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2009 Nissan Maxima Review

Judging by the Web hits on any scrap of information we post pertaining to Nissan’s 2009 Maxima, you guys and girls can’t wait to get your hands on this all-new edition of the Japanese maker’s four-door sedan — er, I mean, “four-door sports car.”

Well, we have one in the garage right now. Just drove it a few minutes ago. Want some first-hand impressions? Sure you do. And here they are.

For the new, seventh-generation version of its famed four-door, first unveiled as the Maxima in 1985, Nissan has done the unthinkable: it’s actually downsized the car. You read that right: in an era when every model year brings “bigger, larger, fatter,” the Maxima has gone lean. Wheelbase shrinks 1.9 inches, length is cut by nearly four inches, and height is reduced almost half an inch. Importantly, though, track has widened 1.4 inches up front and 1.2 inches at the rear. While other cars have grown to accommodate a “larger” audience (the Honda Accord comes to mind), the new Maxima is intentionally primed for responsiveness.
Big things are happening under the hood, though. Remapping the engine for premium fuel — plus a new intake, reshaped pistons, and a less-restrictive exhaust — help the ubiquitous Nissan 3.5-liter V-6 deliver 290 horsepower (versus 255 for the 2008 model) and 261 pound-feet of torque (up 9 pound-feet). Yet fuel economy actually improves, to 19/26 city/highway mpg (compared with 19/25 for the outgoing car).

A few interesting tidbits:

* Nissan claims the front structure’s torsional rigidity has improved 100 percent.
* “O rings” surrounding all firewall-penetrating hardware (such as the steering column) greatly reduce interior noise — so much so that Nissan has had to “pipe in” some exhaust tones via a “sound generator.”
* Disc brakes are larger front and rear.
* The front-rear moonroof is the largest one Nissan has ever done; Nissan claims the forward opening is the largest in the industry.
* Some of the aluminum suspension pieces are borrowed from the Infiniti M45.
* The engine is cradled by a six-point mount for reduced vibrations.
* Nissan had to purchase six new robots (at $2 million) for its Smyrna, Tennessee, plant to achieve the paint finish it sought.
Two models will be offered once the Maxima goes on sale in late June: the 3.5S and the 3.5SV. In addition to features included on the well-outfitted S, the SV adds such extras as leather seats, premium 9-speaker Bose audio, HomeLink, fog lamps, and outside mirrors with turn-signal indicators. What’s more, Nissan will offer the SV is two editions: Premium and Sport. Nissan claims that the latter Maxima, fortified with 19-inch alloys and optional 245/40R19 summer Bridgestones, is the best-handling front-drive car in the world. A bold statement, to be sure — and one we’ll be sure to examine thoroughly — but you should know this: Nissan’s target car, as it tuned the Maxima during endless laps around Germany’s Nurburgring, was none other than the Porsche GT3 (winner of our “best-handling car” competition last year).

Thus far our wheel time has been limited, but already the Maxima stands out. The cockpit is gorgeous, with a meaty steering wheel, intuitive controls, deeply pocketed sport seats (love the refrigerated driver’s seat!), and soft-touch materials across the dash. The engine, mated to a standard CVT (no manual is planned), is hushed and pulls smoothly; no undue tugging at the wheel. The ride is well-isolated and controlled.
Nissan says Maxima buyers are its most loyal customers. Four out of five cars are still on the road, and the automaker expects to sell another 70,000 units this year.

So far, we like what we see. Compared with the outgoing model, which was softer, too heavy, a bit bland, the new Maxima appears to have made a compelling return to its “sports car” roots; it’s back in fighting trim.

Stay tuned. We’re heading out for an extended drive, plus full instrumented testing and other surprises. You’ll read it all right here soon.

Do These First Before You Rent a Car

Choosing a Vehicle
Think carefully about what kind of vehicle you’ll need. If you’re traveling with children or with a lot of gear, you may want a large sedan or SUV. If you’re simply looking to save money on rental rates and gas, you’ll want to reserve the smallest available model.

But size isn’t the only factor. Looking for something environmentally friendly? Check out our Green Travel Resources. Can’t drive a stick shift? Be sure to reserve a car with automatic transmission. (In many countries, a manual transmission is the norm — so read the fine print before booking. Learn more in Renting a Car Abroad.) Also, be sure that the company offers any extras you might need or want, such as a ski rack, car seat or GPS system.

Booking Your Car
How long will you be renting? If it’s for less than a week, you’ll probably do best with a major rental company, such as Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National or Thrifty. For rentals of a week or longer, you may get better rates from local companies, particularly auto dealers. Remember, however, to be wary of local companies if you plan to drive a lot; if you break down or get into an accident, they usually lack the support services of the majors.

