Springs Wheels 02/08/2013 by Colorado Springs Gazette, LLC

springswheels com ■

2013 NissaN altima

Friday, February 8, 2013

More at SpringsWheels.com

• NJ officials worry that they could lose Subaru HQ • Consumer Reports questions turbocharged engines

New AltimA offers A thrifty yet clAssy ride

By leSlIe MASSey SprINGSWHeelS.cOM PHOTOS COuRTESy Of NISSaN

Vehicle Specifications: BASE PRICE: $21,760 TYPE: Front engine, front-wheeldrive, five-passenger, mid-size sedan ENGINE: 2.5-liter, double overhead cam, direct-injection, inline four cylinder with CVTC HORSEPOWER: 182 TORQUE: 180 ft-lbs MILEAGE: 27 mpg (city), 38 mpg (highway) BUILT AT: canton, Miss.

Already the best-selling model in its lineup, for 2013 Nissan has caringly redesigned the Altima, delivering a more stylish and upscale look and feel in addition to creating the roomiest midsize sedan on the market. “One of the best redesign aspects of the 2013 Altima,” said Steve Ainsley, General Sales Manager with Woodmen Nissan, “is best-in-class fuel economy at 38 miles per gallon.” In fact Nissan made some valuable engineering adjustments to earn a federal government rating of 27 miles per gallon in city driving and 38 mpg on the highway. Somewhat larger and delivering more power than its predecessor, the 2013 comes with chrome-look outer door handles and chrome-look trim around its windows for a classy high-end appearance, while updated suspension and steering designs continue its standing as one of the best handling sedans. A key advantage of the new Altima

is its size. Front-seat legroom is substantial, while rear-seat legroom and headroom also stays generous. A liberal 15.4-cubic-foot trunk is very competitive with most of Altima’s rivals.

Ainsley also points out that further improvements include, “NASA inspired zero-gravity front seating to reduce fatique during long drives.” According to Nissan, the design is intended to

minimize the muscular loading of the occupant’s back, pelvis, and torso for a more comfortable sitting position. A number of premium features have been incorporated for 2013 and some CONTINuED ON PaGE 2

If The 2013 Altima Doesn’t Leave You Speechless Woodmen Nissan’s Low Price Will.

Featuring: • 182-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder Engine • Bluetooth® • Advanced Drive-Assist™ Display • Includes 2.5 features plus: • Smart Auto Headlights

• Nissan Intelligent Key® • 17” Aluminum-alloy wheels • Nissan Intelligent Key® with Remote Engine Start System • Audio system with 5’’ color display

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SAFETY RATING Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program.

Woodmennissan.com

AUTO 2

❘ the gazette ❘ Friday, February 8, 2013

autodirectory ———————— ACURA ———————— Pikes Peak Acura 655 Automotive Dr. • 633-1500 “We’ve Got Motor City Covered”

Pikes Peak Acura Pre-owned Warehouse 103 Motor City Way • 955-1777 “We’ve Got Motor City Covered”

test drIve:

2013 Nissan Altima CONTINUED FROM PAgE 1

CLICK & CLACK:

BY TOM AND RAY MAgLIOzzI ■ kINg FEATURES SYNDICATE

Students don’t need flashy cars to impress employers Dear Tom and Ray:

Pikes Peak Acura Truck Superstore 907 Motor City Dr. • 955-1775 “We’ve Got Motor City Covered”

I’m a young man of 24 who is about to start business school. The trouble is that I drive a ’98 Ford Ranger with 110,000 miles — not exactly a model known for being an executive’s car. I’ve been looking around online, and I’ve found some great deals. I’ve found a ’97 Porsche for less than $6,000 and an ’87 Alfa Romeo for less than $4,000! This list goes on. Can these cars possibly be the bargains they appear to be? All of them have slight cosmetic or mechanical issues, but I’m somewhat mechanical, so these deals are all the more appealing. My question: Are these great cheap cars, or money pits?

