With import spots like Hyundai Kia Green Bay popping up across the nation, the competition in the automotive industry is tighter and more fierce than ever.  You can visit your local Volkswagen Dealer to check out some German auto styles; the Passat and Jetta are hugely popular in the United States.  And while Saturn sales in the United States are not doing the best they ever have, you can still get your car taken care of at Jersey City Saturn Service.  For those of you who are trying to solely support the American economy, you should familiarize yourself with the American auto makers; General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford.  What is interesting is the brands that our Baby Boomer generation might be familiar with and recognize as All-American (Mercury, Lincoln, Cadillac) still retain their All-American founding; now they are subsidiaries of the three auto giants that call America home base.

General Motors, aka GM, originated in 1908 and its headquarters are in Detroit.  GM currently does business on a global scale with its products sold in 34 countries.  It is interesting to note though that it has business partnerships in 140 countries.  You may recognize some of the GM brands and be interested to know that they are all part of the family; in alphabetical order, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling.

Chrysler is officially known as Chrysler Group LLC, and is composed of Chrysler and Fiat.  Under the Chrysler umbrella consumers will find Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles.  Under the Fiat umbrella you will find Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lancia, and Maserati.

Ford Motor Company is based out of Dearborn, Michigan.  Their vehicles are manufactured and produced on six continents, and there are 80 manufacturing plants globally.  Under the Ford umbrella are the brand names Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Volvo.

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Chrysler’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, praised employees in a memo for a strong post-bankruptcy effort to restore the brand to profitability.  On April 30, 2009, Chrysler filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced a partnership plan with Fiat, an Italian automaker.  Since the, Chrysler has taken a number of steps to improve products, increase profitability, and increase sales.  Ford, whose models can be purchased at Cincinnati Used Fords dealerships and GM have similarly made recent structural and vision changes to their companies, and all both companies have recently created or revamped models that can be found at or at St. Petersburg Chevy dealerships.

The memo stated numerous improvements over the past year, but the CEO cautioned that much work remained.  The result of the past year is that Chrysler has made progress in several areas.  It ended the first quarter of 2010 with an operating profit of $143 million.  This in part was due to the Ram Heavy-Duty pickup being named Motor Trend’s truck of the year.  Chrysler also intends to release 16 new or revamped models by the end of 2010, which is around 75% of its total product line.

The partnership with Fiat has proven to be effective, as Chrysler is using Fiat’s fuel economy technologies to develop better engines, such as the Pentastar V-6 engine which is designed for maximum fuel efficiency and power and features state of the art technology.

Other developments from Chrysler included recent production of the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been featured as a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Chrysler looks to continue to increase profitability with new production methods such as their new World Class Manufacturing system.  The CEO while praising employees cautioned that, “There is still a very long road ahead in our drive to rebuild our business and to deliver on our promises to repay the American and Canadian taxpayers who gave us a second chance.”

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Domestic automakers such as Ford and GM are still suffering poor public perception even though a recent study by J.D. Power showed that both Ford and GM’s most recent models are high quality automobiles, which can be found at Cincinnati Used Cars dealers. Repair shops like Sarasota Auto Body have seen fewer new domestic cars because of better manufacturing and technology.  Lincoln was ranked second in the study for improving their brand and Buick was ranked third also for improvements.

Although both GM and Ford’s latest models have taken great strides in design and technological improvement, consumers have been slow to catch on.  Sales have steadily rose for models such as the 2010 Mustang and 2010 Camaro. But, it still remains to be seen whether more consumers will begin to view other Ford and GM models in a more positive light.

However public perception of domestic automakers is improving.  In a poll conducted by the Associated Press, 38 percent of Americans felt that domestic cars were the best cars available, as opposed to 33 percent who felt that foreign cars were the best available.  That was a major improvement from a 2006 poll in which 46 percent of Americans preferred foreign cars and only 29 percent preferred domestic cars.

Part of the reason why domestic perception is rising is because of Toyota’s recent highly publicized dangerous problems with accelerators sticking in certain models.  However, Toyota performed well in the J.D. Power study, with Toyota owners as a whole reporting few problems.  The brand won more segment awards than any other brand in 2010 as well.

Some of the brands with the poorest public perception in the study were Cadillac, Mercury, Hyundai, and Lincoln.  The study said that these brands were “avoided at relatively high rates due to customer concerns about reliability.”  Improvements in public perception of domestic brands is likely to take time, as most industry PR experts believe that consumer opinions sometimes do not change very quickly for the better.

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With a handling that is compared to any other average day car, excellent crash test scores, and a sleek exterior design, how could you possibly go wrong with it?

It has a few flaws, as do all vehicles, in it’s sluggish V6 base engine, it’s expensive price-tag compared to other crossovers, as well as the optional third-row seating only providing comfort for kids, but either way–it’s still a great-looking vehicle!