Always shop around. Check the major booking engines and aggregator sites (such as Travelocity and Kayak) to get an idea of what rates are available, but you should also visit the car rental companies’ Web sites as well — they’ll often offer exclusive discounts, and you’ll avoid booking fees. Don’t forget to check out our selection of discount car rental deals before making any reservations.

To lower your rate, ask about discounts for any major national organizations, frequent flier programs and credit card programs you may belong to. They’ll frequently offer deals on car rentals. Those offered through AAA can be very good. If you’re employed by a company that frequently rents cars, they may have a negotiated rate. Make sure to check.

Before you book online, do an Internet search for coupon or promotion codes to put into the booking engine of your car rental company’s site. Just type in the name of the company followed by “coupon code” into the search field and you’ll often find special promotion codes that could save you anywhere from 5 to 20 percent off the cost of your rental.

If you’re not already, consider joining your car rental company’s loyalty program when you book. These vary by company, but most of them are free and entitle you to certain privileges when picking up your vehicle; your information will be on file ahead of time, allowing you to simply jump into the car and go rather than standing in a long line or filling out paperwork. You could also be eligible for special discounts or free upgrades.

Understanding Your Rental
If you’re booking online, read the terms and conditions carefully before confirming your reservation. If you’re booking on the phone, ask the agent about restrictions. Be sure you understand the conditions of your reservation. Is there a penalty for no-shows? How long will the car be held if you’re stuck in traffic on the way to the pickup station? Is there a fee for additional drivers and must their names be listed in the contract? Is your 20-year-old daughter old enough to drive the car? (For liability reasons, this is important.)

If pertinent, ask about any restrictions on interstate travel. For your own protection in case of breakdown, be sure the company has offices in all the states on your itinerary.

For one-way rentals, ask about drop-off charges. They can be exorbitant.

Always get a confirmation number. For airport rentals, be sure to give the customer service representative your flight number and scheduled arrival time. This will usually protect your reservation if the flight is delayed.

The True Cost of Car Rentals
Buyer beware: The rate you see advertised in big print may become so inflated with state and local taxes, airport surcharges, additional driver fees, insurance, gasoline bills and drop-off charges that you end up paying more than double what you expected. Learn more about these extra charges in Car Rental Hidden Costs.

Also, the advertised rate may be valid only in off-season Florida or California, when many cars are idle there, but not where you want to rent. Finally, the rate may be only for a car size that you would find unsuitable.

In recent years, the major booking engines have become more transparent about rental car rates, and they now usually show you the total cost of your rental, including estimated taxes and fees, early on in the booking process. Travelocity offers total pricing, which guarantees that the company’s estimated amount will be within one percent of the actual rate.

Like the airlines, the major auto rental companies have adopted “yield management.” That means that their computers can quickly readjust prices according to changes in the supply of cars available, and so the rental rate you are quoted is valid only at that moment. Unless you reserve immediately, the rate is likely to change.

At Pickup Time
If your first drive will be from an airport to a hotel for the night, why not take a shuttle van to the hotel instead? Doing this may save you the price of a day’s rental. Even if you must drive the same day your flight lands, you may not have to get the car at the airport. By picking it up downtown, you can often avoid hefty airport surcharges.

If you have personal auto insurance or charge the rental to a major credit card, you will probably be covered at least for collision damage — so you shouldn’t have to purchase the car rental company’s collision or loss damage waiver (CDW or LDW) insurance. If in doubt, ask your insurance agent or credit card issuer.

Before you drive away from the pickup station, inspect the car carefully for body damage. Be sure the lights and turn signals are working properly, and check the mileage odometer. Report any defects at once.

Familiarize yourself with the workings of the car before you leave the lot. Check which side your gas tank is on, and learn how to use the headlights, windshield wipers and turn signal. It may seem obvious, but you’ll also want to memorize the make, model and color of your car — that way you won’t lose it the first time you park in a busy lot! For more, see Getting to Know Your Rental Car.

Returning Your Car
Be wary of prepaid gasoline plans. Always fill the tank yourself before returning the vehicle so that you’re only paying for the amount of gas you actually used. Try to avoid the gas stations right near the airport where you’re dropping off your car — the prices tend to be highest there. Instead, fill up a few miles away. Even better: Check GasBuddy.com before your trip to find out where the cheapest gas stations are in your area.

It may seem counterintuitive, but returning your car early may actually cost you money. You’ll often pay an early return fee (usually about $15 a day), but even worse, your rate structure will most likely change and you’ll be responsible for the difference. Of course, returning the car late could cost you too — many car rental companies only give you a 30-minute grace period before beginning to rack up the late fees.

Before leaving the vehicle, check to be sure you haven’t left any personal belongings. Don’t forget to check the trunk! The most common lost articles include cell phones, sunglasses and umbrellas.

Be sure that the check-in attendant inspects the car’s body in your presence and that you agree about any damage. Examine your rental agreement carefully for all charges and make sure they credit any deposit to your account while you wait.

