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myneighborhood-thelake · 3 years

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Mt. Whitney, May 2021

Sometimes a sufferfest is exactly what the doctor ordered, and, thankfully, permits to hike Mt. Whitney (14,508′) are online. It takes a little searching on recreation.gov for the permits to come available, but they can be booked immediately. On Monday, May 24th, a day hike permit for Wednesday, May 26th became available, so I grabbed it.

OK, I had scored a permit the week before, but I’d strained my right calf during a 3 mile run and wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to hike 21+ miles in the backcountry with a bad calf. In the meantime, I had strained my calf more on a 5 mile run, but I really wanted to get back onto Whitney.

I left town about 11:30am on Tuesday. Unlike previous trips to the Eastern Sierras, I was in no hurry. This time I decided to set cruise control at 70 MPH (the speed limit), and see what gas mileage I could get up to. It also took the edge completely off of driving. A few podcasts later and mileage was showing a solid 44 miles per gallon. Considering it’s an SUV (a compact SUV, but an SUV all the same), I was pretty happy to see 44 MPG.

Around Bakersfield, I cut east and crossed over the mountains to Tehachapi. Hitting the 14 North, I let the hypermileage goal go and bumped cruise up to 75. Fuel mileage dropped, but that was OK. Cruising along without much traffic I rolled into Lone Pine around 5:30 or 6:00pm.

Also unlike previous trips, I had no need to stop in Lone Pine, so I turned left on Whitney Portal Road and proceeded up the hill to the Portal.

It’s somewhat early in the season, so I wasn’t sure if the parking areas would be filled with hikers’ cars or if there would be spaces available. I had decided to literally car camp for the night and just needed a parking spot and not a campsite. Thankfully, hiker parking was only about 50% full, and I backed into a nice spot really close to the trailhead.

Camping - a Honda CR-V is the definition of “compact SUV” which may make a few folks wonder how my 6′1″ frame can fit to car camp. If you slide both front seats all the way forward and put down the back seats there’s enough room for a twin mattress in the back which is just long enough for me to sleep on.

I spent some time organizing my pack for the hike, laying out my sleeping bag, and boiling water for some freeze dried beef stew.

I was so close to the trailhead that I had to check pack weight and was OK with my pack coming in at 15 pounds.

(that’s 8.81# of water (4l), 1# first aid kit (I could reduce that), 0.83# H2O filter, and about 1 1/2#’s for my pack (1.62# to be precise). That means there was 2 3/4# of food, sunscreen, trail meds and such. I’m not in shape to hike 20+ miles at altitude, so cutting down on pack weight helps a LOT!

Freeze dried beef stew? 10/10, perfection. Maybe one of the best freeze dried meals I’ve ever had even though it had been in my camping box for probably 5 years (or more).

After cleaning up a bit and popping up the sunroof for ventilation it was time to crawl in and try to get some rest.

Suprise, surprise, it was super comfy. I read for a bit and finally got tired enough to try and sleep. I was planning on a 2:30am wakeup and 3:00am start on the trail. Usually sleep is elusive and sounds from other campers and cars inhibits good rest but not this time. I was quite comfy and drifted off easily.

At about 1:45am I woke up feeling quite rested. Sure, I tried to go back to sleep for my 2:30am alarm, but I felt perfectly rested and decided after a few minutes to get on with the day.

The previous night I had setup my morning caffeine (mandatory) in the form of a mountain mocha. 2 starbucks Via instant coffees and a packet of hot chocolate (that had probably been in the camping box for 5+ years). After drinking that and consuming a banana it was time to hit the trail. At about 2:15am or 2:20am, under the light of a full moon, I hit the trail.

Even with the full moon I still needed my headlamp due to treecover and cliffs blocking the moonlight. At this point I kicked on the high beam for my headlamp and realized I’d made a mistake... When the high beam starts flashing it means batteries are low. Ooops. Looks like this hike will be under the weak light of low beam. Oh well. I usually carry extra batteries and never use them, so this was OK in my book. I just needed to be sure to be off the mountain before darkness fell at the end of the day.

Passing a few folks with fuller packs and trekking poles I was glad of two things - low pack weight and being able to focus solely on my pace. I was just cruising along knowing that I wasn’t in shape or trained for distance. I’m just stoopid enough to know how to suffer well.

I totally missed when I passed Lone Pine lake, just focusing on the trail ahead and taking frequent small sips of water from my Camelbak. For water I had my 3 liter reservoir and an additional 1 liter water bottle for a little more than a gallon on board. I like the additional 1 liter because I can use it if my reservoir hits empty between water stops.

