Category Archives: Car Buying Advice

Infographic: Super Bowl ads that won and whiffed

Posted on by John Neff

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Seventeen days after the Super Bowl and we’re still talking about the commercials. Crazy, we know, but that’s how significant these ads are, and why the $3.5 million price tag for airtime during the game seems almost justified… almost.

Yesterday we reported that YouTube had crowned Chrysler’s “Halftime in America” as the most watched car commercial from the Super Bowl (an M&M’s ad nabbed the #1 most viewed overall spot). But YouTube views don’t mean much to automakers that are trying to sell cars. They want to know if their multi-million dollar Super Bowl ad directly increased interest in the vehicles they’re selling.

To answer that question we have this infographic from car-shopping website CarWoo!. While we wouldn’t blame you for guessing that Chrysler and Clint Eastwood drummed up the most car-shopper interest, you’d be wrong. According to the numbers crunched by CarWoo!, Chevrolet received the highest lift in consideration after the big game at 61 percent. Chrysler was second with a 26-percent lift and Toyota third at 25 percent. Brands with big ads like Acura, Volkswagen and Honda, however, saw no lift in interest after the Super Bowl.

Chevrolet’s performance here can be partially attributed to the volume of ads it ran before, during and after the Super Bowl. It was by far the most prolific auto advertiser. But not all of its ads were winners. While commercials for the Sonic, Camaro and Silverado contributed positive lift, the ad for the Volt did nothing to help raise the bottom line of consumer interest.

Also interesting to note is the back-of-the-pack performance of Cadillac, which, despite boasting that its ad for the ATS was the most watched advertisement of all time, only saw a six-percent lift in interest.

Follow the jump for the full infographic from CarWoo!

Continue reading Infographic: Super Bowl ads that won and whiffed

Infographic: Super Bowl ads that won and whiffed originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Customers paying more for Hyundai Elantra than Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla

Posted on by Jonathon Ramsey

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2012 Hyundai Elantra front three-quarter view

According to research by Edmunds.com, the $19,711 average transaction price of the 2012 Hyundai Elantra is besting that of its chief rivals, the Toyota Corolla by $1,500 and the new Honda Civic by $500. The great big cherry on top of that sundae for Hyundai? Elantra sales were up more than 40 percent last year.

The sales success of the Elantra wasn’t much of a surprise even before the car went on sale, the transaction-price story is an eye-opener. We don’t have a breakdown on model mix, but a base Elantra with a six-speed manual is $17,220 and the Limited is $21,320 (both prices include $725 destination). The Elantra’s small-money options, like an iPod connector, match those of the competition, and even its three upmarket packages, two for the GLS and one for the Limited, contain features mostly available on the Corolla or Civic.

Point being, the Elantra doesn’t have a single killer app to explain its position. But all of its touches – one extra gear on the manual, two extra on the automatic, its newness and its design, its competitive gas mileage and its rearview camera that can’t be had on the competition, for instance, appear to be the cause. There’s also the fact that dealers don’t have to put much (if anything) on the hood since the factory still can’t make enough of them to satisfy demand.

Nor is this only a tale of the Elantra; the Sonata has narrowed its average transaction price to within $900 of both Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. And according to Hyundai CEO John Krafcik, we aren’t anywhere near the end of the company’s aspirations: “We’re in the middle of a very long journey.” Indeed, even new Elantra itself hasn’t reached top speed yet – a new Coupe and five-door GT are on the way to round out the family for 2013.

Customers paying more for Hyundai Elantra than Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buyers holding onto new cars for nearly six years – longer than ever before

Posted on by Jeff Sabatini

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2006 Ford Fusion

If you’re still driving that 2006 Ford Fusion you bought new, apparently you are not alone. Automotive data provider Polk says that the average new car buyer is now holding on to his vehicle for a whopping 71 months – almost six years. Used vehicles are being held for over four years, almost 50 months, according to the new study.

Polk based its findings on vehicle registration data through September 2011, concluding that longer warranties, better reliability, and of course, a miserable economy, have contributed to the shift. By comparison, just five years ago Polk showed new car buyers swapping out after just 53 months – a year and a half earlier.

This latest study reflects what we heard from Polk last month, that the average age of vehicles on the road has hit a record high. We might even see consumers further stretch this number, as Polk’s analysts are not forecasting a return to the magic 16-million-units sales level until 2015. For the carmakers this represents more than just a simple make-your-numbers sales challenge, says Polk, because the longer people keep their vehicles the less brand loyal they become.

