Ford Focus wins overall used car of the decade award

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Posted in Ford

The Ford Focus Hatchback has been named the used car of the decade by the car valuation expert CAP, which may attract additional attention to used Ford models in New Jersey.

Judges explained that the Ford Focus won the prestigious award because of its versatile nature and its outstanding value.

‘The Focus shook up a conservative sector in which the only truly desirable car had for a long time been the Volkswagen Golf,” said CAP judging panel chairman Mark Norman, quoted by the Ayrshire Post. “It was a truly brave move by Ford, which created a new vehicle from scratch.”

“As a used car, it has satisfied every [criterion] for the demanding consumer who requires a true five-seat family car with quality, comfort, performance, durability, reliability, safety, economy, practicality and style,” he added.

The American car manufacturer took home several awards in the competition, including the Ford Ka’s receipt of the best secondhand model award in the small car section, the highest award given to a vehicle used solely for personal transport. Judges stated that the Ka won the award due to its affordability, low running costs and reliable engineering.

Interest in used Ford models in New Jersey may increase following the news of Ford winning such prominent awards.

New Jersey modifies inspection rules on used cars

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Posted in Auto Industry News, General Auto News

Used cars in New Jersey should attract significant attention following a recent announcement by the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).

Effective January 1 2010, used vehicles will no longer require a full inspection until they are at least four years old.

Acting MVC chief administrator Shawn Sheekey said that the motivation behind the change was to reduce the volume at inspection facilities and to save time for motorists, NJ.com reports.

“This is a common sense decision to move to a four-year inspection for these types of vehicles,” said Sheekey. “The change only effects used vehicles that are in the first four years of their lifespan so the owners of these late model cars and trucks will now have one less item to take care of after their purchase.”

For car buyers who purchase a used vehicle with a valid, up-to-date sticker, no inspection will be required until the sticker expires. If the vehicle does not have a valid inspection sticker, the buyer will be given a form during the registration process and must go to a certified inspection facility to conclude the process.

The popularity of used cars in New Jersey should grow in light of the MVC’s recent announcement.

Ford’s lead truck designer to resign, changes industries

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Posted in Ford

Used Ford models in New York may receive additional attention after Pat Schiavone, Ford Motor Company’s chief truck designer, announced that he will be resigning from the company in early 2010.

Ford spokeswoman Marcey Evans confirmed Shiavone’s resignation on Monday, stating that he was leaving the organization for an opportunity within a different industry.

According to PickupTrucks.com, Ford’s North American Truck and SUV design director will be leaving the company to take on a new position with the appliance manufacturer Whirlpool.

Schiavone has worked for the company for the past 21 years and was responsible for the designing the 2002 F-350 Tonka Truck and the F-150 Lightning Rod, among others. He is also credited with re-designing the 1994 Mustang, Autonews.com reports.

Shiavone continues the trend of recent departures from Ford’s senior design team. Earlier in the year, GT designer Camilo Pardo left the company after 24 years of service. Peter Horbury, executive director of Ford Americas, recently announced his return to lead vehicle design at Volvo.

Interest in used Ford models in New York may grow following the news of another key employee moving on from the company.

Alleged paparazzo crashes into Anne Hathaway’s Audi

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Posted in Audi

Used Audi models in New Jersey may become even more popular following a minor car accident involving a black Audi owned by Anne Hathaway.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Oscar-nominated actress and her boyfriend Adam Shulman, who was behind the wheel, were driving on Santa Monica Boulevard when an alleged member of the paparazzi smashed his bicycle into their car, the L.A. Times reports.

Neither Hathaway nor her boyfriend were injured. The bicyclist, identified as Freddy Ferraro, age 32, suffered only minor bumps and bruises and refused medical treatment, EOnline.com reports.

Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore told the L.A. Times that Ferraro was “moving way too fast and could have avoided the accident.” However, there were no arrests made following the incident.

When asked how he knew the bicyclist was paparazzo, Whitmore said that he was carrying a high-end camera with a telephoto lens.

“If he’s not a paparazzo, he’s an avid bird watcher,” he said, quoted by the news source.

Fans of Anne Hathaway may become more interested in used Audi models in New Jersey.

Audi A3 named executive used car of the decade

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Posted in Audi

Used Audi models in New York have continued to attract attention after the Audi A3 was named the Executive Used Car of the Decade by vehicle valuation specialist CAP.

