J.D. Power released the results of its latest Initial Quality Study at this month’s Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit. The survey had some very surprising results.
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E.T. Drive Home
Every automaker has its own look. Whether it’s a seven-slot grille, round tail lamps or a Hofmeister kink each company tries to claim its own signature styling elements.
Commute, Toy or Destroy – Honda S2000 vs. Mazda RX-8 vs. Scion FR-S
Battle of the well balanced rear-wheel drivers
We are back with this week’s installment of AutoGuide’s newest, interactive weekly feature ‘Commute, Toy or Destroy’.
Continue Reading…
AutoGuide Five-Point Inspection
The thought of a performance version of the Scion xD may not set our souls on fire, or anyone’s really. Based on the Toyota Yaris platform, the xD starts out life lacking any performance DNA to speak of. And, with the current generation of the Scion xD having been on sale since 2008, the vehicle is getting a bit tired and old as only minor updates have occurred during its lifespan.
But all of this hasn’t deterred Toyota Racing Development (TRD) from having a go at the sub-compact to make it more exciting and keep it interesting. So can TRD take the $16,500 xD, add $4,600 worth of style and performance upgrades, and make it something you’d want to buy?
Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Non-Hybrid Cars
People buy hybrids because they think the “H” word is synonymous with fuel savings. While that’s true, hybrid appeal leaves a wide grey area between mildly improved mpgs and real returns at the pump, not to mention the higher cost of entry into the gasoline-electric segment.
Toyota’s success with the Prius often leads people to believe that anything called a hybrid offers immensely improved fuel economy. Not so. Take the Honda Insight. It even looks like a Prius, but the two are on different planes.
Then there’s the Chevrolet Malibu Eco, which gathered negative press and was even named the most “disliked car” of 2012 by Fortune magazine.
Why is everyone gaga for hybrids when many would be happy with reasonable mileage? The mystery remains, but in the spirit of spending less time at the pump, AutoGuide has compiled a list of the 10 most fuel-efficient non-hybrid cars of 2013.
The list excludes electric cars and uses EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) estimated average fuel economy figures.
Disclaimer: As many know, the EPA’s utopian estimates are to be taken with a grain of salt. This story uses them for consistency. Please don’t write angry letters if your car falls short.
Honorable mentions: both the Chevrolet Cruze Eco and Cruze Clean Diesel deserve to be mentioned. The diesel Cruze will be available in dealers soon and according to the EPA, offers 46 mpg on the highway, but falls just short of the list for combined fuel economy. In the same way, the Cruze Eco uses clever gearing and cuts weight to save gas.
To Frugality and Beyond!
Fuel economy is a major purchase consideration for new-vehicle shoppers; in fact it’s the No. 1 thing they look for in a car or truck. Consumers continue to demand ever greater mileage, and so does the federal government. Washington keeps turning up the wick on its Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations. In response to these stimuli automakers are working day and night to improve the efficiency of their products.
Scion has announced pricing for its 2014 tC and iQ models, along with its 10 Series Edition models which celebrate the brand’s 10th anniversary.
Scion has announced pricing for its special 10 Series FR-S, which carries a $2,170 premium over the normal manual model, excluding delivery fees.
Ah to be young again. AutoGuide’s nationally recognized, board-certified Oracles remember their youth vividly… it was terrible. People often say age is just a number and you’re only as old as you feel, unfortunately they were born wearing elastic-waist jeans and Science Olympiad fanny packs. Gingivitis arrived when they were in middle school.
Affordable and Practical
Hatchbacks have a ton of versatility and use, and they’re also quite affordable, not to mention fuel efficient.
When it comes to the most affordable hatchback, there’s quite a few options out there. Unlike the Honda GEAR concept pictured above (which could preview a new affordable subcompact for the Japanese brand) all the cars on this list are easily attainable, and are competitively priced. Our top ten is seperated by a slim $4,000 margin from cheapest to most expensive. Check out the whole list, and see which cheap hatchback is the right choice for you!
“The car just comes alive with a nice set of tires.” Those are the words of Toyota VP Bob Carter, which were ringing in my ear after a chat I had with him at the Detroit Auto Show in January.
Scion could be considering a change in its brand direction in an effort to reinvigorate sales and seek new customers.
Scion loves to celebrate anniversaries, and for the upcoming one-year milestone of its FR-S sportscar, the brand made some interesting changes that will make the RWD drift machine really stand out in a crowd.
To celebrate a decade in business Scion introduced new special edition 10 Series models of all of its vehicles today at the New York Auto Show, including a Scion FR-S 10 Series.
Scion’s tC is a bit of a bore next to the FR-S, but the brand is aiming to inject a little more excitement into its front-wheel drive three-door car.
Scion FR-S owners in search of more power may have rejoiced when they heard TRD was planning a supercharger for the car, but they’re not going to be so excited once they find out what it costs.
Just over a year on sale, Toyota is already working on a mid-cycle update for the Scion FR-S, chief engineer Tetsuya Tada has confirmed. Having proven to the bean-counters that the car is a sound business case, Toyota is now also exploring a higher performance version that could include forced induction, or even a hybrid powertrain.
Leaked ahead of its official unveiling at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show is the Toyota GT 86 Open Concept, a convertible variant of the North American Scion FR-S. Continue Reading…
Showcasing a great looking package that won’t be sold in North America, Toyota has revealed the GT86 TRD today, the first ever Toyota Racing Development-specific model for the UK.
Each year, Kelly Blue Book awards automakers with the five-year cost to own awards, and for 2013, Mazda and Lexus take top honors.
AutoGuide.com’s new cars section saw a mix of browsers researching performance and practicality this week.