Posts Tagged ‘time’

How Do Luxury SUV’s Stand The Test Of Time?

SUVs

How Do Luxury SUV’s Stand The Test Of Time?

When the newest model vehicles roll onto the lots, there are always an abundance of expert reviews, opinions, and crash test statistics. But once the model has had time to truly be road tested and reviewed by owners, magazines and publications have moved onto today’s latest models. In this article, we’ll look at some of the top rated 3-year-old used luxury SUV’s and how they have stood the test of time.

The 2003 RX300 Used Lexus SUV:
It seems as if no luxury SUV has made its way into the hearts and driveway’s of Americans more than the Lexus RX300. Three years after its release, the only recall for the 2003 RX300 used Lexus SUV concerns the reflectors of some exterior replacement lights. This 2003 used Lexus SUV is still held in high regard by owners who have given it an overall satisfaction rating of 9 out of 10. Among the reasons owners of this used Lexus SUV sited as their favorite reasons for ownership were its fantastic gas mileage, styling, and smooth ride.

The 2003 2.5T XC-90 Used Volvo SUV:
After three years of real world driving, XC90 owners ranked this used Volvo SUV an 8.9/10 in terms of overall satisfaction. There were a few big recalls with this used Volvo SUV including improperly fitted rear seat belt attachments, a defective tie rod joint, impaired visibility due to faulty wiper blades, and defective front wheel sensors.

The 2003 Used Land Rover Range Rover:
Unlike non-luxury vehicles, consumer satisfaction reviews for used luxury SUV’s remain positive well past the first year or two. The Range Rover is no exception with a 9.1 consumer satisfaction rating for this 3 year old vehicle. Compare this with an SUV like the Ford Explorer that scored a full ten points lower and you’ll understand the difference in quality between a standard and a luxury SUV. Three years after release, there have been zero recalls for the Range Rover.

The 2003 X5 Used BMW SUV:
Owners of the 2003 X5 gave it a 9.1 satisfaction rating, the highest rating of any previous year X5 on the market. Among the main reasons cited for satisfaction with this used BMW SUV are the exceptional performance, and the vehicles “fun” factor. Though only about 350 units were likely affected, if you choose to purchase the 2003 X5 used BMW SUV make sure to have the brake lines checked for leakage. BMW has issued only one recall for this used BMW SUV after a few reports of brake like leaks.

When shopping for a used luxury SUV, be sure to take advantage of the current sources of information about the vehicles you’re considering. While you’ll still find professional reviews published the year the vehicle was introduced, they hold less credence than reviews that discuss the performance of the vehicle after several years of real world wear and tear.

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Now is the Time to Stake a Claim on the Used Saab SUV

SUVs

Now is the Time to Stake a Claim on the Used Saab SUV

Saab was a latecomer to the SUV game with its first ever SUV, the 9-7X in 2005. If you’re a Saab lover and prefer to buy pre-owned cars for the sake of better value, now is the time when you’ll finally begin to see the used Saab SUV on the used car lots. Aside from price, one of the major benefits of buying a used vehicle, especially one in its first year of introduction, is that enough time has passed to accrue real-world road test data, consumer opinions have been cast, and recalls have been issued to alert any big potential problems.

Recalls for the 2005:
So far it seems that instead of rushing into the SUV space, Designers spent the past several years perfecting the first ever Saab SUV. Now midway through 2006, there are no recalls for the 2005 Saab SUV. The fact that the first SUV from Saab is recall-free isn’t merely a stroke of luck. As auto trivia buffs may know, the platform of the 2005 Saab SUV is actually the same as the tried and true Chevy Trailblazer.

Future year changes:
Another way to identify any possible imperfections in a year’s design or performance is to scrutinize the changes made to the following year model. Many times the changes are simply enhancements, but other times they represent fixes to previous problems.

Surprisingly for a newly released model, there weren’t too many changes to the 2006 model; another mark in favor of the 2005 used Saab SUV. Among the changes were a 15 horsepower increase to the 6 cylinder engine and a new fuel saving technology for the 8 cylinder, yielding a more favorable gas mileage than the 2005 used Saab SUV.

