Monthly Archives: February 2013

Consumer Reports Highlights Drivers’ Favorite Brands

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Posted in Auto Industry News, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Toyota

Every year, Consumer Reports looks at drivers’ perception of the various car brands, and then ranks them from best to worst. The most recent report looks at data collected over the past year concerning consumers’ opinions on seven categories for each brand – quality, safety, value, performance, technology/innovation, environmentally-friendly/green and design/style. Toyota, Ford and Honda were ranked the highest in terms of customer satisfaction. Toyota and Honda both saw improvements over last year’s scores, while Ford’s high score remained unchanged. Other brands did not fare as well. Scion, Mitsubishi and Ram were at the bottom of the barrel with the worst overall scores.

“This past year brought stability and increased sales to much of the automotive industry. Yet, the brand awareness scores for some like BMW, Buick and Hyundai have declined,” said Jeff Bartlett, deputy auto editor online for Consumer Reports. “The data shows that is has become harder for companies to compete for share of mind. Consumers are not seeing as much differentiation between brands as they have in the past.”

It is important to note that this ranking is not demonstrative of the actual quality and level of safety of cars. Rather, it reflects how drivers feel about the vehicles they own and have driven. The report can prove to be a useful tool for car shoppers, as it may help them decide between two vehicles, if one brand was ranked well below another.

However, a brand that ranks lower on this list does not necessarily produce low-quality vehicles. A car that was not right for some may still be a perfect fit for you. You can find a wide selection of makes and models at NJ State Auto Auction. No matter which brand you prefer, you can drive off the lot with confidence, as every model is CARFAX certified.

MINI Makes Major Mistake, Apologizes with Chocolate Roses

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Posted in General Auto News

MINI, known for its quirky designs and unique vehicles, like the Classic Mini Cooper, recently had a bit of bad PR. The British automaker’s American fans were inundated with an onslaught of automated email messages when a system glitch sent out hundreds of copies of the same email to each user on the mailing list, AutoBlog reports.

While this sort of thing generally does not happen, the standard procedure is to issue an apologetic email or letter explaining the error and promising it won’t happen again. However, MINI officials decided to approach the issue in a more unique way. The company sent care packages to each affected customer. Along with a letter of apology, each individual also received chocolate roses, a roll of duct tape and a can of Spam. In the letter, MINI stated that, “Nothing says, ‘I’m sorry,’ like flowers and chocolate, so we’ve combined the two and enclosed a chocolate rose,” according to MotorTorque.com.

The duct tape was a symbolic gesture to “fix things up,” while the can of Spam, a clever visual pun on their email error, was actually a soft, squeezable stress-reliever.

Many MINI fans have found this mailing to be fun and endearing as well as reminiscent of the brand’s overarching appeal. However, not everyone agrees. A number of consumers who responded to AutoBlog’s coverage of the story felt that the company’s time, efforts and money cold have been better spent improving the lineup and researching new technologies for future models.

Drivers who want to get closer to the brand may be able to find a used MINI Cooper convertible or hardtop at New Jersey State Auto Auction. Every vehicle on the lot is CARFAX certified, so drivers won’t have to worry when they get behind the wheel of a used car.

Super Bowl XLVII Commercials Showcase Cars and More

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Posted in Audi, General Auto News, Hyundai, Toyota

In just a few days, the Baltimore Ravens will go head to head with the San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII, and whether you’re rooting for the birds or sporting red and gold, there’s one thing everyone is looking forward to – the commercials. This is prime time for advertisements, as last year about 166.8 million viewers tuned in to the game, which is why ads cost nearly $4 million for just 30 seconds of air time. This cost may be worth it, as a recent Nielsen survey found 91 percent of viewers are just as excited for the commercials as they are for the game, according to USA Today.

Super Bowl commercials run the gamut from soda and beer to department stores and fashion lines, but the major player is almost always the auto industry. This year is no different, as Audi, Toyota, Volkswagen and many other brands are gearing up to air commercials debuting new cars. These ads go above and beyond the traditional car commercials, using unique angles to catch viewers’ attention.

Hyundai, for instance, showcases a kid gathering a team of his friends – including one bear-wresting youngster – to take on a neighborhood bully. His mom drives him around to wrangle his friends in a Hyundai Santa Fe. The whole ad strategy includes an interactive social media project called “Find Your 7” that allows fans to assemble their dream team in a seven-passenger virtual Santa Fe.

While most of the ads will showcase new cars, they can still help vehicle shoppers get an idea of what they might want in a used car. After the Super Bowl, drivers can find a variety of makes and models at New Jersey State Auto Auction. Plus, every model on the lot is CARFAX certified, letting all drivers feel like MVPs when they get behind the wheel of their cars.