The trail started dropping down which was a bit disconcerting. I know that the trail drops a couple hundred feet right before Outpost Camp, but I couldn’t be there yet. Turns out I was there! 2 easy hours on trail and the sign “Outpost Camp” was right in front of me. 3 1/2 miles in 2 hours is pretty pedestrian, but for me, at altitude, it’s a good pace.

I had the option to refill my water at Outpost Camp but did not need to and cruised straight through. Note to anyone thinking of doing an overnight trip on Whitney - don’t stay at Outpost Camp. It’s too low down the mountain and leaves way too much for day 2. Shoot for Trail Camp instead which is at 12,000′ and 2 1/2 miles further up the trail meaning 2 1/2 miles less to cover on summit day.

Leaving Outpost Camp I did my usual and got lost trying to find the trail. The moon was well past the mountain, providing no light, and my headlamp was pretty pathetic by then. I inadvertently looped in a big circle before stopping and using available clues - water sounds. Being color blind does not help when the trail is just a different shade of grey than surrounding dirt. No worries, after homing in on the waterfall sounds I picked up the trail again and started my relentless progress toward Trail Camp.

A word about the trail - it is a trail, but it’s also pretty difficult. Lots of rocks to step up on or over, all of different sizes and at random distances, so you have to really pay attention to foot placement and balance. You can’t get into a rhythm and just cruise along. It also saps a lot of energy.

At this point I realized that my balance was really bad. Normally above 10,000′ the altitude really hits me hard. This trip I didn’t have any problems with altitude sickness, but my equilibrium was TOAST! It was not fun stumbling around at points, and my right shin took the hit on an unforgiving granite rock. My right calf was also aching pretty steadily.

Before Trail Camp I passed a party of 3 guys, one of whom asked “are these the 99 switchbacks?” No, man. We need to get to Trail Camp first and THEN we get to do the switchbacks.

I think it took about an hour to get from Outpost Camp to Trail Camp at 12,039′. My water reservoir felt good plus I still had the 1 liter backup bottle, so instead of stopping to refill I cruised through Trail Camp and on to the 99 switchbacks.

The switchbacks run up the face of a cliff and are pretty tough. Lots of granite steps requiring good foot placement and working the legs with their random sizes from only a few inches tall to big steps at 2+’ tall. Plus they are above 12,000′ and the air definitely feels much less dense. It was about 1/3 of the way up the switchbacks that I took my first break just to catch my breath. I think it may have been the first time I ate. Stroopwafels are amazing...

Oh yeah, I never count the switchbacks. You’re either done with them or have more to go, so just keep moving.

About 2/3 of the way up I had been trudging along, head down, eyes on my feet placement for each step, with my boony hat blocking any view of the trail ahead. I stopped to get a Gu Chew out of my left hip belt pocket, which is much less accessible than my right hip belt pocket. It took some contortion, but I finally got them out and popped one into my mouth.

Sure, there are better packs for endurance activities that make it easy to access pockets, but I’ve had my Salomon pack for 23 years now, and it still works.

After chewing for a bit I looked up and jumped back in surprise! About 2 feet in front of me, sitting on a boulder just off the trail was and extremely pretty, very blonde, woman in her early 20′s. Where the hell had she come from????

She apologized for scaring me.

I apologized for stopping in her personal space.

I’ll be honest, it took me a few moments to decide she was real. It was really weird.

Oh well, onward and upward.

The water in my reservoir ran out just before Trail Crest (13,777′, 8.5 miles), so I stopped to put the water from my 1l bottle into the reservoir. I also looked down the trail to see if the mountain sprite was real, and she seemed to be.

After downing another stroopwafel and some Gu Chews (expensive gummi bears), I shouldered my pack and headed towards the summit. Thankfully I was still not feeling any signs of altitude sickness.

After Trail Crest there is some exposure to potentially long falls off of a cliff face, but the danger is pretty minimal. Well, except when a corner is exposed and still packed with snow. THAT got the pulse to spike a little, but soon the summit house was visible in the distance. Still a long way off but visible. Just keep moving.

At this point I was really feeling the effort and it’s about 14,000 feet in elevation making for slow hiking. I was able to catch a couple and then turn right up the summit dome. There’s not really much else to say other than - just keep walking, and then there’s the summit. 14,508′ (10.7 miles)

I think it took about 6 hours and 15 minutes to get to the summit which is a pretty good time for me, and maybe one of my fastest. Add in I’m doing no endurance training and feeling no altitude sickness and I was super stoked.