Professional Reviews:
The most noted point of caution among professional auto reviewers was the assumption that loyal Saab drivers wouldn’t be able to accept the fact that the SUV was manufactured by GM in the United States. Saab realized that when it was time for their almost fanatically loyal car ownership base to trade-up, around 30% of them bought an SUV. Wanting to get into the space quickly, Saab contracted the manufacturing and some of the design of the Saab SUV to GM.

GM has had a long time to perfect the SUV, starting with the Suburban back in the 1930s. No doubt this is one of the reasons for the model’s performance success. Though the majority commented on the SUV’s classic Sweedish stylistic elements, many professional auto reviewers wondered if that fact that it was assembled in the US using the platform of a GM would be a turn-off for die hard Saab fans.

Customers Reviewers:
As wound up as the reviewers might be over the connection between this Saab SUV and GM, Saab owners don’t seem to mind a bit. While professionals gave this used Saab SUV a rating of 8.0 for overall reliability, drivers of this used Saab SUV rated it an exceptional 9.4 out of 10. When it comes to Saab, it seems the mainstream has never understood what makes the tight-knit Saab community tick.

Reliable, confident, and luxurious, the 2005 Saab SUV has the qualities of an ideal used vehicle purchase. Having been on the market for just over a year, this used Saab SUV might be difficult to track down, though not impossible. Choosing a dealership with a vehicle locator service will help to increase your odds of finding a 2005 used Saab SUV just off of lease contract. With a little determination and ingenuity – inherent qualities of Saab owners – you can easily be one of the first to own the 2005 used Saab SUV.

What happens when an SUV rams a smaller car on the side
Video Rating: 4 / 5

How Do Luxury SUV’s Stand The Test Of Time?

How Do Luxury SUV’s Stand The Test Of Time?

When the newest model vehicles roll onto the lots, there are always an abundance of expert reviews, opinions, and crash test statistics. But once the model has had time to truly be road tested and reviewed by owners, magazines and publications have moved onto today’s latest models. In this article, we’ll look at some of the top rated 3-year-old used luxury SUV’s and how they have stood the test of time.

The 2003 RX300 Used Lexus SUV:
It seems as if no luxury SUV has made its way into the hearts and driveway’s of Americans more than the Lexus RX300. Three years after its release, the only recall for the 2003 RX300 used Lexus SUV concerns the reflectors of some exterior replacement lights. This 2003 used Lexus SUV is still held in high regard by owners who have given it an overall satisfaction rating of 9 out of 10. Among the reasons owners of this used Lexus SUV sited as their favorite reasons for ownership were its fantastic gas mileage, styling, and smooth ride.

The 2003 2.5T XC-90 Used Volvo SUV:
After three years of real world driving, XC90 owners ranked this used Volvo SUV an 8.9/10 in terms of overall satisfaction. There were a few big recalls with this used Volvo SUV including improperly fitted rear seat belt attachments, a defective tie rod joint, impaired visibility due to faulty wiper blades, and defective front wheel sensors.

The 2003 Used Land Rover Range Rover:
Unlike non-luxury vehicles, consumer satisfaction reviews for used luxury SUV’s remain positive well past the first year or two. The Range Rover is no exception with a 9.1 consumer satisfaction rating for this 3 year old vehicle. Compare this with an SUV like the Ford Explorer that scored a full ten points lower and you’ll understand the difference in quality between a standard and a luxury SUV. Three years after release, there have been zero recalls for the Range Rover.

The 2003 X5 Used BMW SUV:
Owners of the 2003 X5 gave it a 9.1 satisfaction rating, the highest rating of any previous year X5 on the market. Among the main reasons cited for satisfaction with this used BMW SUV are the exceptional performance, and the vehicles “fun” factor. Though only about 350 units were likely affected, if you choose to purchase the 2003 X5 used BMW SUV make sure to have the brake lines checked for leakage. BMW has issued only one recall for this used BMW SUV after a few reports of brake like leaks.

When shopping for a used luxury SUV, be sure to take advantage of the current sources of information about the vehicles you’re considering. While you’ll still find professional reviews published the year the vehicle was introduced, they hold less credence than reviews that discuss the performance of the vehicle after several years of real world wear and tear.

