2009

Toyota announces another recall, this time 2010 Prius and Lexus HS 250H

Gary Grant ⋅ Car industry news, Driving safety ⋅ , , , , , , , ⋅ No comments

While having coffee with some auto industry folks today, somebody commented on the plight of Toyota. “The media hasn’t gone after a car company like this since Audi”. That just about describes it. While Toyota have made a few communication gaffes while dealing with this PR nightmare, this whole situation could easily happen to any auto manufacturer. It probably will. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but it will happen.

Unfortunately the news keeps coming. Early this morning, Toyota released a press release outlining another new recall. This time, a small software update to address the feel of brakes as the ABS is activated on the 2010 Prius and 2010 Lexus HS 250H models.

Also earlier today, Automotive news reports that the NHTSA is now investigating the electronic steering in Toyota’s 09-10 Corolla for changing direction by itself.

This is not news Toyota needs. While the more acerbic writers out there are salivating over the chance to stir up readers, I’m feeling for the staff that have to deal with it at so many levels. PR types who are likely having the roughest time of their careers. Front line service staff who are dealing with endless phone calls and unreasonable consumers who don’t want to drive their cars until the recall work has been done. Sales staff who are hurting.

Does Toyota need to be held accountable? Certainly. Do they need to be the subject of a media witch hunt? No way. Inform the consumer and then let the people do their jobs to look after the consumer. No more, no less.

ABS software recall press release after the break.
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Auto sales finish strong in 2009

Gary Grant ⋅ Car industry news ⋅ , , , , ⋅ No comments

What a change from the end of 2008. December 2009 car sales in Canada are up by 17.8% while sales from international automakers was up by a whopping 28%!

The Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada reports that while member sales were down 3.1% over 2008, that year was an overall record. This upturn as 2009 bodes well for a strong 2010 in Canada.

While there are some significant highlights, non is more astonishing than Toyota who saw a whopping 81.6% increase over December 08! Close behind were Land Rover with a 62% increase and consistently rising Kia at 61.1%.

More highlights after the break.
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Honda Civic Retains Honour as Canada’s Top-Selling Car

Gary Grant ⋅ Car industry news ⋅ , , , , , , ⋅ No comments

Of all the cars the tuner kids love, none is more popular than the Honda Civic. Part of the reason they love them so much is that they can buy a 10 year old model and still have a reliable car that is fun to drive. Those 10 year old cars have to come from somewhere though.

For many of the same reasons, new car buyers of all ages have chosen the Civic for years. So many buyers and so many years in fact that the Civic has now been the top selling car in Canada for 12 years running. For 2009 that equals 62,654 new Civics on Canadian roads! Many of those were also built in Canada.

Well done Honda!

Honda press release after the break
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AJAC reveals 2010 Canadian Car of the Year category winners

Gary Grant ⋅ Car industry news ⋅ , , , , ⋅ 2 comments

ccoty

Annual car awards. Where would we be without them? In many cases, we’d probably be better off. In the case of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada though, the car buyer’s world is an easier place thanks to a testing process that has taken years to perfect. Every aspect of a vehicle is reviewed, from inside out. On road performance and when warranted, off road or on track performance are compared.

The 2009 edition has just wrapped up in the rainy Niagara region of Ontario and the category winners have been announced. The overall winner will not be revealed until the Toronto Autoshow in February.

Until then, we’ll have to be satisfied in knowing that some pretty worthy machines have won their respective categories.

Best New Small Car under $21,000: Mazda 3

Best New Small Car over $21,000: Mazda 3 Sport

Best New Family Car under $30,000: VW Golf Wagon

Best New Family Car Over $30,000: Ford Taurus

Best New Luxury Car Over $50,000: BMW 335d

Best New Prestige Car over $75,000: Porsche Panamera Turbo

Best New Sports / Performance Over $50,000: Audi S4

Best New Convertible: Audi A5

Best New Sports / Performance Under $50,000: VW GTI

Best New SUV / CUV under $35,000: Subaru Outback

Best New SUV / CUV $35,000 to $60,000: VW Touareg TDI Clean Diesel

Best New SUV / CUV over $60,000: Lexus RX450h

It is worthy to note that the VW/Audi/Porsche group have won an outstanding 6 out of 12 categories! That said, each of the winners are truly outstanding within their class and are remarkable vehicles. Believe it or not, I actually agree with all of them!

