On the Move

Page 1

Monday, October 17, 2011

For Advertising Information Contact Your Local Cars.Com On-The-Move Sales Team at 599-2329

Miami firm to patent wireless EV charging Special to On The Move

MIAMI — Car Charging Group Inc., a provider of electric vehicle charging services, has announced that it has filed two separate patents for inductive wireless EV charging. The first patent is for an inductive charging station in the form of a parking bumper, which will charge EVs in parking lots and garages. T he s e c o nd i s to b e

used underneath the road to charge EVs while they are driving. Both patents provide for a process that allows EV drivers to power and pay for their charging services wirelessly in an automatic, seamless transaction. “ We’ve patented two inductive EV technologies that will revolutionize the EV and EV charging industry,” said Michael D. Farkas, chief executive officer of Car Charging Group.

“The first is a charging station designed to look and act like a parking bumper that will charge the EV wirelessly when the car tires align with the parking bumper. EV owners will not have to plug in, nor will they have to interact with the charging station to pay for it — the billing will also be done wirelessly and automatically. Essentially, your car will charge from the moment it parks with no

effort whatsoever on the part of the EV driver.” “The other technolo gy, which will take time to commercialize due to its costly implementation, is an inductive wireless charging system embedded underground,” said Farkas. “User-friendly inductive charging will facilitate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Going to the gas station will be a thing of the past.” Car Charging Group pro-

vides EV charging stations to property owners and managers at no charge, and conversely does not pay fees or rent to the property owners of the locations offering our charging stations. The firm retains ownership of the charging stations and remits a portion of the proceeds generated to the respective locations’ owners. The company estimates that 40 million plug-in electric vehicles, such as the

Nissan LEAF, Chevrolet Volt, Fisker Karma, Tesla Model S, Ford Focus EV as well as many others, are expected to be on the road in the years ahead, making the development of a network of charging stations critical. C ar Charging Group launched its operations n at ion a l ly i n S eptem ber 2009 and is looking to expand its operations internationally, the company said.

1884 steam vehicle sold at Pa. auction for $4.62M The Associated Press

HERSHEY, Pa. — An 1884 French-built steam runabout, billed as the world’s oldest running family car, has sold in Hershey for $4.62 million — about double the amount auctioneers expected. The de Deon Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout sold Oct. 7 at the annual RM Auctions Inc. sale to an undisclosed buyer, said Tyler Castle, the Blenheim, Ontario-based company’s client services coordinator. The auctioneer said there are older running vehicles, and some older cars that possibly could be made to run again, but “La Marquise,” as it’s known, is one of the world’s most important collectible cars. Pre-auction estimates had put the value at $2 million to $2.5 million. Alain Squindo, a specialist in cars at RM Auctions, told

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg that while La Marquise could be driven, it is not as simple as turning a key. “This is pretty remarkable,” he told the newspaper before the auction. “It predates the Benz three-wheeler, which everyone considers to be the start of the automobile.” It s e at s fo u r, h a s a top speed of 38 mph and requires about 45 minutes to get pressure in the boilers sufficient to operate. A brass plate documents mandatory boiler inspections in 1889, 1894 and 1899. The auctioneer’s description said it was built after a French count was impressed by a model steam engine in a Paris toy store, and hired the manufacturers to create a full-model version attached to a carriage. The auction winner is the fifth owner for the vehicle, which was owned by a single family for 81 years.

Courtesy of rM AuCtions/the AssoCiAted Press

This undated photo provided by RM Auctions shows the 1884 French-built de Deon Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout. The runabout was sold for $4.62 million Oct. 7 at the annual RM Auctions Inc. sale to an undisclosed buyer, said Tyler Castle, the Blenheim, Ontario-based company’s client services coordinator.


Page 2 / Monday, October 17, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

GM betting on midsize pickup growth potential By Lisa Brown

faCTory faCTs

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

ST. LOUIS — It’s been two years since a pickup has been made in the St. Louis area, but a new contract between General Motors and the United Auto Workers means pickups are poised once again to roll off a local assembly line. The Wentzville, Mo., GM plant emerged a big winner when details of the United Auto Workers’ contract were revealed. In addition to the news that Detroit-based GM plans to add a second shift for van production early next year, labor union officials said GM also plans to add production of a midsize pickup for the 2014 model year. GM has not disclosed the model of the pickup that’s poised to be made here. A GM spokesman declined to comment on the contract or future production. But analysts have speculated that with next summer’s closing of GM’s Shreveport, La., plant, the next generation of Colorado and GMC Canyon may be headed to Wentzville. In September, GM introduced a concept vehicle at the auto show in Frankfurt,

