Foreign Cars

A Whole New Way to Look at Fiat?

Last updated: Aug 11, 2016 at 2:08PM
Published on: Aug 10, 2016 by tgriffith

Fiat_ads

Fiat has a problem.

Sales in the United States continue to fall as American car shoppers fail to recognize Fiat’s value proposition. Either that, or the marginal reviews of Fiat’s cars to this point have turned buyers off the brand.

Sales so far for the year are down over 16 percent from last year.

Fiat has some great things going for it now, though, including the 500X mini crossover and the 124 Spider roadster.

To help change how Americans perceive the Fiat brand, FCA has launched a series of video ads aimed at giving U.S. shoppers a “Whole New Way to Look at Fiat.” The ads feature innovative camera techniques, but will that be enough to convince people to put Fiat on their lists?

Changes Coming for Popular Nissan Juke, Leaf

Last updated: Oct 23, 2019 at 11:56AM
Published on: Aug 1, 2016 by tgriffith

Electric cars shouldn’t look like electric cars if they are to go mainstream.

Tesla figured that out early, while other automakers, especially BMW and Nissan, made their electric cars look more and more… electric.

The BMW i3 and Nissan Leaf are perhaps the “most electric” looking of today’s electric cars.m BMW shows no signs of easing up on its polarizing styling, while Nissan, known for pushing the limits of good design taste, will soon unveil all-new looks for the Leaf and a slightly tamed-down design for the soon-to-be-hybrid Juke.

What to Buy: A Base Premium Brand or a Loaded Non-Premium Brand?

Jul 18, 2016 by tgriffith

2016_Volvo_XC90

New-car shoppers continually debate between buying a fully loaded economy vehicle or a base-trim premium car.

When buyers realize that $40,000 can either buy a Kia or a Volvo, some interesting comparisons arise. Is it better to get a lower-end brand with the latest high-end features or a luxury brand that’s missing some desirable options?

For the sake of comparison, I spent the weekend shopping for two vehicles: a 2016 Volvo XC90 T5 FWD Momentum and a 2017 Kia Sorento Limited V6.

The base price of the Volvo is $2,450 more than that of the loaded Kia. Is the extra cost worth it?

Audi, Toyota Ready Subcompact SUVs

Jul 11, 2016 by tgriffith

Audi_Q2

The unofficial car of Seattle is the Audi Q5.

Driving through the Emerald City is like navigating an Audi showroom, as it seems every third car on Interstate 5 sports the 4-ringed logo up front.

It’s grown so common that my family now plays the “Q5 game,” where the first person to spot a Q5 gets to punch someone in the shoulder. It’s a lot like an updated version of the old “slug bug” game involving the Volkswagen Beetle.

This weekend my wife punched my arm, then quickly had to retract it when she noticed the passing car was a Q3, a smaller sibling to the Q5 that we had both forgotten existed.

The Q3 competes against the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, some of the smallest SUVs on the market, but Audi is now going even smaller with the upcoming Q2.

How small can SUVs get?

Here Are 2016’s “Most American” Vehicles

Jun 23, 2016 by tgriffith

2016-Honda-Accord

The new Buick Envision is made in China and some Hondas are made in America.

The landscape of today’s automotive manufacturing world is far different than it was two decades ago. In fact, there’s not a single mass-produced vehicle that was designed and built in America with all American-made parts.

Automakers based in the U.S. routinely build vehicles in Mexico and acquire parts from Latin America and China. The global sourcing of parts and assembly helps cut costs and keeps prices of new cars affordable.

Consumers who want to know just how “American” a car is can check out the fourth annual Kogod Made in America Auto Index, which was released earlier this week. In this new global automotive economy, though, does it really matter?

Foreign Cars

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