1. FIAT 500 and MICROSOFT A HIT at CES 2010

    January 8, 2010 by mycarlady

    I found the FIAT 500 in the Microsoft booth at 2010 CES next to a hulking Ford F350 DEWALT edition (more next time) it held it’s own with clever lines and cool technology.  It’s this combination and fuel economy that will win over the skeptics (me) if it delivers. For now I was awed my the TECHNOLOGY of the BLUEandME® which offers an awesome stereo sound system and the newest wave in manufacturer integrated driving systems.

    While the FORD SYNC is a long way ahead of everyone in the SAFe Driver campaigns to keep your hands ON the wheel , i.e. voice activation (more to come in next post).

    ECO:DRIVE is unique because it goes beyond the available FUEL ECONOMY trackers in today’s iPhone apps.  This system plugs and plays, stores the data and analyzes your carbon footprint.  I’m hoping they will add the SPEECH RECOGNITION software for email and text to the package by the time the car arrives next year.

     I have to say, the car felt heavier and more solid (when you slam the door) than the SMART car, however, my judgment will remain open until I get one to test drive in the 110 heat of Las Vegas. Then I’ll do the obvious 4 way comparison of the FIAT 500,smartpassioncoupe MINI COOPER,VW BEETLE and SMART PASSION. (shown here) 

    Until then, enjoy this snap shot of ECODRIVE and check out the software at www.fiat.com/ecodrive.

    Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com

    Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS

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    Category: FIAT 500, FUEL ECONOMY, MINI COOPER, NEW CARS under 15k, NEW TECHNOLOGY, SMART, WOMEN BUYERS, WOMEN DRIVERS
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  2. WILL CHRYSLER SURVIVE?

    December 20, 2009 by mycarlady

    WILL CHRYSLER SURVIVE?

     “What FIAT doesn’t realize is that most American drivers are larger {fat} people who will not fit comfortably in their tiny cars. Not to mention, when you put a family of four in the FIAT 500, where does the luggage go?”so says a prominent Las Vegas dealer choosing to be anonymous for this article.

     Given the love for the Chrysler 300, Charger, Durango and Magnum, does FIAT have a chance of converting traditional large car buyers? Probably not.  However, in the new fractionalized (niche) car market the only way I envision the successful pairing of these two companies is to position FIAT as the “SCION” of Chrysler for the up and coming youth market. In this manner it could succeed, at least long enough to build in the step levels to mature this client from Fiat into homogenized Fiat-Chrysler product, as the size of the customer and family matures. Throw in some hybrid or alternative fuel options and Chrysler might survive, re-incarnated, but alive.  The keys to this successful transition are: sharp styling, no discounting, superior quality control, outstanding 100k warranty and a top-notch salesmanship experience at the dealer level.   I’d love to see this happen, but I’m not holding my breath.

     SO, in the interest of what’s a great car buy today?  As a car buyer’s agent, I can only recommend these models to my clients, to insure their car holds as much value as possible in these uncertain times.  I expect only 7 models from Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge to survive.

    • Chrysler Sebring Convertible (Hardtop)

    • Chrysler 300 SRT

    • Chrysler Town & Country

    • Dodge Charger SRT

    • Dodge Challenger SRT

    • Dodge Ram/Cummins 1500, 2500 Diesel, 3500 Diesel

    • Jeep Wrangler RUBICON

    My crystal ball says FIAT (if they stick around) will eventually drop the actual brand name when the baby-boomers have forgotten there ever was a Chrysler. Remember AMC, DAEWOO, YUGO, EDSEL, and OLDSMOBILE brands, exactly.

    In the meantime, the likely re-branding of the dealership building could look like this; “CHRYSLER-JEEP-DODGE-FIAT”, “AMER-FIAT” (AMERIFART for short) or just FIAT, selling the above mentioned, remaining models.  If the current Chrysler dealer network can survive long enough to see the economy revive, the American tax payer can take satisfaction in having preserved an entity with classic name plates of more value for their potential collectability as a muscle car antique than its overall market penetration. 

