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Autoblog Minute: New car customer satisfaction down according to latest ACSI report

Customers have spoken and automobile satisfaction is down in 2015. Autoblog's Chris McGraw reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Customers have spoken and automobile satisfaction is down in 2015. I'm Chris McGraw and this is your Autoblog Minute. The American Customer Satisfaction Index or ACSI released its updated numbers and according to the survey, new car buyer satisfaction is down for the third straight year. According to an ACSI press release, customer satisfaction with new automobiles has fallen 3.7 percent, to 79 on its 100-point scale. The ACSI report is based on over 4,100 customer surveys collected in the second quarter of 2015 Sitting at the top of the industry in customer satisfaction is Toyota's Lexus brand with a score of 84. Which was good enough to dethrone Mercedes-Benz, which fell 3% to a score of 83. Of the Big Three, Ford was the only domestic automaker to maintain overall customer satisfaction with its score of 81. General Motors slipped 3% to 79 and Fiat Chrysler had a 5% drop, registering a score of 75 out the possible 100. What's driving this trend of customer dissatisfaction? ASCI points to the rise in recalls and car prices. Where do you land on customer satisfaction spectrum? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on the current state of car ownership and brand quality. For Autoblog, I'm Chris McGraw. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Lexus Mercedes-Benz Car Buying Ownership Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video

Junkyard Gem: 1981 Fiat Spider 2000

Fiat gave up on the American market after 1982, not returning until nearly three decades later, but dealers here still had brand-new 124 Sport Spiders available all the way to the end. Starting in the 1979 model year, this car became known as the Spider 2000; that's what we've got as today's Junkyard Gem, spotted in a Denver-area self-service yard last month. The 124 Sport Spider made its debut in 1966. Since it was built on the same platform as the 124 sedan, it is thus cousin to the original VAZ-2101 Lada. I've always liked the trunk lock that hides in the final zero of the engine-displacement badge. The 124 Sport Spider sold very well in the United States during the 1970s (in fact, this car was available only in the North American market during the latter half of that decade), and I've found quite a few examples during my junkyard travels over the years. After Fiat departed our shores in 1982, Malcolm Bricklin continued selling these cars (with Pininfarina Azzurra badging) through 1985. This one is in much nicer condition than any 124 Sport Spider I've seen in many years, maybe stretching back to the era when you could still buy these cars new. There's fairly recent body-straightening work, suggesting that someone undertook a restoration effort. This may even be a new-ish convertible top. Power came from this Fiat Twin Cam engine, rated at 102 horsepower in 1981. The 124 Sport Spider's long-term rival in the American market, the MGB, had its last model year in 1980, with the Triumph Spitfire departing at the same time. That left the much more expensive ($14,895 versus $9,899, or $49,500 and $32,895 in 2022 dollars) Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce as the Fiat Spider 2000's primary competitor for the ever-shrinking two-seat convertible market. A five-speed manual came as the default transmission in this car, though a GM-sourced three-speed automatic was available at a cost of 520 bucks (about $1,730 today). I have seen exactly one slushbox-equipped 124 Sport Spider in my life. This is one of the coolest-looking shift-pattern labels in automotive history. The EX. GAS SENSOR warning light was used to warn of an overheating catalytic converter. I like to use these Fiat indicator lights for various projects, though they have become rare in recent decades. At least I'll never run out of early-1970s FASTEN SEAT BELT lights! So, if you're looking for a vintage sports-car project, be sure to consider the Fiat 124 Sport Spider.

Apple enthusiasts sleuth out some Project Titan details

With apologies to Tesla fans, there are, perhaps, no brand enthusiasts quite as enthusiastic as Apple enthusiasts. Every scrap of rumor, innuendo and speculation about the company and its endeavors gets thoroughly investigated, with the results promptly posted to the internet, frequently at the AppleInsider website. So, when news of the Cupertino corporation's Project Titan surfaced – deerstalkers were donned, secret sources tapped, and the game was afoot. So, what have they learned so far? A bit, it seems. Perhaps the most tangible nugget takes the unique shape of the Fiat 600 Multipla, pictured above. SixtyEight LLC, thought by AppleInsider to be the corporate sub-entity under which Project Titan is being conducted, imported a 1957 example of this unique bit of Italian automotive history. We don't know if the this "minivan-type" hauler of yore was brought stateside to serve as inspiration for a new design or whether it might end up being a whimsical technology demonstrator. Perhaps neither. We can only hope – or hope not, depending on how you view this variation of the 600 – that an Apple car will carry some Multipla DNA. What we can be pretty sure of is this: Apple enthusiasts will continue to seek out more clues about this program until it's completely revealed, officially or otherwise. You can read more on the Project Titan sleuthing discoveries here. Feel free, of course, to voice your opinions, clues and speculations in Comments below. Related Video: News Source: AppleInsiderImage Credit: Elmar Peiffer Green Rumormill Fiat Minivan/Van Electric project titan icar