Showing posts with label Accord. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Accord. Show all posts

Monday, November 28, 2011

New Research Shows The Most Profitable Vehicles In The United States



All manufacturers want their vehicles to sell in large quantities. And make a big deal of it when they succeed, especially when up the sales charts in their respective segments. However, the high sales figures do not necessarily translate into big profits, especially with the discounts that have become common practice for attracting customers at dealerships.

A recent study by Max Warburton at Bernstein Research, market trends and analysis firm, reveals which models sold in the United States are the most profitable for automakers.

Despite allegations of just about everything, the greenhouse effect is a costly rescue plan of a couple of years ago, research shows that light trucks Detroit three major heads the list of most profitable vehicles in the United States

Number one goes to the Ford F-Series with GM Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks come in second and Chrysler to complete RAM the first three.

However, the research includes data from 1990, so that the current economic and environmental factors are neglected in comparison to what is really happening today. Yet, in this period, the first three trucks combined yielded $ 108 billion before taxes.

According to Warburton, because cars are so profitable is a combination of high prices, large volumes and long stay on the market. Moreover, unlike cars, trucks, using technology cheaper and easier, thus increasing the profit margin, and even if they are updated often use the carry help to replace parts of the models.

Trucks are not the only great victory for the list of vehicles: Mercedes-Benz S-Class in fourth place, followed by BMW 5 - and 3-series and E series

Large SUVs like the Lexus RX and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, are back in the U.S. market best-sellers, like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are also on the list, mainly because of large quantities.

Porsche 911 on the other hand, takes place somewhere between the Accord and Camry, is perhaps not as common, but it has virtually its segment, and certainly commands a much higher price.

Story Sources: Bernstein Research via New York Times

 
Bernstein Research's list of the most profitable vehicles in the USA since 1990:

1. Ford F-Series
2. General Motors pickups
3. Chrysler Ram
4. Mercedes S-Class
5. BMW 5 Series
6. BMW 3 Series
7. Mercedes E-Class
8. Lexus RX
9. Jeep Grand Cherokee
10. Honda Accord
11. Porsche 911
12. Toyota Camry

 
PHOTO GALLERY

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Optima beats Camry, Accord in CR test, Altima still favorite; Explorer lambasted



The mid-size sedan battle rages on year after year. Perennial kings are dethroned while new challengers emerge boasting fresh styling and a bountiful list of standard features. Consumer Reportslaunches its June issue today, and the institute’s testers have put a host of family-minded four-doors powered by four-cylinder engines through a workout to determine which is the top dog. Ten vehicles were tested but, as Christopher Lambert will tell you, there can be only one.


As it has here at Autoblog Towers, Kia’s 2011 Optima draws big praise from the Consumer Reportscrew. In fact, the Korean squeezes out a higher rating than the Honda Accord. It may have only beat the Honda by one point, but this represents a significant win for Kia. The opinions of Consumer Reports are highly valued by a large number of car shoppers, and this victory ought to push the Optima further onto radar of the American car buying public. Interestingly, while the Optima earned a “Very Good” rating, it wasn’t the comparison’s overall winner, however, as the Nissan Altima (a perennial CR favorite) claimed the test’s top spot, neatly trumping the Honda and the best-selling Toyota Camry in the process.


One vehicle not fairing so well in the June issue of Consumer Reports? The 2011 Ford Explorer. Nineteen mid-size sport utility vehicles were rounded up for testing, and the Explorer wound up in 17th place – well behind the Toyota Highlander Hybrid – a dismal showing for the Blue Oval brand. If you don’t have an issue of CR in your mailbox, check out the official press release after the jump for more details.







Honda Accord Crosstour Cabriolet coming to take on Nissan’s topless Murano


Are unconventional droptops becoming the darling of the automotive industry? Honda is evidently paying close attention to the new Murano CrossCabriolet from Nissan, and apparently it likes what it sees. Historically averse to convertibles (small-volume jobs like the S2000 excluded), the Japanese automaker now plans to offer a soft-top CUV of its own, and the unlikely choice for a roofectomy is the slow-selling Honda Accord Crosstour.


Unimaginatively dubbed the Accord Crosstour Cabriolet, this convertible features a two-plus-two interior seating arrangement and unlimited headroom. Under the hood sits the familiar 3.5-liter V6 engine, which produces 271 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque. Like the fixed-roof Crosstour, the Cabriolet will be offered with front- and all-wheel drive, giving it more configurablility than the AWD-only Murano. Like the Nissan, the cabrio conversion has resulted in two fewer doors and the merciful exclusion of a basket-handle structural support. Oddly, to our eyes, the Crosstour Cabriolet almost looks more attractive than the hunchbacked hardtop – at least with the top down.


When it goes on sale this summer, the Honda Accord Crosstour Cabriolet will sit atop the Crosstour’s pricing structure. The fully-loaded Crosstour we reviewed in 2010 had a sticker price of $36,930, so expect the convertible to come in right at a stitch over the $40K mark. That’s a bit less than the $47,190 Nissan wants for its Murano CrossCab.

How to make the Honda Accord Crosstour even more disturbing


The 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour is arguably one of the ugliest beasts to beat up the streets in a long time. From its too-high stance to its odd, bulbous profile and protruding grille, the look is wrong on many levels.


For one Massachusetts driver, though, Honda’s own design wasn’t quite wrong enough. No, this misguided owner took his Crosstour from pretty ugly to downright terrifying, all with the simple application of badges and decals. Starting with an ill-advised Type R badge up front, the madness didn’t stop until there were matching Apple decals adorning the rear deck.


In between, the front and rear got red Type R-style Honda emblems, red pinstriping and, as if all that weren’t enough, what appears to be a “V6″ badge on the grille – you know, to flaunt the 3.5-liter underhood. Hit the gallery and see what else you can decode from this parts-store lettering extravaganza.


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