AD #1649 – Acura Tops Luxury Residual Values, Alfa Reveals Giulia, New Sleeker Cruze Debuts
June 25th, 2015 at 11:42am
Runtime: 6:41
- Acura Makes a Good Value Proposition
- New Chevy Cruze Debuts
- MINI Clubman Has Growth Spurt
- Alfa Romeo Reveals New Giulia
- Focus RS’s High-Powered Four
- Ford Uses Big Data to Help Manage Fleets
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On today’s show… we’ve got new reveals from Chevy, MINI and Alfa Romeo, Acura has the highest residual value among luxury brands and we get a few HP announcements from Ford. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily for June 25th, 2015.
ACURA MAKES GOOD VALUE PROPOSITION
Quality ratings from Consumer Reports, J.D. Power and others are one way to measure how good a car is. Residual values, or what a used car is worth at resale, shows how much consumers value that car. And here’s good news for Acura owners. Edmunds says the brand has the highest residual value among all luxury makers. This is the fourth year in a row Acura has taken that honor. Its cars retain nearly 47% of their value after five years of ownership.
NEW CRUZE DEBUTS
Chevy introduced the all-new Cruze in Detroit last night. As you can see the styling has been updated and is much sleeker than the outgoing model. It also adopts the new face of Chevrolet. The car is built on a new, more rigid and lighter architecture, which weighs 250-pounds less than the previous model despite being slightly longer than before. And there’s 2 inches more legroom for rear seat passengers, it’s actually pretty comfortable in the back even though it’s a compact car. Under the hood, the Cruze sports a new 1.4L turbo 4-cylinder with direct injection and start/stop technology. It’s paired with a new 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. The powertrain is estimated to crank out 150 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque while getting 40MPG on the highway. A 1.5L naturally aspirated engine is also available which is mated to a five-speed manual. In 2017 a new 1.6L turbo diesel will be available but we’ll have to wait for more details about that. The company also loaded the car up with new safety and amenity features. Look for the new Chevy Cruze to hit U.S. showrooms early next year.
If you want to learn more about design at Lincoln, especially the new Continental, be sure to join us for After Hours this afternoon. That’s because our special guest is David Woodhouse, the chief designer for Lincoln. So if you have any questions about Lincoln’s design direction send them to [email protected]. And then join John and Gary for some of the best insider discussions in the business. That’s today at 3PM on Autoline.tv.
And we’ll be back with more right after this.
MINI GOES CLUBIN’
MINI just took the wraps off its new flagship, the Clubman. It’s wider and longer, which gives it a more station wagon look rather than just a bloated Cooper. In fact, this is the first time since 1969 that a Clubman was developed as a separate model from the Cooper. Many customers will be happy to know that it did keep its signature split folding rear doors. Two turbocharged engines are available in the U.S.; a 3-cylinder and a four. Both come standard with a 6-speed manual, while the 4-cylinder can be had with 8-speed automatic, a first for the MINI brand. The interior features more premium materials throughout as well as a new suite of safety and infotainment technologies. It debuts at the Frankfurt show and hits U.S. showrooms early in 2016.
GIULIA GULIA
On Monday we reported how the new Alfa Romeo Giulia would make its debut yesterday, so without further adieu here it is. Based on what the competition already offers in the segment, we weren’t all that surprised with the Giulia’s appearance; sporty rear-drive sedan looks with an almost subdued sophistication. Some of us even think it could be the love child between the Jaguar XE and BMW 3 Series. But there’s no mistaking that Alfa grille. Although, you may notice that the badge has changed slightly, it’s a little more modern. The body, engine and chassis are made from different lightweight materials, with some of the heaviest components centrally located to give the Giulia a 50/50 weight distribution. While Alfa says the car will be powered by state-of-the-art, innovative engines, we’re only learning about the top option, which is a turbocharged V6 that puts out over 500-horsepower. And as with most new sports cars, it will come with a number of electronic aids so drivers can get the most out of the car. The Giulia is scheduled to hit European showrooms early next year then come to the U.S. a few months after that.
Coming up next, now we know how many ponies Ford can pack under the hood of the Focus RS.
