Autoblog

Autoblog Podcast #208 - Explorer, Compass, Ward's Engines, and a German trio

Dan Roth — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:10:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Etc., Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Volkswagen

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Episode #208 of the Autoblog Podcast is manned by the terrible trio of Chris Shunk, Dan Roth, and Zach Bowman. We start with the Autoblog Garage and then move on to cover the official-ness of the BMW 1M, Ward's ten-best engines, the 2012 Audi A6, the Volkswagen Golf R and wrap by coming back to the States to mull the 2011 Jeep Compass and 2011 Ford Explorer. We finish with your questions at the end for an hour and twenty-four minutes total. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #208 - Explorer, Compass, Ward's Engines, and a German trio

In the Autoblog Garage:

2011 Range Rover Sport Supercharged
2011 Kia Optima

News Topics:

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman,
Runtime: 1:23:58

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Autoblog Podcast #208 - Explorer, Compass, Ward's Engines, and a German trio originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Power Stroke wins Ward's diesel shootout

Zach Bowman — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Work, Dodge, Ford, GMC

2011 Ford Super Duty - Click above for high-res image gallery

Wards Auto has crowned its king of the 2011 diesel pickup engine crowd. The editors pitted the mills in the 2011 Dodge Ram HD, Ford Super Duty and the GMC Sierra Denali HD against each other in one epic battle royale at the Robert Bosch LLC test track, and while each of the three oil-burners did a smart job of hauling payloads and the like, Wards clearly favored one above the rest. The publication said that the powerhouse 6.7-liter turbocharged V8 in the Super Duty was the clear winner, despite being the most expensive of the three engines.

The editors chose the Ford over its competitors because of its ridiculous 800 pound-feet of torque, quietness and effortless towing, even though the 6.6-liter turbocharged Duramax V8 in the GMC produced faster 0-60 times in tests. Interestingly enough, Pickuptrucks.com skipped the Powerstroke in the Super Duty in favor of the Duramax Sierra. Given the obsessively thorough testing by Mike Levine and the rest of the Pickuptrucks.com crew, we're a little more inclined to agree with those results. Still, you know what they say about opinions and elbows.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty

[Source: Wards Auto]

Ford Power Stroke wins Ward's diesel shootout originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Which models will join the 100,000 sales club this year?

Zach Bowman — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Chevrolet, Ford, Kia, Toyota

2011 Toyota Camry - Click above for high-res image gallery

The number of vehicle models slated to cruise past the magic 100,000 mark this year is up. In a big way. According to Wards, there are around 39 percent more nameplates expected to clear the six-digit hurdle in 2010 compared to 2009. So far, sales-trends point to 32 cars and trucks expected to meet or exceed the goal, compared to 23 last year. So which models are the winners of 2010?

For the first time ever, vehicles like the Kia Sorento, Chevrolet Traverse and Nissan Versa are aiming to close out 2010 with more than 100,000 units sold. They join the ranks of mainstays like the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado - two trucks that have already well-exceeded the 100k line, even with another full quarter left in the year. In all, a total of 16 cars and trucks have already performed similar feats of sales wizardry.

And who's the fairest of them all? That honor goes to the Toyota Camry. The Japanese automaker has already delivered a total of 220,061 units through August, putting it well ahead of any competition. That pace doesn't look to be slowing anytime soon, either.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Camry

[Source: Wards]

Which models will join the 100,000 sales club this year? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Economy kills Kia Soul'ster

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:27:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Kia

Kia Soul'ster concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you've been crossing your fingers for a production version of the Kia Soul'ster concept from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, prepare to be disappointed. According to a report from Ward's Auto, Kia says that expanding the Soul lineup beyond the current five-door hatch would prove to be more difficult than you might think. Earlier reports stated that Kia was keen to the idea of building an open-top Soul, but changing economic times seem to have crushed those plans.

The Soul has done extremely well for itself since going on sale in early 2009, but since this is a niche vehicle that would only appeal to a very narrow segment of the market, the business case for building new variants doesn't make sense at this time. Kia's director of product planning, Orth Hendrick, tells Ward's that the Soul'ster, specifically, would have to be developed as an all-new model, due to its vast structural differences from the standard Soul.

Come 2012, the Soul will undergo its mid-cycle refresh, and we're expected to see more upscale content, as well as slight changes to both the front and rear fascias. In the meantime, those of you who are super hot for a Soul'ster will just have to scan the local used car lot for a soft-top Isuzu Amigo, instead.

