overtakes Archives

Report: Audi overtakes BMW as adulterers’ favorite car brand

Filed under: Etc., Audi, BMW, Luxury

As Audi hopes to surpass BMW as the top-selling luxury automaker, sometimes it has to look at the small victories, too. For instance, IllicitEncounters.com – a UK dating site for married folks (also known as adultery) – is reporting that a recent poll shows that more people willing to cheat on their spouses drive an Audi. Last year, this same poll showed that BMW was the car-of-choice for adulterers.

With Audi on top (pun intended) and BMW bumped to number two, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Volkswagen round out the top five car brands owned by unfaithful wives and husbands. Check out the poll over at IllicitEncounters.com, but be sure to clear your browser history afterward. You know, just to make sure your spouse doesn’t get the wrong idea about the websites you visit.

Audi overtakes BMW as adulterers’ favorite car brand originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford nearly overtakes Toyota in Consumer Reports Brand Perception Survey

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Ford, Toyota

Consumer Reports has just released its latest brand perception study, and for the first time, Ford seems to be giving Toyota a run for its money. According to CR, the two brands are nearly tied up, though Ford has edged ahead in categories like safety, quality and value. The Blue Oval has been gaining serious ground recently – jumping 35 percentage points in the study in just two years. Meanwhile, Toyota has seen its score fall by 45 percentage points in the same period of time.

The study measures each brand across a handful of categories, including safety, quality, value, performance, design/style, technology/innovation and environmentally friendly/green. Scores are then averaged to generate a total brand perception. Consumer Reports notes that Toyota still leads the green category by leaps and bounds with a score of 46, though interestingly, it notes that buyers seem to be less and less concerned with just how environmentally friendly their vehicles are. Ford, meanwhile holds onto just 18 percentage points in the same category. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

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Ford nearly overtakes Toyota in Consumer Reports Brand Perception Survey originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai-Kia overtakes Toyota as biggest Asian automaker in Europe

Filed under: Car Buying, Europe, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

European car buyers have a favorite Asian automaker, and its name is no longer Toyota. Hyundai and Kia have tag-teamed to best the longtime Japanese automaker, with a four percent overall rise in total units through the first ten months of 2010. During that same period, Toyota-Lexus sales have fallen 17 percent, with Hyundai at 521,369 vehicles sold compared to 511,754 for Toyota.

Toyota’s recent tough road, along with the expanding number of quality offerings from Hyundai-Kia, have allowed the Seoul train to slide past the Japanese brand. Unless Toyota picks up the pace, that gap could widen because the Korean company is understood to have a greater number of new models planned for its European portfolio.

Of course, Hyundai has a long road ahead if it wishes to make the same claim here in the States, but it’s certainly moving in the right direction. Overall sales in the U.S. have risen 21 percent and demand for the redesigned Sonata has jumped 64 percent.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Hyundai-Kia overtakes Toyota as biggest Asian automaker in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mercedes overtakes Lexus as leading luxury automaker in U.S.

Filed under: Car Buying, Mercedes-Benz, Earnings/Financials, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz Emblem

Make way for the new king. Mercedes-Benz has made up serious ground in the American luxury market, beating out both BMW and long-reigning Lexus in sales last month. The Silver Arrow saw deliveries climb by 17 percent in the US, up to 19,862 units in September. What’s more, Ernst Lieb, the company’s chief executive officer, said that he expects the Mercedes-Benz market share to continue to grow throughout the remainder of 2010.

That news comes as BMW announced its sales had grown by 21 percent compared to this time last year. Lexus, meanwhile isn’t fairing so well. The Japanese luxury marque saw its sales fall off by a hefty six percent to 16,948 units, even in light of booming ES sales. The company delivered 21 percent more of its front-wheel-drive sedan in September, but those gains were demolished by the fact that sales of the company’s IS line dropped off by 27 percent.

It would seem that buyers are still somewhat skittish of Lexus products after a torrent of recalls earlier this year. Even so, Brian Smith, the U.S. vice-president of Lexus sales, says that he doesn’t believe his company will lose its position as the number one luxury automaker in the States when all of 2010 is counted.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Report: Mercedes overtakes Lexus as leading luxury automaker in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Hyundai Sonata overtakes Nissan Altima for third in mid-size segment

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Hyundai

2011 Hyundai Sonata

2011 Hyundai Sonata – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai is movin’ on up. According to The Detroit News, the Sonata officially displaced the Nissan Altima as the third best-selling mid-size sedan in America last month. In August, the Korean manufacturer sold 21,399 units, falling just behind the Honda Accord at 22,506 and the Toyota Camry at a little over 30,000. Those numbers are just based on retail sales, not the vehicles that are sold off to rental fleets. The Sonata has been besting rivals like the Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu for a good while now, but this is the first time the car has managed to rattle the Japanese triumvirate that dominates the segment.

It seemed to be only a matter of time, though. The Sonata now wears some of the best looking sheet metal of any midsizer out there and its price tag comes in a good bit lower than both the Accord and the Camry. Throw in a snappy interior and very efficient drivetrain options, and suddenly you’ve got the attention of the car-buying public. The Detroit News says that since the 2011 Sonata debuted, the number of car buyers considering the vehicle has leapfrogged from 6.2 percent in January of 2007 to 19.5 percent recently. Thanks for the tip, Nicolai!

Gallery: Review: 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: Hyundai Sonata overtakes Nissan Altima for third in mid-size segment originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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