7 Steps to Maintain Your Car at Home

1. Start simple.

Start with the easiest repairs first. Don’t dive right into rebuilding your transmission. You’ll gain confidence, learn how to use tools and begin to understand how everything fits together on your car.

Here are some great repairs for novice shade tree mechanics, in order of increasing difficulty:

• Replace the wiper blades
• Change the air filter
• Change a headlight
• Change a battery
• Replace the spark plugs
• Change the oil
• Change belts

If you’re undertaking a repair that’s not on this list and you’re just getting started, at least make sure it’s a repair that doesn’t require you to lie on your back, deep underneath your car.

If you have to jack up your car to get underneath it, under no circumstances should you use the flimsy jack that came with the car. And never, ever get under your car unless it’s supported by approved jack stands. (Unless, of course, you can get your mother-in-law to hold the car up. In which case, we’d like to see photos.)

Finally, when you’re getting started, try to avoid repairs that involve contorting yourself into an uncomfortable position, which can make a repair vastly more difficult.

2. Avoid repairs with dire consequences.

Try to avoid repairs or service work where the consequences of a mishap are great. For example, don’t try to replace your brake master cylinder or fuel line on your first repair. You could end up crashing into a plutonium tanker. Or be self-immolated. Or worse still, you might wreck your engine.

3. Get the tools you need.

Before you start ripping apart your car, go out and get a set of tools, including:

• A complete set of socket wrenches, including swivel sockets with extensions of various lengths and angle accessories.
• A complete set of open-end and box wrenches.
• The usual screwdrivers, pliers — and especially, a good set of vise grips.
• Whatever special tools are necessary for the job you’re contemplating. For example, a special tool is necessary to remove the oil filter, and another for the spark plugs. In both cases, there are different sizes of tools, so take a look first and find out what you’ll need.

No matter what tools you buy, you still won’t have all the tools you’ll need. So our final piece of advice is to start your repair early. That way, the parts store will still be open when you head down there looking for that special, Fiat metric xenon fog lamp wrench.

4. Do a little homework.

Do some homework before you plunge into a repair. It just might save you a migraine later. Buy the manufacturer’s shop manual for your vehicle, and read up on the repair. Check information online, such as the Maintenance Advice in this section or other resources.

Here’s one true story of why it’s important to do your homework:

When we first got involved in car repair, we once contemplated a job and took a quick look at the service manual. It had only six steps. We decided we’d go for it. So we went out and bought the parts. When we looked at the manual more closely, we noticed that the first step said “remove engine.” No kidding.

So read the manual!

5. See one before you do one.

The best way to learn is to work with someone who knows what he or she is doing. If you’re undertaking a repair you’ve never even seen done before, it’s reasonably likely that you’ll screw it up — or, at best, you’ll do it the hard way. Our advice? Operate on the same principle that medical schools use: see one, do one, teach one.

6. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help if you screw up.

It happens. You got your old serpentine belt off, the new one on … and your car runs backward. Don’t be shy about calling your regular mechanic. Our advice is to fess up immediately. Tell him you screwed up your repair and need a question or two answered. If he’s a nice guy, he’ll take pity on you and answer a question or two.

Don’t take advantage of your mechanic, however. Remember that he’s probably extremely busy trying to pay off his new 24-foot cabin cruiser.

A final word of advice. If you really screw up and have to take your car to your mechanic, don’t try to cover it up. Confess. We can tell immediately when a customer has tried to hide a repair gone awry. Everyone makes mistakes, strips bolts and blows parts up. It happens. It may take a few years, but eventually even you’ll laugh about it.

7. Safely dispose of the toxic crud that will come out of your car.

After you’re done with your repair, it’s possible you’ll be left with used coolant, motor oil, brake fluid or other toxic materials. You’ll need to dispose of them safely — and by that, we don’t mean dumping it on your neighbor’s award-winning Malaysian petunias.

If you ask nicely, your mechanic will likely accept your waste for a proper burial.

In many states, retailers are required to accept used motor oil, coolant and other fluids — as long as you have a receipt showing you bought an equal amount of the product at that business.

Toyota Prius Sold Out

According to figures released this week by Toyota, sales of the iconic Toyota Prius, the first hybrid to be mass marketed, have now surpassed the 1 million mark.

From January to April 2008 dealers sold 66,100 Prius units, a pace that, should it continue, will bring end of the year sales to 198,300 an increase of 7.9% over 2007.

Currently overall sales are smaller in Japan and Europe, but climbing at a faster rate than in the North American market, which is suffering fallout from the weak credit market and anxieties about recession.

Since the Prius was first launched in 1997, cumulative sales of the gas-electric hybrid have reached 1.028 million as of the end of April 2008. It is estimated that use of the vehicle over the past ten years has accounted for a decrease in global carbon dioxide emission of 4.5 million tons.