As usual. Take summit picture, eat, drink, relax, shoulder pack and start going back down. Yup, that’s about as exciting as it gets. I left the summit at 9:00am

The trip back down was uneventful. Saw a bunch of people heading up, so I stepped to the side and let them pass which gave me a few breaks. I do not appreciate the elevation lost just after Trail Crest on the way up because it’s elevation that needs to be gained on the way back and on a difficult section of trail, but it is what it is.

I cruised down the switchbacks and stopped in Trail Camp to filter water and refill my reservoir. It was nice to take a solid 15 minute break. Of course I ate another stroopwafel. Damn, those things are AMAZING!

My hands were so swollen with edema that it was a bit challening to pump the filter, but that’s why I don’t use trekking poles. My hands always puff up like cooked sausages and make it impossible to handle trekking polls. Plus, it’s one less thing to worry about. - the trekking poles, not my hands.

Back down the trail. Now I was tired, my legs were feeling the effort from the trail and constantly changing terrain. Just keep moving.

Down through Outpost Camp, by now it was 1pm, but it felt like it was 6 or 7pm due to my early start. Somehow, along the way, I got completely off trail and wound up on the shores of Lone Pine Lake which I had not even seen on my way up. I’m pretty sure this was another case of missing the trail due to blending colors and sunglasses, but I wasn’t worried. I could retrace steps or do a little bushwhacking which is what I did. After crossing a couple of creeks and doing some minimal bouldering I was back on trail and heading down.

After loosening up my watch a few times due to swelling, I saw that I had an outside chance of being done in 12 hours or so. Normally the trip down is a breeze compared to the trip up, but the trail conditions always limit my ability to make time on the descent.

About 1/2 mile from the end I saw a family, with young kids, having a picnic by the side of the trail. I took my eyes off the trail in order to say something nice to them about getting their kids out. Unfortunately, right then the trail dropped off by several feet which meant I landed solidly on my right foot and sent a serious jolt directly up my calf that hurt like HELL!

I limped the last 1/2 mile to the trailhead being very happy that it had occured so close to the end of the trail.

Something like 12 1/2 hours had elapsed, and a lot of those hours were exactly what I needed, time utterly devoid of anything other than focussing on the trail directly in front of me and where I needed to place my feet. Suffering has a way of distilling life down to its essence, and I’m very happy that I get to experience this when I choose to.

After that it was a 7 hour drive home. After a quick stop in Lone Pine for a full tank of gas, a coke, and a package of Oreo’s, I was on the road back to San Jose, arriving home at about 10:30pm.

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carpostnet · 4 years

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2020 BS6 Tata Nexon Facelift Launched

2020 BS6 Tata Nexon Facelift has been launched in India. The up to date SUV will get new options, BS6 engines and important beauty tweaks.

Tata Motors has upgraded its hottest car within the present lineup. 2020 Tata Nexon Facelift is now accessible with BS6 compliant engines. The SUV will get a makeover which supplies it a refreshed look however not a very totally different look.

The costs of 2020 BS6 Tata Nexon petrol begin at Rs 6.95 Lakhs and that of diesel begins at Rs 8.45 Lakhs (ex-showroom). In comparability to the BS4 model, the costs have now elevated by as much as Rs 22,000 for the petrol variants and as much as Rs 56,000 increased for the diesel variants.

Styling modifications on the Nexon facelift embody sharper and bolder entrance and rear bumpers, new and sleeker headlamps, new LED DRLs and LED taillights, a skid plate, a taller bonnet line, a brand new entrance grille impressed by Tata’s new design language and new alloy wheels as nicely. Also, you may spot Nexon’s new floating roof with a dual-tone paint job.

Also Read: 2020 Tata Altroz Launched In India – Price List And Complete Details

Inside the cabin, there are some delicate modifications as nicely. There’s the brand new flat-bottom steering wheel, a semi-digital instrument console, new upholstery design and dual-tone dashboard theme. Rest of the format stays the identical as of the pre-facelift model.

New options onboard the 2020 BS6 Tata Nexon will embody cruise management, rain-sensing wipers, an electrical sunroof, upgradations for its Harmon-Kardon touchscreen infotainment, projector headlamps and the semi-digital speedometer from Altroz.

BS6 variations proceed with the identical 1.2 Litre turbo-petrol engine and the 1.5 Litre diesel engine. The petrol engine continues to supply 110 BHP and 170 Nm of peak torque. The diesel motor produces 110 BHP and 260 Nm of torque. The transmission choices are additionally the identical with a 6-speed MT and a 6-speed MT.

Also Read: Upcoming Tata Cars That We Will See At The 2020 Auto Expo

There aren’t any modifications made to the scale. The bookings for 2020 BS6 Tata Nexon Facelift have commenced throughout dealerships and the deliveries may also begin quickly. It will proceed to rival the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Honda WR-V, Hyundai Venue and Mahindra XUV300.