Report: Honda builds more cars in U.S. than in Japan for first time ever

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Earnings/Financials

Honda is and always will be a Japan-based concern, but it appears that the automaker isn’t playing favorites when it comes to vehicle production. The Detroit News reports that for the first time ever, Honda produced more vehicles in the United States than it did in its home market of Japan. In the second quarter, Honda built 236,819 in the States, compared to 236,559 in Japan. That’s a mighty small edge for U.S. facilities, and for the year, Japanese factories are still ahead by 11,000 units, but this trend may continue in the future.

Analyst Jesse Toprak at TrueCar.com tells the DetNews that the key is that there is more growth opportunity in the U.S. than there is in Japan. In short, the market in Japan is shrinking while the U.S. appears to have already hit rock bottom in 2009 and is on the upswing. (We’re also guessing that North American production is significantly cheaper than it is in Japan). Honda also expects more growth in emerging markets like China and the plan is to build vehicles where demand is strong. The automaker’s global strategy appears to be working, as its .2 billion quarterly earnings is the strongest any automaker has announced so far for Q2, 2010.

[Source: Detroit News]

Report: Honda builds more cars in U.S. than in Japan for first time ever originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now is the Time to Stake a Claim on the Used Saab SUV

Now is the Time to Stake a Claim on the Used Saab SUV

Saab was a latecomer to the SUV game with its first ever SUV, the 9-7X in 2005. If you’re a Saab lover and prefer to buy pre-owned cars for the sake of better value, now is the time when you’ll finally begin to see the used Saab SUV on the used car lots. Aside from price, one of the major benefits of buying a used vehicle, especially one in its first year of introduction, is that enough time has passed to accrue real-world road test data, consumer opinions have been cast, and recalls have been issued to alert any big potential problems.

Recalls for the 2005:
So far it seems that instead of rushing into the SUV space, Designers spent the past several years perfecting the first ever Saab SUV. Now midway through 2006, there are no recalls for the 2005 Saab SUV. The fact that the first SUV from Saab is recall-free isn’t merely a stroke of luck. As auto trivia buffs may know, the platform of the 2005 Saab SUV is actually the same as the tried and true Chevy Trailblazer.

Future year changes:
Another way to identify any possible imperfections in a year’s design or performance is to scrutinize the changes made to the following year model. Many times the changes are simply enhancements, but other times they represent fixes to previous problems.

Surprisingly for a newly released model, there weren’t too many changes to the 2006 model; another mark in favor of the 2005 used Saab SUV. Among the changes were a 15 horsepower increase to the 6 cylinder engine and a new fuel saving technology for the 8 cylinder, yielding a more favorable gas mileage than the 2005 used Saab SUV.

Professional Reviews:
The most noted point of caution among professional auto reviewers was the assumption that loyal Saab drivers wouldn’t be able to accept the fact that the SUV was manufactured by GM in the United States. Saab realized that when it was time for their almost fanatically loyal car ownership base to trade-up, around 30% of them bought an SUV. Wanting to get into the space quickly, Saab contracted the manufacturing and some of the design of the Saab SUV to GM.

GM has had a long time to perfect the SUV, starting with the Suburban back in the 1930s. No doubt this is one of the reasons for the model’s performance success. Though the majority commented on the SUV’s classic Sweedish stylistic elements, many professional auto reviewers wondered if that fact that it was assembled in the US using the platform of a GM would be a turn-off for die hard Saab fans.

Customers Reviewers:
As wound up as the reviewers might be over the connection between this Saab SUV and GM, Saab owners don’t seem to mind a bit. While professionals gave this used Saab SUV a rating of 8.0 for overall reliability, drivers of this used Saab SUV rated it an exceptional 9.4 out of 10. When it comes to Saab, it seems the mainstream has never understood what makes the tight-knit Saab community tick.

Reliable, confident, and luxurious, the 2005 Saab SUV has the qualities of an ideal used vehicle purchase. Having been on the market for just over a year, this used Saab SUV might be difficult to track down, though not impossible. Choosing a dealership with a vehicle locator service will help to increase your odds of finding a 2005 used Saab SUV just off of lease contract. With a little determination and ingenuity – inherent qualities of Saab owners – you can easily be one of the first to own the 2005 used Saab SUV.

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