"The MINI Cooper wins AutoPacific's 2009 Ideal Vehicle Award for the Image Compact Car class. An Image Compact Car isn't about pure functionality, but owners of the new MINI clearly value the design excellence of the car," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, Inc. "Mini provides the cute head-turning styling, crisp handling and fun-to-drive power that its owners value highly. Mini clearly understood what their owners wanted when they designed the new Cooper." Areas in which the MINI Cooper led the segment include:
* Exterior Styling
* Handling
* Power and Acceleration
* Safety Features

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Underscoring the eco-friendly theme of the LA Auto Show (and arguably many other auto shows over the last few years), MINI unveiled an all-electric version that will be available to 500 lucky individuals and companies. Called MINI e, this plug-in electric car uses advanced lithium ion batteries that will provide good range (for an electric) along with the sort of peppy performance expected from the brand.

Continue reading "2008 LA Auto Show: MINI E" »

Posted by Ed Kim at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

The next time someone calls my Cooper S “cute” I think I’ll commit a felony. While I understand the sentiment, it misses most of what a MINI is.

At the New York Auto Show Jim McDowell, Vice President – Marketing, MINI USA introduced the John Cooper Works MINI to North America with a reminder that MINI has racing in it’s blood, including Monte Carlo Rally wins in 1964, 1965, 1967. John Cooper has been synonymous with the high-performance MINIs for forty years. Earlier this year, MINI acquired John Cooper Works JCW as a sub brand of MINI.

Continue reading "New York Auto Show 2008 – MINI JCW Brings History Up to Date" »

Posted by Dan Hall at 4:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Continuing its tongue-in-cheek marketing party MINI USA unveiled the 2008 MINI Clubman at the Los Angeles Auto Show. In true self-deprecating MINI style, the diminutive wagon backed onto the stage, showing off its rear barn doors to the enthusiastic press. Vice President of MINI James O’Donnell led the tour of MINI’s latest model. (Look for VehicleVoice’s video podcast of our personal interview with James McDowell.)

Continue reading "Clubman: Super-Sized MINI" »

Posted by Dan Hall at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

The newly announced MINI Clubman is more than an extension (literally) of the popular MINI Cooper REV 2. First presented to the public at Frankfurt nearly two years ago (as the Shooting Brake Concept), the Clubman incorporates a number of unique and interesting capabilities that may set it apart from the average vehicle in its class.

Overall, the vehicle is the same up front as the basic MINI hatch and remains so to the B-pillar. The large, bug-like headlights, hexagonal radiator grill, and hood design clue you in to the vehicle. From the B-pillar back, things change...

The Clubman's body is now 9.45 inches longer than the standard MINI Cooper. The wheelbase is 3.15 inches longer. Color choices of the C-Pillar include silver, or black. The rest of the key data are very similar to that found on the standard MINI, except for some really neat new features, including:

Continue reading "MINI Clubman adds Doors, Tech, Green" »

Posted by dbarrett at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

AutoPacific's annual survey of new car and light truck buyers includes a question about the buyers' Overall Satisfaction with the Dealer Experience. Dealer experience includes both the sales experience and service experience. Respondents to the survey have owned their vehicles for ninety days or more so they have had the opportunity to visit the dealership to handle issues with initial quality or get their first oil change.

In AutoPacific's 2006 Research Suite results, MINI is the highest scoring brand with 65% of MINI buyers indicating they are "Completely Satisfied" with their dealership experience. The ranking by brand is shown below:

1. 65% MINI
2. 60% Porsche
3. 59% Cadillac
4. 57% Lexus
5. 56% Jaguar
6. 55% BMW
7. 54% Lincoln
8. 53% Saturn
9. 52% Mercury
9. 52% Land Rover

The remainder of the brands are shown below the fold.

Continue reading "MINI Tops AutoPacific Rankings for Satisfaction With Dealer Experience" »

Posted by George Peterson at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Watch Podcast

Subscribe via RSS

Subscribe via iTunes




The more things change the more they stay the same. If there was ever a saying the sums up the launch of the brand new Mini, that would be it. Some might joke, "Where's the new Mini?" while standing right next to it, but it's important to remember that there is hardly a more difficult task for a automotive design team than creating an entirely new car, that looks the same as the old model.

