Smaller cars have appeal; K9 or Quoris?
It wasn’t that many years ago that “small car’’ was a euphemism for “econobox.’’
Price shoppers still can find today’s version of the econobox—the no-frills, no-options base model— but it’s certain that it’ll be a far better car than it was a decade ago in terms of performance, economy, reliability, ride, and handling.
But four years of recession has affected the small-vehicle sector of the market.
That’s one of the interesting findings in the latest J.D. Power and Associates 2012 US Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study.
The study found that 27 percent of new-vehicle buyers who were replacing a vehicle downsized, that is, purchased a vehicle in a smaller segment as opposed to 13 percent who upsized and 60 percent who remained in the same segment.
“New-vehicle buyers who downsize are not making the sacrifices they once were,’’ says David Sargent, J.D. Power vice president. “Automakers are heavily focused on providing the US market with appealing smaller models, and buyers may be surprised at just how good some of them are.’’
The study also found that vehicles being traded in are, on average, six years old.
That means, with the annual progression of features and appointments available in newmodels, the new smaller vehicles are, in most cases, more appealing than the larger-but-older vehicle they’re replacing.
“Most compact vehicles today are more substantial that in the past and perform much better on the road,’’ says Sargent. “They also have many of the features and appointments previously found only on larger models. Buyers who downsize are often finding they are actually upgrading.’’
Power presents individual APEAL Awards for each segment.This year, Chevrolet received the most (three), for the Avalanche, Sonic, andVolt. Brands receiving two awards were Audi (A6, A8), Dodge (Challenger, Charger), Ford (Expedition, Flex), Kia (Optima, Soul), Mini (Countryman, coupe/roadster), Nissan (Frontier, Quest), and Porsche (Cayenne, 911).
“Power’’ Buying
Everyone has buying tips, usually all aimed at beating down the dealer and maybe putting some money in the advisor’s pocket (hello there, Consumer Reports).
J.D. Power, as part of the above APEAL Study, offers some tips to remember when purchasing a new vehicle.
We found them interesting because, instead of geared to saving money, they’re aimed at making you happier with your buying decision.
1. EPA mileage estimates. Be realistic. It turns out the long-used EPA tests aren’t the most accurate when compared to the real world. But you know your driving style, what traffic conditions you generally encounter, and how you’ve fared with the EPA number in the past.
2. Be aware if your new vehicle requires premium fuel. Sounds simple but is easily overlooked.
3. Before you buy, have your salesperson demonstrate ALL the features of the audio/entertainment/ navigation system, make sure it recognizes your phone and audio devices, and you’re comfortable with the steering wheel and/or voice recognition commands.
4. While exterior styling remains the most significant purchase reason for many buyers, make sure the vehicle fits your needs, that you’re satisfied with rear visibility, cargo space, rear seating, and the like.
5. And we’ll add one that seems to be an issue with many readers: having to duck your head when entering or exiting a vehicle. Really, can you live with a vehicle when you whack yourself upside the head every time you forget to duck into it?
A K9 Model
Most of us prefer a car with a good solid name as opposed to acronyms and numerals.
I’ve sort of stopped beefing about it because automakers say the acronyms are designed so allow vehicles to be sold across the world without running into embarrassing instances when a word (name) has a different meaning in another language.
Now we’ve got the same problem in reverse.
Kia’s new rear-wheel-drive flagship sedan is called the K9 in South Korea. About the only way that name would work in this country would be to market it as a police canine unit package.
So Kia gave it a name for the United States: the Quoris.That prompted Edmunds.com to muse:“Will 2013 Kia Quoris Join Roll Call of Dumbest Auto Names?
Kia says Quoris is derived from the English words “core’’ and “quality’’ and is pronounced like “chorus.’’
The car, now on sale in Korea, shares underpinnings with the Hyundai Genesis (better name), but a decision on bringing it to the United States hasn’t been made.
Good. That gives Kia North America time to form one of those naming committees—the one everyone loves to avoid. Call it a priority A1.
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