For the first four months of 2008 there were 24,200 Prius sales in Japan, an improvement that should generate a 24.5% increase over 2007 for that market by the end of the year. In Europe, Prius sales in the first four months reached 14,200 units, a projected increases of 32.3 percent over 2007 by the end of the year.

Toyota has a stated goal of selling 1 million hybrid vehicles per year by the early 2010s.

Subaru Forester 2.5XT Limited Review

Edmunds - Typically we’d rate this quick exchange right up there with catcalls from construction workers, but when these few words of light praise come from the biggest BMW snob ever to rub a Roundel, “like” and “good” take on a whole new meaning.

Pulling away, we sat up a little taller in the Forester’s driver seat, tossing a saucy flip of hair to the indifferent gate attendant.

When Bigger Means Better
Bimmer boy is right. There’s plenty to admire about the 2009 Subaru Forester. The new Forester is bigger, better-looking and offers more features than the current version, a Subaru staple since 2003. And with its transformation into a sport-utility from a wagon, the Forester is finally ready to compete with the likes of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

The new Forester’s wheelbase has been stretched 3.5 inches, and the body is 3 inches longer than before, 1.8 inches wider and 4.3 inches taller. This puts it smack between the smaller CR-V and the larger RAV4. The additional dimensions come from some clever engineering, as the Subaru engineers have taken the basic body structure of the Japanese-spec Impreza wagon and joined it with the rear of the U.S.-spec Impreza sedan.

While the increased length makes the Forester drive a bit more like an SUV and less like a car, it does translate into a more spacious cabin for both front and rear passengers. Up front, the Forester offers 43 inches of legroom, more than either the CR-V or RAV4, yet the real difference lies in the rear seating area.

During our test we squashed three Girl Scout moms in the backseat for a quick pizza run, and although they were smashed shoulder to shoulder like a chain of paper dolls, neither Lydia, Danielle nor Susan complained about the Forester’s rear legroom, now comparable to Susan’s roomy RAV4.

The Value Proposition
The Forester started out as a sub-$20,000 station wagon, but things have changed as a category of compact sport-utilities has emerged and a more sophisticated mix of standard equipment has been required. Priced at $29,995 for the turbocharged all-wheel-drive Forester 2.5XT Limited, the Subaru costs $1,500 more than the 2008 CR-V and $3,000 more than the V6-equipped 2008 RAV4. Of course, the XT Limited does include a touchscreen GPS navigation system with standard Sirius Satellite Radio.

Unlike the seven-passenger RAV4, the Forester does not offer a third-row seat, but this hardly reduces the utility of Subaru’s small SUV. Third rows in crossovers this size can barely accommodate 7-year-old Brownie scouts, never mind their matronly mothers.

You also get a little more performance for your money with the new Forester. Besides all-wheel drive, stability control is standard.

Turbocharged if You Care
The Forester’s turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer-4 has been substantially revised for 2009, and it includes a new intake system, intercooler and a turbocharger as featured by the Outback and Legacy engines.

With 224 horsepower and 226 pound-feet of torque, the new engine carries over the same horsepower and torque ratings as the outgoing model, but the engine is able to achieve both numbers at lower rpm. Peak horsepower now arrives 400 rpm sooner at 5,200 rpm, while peak torque is achieved 800 rpm earlier at 2,800 rpm, and the result is much improved drivability. In comparison, the CR-V’s inline-4 makes just 166 hp.

The 2009 Forester’s ample power is immediately noticeable, but its turbo benefit isn’t as readily apparent. There’s no throaty exhaust note and no heightened rush of acceleration. Instead you notice just a slight lag in response as the power spools up. Some of us also noted a slight flat spot midway through the power band, but others said they could push through just by laying on the throttle pedal.

At the test track, the Forester 2.5XT Limited runs to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds (6.6 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip), and takes 15.1 seconds to close the quarter-mile gap at 90.4 mph. The last time we ran numbers on a CR-V, it took 9.8 seconds to hit 60 mph and eventually completed the quarter-mile in 17.5 seconds.

Times have changed, and a four-speed automatic transmission no longer seems to offer the speed or fuel economy we expect. So we weren’t surprised when several staff members complained about the Forester’s four-speed, as its widely spaced ratios compromise the drivability of the engine. This unfortunate hand-me-down from the Impreza sedan has only a 15 percent efficiency loss compared to the five-speed manual transmission, but it affects your impression of the Forester every day. Subaru builds a good five-speed automatic that’s seen in the Legacy, and we’re hoping to see it adapted to a face-lifted Forester in 2010.

With an EPA rating of 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway, Subaru has improved the Forester’s average fuel consumption, but the RAV4’s 269-hp V6 still beats the Forester’s highway rating.

