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Car Guy enjoys driving Rover Sport
By Jerry Reynolds, The Car Guy - McKinney Courier-Gazette
It is not a secret I am a Range Rover lover from way back and this Rover Sport was certainly an enjoyable vehicle for me. Although I wish it were the supercharged version, the 4.4 liter V8 which produces 300 horses was actually quite ample.
It's a fact that no manufacturer does 4-wheel drive like Rover, but for those of us that don't use it a lot, the Rover Sport makes a terrific driving vehicle. Handling is terrific, and in typical Rover fashion, the interior is spectacular. Everything is well laid out and easy to use, navigation system is one of the best in the industry, and the sound system by Harmon Kardon is nothing short of fabulous.
Let's face it, you don't drive one of these for fuel economy, but I actually got 20 on the road to Granbury. There is something about a Rover that is just special, it's hard to describe. The Sport is not as large as the regular Rover, but drives just as well and may be a little easier to park and maneuver.
AUTO NEWS
Aston Martin pulled the wraps off a super-luxury $210,000 SUV at the Geneva motor show with plans to re-launch a brand that's been dormant since the 1990s. Its styling mixes a modern look front end with a retro rear-end based on a classic 1930s Lagonda.
Americans are keeping their cars and trucks on the road for record periods as the economy has weakened, a new report by R.L. Polk & Co. concludes. Through mid-2008, the median age of cars in operation rose to 9.4 years, up from highs of 9.2 years in 2007 and 2006, Polk said. That is one reason the auto repair business has been so good of late!
Ford Motor Co. launched an advertising blitz Tuesday night for the revamped 2010 Ford Fusion and its hybrid model, even though the mid-sized sedan isn't scheduled to arrive in dealerships until next month. Ford's group marketing manager for global small and medium cars said the four-month ad campaign aims to boost consumer awareness. The Fusion hybrid for now boasts the best fuel economy of any hybrid sold in America.
In General Motors' viability plan given to the Treasury Department, company executives pledge to boost the number of gasoline-electric hybrids in GM's lineup to 26 models by 2014, from eight today. The technology will be ready. But GM may be unable to deliver the goods, mainly because of potential parts shortages, due to cutbacks by suppliers.
Auto financier GMAC LLC, the recipient of a $6 billion federal bailout in December, today said CEO Alvaro de Molina was awarded $11.62 million of compensation in 2008 ---which doubled his total compensation from 2007. De Molina was awarded a $1.2 million salary, $5.81 million of stock awards and $4.8 million of other compensation. Great.
Although the new Camaro will be the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 race in May, General Motors will break with the past and not offer consumers a limited-edition pace car replica. In the past, when GM cars have been chosen to lead the Indy 500, the company has built small runs of identical looking pace car replicas for collectors.
FEBRUARY SALES DOWN
It was a tough month for our dealers and for the auto industry as a whole. It was not as bad locally as it was nationally, but still everybody struggled. The good news is March has started off much better!
Across the country, good news was hard to find. In alphabetical order, here are the results versus last February:
BMW down 34%, Chrysler down 44%. Ford down 49%, GM down 53%, Honda down 38%.
Hyundai was basically flat with the addition of Genesis, but Mazda was down 40% while Mitsubishi was down 51%.
Nissan was down 37%, Toyota down 39%, and VW down 20%.
There were fewer selling days this year than last, which does factor in, but still pretty dismal numbers overall.
GAS PRICE UP
DFW average today: $1.79 (up .06 from last week)
DFW average one week ago today: $1.82
DFW average one month ago today: $1.79
National average today: $1.91
National average one week a today: $1.86
DFW average gas price one year ago today: $3.17
Cheapest unleaded in DFW today: $1.63
Cheapest diesel in DFW today: $1.89
Cheapest premium in DFW today: $1.93
Cheapest mid-grade in DFW today: $1.79
Crude oil per barrel: $45.46
Crude oil per barrel one week ago: $42.75
Listen to McKinney Courier-Gazette Car Guy Jerry Reynolds on WBAP 820-AM on Saturday mornings. E-mail jerry@carguyshow.com
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