    I would say now is the best time to buy that Challenger, Charger or 300 SRT.  NEW or USED ! These will be the “investment” cars for your portfolio, redeeming better than a 0 coupon bond in the year 2050. Not only are prices at their ROCK BOTTOM, but these are great driving cars while you wait for your grandkids to inherit them, and gas is still (relatively) cheap. Dodge Charger RT 

    You can’t drive a Warhol, but you can enjoy the engine roar of a Charger “BEE” as others gawk on the Yellow, Purple, or Blue limited edition paint as you peel away.  Think I’m crazy?   Have you priced the Ford Model T, ’60 Mustang or “70 Corvette? The famous Barrett-Jackson auction-car show spectacle drew over 50k people to Las Vegas, in a “lousy” economy.

     SO, if you really want to get a great deal on these or any other make or model, give me a call. I know where the best deals are hidden. As YOUR personal car buyer’s agent, I do all the work, negotiating, trades, finance and incentives, delivering the car to your driveway without you breaking a sweat.  Unlike an AUTO BROKER, you pay me a flat fee, disclosed upfront, so you never wonder if you “left money on the table”.

     Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com

    Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS

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    Category: AUTOMOTIVE-AUTO, CHRYSLER, COLLECTIBLE CARS, DODGE, FIAT, FIAT 500, JEEP, SCION
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  3. AMERICAN CARS-Buy or Die?

    October 12, 2009 by My Carlady
    Dodge Charger

    Dodge Charger

    A recent article in MONEY.CNN gives a shout-out to why American car buyers should think twice about buying imports or vehicles whose headquarters, design and technology labs are centered in other countries.  The premise is that buying Ford, GM or Chrysler products is still better for OUR economy than buying a Toyota, Honda, Nissan, even though many of their vehicles are made here by Americans.  Add to the stateside list BMW, Kia, Hyundai,  Mazda who also have plants in the U.S. and what the author doesn’t tell you is when you tally all those 13-14 “import” plants employees, does it total more or less than the total employee count of GM, Ford and Chrysler in the US, including DEALERSHIPS!

    The truth is… most Americans would love to buy an AMERICAN CAR, knowing the funds go back into the US economy. However, 30% of current car owners in the US have owned a Ford, Chrysler or GM product in their lifetime, which failed to meet the expectation of the owner.  This is not a case of managing expectations, it’s about living up to your promises…aka WARRANTY.

    When Hyundai and Kia felt the wrath of negative customer satisfaction for  shoddy construction, poor dealer performance and crashing resale value, they returned to the drawing board and later delivered a high quality product with a 100k mile or 10yr. warranty. The American consumer took notice and voted with their pocketbooks. Hyundai has continued to deliver with clever advertising and promises that resonate with the nervous car buyer. Imagine our US Car companies taking a marketing lesson from the Koreans.  This year Hyundai made money and increased market share while everyone else fell back.

    Ford has experienced a strong demand for their 2010 product, and 25% of consumers surveyed acknowledge a lsight bias to Ford over the GM and Chrysler domestic product, because “Ford didn’t take a government handout.”

    American’s aren’t stupid. They know the money they spend feeds the German, Japanese and Korean infrastructure supported by those foreign governments.  Even American business owners regret the situation when their own competition may be from off-shore sources, yet,  they don’t want to buy a lemon or worse; be rewarded for brand loyalty with a stick in the eye. 

    Attn DODGE: If you want Americans to buy your new 2010 RAM 2500/3500 Cummins Diesel my readers and I would like to suggest you offer some major LOYALTY CASH or BUYBACK to everyone driving a 2007-2009 Cummins DPF problem.  You know who they are and thanks to the Internet everyone else does too.  Anyone researching the Dodge product has read this blog, asked their friends and will steer clear of your 2010 because of the HISTORY OF DODGE CUMMINS DPF, TURBO and CEL problems, REGARDLESS of how much you PROMISE them a newer, better redesign or BIG REBATE, LOW INTEREST RATE special.  Americans won’t gamble their lives or hard earned money on $50,000.00 trucks they depend on for work and family safety. SO get smart DODGE, those LOYAL DODGE Cummins customers, their gone…  Buying American may be Loyal, buy companies not standing up for their product, that’s UN-AMERICAN!

    Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com

    Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS

    NEED AUTO FINANCE HELP or CREDIT report repair go to tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.

     Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com
    Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS
    NEED AUTO FINANCE HELP or CREDIT report repair go to tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.


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    Category: BMW, CHRYSLER, CUMMINS DIESEL TRUCKS, DODGE, FIAT, FORD, GMC, Honda, KIA, MAZDA, MERCEDES BENZ, NISSAN, RECALLS and Buybacks, TOYOTA, WOMEN BUYERS, WOMEN DRIVERS
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  4. 2010 Dodge RAM 2500 3500 6.7

    September 5, 2009 by My Carlady

    2010 DODGE RAM 2500 and 3500 Cummins Diesel 6.7l steps up the class.

    Ram Quad cab with sunroof

    Ram Quad cab with sunroof

     After years of DPF, turbo and check engine light trouble in the Dodge Cummins 6.7L the 2010 is rumored to be trouble-free, and better than ever, according to insiders. My sources say the new truck blows away the power of anything in it’s class. “But wait,” I said, “What about the problems with the DPF, REGEN, TURBO and infamous CHK ENGINE LIGHTS?”

     According to technicians trained in the art of Cummins warranty war-fare, here is the inside scoop.  “The biggest issue with the REGEN and DPF issue has been traced back to idling.  The factory can tap into the computer brain and determine what percentage of YOUR TRUCKS’ running time is spent in IDLE.  The truck in idle never gets hot enough in of itself to go into REGEN and burn off the soot.  My sources indicate that trucks showing idle over 20% of the time are subject to more problems.  The computer can tell what percentage of your time is straight idle in park vs. stop light traffic.  The idle problem has EVEN MORE significance on early editions of the 6.7L (2007-2008) sporting the ORIGINAL turbo. The ORIGINAL turbo hook-up stayed in one place, allowing soot to build up around the unit.  Subsequent TURBO replacements, at $10k a whack, utilize a “floating rotor” that helps “shake-off” (a non-technical term ;-) ” the soot as the truck moves.”

    Tu-tone paint on 2010 Dodge RAM

    Tu-tone paint on 2010 Dodge RAM

    Allegedly, new releases of software are reducing trips to the dealership, according to one of my tech-wizards, however readers of this blog have posted complaints of increasingly disintegrating fuel economy and performance. Meanwhile these software upgrades and equipment changes are not advertised to all Cummins’ owners, even if you have reported an ongoing problem. There is no official recall, hence, the factory does not have to expose itself to millions of dollars in warranty labor and parts claims by broadcasting an invitation to every 6.7L owner to come on down and get the latest software upgrade.  All these changes are strictly TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS, a nice way of saying: NOT REQUIRED BY LAW TO FIX.

    Now, if you happen to be in the dealership while under warranty and complain about performance, display a check engine light, or protest a specific problem, the dealer can (under warranty) upgrade the software. Even this warranty claim has become a sticky issue as the truck MUST display the appropriate computer error code to warrant the latest software upgrade (often called a “flash”) to fix that SPECIFIC problem. Get ready for a fight if you just “drop in” and ask for the latest software flash, there have been so many (almost one a month) that your truck could be several versions behind, and the dealer has to get paid to do these upgrades, from the reluctant, financially-strapped, FIAT-owned CHRYSLER factory. Replacing your old turbo is 10x the effort! And, should your dealer accuse your NON-Factory upgrades, i.e. Banks, DPF-R or other performance-enhancing aftermarket items of creating the problem, point out the hundreds of thousands of stock DODGES reporting the same problems!

