The fuel-efficient Hyundai Accent, which gets up to 35 miles per gallon on the highway, was named the most dependable sub-compact car by J. D. Power and Associates in its 2008 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). The study measures problems experienced by original owners of three-year-old (2005 model year) vehicles. The study is based on the responses of more than 52,000 owners of new vehicles bought between November 2004 and April 2005.
Following its recent announcement to shift its focus from trucks to cars, General Motors (GM) has received positive news regarding its 2008 Chevy Malibu. The car was recently ranked number one in the midsize car segment according to the J.D. Power and Associates’ Initial Quality Study. The rankings were based on feedback from more than 81,500 consumers who bought or leased new 2008 vehicles during a 90-day period.
The market for mid-size sedans is crowded and is currently dominated by imports like Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. For good reason: they are built to last and give good value for money, plus they are a pleasure to drive.
For a long while it has seemed like the domestic manufacturers have almost given up on the niche. The Chevy Cavalier was clumsy half-hearted attempt at producing a car. Cavaliers were plagued with build quality issues. In particular, later models suffered from subpar materials quality, not to mention the outdated design.
The Chevy Cobalt is Chevy’s replacement for the aging Cavalier line. With Chevy’s failings on the Cavalier it’s easy to have low expectations with the Cobalt. We recently test drove Chevy Cobalt LT for about a month and there are some rather pleasant things that stood out.
Amazing things happen when inspiration and empowerment take hold. Outstanding products come out of normal places. 2005 was the year when a breath of fresh air came out of Ford when they introduced FreeStyle crossover as one of six new nameplates during the company’s “Year of the Car”.
It is probably what a station wagon of our childhood years would have naturally evolved into if not for our misguided love affair with the SUV. What makes FreeStyle special is it draws on some of the best segments of Ford’s portfolio.
Its architecture draws its inspiration from Volvo XC90 with its platform is based on the Ford Five Hundred sedan. The results are reflected in the excellent safety ratings for this model. If you are in the market for something slightly smaller than an SUV that has all the versatility of a minivan, then the FreeStyle should fit the bill nicely.
