"Pulling ahead of the competition in the Mid-Size Car segment, the Volkswagen Jetta wins AutoPacific's 2009 Motorist Choice Award. This after winning AutoPacific's Ideal Vehicle and Owner Recommendation Awards. Jetta offers a touch of class and German engineering not found in the competition which, when added to the high ratings for powertrain and safety, makes it a Motorist Choice." -- AutoPacific

"The Jetta has best-in-segment ownership costs. The Jetta has the highest retained value and lowest fuel costs in the segment." -- IntelliChoice

Owner Satisfaction Highlights
* Cargo Space / Capacity
* Powertrain and Acceleration
* Braking
* Handling
* Fun to Drive
* Feeling Safe While Driving

Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
* Best-in-Segment Ownership Costs
* Best Retained Value
* Lowest Fuel Costs

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Awards Show Consumers Enjoy Luxury and Size
(August 11, 2009) -- Right brain, left brain; the practical versus the emotional -- an age-old dilemma often at the center of decision making when buying a new car or truck. The 2009 Motorist Choice Awards recognize new cars and trucks that give their owners both economic and emotional satisfaction, helping new-car buyers find vehicles that best satisfy all of their personal-transportation needs. The fourth annual Motorist Choice Awards survey, announced today, scores 196 cars, trucks, crossovers and SUVs. With the top overall scores in both owner satisfaction and value, the Lexus LS placed highest of any 2009 model year vehicle.

Large and luxury vehicles dominated this year's results. The top 34 ranked cars, and 106 of the top 107, are large cars, luxury cars, sport utility vehicles, crossover SUVs or minivans. Only one small car, the BMW 1-Series, scored in the top 100, landing in the 35th slot. Toyota Prius is the next-highest-scoring small car, coming in 107th.

Awards are given for top-scoring vehicles scoring in each of twenty-three segments, as well as for the top-scoring brand. Nine manufacturers earned segment wins, led by Toyota with nine awards (including three for Lexus), followed by General Motors with six (Chevrolet 4, Cadillac 2), Honda with three, and Chrysler with two (Dodge 1, Jeep 1). Audi, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen took top honors in one segment each.

(And check out our video on YouTube.)

Continue reading "Motorist Choice Awards Reveal Vehicles That Please Both Hearts And Minds" »

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Diesels stink. They're noisy, slow, smelly, and dirty. Right? Um, wrong. At least, not anymore. Chances are, you've never driven a modern diesel because you live in America. That means you've been missing out on some incredibly clean, green, and powerful engines that until now were only available on the other side of the Atlantic.

I recently got some seat time in the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI and came away more than impressed. Here's a really nice compact sedan that got me 40mpg during my drive (which consisted of a lot of urban and mountain driving) and none of the compromises you would normally expect from a car that gets that kind of fuel economy. What kinds of compromises, you ask? Oh, things like tepid acceleration, no off-the-line oomph, and lack of a fun-to-drive factor.

Continue reading "2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Guess What? Hybrids Aren't the Only Way to Drive Green." »

Posted by Ed Kim at 8:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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"Volkswagen Jetta wins AutoPacific's 2009 Ideal Vehicle Award, which demonstrates that Volkswagen has designed its Mid-Size Car to be ideal for its buyers. Volkswagen clearly understands what these buyers want and have delivered," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, Inc. "In a product segment where owners value an efficient size with good cargo space and good ride, Volkswagen understands the buyer and knows how to provide a car that fits the bill - the Jetta. Jetta owners are also most likely to recommend their car to a friend or relative than any other vehicle in its class." Some of those leading characteristics include:
* Exterior Size
* Cargo Space
* Ride
* Safety Features
* Ingress/Egress

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Public Responds Positively to Ford's Actions, but Some Still Have Reservations
TUSTIN, Calif. (June 17, 2009) -- American consumers' opinions about Ford Motor Company have been positively influenced by the company's decision not to accept government bailout funds, and by the bankruptcy filings of rivals General Motors and Chrysler. Automotive research and analysis firm AutoPacfic conducted an online survey of more than 900 U.S. consumers regarding their purchase intent and opinions of individual car companies. Highlights include:

* Asian and European manufacturers scored highest when the survey asked "How concerned are you about buying/leasing a vehicle from" a particular maker, with an average of 61% "Not concerned at all." Ford scored 48%, far ahead of GM's 15% and Chrysler's 14%.

