Did your car brand win one of these prestigious awards?

BMW: Prestigious or cool?

You can finally rest easy, because Kelley Blue Book has released its 2009 Brand Image Awards.

If you’re like me, you lie awake at night wondering what image your car projects to your family, friends, and co-workers.

You ask yourself questions such as, “Am I driving the most rugged truck?” “Is my car the coolest one on the block?” And, “I sure hope my car shows my friends that I appreciate a good value. But what if it doesn’t?”

If you drive a Toyota, you can relax knowing that everyone you know has labeled you as a value hunter who loves your family. In addition to taking home KBB’s Best Value Brand award, Toyota also snagged Most Family Friendly Brand.

Any Dodge or Chevy truck owners out there? I’m sorry to tell you that you don’t have the truck perceived as the most rugged. You might as well be driving a Tonka if you don’t have a Ford parked in your driveway. Of the 12,000 people surveyed for this study, Ford is perceived as the Most Rugged Truck Brand.

Award-winning Cadillac interior

For those of you hoping you can have the Coolest Brand, the Best Performance Brand, and Best Luxury Exterior Brand all in one, you’re in luck if you own a BMW! If you own a Cadillac, you’ll have to settle for knowing people perceive your ride as the brand with the Best Interior Design. If that’s a little too low on the testosterone scale for you, this won’t help: Cadillac is also perceived as the Most Comfortable Brand. So if you’re planning a long road trip and want a comfy ride with a pleasing color palate, you might want to hang on to that CTS.

Mercedes owners can revel in the fact that their cars are perceived as the Best Prestige Brand. Apparently you should never confuse “prestige” with “cool,” but I’m pretty sure only the good folks over at KBB know exactly what the difference is.

One award category remains: Best Exterior Design Brand-Non Luxury. Mazda drivers: I’m sorry to say you don’t drive a car perceived as having the best exterior design. Neither do you Saturn drivers. Or you, Chevy owners. If you drive a Nissan, though, congratulations on being the envy of the neighborhood! 

What do you think of Kelley Blue Book’s 2009 Brand Image Awards?

-tgriffith

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Land Rover LRX: Round Two in British Ugliness Sweepstakes

tgriffith just showed us a photo of the Audi R8, and no one could deny that’s a gorgeous car, even if the Germans don’t win many design awards. But when it comes to SUVs, our British friends just don’t seem to get it. We just saw them produce a beastly monstrosity in the new Aston Martin Lagonda. Now here they come again with the new Range Rover LRX. Click on photo to get the full impact.

As I said about the Kia Soul Sport, this thing looks like someone stepped on it. What’s the deal about squashed-down rear quarters? Is that a new styling trend, or are they trying to sell us rear-view cameras because the vision’s so bad? Jalopnik says it may come in as a five-door and “carry a taller roof line.” One would hope so.

And all those front-end styling tricks, sculpted panels and flow lines. What happened to simple, form-and-function cars? Land Rover’s design director Gerry McGovern says, “This vehicle has its own unique personality. It’s very dramatic and its very youthful.”

This is really tiresome fluff, Gerry, especially when I read the votes of confidence some folks have expressed in your company via comments on that Jalopnik post:

As a previous owner of a Land Rover, what I appreciate most about them is that you often sell them with relatively low mileage for the year. This is often due to the fact that they spend more time on a lift, than on the road, but all in all it is still a benefit.

and

As a Range Rover owner and Land Rover enthusiast I can say I expect nothing from this concept. I saw the Stormer with all it’s amazingness, and it became that anesthesia on wheels that is the RR Sport.

Tell us about your Land Rover experiences. Are you friend or foe?

—jgoods

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The great (and not-so-great) cars of America

Now that the deadline has arrived for GM and Chrysler to prove their viability to the government, I’m torn on what I think should, or will, happen.

While I think it’s callous and downright unpatriotic to WANT either of these companies to fail, I have to stay realistic and look at the situation as objectively as possible.

