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Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford Click the image above for more high res photos of the 2009 Ford Flex When the Ford Fairlane concept bowed in Detroit in 2005, it proved that Ford could design a stylish crossover recognizable from a mile away. Unfortunately, Ford didn't exactly have a stellar record of bringing hot concepts to market, so expectations were low that we would ever see the Fairlane reach production. Fast forward to 2008, and the Ford Flex is born. It's bigger than the Fairlane, yet it looks very much like the outlandish wagon that we saw in Motor City a few years earlier. Does the Ford Flex have the style, capability and appointments to be a player in the suddenly crowded large CUV market? Or is this modern day Woody just another oversized people hauler that misses the mark? Hit the jump to see how the all-new Flex fared during its stay in the Autoblog Garage. Gallery: Ford Flex Autoblog Garage All photos Copyright (C)2007 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc....
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Filed under: Car Buying , Economy , Sedans/Saloons , Crossovers/CUVs , Infiniti , Nissan While most of the attention Nissan has been getting recently revolves around the GT-R sportscar , its bread-and-butter models, like the Sentra S and the new Murano, have gotten slight bumps in price. The compact sedan sees an increase from $16,930, which included a $660 destination charge to $17,030, including a higher $695 destination charge. The Murano was just redesigned and launched with a mildly lowered price for this model year. Not so much anymore, as it now jumps to $29,250, including a slightly raised $780 destination charge. In addition to these incremental sticker price adjustments, Nissan has announced a mild increase to the destination charges for all of its 2008 and 2009 model-year vehicles carrying Nissan or Infiniti badges. Though Nissan has yet to comment on the reason for the price hikes, we'd imagine that the weak U.S. dollar and high fuel prices undoubtedly play a part in both...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , Hyundai In a trend that is sure to prove popular, Hyundai will add a less powerful and more fuel efficient four-cylinder to the available engine lineup on its Santa Fe model when it is redesigned for 2010. As of today, the four-door crossover is available with a choice of either a 2.7-liter or a 3.3-liter six-cylinder powerplant mated to four- or five-speed automatics (a five-speed manual is optional on the smaller engine). Both are rated at 24 mpg highway in the current model. The next-gen Santa Fe will offer a new six-speed automatic with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder that is currently powering the 2009 Hyundai Sonata . Under the hood of the lighter Sonata sedan (and mated to a five-speed automatic), the second-generation Theta engine squeezes out 32 mpg on the highway. While we don't think the Santa Fe will pull a number that impressive, fuel economy in the high-20's shouldn't be out of the question. [Source: Autoweek ] Permalink...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Convertibles , Minivans/MPVs , Wagons/Estates , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Ford , Toyota , Volkswagen , Carsumer Advocacy As the self-appointed family car reviewer for Autoblog, I have some opinions on the topic. If money were no object, my nomination for the ultimate family car would be split between the Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the BMW 5 Series wagon . But the R-Class entry price is $42k, and the Bimmer's is close to $50k -- not exactly family-friendly. Forbes Magazine , however, is a bit more realistic in its quest for the perfect family car, and considers price a deciding factor, like the majority of families. I agree with its Compact Car pick. The 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit is a good deal for your $16k entry price (though Forbes says $19k). On paper, its 15 cu. ft. of cargo space doesn't sound like much, but in reality, it's bigger than it sounds. The Rabbit also averages about 25 mpg, and these days, that's a big deal. Still, there are some...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Chevy Traverse The fourth addition to General Motors' lineup of Lambda CUVs, the 2009 Chevy Traverse, has officially been priced from $28,990, which includes a $735 destination charge. As with most Chevy models, the Traverse can be had in LS, LT and LTZ models. It will be the first and only Lambda CUV to be equipped with the direct-inject version of GM's 3.6L V6, which must irritate Buick Enclave owners who have paid a lot more for their Lambda sans DI, that will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The 3.6L DI V6 produces 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque in the Traverse, and can power the front wheels or all four in AWD models. The Traverse can also carry eight people if you opt for the second-row bench, though we imagine those several passengers stuffed in the way back will not be your friends anymore upon arrival. Unfortunately, Chevy has not released...