Posted by Dan Hall on February 22, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Conspicuous conservation is for the rich. Or at least that’s what the data show. In general, AutoPacific research shows that buyers of hybrids make more money than buyers of comparable vehicles. Not surprising, since hybrids are more expensive than single engine vehicles and generally do not reap the economic rewards of their fuel efficiency before they have been traded in.
But now that there are more than 2.5 million Prius’ on the road worldwide (1.1 million in the US), economies of scale might help make having a PC ride possible for the masses. In fact, by the end of the decade, the Prius family of vehicles may be the leading nameplate for Toyota sales in the US. At least that’s what’s Toyota is betting on with the Prius c.
Outside
The Prius c is intended to be the access vehicle for young, eco-conscious buyers on the budget. Smaller than the standard Prius, the c (or city) shares the family resemblance, but in a sportier way. The sheet metal has sharper lines and its profile shows less taper in the roofline towards the rear, giving more rear seat passenger room and a sportier look. The overall affect is more youthful and athletic look similar to the Honda Fit. Toyota is offering more youthful colors that may help to brand this vehicle properly, including “Habanero” a red orange that commands attention.
Inside
The interior is well appointed, but reminds us that this vehicle, based on a Yaris platform, is intended for the masses. The plastics used are de-lustered to avoid a cheap appearance that was often seen in entry vehicles a few years ago. Keeping with industry trends, the Prius c interior, while not rich, is comfortable. The vehicle includes Toyota’s new Display Audio System, and offers features like a 6.1-inch touch screen, navigation, and Toyota’s as Entune multimedia system with smartphone integration.
The Drive
With it’s smaller size, smaller engine and smaller battery pack than the Prius Liftback, the Prius c comes in at just 2,496 pounds, which is very light for a Hybrid. Don’t expect this lighter weight to translate into substantially higher fuel economy or more spirited driving however. The point of these differences with the Liftback is to make the car more affordable. Behind the wheel, expect the hybrid powertrain and CVT transmission to warm your heart towards saving the planet, not carving the pavement.
The Deal
The Prius will be offered in four trims. Prius c One will be at $18,950, which is a lower MSRP than the first-generation Prius was 12 years ago. The Prius c Two will start at $19,900. The Prius c Three will start at $21,635, and the Four will be $23,230.
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Posted by George Peterson on June 21, 2010 at 10:00 am
Cadillac Adds Premium Care Cadillac is adding standard scheduled maintenance – Premium Care – to its 2011 Model Year products. Providing scheduled maintenance is a way to demonstrate commitment to the customer, reduce ownership costs and increase customer loyalty. BMW has been offering scheduled maintenance for years and has effectively shed its “Break My Wallet” image that existed prior to the scheduled maintenance program.
Premium Brands Abandoned Standard Scheduled Maintenance In the past, most of the European luxury brands included standard scheduled maintenance – BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover. As costs went up and belts had to be tightened all with the exception of BMW dropped out. Surprising because consumer input to AutoPacific has indicated that standard scheduled maintenance is a strong enticement in selecting one brand over another. BMW was winning the battle with no competition.
Standard Scheduled Maintenance Returning as Customer Satisfaction and Marketing Tool Brands have begun to slowly return to standard scheduled maintenance as a customer satisfaction enhancer and sales enticement… Volvo, Volkswagen are now on board. Jaguar has added its Platimum Coverage for 2011 that provides all scheduled maintenance for 5-years or 50,000 miles. 2010MY Land Rover models include scheduled maintenance for a short period after
purchase. Perhaps they will follow Jag’s lead.
In any event, standard scheduled maintenance appears to again gain traction in the marketing wars at the top of the market. That VW has adopted it may indicate adding standard scheduled maintenance even to popular high volume brands.
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Posted by Stephanie Brinley on May 20, 2010 at 6:26 am
National Survey Reveals Cadillac as Top Premium Brand, Buick as Top Popular Brand, Ford Motor Company Has Most Awards with Seven, Suzuki Kizashi as Top Car and Lincoln MKT as Top Truck
TUSTIN, Calif. (May 20, 2010) — AutoPacific today announced its 14th Annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA) to help consumers make informed vehicle purchase decisions.
“While the auto industry is showing signs of improvement, more than ever before, manufacturers need to be able to differentiate themselves. Proof of satisfied customers is as good as gold,” says George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. “We’ve found that more than 25% of new car buyers are positively influenced by owner-based awards like the VSA when deciding on a new car or truck.”
AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award is an industry benchmark for measuring how satisfied an owner is with his/her new car or light truck. This study by the Southern California-based automotive research firm summarizes the results of over 42,000 new vehicle owners.
“Vehicles that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are delivering value and satisfaction across a wide range of attributes,” says Peterson. “The winners perform well in 48 separate categories that objectively measure the ownership experience.”
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Posted by Stephanie Brinley on April 14, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Being a company focused firmly forward, we don’t talk used cars much. But a program like this deserves some virtual ink.
Recalls have been in the news this year like rarely before. The depth and scope of Toyota’s problems has increased sensitivity to any manufacturer’s recalls–and make no mistake, there are many issued. Most not so severe as Toyota’s problems with accelerator shims, but out there all the same.