FORD’S HIGH-POWERED FOUR
Ford announced the official horsepower ratings of the Focus RS which debuts in Europe later this year. Ford says that the RS will crank out 345 horsepower and 324 pound-feet of torque. All that from a 2.3 liter Ecoboost four.
FORD USES BIG DATA TO HELP MANAGE FLEETS
Ford also just completed an experiment with Hewlett Packard to study how HP’s employees used their company cars. Using big data analysis they hope to allow fleet managers to use their fleet of vehicles more efficiently. Some of the findings were surprising. No matter where in the country they’re located, most drivers visited the same national coffee house and refueled with the same brand of gasoline. Traveling employees often left their vehicles unused at the airport for days. Instead, these vehicles could be used by nearby drivers. 70 percent of trips took place during weekdays and typical trip distances were 13 miles or less.
That wraps up today’s report, thanks for watching.
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Comments (32)
June 25th, 2015 at 12:24 pm
40mpg Cruze sounds great but the testing does not reflect real-time driving? Those numbers are spawn from testing at 55mph. which GM then gears the car to achieve that great MPG at 55mph, but who drives 55 anymore?
I had a 2012 Cruze which would get 38-40mpg at 55 but take it up to 70 or 75 and the engine was almost turning 3000 rpms so I was lucky to get 32. The testing requirement need to change so automakers can gear the cars for real driving not some test.
June 25th, 2015 at 12:38 pm
Cruze – any Autoline insight whether the hatch will be coming? Is that new 1.4 motor going in other vehicles like the Trax?
June 25th, 2015 at 12:54 pm
#1 I do, not because I want to, but because I have to.
June 25th, 2015 at 1:03 pm
2 AutoWeek says the Cruze hatch will be coming.
http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/chevy-cruze-hatchback-finally-coming-us
I might consider that car, with the diesel, as a replacement for my Prius in a few years, if diesel fuel stays about the same price as gas, as it is now.
June 25th, 2015 at 1:05 pm
Acura builds a great car and although not cheap, they are usually value packed. But watch out for their infotainment setup. The Nav on my 2012 TL was horrible – both the interface and the guidance. Searching for a POI brought results in Michigan, New Jersey and California. I was in Pennsylvania at the time!
June 25th, 2015 at 1:07 pm
1 The mpg of my non-S MINI drops about the same with speed. It gets a little over 40 at 55-60, but got only 34 and change for a 1100 mile trip on the interstate, going 75-77 most of the time.
The MINI is probably geared for top speed, rather than EPA numbers, but the result is similar.
June 25th, 2015 at 1:12 pm
I was kind of surprised that Acura would top luxury brands in residual value. Maybe it’s because they don’t compete with S-Class, 7 series, and A8. Very expensive cars like those always have very high depreciation, and Acura wouldn’t have a car like those in their calculated residual.
June 25th, 2015 at 1:22 pm
With the introduction of the new Mini on a revised platform, has BMW fixed the multiple engine and quality problems with the running gear?
June 25th, 2015 at 1:30 pm
Great episode today, that new Cruze looks to be way better than the outgoing model and a big step in the rite direction for GM. Although the new alpha looks a LOT like a bmw it looks better than one to me so I don’t get the knock off copy cat vibe from it at all, and I’ve never ever wanted a focus until rite now but with all that hp and torque I hope they have designed a real cure for torque steer.
June 25th, 2015 at 1:38 pm
The new MINI Clubman is about 2 inches wider than the 2- and 4-door hardtops. Is it now a Countryman with side hinged doors, rather than a Cooper with side hinged doors? I haven’t seen anything about the next Countryman, but I assume there will be one.
June 25th, 2015 at 2:25 pm
The new Cruze looks just like a larger version of the Corolla.
June 25th, 2015 at 2:41 pm
Alfa
Have we all accepted that the front of most cars will be shaped like shipping crates? I can’t get used to it.
June 25th, 2015 at 3:19 pm
#4 Kit WHY WHY WHY??You got one of the best cars ever made by any company, you sure you want a GM diesel?
June 25th, 2015 at 4:30 pm
13 After the 7 or 8 years with the Prius, I might just want something different, but still very fuel efficient. I’ll have 2-3 years to decide, and see the 4th generation Prius. Also, I’d be more inclined to keep a non-hybrid “forever,” as I seem to be doing with my minivan.