That’s why I recently looked in-depth at the cars GM and Chrysler are currently offering. I wanted to find reasons why they should continue making cars; to find excitement about their products. While some cars are great arguments for the quality of both companies, others are great reasons for the companies to fade into history.

The cars that dissapoint:

It’s a rattle-trap with a dead spot in the steering a mile wide.
Instead, get a: MAZDA3

Lego cars are built with less plastic. 
Instead, get a: Nissan Rogue

It’s cheap and not in the good way.
Instead, get a: Honda Fit

It looks cool. On the outside.
Instead, get a: Suzuki Equator

It’s the brown paper bag of American cars. 
Instead, get a: Chevy Malibu

It’s ironic when outdated cars have macho names.
Instead, get a: Ford Fusion

Now, here’s what America does right:

Many people would take one over a Ferrari. Go Chevy!

No one does cool like the United States does cool.

A great American competitor to the Honda Pilot. 

American trucks kick butt. Period. 

American muscle still captivates us.

It’s about as close to exotic as America gets. Sit behind and you’ll know why it made this list.

While it’s not any big surprise, the cars America currently does best are one of two things: big or fast. When it comes to economical or practical, which is where the demand is now, American automakers falter like a Britney Spears comeback.

Now GM is considering bankruptcy as an option to create a new company. That’s a great idea, as doing so would enable them to start over, eliminate the products that hold them back, and start producing the cars we all know they’re capable of making.

What are some of the best and worst American cars you’ve owned?

-tgriffith 

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2009 Chicago Auto Show Preview

Did you miss out on seeing some of the cars that made a splash at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit? You’ll have a second chance, as some will make an appearance at the Chicago Auto Show, which opens to the public on February 13.

Most of the buzz created in Detroit was caused by electric concepts like the Cadillac Converj, Dodge Circuit EV, Chrysler 200C EV and Jeep Patriot EV. These will all be available for your viewing pleasure in Chicago, though hotties Fisker and Tesla are skipping out on the Windy City.

Plus, if you want to oogle a Maserati or drool on a Bentley, Chicago is where you need to be.

For the slightly more practical-minded though, Chicago will also see some exciting debuts, including the:

2009 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG V6 TDI

This premium midsize SUV is powered by a 3.0-liter, turbocharged six-cylinder engine that produces 225 horses. With a fuel tank capacity of 26.4 gallons, expect a driving range of more than 600 miles per tank, all while emitting fewer emissions.

2010 LEXUS HS 250h

Some will say this is a Prius with a spit shine. Lexus, though, says it’s the world’s first dedicated luxury hybrid vehicle, and the fourth hybrid and the most fuel-efficient vehicle in Lexus’ lineup.

The original Soul prototype was displayed at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show, and the front-wheel-drive 2010 Soul remains true to the five-passenger concept design. 

This is a rear-wheel-drive sport coupe offered in three trim levels: the affordable GS; the premium-sport GT, featuring the 306-horsepower, DOHC 3.8-liter V6; and the high-performance SE, available with either the 212-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine or the 3.8-liter V6 engine. Both engines are mated to a standard six-speed manual transmission. The Genesis Coupe is scheduled to join the Hyundai lineup in the spring of ‘09.

CHEVROLET ORLANDO CONCEPT

Chevy says the Orlando is a compact, seven-seat multi-purpose vehicle with the versatile attributes of a sport-utility, a family van, and a wagon. At first glance, I’m hoping it’s not a rebirth of the Pontiac Aztek.  

2009 SPYKER C8 LAVIOLETTE

Making its Chicago Auto Show debut is the exotic Spyker C8 Laviolette, an advanced mid-engine two-seater with an aluminum Audi V8 producing 400 horsepower.

If you were going to the Chicago Auto Show, which automakers would you be sure to check out? Do you go to auto shows to shop or to dream?

-tgriffith

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