Continue reading "Survey Indicates Ford Benefits From Troubles Of Others And Not Taking Bailout" »

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Volkswagen seizes the lead in the Mid-Size Crossover SUV segment over strong competition including the well-regarded Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and major change Ford Escape. How did they do that? With great owner satisfaction ratings for overall satisfaction, and specifically with respect to:
• Fun-to-drive, power/acceleration, handling
• Exterior and interior styling including instrument layout, the feel of interior fabrics and materials, and the quality feel/operation of controls
• Durability/long lasting

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Baja 1000 is one of the toughest off-road races in the world. This year the roughly 1,000 kilometer event runs from November 20-23 in Baja California, Mexico. VW-powered vehicles have done well in the event for years, but in 2008, things will be even better! VW has entered a custom-built of-road machine powered by a 5.5L V12 twin turbo diesel with 550 horsepower and 625 lb. ft. of torque. The vehicle has an appearance somewhat resembling a Touareg on steroids, but I don't think there is one part in common with any production VW. The vehicle was first shown to the public at the L.A. Auto Show on Wednesday.

One one of these vehicles currently exists, and it was built by ArcieroMiller Racing in Lake Forest, California, not far from VehicleVoice's offices in Tustin, California. To a degree, this new racer is based on the Paris-Dakar vehicles prepared by Volkswagen Motorsports in Germany. I understand there was a great deal of cooperation between the VW Motorsports team and ArcieroMiller Racing in developing the vehicle for the unique conditions of the Baja 1000, particularly with respect to the suspension.

This is a most impressive vehicle, and we look forward to seeing how it does in the race over the next few days. VW has aggressive sales ambitions in the U.S. over the next few years, and their sales are expected to be driven to a significant extent by their TDI (Turbodiesel Direct Injection) engine technology. Diesel engines, while very popular in Europe, have not historically represented a significant share of U.S. passenger car sales. VW hopes to use competitive successes of diesel engines to enhance the popularity of diesel powered passenger cars in the U.S. I wish them success.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The longest running and most-produced automobile of a single design on the planet was, and remains to this day, the original Volkswagen Beetle. A record even Henry Ford and his Model T would be jealous of. The Volkswagen Beetle, co-developed by Ferdinand Porsche and Zündapp back in 1931, has become a timeless classic and an industry icon.

Continue reading "Vintage Volkswagen and the New Beetle: Peace and Love - Have a Hippie Holliday" »

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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AutoPacific: There was some strong competition in the image compact segment, but owners dubbed the Volkswagen GTI a 2008 Motorist Choice Award® winner. The GTI won with high marks for great interior fabrics and materials, along with driver’s-seat comfort and handling. The highest marks for overall satisfaction in the segment helped seal the deal.
IntelliChoice: In a class that features a wide range of vehicles -- from hybrids to convertibles and wagons -- the Volkswagen GTI is competing against some tough competition. While the GTI has average ownership costs in retained value, fuel and repairs, what makes the GTI a 2008 Motorist Choice Award® winner is its stellar performance within the AutoPacific survey.

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Green technology at the Woodward Dream Cruise? Hmmm. You could fit a whole Prius under this baby’s hood, I guess.

Continue reading "Road Noise: The Green Parade" »

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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So, first Volkswagen announces that they’re building their new plant in Tennessee, and then like two hours later, General Motors comes out with another little ray of sunshine: No more health care for salaried retirees, bonuses for nobody, and they’re closing the hell out of a bunch of plants.

You know, times have been tough, but even taking that into account, we’ve had better Tuesdays, you know?