Speaking of which, I just got an antique plate for my van, kind of for fun. It certainly doesn’t look like an antique.
June 25th, 2015 at 4:32 pm
Does this mean that your insurance is going down as well? Kit is your car ins bill higher in Fl or In?
June 25th, 2015 at 4:44 pm
It’s a little lower in IN than my area in FL. I don’t think the insurance on the van will change with the different plate. I’ve had very low declared miles on the van for years.
I suspect insurance is higher in south FL than in my area, maybe a lot higher.
June 25th, 2015 at 4:49 pm
You better believe it, the ins companies blame it on fraud, we also lead the nation in Medicare and Medicaid fraud. My people might not have invented fraud, but they have learned to embrace it.
June 25th, 2015 at 5:30 pm
My 2013 Cruze used to only get about 34 mpg at 75 mph (on summer gas) and also is running at about 3,000 rpm with the 6-Speed Manual (note: The Eco version has a taller 6th gear and runs at about 2,000 rpm at 75 mph), but now, after adding a Trifecta tune, I not only get much better throttle response above 2500 rpm, I also now get 40 mpg(!) at 75 mph.
Amazing what a tune can do!
June 25th, 2015 at 6:00 pm
TB is this something you did yourself or done by the dealer?
June 25th, 2015 at 6:23 pm
T.B., do you need premium gas with this tune? Is something similar available for Priuses or Mini’s, or 1989 Chrysler 2.5 turbos?
June 25th, 2015 at 6:26 pm
..or 1996 Corvettes? I”m guessing that the way the better mog is achieved is basically re-tuning the engine for premium gas. Is that the case?
June 25th, 2015 at 6:43 pm
Any pricing info on the Focus RS yet? My prediction is about $37K.
June 25th, 2015 at 7:10 pm
That will be great if 40mpg is truly the rated value. Traditionally I always have to have the wind at my back to get close to rated values in Detroit branded cars.
The opposite has always been true for non-Detroit brands. Ie my Yaris rated at 36, but I always get 40-44 easily. My vw sportswagen is rated similarly and gets low 40s too
June 25th, 2015 at 7:14 pm
22 That’s what I’d expect, as the obvious competitor, the Golf R is about 37K.
June 25th, 2015 at 7:15 pm
Bradley, you have a stick or auto Yaris, I understand the diff in highway mpg between both is not that much, surprised with just a 4 speed auto. Imagine what it would get with a CVT?
June 25th, 2015 at 7:26 pm
23 My experience has been getting better mileage relative to the ratings with manual than automatic transmission cars, whether Detroit or import branded. My overall mileage with my MINI and Caravan, and other manual cars I’ve had about match the highway ratings, while my automatics have been closer to their city ratings. Diesels tend to beat their ratings, and hybrids tend to underperform their ratings. That’s been my experience with both. Still, I’m very happy with my 46+ overall with the Prius, even though the EPA “overall” rating is higher.
June 25th, 2015 at 7:58 pm
Off topic:
Uber near-riots in Paris. There is a lot still in limbo, with this “ride sharing” stuff.
June 25th, 2015 at 8:19 pm
I have to wonder if these French taxi drivers are mostly aliens from the middle east. If so, I would not be a very happy Frenchman at this time in history. Their liberal immigration policies maybe their undoing, we need to take notice as well.
June 25th, 2015 at 8:33 pm
25
I have a manual.
June 25th, 2015 at 9:11 pm
28 The last time I used taxis in France, they seemed to be mostly “native” French, but it’s been a while, 15 years. Yeah, things seem to have changed with the easy immigration, and not in a good way.
June 26th, 2015 at 8:53 am
If you want the lowest insurance rates, get a Crown Victoria or a Grand Marquis.
June 26th, 2015 at 11:50 am
I have a 2011 Cruze ECO w/ auto trans. While most of my driving is on State Highways averaging 50-55 mph, I routinely get 40 mpg. My driving habits favor fuel economy (i.e., I’m not a lead foot), but otherwise I’m not doing anything special. I’m looking forward to buying a 2016 Cruze.
I also have a 2015 V6 Colorado Crewcab and have been getting 26 mpg per tank (30+ during highway segments).