RideLust

A Follow Up to the 9 Detroit Auto Brands We’d Miss the Least

On December 3rd of 2008, we published an article entitled “9 Detroit Auto Brands We’d Miss the Least” encouraging the Detroit automakers to slim down and get rid of some of their brands. The argument was, that just like Aron Ralston cutting off his own arm to survive, the major US car manufacturers needed to take drastic action and cut off some major portions of their business in order to keep the business alive as a whole.

Almost 7 months later, we’re back with a follow-up to see which of our original 9 brands survived and which ones went the way of Oldsmobile and Geo. Check it:
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Pontiac G8 GT

When Chrysler came out with the 300C, automotive journalists everywhere could be heard celebrating the return of the full-size, rear-wheel-drive, V8 American sedan. “Finally!” they cried, “A return to our glory days of yore!” Many waxed poetic about its slightly retro lines, saying that it looked like a proper American car. The gangster lines, the narrow windows, the hard angles, all bold, American design characteristics.  

Then, last year, Pontiac released the G8 GT. Read More…

 
Thanks largely to the new set of hybrid vehicle incentives approved by the federal government in late 2008, potential buyers interested in purchasing either a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid or 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid are eligible to receive a $3,400 tax credit, the highest federal tax credit currently available. Careful not to leave SUV buyers out in the cold, both the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid also qualify for a little piece of tax credit pie – $3,000 worth, to be exact.

“Hybrids are an important part of our strategy to deliver the best or among the best fuel economy with all of our new products, and the Fusion and Milan Hybrids have set the pace for the company, as well as our competitors,” said group vice president of Global Product Development, Derrick Kuzak. “We’re glad to see our government help promote these advanced, clean fuel-efficient vehicles to the consumer.” Read More…

Gaining their market domination back in leaps and bounds, Ford has introduced what is certain to be yet another success with their newest generation of Ford SYNC technology. Launched a mere 18 months ago in a joint effort with Microsoft, the Ford SYNC communications and entertainment system has been met with such wild success, the company has reported that Ford vehicles (including those sold under the Lincoln and Mercury badge) equipped with SYNC sell twice as fast as those without. Wisely hoping to capitalize on their market strengths, for 2009 Ford has upgraded the SYNC system to include new real-time information features which integrate the use of voice-recognition software, integrated GPS technology, and Bluetooth capabilities. “Today, Ford leads the industry leader in infotainment,” explained Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development, Derrick Kuzak. “As we transform our vehicle lineup, we intend to continue making smart technology a key differentiator for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products.”

Currently, Ford SYNC is only available as an upgrade option on certain models, but Ford plans to integrate SYNC software into all models by this summer and ultimately expects to have 1 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on the road by the third quarter of 2009. According to Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the America’s, by making SYNC standard on all vehicles, Ford is attempting to set the industry standard for driver connectivity by keeping pace with the rapidly-expanding consumer electronics industry. Thus, SYNC’s new features are primarily focused on keeping the driver constantly “in the loop,” and include personalized traffic, news, and entertainment reports delievered via an extensive partnership network. Read More…

O.C. Welch of Hardeeville, South Carolina has come under fire recently from both mainstream media outlets and auto blogs alike for airing what some have tagged a “racist” radio advertisement for his dealership, O.C. Welsh Ford Lincoln Mercury. Titled “Wake Up America”, Welch’s ad spot takes a jab at import cars, saying of Toyota “All those cars are rice-ready, they’re not road ready…” When asked by the locals news network if he felt as though perhaps his ad had crossed some boundaries, a patient yet slightly exasperated Welch replied, “No I don’t think it’s going too far, I think it’s a reality, and we all need a reality check.” Read More…

Don’t you miss Oldsmobile? Yeah, me neither.

One of the main problems GM has is its large number of brands, and the fact that they’ve spread themselves so thin across those brands. They argue that there’s value in those nameplates, since customers want a wide selection. The thing is, they’re half the size they were in their prime, and they have more brands. Here’s a run down of the brands GM owns: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Daewoo, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, and Vauxhall. They need to lighten up their load if they want to survive.

Remember the story of Aron Ralston? He was the climber who was out in the wilderness when a boulder fell on his arm and pinned him there. He was stuck, couldn’t get loose, so he did what needed to be done, he cut off his own arm. That kind of action takes giant brass balls, but it saved his life in a case where, otherwise, he most likely would have died. It’s tough to knowingly cut off a part of yourself, but in life or death situations, it needs to be done. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the 9 Detroit Automotive Brands We’d Miss The Least, to help the execs in Detroit make the tough choices. Yes, these are drastic moves, but the fact is, this is crunch time, life or death time. Now Detroit just needs to grow a set the size of Aron Ralston. Check it out:
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Mercury Mariner Hybrid

While there still may be little to really set the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner apart from one another, there are some notable upgrades for the newest Mariner model that make it better than ever.

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Going green is the fashionable thing to do these days and looking to cash in, automakers have begun to release a flood of hybrid vehicles on to the market. Unfortunately, many of these so-called “hybrids” are considered niche market vehicles and often carry a price tag that reflects that. Both the economic and the energy crisis are a very real thing, however, and motorists looking to downsize for legitimate reasons, rather than simply because it’s trendy, run the risk of being hoodwinked by hollow hybrids.

While there are a countless number of eco-friendly options currently available that legitimately earn the right to be called hybrids, many are so expensive they seem almost counterproductive to the overall goal (yes we mean you, Toyota Prius). What few motorists are aware of is that a vehicle doesn’t have to bear the coveted “hybrid” tag in order to achieve great gas mileage, and “buying green” shouldn’t immediately translate to “mountainous debt.” So if you’re looking to find a ride that’s high in mpg’s and low in USD’s, check out our eco-friendly picks tailored to meet the needs of 5 different lifestyles. Read More…

With most consumers favoring smaller foreign cars and the US auto industry seemingly headed for the toilet, there is still one demographic that Detroit has a solid hold on… Retirees. Buyers over 65 are the last hope for the good old American car. In some dealerships, upwards of 85 percent of all Buick buyers are 55 and older. That’s an ominous sign for the future of American autos.

The over-65ers look at brands like Buick, Lincoln and Cadillac as status symbols. Those brands have what advertisers call the “Mind Share” in that demographic. Retirees remember a time when the only people driving those cars were celebrities and other high profile members of society; now they want in to that high-profile group of Cadillac drivers. Plus, older folks like familiarity, they know these brands, they’ve heard them their whole life.

Check out the list of the top ten cars most popular with retirees:
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Perfectly coinciding with the official unveiling of its sister sedan, the 2010 Ford Fusion, the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid was spotted recently by Automobile Mag cruising about town completely void of any camouflage. Unofficially revealed a month before its scheduled debut at the LA Auto show in November, the new Mercury Milan Hybrid is the most significant of many design revisions Ford has planned for the future market.

While neither the roofline nor the sidebody are drastic departures from the standard Mercury profile, the 2010 Milan’s front fascia has received a significant sanding. The curvature of the hood features an aggressive pronunciation now, creating a symmetrical “V” pattern that draws attention downward to the slightly revised, more prominent grill work. Illuminating the show on either side are a new set of LED’s that have been pushed inward and upward for a slightly Mercedes-Benz feel. The rear bodywork doesn’t appear to have undergone that much of an alteration, but it has put on a few pounds. While both the bumper and upper trunk line are noticeably softer than the those on the ’09 Milan, as is often the case, the curvy new body shape appears to have added some junk to the Milan’s trunk (you knew it was coming, why fight it?). Read More…