Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, BMW, Buick, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota

For the 2011 model year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has implemented tougher crash testing procedures that make it more difficult for vehicles to receive a five-star rating. The new test is known as the NCAP, or New Car Assessment Program, and the first batch of cars were evaluated earlier in the year. Ten more vehicles have been subjected to the NCAP, and the results are promising… for most.

General Motors received high marks for its Lambda triplets – the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia – with all three netting five-star ratings. Not all GM products received a gold star, however – the aging Buick Lucerne only received a three-star rating under the new test procedures. Honda’s Accord sedan also received a five-star rating, however its main competitor, the Toyota Camry, didn’t fare so well. Both the gasoline- and hybrid-powered Camrys only received three stars.

During the first batch of testing the average score was four stars, so the five-star ratings here are good news for GM. Previously, only the Hyundai Sonata (after being revised and retested) and BMW 5 Series received the coveted five-star rating.

The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration plans to test 55 cars in total before the year is over, and the full results of the latest testing can be viewed at SaferCar.gov.

[Source: SaferCar.gov via The Detroit News]

NHTSA releases second batch of crash test ratings under new system originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read?|?Read?|?Permalink?|?Email this?|?Comments

Read more Autos Newsfeed daily here!
Read the original post:
NHTSA releases second batch of crash test ratings under new system

First Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

What is it like to drive the blown CL63 AMG? Is the big coupe able to effectively balance performance with luxury and technology? Are there any other full-size two-door vehicles on the market for this low volume Mercedes-Benz to compete with?

Video: Meet the Green Hornet’s Black Beauty

The Green Hornet spends his vigilante nights tangoing with both the law and various shady characters from behind the wheel of a heavily modified Chrysler Imperial. Justice, thy name is body-on-frame.

Hyundai of America wants a Sonata Wagon… do you? [w/poll]

Autoblog has learned that American Hyundai executives definitely want the 2012 Sonata Wagon and are working to build a business case for it.

Also of interest:

• Lexus bombards SEMA with six custom hybrids, one giant wing
• RK Collection Toyota Camry is a little bit NASCAR and a little bit SEMA rock and roll
• Report: Suit alleges Toyota pushed owners to stay quiet about unintended acceleration
• Mercedes-Benz releases own spy shots of SLK testing “magic” roof in Death Valley
• Eagle-eyed readers spot embarrassing Ferrari World mistake

Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 10.29.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink?|?Email this?|?Comments

Read more Autos Newsfeed daily here!
Read more:
Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 10.29.10

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Quality Planning has just released its findings on which vehicles are more likely to snag their drivers a speeding ticket and who’s likely to be behind the wheel when the blue lights come on. Surprisingly enough, the auto insurance analyst’s list isn’t dominated by hot-blooded young men with high-powered sports cars. Instead, the study found that of the top 10 vehicles most likely to be ticketed, each carried an average driver age of over 30 years old with the fair majority falling over the 40-year-old mark. Even more surprising, on average, seven of the top 10 vehicles were more likely to be ticketed with a female driver behind the wheel.

So which vehicles took the top honors? The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class took the gold as the most ticketed vehicle, walking away with four times more tickets than the national average. In second place, the Toyota Camry Solara came in with 3.5 times the national average. Interestingly enough, Scion walked away with two spots in the top five, with the tC taking number three and the xB snagging the fifth spot. That mark was only bested by the Silver Arrow, which took three spots in the top 10. Hit the jump for a look at the full press release, but only after checking out our gallery of the unlikely offenders below.

[Source: Quality Planning | Main image: Corbis/Getty]

Continue reading Study: What vehicles get the most speeding tickets? You’ll be surprised…

Study: What vehicles get the most speeding tickets? You’ll be surprised… originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read?|?Permalink?|?Email this?|?Comments

Read more Autos Newsfeed daily here!
Visit link:
Study: What vehicles get the most speeding tickets? You’ll be surprised…

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, First Drive

Forced Induction Makes For More Family Fun

Here in the U.S., the mid-size sedan market is thought to be all but impregnable to newcomers. Ruled for decades by models that have become icons of the industry, the segment has enjoyed a long and peaceful reign by the likes of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. But the funny thing about success is that if you’re not very, very careful, it breeds complacency. While the titans of the four-door kingdom have been sleeping on beds of cash made on the innovations of two decades ago, Hyundai has been busily polishing its reputation and pouring over $550 million into fresh research and development for new and advanced drivetrains for its 2011 Sonata.

