The times, they are a changin'

AutoPacific has completed the latest in a long series of fuel price impact surveys. And it now looks as though fuel prices have remained high enough for long enough for buyers to have begun to change their vehicle segment preference, their engine preference and even, so some extent, their driving habits.

Fuel Prices

The reported median price paid for fuel in March, 2008 was $3.36, up from $2.83 last August and $2.63 in March, 2007, and the highest since the survey began in September, 2005.

Continue reading "Exhaust Note #6: Latest Fuel Price Survey Findings" »

Posted by Jim Hossack at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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According to AutoPacific's annual survey of new car and light truck acquirers, the BMW 3-Series, Acura MDX, Lexus RX, Honda Accord, and Infiniti QX56 attract the most tech savvy buyers. Tech savvy consumers made up approximately 5% of the new car buying population in 2007, up from just 2% in 2006. As Gen Y matures and enters the new vehicle market in greater numbers, AutoPacific expects these numbers to continue their growth. Tech savvy car buyers were defined utilizing a collection of data filters from AutoPacific’s Research Suite® database.

Continue reading "What Are The Top Vehicles Purchased by Tech Savvy Buyers?" »

Posted by Dan Hall at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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At the risk of being a bit political, the recent VehicleVoice survey on Pet Peeves (November 1, 2007) included a question on whether or not undocumented immigrants should be allowed to have legal driver's licenses in the member's state. An overwhelming 84% of the respondents said that undocumented immigrants should NOT be allowed to have legal driver's licenses in their state.

This follows the results from other questions in the survey about things that bother panel members a lot...

Driving without car insurance - bothers 89% of panel members a lot
Driving without a license - bothers 82% of panel members a lot

In a subsequent survey during the week of November 13 confirmed the results from two weeks earlier.

In this later survey, the question was asked a bit differently... "Undocumented aliens should have the right to acquire a valid driver's license". In this instance only 16% said they agreed. 11% were neutral and 73% disagreed.

Left in the hands of American drivers, it appears very clear that providing driver's licenses to undocumented aliens should be a non-starter. But it appears that politicians across the country have different opinions.

Issuing driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants is an extremely controversial issue especially in California where VehicleVoice is headquartered. Proponents contend that issuing licenses will provide a way for the millions of illegal immigrants in the state to drive without fear of being discovered. Opponents are concerned about exactly that! They don't want illegals flooding the education, health care, etc. etc systems and fear that driver's licenses will make an existing problem larger and worse, and all at the expense of legal residents. There is also the uninsured motorist issue: some say that issuing driver's licenses to illegals will increase their number, while others say that illegals will be more likely to be insured.

No matter what the outcome, it looks like VehicleVoice panel members are pretty firm in their opinion. It's just some of our political "leaders" who are unclear on the issue.

Posted by George Peterson at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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All of us experience things while driving that bother us. Some bother us more than others. To determine what things bother us most while driving, over 1000 VehicleVoice members responded to a short survey on Pet Peeves during the first week of November 2007.

Driving activities that were most bothersome appear to be folks simply doing other stuff while driving.

Not Paying Attention: 91% of VehicleVoice respondents said say that another driver not paying attention bothers them a lot.

Texting - Putting on Makup: 90% of VehicleVoice respondents say that other drivers texting and putting on make-up while driving bothered them a lot.

Dimming Headlamps - Reading: 88% said that not dimming high-beams and reading while driving bothered them a lot.

Pulling Out Without Enough Clearance: 86% said that drivers pulling into traffic without enough clearance bothered them a lot.

Tailgating: Bothered 85% of the panelists a lot.

Cell Phone Use: 67% said that using a cell phone while driving bothered them a lot. Frankly, we thought this response would have been higher, but given the fact that many/most of us use cell phones at some time while driving, it is not to surprising that we'd give ourselves a break.

Other issues that appear to resonate with VehicleVoice panel members include things that bother them a lot:

Driving without car insurance - 89%
Driving slow in the fast lane - 88%
Turning from the wrong lane - 87%
Weaving in-and-out through traffic - 86%
Street racing on public roads - 86%
Driving without a license - 82%
Driving an unsafe vehicle - 79%
Not using turn signals - 76%

Panel Members Weigh In: VehicleVoice panel members also weighed in with additional pet peeves that we had not thought to ask. There were many mentions of drivers who changed their minds while turning and then pushing back into the flowing traffic. Weaving in and out of traffic appears to be a particular problem. Wide turns bother many panel members. Loud radios and loud mufflers are a irritant to many panel members. Littering and throwing trash out the windows is a particular irritant for many panel members. Driving slowly in the left lane, or hogging the fast lane also bothers many.

