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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The reigning king of the Luxury SUV hill is probably the Range Rover. High priced at $77,175. Features most couldn't conceive of in an off-road environment. Extremely competent off road. The top of the Land Rover line has established a tremendous reputation and following as THE aspirational Luxury SUV. Range Rover is not the best selling Luxury SUV, but it casts a wide shadow. And has since the early 1970s. VehicleVoice was on hand at The Grand Del Mar Hotel for the media preview of the Lexus LX570. Priced at $73,800, LX570 undercuts the Rangie, but is no less competent.

LX570 - 3rd Generation Lexus LX

Lexus entered the upper end of the Luxury SUV market in 1996 with a facelifted and upgraded Toyota Land Cruiser - the Lexus LX450. The 1st Gen LX was replaced in 1999 by the LX470 which was freshened in 2002 and 2005. So, after a ten year run, it is time for Lexus to bring its latest LX to the market - the LX570.

The first two LX generations did not set the world on fire from a sales standpoint. They were functional-looking SUVs loaded with features. Not head-turners. Not something to make your blood rush. They did, however, bring a very interesting clientele to Lexus. Younger, highly affluent, not wanting to make a strong statement with their vehicle. Confident, not having to show off their wealth. The 3rd Gen LX follows the same formula and hopes to attract the same type of buyer for slightly under 10,000 units per year or 3.5 LX570s per month for each of Lexus' 223 dealers.

Continue reading "2009 Lexus LX570 - Luxurious Anonymity" »

Posted by George Peterson at 02:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Motorist Choice Award is in its second year and is a collaboration between AutoPacific and IntelliChoice.com. AutoPacific, widely known for its industry expertise and research, and IntelliChoice, known for its comprehensive cost of ownership information, designed the Motorist Choice Award to help consumers identify the most satisfying cars and trucks that are also the least expensive to own.

Using data from AutoPacific's national Vehicle Satisfaction research and the IntelliChoice Best Overall Value information, AutoPacific and IntelliChoice have developed a unique tool that can be used by consumers to help them sort through the myriad of choices in today's automotive marketplace.

Here are the 2007 Winners of the 25 individual segment awards:

SEGMENT - Winner

Aspirational Luxury Car - Lexus IS
Compact Car - Mazda3
Compact Crossover SUV - Chevrolet HHR
Compact Pickup - Toyota Tacoma
Compact Sport Utility/ORV - Toyota Tacoma
Economy Car - Honda Fit
Image Compact Car - Volkswagen GTi
Large Car - Toyota Avalon
Large Heavy Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado HD
Large Light Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Large Luxury Car - Cadillac DTS
Large Sport Utility - GMC Yukon XL
Luxury Crossover SUV - Acura MDX
Luxury Mid-Size Car - Nissan Maxima
Luxury Sport Utility - Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Mid-Size Car - Volkswagen Jetta
Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Honda CR-V
Mid-Size Sport Utility - Toyota 4Runner
Minivan - Honda Odyssey
Premium Luxury Car - Lexus LS
Premium Mid-Size Car - Nissan Altima
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Nissan Murano
Premium Sports Car - Lexus SC
Sports Car - Porsche Boxster
Sporty Car - Scion tC

The press release can be found below the fold.

Continue reading "2007 Motorist Choice Awards Announced" »

Posted by George Peterson at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific Take on Lexus SC Win – For the second consecutive year the Lexus SC wins the Premium Sports Car class, bringing home yet another Motorist Choice Award®. Owners still rate the interior and exterior styling as strongly satisfying. Its comfortable exterior size, easy ingress/egress and driver’s seat comfort make it easy for owners to put the SC430 on top. Owners rate the brand’s reputation, vehicle’s reputation and overall quality as best in class. With a smooth retractable hardtop, great audio system, and superior overall quality, SC owners have chosen the Lexus SC as the benchmark.

IntelliChoice take on Lexus SC win - The Lexus SC performs well in this class by having best in class maintenance costs and repair costs along with low insurance costs.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific Take on Lexus LS Win – Owners didn’t exactly surprise us when they earmarked the Lexus flagship as a winner in the Premium Luxury Car category. Leading the class in the 2007 Motorist Choice Awards® owner’s rate the vehicle’s reputation and the quality of the Lexus dealership experience as significant contributors to its win. In addition, the LS owners rated the interior materials as top-notch, with a quiet interior and innovative technology. Owners also reported feeling very safe while driving and applauded the overall quality of their vehicle.

