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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.

Opel Cascada is Europe's Buick convertible [w/video]

As we reported earlier, there has been much speculation regarding a Buick convertible of sorts. The most ringing endorsement of this conjecture comes today from General Motors Europe, as the new Opel Cascada has debuted on the interwebs. Opel calls the four-passenger Cascada an "athletic, glamorous midsize convertible." With a length of 4,697mm (185 in.), the Cascada is as long as an Audi A5, to which GM has said it would be slightly larger.
The Cascada, which is Spanish for waterfall, features a cloth convertible top that retracts in 17 seconds and at speeds up to 50 km/h (31 mph). The Cascada features a 1.4-liter turbo gas engine, 2.0-liter turbodiesel with 165 horsepower and a range-topping 1.6-liter turbocharged Ecotec engine that puts out 170 horsepower and 280 Nm (207 lb-ft). Power is sent through either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
According to GM, the Cascada will also come rife with luxury and tech features. In addition to adaptive forward lighting and ergonomic heated front seats, the convertible will feature Opel Eye, which is a front camera that can recognize traffic signs and incorporates lane departure warning and forward collision alert.

Junkyard Gem: 1964 Buick Special sedan

During the 1960s, the most mainstream possible vehicle for American streets was a GM-built sedan, either a full-sized B-Body or a mid-sized A-Body. These cars flew out of showrooms by the millions during the decade, and the angular 1964-1967 A-Bodies (including everything from the affordable six-cylinder Chevrolet Chevelle to the maniacal Pontiac GTO) remain sought-after by collectors to this day... provided that they're two-door hardtops. The post sedans just don't get much attention in 2018, and that's why this fairly solid 1964 Buick Special sedan didn't get rescued on its way to this sorry fate in California. Its final days before it washed up in this self-service wrecking yard, nestled between GM iron a third its age, some used-car lot failed to get $1,199 for this '64. The interior looks good, much better than what you'll see on most unrestored cars with better than a half-century on the calendar. If this car had been a Skylark two-door hardtop, its story would have had a happier ending. The decklid suffers from the kind of rust that California cars get when they sit outside for decades and the weatherstripping goes bad, and then someone at the junkyard pried it open to look for trunk goodies. There's likely to be more rust under the window trim, too. The engine was long gone by the time I got here, but it would have been a 225-cubic-inch V6 or a 300-cubic-inch V8 when new. The upscale 1964 Skylark was the same car, mechanically speaking, but it a more luxurious interior and snazzier body trim. The car that follows the fun anywhere... and above all, it's a Buick! Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1964 Buick Special sedan View 14 Photos Auto News Buick Automotive History Classics Sedan