Automobile Retailers

We all know that lawmakers have made great strides in forcing the auto industry to make their products more efficient. They’ve even encouraged us – the general public – to buy hybrids and other vehicles that get great gas mileage. That’s because they’re all buying in to the idea of global warming supposedly. But how many of them are actually practicing what they preach?

One reporter – KDKA’s Paul Martino – wanted to see if these same lawmakers were setting an example or if they were of the “do as I say, not as I do” idea. It’s probably no surprise what he found.

Congressman Charles Rangle, for instance, was a major offender of driving a gas-guzzler. He is often seen driving to work in a large Cadillac Seville. But that’s not all. The $800 lease and the fuel bill are supplied by the taxpayers – the same taxpayers that he tells to be more responsible. This type of behavior is common in the government offices.

But everybody in Congress isn’t like him. Jason Altmire disagrees with lavishes such as these, especially when they’re charged back to the taxpayer. He tends to care more about the environment and the taxpayers, too. In fact, when he drove to a recent meeting about gas prices, he and two of his aids crammed themselves into a Pontiac G6, one of the more fuel-efficient vehicles because of its small size.

Other congressmen, including Mike Doyle, drive their own car without charging the taxpayers for his fuel bill or anything. Maybe that’s because they have a great, fuel-efficient car that they bought from their nearest Pontiac dealer. You can, too! Visit one today and see why people love their Pontiac vehicles.

Everybody knows that gas prices are through the roof, but many people are still unsure of what to drive to help curb the damage done at the pumps. With few people actually choosing to drive less and go with other modes of transportation, cars that save gas costs are jumping to the forefront. Very few people seem quite prepared to gear down and stop those smaller trips to the store in the car when walking would have done just fine, so Cars.com has taken a look at some of the best cars for gas mileage available today.

The list was compiled by combining each car’s basic sticker price (typically on the base model unless otherwise noted) and using a fuel cost based on its EPA-estimated gas mileage. Fuel costs assume that the car is driven 15,000 miles a year.

First on the list is the smart fourtwo, a popular model for those interested in saving gas mileage and looking cute while doing. The smart, put out by Mercedes, tops the list at Cars.com and also tops the list at many other publications, making it a consistent favourite when gas mileage is taken into account. Plus, they’re pretty fun to drive and easy to park. With deceptively sturdy crash protection, the smart is an intelligent choice.

The Toyota Yaris comes in second place. The choice of my wife and I, the Yaris is an attractive car with solid crash ratings that are equal to the smart’s ratings. The gas mileage on the Yaris is also excellent, recently rated the best out of all of the cars driven in Consumer Reports’ 2008 cars edition.

Rounding out the list in order are the Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Chevrolet Aveo5, Nissan Versa, Chevrolet Aveo, Honda Fit, Toyota Corolla, and the popular Scion xD. Ratings were based on 55% city driving and 45% highway driving. The Scion xD, as well as the other cars, were tested using regular fuel. There are different ratings for those cars using premium fuel.

For more on the list and other cars with great fuel efficiency, check out Cars.com.

With the onslaught of hybrid vehicles taking over the auto market, many people are wondering if the muscle cars of yesteryear are going to have a place on dealer lots. One conceptual artist – Jonathan Shipper – has created a display for a Chicago gallery that depicts the death of the muscle cars. And it’s quite magnificent if you ask me.

The display begins with two iconic muscle cars – a Pontiac Firebird and a Pontiac Trans Am – situated face to face several feet away from each other. The cars are on hydraulic platforms because they are slowly moving toward each other. In fact, they are only moving a few feet over the course of four days. And they’ll keep moving toward each other until they have essentially “crashed” and their fronts are mangled together.

The exhibit is meant as a way to depict the slow and inevitable destruction of one of America’s favorite types of vehicles. How many movies have you seen that featured the roar of a Pontiac Trans Am or Firebird? One of the most popular TV shows during the 1980s – Knight Rider – had a sleek black Trans Am helping the hero fight crime. We could spend hours talking about the appearance of muscle cars in popular culture.

