How cars get their names; Pesky blind spots

September 24, 2012

4 minutes to read

You may have noticed that luxury cars use letters and numbers to identify models, like E350 and 335, while cheaper brands use names likeTaurus and Camry.

You can probably credit (or blame) European manufacturers, especially the German companies, for starting this trend.

Way back in the previous century— before there was Lexus, Acura or Infiniti—luxury cars with names such as Audi 5000, Mercedes-Benz 300 and 560SEL, BMW 535i and 750il, Jaguar XJ6, andVolvo 760 roamed the earth. There was a smattering of numeric and alphanumeric names in the lower-priced ranks, such as Mazda 626, Nissan 200SX, and Chevrolet S10 Blazer, for example, but the Euro luxury brands embraced it as standard operating procedure.

When Lexus and Infiniti debuted for 1990, their cars adopted Eurostyle monikers like LS 400 and Q45, and both have stuck with this alphanumeric approach since. Along the way, Cadillac, Lincoln, and Acura ditched names like Seville, Continental, and Legend and dove deep into the alphabet soup. Now, those brands are populated with models such as the ATS, MKS, and ILX.

There is more than one reason for this, and following the leader is one of them. If your main competitors use letters and numbers, then maybe you should, too, to be considered in the same league. For some, adopting such names also is a way to disassociate new models from a not-so-glorious past. Cadillac, for example, is pitching newmodels such as the ATS and XTS to younger buyers, and it would rather not remind people that they used to pursue geriatrics with land yachts like the Fleetwood and Brougham.

But after more than 100 years of slapping names on thousands of vehicles, the auto industry faces another problem: Most of the good ones have been taken, and those that haven’t been used on a car may be claimed by a different product or service. Lexus, for example, was challenged in court by legal-research service LexisNexis over its brand name. Assembling a unique combination of letters and numbers may be easier than finding a name that someone else doesn’t own.

Best Cars for Visibility

If visibility is an issue for you, it may not be only because of your age, height, or lack of mobility. Roof pillars have gotten wider on vehicles in recent years to meet more stringent federal roof-crush standards, and the pillars are more sloped for better aerodynamics. Moreover, federal requirements for larger head restraints add to the clutter, and many cars have higher trunks to increase cargo volume and improve aerodynamics. All of that makes it harder for many drivers, especially shorter ones, to see out the sides and rear of current vehicles.

Among midsize sedans that offer better visibility than most are the Buick Regal, the Nissan Altima, and the Toyota Camry.

The Regal gives the driver a pretty good view despite its sloping rear pillars, and it is available with front and rear sensors that will help you park without dinging your car or others.

Both the 2012 Altima and the redesigned 2013 model also provide good visibility, and on the 2013 Altima you can get blind spot monitoring and moving-object detection when the transmission is in Reverse. The Camry has wide rear pillars but plenty of glass to compensate, and an available backup camera works when the car is in Reverse.

The 2013 Ford Fusion, available this fall, might also be a candidate because it is available with blind spot monitoring, a cross-traffic alert for when you back out of parking spaces, and a parallel- parking assist that does the work for you.

If you’re willing to go with a crossover SUV instead of a sedan, the Subaru Forester has an upright design that makes it easy to get in and out of and tall windows with relatively narrow pillars for better visibility than in many cars.

When Your Car Gets Caught in Water

With the number of heavy storms escalating in the region, motorists are advised to take precautions should they get caught in a flash flood or stuck in the remnants of squall. Here are a few dos and don’ts when battling potentially flooded streets.

Do: Stay calm.You’ll need your wits about you. Unbuckle your seat belt. Unlock your doors. Turn on your headlights and hazard lights.This will make it easier for emergency personnel to see you. Take jackets and outer clothing off. Call 911. Lower your window. Most electric windows should work unless the car is completely submerged in water.

If you can lower the windows, do so, but slowly. Climb out. Get to high ground. If the windows cannot open, you’ll have to use a door to get out. But you won’t be able to open a door until the water pressure is equalized between the outside and the inside of the car. This means you’ll have to wait for water to enter the car and fill up to about your neck level (this sounds terrifying, but this is the only way the doors will open).

Once the doors are open, tread water and swim to safety.

Don’t: Panic and do not use your energy trying to open the doors because water pressure will keep them from budging (wait for the pressure to equalize). Do not try to save your possessions. Do not try to break windows to get out. If water pressure has not equalized, glass will explode inward toward you or other occupants. Once out, do not stay with your car. Get to high ground.

Do not stand on the roof of your car. If your car is swept away, you’ll be carried away with it.You could also fall and injure yourself if the car shifts abruptly. Do not return to your car when you think the water level is going down.Water levels could rise without warning. Allow emergency personnel to tow your vehicle to a safe place.