The manufacturing economy. (Artist's rendering)

Continue reading "Blue Tuesday" »

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Package considerations placed the Volkswagen Rabbit at the top of the Compact Car segment. Winning the 2008 Ideal Vehicle award for its exterior size, passenger room and interior lighting, it also garnered top marks for seat firmness and ride.

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Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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The Mercury Milan ranks at the top of the Mid-Size Car category, winning the 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Award with strong ratings for Styling and Feeling Safe While Driving. In the two years Milan has been on the market, it has established a Reputation valued by its owners. Milan owners rate their Experience with their Lincoln-Mercury Dealer highly and find the Milan a good Value for the Money.

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Tustin, California, May 29, 2008 - A study released today by noted automotive consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. summarizes the results of its 2008 model year vehicle satisfaction research. AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA) is an industry benchmark for objectively measuring how satisfied an owner is with their new passenger car or light truck.

In a year that promises to be the toughest in a decade, owner-based awards like AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award will help customers make their purchase decisions.

The brand with the highest satisfaction rating is Cadillac. The vehicle - car or truck - registering highest overall satisfaction in 2008 is the new-for-2008 Toyota Sequoia Large Sport Utility Vehicle. The passenger car with the highest overall satisfaction score is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

There are twenty-eight Vehicle Satisfaction Award categories. At the manufacturer level, multiple top ranked award winners include: General Motors (eleven categories), Toyota (nine categories), Ford (six categories), Volkswagen (four categories), Honda (three categories) and Hyundai (two categories).

"Cadillac wins the Vehicle Satisfaction Award as the top brand in a close race. Strong satisfaction performance by Cadillac cars and trucks has Cadillac winning over other leading luxury marques including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW says AutoPacific president George Peterson. "Top ranked finishes by Cadillac's Escalade, CTS and DTS helped cement their industry topping position."

Peterson continues, "Vehicles that are all new received top rankings in several categories: Cadillac CTS, Honda Accord, Mitsubishi Lancer, Scion xD, Toyota Sequoia, Audi Q7, Buick Enclave, Hyundai Veracruz, GMC Acadia, Saturn Vue and Nissan Rogue. These new-for-2008 vehicles were strongly rated by their owners showing that the industry continues to improve as new vehicles are added to the hotly contested American car and light truck markets."

From a vehicle type perspective, Traditional Sport Utility Vehicles received the highest ratings as a class closely followed by Crossover Sport Utility Vehicles. Peterson says, "Clearly, SUVs continue to be one of the most popular and satisfying vehicle types available in the USA today. Even with skyrocketing gas prices, SUVs are attractive and Crossover SUVs fill the bill for most SUV buyers with better fuel economy." Cars scored slightly below industry average followed by minivans and pickup trucks.

Continue reading "AutoPacific Announces 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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VW Wants to Hit the Big Time in the US Market
Like so many other second tier brands today, Volkswagen is talking publicly about big goals in the US. True, Volkswagen is a huge player in many world markets, particularly Europe, China, and Latin America. Here in America, however, Volkswagen is definitely something of a niche player, despite its enviable brand image. Apparently, Volkswagen wants to become a mainstream player in the US as it is in the rest of the world, rather than a marque that appeals primarily to fashionable hipsters as it does now. By about the middle of the next decade, Volkswagen wants to be selling 800,000 vehicles in the US, up from about 230,000 last year.

With that in mind, what could possibly be more mainstream than a Chrysler minivan? It’s the ultimate symbol of traditional family values, a paragon of responsible and sensible thinking. And, despite the fact that minivan popularity is declining, the segment still represented over 800,000 sales in 2007. So, Volkswagen has partnered with Chrysler to create a German remix of the Town & Country minivan, dubbed Routan. It will be built in the US by Chrysler alongside the Town & Country and Caravan.