But don’t worry. Your local Pontiac dealer still has some of today’s best muscle cars and some used ones from back in the day. And when those get phased out, you can still get a great deal on one of the latest hybrids or fuel-efficient Pontiac models. Either way, the automaker and its dealers are looking out for you!

For those already in the know, the Build My Scion project has been rolling along quite nicely. I’m now in the final stages of putting the car together and getting a final price. So far, my 2009 stingray metallic Scion xB comes with automatic transmission, exhaust tip, rear spoiler, remote starter, cargo cover, and sport steering wheel. I’ve also “tricked out” the Scion with the XM Satellite Radio system and have added 16-inch alloy wheels and a sports muffler.

After clicking the “Get It” button, I’m on to the most frightening screen yet: the pricing screen.

The Scion screen tells me that I’ve created my “dream car” and that I’m only one step away from getting it. Pretty sweet, isn’t it? There are options for applying for credit, customizing financing, and reading about somebody named Drew and his story of buying a Scion. For some reason, I’m drawn to Drew and need to find out what his story is. I click the button.

It turns out that I end up in a new flash window that is actually quite hard to navigate. Drew is apparently the guy behind the screen, some guy with glasses that looks kinda like me. His “story” is about his trip to the dealership and understanding the process of leasing or buying a Scion. I thumb through the “book” they provide on the screen, but there’s really nothing of interest here and the page is slightly confusing.

I head back to the “Get It” page and give it another look. The financing section seems geared for me, so I click it and organize some monthly payments of the Scion xB I’ve been working on for the past few days. The first thing it asks me is about my credit rating. Using the FICO system, it asks me to rate my own credit. Of course I select “Excellent.” It loads data from the server and takes so long that I start wondering if the feds are going to be kicking down my door for lying about my credit score.

Finally a new screen arrives and I’m treated to my car’s price: $20,619. A lease payment with no down payment would be $292 a month and a finance payment would be $394 a month. Not bad for a car that is considered to be one of the best small cars on the market.

I close the page, proud of having used the “Build Your Scion” process to its finale and excited about the potential results of actually, you know, getting one for real this time.

Sometimes car sales are expected to take a big jump in the most unlikely of places. Sometimes our conception of “the most unlikely of places” isn’t entirely accurate, as Mercedes-Benz India has indicated today.

In an announcement, the car company said that it expected sales of its luxury cars to reach 3000. That figure is based on the sales from last year, which reached 2491 surprisingly. The growing demand for luxury cars in India is something Mercedes-Benz fully intends to take advantage of.

“Across India there is a significant demand for luxury cars and luxury products. For us this is very encouraging as it indicates that the economic development in the last few years is paying off,” company’s Managing Director and CEO Wilfred Aulbur told journalists.

Already this year, Mercedes-Benz India has sold 1300 cars in the first four months.

Mercedes-Benz also apparently has interest in the luxury bus sector in India. Partnering with Sutlej Motors to create the body of a potential model for a luxury bus, Mercedes-Benz India hopes to launch a potential bus model in the second half of this year.

To meet these requirements, Mercedes-Benz is opening up a new manufacturing facility at Chakan in Pune. This plant will be built on a 100 acre area and plans to manufacture some 5000 passenger cars and 1200 commercial vehicles each year. The demand for such a factory is immense and Mercedes-Benz quite simply can’t build it fast enough to meet the immense rising demands in India.

At this point, Mercedes-Benz locally manufactures S Class, E class and C class cars in India and imports Mercedes Benz S class, M class, CL class and popular SLK class and CLS class as completely built units. There are hopes to expand the capability of the local manufacturers to create an even more solid production base in India, helping Mercedes-Benz India compete with other car companies around the world.