We additionally drove the Tata Nexon EV just lately, primarily based on the facelift model. Here’s our take:

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from Carpost https://www.carpost.net/2020-bs6-tata-nexon-facelift-launched/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2020-bs6-tata-nexon-facelift-launched

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crosbyru-blog · 6 years

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November U.S. light vehicle sales down on weak car volume

» Click here for more detailed sales data » Click here to skip the data and read the articleCLICK HERE to view this full table

Automaker Nov. 2018 Nov. 2017 Pct. chng. 11 mos. 2018 11 mos. 2017 Pct. chng. BMW 28,330 28,049 1.0% 276,657 271,432 1.9% Mini 3,528 4,038 -12.6% 40,887 42,494 -3.8% Rolls-Royce* 90 86 4.7% 990 943 5.0% BMW of N.A. 31,948 32,173 -0.7% 318,534 314,869 1.2% Alfa Romeo 1,957 1,440 35.9% 21,854 9,997 118.6% Chrysler 13,094 16,510 -20.7% 153,539 171,337 -10.4% Dodge 33,196 28,845 15.1% 426,796 419,111 1.8% Fiat 1,309 1,733 -24.5% 14,544 24,754 -41.2% Jeep 73,784 66,001 11.8% 892,778 755,317 18.2% Ram 57,970 40,390 43.5% 529,173 506,914 4.4% FCA US 181,310 154,919 17.0% 2,038,684 1,887,430 8.0% Maserati* 950 1,140 -16.7% 10,313 12,272 -16.0% Fiat Chrysler Automobiles 182,260 156,059 16.8% 2,048,997 1,899,702 7.9% Ford 186,048 201,296 -7.6% 2,173,529 2,233,750 -2.7% Lincoln 9,207 8,909 3.3% 92,061 100,540 -8.4% Ford Motor Co. 195,255 210,205 -7.1% 2,265,590 2,334,290 -2.9% General Motors* 248,740 245,387 1.4% 2,657,020 2,693,702 -1.4% Acura 14,053 12,716 10.5% 142,160 139,540 1.9% Honda 106,481 120,440 -11.6% 1,307,553 1,352,572 -3.3% Honda Motor Co. 120,534 133,156 -9.5% 1,449,713 1,492,112 -2.8% Genesis 417 1,776 -76.5% 9,698 18,646 -48.0% Hyundai 57,083 55,435 3.0% 602,526 603,315 -0.1% Hyundai Motor America 57,500 57,211 0.5% 612,224 621,961 -1.6% Kia Motors America 45,101 44,302 1.8% 542,245 546,629 -0.8% Hyundai-Kia 102,601 101,513 1.1% 1,154,469 1,168,590 -1.2% Jaguar 3,197 3,061 4.4% 27,021 36,180 -25.3% Land Rover 8,547 6,801 25.7% 81,526 66,759 22.1% Jaguar Land Rover N.A. 11,744 9,862 19.1% 108,547 102,939 5.4% Mazda N.A. 20,660 21,469 -3.8% 274,455 262,577 4.5% McLaren Automotive 142 116 22.4% 1,337 879 52.1% Mercedes-Benz 32,879 34,112 -3.6% 318,005 332,990 -4.5% Smart USA 100 130 -23.1% 1,154 2,905 -60.3% Mercedes-Benz USA 32,979 34,242 -3.7% 319,159 335,895 -5.0% Mitsubishi Motors N.A. 7,688 8,609 -10.7% 109,088 95,185 14.6% Infiniti 14,086 13,026 8.1% 131,215 137,036 -4.2% Nissan 96,427 122,959 -21.6% 1,213,942 1,318,202 -7.9% Nissan North America 110,513 135,985 -18.7% 1,345,157 1,455,238 -7.6% Nissan/Mitsubishi** 118,201 144,594 -18.3% 1,454,245 1,550,423 -6.2% Subaru of America 56,782 51,721 9.8% 615,594 584,614 5.3% Tesla Motors* 21,700 4,200 416.7% 150,700 43,800 244.1% Lexus 26,446 27,118 -2.5% 262,786 269,671 -2.6% Scion – – – 3 199 -98.5% Toyota 163,977 164,499 -0.3% 1,942,973 1,941,662 0.1% Toyota/Scion 163,977 164,499 -0.3% 1,942,976 1,941,861 0.1% Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. 190,423 191,617 -0.6% 2,205,762 2,211,532 -0.3% Volvo Car USA 8,181 7,854 4.2% 89,437 71,825 24.5% Audi 17,082 19,195 -11.0% 200,558 199,534 0.5% Bentley 165 247 -33.2% 1,807 2,107 -14.2% Lamborghini* 94 92 2.2% 1,034 1,003 3.1% Porsche 5,673 5,555 2.1% 53,116 51,507 3.1% VW 26,789 29,207 -8.3% 322,017 309,395 4.1% VW Group of America 49,803 54,296 -8.3% 578,532 563,546 2.7% Other*** 291 296 -1.7% 3,197 3,172 0.8% Total 1,392,244 1,398,760 -0.5% 15,695,288 15,634,467 0.4%

