Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[<i>Car and Driver</i> tallies 10 most embarrassing auto award winners]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/26/i-car-and-driver-i-tallies-10-most-embarrassing-auto-award-wi/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/26/i-car-and-driver-i-tallies-10-most-embarrassing-auto-award-wi/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/26/i-car-and-driver-i-tallies-10-most-embarrassing-auto-award-wi/#commentsEach and every year, the major auto buff mags roll out their "best of" lists. Car of the Year, 10 Best, All-Stars - each publication has a different formula for picking the best of the best, and while we don't like every choice, most are spot-on. There are, however, times when we see a pick and wonder what the editors were drinking when they made their decision. Car and Driver, which has admittedly made its fair share of mistakes, has come up with a list of the 10 worst auto award winners of all time, and we thought it would be fun to share.

A quick look through C&D's bottom 10 shows some serious stinkers. The 1997 Chevy Malibu? The 1983 Renault Alliance? Ouch. How about the 1981 Chevy Citation? Hit the read link below to check out Car and Driver's bottom 10. While you're over there, check out the discrepancy between 10 Best winners and Motor Trend CotY winners. MT made the list six times, while C&D entered the hall of shame with three entries. Then again, C&D were the ones who made the list. Interestingly, they somehow also managed to ignore entries like the 1989 Dodge Colt, the 1994 Eagle Vision, and the 1987 Pontiac Bonneville, but they did ding the Merkur XR4Ti, a pretty entertaining (if odd and poor selling) driver's coupe. Hmmm...

[Source: Car and Driver]

Car and Driver tallies 10 most embarrassing auto award winners originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The duPont Registry has listed the best cars in eleven categories, and taking the cake for 2009 Car of the Year is the Bugatti Veyron Gran Sport. Other winners, like the ZR1 for Bang for the Buck and Continental Flying Spur Speed for Performance Sedan, make up the usual murderers' row of marques and models. What isn't usual is that in just one year, the total price of all the cars jumped 200% to $4.5 million because of a certain Bug and a Koenigsegg, and that the total horsepower climbed 57%, from 4,276 to 6,723.

Oddly, though, duPont says that the era of hi-po supercars may have peaked, and things could be going green - but neither the list nor the facts on the ground bear it out. Of the eleven cars, only the Tesla and the Ronn Motors Scorpion could be considered green, and one of them doesn't even exist yet. As for the rest, we don't know what the opposite of green is, but none of the nine other cars are expected to have less horsepower in their follow-up guises. Which means there's still time to get some thrills in, as long as you've got at least $110,000 to spend... Check out the full press release after the jump.

[Source: duPont Registry]

Continue reading duPont Registry's 11 "Best of" cars set horsepower, price records

duPont Registry's 11 "Best of" cars set horsepower, price records originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dupont registryDupontRegistryexotic carsExoticCarslistssupercarstop tentop ten listsTopTenTopTenListsThu, 09 Oct 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Freep names 10 cars that will redefine the industry... like the Camaro]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/13/freep-names-10-cars-that-will-redefine-the-industry-like-the/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/13/freep-names-10-cars-that-will-redefine-the-industry-like-the/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/13/freep-names-10-cars-that-will-redefine-the-industry-like-the/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,



The Detroit Free Press laid out ten industry-redefining cars, and we're, well, a little perplexed. This is the definition, in the paper's own words: "a handful of new vehicles that debut over the next 12 months may shape the future of automakers around the world. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some break new ground for their manufacturers. Others aim to reassert companies' dominance in market segments they created."

We don't believe they are ranked in any order, but first up is the Audi A4, with a "beautifully balanced chassis" and bargain price that could put the shakes into everyone from BMW to Acura. The Chevy Traverse might outsell the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, and Buick Enclave combined. The new Dodge Ram will be ultra smooth, the new Ford F-150 will be more frugal. And so on...

While all of these are worthy accomplishments, none of them -- not even the 2010 Prius nor the 2010 Lincoln MKT -- appears to have any claim to redefining the industry. But follow the link and see for yourself. Maybe we missed something.

[Source: Detroit Free Press via Chevy Traverse Forum]

Freep names 10 cars that will redefine the industry... like the Camaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Sep 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>listliststop tentop ten listtop ten listsTopTenTopTenListTopTenListsSat, 13 Sep 2008 09:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Forbes lists the Top 10 Fastest Fictional Cars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/15/forbes-lists-the-top-10-fastest-fictional-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/15/forbes-lists-the-top-10-fastest-fictional-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/15/forbes-lists-the-top-10-fastest-fictional-cars/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Employing research that they certainly did not get from AOL Autos, Forbes is at it again with a list of the Top 10 Fastest Fictional Cars. One of the things we find odd about the list is that there are a number of cars included that you can actually buy or make pretty easily, like James Bond's Aston Martin DBS or the General Lee. That, and a lot of cars for sale today are as fast or faster than some fictional ones on the list.

