2017 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso on 2040-cars

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Lexus tops JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study again, Buick bests Toyota

It shouldn't surprise anyone, but Lexus has once again taken the top spot in JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study. That'd be the Japanese luxury brand's fourth straight year at the top of table. The big news, though, is the rise of Buick. General Motor's near-premium brand beat out Toyota to take second place, with 110 problems per 100 vehicles compared to Toyota's 111 problems. Lexus owners only reported 89 problems per 100 vehicles. Besides Buick's three-position jump, Scion enjoyed a major improvement, jumping 13 positions from 2014. Ram and Mitsubishi made big gains, as well, moving up 11 and 10 positions, respectively. In terms of individual segments, GM and Toyota both excelled, taking home seven segment awards each. The study wasn't good news for all involved, though. A number of popular automakers finished below the industry average of 147 problems per 100 vehicles, including Subaru, (157PP100), Volkswagen (165PP100), Ford/Hyundai (188PP100 each) and Mini (193PP100). The biggest losers (by a tremendous margin, we might add) were Land Rover and Fiat, recording 258 and 273 problems per 100 vehicles. The next closest brand was Jeep, with 197PP100. While the Vehicle Dependability Study uses the same measurement system as the Initial Quality Survey, the two metrics analyze very different things. The VDS looks at problems experienced by original owners of model year 2012 vehicles over the past 12 months, while the oft-quoted IQS focuses on problems in the first 90 days of new-vehicle ownership. Like the IQS, though, the VDS has a rather broad definition of what a problem is. Because of that, a low score from JD Power is no guarantee of extreme unreliability, so much as just poor design. In this most recent study, the two most reported problems focused on Bluetooth connectivity and the voice-command systems. The former leaves plenty of room for user error due to poor design (particularly true of the Bluetooth systems on the low-scoring Fords, Volkswagens and Subarus), while the second is something JD Power has already confirmed as being universally terrible. That makes means that while these studies are important, they shouldn't be taken as gospel when it comes to automotive reliability. News Source: JD PowerImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL Buick Fiat Ford GM Hyundai Jeep Land Rover Lexus MINI Mitsubishi RAM Scion Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Auto Repair Ownership study

Fiat 124 Abarth Spider spied, may get Alfa 4C power

We've long been excited to see, hear, and drive the car that results from the in-process Fiat-Mazda partnership. The Italian brand has had access to the excellent 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata on which to base its own roadster, and the fruits of that labor will soon ripen. Spied here is not only the ensuing Fiat 124, but a hotter Abarth tuned version of the spider. At least, that's what we're hoping. Our spy shooters indicated that the car seen here not only sounded more aggressive than 'standard' 124 mules seen previously, but that it also accelerated away from their long lenses with a smartness. The 124 Spider is already rumored to make use of the 1.4-liter turbo I4 that makes 160 horsepower in the Fiat 500 Abarth, and this version may have a still-more-powerful engine. Another tell about the added output are the quad tailpipes in place of the lesser car's set of two. There's no hard evidence to support exactly which engine might be under the 124's hood, however. It's possible that the 1.7-liter turbo from Alfa Romeo 4C could be in play – with its 237-hp output – as the 124 was originally going to wear an Alfa badge. If that were to happen, however, the Fiat would almost certainly get a dual-clutch transmission instead of the purer manual box. In any event, more details about the car will no doubt crop up closer to the expected reveal this fall. Related Video:

All 2018 Fiat 500s will get turbocharged engines

For 2018, every basic Fiat 500 is getting a healthy horsepower increase thanks to a standard turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder making 135 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. That's a big increase over the current model's naturally aspirated 1.4-liter engine that makes just 101 horsepower and 97 pound-feet of torque. The newly available turbo engine can also be fitted to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. Fiat 500 fans may also find the new turbo engine's specifications familiar, and that's because they're identical to the old Fiat 500 Turbo that was introduced a few years ago. That car was introduced as a sort of happy medium between the standard 500 and the Abarth. The Turbo disappeared for a little while, but will be resurrected as 2018's entry model. Fiat also says the new turbocharged 500 Pop and Lounge (the basic models) get sportier suspension and brakes than the old one, again similar to the discontinued 500 Turbo. The exterior also becomes more aggressive on both trim levels looking a bit like a toned-down Abarth. And if you've picked up on the theme here, the exterior looks much like the old 500 Turbo's. Mind you, we're not complaining about Fiat bringing back the Turbo as the entry-level 500. It brings the car closer in parity to the base Mini Cooper, effectively matching it for power, and coming up just 10 pound-feet of torque short in the twist department. And while we didn't find the old 500 Turbo to be nearly as fun as the Abarth, the extra power did make for a better basic Fiat – and so should the 2018s. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Fiat 500: Chicago 2018 View 12 Photos Related Gallery 2018 Fiat 500 View 14 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Chicago Auto Show Fiat Convertible Hatchback Economy Cars Performance turbo 2018 Chicago Auto Show fiat 500 turbo