Mushy Brakes, Solid Steering
This 3,427-pound Forester comes to a halt from 60 mph in 125 feet, an impressive performance that beats the Honda CR-V by 6 feet. Unfortunately the brake pedal action doesn’t give you confidence, as our drivers describe it variously as soft, mushy and squishy. Our impressions were also affected by the brake dive from the body and audible protests from the 225/55R17 Yokohama Geolander all-season tires.

In the slalom, the Forester makes its run at 60.3 mph, and while there’s a noticeable delay as the chassis responds to the steering and cuts to the next cone, the conventional power-assisted steering does its job. In fact the Forester is pretty maneuverable, as its 34.4-foot turning circle is a foot less than the old Forester’s despite the 3-inch wheelbase stretch. It’s also tighter than the CR-V and RAV4, making it easy to navigate those parking lots in front of elementary schools, which are the natural habitats of the compact sport-utility.

We had our doubts about the overall impact of the sport-utility dimensions of the 2009 Subaru Forester, but the weight difference is only about 80 pounds over the former wagon-style Forester, and there seems to be enough power and maneuverability to handle it. The Forester is still more than a hundred pounds lighter than a comparable CR-V, and feels far more playful than the staid Honda.

More Room for More Stuff
Increased passenger space combines nicely with expanded cargo room to make the Subaru Forester feel less like a quirky runabout and more like a grown-up SUV. The capacity of the rear cargo hold has grown 4.5 cubic feet, even with the 60/40-split-folding rear seats still upright. Nevertheless, maximum hauling space with the seats folded down tops out at 68.3 cubes, nearly 5 cubic feet less than the Honda and Toyota.

Subaru has also made the new Forester look like something more than a simple runabout, particularly with the presentation of the interior. Apparent quality has improved with double-stitched fabrics and sporty shades of blue light to illuminate the intuitive controls of the climate control system. A 100-watt AM/FM six-disc in-dash CD changer system pumps music through the Forester’s six-speaker setup.

Meanwhile a 10-way power seat and tilt-and-telescoping adjustable steering column help drivers get comfortable behind the wheel.

Grown Up, Growing on Us
Some might argue that the 2009 Subaru Forester has lost its unique Subaru personality, its combination of quirky wagon-style bodywork and its breathless powertrain. It’s large and powerful and even attractive, attributes we’re not accustomed to associating with the products of Subaru City.

But while the Forester has enjoyed some success with its quirky, fun package, there’s a reason that the CR-V and RAV4 are so popular among the crossover crowd. The Honda and Toyota already offer the right package at a reasonable price, and now the Subaru does, too. Really, it was time for the Subaru Forester to grow up, and now it has.

Scooter is an Alternative

MSNBC - The 51-year-old restaurant owner bought a candy-apple red Honda last week as worries about the price of gas overrode any trepidation about learning to drive it.

With the average price of gas closing in on $4 a gallon, many cash-strapped motorists are turning to fuel-stingy motor scooters and smaller motorcycles. Dealers across the nation report brisk sales this spring, particularly for those that get from 75-120 miles per gallon.
“Ninety-five percent of those who come in mention high gas prices,” said Lonnie Trujillo, sales manager for Vespa of California at Sherman Oaks, Calif. “Even though we’re in southern California and have year-round riding weather, April sales were phenomenal,” he added.

Sales of name-brand scooters such as Honda, Yamaha, Vespa and Suzuki rose 24 percent in the first quarter of the year, said Mike Mount, spokesman for the Motorcycle Industry Council trade group — noting that it’s not exactly a hot sales period because of cool weather in much of the nation.

Many lesser-known scooters from China, Taiwan and South Korea also are sold in the U.S., but Mount said those sales figures are not readily available.

“We believe, anecdotally, that fuel prices are definitely having an effect on scooter sales,” he said. “It seems likely that that’s playing into scooter sales this quarter, as well.”

The lowest-priced scooters such as the Chinese imports cost about $800, while name-brand bikes cost $2,000 to $3,000 and top-of-the-line models can go for $6,000 to $8,000.

Ross Petersen, a motorcycle and scooter dealer in South Dakota’s capital, Pierre, said scooter and medium-sized motorcycle sales are propelled by gas prices. Even people who don’t fit the biker mode are buying, he said.

“We’re selling to people who we normally wouldn’t get into our shop,” Petersen said. “We’re getting people who have no intention of ever moving up to a bigger motorcycle like a Harley-Davidson.”
Within a day of buying her Honda from Petersen Motors, Kohler had 35 miles on her scooter. She said the price of gas was a major consideration, even though her daily commute is just a few miles.

“One-hundred miles to the gallon is great,” she said. “I don’t do a lot of driving. It’s just mainly going to work and back. And I thought, it can’t be that difficult to drive.”

Smart Car is Not Safe?

