Archive for February 24, 2012

2012 Safest Small Cars

February 24, 2012 admin Safety

Many people buy smaller cars for their lower price and higher fuel economy. But the historic perception of small cars is that they are not safe. New crash test data supports that small car safety continues to improve. We look at some of the 2012 safest small cars based on these tests.

The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety, a non-profit organization funded by auto insurers, conducts annual safety tests on new car models. The IIHS puts cars through frontal off-center, side impact, rear impact, and rollover resistance tests. The rear collision tests also evaluate how the seat/head restraints protect against injuries.

Small Car Crash Results

Already more than 115 car models have been tested, many of which are compact cars. Below are the safest small cars of 2012 in the compact class based on IIHS crash data reports:

Chevrolet Cruze
Chevrolet Sonic
Ford Focus (4-door)
Honda Civic (4-door)
Honda CR-Z

2012 Ford Focus SEL
Creative Commons License photo credit: lotprocars

Hyundai Elantra
Kia Forte (sedan)
Kia Soul
Lexus CT200h
Mazda Mazda3

Mitsubishi Lancer (except Ralliart and Evolution),
Nissan Cube
Scion tC
Scion xB
Scion xD

Subaru Impreza (except WRX)
Toyota Corolla
Volkswagen Golf (4-door)
Volkswagen GTI (4-door)

2011 VW Golf GTI
Creative Commons License photo credit: MSVG

All of the above models scored “Good” in all crash tests and were named “Top Safety Picks 2012”. The Volkswagen Jetta and Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen were also top picks, but grouped into the “midsize moderately priced cars” category. The all-new Buick Verona is a compact model that was a top pick but was placed into the “moderately priced midsize” segment.

Other Safe Small Cars

In the “minicars” segment, the “Top Safety Picks” were:

Fiat 500 (built after July 2011)
Ford Fiesta (sedan & hatchback)
Honda Fit
Toyota Yaris hatchback (only 4-door models)

The good news for drivers is that more models than ever before made the “Top Safety Picks” list in 2012. If you purchase one of these 2012 safest small cars, you will likely have better protection for yourself and your passengers in the event of a vehicle collision. This is an important factor for many drivers.

For more information on this topic, see our Safest 2011 Small Cars article.

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New Yaris for 2012

February 1, 2012 admin Subcompacts

Entering its sixth model year in the U.S., the subcompact Toyota Yaris is being redesigned for 2012. Unfortunately, it will not be on sale until late in 2011 giving newly designed 2012 competitors the Hyundai Accent and Chevy Sonic an edge out of the gates.

The 2012 Yaris will sport a redesigned exterior and interior improvement. Its power train and underpinnings are largely expected to carryover from the 2011 model, but expect better fuel economy. The 2011 model has a 1.5-liter 106 horsepower four-cylinder engine across all trim lines.

The 2011 Yaris gets EPA rated fuel economy of 29-mpg city and 36-mpg highway with the five-speed manual and 29/35 with an automatic transmission. Toyota is working on an ultra efficient 1.3-liter engine with start-stop technology but that is not expected to debut in North America for a few years.

Expect Toyota to do something about the antiquated optional four-speed automatic transmission in the 2011 Yaris. The Yaris currently offers a less powerful engine than nearly all its competitors without offering better fuel economy. Perhaps a continuously variable transmission will be in the offing to replace the four-speed auto to get the model to the 40-mpg highway range.

The 2011 Yaris is offered in six trim lines with a three-door hatch, five-door hatch, and four-door sedan. While the five-door hatch and four-door sedan will be seen in the 2012 Yaris, it is unknown whether the bargain priced three-door hatch will continue. The Yaris is known as the Vitz in its home market of Japan.

Toyota Vitz RS 1.5 2007
Creative Commons License photo credit: Peter Zoon

Expect the 2012 Yaris to have a starting MSRP in the $14,000 range when it debuts late this fall. Toyota has been starting to get production back on track after the fallout from the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The Yaris is assembled in Japan. Other competitors include the Ford Fiesta, Mazda Mazda2, and Honda Fit.

Originally posted 2011-07-07 00:27:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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2012 Volkswagen Beetle

February 1, 2012 admin Subcompacts

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is a new generation model that will go on sale this fall. It is the first significant redesign of the model since it was re-introduced for the 1998 model year. The new design is a subtle change but there are noticeable differences with a less bulbous shape, flatter roof, narrowed windows, and a sharp crease along the side.

Volkswagen (VW) seems to be going more for sport for the new model also known as the “Bug”, rather the cute, positioning it to better compete with models such as the Mini Cooper and Fiat 500. The company hopes the changes will allow new Beetle to have more appeal with men, which would help Volkswagen improve its sales and make strides toward meeting its goal of tripling sales in the next decade.

The 2012 VW Beetle will be more upscale. It will have more luxurious materials, a significantly larger trunk, and an optional navigation system, which is not offered in the 2011 Beetle.

The 2012 Beetle will have a base engine derived from the current 150-horsepower, 2.5-liter, inline five-cylinder gas engine. The Beetle will also offer a sportier 200-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a fuel-efficient diesel engine, which will get about 40-mpg highway. The return of the turbocharged engine to the Beetle is another indication of an attempt to bring in more male buyers. There are no current plans to offer an electric or hybrid engine for the Beetle.

The New Beetle is an important model for Volkswagen. Sales of the Beetle have dwindled in recent years. The model has remained largely unchanged for more than a decade, which combined with an economic recession, lead to low sales. The model reached its sales peak in 2003 with 93,000 units sold when the convertible was introduced. In 2010, the Beetle sold only about 16,500 units. The Mini Cooper outsold the Beetle almost 3-1.