One of the long accepted tenants of the mid-size sedan is “Thou Shalt Have a Six-Cylinder Option.” Ironically enough, this mode of thought arose as a challenge to the previously held belief that if you wanted to move four-doors in America, you had to offer a V8 under the hood. But when Japan’s Big Three proved they could dish out V8 horsepower with six-cylinder fuel economy, the eight-cylinder family hauler all but disappeared from the scene. Now, Hyundai is out to repeat history by debuting a turbocharged four-cylinder designed to rattle the cages of Toyota, Honda and Nissan.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Continue reading Second Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T

Second Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink?|?Email this?|?Comments

Read more Autos Newsfeed daily here!
More:
Second Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Videos, Work, Toyota, Humor, Racing

With the venerable Ford Crown Victoria on its way out, cabbies all across the country are being forced to come up with all kinds of solutions to their passenger-hauling needs. The Toyota Camry has a bit of favor with this crowd thanks to its roomy back seat, efficient drivetrain and inexpensive MSRP. Of course, all of that goes out of the window when you start talking about the NASCAR interpretation of the sedan. Red Bull recently decided to put one of its tri-oval terrors to work on the streets of Chicago as a cab, complete with none other than Scott Speed behind the wheel.

With a few additions like real headlights, brake lights, turning indicators and a license-plate bezel, the Number 82 Camry was handily transformed into a street legal machine. Speed spent the better part of a morning shuffling people around the streets of the Windy City in a blaze of tire smoke and V8 glory. It looks like plenty of fun, and we’re guessing there will never be another cab ride quite like it. Still, we think we’d rather end up in the Cash Cab. Hit the jump to check out the video.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Scott Speed’s Redbull NASCAR taxi earns its fare in Chicago

Video: Scott Speed’s Redbull NASCAR taxi earns its fare in Chicago originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink?|?Email this?|?Comments

Read more Autos Newsfeed daily here!
View original post here:
Video: Scott Speed’s Redbull NASCAR taxi earns its fare in Chicago

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Reviews

Can This Aging Sedan Hold Out Until Help Arrives?

The year was 2007. The top-selling mid-size sedan, the Toyota Camry, was garnering a lot of praise from its most recent refresh, and automakers were furiously scribbling on notepads trying to get their next round of competitive vehicles out the door. General Motors had been going through a long string of bad press due to lackluster quality on the vast majority of its vehicles, and a big change needed to take place.

Enter the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. When it launched, GM was proud not only of its design and engineering, but of the improved quality and higher-grade craftsmanship that had been put into its new mid-sizer. The new Malibu made a big splash – so much so that it was named the 2008 North American Car of the Year, and the well-to-do sedan started selling in droves.

But now it’s 2010, and since the Malibu’s launch we’ve seen new versions of the Mazda6, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata and Subaru Legacy, not to mention first-time entries into the segment like the Suzuki Kizashi. The initial praise that the Camry enjoyed in 2007 is now fading fast, and the Malibu has two more years left until an all-new model arrives. So with all the stiff new competition on the block, does the Malibu still lead the pack, simply keep up or something worse?

Continue reading…

Photos copyright (C)2010 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2010 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT

Review: 2010 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink?|?Email this?|?Comments

Read more Autos Newsfeed daily here!
Continue reading here:
Review: 2010 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Reviews

Can This Aging Sedan Hold Out Until Help Arrives?

The year was 2007. The top-selling mid-size sedan, the Toyota Camry, was garnering a lot of praise from its most recent refresh, and automakers were furiously scribbling on notepads trying to get their next round of competitive vehicles out the door. General Motors had been going through a long string of bad press due to lackluster quality on the vast majority of its vehicles, and a big change needed to take place.

Enter the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. When it launched, GM was proud not only of its design and engineering, but of the improved quality and higher-grade craftsmanship that had been put into its new mid-sizer. The new Malibu made a big splash – so much so that it was named the 2008 North American Car of the Year, and the well-to-do sedan started selling in droves.

