Auto News from Daryk LeVasseur - Car Buying

Daryk LeVasseur
Tampa Florida Office:
727.224.6884 P
813.830.7318 F
Email Me

Become a fan

Automotive Links, News, and Reviews

Ford hopes ride on new Explorer

Alisa Priddle / The Detroit News

Ford Motor Co. today unveils its 2011 Explorer, banking that consumers will embrace the reincarnation of its iconic sport utility vehicle as a car-based crossover.

Ford wants this Explorer to redefine SUVs the way the original defined them and sparked the SUV craze two decades ago. If it's a hit, the automaker stands to win financially and make the Explorer king of the segment again.

The 2011 Explorer, whose launch will be trumpeted on Facebook and in nine cities, marries the attributes that people love in SUVs -- roominess, capability and safety -- while fixing what they hate: poor fuel economy and a rough ride.

Read More From The Detroit News

Ford drops hybrid markup

Automaker prices Lincoln MKZ same as gas version

Ford Motor Co. is throwing down a competitive gauntlet by becoming the first automaker to offer a hybrid, its new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, for the same price as the gasoline version. The midsize sedan goes on sale this fall. Read more at - The Detroit News

New Car Deals Improve in July

If you've been holding out buying a new car, it appears that the wait has been worth it.

Automotive News writes, "Automakers disappointed by June sales are extending discounts -- and in some cases modestly increasing rebates and enhancing loan terms -- on new cars and trucks to entice skittish shoppers."
See Full Article from US News Rankings & Reviews.com

Honda to Roll Out New Electric Car and Plug-In Hybrid
Honda Motor Co. says it will roll out a new electric vehicle and a plug-in hybrid to the U.S. in 2012. The announcement was part of a mid-year speech in Tokyo by the car maker's president and chief executive Takanobu Ito. The company also says it will use a lithium-ion battery in the next generation of its Civic Hybrid starting in 2011. Read More

New Explorer Will Be 30% More Fuel-Efficient

Ford is preparing to reinvent the Explorer. Riding on a car-based platform, the new Explorer will offer improved safety, greater technology and, as Ford revealed yesterday, improved fuel economy.

According to Ford, the four-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost Explorer will get fuel economy 30 percent better than the outgoing 4.0-liter V6. Read More from US News

Dodge and Jeep Recalls Announced

Chrysler is issuing a recall for more that 22,000 trucks and SUVS from its Dodge and Jeep brands.
See Full Details at U.S. News rankings & Reviews

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe Available Ahead of Schedule

Good news for Cadillac fans: the highly-anticipated 2011 CTS Coupe will be hitting dealer lots sooner than expected.

A Cadillac press release states, "Cadillac's Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant has begun production of the 2011 CTS Coupe and started shipping models to U.S. dealerships ahead of schedule." It wasn't expected to hit dealer lots until August.
Full Details at U.S. Auto News

Top 10 sales leaders, and why they should be on your shopping list.

Auto sales are on the rise in 2010, and that's a good thing, especially since the last two years were such a complete disaster for the industry. But which models are the cream of the showroom crop? What makes them rise to the top of the heap? And why should they be on your short list when purchasing a new car, truck or SUV this year? To answer these questions, we compiled a list of America's top sellers according to Automotive News data, and examined each machine's strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully our evaluation will give you insight into what makes each model a winner, and why they appeal to more consumers than any other rides on the road today.
See Full List at MSN Autos