The micro car, the smallest car for sale in the U.S. market, offers a good level of safety, according to new crash tests conducted by the insurance industry.

The 8-foot, 8-inch vehicle received the highest rating of good in front-end and side-impact testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, helping address some concerns that consumers may be more vulnerable in the tiny two-seater.

The tests, released Wednesday, show how well vehicles stack up against others of similar size and weight. The institute noted that the front-end test scores can’t be compared across weight classes, meaning a small car that earns a good rating isn’t considered safer than a large car that did not earn the highest rating.

Adrian Lund, the institute’s president, said a small car may be more practical in congested urban areas where serious, high-speed crashes are less likely. The institute conducted the crash test to help guide consumers who want a small car that can give them good protection.

“All things being equal in safety, bigger and heavier is always better. But among the smallest cars, the engineers of the Smart did their homework and designed a high level of safety into a very small package,” Lund said.

The institute’s frontal crash test simulates a 40 mile per hour crash with a similar vehicle. The side crash simulates what would happen if the vehicle was struck in the side by a sport utility vehicle at 31 mph.

In a test that assessed the vehicle’s protection in rear crashes, the fortwo received the second-highest rating of acceptable.
Smart, a division of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz brand, has arrived in U.S. showrooms this year as consumers deal with rising fuel prices. The automaker has received more than 30,000 reservations for the vehicle — which has a base price of more than $12,000 with destination charges included and more than $17,000 for a fully loaded Smart passion convertible. Customers are putting down $99 to reserve a car.
The vehicle, which had sold 6,159 units through the end of April, gets 33 miles per gallon in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. The fortwo is more than 3 feet shorter and nearly 700 pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper.

In earlier crash tests conducted by the government, Smart received the top score of five stars in side testing but the driver door unlatched during the test and opened. While it did not affect the vehicle’s test score, government regulators said the incident required them to note a safety concern for the vehicle which will appear on window stickers at dealerships.

The concern was warranted because the unlatching of the door could increase the likelihood of a driver or passenger being ejected from the vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

When the IIHS conducted its side test, the driver door also became unlatched. But the institute said the injury measurements on the test dummy were low and the opening didn’t affect the dummy’s movement.

The 1,800-pound car has a steel safety cage and four standard air bags, including two in front and two on the sides to protect the head and abdomen. It also has standard electronic stability control, which is designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the road.

“America has never seen a car this size before and their first question usually isn’t about (fuel) economy, it’s about safety,” said Dave Schembri, president of Smart USA. “And that’s why we think these results are so very important.”

Cheapest Car from India

BusinessWeek - “Every day we invite people to come and examine the car and ask: ‘How can we make more savings?’” says Tata Motors Chief Executive Ravi Kant.

That quest to build the world’s cheapest car hasn’t ended. The Nano should be available this fall, but the mission began back in 2003, when Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Motors and the $50 billion Tata conglomerate, set a challenge to build a “people’s car.” Tata gave an engineering team, led by 32-year-old star engineer Girish Wagh, three requirements for the new vehicle: It should be low-cost, adhere to regulatory requirements, and achieve performance targets such as fuel efficiency and acceleration capacity. The design team initially came up with a vehicle which had bars instead of doors and plastic flaps to keep out the monsoon rains. It was closer to a quadricycle than a car, and the first prototype, Wagh admits candidly, “lacked punch.” Even a bigger engine, which boosted the power by nearly 20%, was still dismal. “It was an embarrassment,” says Wagh.

But the failure was also the catalyst for Tata’s decision to build a proper car, not an upgraded scooter on four wheels or anything flimsy or cheap-looking. “We didn’t want an apology for a car,” says Ravi Kant. “We were conscious of the fact that whether it was a $2,500 car or not, it ought not to have looked like a $2,500 car.”
The tale of the creation and design of the Nano is one of innovation and ingenuity, both inside and outside Tata’s own organization. First, Ratan Tata called a meeting of his top parts suppliers and, after showing them the early, earnest but flawed prototypes, asked them to help. Companies including Germany’s Bosch, which makes the computer that is the heart of car’s engine, were skeptical. So were local Indian players.
But Tata persisted, pointing out that not only could a company’s specific developments for the Nano help to make history but they could also improve their companies’ businesses and bottom lines. Soon most of Tata’s traditional suppliers were on board. Rane Group, for instance, makes a rack and pinion steering system. It focused on reducing the weight of the materials used, replacing the steel rod of the steering with a steel tube—a major cost-reducer. Typically, the product is made of two pieces, but it was redesigned as one to save on machining and assembling costs. According to Harish Lakshman, director of the $317 million company: “The world has seen this sort of integration of two pieces into one, but applied differently — not for a new car, and not to reduce costs.”