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , Infiniti click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 FX35 and FX50 Infiniti has announced pricing for its 2009 FX35 and FX50 , and if you're jonesing for some of that "bionic cheetah" styling, the base price for the FX35 RWD with the venerable 3.5L VQ V6 producing 303 horsepower is $40,950. If you'd prefer a CUV that can rotate all four wheels at once, the FX35 AWD jumps up to $42,350. Finally, the bid dog of the bunch, the FX50 AWD with its 390-hp 5.0L V8, starts at a heady $56,700. All FX models get a seven-speed automatic with magnesium paddle shifters for do-it-yourself shifting, as well. These prices don't include destination and handling charges, which haven't been set yet but were $815 for the current-gen FX. And the pricing doesn't stop there, as each model has a few option packages that may boost the price even further. The FX35 is available with a Premium Package ($2,350), Navigation Package ($2,850) that...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Volkswagen Click the image above for a gallery of live shots of the Volkswagen Tiguan In a rather odd yet intriguing move, Volkswagen in Germany is handing out a new fifth-generation Golf to anyone who orders a Tiguan. The customer will keep the Golf until their new Tiguan utility vehicle is available, which, at current rates, will not be until next January at the earliest. In an effort to cover the cost of giving away a new car and getting it back used, VW will be providing its dealers with a one-time payment of €1,000 for each Tiguan sold. Unfortunately for the affected dealers, that won't be enough to recoup the lost value of the Golf, but it shows how eager VW is to sell its new small-ute in the face of similar new models coming from its key competition, namely the Mercedes-Benz GLK . We've previously reported that the Tiguan will start at $22,490, which equals $23,840 after the expensive shipping cost is tacked...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Gadgets , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford The move to make your car a rolling house makes takes another step. Ford has included a refrigerator option on the all new Flex, and in doing so has provided something better than what you'll find on many luxury cars. The rear seat gadget doesn't just chill the holding area -- it runs off of a compressor, like a proper fridge, to chill a liquid to keep things cool. In normal operation it can take drinks from room temperature, at 77 degrees Fahrenheit, down to 41 degrees in two- and-a-half hours. It also has a freezer option that can get keeps items a chilly 23 degrees F. And it is sealed well enough so that it takes almost three hours for the temperature to go up just 18 degrees F. Should you wish to add the fridge to your Flex, the option will cost you a cool $760. [Source: Kicking Tires ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , Honda Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Honda Pilot After getting a short stint behind the wheel of the newly redesigned 2009 Honda Pilot, we declared it a pretty thorough improvement over its predecessor. Regardless of how you think it looks, the newest crossover from Honda is a pretty darn good vehicle. So, we're rather happy to report that Honda saw fit to hold the line on pricing compared to its previous-generation 2008 Pilot. Starting at $27,595, plus destination and handling, the base model Pilot for '09 starts off at exactly the same point of entry as the 2008 edition. Next up is the Pilot EX at $30,395, while the leather-equipped Pilot EX-L will run you $33,595. At the top, the new Pilot Touring edition, which includes standard navigation, starts at $36,795. Four-wheel-drive adds $1,600 to the price of any trim and takes a small bite out of EPA fuel economy with the Pilot coming in at 17/23 (19 combined) miles per gallon...