Women-Drivers.com and BEST BUY just selected the winners from the registrants at the 2010 Pittsburgh International Car Show. Over $2500 car-related goodies were given away by our generous partners at Best Buy and the very saavy Geek Squad.

• Garmin GPS systems
• Bluetooth’s
• $150 Car Detailing Coupons

Congratulations to:

M. Saunders

C. Pranovich

D. Martin

C. Sill

A. Balionis

C. Muhlenkamp

K. Wagner

C. Yount

S. Stahl

M. Copper

L. Kozinski

B. Spine

And, remember, always drive your bargain,

Anne

www.twitter.com/womendrivers

Say What?

With the Kizashi, Suzuki enters a new class of cars. It’s a step outside of the box, with the name (yea, I know, I had to say it a few times to ‘get it right’), but especially going into the mid sized sedan class.

Known for its high performance products, Suzuki is banking on this model entering this class and tearing up market share. Between a $19,000 and a $22,000 ticket, the car enters a fairly competitive market with Honda, Toyota, Ford and Hyundai already there. So, let’s see how the jazzed-up Kizashi competes.

Begin with performance – this 2.4 liter, 4 cylinder 185 horsepower engine has get up and go. The ride is smooth and the car responds well. I was expecting a tad more punch and having a 6 cylinder would offer that option.

The design and exterior is sassy indeed. The overall body design is urban and contemporary; a well fitted exterior topped off with four attractive 17” and 18” alloy wheels. Coming from the self proclaimed Grill Girl, the Kizashi’s front grill is aggressive – but not overdone – and offers an attractive, wide looking stance.

Keyless entry and a push-button start make are great and convenience.

The interior is clean, inconspicuous, and comfortable. The power seats and mirrors are easy to set. The seats offer lumbar support which makes a difference on longer trips. Plenty of organization and places for cups and accessories. Sound can bust a move with the AM FM CD XM capable audio system with 7 speakers and MP3 playback. Listen to your customized music selection.

This All Wheel Drive vehicle isn’t just about kicks. Safety matters; take a closer look. Complete with eight (8) standard airbags, advanced Electronic Stability control with traction assist and anti lock brakes. The vehicle is already compliant with 2014 Crash Standards – years ahead of its class.

The dual zone temperature mitigates any possibility of arguing over temperature control.

Coming off the 2010 Detroit Auto Show which offers so much focus on energy efficiency, this 21.5 mpg vehicles could deliver more in this area.

Overall this car gets a 'good' rating. Lots of amenities, style points, safety and value for this vehicle. Bravo, Suzuki.

 Drive Your Bargain,

Anne

www.twitter.com/womendrivers

Leadership and public confidence are both equally fragile. Delicate is the balance of staying in the public’s favor which is done by consistently deliverifair and quality product or service.  

Last Thursday, Toyota Motor Corporation recalled yet another 2.3 million cars and trucks for faulty gas pedals. This begs the question at what point will this impact Toyota’s long tern market share and sales? Thursday's action came on the heels of a recent recall of 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus products because floor mats could cause the accelerator to jam down.

In the immediate term the company stopped non-Japanese production of eight (8) vehicles including  the 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia.

Word about customer complaints regarding faulty pedals, specifically sudden accelerations, are as far reaching as 2005 and 2006. In a news release on November 6, 2009, Toyota said “The questions of unintended acceleration involving Toyota and Lexus vehicles has been on of the most thoroughly and repeatedly investigated issues by Toyota as well as engineers at the NHTSA. Six times in the past six years, the NHTSA has undertaken and exhaustive review of allegations of unintended acceleration on Toyota and Lexus vehicles, and six times the agency closed the investigation without finding any electronic engine control system malfunction.” Now, just three months later, Toyota officials say that the problem is clearly not an electronics one.

Questions for Toyota are not likely to end. Two Congressional committee hearings are planned, beginning February 10th.  A full page Toyota advert was in the New York Times over the weekend proclaiming that the driving public‘s safety is number one with apologies for the inconvenience.  In essence, Toyota cares. It appears they do care, but what will the impact and the findings of the Congressional hearings play on public’s sentiment?

So, what is the staying power of Toyota in this operational and safety chaotic fury? Especially on top of already fierce competition from Ford, Hyundai and KIA?  There will be a short-term market drop in sales, no doubt. How long that will last may be impacted more by next week’s findings. But, over time, this may be a quality hiccup for all to learn from. At the end of the day, Toyota consumers are very loyal and most of us have short-tension spans, and can be very forgiving. Let’s see just how soon American’s forget about this and get back buying another Toyota.

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne

www.twitter.com/womendrivers