Mark Norman of CAP described the A3 as a “genuine pioneer” that allowed consumers to accept the idea that a compact car can be as prestigious and luxurious as larger vehicles in the same class, according to EasierCar.com.

Norman stated that the A3 “has brought the prospect of the highest engineering and build quality standards to those who would previously have ruled out choosing a prestige brand on the grounds that it would mean running a larger car than they needed.”

He went on to say that, while the A3 is not the cheapest used car on the market, the benefits of low depreciation will be realized at trade-in time.

Meanwhile, the Audi A3 TDI recently won the Green Car of the Year award at the L.A Auto Show.

The Associated Press reports that the A3 TDI gets 42 miles per gallon on the highway, which is a 50 percent better fuel efficiency rating than a gasoline-powered A3.

The A3’s recent praise should come as good news for those in the market for used Audi models in New York.

A sad so long to Saab

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Posted in Saab - DO NOT USE

Soon, there will be only used Saab models in New York and elsewhere, as General Motors has decided to end the brand.

American opinions of GM haven’t been especially high recently, as the automaker’s flair for failure and flop do little to inspire confidence in or empathy for the blue badge. Rather, decades of models incapable of putting six digits on the odometer have left many motorists with a feeling of hopelessness. But now, in Saab’s wake, even the despair is gone for some and only apathy remains.

“GM is abandoning the smoldering hulk of a perfectly fine car company it bought for all the wrong reasons,” wrote one MarketWatch journalist named Jim Jelter. “Saab was a trophy acquisition, funded by an era of cheap gasoline and booming SUV sales back home that lined GM’s pockets and gave it a reckless sense of entitlement.”

Starting today, Jelter and thousands of other Saab fans, will likely begin appreciating every 900, 9000, 9-3, 9-5 and even every 9-2X they see at least a little bit more.

Of all these models, the 900 is the car that most motorists consider to be Saab’s flagship. It was made for exactly a decade and was redesigned only once. The first 900 rolled out of Trollhattan in 1978, marking its territory as Saab’s newest fastback. But the car’s body wasn’t its only distinguishing feature. Saab, the first manufacturer to have ever successfully applied a turbocharger to a street-legal automobile, made sure some of its 900s would come with a little bit of boost.

In addition to the high-end muscle, another 900 feature most first-time drivers no doubt noticed was the fact that their keys couldn’t be inserted into the steering column since Saab decided igniting the motor would be more fun if you could do it without awkwardly leaning over the wheel with your face on the glass. So the Swedes put the keyhole between the gearshift and the handbrake for easier access.

The 900 was redesigned in 1994, which is when some purists think the end began, although GM already owned half of the company by 1989. Unlike the first generation 900, the ’94 didn’t have a memorable shape. Although the car became a bit more stylish when it evolved into the 9-3, the original 900 would always be Saab’s biggest charmer. Indeed, some used Saab models in New York and elsewhere will certainly start getting the appreciation they deserve when more Americans learn the grinning griffin is no more.

Passengers in used Lincoln survive wreck

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Posted in Lincoln

Used Lincoln models in New Jersey could appear to be even safer after Eric Patterson, mayor of Leeds, Alabama, crashed his 2001 Lincoln into a tree and survived.

Patterson had just concluded a long day at the office when he picked up his son John to take him to a friend’s birthday party, according to the St. Claire Times.

On route, Patterson lost control of his vehicle and skidded off an embankment directly into a tree, splitting it in half.

While the official police report stated that there were no drugs or alcohol involved, Patterson was “apparently asleep” when he lost control of the vehicle.

“We really don’t know what happened, if I got off the edge of the road or dozed off. I’d been sick for a week – just coming down…over the mountain and ran into a ditch and hit a tree.”

Patterson broke his right leg, but his son, who was wearing a seatbelt, was left virtually unharmed.

“It puts your life in perspective, I can guarantee that,” the mayor said later in the week. “I just consider myself fortunate.”

Used Lincoln models in New Jersey might become more sought after following Eric Patterson’s harrowing accident.