    In the meantime, dodge techs ask all DODGE CUMMINS 6.7L 2500 and 3500 owners to STOP the idling, please! (This isn’t the glow plug days of the 5.9l 24 valve. Get over the desire to “warm-up” a cold diesel engine when it’s not freezing, and if it is freezing in your neck of the woods, plug in the engine block heater cord overnight.) Jump in and drive it hard, according to Dodge.  If this is your daily around town driver, try to blow-it-out at 60mph+ for 10 minutes or more each day. While this will certainly waste the precious fuel our government wants us to save, it will save you mental anguish and frustration caused by excess trips to the dealer.

     Stay tuned here and come back often as I try to find a new 2010 to do the famous MY CARLADY Test Drive Review in the next week!

     BTW, Dodge SPRINTER lovers, you better grab a new 2008 or 2009 while there is one around. There will be no more Mercedes Benz delivery trucks sold under the Sprinter badge.  FIAT has effectively killed the German-made beast we grew to love. 2011 expect to see a diesel or alternative-fuel cargo van replacement from FIAT. ;-(

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    Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com
    To learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS

    NEED AUTO FINANCE HELP or CREDIT report repair go to tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.

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    Category: CARS, CUMMINS DIESEL TRUCKS, DODGE, FIAT, FUEL ECONOMY, RECALLS and Buybacks
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  5. NEW CHRYSLER to honor Cummins BUYBACKS

    June 1, 2009 by My Carlady

    The NEW CHRYSLER will honor Cummins Diesel LEMON-LAW BUYBACKS!   

    According to my source at Chrysler, the future NEW CHRYSLER/FIAT sPa will honor all warranty, extended service contract and buy-back commitments. (READ: 6.7l Cummins)

     

    Here is the statement I received from Chrysler’ representative Mike Palese today:

     

    •     Chrysler will support our brands and our customers.

    •     Chrysler will honor all warranty repair requests and service
          contracts and continue to produce and support quality vehicles.•      This was one of the first matters Chrysler brought before the
          bankruptcy court.

    •     The court then authorized Chrysler to continue our warranty programs and extended service programs and to perform all related obligations in the ordinary course of business.

    •     Chrysler has a robust customer relations and early resolution programs in place.   Our goal is to resolve problems before they become frustrating for our customers.  We urge our customers to contact Chrysler directly through the Chrysler Customer Care Line and give us an opportunity to help them work through their warranty-related issues.  Chrysler Customer Care
    Line:  800 992-1997.  

     

    This includes all LEMON LAW issues related to vehicles currently under warranty, those with problems escalating during the warranty process, and vehicles in the lemon law process.  If you are in the lemon law-buy-back process while the bankruptcy is in process, the lemon law-buyback has been frozen, but will be thawed out and proceedings continued once the bankruptcy is finished.

     

    You may begin the process by contacting the number listed above, where the customer service person will prompt you for your vin #. The next step is to send your “problem call” to a senior representative who will confer with your truck repair history as noted in the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep service computer. Assuming all the records match your account of the problems, the SENIOR Representative will contact you directly.  (This process was described to me by the customer care representative.)

     

    Now to be fair, I asked several commentors to this blog about their experience with Chrysler Customer Care and here is what I got for responses:

     

    John L.:  “800 # did squat. Good luck because i went through a year and a half with no help except for laurie in repairs at my dealer. PS still have issues with diesel smell” 6/1/09  This was his original comment: “i own a 07 6.7 have had 3 turbos and they tell me i am not driving it hard enough(WHAT EVER)i have diesel smell in my cab since i have had this truck and they said they don’t smell it. anyone else have this problem? and what does it do to your lungs? also my change oil programmer comes on about every 2 thousand miles and they tell me to manually reset it hummm”

     

    Other posters have not replied to my follow-up inquiry, but as they do, i’ll keep you informed.

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    NEED AUTO FINANCE HELP or CREDIT report repair go to www.ecreditautoadvisor.com tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.

    Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS

    Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADYis a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com

    Category: AUTOMOTIVE, CHRYSLER, CUMMINS DIESEL TRUCKS, DODGE, FIAT, RECALLS and Buybacks, SERVICE CONTRACTS & WARRANTIES
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