GKN Driveline India, a subsidiary of global auto parts leader GKN, made the driveshaft — the component that transfers power from the engine to the wheel. The team spent a year developing 32 experimental variants to create the perfect driveshaft for the Nano. It roped in designers from the company’s French and Italian operations and changed the design to make it lighter and easier to manufacture. For the Nano’s rear-wheel drive system, GKN designed a smaller diameter of shaft, which made it lighter and saved on material costs. “We thought if we were successful in this, we could dictate terms to the market, and every other car manufacturer would want to work with us,” says Rajendra Ojha, chief executive of GKN Driveline India.

Taking the pulse of the project
All the suppliers have similar stories. And although none would disclose specific cost savings, most stuck to Tata’s mandate to cut costs. That was, as Kant acknowledges, the biggest hurdle for the company — “then, now, and in the future,” — particularly as the price of raw materials like steel have more than doubled in the past four years, and the company has to follow new, tighter industry regulations. Kant, who recently led negotiations to acquire luxury auto brand Jaguar Land Rover, has little time to get involved in day-to-day details of Tata’s many projects. However, with the Nano, “every cost, every component price, has to be run by me,” he says.

Coordinating the vendors with Tata Motors’ team was a whole new exercise in logistics. Wagh quickly realized it was necessary to bring everyone on board, “else it leads to last-minute heartache and delays.” Every morning, he would spend an hour or two on the floor of the Pune factory, insisting that everyone involved — designers, manufacturing teams, vendor development people — be there to accelerate decision-making and problem-solving. “We had to have the pulse of the project and know exactly where the hurdles were,” Wagh remembers.
Over time, Wagh’s team grew to comprise some 500 engineers, an impractically large group to gather on a daily basis. So instead, a core team of five engineers gathered every day at 3 p.m. to discuss the latest developments. Each engineer represented a different part of the car: engine and transmission, body, vehicle integration, safety and regulation, and industrial design.

Man’s Choices Car

MSNBC - If you see a canary-colored Lamborghini Gallardo cruising down the street, nine times out of 10 a man will be at the wheel.

The same goes for other attention-getting sports cars, chauffeur-worthy sedans and burly sport utility vehicles that make up our list of the Top 10 Vehicles Driven by Men.

When it comes to cars, men want to be seen — and heard. Specifically, they want to be seen in a vehicle that others can’t have, says Milton Pedraza of the Manhattan-based Luxury Institute.
That’s why rare cars like the Dodge Viper, of which only 435 were sold in the United States in 2007, are driven mostly by men. This two-seat sports car ranks fifth on our list, with 89.97 percent male primary drivers, according to CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore., which conducts thousands of surveys each ear on car-related topics.

The “powerful, predatory look” of cars like the Viper attracts male buyers, Pedraza says. “Men have a greater need to show off their power.” The Viper can be a mechanism for that, not only with its flashy looks but also with its brawly engine sound.

Dodge’s own data shows that up to 95 percent of Vipers are owned by men, who use it mostly as a weekend vehicle. “Vipers tend to be driven on the track more than any other sports car model,” says Kathy Graham, a spokesperson with Dodge’s parent company, Chrysler. In general, relatively few women participate in driving activities on racetracks, she says.

Men’s desire to showcase power and aggression with the vehicles they drive stems from an “animal nature,” says Imre Molnar, dean of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Men decorate and embellish themselves with their automobiles as if it’s “mating season,” he says.
That helps explain why many vehicles — and especially those on our list — have masculine styling cues, which Molnar says include big wheels pushed to the corners of the vehicle, flush or protruding wheel faces, a high “shoulder line” (at the bottom of the side windows), and taut lines that look like tensed muscles.

Vehicles that sit higher at the back tend to look like a predator “ready to pounce,” Molnar says. High haunches have become the norm on nearly every sedan.

Statistics show that most women prefer vehicles with understated styling and an opulent, comfortable interior.

Rather than cars, women use jewelry, high-end fashion and expensive handbags to create a distinctive look, says Luxury Institute’s Pedraza. When it comes to creating an image of wealth and influence, men have fewer choices in attire and accessories — that’s where the cars come in.

“Men don’t wear a $100,000 necklace with their $100,000 car,” Pedraza says. He points out that music-industry mogul Simon Cowell, a judge on the television show “American Idol,” dresses conservatively but drives a Bugatti Vevron, which has a starting price of $1.5 million.

You “can’t beat the accessory value of a Veyron,” Pedraza says.

Other high-priced “accessories” on wheels include the Maybach 57 and 62 and Rolls-Royce Phantom, which are the most ostentatious and exclusive luxury limos available.
The $340,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom has the fourth-highest percentage of male primary drivers, 90 percent, and the $335,000 Maybach tops our list with 95 percent male primary drivers.