Geely deal going smoothly; Used Volvo S60Rs in New Jersey could look better than ever

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Posted in Volvo - DO NOT USE

Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Holding Group, says the company’s deal with Volvo hasn’t hit any hiccups so far, which could mean consumer confidence in used S60Rs in New Jersey could be on the uptick.

Geely doesn’t want to talk too much about the Volvo deal right now. The Chinese company says there are too many rumors circulating around the acquisition, so discussing it probably wouldn’t help. The possibility of a merger was first announced by Ford, currently Volvo’s parent, in October.

In early December, indications of progress began to appear, as Ford and Geely reached an agreement regarding an intellectual rights issue that concerned Volvo, which some industry analysts believed was the deal’s biggest obstacle.

Lately, Geely has been shopping around for transmissions for its vehicles with larger engines – motors with a displacement of bigger than 1.5 liters. The Chinese automaker seems to have taken an interest in DSI, an Australian manufacturer, meaning some Volvos might become more international than ever before.

The S60 could be one of the Volvos to receive an Australian transmission, as the all-new second generation model – whose production will begin in Ghent, Belgium, during the summer of 2010 – won’t come with an engine that’s smaller than 1.6 liters big.

“The all-new Volvo S60 is sculpted to move you,” says Stephen Odell, CEO of Volvo. “It looks and drives like no other Volvo before and the car’s technology will help you to be safer and more confident behind the wheel.”

Odell’s claims are ambitious. Not because they seem exaggerated, but because the first generation S60R was quite an automobile. In 2003, Car and Driver tracked a 2004 S60R and it did nothing but produce results.

Hans Nilsson, R-car line manager, told the publication that Volvo spent 10 times more on the S60R than it had on any past R model, the most recent having been the 1995 T-5R wagon at the time. All that extra money got the Swedish manufacturer a 300-horsepower, all-wheel drive, Brembo brake-equipped powerhouse with a hefty price tag of roughly $37,500. As pricey as that may have sounded back then, the Mercedes C32 AMG of the same year was over $14,500 more expensive, making the Volvo a pretty good deal.

Though the second generation Swedish S60 will be built in Belgium, contain an Australian transmission and will likely be sold by a Chinese company, news of the Geely deal could boost the popularity of used Volvo S60Rs in New Jersey.

Passat earns prestigious award, used Volkswagen models in New Jersey may attract additional attention

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Posted in Volkswagen - DO NOT USE

The Volkswagen Passat has recently been named the Large Used Car of the Decade by the car valuation specialist CAP. This piece of news should greatly benefit used Volkswagen models in New Jersey.

The fifth generation Passat, produced between 1996 and 2005, set a new benchmark for refinement, style, performance and quality, according to EasierCars.com.

“The Volkswagen Passat is a byword for quality, and the model launched in 1996 was a quantum leap forward in every area most important to the trade and the used car buyer,” said Mark Bulmer of CAP Black Book, quoted by the news source.”Volkswagen’s attention to detail meant that this Passat offered the sense of a prestige vehicle but at a mainstream purchase price.”

The 2005 model is one of the more popular mid-size sedans in its class. According to Edmunds.com, it is fun to drive, has an upscale interior and a wide range of features. The ’05 Passat has terrific handling and comes with a diesel engine option that has a unique combination of performance and economy.

The Passat’s recent attention may increase sales of used Volkswagen models in New Jersey.

Subaru Outback nominated for truck of the year

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Posted in Subaru - DO NOT USE

Today, the Subaru Outback was nominated for the 2010 North American Truck of the Year award, which might have people wondering if used Subaru models in New Jersey are as equally acclaimed.

Since its inception into the car world in 1995, the Subaru Outback has been known to many as the “world’s first sport-utility wagon.”

The 2006 Outback combines the all-terrain capability of previous models with the luxurious interior of the 21st century SUV, according to Edmunds.com.

Outbacks are renowned for their ability to handle various weather conditions, but the ’06 version is “fun to drive even when the weather isn’t terrible,” quoted by the news source.

Although the base engine only provides adequate power compared to other cross-over SUV’s, the turbo four and H6 engines have quick acceleration and enough power to handle any type of off-road driving.

The ground clearance on the 2006 Outback has been raised to 8.7 inches, a total of 10 inches higher than the previous year’s model. Subaru also added a navigation system to the list of available options.

Used Subaru models in New Jersey should benefit from the recent accolades given to the 2010 Outback.