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Ford debuts Excursion-based limo |
| Stretching the opportunities for Qualified Vehicle Modifiers (QVM), Ford has approved and certified its Excursion platform for limousine conversions. The heavy-duty sport utility vehicle is the first QVM limousine conversion for an SUV... (Full Article) |
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Seattle Auto Show running through Nov. 4 |
| A hybrid wonder that gets 68 miles per gallon, a street legal Saleen S7 worth $400,000, a rare glimpse of the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, “must-see” trucks like the Chevy Avalanche and Lincoln Blackwood — and 700 other cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans... (Full Article) |
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Kia Optima – a pleasant surprise from Korea
By Lary Coppola |
| If confession is good for the soul, mine will be cleansed. I’ve never had too much regard for the Korean automakers Kia and Hyundai. Oh sure, the Kia Sportage is not a bad little entry level SUV, but I have always viewed both of these manufacturers as posers not players, bottom feeding on the rejects of Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Ford... (Full Article) |
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Ford Ranger gets hot new V6, other upgrades
By Lary Coppola |
| You see them everywhere – Ford Rangers. In spite of the fact it has been notoriously under powered since it’s debut, the Ranger has still been the best-selling compact truck for more than a dozen straight years. And with the changes Ford has made to the 2001 Ranger — including a potent new V6 — there’s no reason to believe that will change... (Full Article) |
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Redesigned GMC Yukon Denali
means riding luxurious and large
By Lary Coppola |
| Although GMC did a complete redesign its full-size Yukon SUV last year, the rework of its luxurious Denali model was shelved until 2001... (Full Article) |
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Hot new Nissan Altima sports a serious,
in-your-face attitude
By Lary Coppola |
| Nissan marketeers have seemingly talked forever about the two-vehicle strategy to defeat its rivals in the mid-size 4-door sedan category — Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Ford Taurus... (Full Article) |
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Chrysler to expand PT Cruiser lineup
Dream Cruiser and Woodie editions to debut |
| Chrysler will add two new offerings to its PT Cruiser lineup in 2002: the Chrysler PT Dream Cruiser Series 1 and the Chrysler PT Cruiser “Woodie” edition... (Full Article) |
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Uncle Olaf never had a Volvo like this!
New S60 is hot! AWD version on the way
By Lary Coppola |
| Volvo has worked hard in recent years to shed it’s stodgy image by redesigning its entire line of cars both visually and mechanically. In doing so, it has emerged as a more serious competitor to the likes of Audi, BMW, Lexus and Mercedes than it has ever been. Its new midrange S60 sedan is typical of the direction Volvo is heading — and consumers in big numbers have noticed... (Full Article) |
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Toyota Highlander: Mid-priced, mid-sized,
Lexus-like civilized four wheel drive
By Lary Coppola |
| If you fell in love the first time you saw the Lexus RX 300, sport utility, then saw the sticker and realized there wasn’t going to be one in your garage, here’s some good news. Now, there’s an affordable vehicle that could be termed a less expensive version of Lexus’ popular SUV — the new, 2001 Toyota Highlander... (Full Article) |
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Courtesy Ford named a “Top 500 Dealer” by Ward’s |
| Poulsbo’s Courtesy Ford, Inc. has earned the “Ward’s Dealer 500” distinction in the nation’s only annual dealership ranking, which is conducted by Ward’s Dealer Business magazine... (Full Article) |
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New AWD Jaguar X-Type looks like a winner
By Lary Coppola |
| There’s a new attitude at Jaguar — one that’s as aggressive as the styling of its cars — that has come about since Ford took over a decade ago. The new Jaguar X-Type epitomizes it in terms of quality, performance and of course, style... (Full Article) |
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2002 Lancer
Mitsubishi’s new small car raises the bar
By Lary Coppola |
| After years of dwelling near the bottom of the pack, producing vehicles that either simply didn’t measure up to the competition, or with the exception of a couple, didn’t quite catch the consumer’s fancy, Mitsubishi has finally gotten its act together... (Full Article) |
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Mercedes C-Class sports coupe to sell for $24,950 |
| When the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class sports coupe arrives in the U.S., this summer, the suggested retail price will be $24,950. Visually distinctive and different from both the C-Class sedan and the highly successful CLK-Class, the sporty two-door coupe... (Full Article) |