Numbers in this table are calculated by Automotive News based on actual monthly sales reported by the manufacturers and may differ from numbers reported elsewhere. Source: Automotive News Data Center Note: *Estimate **Renault-Nissan acquired controlling interest in Mitsubishi Motors on Oct. 20, 2016. ***Reflects Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lotus sales.

American Honda sales are now down 2.8 percent for the year.

UPDATED: 12/3/2018 5:55 pm ET – adds details

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misstated the change in U.S. sales through October.

U.S. light-vehicle sales slipped 0.5 percent in November as robust fleet shipments by some automakers failed to offset slumping demand for passenger cars.

But the seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate totaled 17.55 million — well above forecasts for a 17.3 million sales rate and the second-highest pace of the year.

It was the fourth decline in industrywide volume over the past five months, signalling the second-half slowdown is continuing but moderating. As the year closes out, the industry is struggling to stay ahead of its 2017 sales pace while automakers back off profit-draining incentives.

It is also the first year-over-year November decline since 2009 and another sign of a weakening market, even amid a wave of year-end deals and sales promotions.

Through October, U.S. light-vehicle sales were up 0.5 percent and are now up 0.4 percent through November. They remain on track for a fourth-straight year above 17 million, extending a record streak above that mark.

Analysts had expected November sales to come in about 2 percent below year-earlier totals.

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Ford, Toyota, Nissan and American Honda posted declines as the industry continued to reel from plunging demand for passenger cars.

Ford Motor Co. recorded a 7.1 percent overall drop, its third straight monthly decline. Toyota Motor Corp. fell less than a percentage point while America Honda Motor Co. chalked up its biggest setback of the year. Nissan Motor Co. was off 19 percent, dragged down by a staggering 33 percent drop in demand for cars.

FCA US, meanwhile, rode higher retail and fleet sales to a 17 percent increase, its third consecutive double-digit gain and ninth straight overall.

General Motors no longer releases U.S. monthly sales results but the Automotive News Data Center estimates the company’s November volume rose 1.4 percent. Bloomberg, citing sources, said GM posted a gain by boosting deliveries to fleet customers.

Car drag

Car sales, which are on track to decline for the fifth straight year, have become the biggest drag on the overall new-vehicle market.

“The market continues to abandon cars, with no end in sight. Automakers have slowed or stopped production, so inventory is down, and buyers are mostly looking at trucks and SUVs,” said Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. “Every time we think we’ve hit the bottom in car market share another month passes with trucks and SUVs gaining while cars lose. This is the reality that recently drove Ford and GM to announce plans to further reduce car production. Who can blame them?”

Company by company

At Ford, sales last month dropped 7.6 percent at the Ford division. Volume rose 3.3 percent at Lincoln.

Overall, Ford said truck demand slipped 2.3 percent while SUV and crossover sales dropped 4.9 percent. But car deliveries skidded 20 percent and are now down 18 percent for the year.

Toyota Motor Corp. sales slipped 0.6 percent behind a 17 percent decline in car deliveries that failed to offset an 11 percent gain in light-truck demand. Sales slipped 0.3 percent at the Toyota division and 2.5 percent at Lexus.

Demand for the Toyota Camry plunged 30 percent and is now down 8.6 percent for the year.

At FCA US, volume advanced 12 percent at Jeep, 44 percent at Ram, 15 percent at Dodge and 36 percent at Alfa Romeo. But sales skidded 21 percent at the Chrysler brand and 24 percent at Fiat.

Retail sales in November rose 6 percent to 136,704, FCA US said, with fleet shipments hitting 44,606, or 25 percent of total company deliveries.

At Nissan Motor Co., volume dropped 22 percent at the Nissan brand but rose 8.1 percent at Infiniti. In addition to slumping car shipments, Nissan’s light-truck sales dropped 8.4 percent as the company continues to dial back on incentives and fleet business.

At American Honda, volume dropped 9.5 percent in November, dragged down by a sharp decline in demand for the Civic and other cars. An 11 percent increase in Acura sales wasn’t enough to overcome an 12 percent decline at the Honda brand. American Honda sales are now down 2.8 percent for the year.