Correcting Pet Peeves Likely Won't Happen: Simply, those things that are out of the norm or interrupt the flow of traffic are irritants that could be corrected with better road manners, better consideration for others, more patience. Not gonna happen.

Posted by George Peterson at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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What attributes/features should the ideal navigation system have? This question was asked of VehicleVoice.com panel members in a survey conducted in May 2007.

Top Attributes for a Successful NAV System - Ease of Use and Easy to Read

Ease of use is the number one attribute that a navigation system should possess. This is followed by easy to read graphics. A three way tie for 3rd-4th-5th spots includes:
Auto recalculate if miss turn
Easy and fast to learn
Trip routing

Clearly, the easier that a NAV system designer can make the system, the better it will be accepted. While not a part of the study, perhaps the interface introduced on the all new Apple iPhone would be a good direction for NAV system suppliers to follow.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Having just spent a week each in a Ford and Land Rover with navigation systems in Britain (yes, they are different even though both belong to the same parent company), it is clear that companies are making great strides with ease of use. Now, I have a bit of experience with various navigation systems, but most still take a time to figure out. Both the Ford and Land Rover systems were relatively intuitive and easy to use. Frankly, I preferred the Ford system for ease of use and graphics. Both were touch screen systems.

Continue reading "What Attributes/Features Should the Ideal Navigation System Have?" »

Posted by Mary Beth Martin at 01:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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What type of navigation system is ideal for you - Portable/Hand-Held, In-Vehicle, or Cellular Phone with GPS? AutoPacific's VehicleVoice asked its panel members that question in May 2007. Respondents were equally split into 3 groups: those that own a navigation system, those that are currently shopping for one, and those that have no interest in owning one. Respondents are somewhat split on the type of navigation system they want. Over half prefer a portable/hand-held model and 4 in 10 want a system integrated into their vehicle. This is similar to current ownership, but skewed more toward the portable/hand-held versions.

Type of Navigation System Ownership Preferrence
Portable/Hand-Held = 54%
In-vehicle = 42%
Cell phone = 4%

Type of Navigation System Owned
Portable/Hand-held = 53%
In-vehicle = 49%
Cell phone = 12%

Advantages of a portable navigation system are the ability to move from vehicle to vehicle and use in other situations such as camping, hiking, and biking. Also, the cost of a portable navigation system is significantly lower than an In-Vehicle navigation system (by at least $1,000). A system that accepts a cellular phone GPS or portable version to display on the vehicle's in-dash monitor would be ideal (similar to Bluetooth compatibility with cellular phones). This way a navigation system owner has the best of both worlds.

Costs of in-vehicle systems significantly higher than portable/hand-held and cellular phones with GPS; more than a $1,000 difference.

EDITOR'S NOTE I have both a portable Garmin NAV system and one in my vehicle (Mercedes system). My portable is touch screen and I love it. The Mercedes uses a toggle button that I want to pull off and throw out the window when I am trying to enter an address. An interesting point is that the 2004 Mercedes NAV buttons are better than in my 2007 model. I am 100% behind the touch screen version.

Continue reading "What Type of Navigation System is Ideal?" »

Posted by Mary Beth Martin at 01:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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During May 2007 VehicleVoice R&D Center conducted a survey of panel members concerning preferences for Navigation Systems.

One of the primary questions was whether the ideal navigation system should it have a touch screen or toggle buttons? Among automakers there is a split of opinion concerning whether touch screen or toggle buttons are preferred. Several makers simplistically conclude that a toggle button system is preferred because you don't have to touch the screen and leave unsightly fingerprints on the screen. Most makers, however, have opted for a touch screen system because it is more intuitive and direct to use.

Strong Preference for Touch Screen

What do VehicleVoice panelists prefer? The question about preference was asked of vehicle owners (both navigation system owners and those interested in purchasing a navigation system). Overwhelmingly, the answer is Touch Screen – 83%. Less than a quarter of the respondents wanted a toggle/rotary/push button system – 22%.

How do you prefer to enter data in a Navigation System?

