used Cars to Avoid”, check out
the full report in Consumer Reports’ Annual April Auto Issue which goes on
sale March 4 and is available wherever magazines are sold. Free highlights
from the April Auto issue will be available at http://www.ConsumerReports.org.
Consumer Reports is one of the most trusted sources for information and
advice on consumer products and services. It conducts the most
comprehensive auto-test program of any U.S. publication or Web site; the
magazine’s auto experts have decades of experience in driving, testing, and
reporting on cars. To subscribe to Consumer Reports, call 1-800-234-1645.
Information and articles from the magazine can be accessed online at
http://www.ConsumerReports.org.
APRIL 2008
Consumers Union 2008. The material above is intended for legitimate
news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional
purposes. Consumer Reports(R) is published by Consumers Union, an expert,
independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair,
just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to
protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect.
To maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no
outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the
interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the sale of
our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few
noncommercial grants.
Consumer Reports: http://www.ConsumerReports.org
Consumer Reports Names Best Used Cars for Every Budget
February 29, 2008
CR identifies “Good Choices” and “Used Cars to Avoid” to help guide
used-car buying decisions
YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Finding a reliable
car for a reasonable price may seem difficult, but consumers willing to
consider buying a used car may be in luck. Consumer Reports’ latest survey
results reveal that there are hundreds of used-car models that provide good
reliability. Many can also be safe, fuel-efficient, and affordable. The
report, featured in the magazine’s 2008 April Auto Issue, identifies the
best and worst used vehicles for the last 10 model years, 1998 through
2007.
Vehicles featured in Consumer Reports’ “Good Choices” and “Used Cars to
Avoid” lists include all models that showed above- or below-average overall
reliability, respectively, in CR’s 2007 Annual Car Reliability Survey,
which drew responses on about 1.3 million vehicles. CR has found that
improved reliability has made used cars more appealing. Another added bonus
when buying a used vehicle is that the impact of depreciation, which is the
biggest expense associated with buying a new car, is reduced. In addition,
insurance rates tend to be less expensive.
The “Good Choices” list is categorized by price and features a variety
of used vehicles from various manufacturers that are available for less
than $4,000 to $30,000 and up. For consumers on a budget, CR found 30 cars
that can be purchased for under $4,000 including the 1998 Acura CL and the
1999 Buick LeSabre.
Consumer Reports’ “Best of the Best” vehicles list, which is derived
from “Good Choices”, includes vehicles that have performed well in CR’s
road tests and have had several years of better-than-average reliability
according to survey respondents. Models from Acura, BMW, Buick, Honda,
Infiniti, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Nissan, Pontiac, Porsche, Scion, Subaru,
Toyota, and Volvo appear on the “Best of the Best” list.
Vehicles that have had multiple years of much worse than average
reliability earned a spot on the “Worst of the Worst” list. Models from
Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln,
Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, and Volkswagen
consistently had more problems than other models overall.
If fuel economy is another major consideration when buying a used car,
Consumer Reports has identified affordable and reliable vehicles that
returned some of the best results in its real-world fuel-economy tests from
under $10,000 and from $10,000 to $20,000. There is also a list of reliable
cars that have performed well in CR’s tests and in independent crash tests
that are suited for teenagers.
For a full list of “Good Choices” and “Used Cars to Avoid”, check out
the full report in Consumer Reports’ Annual April Auto Issue which goes on
sale March 4 and is available wherever magazines are sold. Free highlights
from the April Auto issue will be available at http://www.ConsumerReports.org.
Consumer Reports is one of the most trusted sources for information and
advice on consumer products and services. It conducts the most
comprehensive auto-test program of any U.S. publication or Web site; the
magazine’s auto experts have decades of experience in driving, testing, and
reporting on cars. To subscribe to Consumer Reports, call 1-800-234-1645.
Information and articles from the magazine can be accessed online at
http://www.ConsumerReports.org.
APRIL 2008
Consumers Union 2008. The material above is intended for legitimate
news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional
purposes. Consumer Reports(R) is published by Consumers Union, an expert,
independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair,
just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to
protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect.
To maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no
outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the
interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the sale of
our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few
noncommercial grants.
Consumer Reports: http://www.ConsumerReports.org
Chrysler LLC Launches New Technical Programs
February 27, 2008
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 27 - For decades, Chrysler LLC has offered specialized programs to help its technical talent build their skills and develop strong careers while at the same time helping the company to create incredible vehicles and powertrains — and two of these
programs are now getting even better. Read more
2008 Honda Civic Tour Gives Fans the Chance to Hit the Pavement in Their Very Own Panic At The Disco-Customized Honda Civic Hybrid
February 27, 2008
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 The Honda Civic Tour is giving music lovers a shot at the ride of their lives by offering them a chance towin a Honda Civic Hybrid designed and autographed by the members of Honda Civic Tour ‘08 headlining act Panic At The Disco. Beginning Feb. 28, fans can enter to win this one-of-a-kind green machine by logging on to http://www.hondacivictour.com.