The November totals included a 30 percent plunge in Civic sales. Its bigger passenger-car sibling, the Accord, managed a 1.6 percent increase for the month but is down 13 percent for the year. Overall, American Honda’s car sales dropped 13 percent and light-truck deliveries fell 7 percent last month.

Hyundai Motor America sales rose 0.5 percent, with the Hyundai brand up 3 percent but Genesis dropping 77 percent. Kia reported a gain of 1.8 percent.

Among other automakers, VW brand deliveries dropped 8.3 percent, Mazda dropped 3.8 percent and Subaru sales rose 9.8 percent to 56,782, a record for November, and extending the company’s year-over-year gains to 84 straight months.

Among other luxury brands, BMW advanced 1 percent, Porsche gained 2.1 percent, Volvo edged up 4.2 percent and Jaguar said it posted its first gain of the year with an November increase of 4 percent. Land Rover volume spiked 26 percent. Mercedes dropped 3.6 percent and Audi volume dropped 11 percent.

“November’s sales slowdown signifies a new normal that we can expect through at least the end of 2018, and likely into 2019,” said Jeremy Acevedo, manager of industry analysis at Edmunds. “Although sales remain at a healthy level, factors such as increasing market saturation, rising transaction prices and elevated interest rates continue to create headwinds for the industry overall.”

U.S. sales were up 0.5 percent through October, helped by higher fleet shipments that have offset lower demand from individual customers.

While falling gasoline prices and healthy payrolls have helped sustain economic growth, rising interest rates, volatile equity markets and trade fears have undermined auto sales, analysts say.

Incentives

J.D. Power estimates the average incentive for a new car or light truck was $3,783 in the first several weeks of November, down from $4,068 in November 2017. ALG estimates average incentives slipped to $3,672 per vehicle last month from $3,803 in November 2017, with the Detroit 3, Nissan and Volkswagen Group among the highest spenders. (See chart below.)

Odds, ends

• There were 25 selling days last month, the same as in November 2017.

• J.D. Power estimates light trucks accounted for 71.2 percent of new-vehicle retail sales through Nov. 18 — the highest level ever for the industry — and the second consecutive month above 70 percent.

• The average transaction price for a new light vehicle was $34,438 in November, up 1.7 percent from a year earlier, ALG says.

• Days to turn, the average number of days a new vehicle sits on a dealer lot before being sold to a retail customer, was 70 days through Nov. 11, down four days from Nov. 2017, J.D. Power says.

• Fleet deliveries are expected to total 263,300 in November, up 3.5 percent from November 2017, J.D. Power estimates. And fleet volume is expected to account for 19 percent of total light-vehicle sales, up from 18 percent in Nov. 2017.

• The annual percentage rate on new financed vehicles averaged 6 percent in November, compared with 6.2 percent in October, Edmunds said Monday, attributing the month-over-month dip to a bump in 0 percent finance deals from automakers compared with November 2017.

Quotable

“The industry had a steady, consistent performance [in November] much in the same range it has all year.”

— Mark LaNeve, Ford’s vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service

“Consumers continue to pay near record amounts for new vehicles, despite the headwinds of stock market volatility and rising interest rates. 2019 was expected to be a year of transition with regards to sales, average transaction prices and incentive spending, instead we’ve seen automakers making all the right moves to sustain transaction prices and decrease incentives while maintaining a robust 17 million annual sales rate.”

— Eric Lyman, ALG’s chief industry analyst

Michael Martinez contributed to this report.

November incentive outlays for U.S.

Manufacturer November 2018 forecast November 2017 October 2018 Percentage change vs November 2017 Percentage change vs October 2018 BMW (BMW, Mini) $5,479 $5,397 $5,568 1.5% -1.6% Daimler (Mercedes-Benz, Smart) $5,627 $5,186 $5,806 8.5% -3.1% FCA (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat) $4,379 $4,226 $4,352 3.6% 0.6% Ford (Ford, Lincoln) $4,461 $4,667 $4,374 -4.4% 2.0% GM (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) $4,442 $4,770 $4,229 -6.9% 5.0% Honda (Acura, Honda) $2,023 $1,954 $1,965 3.5% 3.0% Hyundai $2,710 $3,147 $2,669 -13.9% 1.6% Kia $3,725 $3,439 $3,749 8.3% -0.6% Nissan (Nissan, Infiniti) $4,329 $4,372 $4,326 -1.0% 0.1% Subaru $1,141 $1,242 $1,165 -8.1% -2.0% Toyota (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) $2,565 $2,784 $2,495 -7.9% 2.8% Volkswagen (Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen) $3,800 $3,806 $3,789 -0.2% 0.3% Industry $3,672 $3,803 $3,617 -3.4% 1.5% Source: ALG

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/autonews/BreakingNews/~3/UIlh5v0oo64/november-sales-results-drop buy here pay here

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robertkstone · 6 years

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2019 Car of the Year Introduction: Going Down Swinging

The world has changed a lot since we awarded our first Car of the Year calipers to Cadillac in 1949. Cars went from being the dominant form of transport to simply an option among SUVs, pickups, mass transit, and, yes, those annoying electric scooters that litter America’s sidewalks.

