Archive for the ‘Odyssey’ Category

Porsche ranks as most appealing nameplate for the fifth consecutive year. That's according to J.D. Power and Associates' 2009 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, which was just released.

Yet Porsche only had one top-placing model in Power's study, the Cayenne. Across all models, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class receives the highest APEAL score for 2009, for a third consecutive year.

The study measures how satisfied new owners are with their vehicles after the first three months of ownership, with questions regarding more than 90 attributes. It covers more than 80,000 purchasers and lessees of 2009 model-year vehicles,...

The 2010 Honda Odyssey goes on sale today, and there aren’t many changes to report. A host of new colors are the biggest news for the Odyssey in 2010, as the model returns for one more model year before a complete redesign.

While Ford and GM have discontinued their minivan models and looked to other types of models like the 2009 Ford Flex and 2009 Chevrolet Traverse—with sales that haven't quite been up to the levels of their family-hauler predecessors—the current Odyssey has been a hit with traditional minivan shoppers.

The 2010 Odyssey retains its excellent third-row arrangement, termed Magic Seat, which folds into a low, flat cargo...

There's more good news all around for Ford—it beats out Toyota, GM, Honda, and other full-line mainstream brands and has taken the top mainstream-brand spot in AutoPacific's 2009 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA). Porsche takes the top premium-brand spot, and both top-performing brands win for the second year in a row. Model-by-model, top honors go to the 2009 Honda Odyssey minivan, followed by the 2009 Toyota Venza crossover/wagon, Ford F-150 pickup, Ford Taurus sedan (in the top five for a second year), and Lincoln Town Car sedan. Last year's top-rated vehicle was the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

As an indicator that shoppers' priorities might be...