Are you the type of person that buys a car based on what it looks like? Or do you simply look for a certain price and go after cars in a certain range? If you’re in the first category, then the color you choose for your car could say a lot about your personality. Here’s what some of the colors tell other drivers about you.

Red
People who typically buy red cars are often more aggressive than others. These are probably the drivers involved in a large number of road rage incidents. Red cars also tend to stand out to police officers looking for speeders.

Yellow
What comes to mind when you think of bright yellow? Most people think of the sun. And car buyers that choose yellow cars over others generally have a fun and cheery personality that brightens everybody’s day.

Dark Blue / Silver
Many upbeat car buyers choose these two colors. This doesn’t mean you have a sunny personality, but you’re more energetic than car buyers who choose some of the other colors.

Black
This is my favorite color for cars. People who choose black cars over the other colors are generally more downbeat, but they also have a high level of confidence. I confess…this does sound a bit like me.

Green
If you see somebody in a green car, there’s a good chance they have a smile on their face. Despite the gas prices, they still tend to be cheerful.

Of course, there’s nothing concrete in these findings. There is merely a correlation between color and personality. But now that you know what the colors might say about you, you’ll probably pay closer attention to the color you choose the next time you visit your local Pontiac dealer.

My stingray metallic Scion xB is looking pretty sweet with its rear spoiler and exhaust tip. The remote starter, sport steering wheel, and cargo cover has filled out the interior options quite nicely and I’m ready to move ahead to the next customizable option in picking my Scion.

Sound is the next option. Once again, installation is not included with some accessories. There is a small list of sound options, most of which are obviously geared towards today’s youthful driver. Hey, that’s me! A Pioneer AM/FM/CD deck is included in the base model of the 2009 Scion xB, but I can upgrade that to a Pioneer Premium Audio System ($389) if I’m so inclined.

The page also demonstrates Scion’s partnership with satellite radio, as options for XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio are available, both for $449. I can also add the Scion Navigation System for $1,950 although I’m not too sure what that has to do with sound. Nevertheless, I pick the XM Satellite Radio option to go with my ride and ignore the option to add 6-inch LCD Headrest monitors for $1,599. No thanks.

Next, it’s on to the wheels. The car includes 5-spoke, 6-spoke, and 7-spoke wheel covers free of charge. A 16 inch alloy wheel is available for $795 (each?) and a 19 inch TRD alloy wheel is available for $2,150. I pick the 16 inch allow wheel option (why not?) and move forward. I slap on the $65 wheel locks for good measure.

The next option is for performance. There are lowering springs, sport mufflers, performance air filters, and performance shocks available. I pick the sports muffler ($489) because I’m cool like that and fast-forward through to the next option with butterflies in my stomach. I’m about to “Get It,” the menu tells me. It’s time to enter the pricing of my 2009 Scion xB.

Ooh, scary. Stay tuned Monday for the thrilling conclusion of “Build My Scion.”

More Mercedes-Benz cars are sold in the state of California than any other place in North America. In fact, California sells more Mercedes-Benz vehicles than all of Canada. So it was a strange consideration that the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C230 4Matic was featured as a Canada-only model. Perhaps this is Mercedes’ way of opening up new markets in Canada. Perhaps this is simply wishful thinking based around poor market research.

Regardless of the motivation behind offering the Canada-only Benz C230 4Matic, most reports do claim that it is a reliable sedan.

The car is quite quick, boasting a 268 horsepower engine. A 24-valve, 2.5 litre inline-6 engine is under the hood enabling the car to reach speeds of 100km/h without flinching. That’s more than enough power for most Canadian drivers and enough to get a speed limit on Canada’s liberal highways. This engine is the smallest engine featured in any other Canadian model of a Mercedes-Benz, but it seemed more than satisfactory for most that tested it.

The price tag is around $39,500 for the basic model with no special features attached.