To read the full release, click through the jump.

Continue reading Buyers holding onto new cars for nearly six years – longer than ever before

Buyers holding onto new cars for nearly six years – longer than ever before originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Belgium offering adventurous location-based RAV4 discounts

Posted on by Zach Bowman

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RAV4 Black Edition

Toyota Belgium has just launched a new campaign for the Toyota RAV4 Black Edition that allows participants to earn discounts for the vehicle based on their location. Smartphone users download the RAV4 Adventure Discount App, travel to a so-called adventurous location within Belgium and sign in with the application. The app then calculates a discount based on just how daring you are. While far-flung wilderness locations are an obvious choice for big discounts, Toyota has hinted there are plenty of adventurous spots in city locales as well.

The campaign seems pretty brilliant to us, though we have to wonder how many RAV4 buyers will be willing to cover hill and dale in pursuit of a few extra hundred euros off of their bottom line. So far, it appears the app and the discounts are only good in Belgium, though it wouldn’t surprise us if Toyota used a similar marketing ploy in other markets. Hit the jump to check out an ad for the app after the jump, complete with a mustachioed woodsman.

Continue reading Toyota Belgium offering adventurous location-based RAV4 discounts

Toyota Belgium offering adventurous location-based RAV4 discounts originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automakers’ sales goals add up to optimistic forecast

Posted on by Michael Harley

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Automotive industry analysts are projecting sales of over 14.4 million units this year, a lofty figure we originally reported late last year. Unfortunately, it seems that those paid visionaries may be an overly optimistic bunch as the actual sales figures – calculated by outside experts – are expected to be significantly lower.

American Honda expects sales growth of 25 percent over last year, while Nissan is estimating an 18-percent growth. Toyota Motor Sales, Chrysler Group and General Motors are all aiming for a 15-percent bump. All of those numbers exceed outside calculations, which say industry growth will be at about eight percent in 2012.

Industry experts at J.D. Power and Associates say many automakers have been simply too aggressive with forecasts. “There are painful decisions to be made,” the company said. “Companies need to maintain discipline with realistic forecasts. The recovery is taking longer than expected. Getting too aggressive can lead to bad practices like pushing inventory.” In layman’s terms, production plans are based on sales goals (factories are tasked with producing enough cars to keep the showrooms stocked). If volume estimates are too high, hundreds of thousands of new cars could be sitting unsold at dealerships later this year, leading to an industry-wide incentives war.

In defense of the automakers, the optimism isn’t completely unfounded. Natural disasters rocked the Japanese manufacturers last year, and they expect to use 2012 to reclaim much of their market. In addition, nearly every automaker is introducing new products in high-volume segments. Nevertheless, J.D. Power projects a 13.8 million market in 2012, followed by 15.4 million in 2013 and 16.2 million in 2014.

Automakers’ sales goals add up to optimistic forecast originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 configurator burns up the internet

Posted on by Chris Paukert

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2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 configurator

Chevrolet’s fire-breathing, Nürburgring-shredding Camaro ZL1 can now be custom configured for your very own garage – at least your virtual one.

The 580-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8-powered Chevrolet won’t come cheaply, starting at $54,995, and choices are limited. Major options include paint (we’re kind of fond of the $325 Rally Yellow scheme shown above, though perhaps it’s a little too Transformersque), transmission choice (six-speed manual or automatic), wheel finish, sunroof and faux suede interior bits. Given that this is a small-volume model with serious performance intentions, we’re not bothered by the limited decision tree offered by the configurator, and it helps tamp the bottom line down.

Build your own by checking out the link below, or compare and contrast builds against the ZL1′s nemesis, the Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 by checking out the latter’s configurator here.

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 configurator burns up the internet originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai Veloster Turbo to start at $21,500?

Posted on by Steven J. Ewing

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As much as we love the 2012 Hyundai Veloster, it’s the 2013 Turbo model that really gets our juices flowing (especially in matte gray, for the record). It takes that unique three-door (four-door?) configuration one step further with the addition of some more aggressive aero bits, a revised front end and new wheels; not to mention a potent 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four underhood, good for 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque.

The Veloster Turbo goes on sale this summer, and while official pricing hasn’t been released, the folks at Inside Line have apparently confirmed that the car will start at $21,500 – $22,280 when you factor in the $760 destination charge. That’s $4,205 more than a base Veloster, but in addition to more power, we expect that some of the base car’s optional features will be fitted as standard kit on the Turbo.