That was the challenge put before cheif Mini designer Bert Hildebrand. When David Barrett met him for an exclusive interview at the North American Auto Show in Detroit this month, you couldn't tell that he'd just finished a grueling redesign. In fact, Hildebrand is as cheerful and charming as the car he's helped recreate. Barrett not only chats Hildebrand up about the new Mini, but gives you a first look at the all new John Cooper Works Mini and the new Mini Sidewalk.


Show Runtime - 13:59

Posted by Cameron at 4:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Disclaimer, the author drives a 2004 MINI Cooper S. All commentary from this article should be viewed as suspect, coming from a mindless MINI disciple. Treat all materials henceforth as suspect, and possibly void of objectivity.

Whew! I dodged a bullet! Driving a car with a tendency towards trendiness is hard enough. Driving a vehicle that was trendy would be unbearable! Fortunately, no one will know the difference.

Penny pinchers who worry that their current MINI may start to depreciate with the launch of the 2008 model have little to worry about. The 2008 MINI looks remarkably similar to the one now on the road. The overall length of the MINI Cooper has been extended by 2.36 inches, while the new MINI Cooper S is 2.4 inches longer. The modest increase in size is due to the MINI's new, larger engines and new European pedestrian safety rules.

Continue reading "NEW MINI Cooper - Mechanically New Old Friend" »

Posted by Dan Hall at 6:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

At this time of year, everyone wants you to know about the best cars, trucks and SUVS of the year. AutoPacific has already taken a big step in that direction, but with a twist: Partnering with Intellichoice, AutoPacific shared the best vehicles of the year, as picked by you - and that's saying something! The Awards are called the Motorist's Choice Awards and this year included the Lexus LS430, The Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 4x2, the Infiniti QX56 and the Audi A6 4.2 Quattro. Where else can you go to get the best possible input from your own peers about the latest vehicles in the marketplace? Since you're here, we think you've come to the right place.
Watch the Podcast: AutoPacific & IntelliChoice Motorist's Choice Awards

My Personal Choices for Best Rides of the Year
It's part of my job to drive a new vehicle nearly every week. In some cases, more than one vehicle at week gets the once-over, not only by me, but by a number of the analysts and experts at VehicleVoice and AutoPacific. As the resident speed-guy, I might have a slightly different take on things and while I do try to avoid going to court, I do need to put my foot down. And that's part of what my list is about. The other things I'm taking into consideration are everyday drivability, cost, and return on investment. And as you know, everyone is concerned about fuel costs and gas mileage. Not me! Not yet... So, let's get to it.

Continue reading "My Favorite Rides of the Year" »

Posted by dbarrett at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

At the 2006 Mondial de l'Automobile, MINI officially introduced the second-generation of the adorable and terrific-driving three-door hatchback and your VehicleVoice and AutoPacific correspondent was on-hand for the unveiling. North American buyers are set to get their first up-close look at Detroit's 2007 North American International Auto Show in January, but we didnt' want to wait that long to bring you what we know. Though four concepts in wagon form have been shown over the past year, the three-door is the launch product.

Continue reading "New MINI Arrives at 2006 Paris Auto Show" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

AutoPacific Take on MINI Cooper's Win - Owner ratings of the MINI Cooper guaranteed its win of the Motorist’s Choice Award®. The MINI Cooper also won the AutoPacific 2006 Vehicle Satisfaction Award® for its class. Superior ratings by owners for attributes like interior and exterior styling, fun to drive, braking, handling, quality, reputation and reliability contributed to its class-leading position.

IntelliChoice Analysis – The MINI had to be a hands-on favorite for the inagural Motorist’s Choice award from day one. Not many other vehicles in the current U.S. market blend style, performance, value, reliability and perhaps more than any other fun, in such a perfect package. With a 5 Year Cost of Ownership of just $23,621, more than $3000 less than competitors, the MINI will delight the driver and banker in you!

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

AutoPacific Take on MINI Convertible Win - The MINI Cooper Convertible wins the award for the Convertible Class hands down. Owners applaud its chic image and mixture of new-school technologies with some old school ergonomics. A kick to drive, the MINI delivers good handling and braking, while going topless only enhances the cool factor.

