The 2011 Ford Explorer is the latest iteration of the Ford Explorer and arguably one of the most important.  In many ways the Explorer launched the popular use sport utility vehicle market in the USA when it introduced the 4-door Explorer in 1991.  Previously, 4-door SUVs had been either Jeep Cherokees, the occasional Japanese entry and Chevrolet/GMC Suburbans.  With the introduction of the Explorer the growth in the SUV market skyrocketed until almost one in four vehicles sold in the USA was an SUV of one type or another.  In its heyday, Explorer was counted among the top five best selling vehicles in the USA and in its top year sold almost 450,000 units.

Until the new Explorer, the Explorer had been very much a two box SUV designed to move five (and later seven) people comfortably.  While Explorer was an "SUV" it was a pretty mild one.  It was known for being easy to live with but not for its prowess off-road.  Ford never pretended the Explorer had the off-road chops of a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

EcoBoost 4-Cylinder OPTIONAL Powertrain  The base engine for the Explorer is the 3.5L V6 with 290-horsepower.  This engine is expected to be in 75% of Explorers sold.  The extra cost optional powertrain is the 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine with 237-horsepower.  This is an unusual pricing strategy for any manufacturer - giving LESS FOR MORE.  Of course, Ford will position the EcoBoost 4 as the high technology, high fuel economy alternative that is worth more.  Well, we'll be watching this one closely because Americans usually don't buy less for more and many still believe the adage "There is no replacement for displacement."

Continue reading "2011 Ford Explorer Raises XSUV Bar - Explorer Reinvented"

Posted by George Peterson at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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We met up with the Cadillac CTS Coupe crew at Dogpatch Studios in the Dogpatch area of San Francisco.  Grabbed a CTS Wagon and headed to the Carneros Inn in Napa Valley where we tag teamed with a CTS Coupe that was the feature of this drive evaluation. Cadillac lodged the media at the Bardessono Hotel in Yountville.  Environmentally pure, the Bardessono is an experience in itself.  

The CTS Coupe is the third of the three bodystyles Cadillac plans for the CTS.  The first was the sedan introduced in 2008 followed by the European-inspired wagon in 2009 and now the Coupe in 2010.

Don Butler, Vice President of Cadillac Marketing took the gathered press through where Cadillac is and where Cadillac plans to be in the future.  Bold, product-oriented positioning will have Cadillac going head-to-head against Audi, BMW and Mercedes.  Lexus was added as an afterthought. 

Cadillac had set up a flurry of identical specification CTS Coupes for this group of journalists and analysts to drive through the hills surrounding Napa Valley.  Some of the most picturesque and challenging roads in the country put the CTS Coupes to the test.

Continue reading "2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe - Flash and Dash"

Posted by George Peterson at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Each year AutoPacific surveys new car and light truck acquirers via mail and Internet about their new vehicle in order to learn more about their purchase experience, attribute importance and satisfaction, lifestyle, preferences, vehicle use, personal characteristics, desired features and more. The Ideal Vehicle Awards are based on scores developed using results from a part of this survey that focuses on the consumers desire to change their vehicle if given the opportunity. Respondents rate 15 attributes indicating whether they want them to be changed (larger, smaller, more or less) or not changed (stay the same) after having driven their vehicle for 90 days. The attributes all pertain directly to the product itself.

The Difference: IVAs quantitatively gauge how closely a vehicle matches an owner's expectations. An IVA is earned by those automakers that best understand their customers and are able to create the vehicle these customers demand - their ideal vehicle.

The Ideal Vehicle Awards are just one of three awards given by AutoPacific throughout the year. Each year AutoPacific analyzes the results of our New Vehicle Satisfaction Survey and identifies the top performing vehicles. These are owners talking. And who better to evaluate a vehicle than the owners themselves?

An "ideal" is defined as conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence. In the 2010 Ideal Vehicle Awards, announced today by automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific, owners rate their new vehicles by how closely they come to their ideal. "After owning and operating a vehicle for some time, consumers often identity shortcomings, and ideas about what they would like to change about their vehicle," says George Peterson, President of AutoPacific. "The IVAs are based on owners' ratings of their new 2010 model year cars and trucks across 15 key vehicle attributes ranging from power and acceleration to interior storage. The cars or trucks that owners would change the least are the most ideal."