IntelliChoice take on Lexus LS win - In a class where retained value is king, the Lexus LS beats out the competition. The LS also performs well in fuel, maintenance, and repairs.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific Take on Lexus IS Win – In an extremely competitive class where enthusiast buyers dominate, it’s tough to be king of the hill. The all-new 2007 Lexus IS sport sedan decisively wins the Motorist Choice Award® for Aspirational Luxury Cars. Owners rate the Lexus brand reputation and the overall quality as significant contributors to its win. Lexus IS owners also find its anti-theft features and reliable/dependable reputation very appealing.

IntelliChoice take on Lexus IS win - The Lexus IS is an IntelliChoice 2007 BOVY winner. The IS has a retained value and repair costs near the top of the segment.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Luxury and Refinement, But Some Quibbles
For the 2007 model year, Lexus redesigned its flagship. There are now short and long-wheelbase versions, new bells and whistles, and more refinement than ever. Buttery smooth is a term long associated with the LS, and it still applies. The latest LS is quieter and smoother on the road, with enough stiffness in the suspension and chassis not to give the wallowing boat feel that some luxury cars were known for in days of old. Lexus offers a hybrid model for 2008MY, but it was the 2007 4.6L V8-equipped model delivered to AutoPacific's Michigan office this summer.

Among our quibbles were the complexity of the parking assist, the oversight of a couple of convenience features, and its not particularly attractive face. Though the car looks great from the side, front view isn't as pleasant. At each approach, I cringed a little at the overdone fascia and headlight shape. But then I got behind the wheel. Once there, all you know is luxury, comfort, and subtle grace. Behind the wheel, you know you're in something special.

The 380HP 4.6L V8 is mated to an eight-speed transmission, with EPA ratings of 18 city and 27 highway. Despite having so many gears to cycle through, the transmission is not a hunter or reluctant to kick down when you want it to. But the car is about graceful power and style, and the behavior of the powertrain supports it well. With 380HP moving 4244 pounds, putting your foot into it doesn't leave you breathless. It leaves you confident and sure, and generally ahead of whatever it was next to you.

Continue reading "2007 Lexus LS 460L: As Always, More Refinement and More Technology" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Lexus LS and BMW 7-Series Tied for AutoPacific 2007 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Premium Luxury Car:

"Owners of the all-new Lexus LS460 return the Lexus flagship to its accustomed place at the top of the Premium Luxury Car rankings. The new LS460 received especially high ratings from owners with respect to Quality, Reliability, Durability, Quietness, Innovative Technology and the Dealership Experience. Tied for first place was the BMW 7-Series, which received high ratings for being Fun-to-Drive, Handling, Braking, and Driver’s Seat Comfort, but was marked down for Controls Easy to Understand and Use – a reference to BMW’s iDrive system,” said AutoPacific president George Peterson

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Lexus SC Wins AutoPacific 2007 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Premium Sports Car:

""The retractable hardtop Lexus SC won its category by a wide margin. Maybe it's because the SC430 is more of a boulevard cruiser than a true sports car," says AutoPacific president George Peterson. "Buyers are particularly pleased with the SC’s Interior Appearance including Quality of Fabrics and Materials, Quality, Quietness, and Reliability/Dependability”.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Lexus Brings a New Engine and a New Look to Its Flagship SUV
Lexus' next LX, renamed LX 570 for its 381HP 5.7L V8 engine, was revealed at the 2007 New York auto show. The increased power, which also bumps towing capacity to 8500 pounds (up 2000 pounds), will be delivered with the help of a new six-speed automatic transmission. The new look brings the LX into the brand's latest design family and generally updates its look significantly inside and out; having last had a major redesign for the 1998 model year, the SUV was looking dated. The new LX manages to bring its looks into this century without losing its basic style. You're not likely to confuse the LX 570 for a Mercedes-Benz GL, or Audi Q7, or Land Rover Range Rover, or even Cadillac Escalade.