Gallery: Kia Soul'ster Concept

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Report: Economy kills Kia Soul'ster originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #174 - AOL Autos' Reilly Brennan stops by

Dan Roth — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:21:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Audi, Chevrolet, Ford, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Nissan, Ferrari

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid, Chris Paukert and Dan Roth are joined by Reilly Brennan of AOL Autos. After discussing what's in the Autoblog Garage, attention turns to the Ferrari 599 GTO, the ongoing Chevrolet Camaro-Ford Mustang V6 cage match, wacky interior awards from Ward's Auto, Audi beating Mercedes in the most recent sales numbers, and the Daimler-Renault/Nissan tie-up. We hit some questions and then skedaddle just under the hour and twenty mark.

Autoblog Podcast #174: with Reilly Brennan from AOL Autos

In the Autoblog Garage:

Audi A4 Avant
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
Mini John Cooper Works Cabrio
Ford Escape Hybrid
Mercedes CL550 4Matic

News:

Ferrari 599 GTO
Mustang/Camaro V6 smackdown
Ward's Auto interior awards
Audi outsells Mercedes
Daimler and Renault/Nissan deal

Hosts:
Chris Shunk, Chris Paukert, Dan Roth, Sam Abuelsamid

Guest:
Reilly Brennan of AOL Autos

Runtime: 1:18:02

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Autoblog Podcast #174 - AOL Autos' Reilly Brennan stops by originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ward's releases 2010 Auto Interior Award winners

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Acura, BMW, Chevrolet, GM, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Subaru, Volvo, Design/Style

2010 Chevrolet Camaro interior - Click above for high-res image gallery of interior award winners from Ward's Auto

Do you own a Lamborghini Miura? If not, we're going to presume that you spend way more time looking at the interior of your car than the exterior. If you do happen to have a Miura parked in your garage, we suggest you stop reading immediately and go gaze upon its sensuous exterior lines for a few hours.

Still here? Great, that means you don't own a Miura and the interior of your car is an extremely important consideration. Which begs the question: What car has the best interior in any given class? Attempting to answer that query is none other than Wards Auto, which has just released its annual Auto Interior of the Year Awards for 2010 after analyzing the innards of 40 vehicles that are either brand new for 2010 or at least significantly updated.

Somewhat surprisingly, the only automaker to take home more than one trophy was Chevrolet. The new Equinox won for popular-priced truck under $39,999 and the Camaro took top honors in the sportscar category. Other winners include the Subaru Outback in the popular-priced car under $29,999 category and the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo for "Design Versatility."

Want to see the rest? Check out our high-res image gallery below for a visual listing of all the winners and click past the break for the official press release.

Gallery: 2010 Ward's Interior of the Year Winners

[Source: Wards Auto]

Continue reading Ward's releases 2010 Auto Interior Award winners

Ward's releases 2010 Auto Interior Award winners originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ward's Auto selects 40 finalists for Interior of the Year award

Eric Loveday — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Design/Style

Most everyone is familiar with the Ward's Auto 10 Best Engines award where BMW, Audi and Ford took several honors for 2010, but a less prominent, though perhaps more eye-catching, award given by the magazine is the Ward's Interior of the Year awards.

The award recipients are chosen through a process that examines all new vehicles for the given model year. For 2010, Ward's had 40 vehicles, considered finalists meeting the requirements. Vehicles are placed in several different classes and judged based upon interior ergonomics, quality and feel of materials, comfort, fit and finish and overall value.

The winners in each class will be announced in mid-April, but you can continue after the jump to view the list of competitors in each class. It could be argued that many of the vehicles are deserving, but only one per class will be selected. The Buick Regal interior pictured above caught our eye, but tell us your own in the comments below.

[Source: Ward's Auto - Sub. Req.]

Continue reading Ward's Auto selects 40 finalists for Interior of the Year award

Ward's Auto selects 40 finalists for Interior of the Year award originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: V6, V8 engine popularity continued to fade in 2009

Dan Roth — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Technology

Turning the past completely upside down, four cylinder engines marched up ten percent to further solidify the market dominance of lower cylinder count powertrains. According to Ward's Automotive, nearly 62 percent of cars produced in 2009 carried four bangers, up ten percent in just a year from 2008's 51.7 percent. Despite the V8 engine's precipitous fall from a high of being fitted to 88 percent of all cars sold in 1969, there's a sweet spot for the smaller powerplants, too.