Continue reading "Volkswagen Routan – Chrysler Minivan Roots Mean Function, Not Fun" »

Posted by Ed Kim at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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High-Style 4-Door Aims to Show That VW’s Styling Mojo is Alive and Well
Volkswagen unveiled the Passat CC at NAIAS today, and it really is a looker. Long, low, and sleek, it aims to be a statement of cutting edge design: an artistic blending of cutting edge product design and everyday practicality. When it goes on sale later in the year, it will supplement the standard issue Passat sedan, giving the Passat lineup three unique bodystyles – sedan, wagon, and this third variant. In keeping with the car’s high-design message, VW’s product intro video showed it parked at the gorgeously minimalist Marmol Radziner modern pre-fab house near Palm Springs, a strong statement of practical yet avant-garde design.

Volkswagen refers to the car as a coupe, despite its four sedan doors. Does this all sound a bit familiar? It should, as Mercedes-Benz captivated hearts and minds just a few short years ago with a similar idea, the beautiful CLS.

Continue reading "Volkswagen Passat CC: A 4-Door Coupe, Or a Very Pretty Sedan?" »

Posted by Ed Kim at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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Whether you’re tired of fuel prices creeping up to $4 dollars a gallon, uncomfortable with the idea that your money is making it’s way over to the Middle East or simply want the feel good endorphins to pump through your body as you are seen as a socially responsible human being, a hybrid may be the answer. They have become the American answer to slow all personal transportation energy woes and Volkswagen, no stranger to fuel efficiency, wants a piece of the action. The VW space up! blue plans to provide just that…

Continue reading "LA Auto Show - Volkswagen space up! Blue – Deutschland In Da House Y’all" »

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 5:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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I spent two days crisscrossing the massive Frankfurt auto show, and the focus on reducing emissions and improving fuel economy and "green" solutions could not be missed. Very few manufacturers were not talking about fuel economy gains in their powertrain lineup and many announced hybrid plans or showed hybrid concepts. What we're seeing here is the culmination of years of research, rather than fiberglass what-if models. Many of these hybrids or other technology-based solutions will be on the roads later this decade.

Mercedes-Benz will, during the 2009CY, offer a hybrid powertrain in the S-Class and the M-Class, while a smart fortwo mild hybrid system goes on sale in October. Porsche gave updated the Cayenne's diesel for more power but also promises a parallel series hybrid using the existing 3.6L V6 by the end of 2010CY. General Motors took the system shown under the Chevrolet Volt in January, replaced the gasoline engine with a diesel one, and created the Opel Flextreme as well as showing off an Opel Corsa Hybrid. Volvo put a plug-in hybrid into the C30 to create the Recharge concept. Land Rover is adding stop-start systems in 2009CY, and Audi will bring a hybrid to the Q7.

Small cars are more prevalent on international roads and therefore more prevalent at auto shows outside the United States. Toyota brought us the iQ, Volkswagen the up!, and Ford the Verve. Renault's latest Twingo was on the show floor as well, though this was not its debut.

Notable exceptions to the small and green game were Ferrari and the 430 Scuderia (introduced by Michael Schumacher himself), the Aston Martin DBS (officially introduced at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance), the Bentley Continental GTS Speed, the Lamborghini Reventon (of which only twenty will be made, with a price tag around $1.4 million), and Maserati.

Day two of Frankfurt's show holds most of the supplier press conferences, leaving us a chance to take photos and see some general reaction. Frankfurt's convention center has 10 halls, with at least seven of them holding the major manufacturers and others holding aftermarket and supplier stands. Walking the full show requires much time and comfortable shows and several hours. Interest was strong in the Mercedes-Benz F700 Concept (previewing the next S-Class), the Audi A4, Opel's Flextreme, Ford's Verve and Kuga, and Jaguar's XF. Peugeot and Citroen concepts, the 308RCZ and the Airscape, saw plenty of attention, as did Nissan's very odd-looking Mixim.

The Volkswagen Tiguan stand was flocked with people getting a chance to get in and crawl around the new model, with plenty also checking out the up! city car. Interestingly, every time I went through hall 6, home to Italian makes Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, Ferrari, and Maserati as well as Porsche and Hyundai it was completely mobbed. On the other hand, Kia's Kee coupe concept and BMW's X6 concepts didn't seem to grab attendees as much.

