Honda Motor Co. has the most fuel efficient fleet in the United States, followed closely by Hyundai Motor Co., the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday in releasing preliminary figures for 2009. According to the Detroit News, all vehicles sold in the 2009 model year are expected to average 21.1 miles per gallon in "real world" driving, which is one-tenth of a mile better than in the 2008 model year. Final 2009 figures will be released next year in October or November. The preliminary numbers are based on sales data and confidential product reports and sales estimates from the companies and usually don't vary much from the final tallies, which are based on actual sales. Honda had a fleet wide 23.6 MPG fuel economy average in the 2009 model year. Hyundai had 23.4 MPG. Toyota Motor Corp., which was tied for first in 2007, slipped to third with 23.2 MPG. Volkswagen AG was fourth at 22.3 MPG; while Nissan Motor Co. and BMW AG were tied for fifth at 21.6 MPG. The EPA reports "real world" fuel economy rankings and carbon emissions. Because of credits for building alternative fueled vehicles, real-world adjustments and testing procedures, the EPA figures are at least 25 percent lower than those on new vehicle stickers. For more on Honda's leadership in fuel efficiency, including facts and statistics, click here.
According to USA Today, a day after the Senate voted along party (60-39) lines Saturday to bring President Obama's 10-year, $848 billion health care proposal to the floor, familiar fissures reopened over unresolved issues such as a proposed government-run health insurance program. Though the vote gave Democratic leaders the ability to claim momentum, it also underscored difficult decisions that have been looming for months and that must be resolved if the Senate is to take a final vote by year's end. To secure the 60 votes he needed to overturn the threat of a filibuster, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) bowed to requests by wavering Democrats such as Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) who wanted 72 hours to review the bill before voting. Currently included in the bill is a government insurance plan similar to Medicare. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says up to 4 million people would enroll in that plan by 2019. The measure goes too far for Republicans and some Democrats, even though Reid crafted it to allow states to opt out in an attempt to attract more votes. Senators will begin debate on the bill next week. Obama has called for the Senate finish by the end of the year. Click here for more on the Senate action on pending health care legislation.
Germany's Volkswagen AG said Friday its supervisory board cleared the way for the planned integration of Porsche Automobil Holding SE by approving contracts determining details of the complex tie-up. According to the Wall Street Journal, as part of the deal, Porsche's core sports-car operations will be integrated into Volkswagen as its tenth brand. As a first step, Volkswagen aims to acquire a 49.9 percent stake in Porsche's sports-car operations for about €3.9 billion ($5.82 billion) by the end of this year. Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn is expected to make his first public appearance in his additional role as Porsche CEO at the Stuttgart-based sports-car maker's earnings presentation Nov. 25. The decision by Volkswagen and Porsche's supervisory board on Friday is expected to draw a line under a power struggle between the two auto makers in recent years that counts Porsche's former CEO Wendelin Wiedeking and Chief Financial Officer Holger Haerter as casualties. Porsche initially tried to acquire its much bigger German peer, but it ran out of funding as credit markets turned anemic. Volkswagen is now driving the deal, which is expected to be completed in 2011. Click here for more on the planned integration underway between European auto makers Volkswagen and Porsche.
Twenty teams of Lexus specialists will hit the road on Jan. 13 - the start of a month-long process to prep dealership personnel on how to create buzz for the redesigned 2010 GX 460 mid-sized SUV. Though the GX has been on the market since September 2002, managers at Toyota Motor Corp.'s luxury division still believe retailers do not understand all of the vehicle's attributes. Click here for a photo of the redesigned GX 460. According to Automotive News, U.S. sales of the existing GX 470 fell 61 percent this year through October from a year earlier. The redesigned vehicle comes in two trim levels - base and premium. It goes on sale in late December, but most of the initial units will reach dealerships in January. Key new features include a 4.6-liter, V-8 engine making 301 hp. That compares with the 4.7-liter V-8 delivering 263 hp on the GX 470. Torque on the 2010 model rises to 329 pounds-feet from 323 pounds-feet on the predecessor. The 61 percent decline for the GX 470 through October brought total volume to 5,524 for the year. The Acura MDX sold 24,814 units, down 38 percent. BMW X5 sales were down 23 percent to 20,787. Click here for more on Lexus' marketing plans for its GX 460.
New Year's Day isn't the deadliest holiday of the year. That title belongs to Thanksgiving. Last year, 502 people were killed on the road that day. According to Forbes, on a typical day, 102 people die in traffic accidents. Click here to see Forbes' list of America's Most Dangerous Holidays. Last year's Thanksgiving deaths were down from a 26-year average of 556 in part because volatile gas prices that summer and early fall had deterred some families from driving. This year, with gas prices averaging $2.63 a gallon nationwide and holding, the number of highway crashes and fatalities stands to rise. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes cost American taxpayers more than $100 billion each year. To determine the most dangerous holidays for drivers, Forbes used traffic fatality data from NHTSA and then based its ranking on the average amount of deaths on six federal holidays for which fatalities have been tracked since 1982. Deaths were counted for just the one day, not a holiday weekend or period. Click here to see the list and data. Click here to read the full report on the most dangerous holidays to take to U.S. roadways.
According to James R. Healey at USA Today, the 2010 Forte Koup drives better than it should for being a much different body atop the Forte four-door chassis and using the same drivetrain as the Forte sedan. Click here for a photo. The test Koup was fitted with the bigger engine, a 2.4-liter four-banger rated 173 horsepower, and a six-speed manual transmission, while the sedan that was tested had the 2-liter, 156-hp engine and an automatic. Even allowing for the obvious fun-factor difference, the Koup felt like an exceptional sling-about. The Koup is sleek to see, tight, and snappy - and a relatively light touch to acquire. The test vehicle, a high-end Koup SX, had about everything you need for grins for less than $20,000. However, the sleeker styling that makes a coupe appealing also slices a couple of inches from the Forte sedan's head room and rear-seat width. The test vehicle also had a noise in the ceiling near the sunroof. Also, Koup has tight steering with a good on-center feel; no need to make tiring small steering corrections to stay pointed straight. And prompt-acting brakes should delight drivers numbed by years of the softer, spongier feel so many automakers find acceptable. Click here to read Healey's entire review of the Kia Forte Koup.
Americans love the convenience and sense of security cell phones give us. With the growing capabilities including text messaging, web browsing, and infinite applications - this convenience has turned into a hazard on the road. The combination of drivers' eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and minds off the task of driving proves to be such an unsafe combination that a 2008 study found texting while driving be to more dangerous than climbing behind the wheel at a .08 percent blood alcohol content level. AIADA reported on the new federal ban that was put in place last month prohibiting federal employees from texting while driving, and as of November 2009, 19 states and D.C. have bans on texting for all drivers. It is important to make your employees aware of the dangers of texting while driving - whether they're on the job or on their personal time. AIADA's Affinity Partner, Federated Insurance offers a safety program (included in their Designated Risk Management class) called Distracted Driving-At What Cost? This program emphasizes the many ways business owners and their drivers can avoid the pitfalls of distracted driving, and includes a packet of materials and a video that's sure to make an impression. Contact your local Federated representative for more information or click here to have someone contact you directly.
Save on Car Insurance [Wall Street Journal]
Hyundai Bumps the Output of Genesis V8 by 10hp for 2010 [Autoblog]
Volvo Bricks as Sturdy as Advertised [Jalopnik]
2010 Model Year Overview [Edmunds Inside Line]
November's Best Finance Deals [AOL Autos]
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