Most test drivers found the C230 a nice car to drive with superior handling. CanadianDriver.com noted that the C230 had a lot more “heft” than BMW and Audi and that it had a “silky ride.” Comparatively, the C230 may well be the best choice for Canadians looking for a slice of luxury while not giving up any of the speed or horsepower.

The style of the car is attractive, especially with a new grille and an AMG-inspired front end. A “sport package” can be added to the C230 for about $800 that offers a more traditional grille on the front, complete with an upright hood ornament and three-bar design.

The Canada-only Mercedes-Benz C230 4Matic is a sharp car available for those Benz lovers north of the border. Other Mercedes-Benz models are available for test drive as well, but for those interested in something a little sportier and decidedly more Canadian, the C230 may well be the perfect fit.

Unless you’ve never been to the movies or watched TV, you’ve seen the Pontiac Trans Am at least a few times during your lifetime. I’m going to start an intermittent series of posts discussing how the Trans Am has stolen scenes and helped make movies or TV shows even better merely by its presence.

The first movie I’m going to discuss is Short Circuit. If you’ve never seen this movie, I highly recommend it if you like cheesy humor and unbelievable situations. All I have to say is this: a robot that feels emotions, Steve Guttenberg, Ally Sheedy and the 1980s. Those four clues should give you a good idea about the quality of the movie.

But I loved it. In fact, I remember watching it about a dozen times between the ages of 11 and 13. If you watch closely, you’ll notice a reddish-colored 1976 Pontiac Trans Am in several of the scenes, particularly toward the beginning.

This is interesting because the 1976 model is one of the more recognized and revered vehicles ever made by Pontiac. In fact, it even has its own website.That’s probably because this was the year that became a turning point for the Trans Am. It also has wheels that are unique – the honeycomb pattern – because 1976 was the last year it was available on the Trans Am.

Whether you’re looking for a one of these popular Trans Am models (used, of course) or a new model, your local Pontiac dealer can point you in the right direction. Visit one today and see what’s available for you!

After recuperating from the incredible convenience of Scion’s “Build Your Scion” feature yesterday, I’m finally ready to move ahead and start adding some special features to my 2009 Scion xB base model. The $17,320 price tag is in American funds, of course, and has me pretty excited about the prospect of juicing this little baby up with some bells and whistles.

The estimated monthly payment based on a 60-month plan, with “excellent credit” of course, is $330.83. There’s a “disclaimer” to click on near the price tag, but who cares about that at this point? Let’s have some fun!

I have six colours to choose from: super white, classic silver metallic, black sand pearl, blackberry crush metallic, stingray metallic, and hypnotic teal mica. I go with the bluish stingray metallic and click the “next” button to head to select my exterior features. Yes!

A notation lets me know that installation is not included on some of the exterior features, but there is nothing to tell me which ones that notion applies to. I search through the list of exterior features and find everything from a carbon fiber engine cover to LED tail lights. The most expensive feature is a rear spoiler, pricing in at $423. No word on if installation is included, but I select it anyway and add a $76 exhaust tip for good measure.

I click forward again and I’m greeted with the new price ($17,819) and the new monthly payments ($340.36). Time to select my interior features!

The menu is the same as the exterior features menu, but the list of features is longer and there is a complimentary scroll bar (at least I hope it doesn’t cost anything to use the scroll bar!). I venture into the unknown and scroll down, having a glance at the interior features available. There’s a cargo liner, floor and cargo mats, sport pedals, and even an overhead console box. Fancy.

The technologically-forward person I am discovers that by hovering my cursor over each item, a description and a picture of the item shows up on the right hand side of the screen. Wow, this would have come in handy when selecting the exterior features. No matter, I stand by my rear spoiler and exhaust tip.

After picking the sport steering wheel, the remote engine start, and the cargo cover, I’m ready to move on towards the car’s sound, wheels, and performance options. Stay tuned tomorrow as I continue to work up my perfect Scion xB and come up with a final appraisal of the “Build Your Scion” experience.