Study finds design flaws, not parts defects, account for most interior-quality issues

Design problems, not bad parts, are to blame for consumers not liking car interiors, the latest results from an annual study by J. D. Power and Associates shows.
The company released its 2011 U.S. Interior Quality and Satisfaction Study on Friday, for which new-vehicle owners were asked to rate interior quality based on whether defects or design-related issues arose during the first 90 days of ownership.
In this year's findings, more than two-thirds of interior problems reported stemmed from design issues rather than actual parts defects.

For owners of 2011-model-year vehicles surveyed between February and May, an average of 17.2 interior quality issues were reported per 100 vehicles--11.6 of which were the result of design-related problems such as nonintuitive functionality or inconvenient placement of features.
Owners of U.S.-nameplate vehicles reported the most problems, followed by owners of Asian-nameplate vehicles and then European-nameplate owners. J. D. Power and Associates says that customer satisfaction averaged 8.1 on a 10-point scale among those who reported no interior design flaws, but that dropped to 7.2 when at least one interior design issue was reported.
Research director Allan Dix said more than half of new-vehicle buyers cite interior comfort as one of the most important factors in choosing a vehicle. While part malfunctions usually can be fixed, design-related issues generally remain a problem throughout the life of a vehicle.
Of the top five most frequently reported problems within interiors for 2011, all were design-related:
-- Material scuffs/soils easily.
-- Cruise control difficult to use/controls in poor location.
-- Cupholders difficult to use.
-- Center console difficult to use.
-- Door locks difficult to use/controls in poor location.
Problems related to the center console have increased from 2010.
The study also found that interior design problems have a negative effect on brand loyalty and advocacy, as 74 percent of new-vehicle owners who reported no interior design problems said they “definitely will” recommend the brand to others. When one or more interior design problems was reported, that number dropped to 54 percent.

Study finds parents struggle with proper safety-seat use

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for kids ages three to 14, and a study released by New Safe Kids USA on Sept. 15--pegged to draw attention to National Child Passenger Safety Week, which starts on Sept. 18--shows that while parents are getting better in the proper use of child safety seats, there is room for improvement.
The study shows that many drivers are using child safety seats improperly. Using data from 79,000 child-safety-seat inspections, the study found that less than a third of people use the important top tether that hooks the child seat to the vehicle. Of those who do use the top tether, only 59 percent are doing so correctly.

In encouraging news, parents are doing a better job of keeping children in rear-facing seats for a longer period. Ninety-one percent of parents know the history of their car seats, and 98 percent of caregivers keep kids 13 and younger in a rear seat.
Safe Kids USA will host more than 400 car-seat checkup events during National Child Passenger Safety Week. Visit www.safekids.org for details.

Viper Club of America says the ACR still rules the Nürburging

The Dodge Viper has reclaimed its lap speed record for a production car at the Nürburgring, according to preliminary results from the Viper Club of America.
Bottom line: Even though a new Viper is in the works for 2013, the current Viper ACR still rocks.
While official results are still to be released, the Viper Club has shared word from Dodge that the 2010 Viper ACR lapped the Nürburging in 7 minutes, 12 seconds. We expect to get some video footage of the lap soon.
The Viper ACR scored a record lap time of 7:22.1 in 2008 at the 'Ring. That remained unsurpassed until this summer, when the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 shaved about three seconds off that time. Soon after that, the Lexus LFA blazed the track at 7:17.6.

But the Dodge racing team was undaunted, the Viper Club said, and it returned to the Nürburgring with more drivers and more prep time.
With no 2011-model-year Vipers being built, Chrysler's SRT group turned to Tomball Dodge, which supplied two 2010 Dodge Viper ACRs. Mintgen Motorsport, an automotive shop based just a few miles from the 'Ring, provided garage support.

Bring a Trailer exclusive: 1958 Peerless GT

Tired of searching for that pristine Gordon-Keeble? Worn out by Warwick? Might we suggest this euphemistically named Peerless GT, the first attempt at sports-car manufacturing by the energetic Bernie Rodger, who also fathered the aforementioned marques.
Arguably the nicest of the bunch, the Peerless GT was a fiberglass four-seater plopped atop Triumph TR3 running gear, all supported by a custom tubular spaceframe. Reports claim production of just more than 300 units between 1957 and 1960.

