(General Motors)
Older Americans still favor domestic brands
Americans age 65 and older tend to chose vehicles from brands they grew up with, according to a new study by TrueCar.com, a car-pricing website. The study reviewed the purchasing behavior of more than 200,000 car buyers from 2009 and 2010. The top brands for seniors, by percentage of buyers:
1. Buick, 57.5 percent
2. Lincoln, 47.7 percent
3. Cadillac, 44 percent
4. Chrysler, 36.1 percent
5. GMC, 32.4 percent
6. Chevrolet, 31.2 percent
7. Porsche, 29.5 percent
8. Lexus, 27.6 percent
9. Jaguar, 26.5 percent
10. Hyundai, 25 percent
Seniors' top picks by model in 2009 and 2010:
1. Lincoln Town Car, 89.6 percent
2. Buick Lucerne, 86.8 percent
3. Cadillac DTS, 84.8 percent
4. Cadillac CTS Wagon, 74.2 percent
5. Cadillac STS, 71.0 percent
6. Hyundai Azera, 64.7 percent
7. Chevrolet Impala, 61.3 percent
8. Buick LaCrosse, 58.9 percent
9. Lincoln MKZ, 53.8 percent
10. Toyota Avalon, 53.7 percent
--NWautos staff
(General Motors)
OnStar adds tracking; Ford cuts Sync rates
Parents will be able to track the real-time location of their teenage drivers under an OnStar pilot program unveiled recently by General Motors. The service allows family members to log on to a GM website and view a map with the vehicle's exact location, or to get text messages and email alerts. GM will initially invite about 10,000 OnStar subscribers to take part in the pilot program for the Family Link service.
In other auto communications news, Ford is dropping the price of its Sync system by $100 to $295. The voice-controlled connectivity system will be offered in 2012 models as an option in base trim levels.
--The Associated Press and NWautos staff
(Chrysler)
Chrysler draws on 'High Noon' imagery in Ram ads
Chrysler is stepping up the marketing of its Ram Truck brand with two new Western-themed television spots that will debut nationwide in September. The first features a Ram pickup running through the desert with wild horses and touts the truck's 20-mpg fuel-economy average. The second features its Power Wagon model climbing a rocky hill, challenging competing trucks to follow it. Both are part of the "Code of the West" marketing campaign, heavy on Old West imagery, that the company launched earlier this year. Chrysler is also planning to launch a partnership with Walmart this fall to promote the truck at thousands of stores across America.
--The Detroit News
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