IntelliChoice Analysis – Building a drop top with performance, value, and reliability may not be an easy task but MINI proves it can be done. With a 5 Year Cost of Ownership of just $26,354 vs. the competitions $30,244 the MINI proves that good things do come in small packages.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

INTELLICHOICE.COM AND AUTOPACIFIC TEAM UP TO ANNOUNCE FIRST ANNUAL MOTORIST’S CHOICE AWARDS

- Awards Recognize Vehicles with Highest Driver Satisfaction and Lowest Cost of Ownership -

- Infiniti QX56 Wins Highest Rating Among All Classes/Vehicle Models -

AutoPacific, the industry source for automotive owner satisfaction ratings and IntelliChoice.com, the online source for automotive ownership cost and value analysis, today announced the results of the newly established Motorist’s Choice Awards for the 2006 vehicle model year.

IntelliChoice.com and AutoPacific created the Motorist’s Choice Awards to determine the vehicles that delivered both the highest satisfaction and lowest cost of ownership. The collaboration between the two respected firms, who have each been authorities on the U.S. car market for the last 20 years, takes selected owner satisfaction data from AutoPacific’s surveys of new car and light truck buyers and combines it with IntelliChoice.com’s rating methodology to create a new measurement that speaks to both the hearts and minds of car buyers.

“While the economic analysis of car ownership remains very important—it can save or cost you thousands of dollars over the life of the vehicle—it is also important to recognize owner satisfaction as another significant influencer in vehicle purchases,” said James Bell, publisher of IntelliChoice.com. “These are the two key benchmarks we think car buyers should be most attuned to.”

“Ratings of owners’ satisfaction with their new car and truck illustrates how well the vehicle is satisfying the emotional and practical needs of the driver. Satisfaction is more than simply how well a product is screwed together and there are many more dimensions to the equation. Combining AutoPacific’s satisfaction results with the value analysis from IntelliChoice provides the car buyer with an outstanding benchmark to use when selecting a new vehicle,” said George Peterson, President of AutoPacific.

WINNERS

For the inaugural awards, IntelliChoice.com and AutoPacific identified 29 winning models by segment and class. The top-ranked vehicles in their respective categories are:

o Cars: Lexus LS430
o Trucks: Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 (2WD)
o SUV/Crossover: Infiniti QX56
o Minivans/Wagons: Audi A6 4.2 Quattro

In terms of overall rankings, the Infiniti QX56 SUV scored highest in both driver satisfaction and lowest cost of ownership, followed closely by the Lexus LS430 sedan.

Continue reading "Motorist's Choice Awards - a New Benchmark Rating Automotive Excellence" »

Posted by George Peterson at 4:25 PM | Permalink

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Welcome to VehicleVoice Episode #34


Watch Podcast

Subscribe via RSS

Subscribe via iTunes

For the last two weeks, you might have noticed an inordinate number of Minis driving through your town. They were probably traveling in groups, and they were probably loaded with luggage, and snacks and very happy people. Those folks you saw were some of the 7,000 Mini owners taking part in "Mini Takes the States" - a 3,000-mile, two-week, cross-country extravaganza brought to you by the cutest little car in the world.

Mini Marketers are a very clever bunch. Of course, it helps to have as your sole product, one of the most loved brands in the automotive marketplace. But Mini has spent their limited marketing resources on lifting their brand to the height of cool while giving their customers infinite ways to individualize their cars. Hence the saying, "no two Minis are alike."

The VehicleVoice crew certainly found that to be true at the kickoff party for "Mini Takes the States." With more than 400 Minis neatly packed into the parking lot at Pirate's Cove at Monterey Beach in California, the party got underway with limbo contests, good eats, Carribean music, and even Mini Corporate Bigwigs leading the marching band that started this cross country drive. See and hear it all here!

Show Features

Andrew Cutler, Mini USA Marketing Director

Jim McDowell, Mini's Vice President of Marketing

Posted by Cameron at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Car makers continuously strive to produce a small car that people actually want to buy – an Image Compact Car – a car people aspire to. MINI has certainly achieved that goal. A car coveted by young and old drivers alike, the MINI has an attitude unmatched in today's car market. Distinctive, cute, fun to drive, MINI is a delight that clearly satisfies its owners placing it at the top of the segment in the AutoPacific 2006 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

If I hear another auto executive say that the B Segment is about explode I think I’m going to climb into the clock tower. The business plan goes like this. Exploding fuel prices will force all right thinking individuals to jettison their gluttonous SUVs and sprint down to the auto dealership to purchase more economical vehicles. Further increasing the prospects for success is a waiting herd of Gen Y new car buyers who are dying to drive a brand new cramped penalty box. The reasons that neither of these will happen are obvious. The former group needs utility and the later group needs cash.

