Archive for the ‘Compass’ Category

Think that the design of the Volkswagen New Beetle is more hideous than iconic?

Apparently you're not alone. Business Week has posted its "Fifty Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Years," including a number of models present and past, and the New Beetle is just one of the newer and still-produced models on the list. Others include the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Honda Element, Hummer H2, Jeep Compass, Nissan Cube, and Toyota Prius.

They're particularly tough on the Escalade, sounding more like SUV-haters than design critics: "The perfect car design if fuel, practicality, maneuverability, and class mean nothing...

Want American-made and fuel-efficient? A small car, too? You don't have many choices.

Shoppers are valuing fuel efficiency more than before, especially now that they might be able to take advantage of a $4,500 Cash-for-Clunkers incentive. While there are plenty of stars-and-stripes-waving larger vehicles, the list of smaller, frugal American-made cars is very limited.

And at a time when you're likely wondering how you can do your part to support the economy—whether locally or nationally—chances are the dealership salesperson will be of little help to some nagging shopping questions like "Where is this car built?"

Luckily, you'll find...

Sergio Marchionne took the reigns of Chrysler less than a month ago, and already he's showing that life at the new Chrysler/Fiat isn't going to be la dolce vita. Taking advantage of the capital and credibility that come at the start of many corporate tenures, the CEO is making some very bold choices--and some difficult ones, too.

Over the weekend, we mentioned that Marchionne is readying plans to rebadge a number of Dodge models for European markets and to rebadge Alfa Romeos for America. Now comes news that Marchionne also seeks to cut a number of underperforming and duplicative models from the Chrysler lineup. Facing the chopping block:...