GM’s WENTZVILLE assEMBLy PLaNT

Erik Lunsford/st. Louis Post-disPatch/Mct

Gerrion Grim of O’Fallon works on the Chevrolet Express van assembly line Sept. 20 at the GM Wentzville Assembly Plant. Germany, called the Colorado Rally, which will be made in Thailand and sold outside of the U.S. In a news release issued in September, GM cited the vehicle’s worldwide appeal. “This is a world-class truck that will appeal to buyers not just in the heavily concentrated truck markets of Southeast Asia, but around the world.” Bi ll Visnic, a senior analyst at Edmunds.com, an automotive consumer research website based in Santa Monica, Calif., says the Colorado Rally concept

is a precursor to what likely will be built in Wentzville. “The conventional thinking is that truck is the one that will come out of Wentzville,” Visnic said. The UAW’s 48,500 members who work for GM nationwide ratified the fouryear contract this week. If GM’s expansion moves forward, it will be the first time pickups have been produced locally since July 2009, when Chrysler closed its North assembly plant that made Dodge Ram pickups in Fenton, Mich. For Wentzville, adding the pickup would mean the addi-

Opened: 1983 Size: 3.7 million square feet Product: Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full size vans Production 2010: 97,107 vehicles Union: UAW Local 2250 Current jobs: 1,196 hourly, 135 salaried Current payroll: $104 million History: In 1997, GM opened a stamping facility adjacent to the Wentzville plant, which makes van parts. Went to one shift in August 2009 after recession weakened demand for the vans from small businesses and other commercial firms. Expansion: Adding a second shift in the first quarter of 2012 and adding pickup production for the 2014 model year. Combined, the expansion would add 1,850 jobs. — Source: GM, Post-Dispatch research

tion of more than 1,000 jobs, beginning in 2013, according to Local 2250 Chairman Mike Bullock. The local represents hourly workers at the plant situated about 40 miles west of St. Louis. Currently, about 1,300 employees work a single production shift at the plant, which makes Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans. Adding a second shift for van production would create between 400 and 700 jobs, Bullock said. GM plans to invest $380 million in the facility, according the union. The midsize pickup cate-

gory has suffered in recent years, as many buyers opted for trucks with bigger engines and towing capacities. Sales of midsize pickups in the U.S. declined from 5.2 percent market share in 2002 to 2.2 percent so far this year, according to Edmunds. com. There were 867,830 compact trucks sold domestically in 2002, compared with 264,206 last year. “The midsize segment has been the victim of the car companies themselves because they shifted their emphasis to full-size pickups,” Visnic said. “Because of that, there’s been almost

no investment by the car companies on fuel efficiency for midsize trucks.” As sales declined, two automakers are exiting the midsize category: Ford is ending production of its Ranger pickup this year, and Chrysler stopped making the Ram Dakota in August. Wit h t he on ly ot her remaining midsize trucks the Toyota Tacoma and the Nissan Frontier, GM could carve out a larger piece of the midsize market, analysts said. “There are still some buyers who want the smaller footprint of a smaller truck and don’t want to drive the larger trucks,” Visnic said. Kristin Dziczek, director of the Center for Automotive Research’s Labor and Industry Group, said the investment headed for Wentzville shows GM is betting on the future demand for midsize trucks. “Tooling up for new products — especially those that are not expected to be produced in other plants in the region — is a strong signal of future viability,” Dziczek said. “The midsized truck fits many households and small businesses better than the larger pickups.”

Cadillac unveils center-stack infotainment control system By Chrissie Thompson Detroit Free Press

Cadillac’s upcoming product offensive, starting with the XTS sedan this spring, will lean on General Motors’ most-comprehensive infotainment system to date: the Cadillac User Experience, or Cue. Cue runs on infotainment screens that replace the instrument panel and many of the traditional buttons for the radio, heat or air-conditioner. Most of the car’s features run out of the center stack’s 8-inch-wide

touchscreen, which functions much like an iPad. Drivers can also use voice controls to play music, control navigation or use their mobile phone. Automakers have heightened their emphasis on infotainment as people have become more dependent on smartphone features. Before Ford launched its Sync system in 2007 to link vehicles to smartphones, so-called connectivity ranked 25th on the list of features customers look for in a vehicle, said Micky Bly, GM’s executive director of info-

tainment. Now, connectivity ranks third to fifth on most customers’ lists, with 70 percent of customers expecting a car to have the features. “We look at it as almost an arms race,” said designer Dave Lyon, unveiling the Cue system to journalists during a recent conference call. Part of the XTS’s center stack lifts to reveal a place to hook up a phone or mp3 player, allowing drivers to control features through the car. The screen’s features include Doppler weath-

er maps on the navigation screen, a QWERTY keyboard for replying to texts and emails when the vehicle is in park and a GM app store to load in-car Pandora Internet radio features, for instance. The control screen gives sensory feedback to fingers when they touch a digital button and doesn’t require any pressure, as do many automotive touch screens. It allows pinching, swiping and zooming, as customers have learned to do with smartphones and tablets. When the vehicle is mov-

ing, drivers can use whatever voice controls are natural, lead engineer Mike Hichme said. “They can say, ‘I’d like to listen to 101.1 (FM), please play 101.1, put on 101.1’ — use your imagination,” he said. The system will read text messages and allow drivers to send pre-written responses while the car is moving. Drivers can also record a message to send as an audio file in a text. Shortly after the system’s launch, Cue will also be able to read emails and allow pre-written responses, said Jeff Mas-

similla, program manager for the system. The battle to develop a user-friendly infotainment system intensified in January, when Consumer Reports said Ford’s new MyFord Touch system’s touch-screen interface was so complicated and distracting that the magazine would not recommend the vehicles on which it debuted. Ford has made some improvements to that system. By 2015, Ford plans to introduce MyFord Touch on 80 percent of its Ford and Lincoln models.


Monday, October 17, 2011 / Page 3

OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat

Champion Chevrolet

Champion Chevrolet

Champion Chevrolet

Champion Chevrolet

Champion Chevrolet

Champion Chevrolet

TD-0000188507

‘07 KIA Sedona

‘09 CHEVROLET Aveo

‘08 NISSAN Altima

‘10 KIA Forte

3.8L V6, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise.

Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, AM/FM Radio, PS.

2.5L I4, Tilt Wheel, PW, Cruise, Spd- Proportional Power Steering.

A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise.

$12,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$13,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$15,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$16,988

1-888-700-0213

‘07 NISSAN Maxima

‘08 FORD Taurus

‘10 TOYOTA Camry

‘07 DODGE Ram 1500

3.5L V6, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise.

3.5L V6, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW.

2.5L I4, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise.

5.7L V8, A/C, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PS.

$17,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$17,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$18,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$18,988

1-888-700-0213

‘06 CADILLAC SRX

‘08 LINCOLN MKZ

‘06 HONDA S2000

‘08 BMW 3 Series

4.6L V8, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW.

3.5L V6, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW.

A/C, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Leather Upholstery, Cruise.

3.0L I6, A/C, 4DR SDN, ABS, Rear Air Conditioning.

$19,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$20,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$22,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$23,988

1-888-700-0213

‘10 FORD Fusion

‘07 CHEVROLET Avalanche

‘10 CHEVROLET Silverado 1500

‘10 HONDA Accord Crosstour

3.5L V6, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, 4DR SDN Sport FWD, ABS, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio.

5.3L V8, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, ABS, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, PL.

A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise, PS.

3.5L V6, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, Pwr Moonroof, CD Player.

$23,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$24,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$24,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$26,988

1-888-700-0213

‘11 VOLKSWAGEN CC

‘10 CHEVROLET Traverse

‘07 CHEVROLET Avalanche

‘09 MERCEDESBENZ C-Class

A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise.

A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise, PS.

5.3L V8, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW.

V6 Cylinder, A/C, ABS, Tilt Wheel, Power Moonroof, Sun Roof, CD Player.

$26,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$28,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$28,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$29,988

1-888-700-0213

‘07 CADILLAC Escalade

‘09 CHEVROLET Tahoe

‘10 CHEVROLET Camaro

‘11 CHEVROLET Corvette

8 Cylinder, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, 2WD 4DR, ABS, Rear Air Conditioning.

5.3L V8, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise, PS.

A/C, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise.

A/C, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Leather Upholstery.

$30,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$30,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$33,988

1-888-700-0213

Champion Chevrolet

$59,988

1-888-700-0213


Page 4 / Monday, October 17, 2011

APR

As Low As

on Many NEW

SUBARU MODELS P R O C T O R S U B A R U

As Low As

Honda Models

ProctorAcura Subaru Proctor

938-4982 38-4963

APR

As Low As

on Many NEW

ACURA MODELS P R O C T O R A C U R A 3523 W. Tennessee St Tallahassee, FL proctoracura.com

2373 W. Tennessee St • Tallahassee, FL

proctorhonda.com

APR as low as 0.9% on new MY 2011 Subaru Legacy, Forester, Impreza, and Tribeca models. Buyer must have approved credit from Subaru Finance. Not all buyers will qualify. Must take retail delivery by 10/31/11.

t Wheel, CD FM Radio, adio, S.

APR

Monday, October 17, 2011 / Page 5

OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat

on Many NEW

1707 Capital Cir NE Tallahassee, FL proctorsubaru.com

Civic a

894 90

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

APR as low as 0.9% up to 36 months on 2011 Acura MDX, RDX, TSX, ZDX and 2012 RDX and TL models. Buyer must have approved credit from Acura Financial Services. Not all will qualify. Must take retail delivery by 10/31/11.

APR as low as 0.9% for up to 36 months on 2011 Honda Accord, Crosstour, CR-V, Fit, Odyssey, Pilot, and 2012 Accord, Crosstour, and Pilot models. Buyer must have approved credit from American Honda Finance. Not all will qualify. Must take retail delivery by 10/31/11.

‘08TOYOTA SUBARU ‘06 Legacy (Natl) Highlander

‘08MERCURY CHEVROLET ‘06 Impala Mariner

‘09 KIA Rio

‘03 BMW 325

‘04 CHEVROLET Tahoe

‘06 HONDA Civic

‘04 ‘08TOYOTA SUBARU Camry LegacySolara (Natl)

‘06 ‘08TOYOTA CHEVROLET Highlander Impala

4 Cylinder, A/C, Alloy A/C, Split Folding Rear Wheels, Split Folding Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Rear Seat, ABS, Tilt Player, AM/FM Radio, Wheel. PW, Cruise.

A/C,Alloy SplitWheels, Folding Rear A/C, Split Seat, Tilt Wheel, Folding Rear Seat,CD Tilt Player,CD AM/FM Radio, Wheel, Player, AM/FM PW, Cruise. Radio, PW.

A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PS.

2.5L I6, A/C, Alloy Wheels, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise, PS.

5.3L V8, A/C, Alloy Wheels, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio.

1.8L I4, A/C, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise, PS.

A/C, Tilt Wheel, 4 Cylinder, A/C,CD Alloy Player, AM/FM Radio, Wheels, Split Folding PW, RearCruise, Seat, PS. ABS, Tilt Wheel.

A/C, A/C,Split SplitFolding FoldingRear Rear Seat, Seat,Tilt TiltWheel, Wheel,CD CD Player, Player,AM/FM AM/FMRadio, Radio, PW, PW,Cruise. Cruise.

$15,487 $15,996

ProctorHonda Subaru Proctor

866-527-5191 1-866-938-4963

$15,499 $10,477

Proctor Honda

866-527-5191 1-866-938-4982

$11,481

Proctor Honda

1-866-938-4982

$11,978

Proctor Honda

1-866-938-4982

$11,989

Proctor Honda

1-866-938-4982

$12,894

Proctor ProctorAcura Subaru

$12,990 $15,487

Proctor ProctorAcura Subaru

1-866-938-4963 866-527-5191

1-866-938-4982

$15,996 $15,499

1-866-938-4963 866-527-5191

OLET TL

‘10PONTIAC HYUNDAI ‘07 Elantra Solstice

‘08HYUNDAI SUBARU ‘07 Impreza Tucson

‘10 CHEVROLET Cobalt

‘04 BMW 325

‘08 MAZDA Mazda6

‘10 CHEVROLET Impala

‘05 TL ‘10ACURA HYUNDAI Elantra

‘07 ‘08PONTIAC SUBARU Solstice Impreza

s,lloy Tilt heel, nroof,CD MRadio, Radio, S.

Split Folding Tilt4 Cylinder, Wheel, CD Player, Rear Seat, AM/FM Radio,ABS, PS.Tilt Wheel, PW, PDL, PS, 2.0L.

A/C,Wheels, Split Folding Alloy Split Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, Folding Rear Seat,CD Tilt Wheel, Player, AM/FM Player,CD AM/FM Radio, Radio, PW, PDL, PW, Cruise, PS. PS.

A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, PS.

2.5L I6, A/C, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise, PS.

A/C, Alloy Wheels, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, Pwr Moonroof, CD Player, AM/FM Radio.

3.5L V6, A/C, Alloy Wheels, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise, PS.

A/C, Alloy Wheels, Tilt 4 Cylinder, Split Folding Rear Seat, ABS, Tilt Wheel, Pwr Moonroof, Wheel, PW, PDL, Radio, PS, CD Player, AM/FM 2.0L. PW.

Tilt Wheel, Player, A/C, Split CD Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, AM/FM Radio, PS. CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise, PS.

22 722

Proctor ProctorAcura Subaru

38-4963 938-4982

$16,990 $15,790

Proctor ProctorHonda Subaru

1-866-938-4963 866-527-5191

$13,493 $15,990

Proctor Honda

1-866-938-4982 866-527-5191

$13,942

Proctor Honda

1-866-938-4982

$14,925

Proctor Honda

1-866-938-4982

$15,440

Proctor Honda

1-866-938-4982

$15,722

ProctorAcura Subaru Proctor

1-866-938-4982

$15,790 $16,422

ProctorAcura Subaru Proctor

866-527-5191 1-866-938-4963

$15,990 $16,990

‘07 ‘07TOYOTA HONDA CR-V 4Runner

‘10 Focus ‘10FORD HONDA Civic Sdn

‘04 FORD F-150

‘10 NISSAN cube

‘10 MAZDA Mazda3

‘10 FORD Fusion

‘07ACURA HONDATL CR-V ‘06

‘10TOYOTA HONDA Civic ‘07 Sdn 4Runner

s, Tilt ng Rear nroof, l, CD MRadio, Radio, S.

4.0L A/C, Split Folding A/C,V6, Split Folding Rear Rear Tilt Wheel, Seat,Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD CD Player, AM/FM Radio, Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, PW,Cruise. Cruise, PS.

A/C, Wheels, 1.8LAlloy I4, A/C, 4DR Split AUTO Folding Rear TiltCD LX, ABS, TiltSeat, Wheel, Wheel, Player, AM/FM Player,CD AM/FM Radio, Radio, PW, PS. PW, PL.

5.4L V8, A/C, Alloy Wheels, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW.

1.8L I4, A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, PS.

2.5L I4, A/C, Alloy Wheels, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW.

A/C, Split Folding Rear Seat, Tilt Wheel, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise, PS.

A/C,Alloy SplitWheels, Folding Tilt Rear A/C, Seat, Tilt CD Wheel, PwrWheel, Moonroof, Player, AM/FM Radio, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW, Cruise, PS. PW.

1.8LV6, I4,A/C, A/C,Split 4DRFolding AUTO 4.0L LX, Seat, ABS, Tilt Wheel, CD Rear Player, AM/FM Radio, CD Player, AM/FM Radio, PW,Cruise. PL. PW,

38-4963 938-4982

TSX WAGEN

Proctor ProctorAcura Subaru

$25,991 $15,995

1-866-938-4963 866-527-5191

‘08 RL ‘08ACURA SUBARU Forester

Proctor ProctorHonda Subaru

$15,852 $17,587

1-866-938-4982 866-527-5191

‘06 ‘10HONDA HONDAAccord Accord

Proctor Honda

$16,827

1-866-938-4982 ‘08 HONDA Civic

Proctor Honda

$16,878

1-866-938-4982 ‘05 ACURA MDX

Proctor Honda

$16,878

1-866-938-4982 ‘10 FORD Explorer

Proctor Honda

$16,898

1-866-938-4982 ‘08 VOLKSWAGEN Passat

ProctorAcura Subaru Proctor

$15,995 $19,990

866-527-5191 1-866-938-4963 ‘08ACURA SUBARU ‘09 TSX Forester

Proctor H

866-527-5191 1-866-938-4963

TL usion

90 898

Proctor H

ProctorAcura Subaru Proctor

$17,587 $25,991

866-527-5191 1-866-938-4963 ‘10ACURA HONDARL Accord ‘08

Proctor H


Page 6 / Monday, October 17, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

Car-buying tips for older drivers

By Tom Incantalupo Newsday

MELVILLE, N.Y. — At 86, retired doctor Sidney Austein of Merrick, N.Y., is typical of his age group in at least one respect: When he needed a new car, he bought American because he thought it was the right thing to do for the country. His ride is a Cadillac CTS, purchased recently from octogenarian car dealer Paul Conte in Freeport, N.Y. “I heard they’re better now,” said Austein, who had a bad experience in the 1970s with an American-made Pontiac and had been buying Toyotas ever since. Americans who are middle -age and older, like Austein, dominate the new car market, accounting for 73 percent of buyers and lessees, according to the California-based market research firm J.D. Power and Associates. As baby boomers age, their “green power” has grown with their numbers, says Power’s auto research director, Jon Osborn. “The economy has knocked the younger folks out of the market, leaving more of the more financially secure, older consumers to buy and lease new vehicles,” he wrote in an email. The stumbling economy has put everyone who has the wherewithal into the driver’s seat in the supplydemand balance that determines the actual sales prices of cars, experts say. And even if the buyers’ credit is less than pristine, experts and local car dealers say, financing is more available than it was at this time last year. Austei n said he has wanted a Cadillac since the first time he saw the pink Eldorado his father bought new in 1957. “I kept saying, ‘I’m going to

drive a Cadillac someday,’ ” Austein recalled. His CTS is silver. He also wanted to buy American. “The economy is lousy, jobs down the drain. I said, ‘Let’s do something for America for a change — enough with the foreign cars.’ ” Whether you’re in the market for a new 2011 or 2012 or a “pre - owned” ride that will be new to you, experts suggest taking precautions and doing your homework for the best deal. Here are some of their tips to help make your purchase a happy one. Determine the type of vehicle you want and how much you want to spend for it. Get quotes from several dealers for the model you want — in person, via email or by fax. “What helps you buy a car cheaper is going to a couple of dealers and getting prices,” said Robert Certilman, owner of Smithtown Acura. But, he cautions, be sure the quotes are for exactly the same car—model and equipment. Some experts suggest obtaining dealer quotes via email or fax so you’ll have them in writing. Ask friends and family to recommend a dealership. You could check for complaints with the Better Business Bureau, though that’s not foolproof. Get out your magnifying glass and read the fine print of ads that seem to be too good to be true. Sometimes there’s a catch, like a low mileage limit for a lease, or a requirement for excellent credit to get a low interest rate on a loan. During your test drive, be sure you can comfortably operate all of the vehicle’s controls — including those newfangled ones that operate like a computer, with a mouse and screen.

General Motors/the associated Press

In a survey last year of people who bought cars between May 2009 and April last year, buyers 65 and older Were somewhat more likely to buy certain SUVs — such as the Chevrolet Equinox, shown above — than younger buyers.

TRENDS

WHAT OLDER DRIVERS ARE BUYING In a survey last year of people who bought cars between May 2009 and April last year, buyers 65 and older: n Bought more Buicks, Lincolns, Cadillacs and — when they were still available — Mercuries than younger folks. But most gravitated toward the same brands as everyone else: Toyota, Ford, Chevrolet, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai. Among younger buyers, Honda displaced Ford in second place. n Were somewhat more likely to buy certain SUVs — such as the Honda CR-V and Chevrolet Equinox — than younger buyers, despite those vehicles’ perception as being designed for families with young children. n Were somewhat more likely than younger people to buy Detroit brands but were much less likely than younger ones to buy European models. n Were somewhat more likely than younger people to buy the most popular hybrid model — the Toyota Prius. — Source: J.D. Power and Associates

Some can be dangerously distracting. Don’t sign anything without reading it. Try not to negotiate or sign anything when you’re tired or hungry, advises Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor of the auto information website Edmunds.com. “A lot of people have said to me, ‘I signed just to get it over with.’ ” Be awa re that the “invoice price” the dealer is willing to show you is not necessarily what the dealer actually paid for the vehicle. The Federal

Trade Commission notes on its website, FTC.gov, that it’s “the manufacturer’s initial charge to the dealer” and often gets reduced by rebates, allowances, discounts and incentive awards to dealers. Reed says his website’s “true market values” try to take most of that into account, but he added, “There are a lot of moving pieces behind the scenes.” Simple is better. Reed says there are fewer chances of getting flimflammed or confused in a straight cash-for-a-car deal — with

no trade-in and no dealer-arranged financing. Negotiate a price for the car first, he says. Then, if you want any of those added services, talk about them separately. Beware of last-minute add-ons. In an email, a spokeswoman for the New York State Attorney General’s office said, “The No. 1 complaint we hear is that people feel they are pushed into buying many extras that they don’t need or want. For example, service contracts, extended warranties, various theft devices.” And make sure any dealer-installed items don’t void your warranty. Consider a lease if you like to change cars every three or four years and are always making car payments anyway. Be aware, however, that many financial institutions that got burned a few years ago, when used vehicle prices collapsed, are setting more realistic — i.e. lower — “residuals,” the anticipated value of the vehicle at lease end. The lower the residual, the higher your monthly payment, all other things being equal. Learn your credit score, then shop for financing. The dealer, with a manufacturer’s assistance, might offer the best — and most convenient — loan, but you won’t know for sure until you check. An unscrupulous dealer might talk you into a high interest rate by falsely claiming that your credit is bad, says Certilman. He notes also that signing a credit application at a dealership doesn’t obligate you to take the loan if you don’t like the terms offered. Get an insurance quote on the car before you buy it; some models are surcharged for high theft rates or high costs for replacement parts.

ON THE WEB

INTERNET RESOURCES Free websites to help choose your next car and dealer: n NADA Guides: An excellent shopping tool, with list prices, photos, specifications, sideby-side comparisons, reviews, a dealer inventory locator and used car values. http://www. nadaguides.com/ n Free credit report: A service for consumers to request free annual credit reports, created by the consumer credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — in accordance with the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. http://www. annualcreditreport.com n Better Business Bureau: Check a dealer’s complaint record. http://www.bbb.org n Federal Trade Commission: Questions to ask before buying an extended warranty or service agreement. http://1.usa.gov/p1pZr9 n Kelley Blue Book: For dealer costs, retail base and options prices, vehicles specs and more. http://www.kbb.com n National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Check safety ratings of vehicles. The tests got tougher for 2011; many of the newest models score lower than their predecessors or other pre-2011 models. http://www.safercar.gov n Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Safety ratings from this organization often find fault with vehicles highly rated by the federal government. http://www. iihs.org/ratings


Monday, October 17, 2011 / Page 7

OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat

VW enjoys an American renaissance By James R. Healey USA TODAY

A car company hoping for mainstream success in the U.S. has quality problems and earns a sales-damaging reputation for unreliable vehicles. Fighting to keep a handhold in America, the automaker does a deep dive into American tastes and rolls out some larger, better-equipped, but also value-priced vehicles that sell like crazy. That sounds like the saga of South Korean automaker Hyundai, which evolved from invisible in the 1980s to seemingly unstoppable now, after improving the quality and jazzing up its designs. But it also describes Volkswagen. “VW is one of the most promising brands for the rest of this year and next year,” says Jesse Toprak, in charge of forecasting market trends for auto researcher TrueCar. com. The purveyor of interesting, German-flavored vehicles that are getting more American all the time is riding a streak of hefty monthly sales increases. In the first nine months of this year, VW brand sales are up about 22 percent, more than twice the overall market rise of 10 percent, according to tally master Autodata. And VW just launched two high-profile 2012 redesigns — Passat and Beetle — that should keep the pot boiling. VW also swears its quality and reliability are improving quickly, though that’s not fully reflected yet in third-party report cards from Consumer Reports magazine and consultant J.D. Power and Associates. Warranty costs are dropping 10 percent a year, VW says, and other arm’s-length studies show that owners love their VWs, even if something might still go wrong. VW also has the mainstream diesel market to itself. Fuel-stingy diesels are 22 percent of its U.S. sales. The only other way to get a fuel-

efficient diesel in the U.S. is to pay Audi/BMW/MercedesBenz prices, or buy a truck. Most important, the VW brand will make an operating profit in the U.S. this year for the first time since 2003, according to VW U.S. CEO Jonathan Browning. And it will report a full, allin profit in 2013, he says, even counting the U.S. brand’s share of costs for the new $1 billion Chattanooga, Tenn., factory that now makes Passats and will make other vehicles to be identified in the future. Do the monthly sales jumps and the developments make VW the new Hyundai? “They could be. They have the potential to gain market share, pull in first-time buyers sitting around in the netherworld of pent-up demand,” says Rebecca Lindland, veteran auto-industry analyst at consultant IHS Automotive. The obvious difference between the two automakers’ market trajectory is that Hyundai earned its way up the ladder of success in the U.S. over just more than two decades. VW, in this market more than half a century, had it, lost it and wants it back.

Can VW success last?

And it seems to be succeeding — but for how long? “You take volume from everybody. That’s how you grow,” Lindland says. “I’m not sure Volkswagen is situated to do that.” For one thing, other automakers won’t make the mistake they made with Hyundai: paying too little attention to a small blip on the radar that quickly became a big threat to their sales. For another, VW might run out of ammo. By the end of this year, dealers will be well-stocked with the redone Passat that hit the market a few weeks ago and is selling about three times as fast as the old model in recent years. The full remake of the

Democrat files

The 2012 Beetle, on sale in September, is 7 inches longer, 3 inches wider than the old model called New Beetle and discontinued in 2010. iconic Beetle, also now on sale, seems quick out of the gate, though it’s too soon to judge. Next year, VW will roll out the headline-grabbing hybrid version of the hot-selling redesigned Jetta compact that’s been on sale a year. Then, for a few years, it will have to depend for buzz on introduction of some specialty models, such as highperformance “R” versions of some cars and a Beetle convertible, plus some mild updates to other vehicles. “You almost have me taking out the handkerchief, it’s so negative,” Browning says sarcastically, dismissing such a dire scenario. He acknowledges some troublesome dead spots in VW’s product array: “There are certain opportunities in our lineup, but those are quite some way in the future.” Still, he says, “I expect our growth rate to be at least as high again next year” as this year. Browning, 52, was promoted from running VW’s national sales operation to CEO of Volkswagen Group of America and president of the VW brand in the U.S. Oct. 1, 2010. He worked for General Motors and Ford Motor before that, mainly with their European operations. VW Group, which in the U.S. also includes Audi, Bent-

ley and Lamborghini, has 3.4 percent of U.S. sales, mostly VWs and Audis. Audi is doing well and made money last year, Browning says. “The Volkswagen brand is the missing piece.” Continuing the VW brand’s sales momentum is critical to him. He’s under orders to boost the brand’s U.S. sales to 800,000 by 2018 — from a predicted 330,000 this year — as part of parent VW AG’s drive to sell more vehicles than any other automaker on the planet. VW AG, based in Wolfsburg, Germany, was No.3 in 2010. It lagged behind only General Motors and Toyota Motor, which were virtually tied for first, according to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. Based on midyear sales trends, VW might wind up in second place globally when the trade association’s yearly tally is announced next summer.

Love, American style

The Americanization of VW models seems successful so far. n The 2011 Jetta compact sedan, on sale since last October, was the first Yankmobile. It started at about $17,000, some $1,700 less than the 2010. It was stretched about 3 inches, providing more leg-

room. Sales jumped about 30 percent immediately, and have been close to twice those of the old model in some months. n The 2012 Passat, on sale in September, is nearly $7,200 less for the base model, and is 4 inches longer for much more leg and kneeroom. Even though it wasn’t in showrooms the entire month, its September sales of 3,176 were four times the old model’s a year ago. If that rate continues for a full year, the new model will triple the past year’s Passat sales. n The 2012 Beetle, on sale in September, is 7 inches longer, 3 inches wider than the old model called New Beetle and discontinued in 2010. Its base engine has 20 more horsepower, and the base price of around $20,000 is unchanged. VW says the Beetle is a mixed blessing. It’s the reason many people know VW. But if it’s too much of VW’s identity, buyers will dismiss Volkswagen as a quirky boutique brand and not notice the value-price, mainstream models. Browning also sees VW’s Tiguan compact crossover SUV as a potential home run in the U.S. Even before a 2012 freshening and despite prices starting at $25,160 for twowheel drive with automatic — vs. $22,705 for a similar Honda CR-V rival — Tiguan sales had begun to jump. A fully Americanized Tiguan, meaning enlarged and priced lower, will take a full remake. That’s likely to be several years from now and require a shift of production from Europe to Mexico or the U.S. to allow VW to bring down the price. Browning has his eye on expanding the line, such as with a version of the Bulli concept model that’s been displayed at auto shows. It resembles the old VW Bus, but is smaller and has conventional sedan doors, not side sliders.

“A reinvention of the Micro Bus — it’s a program that I’d like to see the light of day in the marketplace,” he says.

Serious about the U.S. That would require a decision from VW AG, which he says is more interested and committed than ever to U.S. success. About three weeks ago, “We had the whole of the global leadership team at Chattanooga, all brands, all divisions; 400 of them, in Chattanooga, focused on what does it take to win in America,” he says. That gathering of the brass “only happens every two or three years,” and the U.S. focus “is an indicator of how serious the company is” about North America. Perhaps heretical in the product-obsessed auto business, Browning says VW’s success in the U.S. “isn’t just about bringing product into the marketplace. The product is very important, but what you’re really doing is opening the door to a much larger group of customers. We weren’t previously on their shopping lists” because of VW’s reputation as expensive and troublesome.

VW’s growth outline

n Improve quality. n Boost customer satis-

faction. n Be a top employer, to attract the best workers. n Average 8 percent gross profit. Even if it succeeds, analysts such as Lindland don’t foresee VW hitting the 800,000 U.S. sales target. “More like 700,000, though that’s close,” she says. She says the brand must not lose the main ingredient that makes it appealing in a rush to hit the numbers: “They can’t give up their ‘Volkswagenness.’ That’s what makes them stand out; that’s why people like them.”


Page 8 / Monday, October 17, 2011

TD-0000188511

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.