Touch screen = 83%
Toggle/rotary/push buttons = 22%
Other = 4%

Continue reading "Navigation System: To Touch a Screen or Push a Button?" »

Posted by Mary Beth Martin at 08:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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In the first week of June 2007, VehicleVoice conducted a survey on the impact of awards among over 1,200 VehicleVoice panel members. VehicleVoice is dedicated to tracking this story over time. We feel that our panel members and auto consumers in general deserve the right to the best possible information when they make important decisions regarding the purchase of a new vehicle.

Awards have become a very important component of manufacturer communications to prospective buyers. The idea is that an award or accolade will help get a specific car in the buyers' consideration set. If a vehicle wins an award will a prospect be more likely to pay attention to the vehicle and then consider it? Well, we ventured out among our panel to learn the answer.

One thing that has never been publicly divulged until now is whether or not buyers actually pay attention to messages using awards as a component of the communication. Based on the results of the VehicleVoice survey, we conclude that awards DO MATTER. While a person might not admit they were influenced by an award, they will admit that they pay attention to them. Which ones do they pay attention to?

Awards Have More Impact Than Simple Advertising

Awards are rated stronger than advertising in capturing the attention of the prospective buyer. Among three award categories - awards based on safety ratings, awards based on owner ratings and awards given by enthusiast magazines - all are rated more impactful than advertising on television, in a magazine, direct mail, in a newspaper, on the radio.

Awards Based Safety Ratings Very Powerful

Awards by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Adminstration, i.e. the GOVERNMENT - are extremely powerful. Almost 90% of the respondents indicate that they pay attention to NHTSA Five Star Safety Ratings. A much smaller, but still significant, 67% say they pay attention to ratings by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ratings.

So, safety sells among knowledgeable car owners.

Awards Based on Owner Ratings Have Substantial Impact

Almost as important as safety ratings are owner ratings collected by objective third parties like Consumer Reports, J.D. Power & Associates, AutoPacific, IntelliChoice and Strategic Vision. Consumer Reports is a well-known non-profit consumer magazine that does not allow advertising in the magazine or to use its name in advertising. Power, AutoPacific and Strategic Vision are consumer research companies that collect objective ratings from owners. Each has a different perspective on what consumer information is most powerful. IntelliChoice uses analysis of cost of ownership data to develop scores that show which vehicles are the best values. AutoPacific and IntelliChoice team up once a year to develop an award that combines aspects of both their approaches. Automakers pay fees of varying amounts to use attributions from Power, AutoPacific, Strategic Vision and IntelliChoice in their advertising.

Among the owner-based awards, Consumer Reports' Top Picks awards are the strongest with almost 80% of the respondents saying they pay attention to the results. J.D.Power has been in the consumer's eyes longer than the other research companies with about 50% paying attention to some Power award. AutoPacific awards are somewhat behind Power but ahead of Strategic Vision. A manager of a large manufacturer website admitted that whenever she could use an owner-based award on her site, visits spiked substantially.

Magazine Awards Less Important Than Safety or Owner Awards, Ties With TV Advertising

We have all grown up with the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award. Just about every enthusiast magazine has an award of some type. They usually are based on tests by journalists from the magazine. Some are more comprehensive than others. A few just get the editors and journalists together to select the cars and trucks they like best that year. While most have a strong basis in objective engineering-oriented tests, there often is a very subjective tie-breaker not found in the awards based on owner ratings.

Among the magazine awards, Car & Driver's Ten Best Award is paid attention to by 74% of the respondents followed by Motor Trend by 59%.

Advertising Falls Away Quickly - Awards Help Its Impact

In a result that some communications outlets will not like, VehicleVoice respondents are less likely to pay attention to advertising on television, in a magazine, direct mail, in a newspaper or on the radio. This implies that advertising that also includes an award attribution may be more strongly received than advertising lacking the objective results of a safety-based or owner-based award.

Continue reading "How Important are Automotive Awards?" »

Posted by George Peterson at 04:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Where are we?

The US is the only country with a CAFE requirement...and we have had one for about 30 years. The idea was to reduce national consumption of oil by passing a law that puts the onus on vehicle manufacturers (who can't vote) but not on consumers (who do vote). The idea was to reduce fuel consumption (in the national interest) while keeping the price of fuel low (in the voter's interest).

Trouble is, it hasn't worked out too well. We still consume prodigious amounts of fuel. When car CAFE went up so much that cars became too small/underpowered the market simply moved to trucks. A prime example of the law of unintended consequences.

Can we make a 30, 35 or 40 mpg fleet?

