Filed under: SUV
Motor Trend has been around since 1949, and during that time it has handed out a fair share of
awards to various automakers and vehicle models. More recently, the print publication has gone online by way of its web site, Youtube page and various social media networks. One network in particular has stuck a chord with the buff book and it's choosing to leverage the power of
Facebook to
announce the winner of its 2011 Sport/Utility Vehicle of the Year award.
M/T has been steadily rolling out its top 15 contenders, with the announcement of the winner to be made on October 19th, 2010 at 12:01 a.m EST. Why Facebook?
"We want to foster a two-way dialogue with our audience," said Angus MacKenzie, Editor In-Chief of Motor Trend, "and Facebook was the next logical step to engage our community even further."
The currently revealed contenders are:
Past winners of this title include the
Subaru Forester and the
Mazda CX-9.
Hop the jump to read M/T's press release.
[Source:
Motor Trend]
Continue reading Motor Trend getting ready to announce its 2011 Sport/Utility Vehicle of the Year Award...on Facebook
Motor Trend getting ready to announce its 2011 Sport/Utility Vehicle of the Year Award...on Facebook originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
The Tuscon is Hyundai’s smallest crossover/SUV, and has undergone a complete redesign for 2010. While the last generation Tucson could best be described as average, the new car advances to the head of the pack in this tightly contested market, competing head-on with the likes of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The rapid ascension in the quality and driveability of contemporary Hyundais has been impressive, and The Garage was eager to see how the cute ‘ute acquits itself in the real world.
The last generation Tucson was utterly forgettable in appearance, but the new car more than makes up for past mistakes. Hyundai has finally embraced a cohesive design language, and the Tucson is a shining example of how a little risk and excitement pays dividends. It is unfortunate that our Cotton White test car fails to show off the fluid lines that make it such a handsome piece. For that, darker colors are the way to go if you want to flaunt those curves. Still, the Tucson is possibly one of the smartest, and modern looking small crossovers available today.
Climbing into the Tucson, it is clear Hyundai allowed their interior designers the same freedom to build something different. Pleasing shapes and contrasting colors make for a cabin that is both eye-catching and easy to live with. The leatherette/cloth seats were comfortable around town and on longer trips, and finding an acceptable seating position was easy. Clear gauges and very simple controls make the Tucson an easy car to just get in and go. The high-style interior looks expensive, but the hard plastics remind you of what price bracket you are in. Even so, nothing here screams ‘low rent’.
The Tucson is offered with one engine only, a new 2.4L four cylinder rated at 176hp. Although the last Tucson was offered with a V-6, the new engine offers more power and better economy, so it’s hard to see any loss here. A six-speed manual is available on the GLS with front-wheel drive. All other Tucsons are equipped with six-speed automatics. Buyers also have the choice of front or all-wheel drive. I would describe acceleration as average, but then again buyers here aren’t looking for performance. Fuel economy figures of 21/28 mpg city/highway are very good.
Where the Tucson surprises you slightly is the sporty ride. For a crossover, the Tucson offers a tight handling package, not the soft sprung, sloppy handling you might expect. In exchange for the confident handling, I saw little trade off in ride quality. As for steering and braking, I would rate the Tucson in line with its peers, with no noticeable drawbacks. At some speeds I noticed a little more tire noise than I may have expected, but not to the point it was a distraction.
Hyundai offers the Tucson in two trim levels, base GLS and loaded Limited. Our test car was a GLS with all-wheel drive. With a base price of $21,495USD, the Tuscon manages to continue Hyundai’s practice of an easy price of entry without leaving you a stripper of a car. I would recommend the Popular Equipment Package. Priced at $1,700, you get a telescoping steering wheel, 17″ alloys, Bluetooth, leather wrapped steering wheel with audio/cruise controls, and privacy glass. Our tester also added the Navigation Package, with a 6.5″ screen, rearview camera, premium audio and automatic headlights, bringing the grand total to a still reasonable $26,090 (including delivery).
To sum, the new Tucson is tough to fault, and is a rolling testament of Hyundai’s demand to be taken seriously as a top-tier car company. For anyone shopping for a small crossover, the Tucson deserves a stop on the top of the list. That Hyundai is able to offer the Tucson with a level of style and sportiness Honda and Toyota cannot match-and at a lower price too, is a considerable feat. Well done.
Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Etc., Hatchback, Volkswagen
Volkswagen New Beetle - Click above for high-res image gallery
Men, take note: According to a new survey from research firm TrueCar, the
Volkswagen New Beetle is (still) the ultimate car for women. Apparently, its combination of cute-as-a-button looks and affordable pricing make the reborn Bug a total hit with the fairer sex.
This data was determined not by some silly woman-on-the-street clipboard survey, but rather by looking at the registrations of more than 13 million vehicles over the past two years. We could have saved them quite a bit of work if they wanted to know that the New Beetle was a chick car, but whatever. There was some other interesting info gleaned from the research, including the revelation that 64% of all cars are registered by men despite the fact that there are more women (at 51% of the population, just a tad) than men in America.
Rounding out the top five vehicles that scored well with the mono-chromosomed gender were the
Nissan Rogue,
Hyundai Tucson, (saw this one coming)
Volkswagen Eos and
Volvo S40.
[Source:
The Wall Street Journal]
Volkswagen New Beetle still number one with the ladies originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Hyundai
Sarah Goodner was killed in Texas in 2007 when her 2005 Hyundai Tucson rolled over and she was thrown out the
back window. The culprit for that odd circumstance - even though she had her seat belt fastened - was her seat, which was reclined so far back that she was able to slide out of it.
Stuart Goodner, Sarah's father, sued Hyundai claiming that the Tucson was unsafe because the seat could be reclined too much. A jury agreed, kind of, awarding Goodner a $1.8 million judgment against Hyundai, but also deciding that Hyundai was only 45% responsible for Sarah's death. Stuart said, "We want people to know how dangerous it is to drive with the seat reclined, [and] we're calling the auto industry out to correct this design defect so that no other family has to bury one of their children."
Forty-five degrees was determined to be the maximum amount of recline before driving became unsafe. And the issue isn't new: The NTSB and NHTSA debated the issue in 1988 and couldn't come to an agreement. Of course we can't make light of this - a young woman has died. But we do wonder why it's Hyundai's responsibility to make sure you don't drive your car in an unsafe manner. We suspect we haven't heard the last of this...
[Source:
Go San Angelo]
Hyundai loses $1.8M lawsuit because of seats that recline too far originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read |
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
Filed under: Budget, Crossover, Hyundai, Reviews
2010 Hyundai Tucson - Click above for high-res image gallery
Like it or not, the small crossover segment is booming. Not only are budget-minded automakers all putting forth their best efforts to create new-and-improved vehicles for the class, even higher-end manufacturers like
Audi,
BMW and
Mercedes-Benz are getting into the act hoping to win over customers looking for a more premium experience. Why? These vehicles offer an excellent coupling of both utility and economy - two of the most important must-haves for the vast majority of new car shoppers.
We recently invited the latest small CUV offering from
Hyundai, the
2010 Tucson, into the Autoblog Garage for a week, and found it to be a stylish, useful workhorse for everyday tasks that doesn't sacrifice too much in the way of driving enjoyment. What's more, with a sticker starting at $19,995, it's quite a bargain. But just because the Tucson carries a wallet-friendly price doesn't mean it lacks refinement or quality. Hit the jump to find out why.
Photos by Steven J. Ewing / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading Review: 2010 Hyundai Tucson GLS is a stylish all-rounder without sacrifice
Review: 2010 Hyundai Tucson GLS is a stylish all-rounder without sacrifice originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