Half of the equation for ensuring cars on the road have had any recall work performed is in the owner’s hands. Often, owners ignore recall notices, particularly for minor issues, or figure it’ll get handled with the next oil change, to have it fall off today’s crowded to-do lists.
GM and Carfax announced a measure of help for anyone looking to purchase a used vehicle, making it easier to find out if the car was affected by a recall and if the work was done. GM is providing VINs to Carfax of millions of Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevrolets, GMCs, Saabs, Saturns, Pontiacs, and Hummers with open recalls.
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Posted by Stephanie Brinley on December 3, 2009 at 8:36 am
Reconciling Consumer Expectations with Reality Won’t be Easy
TUSTIN, Calif. (December 2, 2009) — A study released today by automotive research firm AutoPacific shows that while consideration for alternative fueled vehicles is on the rise, it is often driven by economic forces, rather than consumer desire to help the planet. “We have witnessed that hybrid consideration increased with fuel price, until people became used to higher fuel prices,” says Jim Hossack, Vice President of AutoPacific. “Fuel prices have settled down in 2009 and so has demand for hybrid vehicles”
Going green will not be a walk in the park. Hybrid considerers are 10 percentage points more likely than gasoline considerers to agree with the statement, “I am prepared to pay a higher price for an environmentally friendly vehicle.” This is even truer for plug-in hybrid considerers (+17 percentage points) and pure electric considerers (+ 19 percentage points). However, they plan to pay between $2,000 and $5,000 less on their next vehicle than gasoline considerers. “Clearly, there is a disconnect here. While green car considerers indicate that are willing to pay more, they are actually budgeting less for their next car. This needs to be reconciled, or alternative fueled vehicles may stall in the marketplace,” said Hossack.
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Posted by George Peterson on August 20, 2009 at 5:29 am
The Cash for Clunkers Program Ended at 8PM EDT on Monday August 24. According to government statistics, 680,114 Cash for Clunkers deals were made using $2.88 billion of the $3 billion authorized for the program.. The average clunker received a $4,235 rebate. Reimbursements are coming very slowly to dealerships and the government is putting more processors on staff to handle the backlog. Overall, a rare successful stimulus program.
On July 24, 2009 new car dealers in the United States began accepting trade-ins of older vehicles not worth much for new cars. Based on their fuel economy and the fuel economy of the new vehicle purchased, customers received a voucher for $3,500 or $4,500 to apply to the purchase of a new car or light truck.
Ultimately, the results of this program may be the sale of slightly over 700,000 new cars and light trucks with about 250,000 incremental to what would otherwise have been sold. But the impact goes deeper. There will have been substantial sales tax revenue from each sale going to states and cities that sorely need the income. Additional income taxes will be generated from the additional commissions and salaries dealership personnel otherwise would not have earned. The list goes on.
A brief synopsis of the impact of the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) is shown below the fold…
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Posted by Stephanie Brinley on July 14, 2009 at 7:33 am
Those Intending to Keep Car More than Four Years Up Over 12 Percent
TUSTIN, Calif. (July 14, 2009) — An annual survey of new vehicle buyers shows a significant increase in the number of people planning to hold onto their cars and trucks. In 2005, just over 46 percent of new car acquirers indicated they would not be shopping for a new vehicle for four years or more; in the just completed survey that number has risen to about 59 percent — an increase of almost 13 percent. At the same time, the number of people intending to replace their vehicle within the next 2 years has fallen.
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Posted by George Peterson on May 19, 2009 at 9:34 am
Hyundai is the winner of the first Rising Star Award from AutoPacific. The Rising Star Award is given to the brand climbing the most positions in AutoPacific’s Vehcile Satisfaction Award research. Hyundai climbed eleven positions year-to-year. This is testament to Hyundai Motor America and Hyundai dealers selling vehicles that satisfy their customers and good customer handling at the dealerships.
Hyundai had two category winning vehicles – the Hyundai Genesis won the Aspirational Luxury Car Category and the Sonata won the Premium Mid-Size Car Category.
Other Rising Stars were Infiniti climbing ten positions and Mercury climbing nine.
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Posted by dbarrett on April 14, 2009 at 7:00 am
If you’re one of the many people who would like to get into a new or newer automobile, but you’re concerned about shelling out the down payment, consider a lease acquisition. In the current economic climate, the opportunity to get a top quality vehicle for little or no cash out of pocket is rising. And, while many automobile manufacturers also offer “no down” car sales or leases, there is a big difference in commitment to consider. Many leases offered for takeover have less than two years remaining, giving you an opportunity to drive your way through the current recession, without committing yourself to 36, 48, or 60 months on a loan or lease.
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Posted by dbarrett on April 7, 2009 at 7:20 am
In the midst of ongoing media attention aimed at the auto industry in general and the Detroit “Big Three” specifically, some positive and important news emerged this week as Ford announced it had reduced its debt load by just under $10 billion dollars. The Detroit automaker said it was spending $2.4 billion in cash, in addition to 468 million shares to improve its balance sheet and distance it from federal aid.
The news is seen as important, because buyers are reluctant to step off the sidelines, even with incentives and greatly reduced pricing. A just-completed AutoPacific online survey showed that buyers are disappointed by automakers taking bailout funds and that Ford tops their choice options in U.S. vehicles, in part due to its ability to avoid an Uncle Sam handout. The same survey respondents indicated they were unlikely to purchase vehicles from either GM or Chrysler.
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