Much ink has been spilled lamenting the death of the traditional car and the rise of alternative forms of transport, but if this year’s field proves anything, it’s that if the passenger car is under siege, it’s not going down without a fight.

Battling for this year’s honor are 20 vehicles with 36 variants representing sedans, wagons, whatever a four-door coupe is, and a minivan. They come from automakers with headquarters and factories around the globe—South Korean hatchbacks from Mexico, Swedish sedans from South Carolina, even an American van from Spain—signs showing the reality of a global economy despite ever-changing nationalist trade sentiments.

These vehicles are as diverse in purpose as they are in manufacture. This year’s field is notable in how many luxury and compact vehicles are competing. Despite the segments’ waning popularity, Audi, Buick, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo launched new premium sedans and wagons this year to make the most of the smaller share of cars being sold. On the other end of the spectrum, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota each launched diverse takes on small cars that prove you don’t need to spend big bucks to get high fuel economy, performance, or style.

Following a week of by-the-book instrumented testing, it’s time for more anecdotal evaluations. Keeping our six criteria—Advancement in Design, Efficiency, Engineering Excellence, Performance of Intended Function, Safety, and Value—in mind, our judges spend two 14-hour days determining what isn’t Car of the Year.

Our criteria are important here. A hypothetical sport coupe that turns like the Titanic on Hyundai’s winding track isn’t successfully performing its intended function; a luxury sedan with rear seats that rattle on the molar-jarring special surfaces section doesn’t demonstrate excellence in engineering.

Following those sun-soaked desert days, we separate the pretenders from the contenders. In the end of this brutal culling, we had just six vehicles we felt most lived up to our criteria.

Although other outlets might stop there and pat themselves on the back for a job well done, we alone have the guts and methodological rigor to keep going to crown a singular champion.

We pack up at the proving ground and take what’s left of our field into the darkest of nights—west on State Route 58 to the high-desert town of Tehachapi. The weight of this awesome responsibility begins to build.

Over the following days, we drive each of our finalists over our now tried-and-true 27.6-mile drive loop—the ultimate crucible. The diverse conditions and road surfaces it contains perfectly mimic all of the conditions the average North American driver can expect to face in the real world on any given day. Every stop sign is approached and departed the same way to test low-speed transmission shift shock. Every lane keeping system is activated on the same stretch of poorly marked road to see if those semi-autonomous systems are ready for prime time. And that off-angle railroad crossing that jolts the suspension must be hit at the exact same speed by each vehicle. You get the idea. Our process may be pedantic, but it’s necessary to test for the faults that would drive a vehicle owner batty after months of ownership.

After our finalist field has been properly evaluated, a healthy debate ensues. At the end of our energetic deliberations (with a secret ballot to ensure no forceful personalities could sway a show of hands), we have not only crowned our 2019 Car of the Year but also proven that, 70 years after our first Car of the Year award, the traditional passenger car is still alive and kicking.

Where we Tested

Whenever we tell people what we do, invariably their thoughts go to fast cars, smoky burnouts, and tire-shredding drifts. And yeah, we do have our fun, but the key behind any of our tests— especially when it comes to the Of the Year program—is a very basic scientific principle: reproducibility. Here’s how we ensure it at Car of the Year.

1. High-Speed Oval

With its 120-mph speed limit, the oval allows us to test a contender’s highway acceleration and passing performance, wind and road noise levels, stability, and active safety measures such as radar cruise control and lane keep assist. Meanwhile, the rough road section perfectly mimics the surfaces of California’s I-5, I-105, I-110, and I-405.

2. Winding Track

More of a collection of great roads than an actual track, the winding track nevertheless allows us to test a vehicle’s dynamic performance at low- and high-limit speeds as it relates to our criteria.

3. Straight Stability/Special Surfaces

Here we primarily use the multiple special surfaces lanes, allowing us to test a contender’s ride and build quality over various low- and high-impact bumps.

4. Vehicle Dynamics Area

This asphalt lake is where we stage, evaluate exterior and interior design, test features, and put our contenders through their paces on the figure eight.