While going green may be good for us, hybrid systems and new engine developments don't make for great pictures or put the enthusiasm into driving that a great-looking design can. Over the coming weeks, we'll bring you more detailed coverage of many of these. Stay tuned.

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Small City Car Concept Revives Rear-Engine Layout, Explores the Future of Interior Displays
At an event the evening before the official start of media days of this year's Frankfurt auto show, Volkswagen revealed their latest city car concept. Small outside and big inside, the up! takes a layout similar to the first Beetle, with a rear-mounted engine (though VW did not specify what engine might be packed in back there).

Cute and clever, VW may consider bringing the up! to the U.S. market in a few years. At less than 136 inches long, up! is about 30 inches longer than the smart fortwo, but about the same length shorter than the current New Beetle. Instead of a traditional center stack, up! offered a seven-inch touch screen that VW called "the way that future human-machine interface will look and operate." Not only a touch-screen-based system for controlling navigation, climate, audio, and phone, a proximity sensor reacts to hand gestures. Once the element you wanted to control shows up in the menu, a simple wave of the hand brings up the specific control screen. Glad they cleared that up for us! Instead of gauges, there is an eight-inch screen in front of the driver, displaying all the relevant information. This small concept offers seats for four, with all but the driver's seat removable and stowable. Described as similar to a self-inflating mattress, a valve allows air to be released and the seat adjusted for maximum comfort for any passenger.

Many of Volkswagen's concepts find their way into production eventually, and VW continues to explore solutions for a low-cost city car that is environmentally friendly, economical, affordable, and still profitable. Whether or not we see up! in the States, a four-door version is likely to find its way into production in a few years.

Sure does remind me of the Mitsubishi i... looks more substantial, but the concept is very similar.

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The all-new Volkswagen Eos ties as Most Ideal Sporty Car for 2007. The retractable hardtop Eos is a competitive all-rounder with its usefulness enhanced by its retractable hardtop – convertible, sporty coupe all in one package without the compromises required by a pure soft-top convertible.

No wonder Ford sells so many Mustangs! Most Ideal Sporty Car, and segment leader in 14 out of 15 categories the Mustang blows today’s competition into the weeds. New competition is coming in the next couple of years, but it looks like Ford’s designers and engineers know best what Sporty Car buyers require and deliver it in spades.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Disclaimer: VehicleVoice and AutoPacific exclusively use Macintosh computers. Beginning in 1986 and continuing through all the rough years, Mac has powered AutoPacific. Never a PC.

FACT: Steve Jobs, Chairman of Apple, Inc. and Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of Volkswagen AG met last week apparently to finalize an Apple/Volkswagen initiative to bring Apple technology to Volkswagen vehicles in the future. The announcement came from Volkswagen with very-secretive Apple refusing to comment. So, we'll have a Volkswagen "iCar" soon?

RUMOR: Several Apple-related announcements concerning Apple interfaces with cars will be made at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

iPod, iPhone, SYNC Force Apple to React

We have heard vibrations about Apple beginning to move into the automotive space for years.

First, consumers have been screaming for better solutions to integrate their iPod with their car for years now. Some solutions have been successful. Some have been very crude. But this has forced Apple and the carmakers into a dialog about how to best integrate iPod with their vehicles.

Second, with the recent introduction of the iPhone, Apple has another device that makes the second step towards the holy grail of car-dom. More on that later.

Third, with Microsoft's SYNC (see the VehicleVoice video podcast of the SYNC system from the 2007 CES) system being launched on Fiats and Fords it is only logical to believe Apple will move into the same space, but probably do it better with more elegance and intuition.

Fourth, Apple's sense of design would blend perfectly with the design language of several premium brands. Apple could become an icon in automotive entertainment like Bose, Nakamichi, Levinson, Infinity, Rockford Fosgate, but with even more style and elegance.

Fifth, using Apple TV-type interfaces, the car, home computer, iPhone, iPod could be inter-connected wirelessly every time the car pulls into the garage. Steve will own the world.

