Recent Comments:
Happy birthday: take a trip in America's largest flying gadget (part 3) {Engadget}
Mar 25th 2008 6:11PM Happy 4th!
Kelley Blue Book hands out 2008 Brand Image Awards {Autoblog}
Mar 21st 2008 6:19PM Although I don't agree with a lot of the choices, I think the key to remember is that this is a perception award, not a reality award. This actually adds (or doesn't subtract) credibility to KBB. In contrast Consumer Reports, JD Power and similar give awards and say they are based on reality (facts), but an educated reader can tell that they have hidden agendas.
What these awards really tell us is which automakers have the best marketing departments.
Ford nixes "equipment combinations" on 2009 models {Autoblog}
Feb 18th 2008 8:45AM This is bad for the customer. When I'm paying $30K or so for a new car/truck, I should be able to get exactly the options I want. Ford (and the other auto makers) should look into a better distribution system, not cut back on the choices I have. If they went to a more steamlined distribution model, not quite just-in-time, but a better system of trading vehicles between regional distribution points and other dealers. This would allow dealers to carry lower inventory, but always be able to get the vehicle the customer wants.
As far as trucks go, options are very important as trucks are inheriently a very versitile vehicles, but a designed to be configured different uses. The F-150 ranges in msrp from $17K to nearly $50k, you need a lot of variants. Toyota learned this the hard way when they thought truck buyers were the same as Camery buyers and didn't offer many variations on the new Tundra.
REMINDER: OnStar goes dark for analog subscribers on 1/1/08 {Autoblog}
Dec 27th 2007 1:46PM I don't like the tone this article is written with. Jeff sounds as though it's the FCC's fault that OnStar will no longer work. In fact it's due to the lack of demand for analog cellular products. The FCC is no longer requiring that outdated technology be used. They never should have required this. Since there isn't a large enough demand for analog cell service to be profitable, the cell carriers should be allowed to stop supporting it.
Ford to recall 1.2 million trucks, SUVs and vans {Autoblog}
Dec 6th 2007 2:59PM That looks like a success ratio of 99.9983% to me, and that's after up to 10 years. It must be a very inexpensive part to replace.
Close the sale online with AutoNation {Autoblog}
Nov 1st 2007 9:07AM I think it's a great idea. I've bought two new cars in the past year, and both times I wished I could have finished with the "build and price" and click a buy it now button.
Another, similar implementation of this idea that may be more practical, would be for you to select your vehicle online, and see the lowest non-negotiable price. Then when you 'schedule a test drive' you actually make an appointment for a salesman to visit you at your home or office. He brings your car and all the paperwork you need to complete the sale and if you are happy with the car, then you sign on the dotted line. The salesman would either bring your car on a trailer, or call back to the office to have someone come pick him up.
This makes the car buying a much more enjoyable experience as it eliminates the things people hate about buying cars. For the most part people don't like dealerships, and they don't like negotiating a price on car. There are more and more 'flat rate, non-negotible' dealers around the country and every one I've seen does very well.
This concept won't work for all people as some people have no idea what they want and need to go test drive 10+ vehicles before they decide. But even with them after they test drive 10 and decide they what the one at the 3rd dealership, they could still use this model.
Rogers brings HSPA to 22 Canadian markets {Engadget Mobile}
Oct 16th 2007 12:49PM i'm sorry, but I'm still hung up on Canada having 22 markets....
UAW to strike at 11 AM today {Autoblog}
Sep 24th 2007 8:43AM Go ahead and strike. Then when the UAW runs out of money for strike pay, and you can't make your house payment you'll gladly take your same non-unionized job back, for about half the pay.
Movin' on up... in a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ {Autoblog}
Aug 8th 2007 3:02PM It's nice to see non-truck guys appreciate and understand why truck-guys love their trucks. Trucks may not be prefered by everyone, but their versitility is impressive. It's amazing what you can do easily that wasn't even considered when owning a car.
If you want to travel from point A to point B alone, w/o cargo and as cheaply as possible; don't consider a truck. But if you have the 'go anywhere, do anything, whenever and however I please' attitude, then a truck begins to make more sense.
Most Americans want texting-while-driving banned, but admit guilt {Autoblog}
Aug 8th 2007 9:40AM All we need is a law agaist reckless/dangerous driving and then use it. But wait, that law is already on the books, so the politicians can't look like they're doing anything.
There is no reason to itemize every single way that the driver can make driving more dangerous and create new laws for each.
