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Honda, Hyundai and Kia get best word-of-mouth recommendations in US

Forget advertising, incentives and, yes, even our excellently crafted vehicle reviews, sometimes the best way for automakers to sell cars is still good ol' fashioned word of mouth. In an attempt to measure this "word of mouth" power, The Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm, has created a new study called the Brand Advocacy Index (BAI). The index takes a look at how various industries perform from person to person. Those industries include automotive, smartphones, grocery, mobile telecommunications and banking.
The study polled more than 32,000 individuals across Europe and in the US to come up with the top 55 brands in these various industries. On the automotive side of things, the top brands in the US were Honda, Hyundai and Kia, all tied at 63 percent. On a global scale, Volkswagen and Toyota scored the highest with a 65-percent BAI rating (both in France). The average BAI for auto industry players tallied 50 percent.
As for companies in other industries, Apple's iPhone was the index's top-rated smartphone, Trader Joe's was the highest recommended grocery store, Virgin was sat atop the mobile telecom industry and USAA was the top retail bank. Scroll down for the full press release on the new study.

Marchionne now considering 'Plan B' partners for FCA merger

Okay Sergio, just stop. With the sting of rejection from General Motors CEO Mary Barra still fresh, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne is moving on and trying to find another automaker to merge with. FCA may not be giving up hope on a merger with GM, but that doesn't mean it isn't at least considering alternatives. Sergio's so-called "Plan Bs" include the Volkswagen Group, as well as smaller Asian outfits, like Mazda, Honda, Suzuki, and Hyundai. Bloomberg reports that France's beleaguered PSA Peugeot Citroen could as a sort of "fallback" option due to its relative lack of volume, an unidentified source claimed. There are, of course, problems with each option. According to Bloomberg, Volkswagen expects complete control of a company, but the Agnelli family, which holds a large portion of FCA stock, is loathe to relinquish its stake in the company. On top of that, VAG just isn't looking to make a deal right now. Mazda, meanwhile, is enjoying a new partnership with Toyota and Suzuki is partially owned by VW. Honda and Hyundai have never expressed any interest in a partnership with a western automaker. That kind of just leaves the French then, but even that remains a long shot. As Bloomberg tells it, PSA boss Carlos Tavares is still working on a turn-around plan, and would want at least another six months to execute before even considering a deal with FCA. And even then, Tavares hasn't given any indication that he's considering a pairing. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Chrysler Fiat GM Honda Hyundai Mazda Suzuki Citroen Peugeot Sergio Marchionne FCA Mary Barra psa peugeot citroen

2016 Honda HR-V scores class-leading 35 mpg

Smaller cars generally net better fuel economy ratings, and while crossovers aren't generally as efficient as hatchbacks and small sedans, smaller crossovers are getting better EPA ratings all the time. The latest to join the pack is the new 2016 Honda HR-V. The US Environmental Protection Agency has just released its ratings for the littlest Honda crossover, and the figures are pretty impressive. In front-wheel-drive form with the optional continuously variable transmission, the HR-V is rated at 28 miles per gallon in the city, 35 on the highway and 31 combined. Those figures make it the most economical conventionally powered SUV on the market. (The EPA doesn't distinguish between truck-based sport-utes and car-based crossovers) Among crossovers, the FWD HR-V outperforms the Nissan Juke, Kia Soul, Chevrolet Trax, Buick Encore... the whole lot. Only the Mazda CX-5 matches it on the highway rating, which is noteworthy since it's a much bigger vehicle. Along with the forthcoming Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade, Mazda's nearly here CX-3 hasn't been rated yet (we predict it will score better than the HR-V, if only to improve on the fuel economy ratings of its larger CX-5 counterpart). Of course, there are hybrids that get better ratings than the Honda, but comparing a hybrid to a conventional vehicle is like comparing apples to electrically charged oranges. Naturally, the picture changes a bit if you go for all-wheel drive or the available six-speed manual. In AWD spec (only available with the CVT), the HR-V gets 27 city, 32 highway and 29 combined. The front-driver with the six-speed suffers a worse fate at 25 city, 34 highway and 28 combined. No matter which way you slice it, of course, the Fit hatchback upon which the HR-V is based, with its CVT hooked up to a smaller engine and with less weight to motivate, still sips fuel more lightly than the HR-V. But as far as crossovers go, Honda's new HR-V is looking pretty frugal. Featured Gallery 2016 Honda HR-V View 25 Photos News Source: EPAImage Credit: Honda Green Honda Crossover honda hr-v