Real-world Testing

1. Tehachapi Boulevard

Low-speed stop-start driving tests transmission calibration, throttle and brake tip-in, low-speed ride, and visibility.

2. Tehachapi–Willow Springs Road

Broken pavement tests tire noise suppression and whether NVH is transmitted into the body structure.

3. Tehachapi–Willow Springs Road summit

A sustained climb tests torque and transmission response; a sustained descent tests cruise-control effectiveness.

4. Cameron Road

A canyon road with mid-corner elevation changes induces major transient loads, ideal for testing steering, chassis balance, and body control.

5. Rail Crossing 1

A sharp bump at 10 mph tests suspension effectiveness.

6. Freeway

Patched and broken concrete induces tire noise and high-frequency vibrations. Smooth asphalt tests ride quality in a commuting situation. The freeway stretch also allows for testing of cruise control, passive and active safety systems, semi-autonomous driving, and passing power.

7. Rail Crossing 2

An angled crossing induces twisting loads for a good assessment of chassis rigidity.

READ ABOUT 2019 SUV OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS:

BMW X2

BMW X3

Ford EcoSport

Ford Edge

Hyundai Santa Fe

Infiniti QX50

Jaguar E-Pace

Jeep Cherokee

Lexus RX L

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Subaru Ascent

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globalenginesandgearboxes · 6 years

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Why British Love Audi A4 Diesel Engines When Petrol Variants are Even Good?

The Class-leading A4 saloon of Audi roves like a limousine with its considerably efficient A4 Engines

The all-new Audi A4 has been recently released with many modifications and refresh tweaks to the model, however, the A4 saloon offers barely specific and dashing looks. The new model is an example of the concrete planning to win the market share at Audi design department and they succeeded to some extent. When the economy of the UK went down during the Brexit vote period, almost majority of the automakers lose their sales and faced cut downs in the order books.

Audi A4 Side View Some of them planned to leave the UK, a couple of them moved to central Europe, even Vauxhall has moved its engineering works to Germany, Ford has moved Transit production to turkey, similarly, Honda and Nissan have plans to gradually pull their all investments out of the UK. But did you know, during all this time of uncertainty, Audi A4 was enjoying elevated sales graphs? Yes! Audi A4 has enjoyed an increase in sales when Brexit has hit the nation. Power of the Audi A4 Saloon Audi loves to overcome weaknesses and turn those weak points into strengths, how do they do it? They have faced ditched sales in Audi Q5 compact SUV and to overcome this dent, they introduced the A4 All-Road version as it has the legacy of the A4 indeed.

Audi A4 Interior It has covered a lot and then came in the A4 Avant version to fill the gap between Audi Q5 and the A4 All-Road. This is an all-wheel drive estate with a larger ground clearance to facilitate the off-roading. Deliveries started in mid-summer last year and until now the majority of Audi lovers have their hands on the wheel till now. Audi A4 engine line-up With the new technological advancements, Audi has managed to increase the A4 Engine power and efficiency band by 20 per cent and there is no lack of engine options, however, the reconditioners in the UK market are working on these technologies to absorb as the reconditioned Audi A4 engines would be in demand in next few years. With its 2.0-Litre engines, Audi has introduced both eight-speed automatic and seven-speed manual transmissions with all power band of 150 and above.

Audi A4 Engine The 150 hp versions emit 100g/km of carbon emissions and they are extra clean engines, with a fuel economy of around 75 miles per gallon. Audi is swiftly making its way into the post-Brexit United Kingdom markets. Audi A4 Battlefield The A4 all road is one of the best versions offered by Audi and a 2.0-litre diesel was tested by the vehicle testing team. They stated the Audi A4 engines are excellent but the 2.0-litre diesel is second to none choice in the engine lineup. Audi main dealers started Audi A4 engines supply and fit in the UK as well. The A4 2.0-litre TDi turbo diesel engine cranks out 187bhp and the base version of this engine cranks out 148bhp, this engine is actually new to the market and will be subjected to many changes in the future.

Audi A4 Rear View Audi A4’s battle in the UK markets is not with the substandard makes and models but they actually fighting against the models like BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class, and E-Class, Jaguar XE saloon and Lexus IS Saloon. Any premium model left? No there is not but the Audi A4. In all this fight, Audi A4 acts like a game changer and it can make or break the market conditions at any time to spoil this market segment because it has a choice to turn the table. Audi has widened its battlefield now by pulling the models like VW Passat Alltrack, Subaru Outback, Volvo XC70 and Peugeot RXH into the competition. The A4 estate is giving these models a really tough time in the UK market. Read the full article

#A4All-Road #A4saloon #AudiA4

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