———————— AUDI ———————— Phil Long Audi 550 Automotive Dr. • 575-7830 Colorado Drives Phil Long www.phillong.com

———————— BUICK ———————— Ferguson Buick-Pontiac-GMC 950 S. Academy • 596-5005

Mike Shaw Buick-GMC 1313 Motor City Dr. • 636-3881

——————— CADILLAC ——————— Red Noland Cadillac 990 Motor City Dr. • 633-4633 www.rednoland.com

—————— CHEVROLET —————— Al Serra Chevrolet North

– Gareth

1570 Auto Mall Loop • 719-387-8456 In Chapel Hills Auto Mall www.alserracolorado.com

Al Serra Chevrolet South 230 N. Academy Blvd. • 719-344-2660 Corner of Academy & Bijou www.alserracolorado.com

Daniel’s Long Chevrolet 670 Automotive Drive • 632-5591

——————— CHRYSLER ——————— The Faricy Boys Chrysler, Jeep 4950 New Car Drive • 636-1333 At The New Powers Auto Park

Perkins Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram 1205 Motor City Drive • 1-888-809-4936 The Better Way To Go!

———————— DODGE ——————— Colorado Springs Dodge 7455 Austin Bluffs Pkwy At Woodmen 475-8550 • The Dodge Superstore www.coloradospringsdodge.com

Perkins Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram 1205 Motor City Drive • 1-888-809-4936 The Better Way To Go!

———————— FORD ———————— Phil Long Ford North (Chapel Hills) 1656 Auto Mall Loop • 572-2200 In The Chapel Hills Automall Phil Long Ford South (Motor City) 1226 Motor City Dr. • 575-7100 Colorado Drives Phil Long www.phillong.com

———————— GMC ———————— Ferguson GMC-Pontiac-Buick 950 S. Academy • 596-5005

Mike Shaw GMC-Buick 1313 Motor City Dr. • 636-3881

———————— HONDA ——————— Front Range Honda 1001 S. Academy • 597-4500 Your Hometown Honda Store!

——————— HYUNDAI ——————— Phil Long Hyundai Of Chapel Hills 1510 Auto Mall Loop • 867-6767 Your Lifetime 100,000 Mile Warranty

Phil Long Hyundai Of Motor City 170 Motor Way • 575-7600 Your Lifetime 100,000 Mile Warranty www.phillong.com

————————INFINITI ——————— Red Noland Infiniti 565 Automotive Dr. • 444-8881 On The Hillside In Motor City www.rednoland.com

——————— JAGUAR ——————— Jaguar Colorado Springs 565 Automotive Dr. • 636-9199 On The Hillside In Motor City www.rednoland.com

of them are standard, such as keyless push-button start and Bluetooth hands-free phone system, which add to the refined and upscale vibe. The 2013 Altima comes in sedan and coupe body styles with the sedan offering seven trim levels and the coupe in a single 2.5S trim. The base 2.5 sedan comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, full power accessories, keyless ignition/entry, a height-adjustable driver seat, a four-inch display screen, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player. Moving up to the 2.5S gets you cruise control, automatic headlights, a six-way power driver seat, more advanced functionality for the gauge-cluster LCD screen and a six-speaker sound system. The 3.5S comes with a V6-engine and includes the previous features plus 18-inch alloy wheels and a sport mode with paddle shifters for the CVT. The SV trim level brings 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, remote ignition, five -inch color LCD screen, rearview camera and upgraded sound system that includes an iPod/USB audio interface, satellite radio, Pandora radio and hands-free reading of incoming text messages. A Convenience package (optional on 2.5 SV, standard on the 3.5 SV) adds a sunroof and a few other extras. Top-of-the-line SL delivers xenon headlights, LED taillights, the sunroof, leather upholstery, eight-way power driver seat, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and a nine-speaker premium Bose sound system with an auxiliary audio jack. Buyers can also choose from a Navigation package, Convenience package, Technology package and a Premium package that provide