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford Click above for new high-res pics of the Ford Flex The Ford Flex has that boxy design that people either love or hate, which is good because for many years the Blue Oval had too many designs that nobody cared about either way. After looking at some drop-dead sexy picks that FoMoCo added to its flickr account, there could be a few converts from the abhorrence camp. The Flex is without question a family hauler, but most seven-passenger CUVs look less than stellar out on the town. If the Flex can look this good in daylight and in the dealer showroom, Ford shouldn't have any trouble attaining its goal of 100,000 sales annually. Click on the photo above for more high resolution pics of the decked-out Flex out on the town. Thanks for the tip, Sam! Gallery: 2009 Ford Flex [Source: Flickr ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Car Buying , Coupes , Crossovers/CUVs , Scion Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Scion xB. Scion announced pricing for the 2009 xB and tC today, and if you want to get your hands on the love-it-or-hate-it toaster on wheels, you'll have to pony up an extra $100 this year. The xB's base price is now $16,370 (including shipping), and comes equipped with a five-speed manual as standard equipment. If you can't stand swapping your own cogs, you can shell out another $950 for a four-speed automatic. The tC's price remains the same as the 2008 model, starting at $17,620 with a five-speed manual and $18,420 for the four-speed auto 'box. Sales of the xB begin this month and the "slightly tweaked" tC will arrive in May. Scion's press release is available after the jump. Gallery: 2009 Scion xB Gallery: 2009 Scion tC Continue reading Scion prices the 2009 xB and tC. Tacks another $100 onto the box. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , Chrysler , Dodge You thought you knew how much a Dodge Journey costs. Well, it's actually a thousand dollars less than that. Why? Because Chrysler is offering that much as an incentive to folks who plunk down the balance on a 2009 Dodge Journey. On the This Is Not Good side, it's the first 2009 model of the year to put money on the hood, and frankly, it just never looks good when the manufacturer offers cash to entice buyers. On the This Is Really Not Bad side, has anyone had a look at the things folks in Journey's market segment are enduring right now? (Hint: rhymes with "portgage misis.") Yeah. So we won't hit Dodge over the head... but we will be watching... Gallery: 2009 Dodge Journey [Source: Kicking Tires ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Car Buying , SUVs , Crossovers/CUVs , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep It's no secret that Chrysler has some overlapping models in its lineup. Case(s)-in-point: it's hard to make a rational argument that Jeep should be offering both the Compass and Patriot (not to mention Dodge selling the Patriot's platform sibling, the Caliber) or the Grand Cherokee and the Commander. The Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango barely pretend to be different vehicles and there's no reason to sell both the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro when they're basically the same machine. This revelation is as obvious to Chrysler's new management as it is to us, and Chrysler President Jim Press, says as much. "We're going to stop overlapping, we're going to bring everything under one roof. By doing that we will have more products in the markets we are not covering." Also marked as redundant by Press are the Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Caravan minivans, but as easy as it...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , BMW Click above for more high-res images of the BMW X6 For some, the new BMW X6 sports activity coupe may be the car you've been waiting for. For others, the vehicle is a curiosity for embodying traits of both a crossover and sports sedan. It's got the ride height of a soft roader, but the sleek design and headroom-sacrificing profile of a performance vehicle. If this kind of cognitive dissonance appeals to you, a BMW X6 can be yours starting from $52,500 for the xDrive 35i model powered by the brand's superlative twin-turbo inline six-cylinder. That's not chump change, but is certainly less than the X6 xDrive 50i that starts at $63,000. For the extra ten grand or so, the X6 xDrive 50i is fitted with BMW's brand new twin-turbo 4.4L V8 that produces 400 hp and 450 pound feet of torque. BMW Blog also reveals a ton of optional equipment that's available for the X6, as well. These two MSRPs are just a starting point from which...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ford Flex The latest addition to Ford's seemingly ever expanding lineup of crossovers, the Flex, will start showing up at dealerships this summer and it now has a price tag. The new full size Flex SE will be starting off at $28,995 for the front-wheel-drive model, which includes the cost of getting the vehicle from the Oakville, Ont. factory to the showroom. Two other trim levels will also be offered, as will all-wheel-drive, all of which easily pushes the price over $30,000. The AWD Flex Limited, for instance, kicks off at $37,255. Initially, power will be supplied by Ford's 3.5L V6, but a turbocharged EcoBoost model will be added next year. Gallery: 2009 Ford Flex [Source: Automotive News , sub. req'd] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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