Tag: consumer

Official: Chevy Impala goes from bottom to top of Consumer Reports sedan rankings

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet

It’s got a new design, it’s got new objectives, it’s got a five-star crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it’s a central part of what could be Chevrolet’s “strongest, most competitive retail sedan lineup ever,” and now the 2014 Chevrolet Impala has added Turnaround Artist to its resume, going from last to first in Consumer Reports‘ large sedan ratings.

As if it didn’t earn itself a couple of beers for that alone, the triumph is all the more noteworthy because the Impala is the first domestic sedan in 20 years to reach that position. CR only began rating cars with a score in 1992, and since then the number one slot has been from Japan 11 times, Europe nine times.

The Impala conquered with features like its “surprisingly agile handling,” “excellent braking,” “generally high-quality materials” and a technology interface that is “refreshingly intuitive and easy to use.” Going beyond its segment in worth, whereas the previous Impala scored a 63, this one scored a 95; only the BMW 135i coupe and Tesla Model S have scored higher. And wait until you get to the part where it’s considered “competitive with… the Audi A6 and Lexus LS460L….”

Yeah, you read that right. And you can read even more of it in the press release below.

Continue reading Chevy Impala goes from bottom to top of Consumer Reports sedan rankings

Chevy Impala goes from bottom to top of Consumer Reports sedan rankings originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jul 2013 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Ram 1500 wins Consumer Reports fullsize truck test

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Work, Ram

Vehicles that perform well in road tests by some of the most popular automotive publications, such as Car and Driver, Motor Trend and Automobile, don’t always score well in in Consumer Reports’ more regimented, practical test procedures, so the Ram 1500’s climb to the top of CR‘s scoreboard is a boon for the well-received pickup truck, which CR also put on its “recommended” list.

To start off with, the freshened 2013 Ram 1500 has a lighter, stiffer chassis than before, and the four-wheel-drive Crew Cab that CR bought and tested performed flawlessly and achieved class-leading fuel economy (15 miles per gallon) with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 – the most popular engine choice for the 1500 – and the new eight-speed automatic transmission. The unique-in-its-class rear coil spring setup endowed the truck with “one of the best rides of any pickup,” CR reports. That helped it earn its class-leading road-test score of 78, well ahead of the nearest competition still in production, the Toyota Tundra (69) and the Ford F-150 (68). It’s worth noting, however, that the Chevrolet Avalanche outscores the 1500 by two points (80), but production of that vehicle ends after the current 2013 model year.

About the only things the publication could find wrong with the truck were a heavy tailgate and a high step up into the cabin. Get ready for the next round later this summer when CR is finished testing the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, which is doing well so far in the publication’s tests.

To see what we think of the 1500, head over to our First Drive review of the Ram 1500 SLT with the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6, and feel free to take a look at the Consumer Reports press release below.

Continue reading Ram 1500 wins Consumer Reports fullsize truck test

Ram 1500 wins Consumer Reports fullsize truck test originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Consumer Federation of America calls for 60 mpg CAFE standard by 2025

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology

New EPA suggested window sticker

Now that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency have established fleet fuel economy standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, the government agencies are hard at work on the next phase of increases that will stretch out to 2020 and beyond. The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act mandated 40 mpg by 2020 as a minimum, but the standards could actually be set higher. That’s exactly what the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) want.

A report from CFA declares that the technology exists to raise fuel economy standards to 60 mpg by 2025 and estimates that doing so would add about $2,600 to the cost of new cars and $3,200 to light trucks. CFA’s analysis indicates that, at the equivalent of $3.50 per gallon in 2025, the payback period for the extra costs would only be five years. While the technology definitely exists to produce 60-mpg vehicles, the real problem is consumer behavior, and most American consumers probably won’t buy the kinds of small cars required to meet those standards at current fuel prices – particularly with that much cost tacked on to their MSRPs.

Hitting 60 mpg while maintaining the size and capability Americans currently buy would doubtlessly cost substantially more. In order to get people to buy such vehicles, critics suggest there will need to be significantly higher prices at the pump. The idea of a revenue-neutral petroleum tax (whereby other taxes would be cut to compensate) that establishes a floor price of at least $4 per gallon could be a good place to start on the way to 40 mpg. Getting people into 60-mpg vehicles would probably require an even higher floor – perhaps $5/gal or more.

[Sources: Green Car Advisor, Consumer Federation of America]

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Consumer Federation of America calls for 60 mpg CAFE standard by 2025 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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