Can we? Sure. Essentially Europe does that now. The technology is there today. No invention required. But Europe does it, not with CAFE, but with high fuel prices - about double those of the US. Fuel doesn't really cost more to make in Europe, it is taxed at a much higher rate and therefore it is priced much higher. We could do the same: add 25 cents per gallon every year for 10 years and we'd be close. At that point buyers would favor smaller cars, manual transmissions, less air conditioning and even diesel engines - much like in Europe or Asia today. Making fuel efficient vehicles is actually easy - it is selling them in the current US environment that is impossible.

If the answer is so easy, why don't we do it?

Because it takes political courage. Our leaders can't really lead...they must follow the popular view or be elected out of office. So, no elected official is going to vote for increased fuel prices - even if it is in the national interest. It would be political suicide.

So, what do we do?

Do we just give up? I hope not. The answer is clear - higher energy prices (NOT CAFE). But we don't yet, as a nation, have the political will to take the medicine that we know is good for us for national security and ecological reasons. What will it take? I'm afraid it will take at least one more 9/11...maybe two. Then we will realize that sending billions of dollars to the Middle East each year for oil is not a good idea. Perhaps then we will permit our politicians to do what really is best for the nation - adopt higher energy prices via increased taxes on fuel. There are lots of places we could use the increased revenue: better roads, homeland security, health care, education etc. etc. That will be the easy part.

Is HOSSACK Right? Or Wrong?

Jim Hossack's observations are right on the money, but it makes me sad. I long for the days of $1 a gallon gasoline. Remember them? The economy was booming. Everyone was flush. Jobs were plentiful. Buildings were getting built. People were still bitching about high gasoline prices - yes, even at $1 per gallon - but it had little impact on their pocketbooks. Gee, sounds kinda like today.

Now, we must be more rational and responsible. There is global warming to worry about (if it exists), there is national security to worry about, then the Green lobby does not want us to use our own national petroleum resources - uh, not in my backyard, I guess.

Damn, I think I'm going to put solar panels on my house.

But 'Sack is right. CAFE is stupid. Cars and trucks today pollute less than was ever thought imaginable. Results to AutoPacific research indicate that folks generally agree that "my vehicle is clean enough - concentrate on other forms of pollution now". So, get a handle on the other 60% of polluters - like cargo ships, power plants and refineries. While also raising the price of fuel.

ED

Posted by Jim Hossack at 04:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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The brand-by-brand results for the VehicleVoice Image and Consideration Tracking Study. Earlier we had released the results of the changing opinions for nine "manufacturers". Now, the information for the 36 individual brands we measured have been analyzed.

Saturn and Hyundai Tops in Positive Opinion Change

In a virtual tie, Saturn and Hyundai are tops in opinion improvement over the past year. With a net better-vs.-worse score of +29%-points Saturn nudges past Hyundai at +28%-pts. Cadillac posted a respectable showing with a 23%-point improvement.

Saturn's positive results come from a respected and expanding lineup of new cars and trucks. Winning the Car of the Year Award with the Saturn Aura did not go unnoticed. Also, addition of the Saturn Outlook Crossover SUV to the lineup was a very positive move. And, we cannot forget the Sky sports car. While Sky may not sell in huge numbers or generate huge profits, it is having a substantial positive effect on the image of Saturn. As a pure "halo vehicle" Sky is doing its job.

Hyundai was the top manufacturer in image change (Hyundai + Kia), but came in second among individual brands when considering Hyundai alone. Hyundai gets strong credit for having a solid warranty, improving durability/quality/reliability, better styling, better products overall, and an outstanding value. Hyundai has done an excellent job communicating the basic values of the brand to VehicleVoice panelists.

HUMMER Trails List of Image Improvement

Any list with top to bottom ratings has to have a last place finisher. For this wave of the research HUMMER was tail end Charlie. While the opinions of most individual brands improved, HUMMER showed the most net loss. In an environment of high fuel prices spiraling upwards, HUMMER is seen as out of touch with what the country wants and needs. The large, fuel in-efficient, brutishly styled HUMMERS are the poster children for the eco-friendly.

Two Luxury Brands Dip Below the Line

VehicleVoice panelists indicate that their opinion of Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz are lower today than a year ago. Both of these brands are dinged for reliability problems especially with electronics systems.

Join VehicleVoice to Give Your Opinions on a Wide Range of Automotive Issues

VehicleVoice panelists regularly get the opportunity to give their opinions on a wide range of automotive topics from the image of brands to what an ideal audio system would be like in their vehicle. VehicleVoice surveys give panelists the opportunity to explain why something may, or may not, be desirable. It is this level of commitment that makes the VehicleVoice panel different from all others.