Yet the strangest thing on the list has to be that Lightning McQueen, he of Cars fame, has a 750-horsepower V8 but takes 4.5 seconds to get from 0-to-60. Disney, come on. It's no wonder Lightning had self-esteem issues.

We won't tell you what No. 1 is, but it goes 800-MPH and runs on Energon, which, sadly, Chevron doesn't carry. Click the link for the full rundown, and check out the list of honorable mentions as well, which includes the Gran Torino from Starsky & Hutch and the G-6155 Interceptor from the Spy Hunter video game. Thanks for the tip, Benjamin!

[Source: Forbes]

Forbes lists the Top 10 Fastest Fictional Cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 May 2008 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fictional carsFictionalCarsforbesforbes.comforbesmagazinelistliststop tentop ten listtop ten listsTopTenTopTenListTopTenListsThu, 15 May 2008 17:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Forbes lists the best and worst states to own a car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/14/forbes-lists-the-best-and-worst-states-to-own-a-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/14/forbes-lists-the-best-and-worst-states-to-own-a-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/14/forbes-lists-the-best-and-worst-states-to-own-a-car/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Forbes has a slideshow of the best and worst places to own a car, and you might be surprised at a few of the winners and losers. The rankings are based on the results of Edmunds.com's True Cost to Own (TCO) study. That study takes into account depreciation, financing, insurance, taxes and fees, fuel, maintenance, and repairs, and figures out how much those little costs you rarely consider as a lump sum will really subtract from your bank account over time. (Or pockets or shoeboxes, depending on where you keep your money.)

Depreciation and fuel are, of course, the biggest costs, and insurance can add a fair chunk over time. The difference between the last spot and the first spot on each list wasn't great -- about $4,000 in each case. But the difference between the best place (least expensive) to own a car and the worst place (most expensive) -- which wasn't New York City -- worked out to almost $12,000 over five years. Click the link to see if your state made either list. And if you want to get the TCO for your specific car, then check out the TCO calculator for yourself.

[Source: Forbes]

Forbes lists the best and worst states to own a car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>edmunds.comforbeslistsslideshowstcotop ten listsTopTenListstrue cost to ownTrueCostToOwnThu, 14 Feb 2008 18:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Forbes picks top 15 most overpriced vehicles]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/03/forbes-picks-out-the-top-15-most-overpriced-vehicles/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/03/forbes-picks-out-the-top-15-most-overpriced-vehicles/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/03/forbes-picks-out-the-top-15-most-overpriced-vehicles/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Using a formula that takes into account what a buyer actually pays for a vehicle, J.D. Power APEAL Survey results and the Consumer Reports Owner Satisfaction Survey, Forbes has come up with the 15 vehicles for which you'll probably pay too. The most overpriced vehicle will cost you $7,158 more than it should. For some reason we couldn't see the 15th and final slide, so all we can tell you is that the 14th most overpriced vehicle will run you $2,447 extra.

The number one slot is held by the $37,105 Dodge Ram 2WD Laramie MegaCab, and the penultimate place was occupied by the $27,470 GMC Colorado. The list is dominated by domestic trucks and SUVs -- the only car on the list is the Mercury Grand Marquis (over by $6,480), and the only import is the Nissan Quest SE (over by $3,441). All of them are long in the tooth, on their way out, or about to be replaced. So if you're in the market for any of them, it's buyer beware time.

Since the Forbes equation factors after-purchase survey results that are of the touchy-feely subjective variety, the list is less a rundown of overpriced cars than it is of cars that have inflated purchase prices and with which buyers weren't totally happy. After all, is there anyone who doesn't think the Lamborghini Reventon is grossly overpriced? (But make no mistake, we'd buy all 20 of them if we had the money.)

[Source: Forbes]

Forbes picks top 15 most overpriced vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discountsforbesincentiveslistsmost overpriced carsMostOverpricedCarsmsrpoverpriced carsOverpricedCarsThu, 03 Jan 2008 18:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Top 10 fuel efficient cars you'd actually want to drive]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/16/top-10-fuel-efficient-cars-youd-actually-want-to-drive/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/16/top-10-fuel-efficient-cars-youd-actually-want-to-drive/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/16/top-10-fuel-efficient-cars-youd-actually-want-to-drive/#commentsFiled under:

About.com has its list of the top 10 fuel efficient cars you'd actually want to, you know, drive -- maybe even be seen driving. It should really be the top 9 cars, because the Acura RSX isn't made any more, and sadly, there are no domestics on it. For that, you have to go to this list, which includes the Ford Focus -- (when did the Focus stop being fun to drive?). And while we're happy about a list of frugal fun that includes the Porsche Boxster, um, when did 24.5 mpg combined start qualifying as frugal?

[Source: About.com]

Top 10 fuel efficient cars you'd actually want to drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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