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Why Mazda did so well and Volvo so poorly in Consumer Reports survey

The poor performances of Tesla and all three domestic automakers got the headlines in Consumer Reports magazine's latest reliability survey, but there were other results that caught our interest. Tiny Mazda notched the biggest gain among the 29 brands included in this year's list, leap-frogging nine spots to No. 3. Buick, which was in the top 10 last year, fell 11 spots to No. 19, the biggest decline of any brand. And then there's Volvo, a brand often vaunted for its quality and reliability, dropping six spots to dead last. What gives? For starters, all three brands benefited or suffered in large part due to their relatively small portfolio of vehicles. So when raves or complaints rolled in for even one particular model, as was often the case, it weighed heavily on the entire brand. That's especially true when it involves a relatively high-volume, hot-selling model such as the Buick Enclave (more on that in a moment). Mazda fared as well as it did despite the CX-3 losing Consumer Reports' influential "recommended" status due to problems with its climate system, including leaks from the condenser and refrigerant unit that triggered a service bulletin from the automaker in late 2016. Deputy auto editor Jon Linkov said that scratch didn't hurt the overall brand, since the CX-9 crossover and MX-5 Miata both jumped up to replace it on CR's list of newly recommended vehicles, thanks to several back fixes Mazda made to both models. For Buick, the redesigned Enclave SUV earned a "Much Worse Than Average" rating after owners reported problems with the new nine-speed automatic transmission it shares with the Chevrolet Traverse as well as some issues with the climate system. There were issues with rough shifting, plus complaints about the torque converter that necessitated fixes to the computer or outright replacement. "Again, similar stuff that we saw with the Traverse: both first-year vehicles, similar powertrains," LInkov said. He said all-new vehicles or redesigns typically fare poorly in CR's reliability survey due to issues that are hard to suss out before vehicles go into everyday use by consumers. The top-selling Encore and Envision fared well, Linkov said, but were outdone by the Enclave's problematic transmission components. The Enclave was Buick's second best-selling model through September at 35,227 units. Then there is Volvo, about which there is one word to sum up its woes: infotainment.

2018 Buick Regal GS : The 310-hp American hot hatch

Buick has spent the last decade shredding its perception as the low-level luxury vehicle for geriatrics, but the brand hasn't always been associated with that crowd. In fact, ask some enthusiasts and you'll hear about the GM 3800 series engines, IndyCar racing, and the mythical GS and GNX. In that high-octane theme, GM pulled back the curtain on the all-new, all-wheel drive, 310-horsepower 2018 Buick Regal GS Wednesday morning in Milford, MI. The GS is basically a sport-tuned version of the all-new Buick Regal. We've seen the standard and high-riding wagon variants, but this is our first look at what's likely to be the enthusiast pick. The Regal GS uses the five-door sportback bodystyle from the standard car (though a GS version of the TourX would be awesome), swiped from GM's soon-to-be former German division, Opel. While a number of automakers are downsizing engines, Buick is soldiering on with its tried and true naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6, in this guise making 310 horsepower and 282 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic. The all-wheel drive system uses a twin-clutch setup and has been tuned specifically for the GS. The Regal GS makes more power than both the Acura TLX A-Spec (290 horsepower) and the Lexus IS350 F-Sport (306 horsepower). The V6 features both cylinder deactivation and auto stop/start for better fuel economy. The fully independent suspension uses the second-gen Continuous Damping Control (CDC), capable of 500 adjustments per second. Selectable modes allow the driver to tailor the car to fit the situation. Large Brembo front brakes are surrounded by standard 19-inch wheels and tires. The exterior gets a few styling changes like a sporty front and rear fascias, a small rear spoiler, and plenty of GS badges. Inside, the Regal GS gets unique sport seats with integrated headrests and adjustable lumbar and thigh bolsters. They even come standard with heating, ventilation, and massaging functions. The driver faces a GS badged flat-bottom steering wheel and GS-specific pedals. A full-color heads-up display is optional. Available safety features include front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warnings, forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. The real key for the success of the Regal GS could be pricing.

GM and Ford quarterly sales continue to slump in China

BEIJING — General Motors and Ford announced their quarterly sales in China fell, albeit at a slower pace sequentially, as the U.S. automakers were hit by a slowing economy amid the Sino-U.S. trade war. GM's vehicle sales in China for the quarter ended June 30 dropped 12.2%, while Ford's sales slumped by 21.7%. While GM also suffered from heightened competition in its key mid-priced SUV segment, Ford was hurt by the limited new models for customers to choose from. For the first quarter of this year, Ford's sales in China tumbled 35.8 percent while GM's skid 17.5 percent. Still, the numbers from GM, the second biggest international automaker in China by sales, and Ford portend more uncertainty for the industry which is trying to rebound from a downward spiral that led to its first annual sales decline last year in more than two decades. GM delivered 1.57 million vehicles in China in the January-June period this year, while Ford delivered 290,321 vehicles. China's factory activity shrank more than expected in June, highlighting the need for more economic stimulus amid higher U.S. tariffs and weaker domestic demand. Annual car sales in China fell last year for the first time since the 1990s, and they are expected to fall this year too. Sales tumbled 16.4% in May from the same month a year prior, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said. That marked the 11th consecutive month of decline and followed falls of 14.6% in April and 5.2% in March. U.S. car companies' share of total China passenger vehicles sales fell to 9.6% in the first five months of this year from 10.9% in the year-ago period, according to CAAM. Over the same period, German car makers' share has risen to 23.3% from 20.9% and Japanese auto makers' to 21.3% from 17.3%. CAAM is set to announce June sales next week, which industry analysts forecast will be negative.   New models In China, GM has a joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp, in which the Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac are made. It also has another venture, with SAIC and GuangxiAutomobile Group, in which they make no-frills minivans and have started to make higher-end cars. Sales of GM's affordable brand Baojun dropped 31.8% for the latest quarter. But luxury brand Cadillac's sales jumped 36.6%. GM sold 3.64 million units in China last year, down from 4.04 units in 2017. Ford makes cars in China through its joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co and Jiangling Motors Corp (JMC).