Posts Tagged ‘2011’
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Most disliked car of 2011
Posted on August 9th, 2011 by admin
p>FORTUNE — The year has four more months left, but a chorus of boos from the nation’s auto reviewers makes it evident that the clear favorite for the title of “Most Disliked 2011 Car” is … the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. Not since the Mercedes R-class, and, before that, the Pontiac Aztek has the overall verdict been so bruisingly negative. The CrossCabrio has been tarred for being lumpy, dumpy, shaky, and sluggish.
In simple terms, the Murano CrossCabriolet is an all-wheel-drive Murano crossover in which an automatic folding fabric top replaces the metal roof, and the two rear doors have been eliminated. It has been billed as the first convertible crossover (if you exclude the Jeep Wrangler). With its raised suspension and high deck lid, the CrossCabrio looks somewhat like an artichoke on wheels, the prototypical niche vehicle. It seats four and, available only fully-loaded, has an MSRP of $ 47,520.
The CrossCabrio does appeal to a few female reviewers who like the high seating position, carrying capacity, and all-wheel-drive. Susan Carpenter, who writes for the Los Angeles Times calls it “a spirited-yet-cushy mom mobile for those who value adventure and luxury,” while Jessica Benton of ThatTechChick.com declared, “I was partial to the Murano pri …CNN
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10 coolest convertibles for 2011
Posted on June 17th, 2011 by admin
p>Now that summer is here, it’s time to reconsider one of the best reasons for hot weather: top-down motoring. Its pleasures are limitless: wind in your hair, sun on your face, sky over your head, and envious looks from passers-by.
The following list is entirely subjective. It reflects a bias for four seats over two, comfort over sport, and canvas over folding metal.
Owning a convertible means compromising on things like body rigidity and interior space — the roof has to go somewhere — so a convertible should be free of other assaults on the senses like a bone-jarring ride. As for the preference for soft over hard, it’s all a matter of convenience and style. When a folding metal top is retracted, it leaves little or no room in the trunk. And the extra storage space it requires usually demands a wider-than-usual rear structure. Extra inches in that dimension aren’t flattering to anyone.
Herewith, my 10 picks for stylish motoring from Southampton to Sedona in the summer of 2011:
By Alex Taylor III, senior editor-at-large
NEXT: 1. Fiat 500 Cabrio
…CNN
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10 most disappointing cars of 2011
Posted on June 3rd, 2011 by admin
ews item: BMW’S top U.S. sales executive says he is disappointed in the 5-series GT, Automotive News reports. “The disappointment I have is that I thought a lot of our 5-series station wagon customers would go with the GT,” Jim O’Donnell says. “In point of fact, that is not happening. We have lost those customers to the competition — mainly to Mercedes-Benz.
With its ungainly lift back and high load floor, the 5-series GT produced a lot of comments along the lines of “What were they thinking?” when it was introduced two years ago, but now it is official: Even BMW makes mistakes.
Designing and engineering new models is part art, part science: a billion-dollar bet on what the car buying public will want for years into the future. The deepest pitfalls come in trying to head off in a new direction, like a convertible minivan or an SUV with a coupe body. Despite all the market research, focus groups, and educated guesses, car companies can get it wrong. The design fails to catch hold, the market doesn’t develop, competition proves stronger than expected. Bottom line: They blew it.
Herewith, ten of the biggest mistakes currently on the market — plus two lulus from years past.
By Alex Taylor III, senior-editor-at-large
NEXT: BMW X6
…CNN
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Ten most improved cars of 2011
Posted on May 20th, 2011 by admin
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Among the crop of new cars out for 2011 it’s worth singling out those vehicles that have shown significant improvement.
Like a sports team, when it comes to picking the best car you’ve got your veteran players who everyone expects to be great, and a couple who have gotten complacent and gone into decline but who still enjoy a reputation earned in better times.
At the same time, some of the guys who have been around awhile and haven’t really performed like pros have really gotten their acts together during the off-season, returning with a form that is getting attention around the league.
Here are our 10 candidates for the most improved car.
Buick Regal
Buick Regal? Isn’t that the official car of Florida’s early bird specials? Are the seats made so the driver isn’t visible from the car behind? This may have been true enough for the old Regal, but no more. The sleek, racy new Regal looks like nothing that would have graced Buick showroom just a few years ago. But two things have changed that. First was Buick’s rise in China, where the brand is a top seller and the Regal is seen as a crucial ingredient to General Motors’ ongoing success in the market. The other thing that happened was that the Saturn brand was shuttered in the GM bankruptcy, leaving GM with a model that had been planned for the Saturn division that was all dressed up with …MSNBC
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Nissan Leaf: 2011 World Car of The Year
Posted on April 22nd, 2011 by admin
a href=”http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/autos/1104/gallery.2011_new_york_auto_show/index.html”>The Leaf, Nissan’s zero emission electric car, is the 2011 World Car of the Year.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The all-electric Nissan Leaf was named the 2011 World Car of The Year at the New York Auto Show on Thursday.
The Leaf, which went on sale in the United States in December and is also available in Japan and Europe, beat the BMW 5-Series and the Audi A8 for the top spot.
“It is a great joy that the world’s first, mass-marketed electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, has won the prestigious award,” said Nissan Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn.
Ghosn has been an outspoken booster of electric vehicles, predicting that they will account for 10% of the global auto market by 2020. Nissan plans to release it in other global markets in 2012.
By then, almost every major automaker plans to have at least one plug-in car on the market. Toyota alone will have three, including the Rav4 EV SUV and the Prius plug-in.
General Motors’ Chevrolet Volt went on the market at almost the same time as the Leaf and …CNN
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