  1. Car Guy: FYI...it's the 2010 Canadian Car of the Year Awards.

    • Gary Grant: Uggh - you are right! Not sure how that one slipped by me....It was a busy day in front of…

Ford Canada sales up 24%

Gary Grant ⋅ Car industry news ⋅ , , ⋅ No comments

2009 F-150 Platinum

Ford Canada press release

* Overall vehicle sales up 24% compared to last September
* Car sales increased 33% compared to same period last year
* Ford Focus increased sales by 17%
* Ford Fusion sales rose 77%
* Ford Taurus sales were up 201%
* Ford Mustang sales increased 42%
* Ford Escape sales rose 7%, marks the best September on record
* Ford Edge sales up 34%, marks the best September on record
* Ford Flex sales were up 10%, marks the best September on record
* Ford Explorer sales rose 90%
* Ford F-150 sales saw an increase of 56%
* Lincoln MKS sales increased 60%, marks the best September on record
* Lincoln MKX sales rose 26%, marks the best September on record

OAKVILLE, Ontario, October 1, 2009 – Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited saw sales increase 24.3 per cent compared to last September marking the company’s fourth consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. Strong car sales led by the all-new Ford Taurus, Fusion, Focus and Mustang resulted in more than half of all vehicle sales for Ford of Canada. September also marked the eleventh month of market share growth for the company and rounded out the highest quarterly sales increase since 2003 with a 26 per cent increase.

“We continue to deliver strong new products, particularly our cars. In fact, nearly 70 per cent of sales come from our new models,” said David Mondragon, president and CEO, Ford of Canada. “We are encouraged by the continued momentum in the market. By focusing on delivering the best products in the industry, we’ll continue to build a strong, sustainable business even in today’s tough economy.”
In addition to the 33.2 per cent increase in car sales, total truck sales also increased by 21.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. The results were driven by products like the Ford Escape, Edge, Flex, F-150 and Lincoln MKX.

Also introduced in September was Ford’s ‘Recycle Your Ride’ program. With this program consumers turning in 15-year-old (or older) vehicles for recycling will get up to $3,000 toward the purchase of a new vehicle. Ford’s scrappage program builds on the Canadian government’s Retire Your Ride initiative which offers $300 and other benefits to eligible participants.

“Consumers really appreciate Ford’s accelerated approval process and are taking advantage of the 48-hour turnaround to be eligible for up to $3,300 in incentives,” said Mondragon. “As a matter of fact, more than half of our Recycle Your Ride buyers are turning in vehicles from other automakers to come to Ford.”

Porsche Canada September sales are up over past year

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porsche logo

While some auto sales segments in some regions are still struggling, that is certainly not the case for one sports car purveyor in Canada. Porsche has reported September sales that are up by 14% over the same month in 2008, moving 114 units in 2009. Driving this increase is a whopping 86% increase in 911 sales! Cayenne models were up by 4 units while Boxter/Cayman sales were down by just 2 cars. Also encouraging is the sale of 46 Certified Pre Owned cars, which is just one car shy of the all time September record.

Although year to date sales are down by 3%, the September performance bodes well for Porsche which is launching their new Panamera model in early October. With extra traffic through showrooms for that model, Porsche may well be on track for an increase in 2009.

2009 Nissan Armada

Gary Grant ⋅ New car reviews ⋅ , , , ⋅ No comments

I remember when the first Armada showed up at the dealership I worked at back in 2004. It was called the Pathfinder Armada and the long time Nissan dealer employees weren’t quite sure what to think about it. Wasn’t the Pathfinder big enough? As anyone who has 3 or more kids will tell you, no, the Pathfinder wasn’t big enough. The Armada offered more seating, more cargo space and more towing capability. It also required substantially more space in the driveway, as it was bigger than anything Nissan had ever offered. Some dealers had to have new hoists installed just to accommodate the beast. In short order, Nissan dropped the confusing double name and the truck became simply the Armada. A fitting title for a grand machine.