Numbers are up for engines below 3.0 liters, while displacements smaller than 2.0 liters actually saw a decline for 2009. While engines between 2.0 and 2.9 liters are perhaps not as exciting as the typically larger V6 and V8 engines, they're less expensive and can still provide satisfying performance thanks to improvements like direct injection and forced induction. It's also worth noting that production numbers for trucks dropped for 2009, as well, skewing numbers further in favor of smaller engines.

Ward's comprehensive analysis of different engine sizes and types and their market share and volume lays it out for you in the link below. Either way, we suspect that the garages of car nuts are still filled with a majority of high-performance engines, regardless of displacement or cylinder count.

[Source: Ward's Automotive]

Report: V6, V8 engine popularity continued to fade in 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ward's announces 10 Best Engines for 2010

Chris Shunk — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Technology

Ward's Ten Best Engines of 2010 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Just about every publication has an award to give away this time of year, and Wards Automotive is no different. But instead of picking the best car, truck or SUV, the industry wiz kids at Wards go right for the power supply to rank the Ten Best Engines for 2010. Over the years the list has contained a nice mix of engines from the U.S., Europe and Asia, but never before has the Ten Best been this fuel efficient. The list comprises of two hybrids, two diesels, one supercharger and three turbocharged gasoline mills.

To be eligible for Wards' 10 Best Engines competition the vehicle must cost less than $54,000 and the engine must be available as a standard production option by Q1 2010. Among the ten winning engines are the new 1.8-liter hybrid powerplant from the Toyota Prius, the 2.5-liter hybrid powering the Ford Fusion, and the diesels from the BMW 335d and the 2.0-liter Jetta TDI. Audi joins the ranks with its excellent 2.0T and 3.0T (well, supercharged) mills, while Ford scored a hit with its Ecoboost 3.5-liter engine. The most powerful engine to make the 10 Best Engines list is Hyundai's 4.6L Tau V8, which gains ten hp for 2010.

The 10 Best Engines awards will be presented at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 13. Hit the jump to read Wards' press release and check the gallery below for a tour of this year's winners.

Gallery: Ward's 10 Best Engines of 2010

[Source: Wards Automotive]

Continue reading Ward's announces 10 Best Engines for 2010

Ward's announces 10 Best Engines for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #106

Dan Roth — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Government/Legal, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Earnings/Financials, Brabus, Opinion/Editorial

Has it really been a month of podcasts already? Alex Nunez and editor Neff join Chris and Dan for Autoblog Podcast Episode 106. Hilarity ensues as we cover the bailout (what else?) and try to touch on a couple other issues before finally deflating like a punctured balloon at the 64-minute mark. Enjoy, and remember to drop any feedback our way at podcast at autoblog dawt com.

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Autoblog Podcast #106 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ward's Auto declares Ten Best Engines of 2009

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:33:00 EST

Filed under: Green, I.C.E.

Ward's Auto has released its annual list of Ten Best Engines for the new year, and our first assessment is that it's just as interesting for what isn't present as for what is. First of all, let's get the official list out of the way:

Audi AG: 2.0L TFSI turbocharged DOHC I-4 (A4 Avant)
BMW AG: 3.0L turbocharged DOHC I-6 (135i Coupe)
BMW AG: 3.0L DOHC I-6 Turbodiesel (335d)
Chrysler LLC: 5.7L Hemi OHV V-8 (Dodge Ram/Challenger R/T)
Ford Motor Co.: 2.5L DOHC I-4 HEV (Escape Hybrid)
General Motors Corp.: 3.6L DOHC V-6 (Cadillac CTS)
Honda Motor Co. Ltd.: 3.5L SOHC V-6 (Accord Coupe)
Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.: 4.6L DOHC V-8 (Genesis)
Toyota Motor Corp.: 3.5L DOHC V-6 (Lexus IS 350)
Volkswagen AG: 2.0L SOHC I-4 Turbodiesel (Jetta TDI)

Take a good look. Nissan's ubiquitous VQ, which up to this point, was the only engine series that had made Ward's Ten Best ever since the list's inception in 1995, is conspicuously absent. That's a big deal. We also note a couple of turbodiesel engines, one in BMW's favored inline-six configuration and one that powers VW's Jetta TDI. Ford's updated 2.5L hybrid four cylinder is also recognized, rounding out this year's trio of green powerplants. We also note that there's only one American V8 engine, the redesigned HEMI from Chrysler. More snubs? How'd they miss the amazing powerplants that sit under the hoods of the Corvette ZR1 and the Nissan GT-R? Update: Thanks goes to our commentators, who point out that the ZR1 and GT-R are too expensive to make the list.

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Continue reading Ward's Auto declares Ten Best Engines of 2009

Ward's Auto declares Ten Best Engines of 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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