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MG Rover planning supercar for US market |
| MG Rover, the UK company sold by BMW last year, has disclosed plans to become the manufacturer of some of the fastest cars in the world as it positions itself as a rival to Porsche and possibly Ferrari... (Full Article) |
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Volkswagen to sell Internet-capable Golf |
| Volkswagen AG will launch a new Golf model that is its first mass-produced car with an Internet connection, the German auto giant has announced... (Full Article) |
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Toyota moves towards “greener’’ vehicles |
| Toyota has announced what is believed to be the world’s largest range of environmentally friendly “hybrid” vehicles. The company says it will have its new Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle — the FCHV-4, ready for commercial production in 2003... (Full Article) |
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Fox, Starke, sign on with Madison Ave. Garage |
| Bainbridge Island’s Madison Avenue Garage, a full service auto repair shop located in within walking distance of the ferry, recently welcomed two new employees to its downtown location at 499 Madison Avenue. Mark Fox has been hired as assistant manager/service writer, and Michael Starke as a technician. For more information, call (206) 842-4026. |
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Lexus LS 430 offers pure, refined,
total and complete luxury
By Lary Coppola |
| When Lexus debuted its LS 400 a decade ago, it was immediately viewed as an equal to the far more costly Mercedes-Benz, proving that the Japanese could build not only great economy cars, but a world-class luxury car as well... (Full Article) |
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2001 Chrysler Sebring
Coupe or ragtop, style is the operative word
By Lary Coppola |
| It seems that ever since the Daimler-Chrysler merger, except for the PT Cruiser, poor Chrysler has been the red-headed stepchild. Before Lee Iacocca brought the company back from the brink of bankruptcy, it had been years since above-average cars had come from Chrysler, and since then, with a few notable exceptions, there has only been a procession of wannabes... (Full Article) |
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Bay Ford shows its “Commitment to Kids” |
| More than 2,100 children are reported missing each day. Port Orchard’s Bay Ford wants to help reduce this number and help protect South Kitsap children by hosting a “Commitment to Kids” Safety ID Day... (Full Article) |
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Automakers team with AOL for portal |
| General Motors and DaimlerChrysler Corp. will be providing their 300,000 U.S. employees with low-cost Internet access through an alliance with America Online (AOL)... (Full Article) |
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Kelley Blue Book launches used car classifieds
Dealers can showcase used car inventory on popular site |
| Auto dealers can now showcase their used car inventory on the Internet’s most popular automotive site, kbb.com. The site, owned by Kelley Blue Book, has launched Blue Book Classifieds, an all-new used car section of kbb.com... (Full Article) |
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High-performance Subaru WRX... a wolf in sheep’s clothing
By Lary Coppola |
| Subaru has finally brought its Impreza WRX to market here in the U.S. And it’s about time. The all-wheel-drive WRX isn’t just your everyday turbocharged subcompact sedan — under its hood beats the heart of a high-performance car with roots in Subaru’s World Rally Championship experience... (Full Article) |
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Chevy’s new S-10 Crew Cab defines versatility
By Lary Coppola |
| Is it a work truck, a second car with a handy pickup bed, a “Country Cadillac” or what? That’s up to you — depending on what you need, want and how it’s outfitted. Chevrolet’s S-10 4X4 Crew Cab pickup can be all these things... (Full Article) |
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Mercedes to launch G-Class this Fall |
| Mercedes has announced it will launch a compact SUV that’s about the same size as its popular M-Class sport utility this Fall. The G-Class is hand-crafted at a special manufacturing facility in Graz, Austria... (Full Article) |
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Haselwood buys Chrysler Plymouth franchise
New dealership called Premier Chrysler Plymouth Jeep |
| The Haselwood family of car dealerships, known as the Haselwood Auto Group, just keeps growing. They recently bought the local Chrysler and Plymouth franchises from the Pearce family which owns Bremerton Chrysler Plymouth Dodge, which is now known simply as Bremerton Dodge... (Full Article) |
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GM launches women’s retail initiative |
| General Motors (GM) has launched the Women’s Retail Initiative, a program designed to attract more women into the firm’s retail organization as dealer owners and operators of its franchised dealerships... (Full Article) |
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