The Holy Grail - Full Automotive Integration with One Portable Device

Since AutoPacific began working in "Telematics" in the late 1990s, it was apparent that the holy grail for integrating with the automobile would be some sort of portable device that would wirelessly sync with the car. Imagine the car as a receptor and the monitor in the center stack as the display monitoring the interface. A person's iPhone holding GPS data could immediately sync with the navigation system. The data would be continuously updated through the iPhone and to the car. A person's address book, music files, etc would be on the iPhone and synced with the car continuously. Since these devices would be on the "human" and not hardwired into the car they could more easily and cheaply upgraded. And, it would all look great!

Can't wait for CES. I wanna to see this stuff. Hope it's true.

Just to show the iCar idea is not new, check out this link from 1999. And, check out the 1998 story below the fold.

Continue reading "Apple - Coming to a Center Stack Near You" »

Posted by George Peterson at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Motorist Choice Award is in its second year and is a collaboration between AutoPacific and IntelliChoice.com. AutoPacific, widely known for its industry expertise and research, and IntelliChoice, known for its comprehensive cost of ownership information, designed the Motorist Choice Award to help consumers identify the most satisfying cars and trucks that are also the least expensive to own.

Using data from AutoPacific's national Vehicle Satisfaction research and the IntelliChoice Best Overall Value information, AutoPacific and IntelliChoice have developed a unique tool that can be used by consumers to help them sort through the myriad of choices in today's automotive marketplace.

Here are the 2007 Winners of the 25 individual segment awards:

SEGMENT - Winner

Aspirational Luxury Car - Lexus IS
Compact Car - Mazda3
Compact Crossover SUV - Chevrolet HHR
Compact Pickup - Toyota Tacoma
Compact Sport Utility/ORV - Toyota Tacoma
Economy Car - Honda Fit
Image Compact Car - Volkswagen GTi
Large Car - Toyota Avalon
Large Heavy Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado HD
Large Light Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Large Luxury Car - Cadillac DTS
Large Sport Utility - GMC Yukon XL
Luxury Crossover SUV - Acura MDX
Luxury Mid-Size Car - Nissan Maxima
Luxury Sport Utility - Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Mid-Size Car - Volkswagen Jetta
Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Honda CR-V
Mid-Size Sport Utility - Toyota 4Runner
Minivan - Honda Odyssey
Premium Luxury Car - Lexus LS
Premium Mid-Size Car - Nissan Altima
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Nissan Murano
Premium Sports Car - Lexus SC
Sports Car - Porsche Boxster
Sporty Car - Scion tC

The press release can be found below the fold.

Continue reading "2007 Motorist Choice Awards Announced" »

Posted by George Peterson at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific Take on Volkswagen Jetta Win – The Volkswagen Jetta wins the 2007 Motorist Choice Award® in the Mid-Size Car class. Owners ranked the Jetta as fun to drive while they found the flexible interior, cargo space, and interior storage compartments more than satisfactory. The interior build materials and quality of interior controls were also significant contributors to the Jetta’s win. Contributing were owner ratings for the vehicle’s image, braking and handling.

IntelliChoice take on Volkswagen Jetta win - The Volkswagen Jetta has best in class retained value, and low repair costs.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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AutoPacific Take on Volkswagen GTI Win – Drivers rate the Volkswagen GTI as the winner in the Image Compact Car class for this year’s Motorist Choice Award®. Owners raved about their interiors; from interior styling, controls and seat comfort to materials and storage compartments. Clearly, GTI owners think their car is a kick to drive. GTI owner ratings for ‘fun to drive’ really left the competition in the dust. Contributing to the win were high marks for braking, handling, power and acceleration.

IntelliChoice take on Volkswagen GTI win - In a class that features a wide range of vehicles from hybrids to convertibles to wagons, the Volkswagen GTI squares off against some tough opposition. The GTI’s ownership costs alone do not make it a 2007 Motorist Choice Award winner, but when combined with stellar performance within the AutoPacific survey the GTI beats out the rest of the competition.

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

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