things like a seven-inch in-dash monitor and steering wheel controls, sunroof, heated steering wheel, nine-speaker Bose sound system, and many more extras. The 2013 Altima 2.5 sedan comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine generating 182 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels by a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Altima 3.5 models have a 3.5-liter V6 for 270 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque with the CVT is standard. The Coupe gets a 2.5-liter four-cylinder supplying 175 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque also with a CVT. Expanded safety features in the new Altima are also impressive. “The 2013 Altima garnered a fiveout-of-five-star rating for frontal and side crash passenger protection in U.S. government testing,” noted Ainsley. Every 2013 Altima comes standard with antilock brakes, stability and traction control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. Sedans, (except the base and S trims), come standard with a rearview camera, and it is available as an option on the coupe. Other options for the sedan are blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert and a lane-departure warning system. Altima’s new, standard active understeer control works automatically to brake the front wheels and keep the car under control. The standard Easy Fill Alert tire pressure system, the Altima tells a driver when a tire needs air and then honks the horn when a low tire is inflated to its correct pressure. In addition, Consumer Reports says predicted reliability of the new Altima is expected to be above average. ■

RAY: They’re money pits. The reason they’re cheap is because they’ll cost you a fortune to keep running. And even without the benefit of business school, I’m going to recommend that you buy one, because, as a mechanic, I know it’ll be good for MY business.

TOM: I’d actually encourage you to keep the Ranger. First of all, you’re not an executive — you’re a student. So you don’t need to impress anybody with your car. You need to impress people with your hard work, your intelligence, your judgment and your creativity.

RAY: Second, in my opinion, the old Ranger pickup makes a better impression than an old Porsche or Alfa. Why? Because it’s a better business decision. Would you hire an executive who appears to be prudent and careful with his own money, or one who wastes his money on expensive, showy accessories? Which guy would you want running YOUR company and spending YOUR money?

TOM: I think the Ranger sends exactly the right message for an aspiring businessman: that you’re practical, economical, grounded, confident enough to drive whatever you feel like, and more concerned with function than flashiness.

RAY: And Ok, you don’t have much fashion sense. But as long as you’re not interviewing at Estee Lauder, you’ll be fine. good luck, gareth. ■

Get more Click and Clack in their new book, “Ask Click and Clack: Answers from Car Talk.” Got a question about cars? Write to Click and Clack in care of this newspaper, or e-mail them by visiting the Car Talk Web site at www.cartalk.com.

———————— JEEP ———————— The Faricy Boys Chrysler, Jeep 4950 New Car Drive • 636-1333 At The Powers Auto Park • www.faricy.com

Perkins Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram 1205 Motor City Drive • 1-888-809-4936 The Better Way To Go!

————————— KIA ———————— Signature Kia 1020 Motor City Dr. • 694-0880 www.phillong.com

—————— LAND ROVER —————— Land Rover Colorado Springs 565 Automotive Dr. • 636-9199 On The Hillside In Motor City www.rednoland.com

———————— LEXUS ———————— Lexus Of Colorado Springs 604 Auto Heights Dr. • 385-0111 “Luxury’s Home In Motor City” www.lexusofcs.com

——————— LINCOLN ——————— Phil Long Ford Lincoln 1212 Motor City Drive • 694-1270 www.phillonglincoln.com

————— MERCEDES-BENZ ————— Mercedes-Benz Of Colorado Springs A Division Of Phil Long 730 Automotive Dr. • 575-7930 Colorado Drives Phil Long www.phillong.com

———————— NISSAN ——————— South Colorado Springs Nissan 175 N. Academy Blvd. Academy & Bijou • 550-3030

Woodmen Nissan 6840 Vincent Drive • 234-1000 I-25 & Woodmen

——————— PONTIAC ——————— Ferguson Pontiac-Buick-GMC 950 S. Academy • 596-5005

———————— SAAB ———————— Red Noland Saab 990 Motor City Dr. • 633-4633 www.rednoland.com

——————— SUBARU ——————— Heuberger Motors 1080 Motor City Dr. • 475-1920 The Road To Quality & Economy www.heubergermotors.com

—————— TOYOTA/SCION—————— Liberty Toyota/Scion 5115 New Car Drive • 598-2222 www.libertytoyotascion.com

