Honda News - Forbes Top Four best vehicles for college students
August 30, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, Sedans/Saloons, SUVs, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai
Talk about tough standards. When Forbes compiled vehicles for its annual “Best Cars for College Students” list, they found only four vehicles qualified to meet its criteria of being affordable, safe, and reliable. Interestingly, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry, which they deemed the “standard” by which similar vehicles are measured, failed to make the list. According to Forbes, both did poorly on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests, with the Accord receiving the lowest rating of “poor” for rear-crash protection and the Camry receiving a “marginal” rating in the same test.
So who are the fortunate foursome? They are:
- Chevrolet Cobalt - $13,590
- Ford Escape - $19,780
- Honda Civic - $14,560
- Hyundai Sonata - $17,195
How each vehicle scored in the IIHS safety test, Consumer Reports, and J.D. Power can be found on each slide. What do you think? A+ to Forbes on their choices? Or back to school for them? Seems like no one at Forbes even considered keg capacity, the degree to which a car’s stereo can annoy neighbors, or maximum number of friends that can be squeezed in for a trip to Windsor.
Related:
- CNNMoney.com picks 7 best College Cars
- Used luxury cars as ultimate gift for your graduating kid
- Best Cars for College Students
[Source: Forbes]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.autoblog.com
[tags]honda cars, honda news, honda models, honda[/tags]
Mercedes-Benz News - BLUETEC diesel fails to meet 50-state emissions requirement
August 30, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
[tags]mercedes benz news, mercedes benz reviews, mercedes benz, daimler chrysler[/tags] -
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Government/Legal, Green, Mercedes Benz
Despite telling us back in January that its Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC would be compliant with emissions standards in all 50 states, DaimlerChrysler has announced that it has not reached that goal and the vehicle will only be sold in 45 states when it goes on sale this fall. The five states in which the E320 BLUETEC will not be sold include California, Maine, Massachussets, New York and Vermont. The high emissions standards required by these five states represent a major hurdle for any manufacturer that plans to introduce diesels-powered light-duty vehicles in the U.S. If DaimlerChrysler, a vocal proponent of diesel in the U.S., couldn’t meet their requirements, we’re certain it will be at least a year or two for other automakers to either convert their current diesel engines or develop all-new ones to meet the stiff requirements.
An E320 BLUTEC prototype tested by the EPA in 2004 narrowly missed meeting the EPA’s new Tier 2 Bin 5 standard for 50-state compliance. When the car does arrive it will use an NOx absorber to reduce the output of the harmful emissions. Future BLUETEC models will use a urea-based injection system, which the EPA has yet to approve and regulate but promises to do so soon. Urea-based injection technology appears to be the best solution for getting diesels on U.S. soil as fast as possible, but the EPA has concerns over adding another fluid to vehicles that needs to be actively checked and refilled by the driver.
[Source: Green Car Congress]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Tuner Tuesday: ASMA Design S-Class Eagle I
Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedans/Saloons, Mercedes Benz
Mere words come up wanting when trying to describe an ASMA Design-tuned Mercedes-Benz. These over-the-top customizations have appeared on this page before, including the CLS Shark I and II, the ML Gladiator II, and the company’s original attempt to tune the new S-Class. Now ASMA has turned its designers loose on the 2007 S-Class to create the Eagle I, which we suppose can best be described as what the Mercedes-Benz S-Class would like if it were doing a cameo in the Back to the Future II… sans the hover conversion.
The Eagle I features the “traditional” ASMA plunging grille line that Ashely from eMercedesBenz calls “Darth Vader-esque”. In addition, ASMA adds a shocking number of vented panels to the S-Class to complement the new front end, side sills and rear bumper. As always, customers can add a new set of wheels, sport exhaust, etc. to complement their Eagle I, although this thing doesn’t appear to take compliments very well. You can find more info and high-rez shots of the Eagle I via the eMercedesBenz link below.
[Source: ASMA Design via eMercedesBenz]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Ford News - Forbes Top Four best vehicles for college students
August 30, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, Sedans/Saloons, SUVs, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai
Talk about tough standards. When Forbes compiled vehicles for its annual “Best Cars for College Students” list, they found only four vehicles qualified to meet its criteria of being affordable, safe, and reliable. Interestingly, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry, which they deemed the “standard” by which similar vehicles are measured, failed to make the list. According to Forbes, both did poorly on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests, with the Accord receiving the lowest rating of “poor” for rear-crash protection and the Camry receiving a “marginal” rating in the same test.
So who are the fortunate foursome? They are:
- Chevrolet Cobalt - $13,590
- Ford Escape - $19,780
- Honda Civic - $14,560
- Hyundai Sonata - $17,195
How each vehicle scored in the IIHS safety test, Consumer Reports, and J.D. Power can be found on each slide. What do you think? A+ to Forbes on their choices? Or back to school for them? Seems like no one at Forbes even considered keg capacity, the degree to which a car’s stereo can annoy neighbors, or maximum number of friends that can be squeezed in for a trip to Windsor.
Related:
- CNNMoney.com picks 7 best College Cars
- Used luxury cars as ultimate gift for your graduating kid
- Best Cars for College Students
[Source: Forbes]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.autoblog.com
[tags]ford cars, ford news, ford models, ford[/tags]
Italian companies launch hybrid racecar (Auto / Car Article)
August 29, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
Italy’s N.Technology SpA and Tatuus srl announced this weekend that they have inked a deal to manufacture the N.T07 open-wheeled hybrid-powered racecar for a one-design series that will launch in 2007.
The N.T07 will be built by Tatuus, which builds the Formula Renault series cars, and will be powered by a 2-liter, four-cylinder engine putting out 250 hp. The car will apparently also be fitted with a “hybrid engine system,” although no details are available at present.
The race series will run in conjunction with the European rounds of the World Touring Car Championship. N.technology is currently running an Alfa Romeo team in the 2006 WTCC.
Given the short timeframe to design and build a grid full of brand new racecars for the 2007 season, it seems likely that the N.T07 will be a modification of Tatuus’ current Formula Renault 2000 (shown at right), which closely resembles the N.T07 sketch.
[Source: N.technology via Gizmag]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: feeds.autoblog.com
[tags]auto articles, auto news, car stories, car articles[/tags]
Rubin’s resignation hints at sale of Ford Credit (Auto / Car Article)
August 29, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, Ford
Ford Motor may be taking a page from General Motors’ restructuring playbook in considering ot sell off part of its Ford Credit financial unit. Both companies have seen the cost of capital for their financial subsidiaries rising as the automakers’ credit status falls ever further into junk status.
The resignation Friday of key Ford director Robert E. Rubin was the result of Rubin’s position as a board member and chairman of the executive committee at Citigroup, which Rubin feared could raise the possibility of conflict of interest. Since this hasn’t been an issue up to now, the move sparked speculation that Ford Credit was in play, particularly in view of Citigroup’s recent expansion of its automotive financing portfolio and its role in GM’s pending sale of a majority stake in its GMAC credit arm.
Rubin is the third director to leave Ford’s board this year. He joined Ford’s board in 2000, after serving as Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration. Rubin is a 26-year veteran of Goldman Sachs & Co.
[Source: The Detroit News]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: feeds.autoblog.com
[tags]auto articles, auto news, car stories, car articles[/tags]