The new chassis and suspension underneath the new look is updated to today's level of tricks. Lexus had already offered active height control and an adaptive variable suspension, but improved these elements with the 2008MY. The new system gives a greater range of motion and is cross-linked, allowing wheels to react to the action of opposing wheels as well as to driving surfaces. The system employs a valve at each corner as well as a center or master valve to detect extension or deflection of each wheel. The system, Lexus says, reduces body roll by more than thirty percent and changes ride height quickly. The chassis lowers by about two inches for ingress/egress and returns to normal height under acceleration. On the highway, the system will lower the front about an inch and the rear about a half inch.

The LX 570 improves off-road and off-pavement performance with several sets of electronic aids. The same active height system that adjusts vehicle height for freeway travel and that makes it easier to get in and out also maximizes ground clearance by raising the SUV by about three inches when the low range is selected. Further easing off-road performance, which most LXs likely see precious little of, is a Crawl Control feature. Selectable in low range, Crawl Control increases throttle control to help keep the vehicle at the appropriate low speeds, allowing the driver to focus on steering through the path or over obstacles. Crawl Control uses a set of virtual locking differentials to minimize tire slip and maximize chassis behavior. Without canceling the Crawl Control mode, the driver can use the brakes for slowing vehicle speed and increase or decrease speed by adjusting a speed selector switch. There's also multi-terrain ABS technology, for reduced stopping distances on slippery surfaces.

Continue reading "2008 Lexus LX 570: New York Auto Show" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 06:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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You could tell from the smiles on the faces of the suits from Cadillac that they had just come from something special. The Cadillac Escalade had just won the Playboy 2007 Car of the Year Award. Jim Taylor, Cadillac General Manager was lugging around a golden trophy with a totally blinged-out Playboy bunny glued to it and a discreet plaque proclaiming Escalade's win.

Playboy Magazine has just named their 2007 Cars of the Year. Included in this year's list were:

Playboy 2007 Car of the Year - BMW Z4 M

Best SUV - Cadillac Escalade
Best Sports Coupe - Porsche 911 Carrera
Best Bang for the Buck - Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500
The Al Gore Special - Lexus GS450h
Best Two-Way Player - Volkswagen Eos
Best Pickup - Toyota Tundra
Best Cross Dresser - Mazda CX-7
Best Roadster - Saturn Sky Red Line

Oh yeah, about the presentations. Apparently, a hostess Playmate gave the executives a tour around the Playboy Mansion. A former Playmate, the young lady was extremely well spoken, knew her stuff and presented Playboy in a very favorable light. What I'm saying is that she wasn't the airhead blonde bimbette that may have been expected at Playboy.

Posted by George Peterson at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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SUVs are NOT DEAD - Sport Utility Vehicles Remain Top Considered Vehicle Segment

For as long as I can remember, the New York Times and eastern media have been taking SUVs to task. While many of the people writing these stories don't own a vehicle or even drive a car or truck, they have decided that the Sport Utility Vehicle is the poster child for social irresponsibility. No matter what they say, folks continue to gravitate to SUVs. We have the data.

For the past thirteen years, Sport Utility Vehicles have been the product segment that is most considered by American driving public. 2006 was a traumatic year for SUVs. High fuel prices dampened demand for large truck-based SUVs, but in 2006 as for more than a decade, demand for SUVs was highest among AutoPacific’s seven macro product segments. When consideration for contemporary SUVs – Crossover Sport Utility Vehicles or XSUVs – is included, consideration goes even higher.

Clearly America’s love affair for this Swiss Army Knife of vehicles has not waned, nor has demand by Americans for a vehicle type that can do many different things. We used to say that people bought SUVs because they can go anywhere, go anytime, go with anything, go with anybody… an SUV could do it all. Meeting these criteria – especially the go anywhere aspect of the equation yielded SUVs that were too capable. They could go off-road over rough terrain through tough climate conditions. Even though most buyers never used them for what they were capable of, they were designed to have off-road credibility.

Let it be XSUV: Let's officially coin our term for Crossover SUVs. These are not simply "crossovers", after all, you could have a crossover of almost any two products. We don't want to call them CUVs - Crossover Utility Vehicles - because that dilutes what they really are supposed to be. The right term is Crossover SUV. This clearly defines that this is an SUV based on a car platform - something not quite as capable as body-on-frame traditional SUVs. So, for now on, it's XSUVs.