For those of you who have not yet joined the VehicleVoice automotive Internet panel, it takes just a few seconds to sign up. Go to http://www.vehiclevoice.com to get started.

Posted by George Peterson at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Toyota sold more cars and trucks globally during 1st Quarter 2007 than General Motors. For the first time in 79 years General Motors' global sales have been topped by a major competitor.

GM's Global Sales Leadership Crown in Jeopardy

During the 1st Quarter Toyota sold 2.35 million vehicles compared with 2.26 million vehicles for General Motors. This shift had been forecast to occur during the 2007 calendar year, but not as early as the 1st Quarter.

Toyota sells Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles in the USA. Major stakes in Daihatsu and Subaru are not included in the global sales totals. General Motors sales includes Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Saturn, HUMMER, Saab, Opel, and Vauxhall.

VehicleVoice Research Indicates Toyota will Continue to Gain on General Motors in USA

In VehicleVoice brand image and consideration research reported on April 16, 2007, positive consideration for Toyota in the USA was 54% compared with 42% for General Motors as a whole. Consideration for Ford Motor Company products was 44% and Honda products was 53% in the same study. While Toyota continues to be a distant second or third to General Motors in the USA, this continuing level of strong positive consideration indicates that Toyota should be able to continue to close the gap year-by-year.

New Products in USA Bolster Toyota's Position

In 2006 and early 2007 Toyota launched or renewed a slew of vehicles in the USA. The new Yaris small car replaced the under-performing and unfortunately styled Echo. The FJ Cruiser was launched to rave reviews and strong sales. The Camry was all new and earned the Motor Trend 2007 Car of the Year Award. The all new Lexus LS460 has arguably established a new luxury car benchmark in the premium luxury car market in the USA. And we can't forget the launch of the all-new Toyota Tundra full size pickup. Tundra finally becomes a fully-competitive half-ton pickup for 2007. While still lacking 3/4 and 1 Ton models, the Tundra should give its half ton competition a run for the money.

Can GM Hold off Toyota?

While the annual global sales figures are still months away, Toyota may, indeed, be able to wrest the global sales crown from GM this year. General Motors is moving aggressively to add capacity and sales in China. If this comes on stream quickly enough, GM may be able to parry the threat.

Stay tuned.

Posted by George Peterson at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Based on the results of a priceline.com Internet survey, about 47% of people renting a car through priceline.com would consider renting a hybrid vehicle if it were offered by the rental agency. They would be willing to pay varying prices - from zero to $9 per day extra. Interestingly, 53% were not interested at all.

New Priceline.com Survey Finds Almost Three-Quarters Of Travelers Want To See Hybrid Vehicles Added To Rental Car Fleets

48% would be willing to pay more for a "green" rental car

In recognition of Earth Day (Sunday, April 22), priceline.com® conducted a new survey of its rental car customers. The company found that an overwhelming majority (72%) of travelers want rental car companies to offer economical, environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles powered by both gasoline and electricity. A similar majority (71%) of the 764 priceline.com customers who answered the survey said they would rent a hybrid and almost half (48%) said they would be willing to pay a premium for their "green" rental.

While hybrid vehicles are generally not available through most rental car companies or through priceline.com, most of the priceline.com customers surveyed (39%) said they would be willing to pay up to $1 to $3 more a day to rent a hybrid. That would represent an increase of up to 11% over the average weekend published-price for a mid-size car on priceline.com ($26 a day) and up to 17% over the average successful offer price for a Name Your Own Price® mid-size car on priceline.com ($17 a day).*

Eight percent of the priceline.com customers said they would be willing to pay up to $4 to $6 more a day for a hybrid. That would represent an increase of up to 23% over the average weekend published-price for a mid-size car on priceline.com and up to 35% over the average successful offer price for a Name Your Own Price mid-size car on priceline.com.*

One percent of customers said they would be willing to pay up to $7 to $10 a day more. No one was willing to pay more than $10 a day extra, while 53% of customers said they were not willing to pay any premium to rent a hybrid.

The already high and rising price of gasoline was another theme that turned up frequently in the new priceline.com survey:

-- If gasoline reaches $3 a gallon, almost half (47%) of the priceline.com customers said they would change their rental car preferences and opt for smaller, more fuel-efficient car types.

-- 55% of customers prefer to rent more fuel-efficient cars such as mid-size (example: Pontiac Grand Am), compact (example: Ford Focus) or economy (example: Chevrolet Aveo).

-- 96% of customers say they fill up their rental cars themselves before turning them in, rather than pay refill fees. 52% said they spend time looking for the cheapest gas in an area before filling up prior to return.

Posted by George Peterson at 04:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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During the last week of March 2007, 1,254 VehicleVoice panelists responded to an Internet survey concerning their opinion of major automakers in the USA. VehicleVoice asked these questions because the opinion of buyers and their attitudes towards various aspects of a manufacturer's image are critically important. Managing image and opinion plus understanding what is driving that opinion can influence whether a person will positively consider or reject a brand next time they are in the market.

The key question in the VehicleVoice survey was whether the respondent's opinion of a manufacturer had changed since this time last year. If their opinion had changed, the panel member was given the chance to explain why their opinion had changed. We received over 5,000 comments concerning these manufacturers. Some were as short one word. Some were as long as a page of 10-point type. Folks really had a lot to say and their comments were fascinating.

Discussion for each of the brands is below the fold.

Continue reading "VehicleVoice Panelists' Opinion of Manufacturers" »

Posted by George Peterson at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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VehicleVoice readership has grown to well over 100,000 people each month. This enthusiastic group of people are interested in cars, trucks and the automotive industry. We like to think our reviews, video podcasts and opinions are entertaining and valuable.

The VehicleVoice Automotive Survey Panel is conducting a series of brief surveys on how our panelists' opinions of automotive brands has changed over the past year.

There have been many changes impacting the brands. New vehicles have been introduced, others have faded away. Some brands are doing very well and gaining strength. Others are weakening. There has been a huge amount of press about the successes of some and challenges facing others.

We would like you to give us your opinion too. It's quick, easy and you'll have a chance to win our sweepstakes prize.

Please click on this link: http://www.vehiclevoice.com, take a few seconds to join the Vehicle Voice Automotive Survey Panel and begin your first survey.

Your opinions about brands competing in the USA today will be very informative.

Posted by George Peterson at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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AutoPacific's annual survey of new car and light truck buyers includes a question about the buyers' Overall Satisfaction with the Dealer Experience. Dealer experience includes both the sales experience and service experience. Respondents to the survey have owned their vehicles for ninety days or more so they have had the opportunity to visit the dealership to handle issues with initial quality or get their first oil change.

In AutoPacific's 2006 Research Suite results, MINI is the highest scoring brand with 65% of MINI buyers indicating they are "Completely Satisfied" with their dealership experience. The ranking by brand is shown below:

1. 65% MINI
2. 60% Porsche
3. 59% Cadillac
4. 57% Lexus
5. 56% Jaguar
6. 55% BMW
7. 54% Lincoln
8. 53% Saturn
9. 52% Mercury
9. 52% Land Rover

The remainder of the brands are shown below the fold.

Continue reading "MINI Tops AutoPacific Rankings for Satisfaction With Dealer Experience" »

Posted by George Peterson at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Can you imagine it? Americans used less gasoline in 2006 than in 2005. What a surprise!

You remember. In 2006, gasoline prices spiked to over $3.00 per gallon in many parts of the country. Sales of fuel-inefficient big SUVs and full size pickups stalled. SUVs and pickups piled up on dealer lots and in storage facilities around the country.

VehicleVoice Survey Shows Drivers Not Changing Driving Habits Much, But Government Data Say Increases in Miles Driven Have Stabilized

Each month, VehicleVoice surveys our panel members with the Fuel Price Impact Survey. This tracking survey has found that panel members (who represent the general driving population) weren't making any really substantial changes in the way they drove, but they were aware that changes in their driving habits could influence fuel usage. What government data show is that miles driven has stabilized.

Data from the government confirms that, year-to-year, 2006 was about the same as 2005 in terms of miles driven. The minuscule 0.10% increase in 2006 was the lowest since 1979 and 1980 where there actually were decreases in miles driven.

Minor Changes in Driving Habits Can Save Significant Amounts of Fuel

With the typical American driver driving almost 14,000 miles per year, even a minor change in driving habits can save a tremendous amount of fuel. VehicleVoice data show that combining trips is the most common way of saving fuel. What our data clearly show, however, is that people are not driving slower to conserve fuel nor are they checking the air pressure in their tires. In fact, low air pressure in tires can hurt fuel economy by 10% to 15%.

Posted by George Peterson at 01:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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