The exterior styling of the Armada has always been a somewhat touchy subject. The odd cut to the aft end of the cabin draws mixed reviews to this day. That said, Nissan has never been a company that conforms to the stylistic norm so the Armada’s shape shouldn’t have been a surprise. The first generation Xterra was far from conventional and has won over literally thousands of fans so it made sense for the designers to take a chance on the bigger sibling. In the past 5 years, there has been some minor face lifting, but the basic shape remains the same. That isn’t a bad thing, as the Armada still looks current and maybe even edgy in a market dominated by bland boxes.
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FORD FOCUS NAMED A TOP CAMPUS CAR AS CONSUMERS SEEK BACK-TO-SCHOOL VALUES

Gary Grant ⋅ Car industry news ⋅ , , , , ⋅ No comments

2009 Ford Focus SES coupe

* Ford Focus ranked as one of AutoWeek magazine’s “2009 Best Cars for College” and was again named one of Kelley Blue Book’s “Coolest Cars under $18,000″
* Available SYNC® hands-free system allows drivers to control portable MP3 players and compatible mobile phones with voice commands, keeping hands on the wheel
* 2010 Ford Focus includes six standard air bags, ABS brakes, Electronic Stability Control and MyKey™ programmable key – making it a Top Safety Pick from IIHS
* National Retail Federation survey predicts 2009 back-to-school spending will drop 7.7 percent over 2008 levels, making affordable vehicles with high safety rankings key
* First-time car buyers eligible for up to $500 in matching down payment funds from Ford

With the National Retail Federation predicting a 7.7 percent drop in 2009 back-to-school spending, cars offering uncompromised safety, fuel economy and value will be high on shoppers’ lists. That’s why Ford Focus was named one of AutoWeek magazine’s “2009 Best Cars for College” and made a repeat appearance on Kelley Blue Book’s “Coolest Cars under $18,000″ list. It’s also the reason Focus was the No. 1 vehicle nationwide purchased using Cash for Clunkers funding in July.

For 2010, Focus features the available SYNC hands-free communication system to help students stay focused on driving while staying in touch. Every Focus also comes standard with a full complement of safety equipment, including ABS, Electronic Stability Control and the Ford-exclusive MyKey programmable vehicle key. Plus, Ford will match first-time buyers’ down payments up to $500 on a new Focus through Sept. 30.
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2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

Gary Grant ⋅ New car reviews ⋅ , , , , ⋅ 1 comment

The Cadillac Escalade is a bit of a curious beast in that it is loved equally by families and rappers. Of course families love schlepping the kids to and from activities in a style that says I’ve arrived, while the gangsta crew wants da biggest and baddest all pimped out wit dubs yo. Ok, so I’m lame, but you get the idea. Enter the Escalade Hybrid. Big, mean and green and sporting some killer chrome 22′s, it might be the perfect ride for this somewhat offbeat family to cruise to a dance competition in Buffalo. Yes, it was one of the kiddies dancing, not me.

Since I was in San Fran, Mrs G picked up Big Red so my introduction involved packing the beast for a long weekend away. There were 6 of us along for the ride, and a need to keep the teenagers and the annoying little brothers separated meant that all seats were coming along for the ride in the upright position. It also meant that the space allotted for stuff was seriously limited. While the center and rear rows of seating are easily removed and reconfigured, the 8 passenger Slade is either an awesome passenger hauler or a gargantuan gear hauler, not both. All that being said, if it were only the 5 of us, we’d remove the rearward seats and have a cargo bay big enough to swallow 2 weeks worth of camping gear and our giant hairball of a dog.
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2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible

Gary Grant ⋅ New car reviews ⋅ , , , ⋅ No comments

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Regular readers know that I can get just a tiny bit enthusiastic when I fall in love with a car, so it goes without saying that you can expect a gushing review any time I get behind the wheel of a MINI. We’ve had the JCW equipped Cooper S on the track and we’ve blasted through winter in a likewise equipped Clubman. Over Easter weekend, as the Ontario winter finally broke, we got to spend some time with the 2009 MINI Cooper S convertible. What could be more fun?

All the good stuff (and very few nitpicks) might as well carry over from those two reviews I’ve linked to up above. This is a MINI, which means that it goes like stink, sounds great and handles like its on rails. As Spring had just about sprung, our main focus was going to be on keeping the roof open. Fortunately, the good folks at MINI have included a completely useless gauge called the Always Open Timer or as I called it, the Fun Meter. When we picked up our topless MINI there was about 15 minutes registering. We expected to increase that total exponentially.
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