Carmakers Responded to Buyers with Crossover SUVs: By the end of the ‘90s, manufacturers began to respond to buyers’ demand for slightly softer product characteristics. For awhile terms like “soft-roaders”, “cute-utes” were used to describe vehicles like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and even the Lexus RX300. Inside the car companies engineers and designers were referring to these types of vehicles as Crossovers. And while the buyer rarely refers to his Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox, or Honda Pilot as a Crossover SUV, that is what they are. They are not designed for off-roading, but they are designed to provide comfortable, maneuverable, efficient transportation in the suburbs and on vacation.

VehicleVoice internet survey panel members and respondents to AutoPacific's annual Future Vehicle Survey have responded about what type of transportation they will consider next time they buy. Selected details are below the fold.

Continue reading "SUVs are NOT Dead" »

Posted by George Peterson at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Since we have identified the vehicles that have the longest days supply, we have been asked to show which vehicles have the shortest days supply. Which vehicles are so hot they just blow off the dealer's lot? As with the slower moving vehicles where we arbitrarily cut off the days supply at 150 days, here we are using 50 days as the cut off point. The details are shown "below the fold"

Continue reading "Blowing Off the Lot - the Hot Sellers" »

Posted by George Peterson at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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INTELLICHOICE.COM AND AUTOPACIFIC TEAM UP TO ANNOUNCE FIRST ANNUAL MOTORIST’S CHOICE AWARDS

- Awards Recognize Vehicles with Highest Driver Satisfaction and Lowest Cost of Ownership -

- Infiniti QX56 Wins Highest Rating Among All Classes/Vehicle Models -

AutoPacific, the industry source for automotive owner satisfaction ratings and IntelliChoice.com, the online source for automotive ownership cost and value analysis, today announced the results of the newly established Motorist’s Choice Awards for the 2006 vehicle model year.

IntelliChoice.com and AutoPacific created the Motorist’s Choice Awards to determine the vehicles that delivered both the highest satisfaction and lowest cost of ownership. The collaboration between the two respected firms, who have each been authorities on the U.S. car market for the last 20 years, takes selected owner satisfaction data from AutoPacific’s surveys of new car and light truck buyers and combines it with IntelliChoice.com’s rating methodology to create a new measurement that speaks to both the hearts and minds of car buyers.

“While the economic analysis of car ownership remains very important—it can save or cost you thousands of dollars over the life of the vehicle—it is also important to recognize owner satisfaction as another significant influencer in vehicle purchases,” said James Bell, publisher of IntelliChoice.com. “These are the two key benchmarks we think car buyers should be most attuned to.”

“Ratings of owners’ satisfaction with their new car and truck illustrates how well the vehicle is satisfying the emotional and practical needs of the driver. Satisfaction is more than simply how well a product is screwed together and there are many more dimensions to the equation. Combining AutoPacific’s satisfaction results with the value analysis from IntelliChoice provides the car buyer with an outstanding benchmark to use when selecting a new vehicle,” said George Peterson, President of AutoPacific.

WINNERS

For the inaugural awards, IntelliChoice.com and AutoPacific identified 29 winning models by segment and class. The top-ranked vehicles in their respective categories are:

o Cars: Lexus LS430
o Trucks: Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 (2WD)
o SUV/Crossover: Infiniti QX56
o Minivans/Wagons: Audi A6 4.2 Quattro

In terms of overall rankings, the Infiniti QX56 SUV scored highest in both driver satisfaction and lowest cost of ownership, followed closely by the Lexus LS430 sedan.

Continue reading "Motorist's Choice Awards - a New Benchmark Rating Automotive Excellence" »

Posted by George Peterson at 04:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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An “ideal” is defined as an excellent or perfect example. In the first Ideal Vehicle Awards, announced today by automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific, owners rate their new 2006 model year cars and trucks by how closely they come to their ideal. The cars or trucks that owners would change the least are the most ideal.

Those carmakers that best understand their customers and create the vehicle their core buyer group desires has come closest to the ideal.

The top-rated vehicle and top-rated car is the Mercury Montego in the Large Car/Luxury Car category. In fact, Ford Motor Company sweeps the first three positions overall with the Ford Crown Victoria and Ford Five Hundred in second and third place. The top-rated truck is the Honda Odyssey Minivan.

The top-rated brand overall is Hyundai out-pointing Mercury and Lincoln for the most ideal vehicle honors.

Ford Motor Company and American Honda have three segment winners apiece. BMW and Hyundai have two each.