While we will certainly get an increase of offerings in the segment, fuel prices and a demographic subset will not be the reasons for success for any entry into this segment. Unlike Europe, the US is not dominated by six-dollar gallons of gas and streets designed for horses. VehicleVoice (http://www.vehiclevoice.com) and AutoPacific (http://www.autopacific.com) research indicate the B Segment will only grow if a large portion of its entries fit the bill for US consumer acceptance.

The success of MINI in the US has led many to think that the segment is ripe, and that recent spikes in fuel prices are bound to give it stellar growth. The evidence is clear, however, MINI has succeeded with product. Product that inspires passion. Go figure. You only need to look at the Toyota Echo to understand why even B Segment buyers want some passion.

MINI has also identified that fact that there are only so many middle aged buyers who will pay 40% more for a vehicle that lacks the basic utility needed for everyday use. Passion starts the fire. The mind then takes over.

What will add to the prospects for this segment are vehicles that squeeze as much utility as possible into the sheet metal of a vehicle that inspires passion. Enter, the MINI Traveler Concept.

Continue reading "MINI Traveler Concept: Laughing All the Way to the Bank" »

Posted by Dan Hall at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Automotive Lease Guide is an influential and closely watched barometer of the value of brands and vehicles in the USA. ALG's data are used by leasing companies to set the values for vehicles two and three years in the future and are critical in determining what lease rates a lessee will pay.

While ALG's Residual Value Awards are not of the ilk of Motor Trend, Automobile, Car & Driver enthusiast awards, they provide an interesting counterpoint to awards based test track measurements, zero to 60 times and seat of the pants opinions. Here is the text of the ALG release...

ALG's annual Residual Value Awards honor those vehicles in each automotive segment predicted to retain the highest percentage of their original price. For the third consecutive year, American Honda Motor Company, Inc. heads the list with the Honda Brand winning the Industry Brand Residual Value Award. Honda also received two individual segment awards: the Odyssey for the Minivan Segment and the Accord for the Midsize Car Segment. This is the fifth consecutive win for the Honda Odyssey and the second win for the Accord.

Acura, a division of American Honda Motor Company, Inc., is the winner of the Near Luxury Car Segment for the TL.

BMW of North America, LLC has once again made a strong showing by winning the Luxury Brand Residual Value Award for the third consecutive year. MINI USA, a division of BMW of North America, has won the Compact Car Segment for the MINI Cooper for the fourth time.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. took home the most Residual Value Awards this year by winning six individual segment awards: the Avalon for the Fullsize Car Segment, Tacoma Pick-up for the Compact Truck Segment, Tundra for the Fullsize Truck Segment, RAV4 for the Compact SUV Segment, 4Runner for the Midsize SUV Segment, and the Sequoia for the Fullsize SUV Segment. This is the fifth consecutive win for the Toyota Tacoma, Tundra and Sequoia; and the third consecutive win for the 4Runner.

Mercedes-Benz USA LLC is the winner of this year's Luxury Car Segment award for the CLS Class.

The Sports Car Segment award this year goes to Porsche Cars North America, Inc. for the 911 Carrera.

And last but not least, the CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) award goes to Land Rover North America, Inc. for the Range Rover Sport.

"In an era of negative pricing and overcapacity, Residual Value excellence is increasingly difficult to achieve," said Raj Sundaram, President of Automotive Lease Guide. "Both the segment and brand winners clearly demonstrate that quality products combined with effective pricing strategies will rise to the top." Sundaram added that, "While the top rankings did not change, several brands have shown significant improvement over last year, highlighting the importance manufacturers are placing on residual value as a long-term objective."

This year's awards are based on 2006 model year vehicles. For the fourth year, ALG has also included awards for the brand with the highest predicted resale value of all industry and luxury vehicles. The awards are derived after careful study of segment competition, historical vehicle performance and
industry trends. Award winners are featured on http://www.alg.com, The Wall Street Journal, Automotive News, and other automotive publications and websites dedicated to bringing the industry's best performing models into the
public eye.

Continue reading "Automotive Lease Guide Releases Residual Value Awards" »

Posted by George Peterson at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner