It’s both difficult and easy to understand the interest in this vehicle.

This is an American automaker rolling out a brand new vehicle which is essentially built to move lots of people that looks like a sport utility vehicle.

Does America Have Room For Another CUV?

Our question is this: Wait, isn’t the SUV dying a slow death due to high gas prices?
Sure, it’s a crossover, which results in better fuel economy, but enough to entice prospective new-car buyers to return to big?

The Flex is intended as an alternative for families from minivans and, yes, SUVs.

Why? Its official market is the crossover, or crossover utility vehicle.

Crossovers are cars, not trucks like SUVs, and are therefore easier to drive and less painful at the gas pump.

A crossover uses a car’s unibody construction, unlike the body-bolted-to-frame construction of SUVs and trucks.

It’s easy to see the interest, as people can drive around in what looks like an SUV and still haul all the kids and cargo, without getting killed at the gas station.

Still, there are skeptics. Some say the crossover is merely a marketing term. In January 2008, a Wall Street Journal article called CUVs “wagons that look like sport utility vehicles but ride like cars.”

Being Different, Inside and Out

So why is Ford rolling the dice with the Flex, a car with many parallels to an SUV in an anti-SUV society?

Some say the attraction is in the versatility, size and resulting better gas mileage.

Others like the way they look and feel. The Flex’s exterior is indeed unique, more squarish in the back than typical SUVs, with options for different window placements, including on the roof.

Some say it looks like an old-school station wagon.

That is, without being able to detect the pillars and windows – they are blacked out to blend together.

The roof comes in white, silver, or a cool style called “body-colored.”  Its large wheels, 18- or 19-inch, stick out nicely. There are neat features and gizmos inside and out.

Something that will open the eyes of its owners is a “capless” fueling system, which does not have the usual door and cap, instead using a sealing system that avoids losing emissions from the tank.

Options include

• An integrated navigation, phone, satellite radio, DVD and CD system
• Programmable lighting to create “moods”
• A refrigerated console between second-row chairs

The refrigerated compartment can cool up to seven 12-ounce cans, four half-liter bottles or two 20-ounce bottles to 41 degrees. It can also freeze down to 23 degrees! Perfect for tailgate parties.

How They Build the Flex

Ford’s new CUV comes in SE, SEL and Limited trims, and is powered by a 262-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel-drive is optional.

The Flex name comes from its production at what Ford calls a “flexible” assembly line in Oakville, Ontario, the same place that produces the Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers.

Among Ford’s crossover lineup, it serves as its full-size CUV, bigger than the mid-size Edge and full-size CUV /wagon Taurus X.

Price-wise, its starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $28,295, more than the Taurus X, but not as much as the Explorer.

A key to early raves is its seven-passenger capacity.

First the minivan carried that many people, until it was surpassed in coolness by SUVs.

Basically the Flex melded the shoebox shape of the minivan with utility of an SUV. Only time will tell if Ford succeeded in crossing over the market.

The post Ford Flexing Muscles for 2009 Model Year appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

What the heck is that?

Well, that’s what Toyota unveiled in 2003 with the Scion – using a word to name their newest product that means heir or descendant.

The idea was to target 18- to 34-year olds by offering the fun and affordable Scion, then introduce them to all Toyota products.

Good idea, fantastic timing

Don’t Let the Looks Fool You

Of course, Toyota fell into the Infiniti trap of strange names with no vowels – Scion today has three models, the xB, tc and xD.

But the timing of this new car is so great, because of its real size, and value of its interior space along with good fuel economy.

A brand new Scion xB, for example, gets 22 miles per gallon in the city, 28 on the highway, for $16,700 to nearly $18,000.

The models sold today are more powerful than the earlier Scions, with a 2.4-liter dual overhead cam four-cylinder engine, getting 158 horsepower. The previous-generation Scion got about 55 less in terms of horsepower.

On top of that, the car looks small from the outside but feels actually very big inside. The xB has 21.7 cubic feet of cargo seat back of the rear seats, for example.

Box City, Here We Come

Popular lexicon will call them “box cars”.  Early models look as if automobile architects got lazy and simply started putting wheels on bricks.

Seriously, the early Scions looked like Legos on wheels

But laugh as some of us did, when all is said and done the Scion is still a Toyota, which means it is safe to say they are reliable and they don’t suck too much out of the gas pump.

The intent of Toyota was to tap into the so-called “Generation Y” crowd, a step up from what Toyota called their Genesis project. Funny name, considering none of that target audience would be Phil Collins fans, much fewer would be Genesis fans.

Bottom line, get younger American auto buyers to buy into the Toyota brand.

All Scions are front-wheel drive, and the marketing engine behind them are price, options, performance-driving metrics, peace of mind in buying, and what is called “21st Century Radio.”

The model comes in a liftback based on the Toyota Avensis sold in Europe; the five-door box-shaped compact wagon xB (sold as the Corolla Rumion in Japan); and the xD, a five-door subcompact.

The xD is marketed in Japan as the Toyota ist, based on the Yaris four-door platform.

Toyota sells the Scion brand a bit differently than how it sells traditional company models – which sell pretty well on their own anyway.

Creating a Buzz

Compared with Toyota’s usual marketing approach – and all automakers for that matter – the Scion used the “limited edition” as a hook.

Starting in 2004, with the Scion xB RS 1.0 (RS means “Release Series”), Scion offered limited-edition cars pre-arranged with exclusive accessories, in limited amounts therefore causing consumers to hurry to grab one.

The intent was creating a buzz among buyers – consider the target market demographics.

Additionally, production was not huge, so pre-ordering was the norm, and demand was considerable.

Note: today, re-sale values are up due to the packaged options and lack of finding a Scion model with all the packaged options.

The Scion was pushed in America using what is known as guerrilla marketing, where movie-theater ads and posters ruled, and those as well as television ads directed folks to things like want2bsquare.org, want2bsquare.tv and want2bsquare.info.

In short, the theme was, “Nerds are cool”.

Today, Scion sponsors VBS.tv’s “Thumbs Up!”, featuring David Choe using an xB as his car to cruise around the state and talk about what they find.

Sounds pretty Scion-eske, very hip.

To get a glimpse of how the car is showcased, check out Scion Radio 17, an Internet radio initiative that features 17 alternative channels, ranging from rock to hip-hop to electro and soul.

Imagine Chevrolet trying a radio channel with hip-hop?

The post Toyota’s Gamble on the Scion appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

What was a nearly 50-year old car, a former muscle car at that, doing taking the top prize at a car show in the auto heartland of America?

The Malibu’s Big Makeover

The Malibu gets an overhaul pretty regularly for years that end with an “8” –  2008 being no different.

This time around Chevrolet went all out, and the results were evident: a sales jump of 23% in 2008.

What changed? Chevy decided to go head to head with the hot sellers in the segment, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Essentially improvements in quality and fuel efficiency resulted in a bigger take of the market.

It quickly became the fourth-best selling model in the entire lineup of General Motors, and grabbed a rare distinction of winning awards in a launch year.

Often a full redesign presents some hiccups and quality-control challenges as automakers tweak older versions and use new materials.

Chevy must have known it had a winner, as it increased the Malibu’s price and strayed away from trying to undercut Japanese competition with cheaper materials and pricing.

From Super Cool to Efficient

The Malibu’s sales success came amid a changing GM focus, away from constantly bolstering pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles for the quick buck. Gas prices changed all that.

The company made a public announcement recently that it was stepping back from the old trucks-and-SUVs focus, and trying to make better, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Consumers today want cars, not trucks, and the Malibu has been attractive especially with its four-cylinder engine.

That’s a far cry from when the Malibu was co-branded with the Chevelle – not exactly the most gas-friendly car GM has ever produced.

Gone are the 350-horsepower Chevelle Malibu engines of the mid-1960s.

Today’s Malibu owners choose as engines:

• A 2.4-liter LE5 I4, generating 169 horsepower
• A 3.6-liter LY7 V6 for 252 horsepower
• A Hybrid engine, a 2.4-liter I4 for 164 horsepower

A hybrid Malibu? Who would have thunk it?

For the past many years, Malibu models were not hip at all, rather bland, and competed basically through cheaper materials and lower prices compared with the Camrys and Accords out there.

The result was more than half were sold to companies, the so-called fleet customers. This is no longer the case.

Today less than a quarter of Malibus are being sold to fleets.

Bold New World

Today’s mid-size sedan Malibu won the North American Car of the Year Award after being selected by 47 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. Some came from Fortune magazine, others from Edmunds.com, the Chicago Tribune, and other esteemed publications.

Eligibility was limited to vehicles that were “all new” or “substantially redesigned” from the previous model year.

Part of the Malibu’s appeal is a new twin-cockpit interior design that pays homage to classic Chevrolet Corvettes. Also, the new exterior shape was designed to mimic European luxury sedans, with smooth sides and a wide rear window pillar.

The first Malibus were a higher-end subseries of the Chevelle, produced from 1964 to 1972.

They were mostly available in a wide range of body styles including a four-door sedan, two-door coupe hardtop, convertible and two-seat station wagon. It’s hard to imagine a Malibu station wagon today.

What you see today with new models is a four-door sedan, with the GM Epsilon platform, making it overall 3 inches longer, and extending the wheelbase by six inches.

One thing that did not change from 2007 was trim levels, still coming in LS, LT and LTZ, with four-speed or six-speed automatic transmissions.

The post New Malibu Changing the Way Chevrolet Thinks appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

After all, it isn’t exactly the best time for consumers looking into luxury cars. They might as well attach sexy names to the vehicles, right?

Yet Infiniti holds firm, presenting a lineup of high-quality vehicles with the intent of competing with Lexus, BMW, Acura and Audi. 

Infinity and Beyond

Infiniti was born in 1990 as Nissan’s luxury division – as Acura is for Honda, and Lexus for Toyota.

The Japanese automaker continues to shoot for the best in quality and performance.

In its earliest years Infiniti models were not known to be overly exciting. In fact, the biggest criticisms were about their blandness.

That is starting to change. The entry-level G35 in 2003 helped boost sales, and the Q45’s implementation of high technology proved a wise move.

In fact, the Q45 was the first Infiniti model to do well in the American market. Its considerable power – 278 horsepower in the early 1990s – four-wheel steering and the first active suspension system on a motor vehicle wowed U.S. motorists.

Luxurious interior features also caught attention.

All of the company’s current coupes, sedans and crossovers are based on the Nissan FM platform, which centers engines behind the front wheels, improving balance and handling.

Becoming More Competitive

Infiniti continues to aim for the highest in quality and performance. In recent years the company began adapting to American motorists’ tastes.

The entry-level G35 was followed by Infiniti’s crossover sport utility vehicles, the FX35 and FX45.

But the G35, Motor Trend’s Car of the Year in 2003, is the model that positioned Infiniti to truly battle the BMW in the market.

An indication of how the company has grown to American tastes is the fact that the world’s largest-volume auto dealership is an Infiniti lot in Coconut Creek, Florida.

How did it happen? For a variety of reasons, including injecting some high technology into automobiles.

For example, the new M45x, Infiniti’s top-line sedan, is stuffed with cabin technology. The company offers an optional Technology package, and even an Advanced Technology package.

What helps Infiniti compete with Mercedes-Benz and BMW is price. Where for a large luxury sedan you might be looking at upward to $100,000, the Infiniti M45x is sold for around $60,000, with all bells and whistles.

What’s the Deal With the Letters and Numbers?

The company names its models with one letter for coupes and sedans, two letters for SUVs.

For example, the QX56 SUV has a 5.6-liter engine. There are some exceptions, such as the QX4 SUV and its 3.3-liter engine, but mostly Infiniti sticks with alphanumeric names matching body styles with engine size.

If there’s an “x” after the name, that means sedan with all-wheel drive. An “s” indicates a sport package.

Not long ago, around the turn of the century, the company was prepared to fold. Then, Infiniti rededicated itself and focused on a powerful assortment of sporty luxury vehicles.

This started with a majorly redesigned Q45 for the 2002 model year, and then the G35 was a hit in 2003.

Infiniti in 2004 added an all-wheel drive version of the G35 sports sedan to compete with the numerous all-wheel drive sports sedans that were popping up from competitors at the time.

The company’s vision in recent years has been to become the “Japanese BMW”. It’s well on its way.

The M35 and M45 were named the best luxury sedan by Consumer Reports.

In 2008 the company unveiled a new version of its G coupe, the G37, as well as the EX35, a compact crossover.

Both the G35 and EX have a 3.5-liter, 306-horsepower V6 engine. One thing most high-end Infiniti models share is large engines.

Not necessarily the most popular during these fuel-efficient times. But then again, neither are alphanumeric names.

The post Infiniti and the Numbers Game appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

Of five possible stars, these folks gave the Yaris a 4.5 overall score – in fact, the Yaris attained the same score in all areas, including appearance, comfort, performance, and value.

With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price ranging from $11,550 to $14,650, and fuel economy from 29 to 36 miles per gallon, it’s easy to see why the little car is popular with many people.

A Bug’s Life

However it’s a vehicle that literally looks like a bug – not the classic Volkswagen version, either.

The Yaris looks like an insect, complete with the little antenna sticking out the back.

Yet, in an era where almost all automakers are struggling, the Yaris is flying off lots.

High gas prices contribute, sure … But what else is making Yaris buyers tick?

Some comments on Yahoo! Auto offer insight.

“We have over 35K miles on our Yaris and we love it. It gets between 38-42 mpg,” wrote one.

“I researched all of the small economy cars, and always came back to this one,” wrote another. “I Love this car more each day that I drive it,” he continued.

Different Yaris for Different Folks

The Toyota Yaris comes in eight different trim styles. People might be surprised that the Yaris is available in a sedan, a style that elongates the body and cuts down on the insect-like look.

Typically on roadways we see the liftback five-speed MT, which sells for around $11,500. Its 1.5-liter I4 engine pushes out 106 horsepower, which is significant given the vehicle’s light weight.

The MT’s sedan version costs about $1,000 more, which buys basically a bit more space but the model comes with the same engine, power and fuel economy.

The highest end is the Sedan S four-speed AT, going for as high as $14,650. Same engine and horsepower.

In fact, all the trims carry the same engine and power. What differs is exterior and interior style – and just a little at that.

But buyers no doubt are little interested in tweaking how it looks. No matter what you choose, the Yaris is a small car.

What matters most to motorists these days is the all-mighty miles per gallon.

It’s one reason why Toyota did not change the 2008 model from the previous year. The Yaris fits a niche for Toyota, and the Japanese automaker is smart not to tinker with success.

Yaris Pros and Cons

Owners have found some drawbacks with this little car. Aside from the expected troubles with interior comfort, some complained about excessive noise, and materials used inside.

“Its a good car, its actually my first, although Toyota could have done better,” one review said.

However many comments were positive about the Yaris’s pep. People raved about how surprised they were with the power of the Yaris.

“Great commuter car – plenty of power to accelerate. I love mine. MP3 integrated sound system,” said one.

Another surprise is how some owners are satisfied with its cargo capacity.

“The trunk space is large for this size of a car and there is so much leg room throughout the seating area-front and back,” said one owner. “Driving the Sedan feels like I am driving an SUV but without the consumption of fuel.”

Lastly, some owners feel safe in a Yaris. “The No. 1 reason why I bought this car is because I feel safe. There are six airbags.”

It seems Americans are finally turning on to something that Europeans have known for a while – the Yaris has been popular overseas for several years.

The post Toyota Yaris: Just Keeps Going, and Going, and… appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

New car research

Edmunds.com offers solid information on almost any make and model. Great for researching before you even start shopping, and handy once you have a specific vehicle in mind too.

Simply enter your zip code and Edmunds.com will pull up lists which will allow you to search via price range or market segment. You are then asked questions to slowly narrow down your choices until you find something that suits your needs.

Used car purchases

Edmund.com’s used car program is every bit as comprehensive as that for the new cars. Again using your zip code and the make and model you are searching for you may search their extensive database of knowledge.

After you narrow down which make you want you are then are offered the following options to further refine your search:

The results are easy to understand, concise and nearby. They offer pictures from many angles in addition to the VIN number for investigation and any additional options the vehicle may offer.

Car reviews

Whether you are looking to contrast and compare new models for a future purchase or just because you love cars, Edmunds.com offers an extensive review section to help you with solid research and objective reviews.

Their review section also offers these categories for perusal:

Tips and Advice

If Edmunds.com offers good, solid advice and their tip section is full of information. If they don’t offer solutions to your auto industry question, it must be a doozie.

Below is a list of just several of the topics:

Truly they are designed to help. The site is simple, intuitive and easy to master. You don’t have to waste any time trying to find the information you need. It is a great place to start your search for your next vehicle.

The post Edmunds.com offers smart and savvy car advice appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

Computers have changed that and made the automobile industry more accessible to the average joe.

The beauty of Autotrader.com

One of our favorite sites for research, Auto Trader finishes first in the race of vehicle websites. It’s easy to get around and it makes sense even if you aren’t a web geek.

Their menu is straightforward:

Simple right? It gets better because each section is well thought out, instructions are uncomplicated and results are easy.

Research and compare

Auto Trader offers so much in this section we can’t possibly list it all, but here are some highlights:

Find your car

The find your car section asks a few quick questions such as zip code and price range and bingo you have results in your area. They also give you an option to find local specials on the results.

Sell your car

When you place an ad with Auto Trader, not only are you listing with them, but they’ll list your vehicle with other big names like Edmunds.com, Yahoo Autos and Netscape.

Simply enter your zip code and they will get you their price list for your area.

New cars

This section asks you the make and model and you are after and your zip code, then offers you obligation-free quotes on the vehicle you want. They don’t ask for payment information, they will not ding your credit and pricing comes from reliable networks.

Car loans

Their car loan page offers:

Insurance

Their insurance page takes you right to Geico for a quote. Stick your zip code in the field and they will take you through the forms required to get a quote on your insurance. We tried it and Geico saved us over 100.00 a year.

The post Auto Trader in the information age appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

The knowledge consumers have access to on the internet enhances the entire scope of the market, giving everyone a fighting chance at getting a good deal. Cars.com capitalizes on that and gives the average customer above average info.

Credible option

Both Consumer Reports and The Blue Book have years invested in the reviewing of their product. However the beauty of online services like Cars.com is their innovation and the resulting ‘Information age’ edge.

Having reached a huge and dedicated market since their inception makes them a very important resource and one not to be overlooked.

Online services have the ability to catalog information from a large variety of sources, lending a well rounded view to anyone’s research.

Great advice

Cars.com has a page solely dedicated to top ten lists and best of information including:

• Most popular colors
• Innovations
• Best customer service

Well written reviews

This online option provides a large review section, which offers reviews by their resident expert in addition to reviews provided by consumers.

Truly the beauty of an online approach is it’s ability to collect information from a wide array of sources.

Giving their consumers an expert view alongside views professed by the consumer’s peers lends a well rounded angle to any research.

An expert tester may be able to tell you if your minivan handles well, but chances are he can’t tell you if the back door is too heavy to open with a infant in one arm and a two year old in another.

However, the expert at Cars.com provides well written, easily digestible reviews which are a must read. He’s not an expert for nothing, it’s fair to say he’ll disclose things that consumers may overlook.

Research section

Cars.com is so research-friendly that they have a large research section, geared at making it easy to find information on the vehicle you want to buy or sell. Featuring tools such as:

Side by side comparisons – Can’t decide between two cars? This tool will help you weigh the pros and cons for both vehicles by comparing them.

Car financing tools – Advice on auto financing and a handy car loan calculator.

Car shopping tools – Provides many different tools for new and used car purchase/sale including:

A good resource overall

There are lots of car sites out there. We can’t stress enough the importance of taking advice only from those that are not trying to sell you anything. Go for the big guys, the names you recognize for the most unbiased and well rounded viewpoints.

The post Cars.com – an entirely online approach appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

Trusting information about something as pricey as a vehicle requires good sourcing, sound facts, and unbiased advice.

Targeted help

Consumer Reports goes one step further by offering information about new vehicles and used vehicles.

Under the new category they provide:

Conversely, under the used category they provide:

Handy unbiased advice

Consumer reports prides themselves on the fact that they accept no advertising, or free samples and that they purchase each car, which they test above and beyond to provide a real in-depth review.

They also provide a handy best-in-class list broken down by the following categories:

Tools make research easy

Consumer Reports offers a whole array of tools aimed at people researching a car for both buying and selling purposes. The website is easy to navigate and smartly organized to lead every user right to the information they seek.

The home page is proficient and full of tools. One of the best tools provides links to video clips of crash testing for a wide array of different makes and models.

Visual proof of how your car would react should the unthinkable happen.

An expensive drawback

Although we find Consumer Reports to be a most helpful source of information, it comes at a price. The website is well maintained and truly intuitively organized. These small luxuries alone allow the site big points in the credibility department.

However it depends how much money you are willing to spend for convenience.

Six dollars a month isn’t much for one who does heavy research, but we’re willing to bet most people don’t use the site six dollars worth in a year, much less a month.

Although we must admit to our own subscription.

The post Consumer Reports serves up car reviews like it’s their job appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.