"In today's vehicle market, quality is expected, and car buyers take many factors into consideration - styling, safety features, fuel economy and more," says Peterson. "IVA winners deliver the most of what consumers are really looking for in their vehicles. Shoppers can use the IVAs as a benchmark for vehicles that are designed and built with customers in mind."

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The Range Rover was also the overall winner, with the top score for any 2010 vehicle, and scored particularly well for exterior size, interior lighting, visibility, handling, ride and power/acceleration. Well done, Range Rover, for a well deserved Luxury SUV victory.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Compact Car: The VW Golf win the 2010 Ideal Vehicle Award in the Compact Car segment. Receiving top marks from owners for safety, exterior size and passenger room. The Golf also scored very well for handling, seat firmness and interior lighting.

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Sports Car: Porsche took over the first three spots in the Ideal Vehicle Awards Sports Car Segment, but it was the Porsche Cayman that owners found to be the overall winner. This mid-engine wonder convinced 100% of the owners surveyed that Porsche engineers could not improve upon the handling of the Cayman. Other ratings almost as high include exterior size and styling, ride and safety.

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Premium Compact Car: The 2010 VW GTI resonates with owners! Not only did it win a 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award but it also managed to win an Ideal Vehicle Award in the Premium Compact Car segment. The original fun to drive hatchback managed to have 98% of owners say that they want the same exterior size as now. Talk about hitting the mark. The vast majority of owners also say they want the same passenger room, seat firmness, ingress/egress, safety, handling, and cargo space as now. Sounds like this IS 'Das Auto' for the Premium Compact Car segment...

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Economy Car: Great things can come in small packages! The Honda Fit is proof positive that owners in the Economy Car segment don't have to feel relegated to the penalty box. After winning the 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award it was not too surprising that owners would elevate it back up to the top of its class for a 2010 IVA award. Owners tout the Fits exterior size and styling along with its safety and ingress/egress.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Premium Mid-Size Car: The Ford Fusion is this years winner in the Premium Mid-Size Car segment. The Fusion was particularly good at beating out a long list of competitors in a saturated segment with high marks for exterior size and passenger room. Fusion was also top rated in terms of ride and handling.

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Ford's top selling F-150 scored particularly well with respect to exterior size, passenger room, handling, and safety features. It should be noted that the F-150 also won AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Large Light Duty Pickup.

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Luxury Mid-Size Car: This year's Luxury Mid-Size Car segment winner is the Lincoln MKZ beating out the competition with a strong performance in handling and safety categories. The MKZ also received impressive scores in exterior size, ride, and seat firmness.

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The F-250 was especially highly rated for exterior size, visibility, passenger room and handling. Perhaps these results should not be surprising, as Ford dominates the Heavy Duty Pickup segment in terms of both retail and fleet sales.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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The Ridgeline rated highly with respect to exterior size, interior lighting, passenger room, exterior styling and interior storage. The Ridgeline also won AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Compact Pickup.

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Sporty Car: The all-new Chevrolet Camaro took top honors in the 2010 Ideal Vehicle Awards beating out all other rivals in the Sporty Car segment. This win comes on the heels of a 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award win. Owners gave high marks for exterior size and styling along with the vehicles ride and handling.

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Mid-Size Car: The all-new Suzuki Kizashi has been burning up the AutoPacific charts since it's launch. It won the 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award and now collects a 2010 Ideal Vehicle Award. Owners are elated with this vehicle! Some of the top rated attributes include: safety features, handling, exterior size, exterior styling, cargo space and interior lighting.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Hybrid Car: The Ford Fusion Hybrid is the top-scoring Hybrid taking home AutoPacific's 2010 Ideal Vehicle Award. Categories in which the Fusion scored particularly well include handling and ride. The Fusion Hybrid also took top marks for exterior styling, exterior size, and safety.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Owners really like the new Ford Flex EcoBoost, and want the same level of many characteristics, including, exterior size, visibility, passenger room, ride, handling, wheels and tires, and ease of getting in and out. Package size and layout appears to be the key to this Large Crossover SUV vehicle's success, and EcoBoost makes the vehicle that much better.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Owners rated the Chevrolet Equinox particularly highly with respect to the same exterior size, the same passenger room, the same exterior styling and the same wheels/tires. They like the vehicle much as it is! Well done, Chevrolet! The Equinox is also the winner of AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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What do Ford Escape owners want unchanged? Many things, especially including wheels and tires, handling, exterior styling, and safety features. The Escape is also the winner of AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Mid-Size Crossover SUV.