Does it provide for you what it provides for others? Or does it instead send you running for your nearest New Hampshire Ford dealer? We’ll let you tell us.

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Built with an uninspired yet predictable look, the Chrysler Aspen can at least vouch for its low sticker price, enhanced safety features, as well as its capacity to seat up to eight with an optional third-row. The only thing the Chrysler Aspen seems to be able to do is impress the consumer’s-eye, which in today’s day-and-time seems to be a necessity.

While it has enough pride to join the hybrid side with the Chrysler Aspen hybrid its green side has not saved it from extinction on the manufacturing list. Thanks to its unimpressiveness and lack of ability to provide the more modern day consumer with both their needs and wants the Chrysler company has decided  to discontinue the Aspen. Yet the remaining that may remain on lots may be left with a reasonable price-tag as well. So don’t wait–if you feel that the Chrysler Aspen is the car for you then feel free to take one for a test drive today!

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Yet does the Chrysler Town & Country hang back with the rest of the Chrysler’s or does it speed ahead with the rest of its other successors?

I believe it’s safe to say that it’s clipping at the heels of those who are racing ahead, and it is entertaining it’s family-oriented passenger while it’s doing so. Thanks to a Stow n’ Go and Swivel n’ Go seating that allows for safe yet fun family activities that benefit both the children and adults on long trips that’ll have kids begging for the next road-trip! With the optional 4.0-liter V6 engine, and the Town & Country’s carlike road manners it may not be such a hassle on the drivers to take this trip either.

Of course, like with all cars there are some negative attributes to the mini-van. For instance, it is said to have some second-rate interior that seems a bit sub-par compared to its competitors, as well as the underpowered 3.3-liter based V6 power engine.

Is this car for you? Can you handle the negatives, but an even better question: can you handle the positives? Go out and find out for yourself by test-driving one today!

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Why is this car such a definite disaster compared to others?

The Chrysler Sebring has been known for its low interior quality, off steering, and meager gas mileage that hardly helps the consumer whatsoever and has earned itself at the bottom of its class. With a choice of underpowered engines, or bulky V6 with poor fuel economy either way the consumer seems to lose with this car, but it doesn’t just end there. The new Chrysler Sebring owner also gets to deal with limited cargo space, consistent interior problems, and imprecise steering which not only seems a bit unsafe but also highly inconvenient.

After all the negatives this car offers, who would want it?

Some fight that it does have some good qualities such as the: comfortable ride, and distinctive styling that seems to catch some consumer’s eye, but whether they buy the car and commit to the added problems or not, do not count on this car for reliability.

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These features include: vast interior room, competitive pricing, and two available V8 engines. While these engines have not exactly earned much achievement compared to competitors engines, they still have made their own presence known.

However, on the down-side of this car there has been some known visibility issues, complaints about a sluggish V6 engine, interior materials lacking quality finish, and important safety features that seem to be absent.

Yet even despite the negative qualities of the car people still seem to find the silver lining through its excellent driving and handling, as well as its dramatic exterior styling, and roomy interior that has been tough to live up to by many of the Chrysler 300′s competitors.

The Chrysler 300 has been known as the entry-level luxury car of the luxury cars so why settle for a boring, uncomfortable car when you can take it one step further and get your own and ride with style! Don’t wait no, go test drive one now!

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In addition to the alliance with Fiat, Chrysler will also be aided by GMAC which will provide loans for Chrysler cars. Though there is also some incoming aid from Canada, US taxpayers will still have approximately $8 billion dollars in additional aid to pay for. Obama maintained a positive attitude throughout the press conference, assuring Americans that they should still be purchasing new vehicles from domestic automakers. Obama also reiterated that the government will still honor all GM and Chrysler vehicle warranties.

We briefly discussed it with a local New Jersey Infinity dealer, and they expressed their sadness in seeing such am “established” company go under.

The restructuring of Chrysler is estimated to last approximately 30 to 60 days. Though most that are involved seem positive about the restructuring process, it is still worth noting that Chrysler’s bankruptcy is yet another sign of the dire state of the economy. Chrysler’s Canadian, Mexican and all other international operations are not currently included in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

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The report also stated some other interesting things involving the auto industry. Apparently the Treasury Department has spent $24.8 billion of its estimated $25 billion it would spend on the auto industry. That money included $1.5 billion going to ChryslerFinancial, $4 billion to Chrysler, $6 billion towards GMAC, and $13.4 billion for GM. The Obama administration also plans to set aside $1.25 billion for customers purchasing vehicles that include warranties, in the event that GM or Chrysler goes under.

This entire bailout is pretty controversial, and many people are divided on what the right path is for the United States. Here in New Jersey, many dealers are uncertain of the future. Cincinnati Ford F-150s have recently seen a slight increase in sales, while Ohio Ford dealers have seen a decrease. Cincinnati Chevy dealers are reporting the same kind of trends, and fear of uncertainty. One thing is for sure, it is going to be an interesting future for the auto industry.

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