“The Maybach brand is only five years on the U.S. market and the high percentage [of male drivers] likely represents top automobile enthusiasts who purchased the initial production,” says Rob Allan, product manager for Maybach, which is owned by Mercedes-Benz. Only 156 Maybachs were sold in the United States last year.

“Over time, as with [Mercedes’ high-performance division] AMG, the percentage of female owners should rise,” Allan says. “Maybach marketing — primarily events-based experiential marketing — is targeted equally to qualified male and female prospects.”

Busan Auto Show 2008

Cardesignnews - For this fourth Busan Motor Show, alternating with the Seoul Motor Show, more than 60 auto manufacturers from over 17 countries participated and it looks to surpass the 2006 record of one million spectators and $852 million worth of generated business. But in stark contrast to the Seoul Motor Show last year, where the domestic automakers unveiled some new concept and production vehicles, the show was a slight disappointment. Only two world premieres were unveiled, the new Honda Legend - which is essentially an Acura RL with a new front face - and the Ssangyong Chairman W. And there were only three production releases - the GM Daewoo L4X and Hyundai Genesis siblings - on hand. A greater number of worldwide auto manufacturers will be needed in the future for Busan to complement the Seoul Motor Show, which solidified its place as one of the Big Three motor shows in the Asian region in 2007.

Though the Busan show did not showcase as many new car reveals as we witnessed in China, there were few but significant automotive trends which can best be described as a preview of what Chinese and the rest of Asia’s automotive trends will be in a few years time. While continuing to exhibit a preference towards luxury sedans, and with emphasis placed on flashy, high-end detail elements found on vehicles, the cars on show at Busan featured chrome accents on the exterior and wood detailing in the interiors; something which is already being seen all around Asia. But the interesting trend of the domestic auto manufactures making serious challengers which will be vying for the market share predominantly dominated by foreign luxury segment import brands was a pleasant surprise, as well as an indication of things to come.

It all starts with the Hyundai Genesis. It is with this upper-medium segment luxury car that the largest Korean automaker is making its return to the rear-wheel-drive configuration, where it has been absent for more than 20 years. The company is rapidly maturing in both technology and brand image, and is finally trying to right itself of something which has stigmatized Korean cars for a long time: getting the profile and proportion up to the level of the European luxury brands. With the Genesis profile showing short, heavily tapered front and rear overhangs, a long wheelbase and large pronounced wheelarches hunkering down the car, the vehicle has a dynamic allure. The front hood surfaces rapidly vanish into the wheelarches when viewed from the rear quarter angle, and when seen from the front quarter view the overall stance of the vehicle looks as if it’s ready to burst out of its stance at any minute. But the Genesis doesn’t simply exhibit a good solid profile; Hyundai has finally produced a vehicle they have envisaged for a long time - a car which can stand its ground against the more established premium segment European competition.
And Hyundai isn’t the only one trying to capture the lucrative luxury car segment by making full use of their acquired advanced technology. With the help of Daimler’s E-Class rear-wheel-drive package, the Ssangyong Chairman W was unveiled as both a conventional sedan and a limousine version.
Like the Genesis, the Chairman W is another car which displays an excellent stance and is an overall handsome package. Anchored by 19-inch alloy wheels, the Chairman W showed enough promise to warrant success not just in Korea, but all around the Asian region. The only letdowns to the design were some surfaces that appeared to be too flat and overall refinement which was left wanting. Other aspects of the design however, closely resembled that of Audi, a successful European carmaker currently making waves in China and which the Korean manufacturer is actively targeting. Even with its price tag of $100,000 for the top of the range version, the initial response of the buying public is evidenced by healthy sales figures, which pulled Ssangyong out of the red for the first time in many years this past fiscal year.

While the exterior styling trend of the cars unveiled at Busan were more about getting the basics right, the interior styling appears to be more creative than the dynamic exterior design. Both the Genesis and the Chairman W display flowing, organic interior designs, with voluptuous center console ‘bulges’ holding the overall design together. And both make use of heavy wood grain detail in their interiors, a non-offending yet effective luxury styling detail for the wealthy and older generation of buyers.

For the last decade or so, Korea’s best selling cars have gotten bigger with time, from the Hyundai Sonata (D1 segment) and the Grandeur/Azera (D2 segment). And with GM Daewoo’s L4X - essentially a rebadged Chevrolet Impala - yet another rear-wheel-drive large luxury vehicle will be jumping into the mix in the second half of 2008, making Korea the main battle ground for second-tier, affordable luxury cars in the bustling E-segment. This effectively reverses the trend we have seen in Europe and also bucks the trend towards smaller cars we are seeing in the North American market. If this trend is indeed a possible future preview, not just of the Korean market but also an indication of what we can expect from the Chinese market in a few years time, then global auto manufacturers should take a closer look at the design and buying trends we witnessed in Korea, which exports more than 70 percent of the 6 million cars produced there every year.

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