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Jeep Compass buyers want the same exterior size, and the same exterior styling. Other characteristics they want unchanged include ride and handling. Those that bought a Compass Compact Crossover SUV really do like it - pretty much just they way it is.

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Characteristics particularly appreciated by Chevrolet Suburban buyers include exterior size (no surprise there) and exterior styling, and both ride and handling. That qualified the 2010 Suburban as the Large SUV segment winner.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Lexus RX owners say they want the same exterior styling as now, the same wheels and tires, the same ride and the same handling. The Lexus RX was also AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction winner in the Luxury Crossover SUV category.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Porsche as a brand has been build upon specific tangible and authentic intangible attributes that have made it a first-rate manufacturer of automobiles. Porsche motorcars continue to provide owners with a sense of confidence, exclusivity and satisfaction that all fall within the parameters of being a premium brand. Therefore, it comes as little surprise that Porsche owners have scored their vehicles so high throughout the 2010 Ideal Vehicle Awards as to propel the brand to the top of the premium brand list. Porsche wins top premium brand for the 2010 IVAs. This must be what those in Zuffenhausen mean when they chime ' There is no substitute'.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Lincoln MKT owners say they want the same level of interior lighting, exterior styling, handling and, of course power/acceleration as offered by their new vehicle. Ford Motor Company appears to have a Premium Luxury Crossover SUV winner on its hands with their new EcoBoost engines.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Ford brand has eclipsed all popular brand competition in AutoPacific's 2010 Ideal Vehicle Awards as Ford owners gave their vehicles top marks in eleven different vehicle segments. No other manufacturer came close and is why Ford wins top popular brand for the 2010 IVAs. Ford has definitely made strides over the last few years and owners scores marking the brand a 2010 Ideal Vehicle Award Popular Brand winner highlights Ford hitting the mark with their buyers.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Ford Explorer buyers are particularly pleased with their vehicle's handling (perhaps that independent rear suspension really does help), just-right exterior size, and wheels/tires. That makes for a Premium Mid-Size SUV category winner.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Characteristics particularly appreciated by Nitro buyers include exterior styling, wheels and tires, handling, and interior lighting. The Nitro also won AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Mid-Size SUV.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Ford Escape Hybrid owners want the same level of handling, the same wheels and tires, the same safety features, the same exterior size and the same passenger room. Sounds like happy Hybrid Truck customers to me.

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What do Odyssey owners want left unchanged? Just a few things, like, for example, exterior size, passenger room, cargo space, handling, ride, ease of getting in and out and interior storage. Sounds like a winning Minivan to me. The Odyssey is also the winner of AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Minivan.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The first generation Grand Cherokee was launched in an age of soaring SUV sales. Its only real competition at the time was the 4-door Ford Explorer and the 4-door Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Jimmy. There were, of course, several Japanese entries to compete with as well, but the Grand Cherokee was perceived to be atop the category. In one focus group AutoPacific held during that time, a participant described the Grand Cherokee as "the chairman's Jeep. It's the one parked outside the corner office."

In subsequent years the Grand Cherokee faced more and more good competition. Its share of segment deteriorated. Its image deteriorated. Chrysler cost reduced the vehicle and its presence suffered. Then came Daimler and the merger of equals creating DaimlerChrysler. Then came Cerberus buying Chrysler from Daimler for a song, trying to turn it around and failing. Bankruptcy and now Chrysler is managed by Fiat SpA.

While all this was happening, products kept getting developed. Some were delayed. But the fourth generation Jeep Grand Cherokee development continued. In fact the Jeep development team was also tasked with developing the next generation Mercedes ML 5-passenger SUV. The result is the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. A loose platform companion with the next generation ML and the best Grand Cherokee ever.

Continue reading "2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee - Reincarnation of a Winner"

Posted by George Peterson at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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