Concertgoers will be able to see the car for themselves, and register to win it via an electronic kiosk at each stop of the nationwide tour, which kicks off April 10 in San Francisco.
“Not every band gets the opportunity to customize their own car,” notes
PATD guitarist Ryan Ross, “which is just one of the reasons the Honda Civic
Tour is so cool. We spent a lot of time on the design to make sure it was
something our fans would be truly excited about. And this particular car is
a hybrid, so you really can’t go wrong there.”
Panic At The Disco will offer a preview of Honda Civic Tour ‘08 when
they perform on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” March 25 to coincide with the release
that day of their new album, Pretty. Odd. The tour has racked up sold-out
shows in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Orlando, with second
dates added in those cities. In addition to these locales, PATD and Honda
Civic Tour mates Motion City Soundtrack, The Hush Sound and Phantom Planet
can be seen in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 4 as part of the Bamboozle
music festival. Also appearing at Bamboozle: that highly coveted
PATD-designed Civic Hybrid.
Panic At The Disco’s eccentric aesthetic sensibility has resulted in a
highly personalized reinvention of the car, making it the ultimate in fan
memorabilia. Of course, as the leader in hybrid technology, Honda has seen
to it that the Civic Hybrid gets an amazing EPA estimated 40 miles per
gallon city and 45 miles per gallon highway for a combined 42 miles per
gallon. The Civic Hybrid tricked out by PATD, meanwhile, comes with a
cavalcade of tasty enhancements, many contributing to the exterior design’s
environmentally aware “Surreal Earth” theme (realized by Santini USA and
DVS Designs with ALSA Corp Hawaiian Hues and Mystic paint and Candy
Concentrates, the latter providing maximum color impact).
Anyone lucky enough to open the door to this beauty will find a
custom-upholstered “time-machine” interior, with burgundy leather door
panels and armrests, diamond-patterned leather seats and luxe buttoned
headrests. The car’s headliner — the interior covering of the roof — has
been reconfigured in mocha suede and fitted with a clock that evokes Panic
At The Disco’s song “Nine in the Afternoon,” the first single off their
forthcoming album. If that weren’t enough, the door panels, dash and
floormats sport gold flourishes, and the windshield bears special accent
lights. Perhaps even cooler is the crystal knob topping the gear shift,
which has thus become the perfect device for transporting one back in time.
PATD’s masterpiece also features a factory stereo head unit with a
Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System(TM) combined with Alpine
Electronics speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers; XM(R) Satellite Radio;
18-inch Konig Again racing-inspired rims with Dunlop Direzza DZ101 sport
tires; Eibach Springs lowering suspension; a Honda Factory Performance
(HFP) Aero Kit and Polished Exhaust Tip; and a Meguiar’s professional
car-care kit.
The desire to acquire this extraordinary work of vehicular art is
expected to reach a fever pitch by the deadline for entry into the
car-giveaway sweepstakes, July 31. (No purchase is necessary to enter;
entry is limited to legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States and
the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older.) Panic At The
Disco will surely be thrilled for the winner of “their” Honda Civic Hybrid,
but no one could blame them if they were also a little sad to see it go.
Honda began operations in the U.S. in 1959 with the establishment of
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda’s first overseas subsidiary. Honda
now employs more than 35,000 associates in North America. Honda currently
has 14 manufacturing plants in North America, producing automobiles, light
trucks, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, personal watercraft, engines,
transmissions and other components. Nearly 8 of 10 Honda and Acura cars and
light trucks sold in America are assembled in North America as well. Many
of these products are now designed and developed at one of Honda’s U.S. R&D
centers. Honda annually purchases more than $17 billion in parts and
materials from suppliers in North America.
Produced by Marketing Factory, the Honda Civic Tour brings innovation
and environmental consciousness to the masses by combining the hottest in
automotive technology with the hottest in music.
Honda via - Motor News Network [ http://www.motornewsnet.com/ ] [Inbox MM]
PIC: PR Newswire
Ferrari Magic India Discovery 2008
February 27, 2008
PRESS RELEASE:
Ferrari Magic India Discovery: a voyage of discovery to the Indian subcontinent for two 612 Scagliettis Having conquered China and the Americas, Ferrari embarks on a new adventure Read more
Subaru Announces Pricing on All-New 2009 Forester
February 27, 2008
CHERRY HILL, N.J., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Following its world debut at the NAIAS in January, Subaru of America, Inc. today announced pricing on the all-new Subaru Forester. The 2009 Subaru Forester will arrive in dealer showrooms beginning in April with pricing starting at $19,995, a full $1,200 lower than the outgoing model.
Chrysler LLC Continues Its Legacy of Military Support by Joining ‘America Supports You’
February 26, 2008
Participation with ‘America Supports You’ extends decades of Chrysler support to the military.AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Chrysler LLC announces it will join America Supports You (ASY), a Department of Defense program connecting non-profit groups with military men and women and their families. The relationship with America Supports You continues Chrysler’s decades-long legacy of support for the military with its products and through morale- building activities. Read more