Our friends at Bring a Trailer have the line on Peerless GT No. 18, a British racing green example with a gray interior. Mechanically rebuilt, the car shows patina bordering on plain old age inside and out, but the seller wants about twice what Hagerty's Old Car Price Guide claims it's worth in this condition.

Web site lets fans customize a Ford Mustang

Ford Mustang fans fantasize about creating their own version of the celebrated car and now they can do so--digitally.
A new Mustang Web site set to launch on Sept. 20 lets enthusiasts create their dream pony car. They can choose from the Mustang V6, the Mustang GT, the Boss 302 and the Shelby GT500, using three different backgrounds, five different angles and hundreds of accessories such as body kits, wheels, decals and grilles.
“This site lets Mustang fans customize cars to their heart's content,” said Brian McClary, Ford social and emerging media specialist. “It's a simple-to-use layout that lets users take the base design of Mustang and run with it.”

Users can post their created cars to their Facebook walls and compete against other users' creations, with friends' votes tallied on a leader board. Check it out at www.ford.com/cars/mustang.

Acura announces 2012 TSX pricing, special edition

The 2012 Acura TSX sedan and sports wagon gets a $200 price bump across the line, which puts the base model with a five-speed automatic at $30,695.
Acura also announced a new Special Edition package ($31,695, including $885 destination) with upgrades to the exterior including a more aggressive front end, bumper and side sills. Seventeen-inch, five-spoke aluminum wheels get a dark gray finish, and a Special Edition badge adorns the trunk lid. Both automatic and manual transmissions are offered.
Inside, the 2012 Acura TSX Special Edition gets seats with perforated suede inserts, plus red stitching and lighting to accent the interior. The pedals get aluminum covers while a black headliner replaces the gray one used on the rest of the TSX models.

The sedan and sport wagon will continue with the same powertrains as last year. The four-cylinder model makes 201 hp while the V6 gets a hefty 280 hp. The wagons are offered only with a five-speed automatic transmission.
The Special Edition makes its debut at the Orange County International Auto Show on Sept. 22 and will be available at the end of the month. The rest of the 2012 TSX models are in Acura showrooms now.

Toyota announces prices of the Prius V and Prius Plug-in hybrid

Toyota announced pricing of the new Prius V and Prius Plug-in on Friday. The new compact V wagon will carry an MSRP of $27,160, while the plug-in hybrid stickers at $32,760. Both include $760 in destination and handling, but only the plug-in is expected to qualify for the $2,500 government tax credit.
The Prius V is bigger than the regular Prius liftback, thanks to an elongated roof reportedly offering 58 percent more interior cargo space. Using Toyota’s patented Hybrid Synergy Drive, it returns 44 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.
Three trims will be offered on the Prius V, Two, Three and Five. Base features on the Two include a 6.1-inch display screen, Bluetooth, keyless entry and 16-inch wheels.

The Three adds navigation and the Entune multimedia system with satellite radio, iTunes tagging and HD capability.
The Five gets all the stuff from the lower models and adds higher-quality heated seats, a three-door smart key, 17-inch wheels, LED headlights and a few more odds and ends.
The Prius plug-in hybrid is similar to the liftback but has an extended electric-only driving range of 15 miles at a max speed of 62 mph. The company estimates that it will return 87 mpg equivalent in electric mode, dropping to 49 mpg during hybrid operation.
In what could be the biggest benefit, Toyota also says the plug-in will have a quick recharge time of just 2.5 hours to three hours on a standard outlet. The time is halved if a 240-volt circuit is used.
Like the Prius V, the plug-in will operate in three modes: EV, eco, and power. EV mode maintains the car in all-electric drive as long as possible, while eco will use both the engine and battery. Power mode will use both as well but defer to acceleration rather than economy.
The Prius Plug-in will come in a base trim and Advanced. The base trim gets heated front seats, remote air conditioning, smart key and a display screen with navigation. LED daytime running lights and 15-inch wheels are also standard.
The Advanced model adds the Entune multimedia system with a premium audio unit, smartphone control, head-up display, radar cruise control, LED headlights and integrated fog lights.
The plug-in hybrid will go on sale in 14 launch states beginning in October, with deliveries starting in spring of 2012. The launch states are California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. A full rollout is planned for 2013.
Also announced on Friday, Leviton, a provider of 240-volt home charging stations, has developed a home charger just for the Prius Plug-in. The basic package starts at $999.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110916/CARNEWS/110919894#ixzz1YKmZ1zsd