Of the sixteen Ideal Vehicle Award (IVA) categories, Japanese brands have seven segment winners, American brands have four, European brands have three and Korean brands have two winners.

The top-rated product segment is Large Car/Luxury Car confirming that Americans continue to value large, comfortable cars suitable for suburban and highway cruising.

Top-rated 2006 Ideal Vehicle brand: Hyundai
Top-rated 2006 Ideal Product Segment: Large Car/Luxury Car

Top rated 2006 Ideal Vehicles by segment:

PASSENGER CARS:
Premium Luxury Car: Lexus LS
Entry Luxury Car: BMW 3-Series
Large Car/Luxury Car: Mercury Montego
Premium Mid-Size Car: Hyundai Sonata
Mid-Size Car: Mercury Milan
Image Compact Car: Toyota Prius
Compact Car: Ford Focus
Sports Car: Porsche 911
Sporty Car: Acura RSX

SUT, SUV, and MINIVAN:
Sport Utility Truck: Honda Ridgeline
Luxury Sport Utility: BMW X5
Large Sport Utility: GMC Yukon
Premium Mid-Size Sport Utility: Nissan Murano
Mid-Size Sport Utility: Hyundai Santa Fe
Compact Sport Utility: Subaru Forester
Minivan: Honda Odyssey

In addition to identifying segment winners, IVA also establishes numerical ideal vehicle ratings for virtually every passenger car and light truck (except pickups) in the United States market. This results from calculating owner input across 11 specific areas related to a vehicle's exterior size, passenger roominess, cargo space, driver’s seat comfort, drivers seat visibility, interior technology, power, ease of getting in and out, interior storage compartments and tires and wheels. The 2006 ratings reflect input from buyers and lessees of new vehicles acquired September 2005 through January 2006. Pickup trucks are not incorporated because of numerous body styles included within each pickup line.

Posted by George Peterson at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Welcome to "Let's Talk Cars"


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This week on Let’s Talk Cars, it's all about consideration, brand consideration that is. AutoPacific founder and president George Peterson and VehicleVoice contributor Jim Hall have another go at polite conversation while tackling a new AutoPacific consumer survey that has American automotive manufacturers slipping, Mercedes tanking, and Toyota doing back flips, albeit in a deprivation tank.

And with 91 octane fuel going for well over $3 a gallon in California, we give you the Lexus GS450h - the newest hybrid from the luxury arm of Toyota. Worth the money? Hear what Jim and George have to say.

Show Rundown

01:52 Brand Consideration Research - VehicleVoice contributor Jim Hall and AutoPacific president and founder, George Peterson
16:00 Lexus GS450h - VehicleVoice contributor Jim Hall and AutoPacific president and founder, George Peterson

Posted by Cameron at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Standard and Optional Features Should Significantly Reduce Accidents Small and Large

Though not all of the details have been revealed regarding the fourth-generation Lexus LS sedan, at the Detroit auto show Lexus uncovered styling and gave us a peek at some new luxury features. In Geneva, more information on the big car's safety systems was revealed. Just around the corner, at the New York auto show in April, the LS hybrid will be unveiled. Lexus has also announced that the new LS will be offered in two wheelbase lengths, something new to the Lexus strategy but which entries like the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class long have done (although Mercedes sells only the long wheelbase version of the S-Class in the USA). AutoPacific and Vehicle Voice give you a brief preview of some of the upcoming wow! systems Lexus buyers will soon get to choose from.

Counterpoint - the Devil's Advocate

After you read the following summary of the technology coming on the 2007 Lexus LS, ask yourself these questions, "Is this technology necessary? Will this technology significantly enhance the driving experience? How expensive will all these wow! systems be? How reliable will they be? Are Lexus engineers answering questions no one is asking?"

In AutoPacific research there appears to be an undercurrent that some drivers are beginning to push back at technology that tries to do too much. "Why do I need that," one Mercedes driver may ask. A 7-Series driver brags that they have mastered the audio functions of iDrive after owning the car for five months and is looking forward to now learning how to learn the navigation functions. A Mercedes driver complains that the "car is taking over control" and says he'll buy something different next time. Then, there is the luxury car owner that asks, "Why is a $25,000 car like the Honda Accord never in the shop, but my $70,000 7-Series always there?" Technology needed? Or technology run amok?

Continue reading "2007 Lexus LS Raises the Bar for Safety and Luxury" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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