Entertainment - Moonroof - Navigation - One Owner on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lexus reveals production RC coupe en route to Tokyo

Feast your eyes, ladies and gentlemen, on the new Lexus RC coupe. With the exception of the six-figure LFA supercar, it's the first stand-alone two-door model to come from Toyota's premium brand since the demise of the SC, and it's coming to the Tokyo Motor Show later this month.
With unmistakably Japanese styling, the Lexus RC is clearly inspired by the LF-CC and LF-LC concepts, and features the brand's signature spindle grille. Anyone who's been inside a contemporary Lexus should feel right at home inside the four-seat cabin, where the Japanese automaker has fitted ambient lighting that glows upwards instead of down, coupled with a new Remote Touch Interface.
Lexus has already announced two versions of the coupe: the conventional RC350 with a 3.5-liter gasoline engine and the RC300h with a 2.5-liter hybrid setup. It's all packed into a form that, for comparison's sake, is slightly larger than the new BMW 4 Series but markedly smaller (in every dimension but height) than a 6 Series.

Satisfaction with dealer service rises, Lexus and GMC are tops

During the economic downturn, many car dealerships counteracted their slowing income by focusing on things that would set them apart from competition - things like the quality of customer service they provide. When the economy picked up and more sales and service followed, many also first invested those funds back into the business, improving their dealership facilities and service centers.
It looks like those investments are paying off, as J.D. Power and Associates' latest Customer Service Index Study shows that overall consumer satisfaction with dealer service has increased to 797 (on a 1,000-point scale), up from 787 in 2012 and 29 points higher than the score in 2011. The study also finds that people are more satisfied with the service they get at dealerships compared to independent service providers, despite the much higher average out-of-pocket cost per visit ($118 vs. $44).
Note, however, that this study only looks at how people are treated by a dealer's service department during the first three years of ownership (the survey is based on responses from 91,000 owners and lessees of 2008 to 2012 model year vehicles), so we're talking about the experience had when bringing a car in for repair or maintenance work, most likely under warranty. In fact, maintenance work is increasing in share and accounted for 77 percent of service visits (up from 72 percent in 2012 and 63 percent in 2011). This helps explain why customer satisfaction has also risen, since a properly maintained car is one that's less likely to require a dealer visit for an unexpected repair.

Krafcik says US Gov. shutdown is slowing Oct. auto sales

The government shutdown is eroding consumer confidence in the auto market, says John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai's US sales unit, and could lower October sales by as much as 10 percent, Automotive News reports. "It's that anxiety that keeps customers, potential buyers, on the sidelines when making a big purchase like an automobile," Krafcik says, adding that industry sales could be off by five to 10 percent in October compared to September.
The fourth quarter, which started October 1, usually consists of increased auto sales as dealerships clear their lots to make room for the next year's models. Leading up to the fourth quarter this year, the auto industry was doing well in the fragile, recovering US economy, although September deliveries decreased by 4.2 percent, due in part to this year's Labor Day sales being recorded for August.
To help its customers, Hyundai announced it is deferring new-car loan and lease payments for furloughed federal workers until they're called back to work and also offering them a three-month payment deferral if they buy a new Hyundai in October. "We have already had requests from over a thousand people to have their payments deferred," Krafcik says.