The small car landscape has changed dramatically since the Beetle was reintroduced in 1998. There are many new compelling models and the Beetle’s distinctive, funky design competes against other models such as the Kia Soul, Scion xB, and Nissan Cube, in addition to the Mini Cooper and Fiat 500. However, high gas prices do lead to increases in the sales of smaller cars.

The 2012 Beetle has several barriers to overcome. The 2011 Beetle base model has an MSRP of $18,690, which is more than $3,000 higher than competitors such as the Kia Soul and Nissan Cube, or compact cars such as the Toyota Corolla. The New Beetle does not offer a highly fuel-efficient gas engine. Its base engine actually has quite poor fuel economy compared to its competitors.

The 2011 Beetle base 2.5L model has EPA rated fuel economy of 20-mpg city and 29-mpg highway. This compares to the Mini Cooper, which has a smaller engine that returns 29-mpg city and 37-mpg highway. Fuel economy figures and starting retail price are not yet known for the 2012 Beetle.

Originally posted 2011-04-19 05:25:38. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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2012 Honda Civic News

February 1, 2012 admin Industry News

The 2012 Honda Civic is already on sale in the U.S. However, supplies are limited. Honda has announced that production delays caused by the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011 will allow for only 50% production capacity until this fall. This should have a significant impact on 2012 Civic sales. It is expected that competitors such as the Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, and Hyundai Elantra will benefit from the diminished supply of Civics.

The new Civic, which includes the sporty Si and Civic Hybrid, is a big part of Honda’s portfolio, as it is the number one selling compact car in the U.S and number five on the list of best selling 2011 cars overall. The Civic is actually assembled in Greensburg, Indiana and Alliston, Ontario but relies on key supplies of Japanese made electronic parts and raw materials in its production. Honda expects that production will return to 100% by August for its other models. The delays have not caused any layoffs at Honda’s 14 North America production plants.

Compact
Creative Commons License photo credit: micah.d
126/365
Creative Commons License photo credit: irrezolut

Honda has increasingly shifted production to North America, as it is a key market and it does not use union labor keeping costs down. In 2010, 87 percent of the Honda and Acura cars sold in the U.S. were assembled in the market. This is actually a significantly higher percentage than American based manufacturers such as Ford and GM, which assemble many of their car models in Mexico.

In more positive news for Honda, the 2012 Civic made the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety’s list of “Top Safety Picks”. The Civic joins competitors such as the 2012 Ford Focus and 2011 Hyundai Elantra in the group of safest small cars. Among a recent group of 13 compact cars tested, only the Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber received “Mediocre” ratings in some crash tests.

In other compact car news, Mazda announced reaching the sales 3,0000 unit sales figure for its Mazda3 model. The Mazda3, which was first introduced in 2004, is the fastest selling model in the company’s history. It has sold more than 1.1 million units of the model in North America alone.

The 3,000,000th Mazda3 rolled off the assembly line on April 26th at its Yamaguchi, Japan production facility. The model is also built at the Changan Ford Mazda Automobile plant in Nanjing, China and at the AutoAlliance in Thailand. The 2012 Mazda3 should continue its momentum as it has a more fuel-efficient engine and other updates to keep the model fresh. It should also benefit from the limited supply of 2012 Civics.

Originally posted 2011-05-28 03:48:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Compact Car Insurance

February 1, 2012 admin Insurance

With the present condition of the US economy, most people are trying their best to manage their budgets in such a way that helps them save money and utilize it in paying off other obligations. As they keep an eye on their household expenses, they also take a watchful decision when buying their new vehicle so that they could lower the costs of their auto insurance policy. When it comes to buying a vehicle, a buyer is often considering getting a compact car and getting auto insurance quotes with the thought of saving his hard-earned dollars on the monthly premiums.

There have been many debates about whether or not driving compact cars can help you lower your auto insurance costs. The plain and simple speculation is that if you meet with an accident with your compact car, the car will more likely endure a larger amount of damage and the persons inside the vehicle are even more likely to put up with physical injuries when compared to larger vehicles like sports utility vehicle or truck. According to the IRC or the Insurance Research Council, the cost of auto insurance claims on the smaller vehicles is higher than their large counterparts. Have a look at some warnings that you must consider while insuring your compact car.

Small car injury claims have been surging recently

As mentioned earlier, the Insurance Research Council has studied that the auto injury claim payment in accidents that are caused by light-weight vehicles was 14.5% greater than the payment in accidents caused by heavy vehicles. Since most consumers in the US are looking for ways to boost their savings, they’re buying small compact cars in response to the expensive gas prices; this is directly affecting the number of injury claims. Thus, you must consider the actual auto insurance rates before going for compact auto insurance quotes.

Small car medical claims have increased lately

Another warning that you must consider while getting your compact car insured is the higher number of small car medical claims. As per the Insurance Research Council, the medical or PIP (personal injury protection) claims were 9,250 in the year 2009 and thus this rising amount of medical claims that are associated with the compact cars must be taken into account by the car owners.

While many people tend to think that with a smaller car, the cost of car insurance will be cheaper. But the actual fact is far from being true as the compact car insurance costs will be more than that of the larger vehicles. Though compact cars can run at a greater speed than the trucks and heavy vehicles, but you need to consider the safety issue when it comes to the accidents caused by the compacts. Due to the high accident probability of the compacts, you may come across a high rate when you go in search of auto insurance quotes. So, if you want to go for cheap auto insurance quotes, make sure you go with a sedan rather than a compact car.

Originally posted 2011-04-27 12:14:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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