But now it’s 2010, and since the Malibu’s launch we’ve seen new versions of the Mazda6, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata and Subaru Legacy, not to mention first-time entries into the segment like the Suzuki Kizashi. The initial praise that the Camry enjoyed in 2007 is now fading fast, and the Malibu has two more years left until an all-new model arrives. So with all the stiff new competition on the block, does the Malibu still lead the pack, simply keep up or something worse?

Continue reading…

Photos copyright (C)2010 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2010 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT

Review: 2010 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink?|?Email this?|?Comments

Read more Autos Newsfeed daily here!
Go here to read the rest:
Review: 2010 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Crossover, Chevrolet, Honda, Toyota

One of HGTV’s most popular shows is called House Hunters, where your average Joe and Jane Public take a look at two or three homes and ultimately end up purchasing their dream abode. Chevrolet wanted to get in on this game and its teamed up with the network to develop the Car Hunters Challenge. You see where this is going, right?

Cameras are everywhere and the supposedly unbiased reactions of the car shoppers are recorded. How are they able to get to the real opinions regarding the Chevy-supplied cars? Independent research company GfK is asking the questions, and the car buyers also look at equivalent models from Honda and Toyota. In the mid-size segment, the Chevy Malibu took on the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. A Chevrolet Equinox lined up next to a Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V for the compact crossover shoppers. In the mid-size crossover group, a Chevy Traverse duked it out with the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot.

The Car Hunters Challenge ultimately ended up speaking with 70 people, but how did the Bow-Tie brand fair? It took a gamble on the entire project but walked away happy after 43 new-car shoppers gave Chevrolet vehicles the thumbs up. By our grade-school math, that equates to a D-. However, it’s entirely possible they grade on the nursing school curve. Regardless, it’s interesting to see an automaker take a risk like this and the see the results play in its favor.

You can catch the Car Hunters Challenge spots in commercial form during episodes of House Hunters or watch episodes on the web courtesy of the HGTV website. Take a gander at the trailer, available for viewing after the jump.

Continue reading Video: Chevrolet sweeps HGTV Car Hunters Challenge

Video: Chevrolet sweeps HGTV Car Hunters Challenge originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink?|?Email this?|?Comments

Read more Autos Newsfeed daily here!
Go here to see the original:
Video: Chevrolet sweeps HGTV Car Hunters Challenge

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Government/Legal, Toyota

Koua Fong Lee can’t seem to catch a break. Lee was convicted of killing three people in 2006 when his Toyota Camry struck a vehicle at a stoplight, but he was later freed after prosecutors discovered that Lee may have been a victim of unintended acceleration. He served two and a half years in prison while the justice system ground along, and now Toyota has subpoenaed his 1996 Camry. The manufacturer wants Lee to turn the car over for an examination on the quick. Unfortunately, Lee no longer has the car. It’s been locked up in the custody of the St. Paul Police Department since the 2006 accident.

With Lee’s name clear, a total of four federal lawsuits have been filed against Toyota by the family members of those killed in the accident. Each claims that Toyota knew of the unintended acceleration issue well before the Lee accident and failed to follow up on those reports in any substantial way. Meanwhile, Toyota claims that the accident wasn’t due to unintended acceleration. You can see the conundrum here. If Toyota proves that the accident wasn’t the result of unintended acceleration, then it may be the case that Lee was at fault.

Lee’s lawyer has expressed obvious concern over allowing Toyota to examine the vehicle unsupervised. So for now, it remains in St. Paul PD custody.

[Source: The Pioneer Press | Image: Ben Garvin, AP Photo/Pioneer Press]

Report: Toyota subpoenas Camry in Lee acquittal case originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read?|?Permalink?|?Email this?|?Comments

Read more Autos Newsfeed daily here!
See the original post here:
Report: Toyota subpoenas Camry in Lee acquittal case

Uncertainty about the safety of the Toyota Camry led to the release of a man convicted for vehicular homicide. Judge Joanne Smith of the District of Ramsey County, Minn., vacated the conviction of 32-year-old Koua Fong Lee who was given an eight-year sentence for killing a man and two young children in 2006.
Lee had rammed [...]

Read more Autos Newsfeed daily here!
Continued here:
Toyota sudden acceleration appeal helps Minnesota man to get his freedom back