Car Minded

Mercedes-Benz and Audi Just Outsold BMW

Feb 17, 2016 by tgriffith

2015-mercedes-benz-cla-class

BMW has been the benchmark of luxury car sales in the United States for decades. The BMW 3 Series, 5 Series, X3, and X5 have provided the German automaker with ample opportunity to dominate sales charts here.

Worldwide, though, the other two German companies have been slowly inching closer to the sales king by offering what many consider to be better-designed cars that provide superior value. Mercedes-Benz and Audi are top-tier luxury players and last month both managed to outsell their cross-country rival.

Does this mean we have a new champ in the luxury and performance category? Not yet. But BMW ought to quickly come up with a plan to keep itself on top.

Hey Millennials: 10 Great Cars for Your Weird New Dates

Last updated: Mar 9, 2016 at 3:11PM
Published on: Feb 12, 2016 by Matt Smith

Flappers. Beatniks. Hippies. Hipsters. The media never tires of creating new terms for members of the younger generation. In the old days, those terms often had a negative connotation, but now that the Internet gives the younger generation the power to participate in the media, those terms tend to be less openly hostile. The current younger generation generated quite a bit of hostility in the auto press a while back, with headlines declaring things like “Millennials don’t like ____ (cars, shopping for cars, taking care of cars, driving, etc.).” More recent headlines question those older ones, suggesting millennials do like cars and driving, but think cars and driving are different than they used to be. We prefer the sound of those recent headlines, and we agree that cars and driving are changing radically.

Dating for millennials is also changing, apparently, but one thing hasn’t: The vehicle you use to pick up a romantic partner and and take him or her out on a date will have a big impact on that date. So in the interest of finding news ways to satisfy old needs, here are 10 vehicles we think would be perfect for 10 new types of millennial dates. We hope you have a great Valentine’s Day, millennial or not.

Chevy Malibu: The Best Non-BMW Available Today?

Feb 11, 2016 by tgriffith

Without any logos, could you guess the car?

A new ad from Chevrolet suggests that putting the Chevy logo on a car reduces its value by about $40,000.

That’s not the intent, of course, but it’s one way of interpreting the ad for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu.

Before we go any further, I need to say that I think the 2016 Malibu is the best sedan Chevy has built in decades. It’s worthy of instilling pride back into American cars and is a noble competitor to the Accords and Camrys of the world.

The new Malibu is sleek and well designed, has a high-quality luxurious interior, and offers plenty of technology to keep the driver and any passengers informed and entertained.

Its latest ad, though, is a head-scratcher.

Would You Pay $149,000 for a $50,000 Shelby GT350?

Feb 9, 2016 by tgriffith

2015 Ford Shelby GT

Do you remember the first time you bought a new car?

Mine was in 2004. The Honda Pilot was in its second model year, and I had to have one.

I did my research and learned everything I could about the SUV. Keep in mind, this was coming up on 12 years ago, and the era of online car research was still in its infancy. I learned enough to know which trim I wanted and the price I was willing to pay.

What I wasn’t prepared for was a little thing called “market adjustment,” a phenomenon that has been taken to all-new levels in 2016.

Kia Next to Compete With the BMW 3 Series?

Feb 8, 2016 by tgriffith

kia-novo-concept-02-1

Here are the carmakers you might expect to field competition to the BMW 3 Series:

Audi
Mercedes-Benz
Lexus
Acura
Infiniti
Jaguar
Volvo

Each of those automakers builds a vehicle that could be considered a sports sedan, and each has its own selling points and unique qualities when compared with BMW’s venerable sedan.

Other brands might like to get into the sports sedan game, but just don’t have the heritage to build a world-class competitor that would be taken seriously.

So a Kia entry in the sports sedan market would seem to have a snowman’s chance in summer, right?

Car Minded

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