——————— Volkswagen —————— Al Serra VW 1580 Auto Mall Loop • 694-0871 In Chapel Hills Auto Mall www.alserravw.com

——————— USED CARS——————— 5995 Bargain Corner 1338 Motor City Dr • 358-3904

5995 Bargain Outlet 8204 Jamboree Circle • 387-8582 www.phillong.com

McCloskey Motors 6710 N. Academy Blvd. • 594-9400 www.bigjoeauto.com

Mike Shaw Buick-GMC

Lincoln, Hyundai Super Bowl ads blitz online car shoppers BUSINESS WIRE SAN FRANCISCO – The big game is over and the results are in. Jumpstart Automotive group released highlights of its fourth annual Super Bowl Advertising ROI Analysis today-a study that reveals the automotive brands making the biggest impact with online car shoppers immediately following the big game. For marketers, this study is especially critical in revealing the immediate effectiveness, or lack thereof, of traditional media investments among new car buyers-the majority of whom (79 percent1) turn to the Internet to research their vehicle purchase. Jumpstart’s analysis gauges online traffic to automotive brand pages across 12 vehicle shopping and research websites in the company’s partner network on Super Bowl Sunday and Monday compared to the prior week. gains in share of car shoppers to these brand pages are then calculated as a percentage. Results of the Jumpstart Super Bowl Advertising ROI Analysis follow:

1313 Motor City Dr. • 636-3881

MonumentMotors.com 465 Hwy 105 • Monument, CO • 481-9900 We Specialize In Used, Reconditioned & Current Model Subarus! View Inventory Online: www.monumentmotors.com Phil Long Ford Signature (Chapel Hills) 1540 Auto Mall Loop • 362-5805

Red Noland Pre-Owned 1260 Motor City Dr. • 325-7574

Valuecar North 1510 Auto Mall Loop • 387-8540

Valuecar South 150 W. Motor Way • 694-3454 www.phillong.com

ADveRTISeR

SupeR BOwl Sunday (2/3) vs. prior Sunday (1/27)

SupeR BOwl MONDAY (2/4) vs. prior Monday (1/28)

SuNDAY-MONDAY Combined (2/3 – 2/4 vs. 1/27 – 1/28)

Lincoln MKZ

20%

90%

63%

Hyundai Santa Fe

27%

22%

24%

Fiat 500

27%

15%

Hyundai Sonata

20%

12%

■ Lincoln, with its ad “Phoenix” that featured the sleek Mkz sedan emerging from the desert, scored the biggest points with online car shoppers, leaping 63 percent in share over the prior week and nearly three times as much as the next closest automotive advertiser. ■ Hyundai Santa Fe’s hilarious ads “Team” and “Epic Playdate” combined kids with comedy to great effect, while Fiat 500’s “Sisters” and “Topless” commercials used ‘sexy’ to sell its L and Abarth models. Both brands saw the second and third greatest Sunday/Monday share of shopper gains over the same timeframe the prior week, with increases of 24 percent and 15 percent respectively. ■ Toyota’s humorous and wacky wish-granting spot for the RAV4 (13 percent) and Hyundai Sonata’s “Stuck” (12 percent), featuring clever driving situations in which the Sonata turbo helps a couple get ‘unstuck’, rounded out the top five increases in share of shoppers across Jumpstart’s partner network of automotive sites. ■ Three of the top five advertisers ran multiple commercials (Lincoln, Hyundai and Fiat). kia followed suit with ads for the Sorento and Forte, yet the automaker saw a half percent decrease in share of shoppers despite its multi-spot investment.

“While the top five contenders saw considerable lift in brand interest among millions of car shoppers in our network, this year’s increases were significantly smaller than last,” said Nick Matarazzo, CEO of Jumpstart Automotive group. “The online pre-release of commercials prior to the game helped dull viewer response and ultimately online shopper response, however, we were excited to see an influx of mobile car shoppers to our network, particularly among iPhone users.”

NOTABle pOST-SupeR BOwl MOBIle TReNDS: ■ Jumpstart’s mobile device traffic grew 12 percent on Super Bowl Sunday compared to the prior week. ■ iPhone users represented the heftiest week over week mobile user increase at 27 percent. ■ Tablet traffic decreased by one percent on Super Bowl Sunday compared to the prior Sunday. In the coming weeks, Jumpstart will release a longer-term analysis to help marketers gauge the sustainability of their Super Bowl campaigns among online shoppers in its partner network of sites, along with an estimated Super Bowl Advertising Cost Analysis that reveals the expense of each brand campaign weighed against the gain in share of shoppers. ■

Friday, February 8, 2013 ❘ the gazette ❘

AUTO 3

Ford Group Vice President Joe Hinrichs unveils the automaker’s Atlas concept truck during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Trucks remain Detroit’s cash cow By Keith NaughtoN, Craig trudell aNd tim higgiNs BloomBerg News SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Japanese automakers are about to make another run at challenging detroit’s dominance in trucks. and they will bang head-on into John lucchese. when it came time to replace his nine-year-old Ford pickup, lucchese, 49, a software engineer from los angeles, drove Chrysler’s new ram truck and even gave toyota’s tundra a try. he ultimately ended up right where he started: at Ford, with a $48,000 F- 150 with leather seats and a 360-horsepower V-8. “i’ve been a Ford guy all along,” he said. when it comes to pickups, loyalty runs deep. there is no model more important or more zealously defended by detroit. the $8,000 to $10,000 in gross profit each truck hauls in for u.s. automakers accounts for the majority of their earnings — 90 percent for Ford and two-thirds for gm, according to morgan stanley. Pickup sales are poised to soar this year, thanks to a parade of new products from detroit and a surge in housing starts, which jumped 28 percent last year to the fastest rate since 2008, according to u.s. Commerce department data. u.s. pickup sales will top 1.7 million this year, up more than 50 percent from 2009’s low of 1.1 million, according to forecasts by researchers ihs automotive and lmC automotive. sales could eventually reach the historic high of 2.5 million set in 2005, said Fred diaz, president of the ram truck brand. toyota will reveal a redesigned tundra this week at the Chicago auto show. Nissan is updating its titan truck. But so far, the Japanese have put barely a dent in the last bastion of u.s. automotive hegemony. general motors, Ford and Chrysler control 93 percent of the full-size pickup market, according to Barclays. the billions in those profits finance the u.s. automakers’ entire business plan: fixing europe, expanding in asia, engineering electric cars. that’s why the new Ford, Chevrolet and gmC pickups over the next 18 months, on the heels of last year’s ram 1500 refresh, are the most important introductions detroit has on its calendar. “it’s like an annuity stream that helps underwrite their less-profitable ventures,” said adam Jonas, analyst for morgan stanley. “it’s the product where they know the customers best because they have generations of experience. there’s tremendous brand loyalty, and it’s a relatively protected market.” that doesn’t mean it’s not hotly contested. gm is rolling out a new Chevrolet silverado and gmC sierra in the second quarter and Chrysler’s new ram 1500 was voted North american truck/utility

of the year at the detroit auto show last month. those are aimed squarely at Ford’s F-series pickup, the top-selling truck line in the u.s. for 36 years. Ford responded by unveiling a brawny new F-150 concept at last month’s auto show — lowering it from the rafters of the detroit red wings hockey arena amid a shower of acetylene sparks — 18 months before it goes on sale. “you can’t get timid,” Chief operating officer mark Fields said as he stood beside the massive atlas concept pickup with an imposing chrome grille. “the minute you get timid is the moment your competitors overtake you.” even before detroit’s pickup profit growth became clear, investors had warmed to gm and Ford as they laid out plans for european turnarounds and boosted earnings in North america. gm’s shares are up 10 percent since oct. 31, while Ford rose 17 percent during that time. Both outpaced the s&P 500 index’s 7.2 percent rise. u.s. automakers sound more confident than ever that they can defend their turf. “there are some things that are endemic to the american carmakers; this is one of them,” sergio marchionne, chief executive officer of Chrysler and majority-owner Fiat spa, said in an interview. “all three of us will defend the area tooth and nail. it’s our business, period.” without truck profits, detroit would be out of business. Big pickups accounted for almost one in four sales by the detroit automakers last year. more important, they are “the most profitable vehicles in modern history,” according to max warburton, an analyst at sanford C. Bernstein. morgan stanley’s Jonas figures the F-series trucks accounted for 70 percent of Ford’s record $8.34 billion in pretax auto profits in North america last year. the truck’s contribution to global profit swells to 90 percent because Ford is losing money in europe and asia. the Chevy silverado and gmC sierra and their sport-utility vehicle derivatives also constitute as much as 70 percent of gm’s North american profits, Jonas said. on a global basis, that drops to about 65 percent when factoring in gm’s asia profits and losses in europe, he said. while the automakers declined to reveal profit by vehicle, executives of the u.s. automakers don’t discount the financial contribution pickups make. “it’s a big part of our corporation and where we derive our profits,” Chrysler’s diaz said in an interview. detroit has protected those profits better than any other vehicle category. when Nissan started

selling the titan in 2003 and toyota rolled out the second-generation tundra in 2007, each built factories capable of producing more than 200,000 trucks a year. last year, toyota sold 101,621 tundras and Nissan sold 21,576 titans. Ford sold 645,316 F-series, gm sold 575,497 sierras and silverados, and Chrysler sold 293,363 ram pickups. “i drove the toyota and thought, ‘are you kidding me?’” said lucchese, the software engineer. “For a couple thousand less, you’re getting a lot less truck.” toyota and Nissan build their trucks in the united states because of a Cold war-era law known as the “chicken tax” that levies a 25 percent tariff on any imported light truck. the law was established in 1964 by President lyndon B. Johnson in retaliation for duties France and west germany levied on u.s. chickens. it helped establish and preserve detroit’s dominance. Nissan aims to boost titan’s annual sales to 100,000 with a redesign coming in 2015, Pierre loing, vice president of product and advanced planning and strategy for Nissan North america, told edmunds.com. Nissan may offer more engine choices and cab configurations in the new titan, said dan Bedore, a spokesman. the truck now comes only with a V-8 engine and in crew cab and extended cab, and doesn’t offer a V-6 engine , though fuel efficiency is now more important to truck buyers. in 2011, Ford began offering two V-6 engine options, which now account for more than half of F-series sales. Fuel efficiency wasn’t a top reason to buy a truck when Nissan was first developing the titan a decade ago, said larry dominique, then the Japanese automaker’s product development chief. “we did more research in preparation for that truck than any other vehicle Nissan had ever produced,” said dominique, president of alg, an auto-lease researcher. “i give Nissan and toyota a lot of credit for sticking with it. it’s a tough segment. For the foreseeable future, the domestics are going to own this segment.” toyota failed to achieve its sales goal of selling 200,000 annually because “just as we were introducing our vehicle, the financial crisis hit,” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of u.s. auto operations. “we’re going to be a bigger player in the pickup market.” Ford’s Fields said toyota and Nissan struggle because they don’t have the experience or fully understand the needs of ranchers and hardhats. “we’ve been at this for 70-plus years,” Fields said. “there’s a whole culture within our company. engineers who join the company on the truck side

stay on the truck side.” and trucks engender fierce loyalty among their owners. “People chose sides: you are either a Ford truck buyer or a Chevy truck buyer,” said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with researcher edmunds. com. “my dad is a silverado owner, and once he identified himself as a Chevy buyer, that was it.” last year, 39 percent of silverado buyers were repeat customers, according to edmunds. at Ford, 36 percent of F-150 buyers were trading in an F-150. Chrysler’s ram 1500 pickup had repeat business from 27 percent of its buyers. By comparison, 11 percent of Ford Fusion buyers were repeat customers and 15 percent of Chevy malibu buyers traded in the same car. Chevy and Ford pickups top even the most loyal sedan buyers: toyota Camry customers, who had a 33 percent loyalty rate last year, edmunds said. “having that same buyer decade upon decade, you kind of get an idea of what they’re looking for,” Caldwell said. truck buyers usually look for very specific features, enabling the automakers to boost profit margins by pricing up the dizzying array of available options, she said. selecting the specifications can take several days, given the expansive array of choices. on the F-series, Ford offers light-duty and heavy-duty versions with five engines, six cab sizes, four bed lengths and 10 wheelbases, ranging in price from $23,670 to more than $65,000. all those choices make pricing opaque, Caldwell said. like snowflakes, no two trucks are alike, making it difficult to comparison-shop. Big profit margins allow the automakers to deeply discount pickups, such as the $7,000 to $8,000 discount on the old model silverado, and still earn a decent return, Jonas said. Japan bet big on trucks a decade ago, driven by an expectation that detroit was on the road to ruin, Jonas said. “there was a case to be made back then that all three of the d3 would go bust,” Jonas said. “Now it’s been reset. and the d3 have more protection in full-size pickups than ever.” lucchese, after test-driving detroit’s latest trucks, was impressed with improvements in ride and fuel economy. “i’m happy to see them coming back with good products,” lucchese said. “it took ‘em long enough to wake up, for god’s sake.” ■

With assistance from Alan Ohnsman in Los Angeles and Mark Clothier in Southfield, Michigan

AUTO 6

❘ the gazette ❘ Friday, February 8, 2013

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It’s music to your career. 002

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❘ the gazette ❘ Friday, February 8, 2013

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19,988 OR $289/Mo

2013 Kia Sorento V-6 AWD Auto, Dual, A/C, 3rd Row Seating, Loaded #7496

& Fully Loaded #131708A

17,988 OR $259/Mo

2012 Dodge Charger

Auto, A/C, AM/FM/CD, Alloys, Fully Loaded &

20,988 OR $279/Mo

2007 Jeep Wrangler 4x4

17,988 OR $259/Mo

2012 Jeep Wrangler 4x4

Low Miles, Auto, A/C, AM/FM/CD, Alloy Wheels &

21,988 OR $319/Mo

2009 Chevy Corvette

3945 N. Academy Blvd.

Austin Bluffs & Academy Next to Gorman Auctions in the Harmony Bowl Business Center www.citywideindoorgaragesale.com

You can make a difference.

Help victims of Colorado wildfires. Help victims of Colorado wildfires.

Donate at www.redcross.org. Donate at www.redcross.org.

21,988 OR $319/Mo

22,988

CHECK OUT OUR HUGE SELECTION OF CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED SUBARUS

WWW.CHEAPSUBARU.COM 1080 MOTOR CITY DRIVE

888-465-5006

www.heubergermotors.com

37,988

#1 Largest Subaru Dealer in America

1-$7,988 OR $149 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $500 DOWN, 60 MOS, 6.49% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE, $9,287.60. 2-$8,988 OR $169 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $500 DOWN, 60 MOS., 6.49% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $10,461.20. 3-$9,988 OR $189 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $500 DOWN 60 MOS, 6.49% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $11,634.80. 4-$10,988 OR $179 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $500 DOWN, 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $13,460.00. 5-$11,988 OR $179 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $1,500 DOWN, 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $14,460. 6-$12,988 OR $199 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $1500 DOWN, 72 MOS, 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $15,695.52. 7-$13,988 OR $199 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $2,500 DOWN 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $16,695.52. 8-$14,988 OR $209 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $3,000 DOWN, 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $17,814. 9-$15,988 OR $225 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $3,000 DOWN, 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $19,049.52. 10-$16,988 OR $249 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $500 DOWN, 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $20,402.80. 11-$17,988 OR $259 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $3,000 DOWN, 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $21,521.28. 12-$18,980 OR $275 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $3,000 DOWN, 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $22,756.80. 13-$19,988 OR $289 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $3,200 DOWN, 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $23,945.36. 14-$20,988 OR $299 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $3,500 DOWN, 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $25,110.08. 15-$21,988 OR $319 PER MO. PLUS TAX, $3,500 DOWN, 72 MOS., 7.24% APR, WAC, DEFERRED PRICE $26,346.32.