What’s really interesting, however, is Inside Line’s report that the Turbo model was never even part of the original Veloster product strategy here in the United States. No big deal, because we’re still getting the forced-induction hatch regardless. But the real reason why this is important is it explains why the Turbo is being offered with a six-speed automatic (in addition to a six-speed manual) rather than the dual-clutch unit found in the base car. Guess that in-house dual-clutch unit can’t handle the full 195 lb-ft of the Turbo.

We expect Hyundai to release official Veloster Turbo pricing closer to the car’s on-sale date this summer. And if this $21,500 base MSRP stands true, then the affordable end of America’s hot hatch pool just got a lot more interesting.

Hyundai Veloster Turbo to start at $21,500? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.D. Power reports vehicle dependability has substantially improved

Posted on by Jeff Sabatini

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2010 Lexus LS460 Sport

Remember the days of planned obsolescence? They’re over. The latest J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study shows a 13-percent improvement in new car dependability over the first three years of ownership. The latest sample of 2009 model year vehicles shows the lowest rate of problems since the study’s inception in 1990.

The big winner was the Lexus LS, which had the fewest reported problems in the study. Lexus was the highest rated brand as well, followed by Porsche, Cadillac, Toyota and Scion. J.D. Power says 25 of 32 automotive brands showed improved dependability, with six declining and one remaining the same.

While J.D. Power was pleased to see automakers producing high quality cars despite the economic disaster unfolding around them three years ago, it did note that some brands are still not getting credit for building reliable vehicles. “During the past four years, models from Buick, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai and Lincoln have achieved consistently strong levels of dependability,” the company’s release stated, “but still have relatively high proportions of new-vehicle buyers expressing reliability concerns.”

To read the full press release, click past the jump.

Continue reading J.D. Power reports vehicle dependability has substantially improved

J.D. Power reports vehicle dependability has substantially improved originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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University study shows recalls have hardly hurt Toyota

Posted on by Zach Bowman

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Toyota Camry Emblem

If you think Toyota is still reeling from negative opinions stirred up by the company’s rash of recalls in 2009, North Carolina State University has some news for you. According to a new study conducted by researchers at the institution, the recalls had “little to no impact” on how buyers see the Japanese automaker. Robert Hammond, an assistant professor of economics at NCSU, says the research specifically looked at the used car market to negate the impact of outside factors like incentives, marketing campaigns and models not associated with the recall to begin with.

The idea was that examining average prices of models affected by recalls associated with sudden acceleration would give researchers an idea of how willing buyers were to pay for the vehicles. Overall, used cars covered by the recall campaigns saw their price decline by a mere two percent. The figure is within the statistical margin of error for the study.

So, what’s behind the slow in Toyota sales? Despite an abundance of fleet sales last month that saw the company’s figures swell by 7.5 percent over January 2011, Toyota still fell well behind the industry average. With production back on track after last year’s earthquake tragedy, the company may have some explaining to do. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading University study shows recalls have hardly hurt Toyota

University study shows recalls have hardly hurt Toyota originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota kicks off year with sharply increased fleet sales

Posted on by Zach Bowman

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Toyota Emblem

Toyota can attribute much of its uptick in sales last month to fleets. While the automaker saw its sales leap by 7.5 percent compared to a year earlier, Newsday.com reports Toyota sold 47 percent more cars and trucks to fleet customers in the U.S. than in January 2011. Without the fleet sales, the improvement would have been less than one percent. All told, rental companies accounted for 93 percent of the automaker’s fleet sales in January, with the remainder going to other organizations.

Toyota and other Japanese automakers have always been reticent to embrace fleet sales. Doing so is not only generally less profitable than individual consumer sales, but can also lead to degraded brand image and resale value. Last month, Ford was cited for having 45 percent of the company’s Focus going toward fleets.

Toyota, meanwhile, says the news isn’t the start of a trend. When Toyota factories were hobbled by earthquake and tsunami activity in Japan last year, the automaker put a stop to fleet sales altogether to keep its dealerships fed. According to Bob Carter, Toyota U.S. sales chief, the company promised to make up deliveries to its fleet customers, and January represents the automaker fulfilling that promise. Carter also said that while fleet sales will be high once again in February, things should return to normal once again in March.

Toyota kicks off year with sharply increased fleet sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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