Tag Archives: Acura RDX

WardsAuto Announces 10 Best Interiors of 2013

Yesterday, WardsAuto announced the winners of their 10 Best Interiors of 2013, one of the year’s most highly anticipated awards, and surprisingly no single automaker walked away with a majority of the list.

Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors Co took home the most awards with 2 spots each, and the rest of the spots went to vehicles from Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, and Chrysler.

In a press release from WardsAuto, WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter spoke about the importance of a vehicle’s interior and how they are “vital” in winning over drivers’ “hearts and minds.”

“It wasn’t uncommon all that long ago for auto makers to view interiors as the best place to take cost out of a vehicle program,” explained Winter. “They eventually figured out that’s a big mistake because people spend a lot more time looking at the inside of their vehicle than outside.

The winners are as follows, in alphabetical order:

Acura RDX (Honda Motor Co. Ltd.)
Cadillac XTS (General Motors Co.)
Chevrolet Spark (General Motors Co.)
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.)
Kia Forte (Kia Motors Corp.)
Lexus GS 450h (Toyota Motor Corp.)
Mazda6 (Mazda Motor Corp.)
Nissan Pathfinder (Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.)
Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn (Chrysler Group LLC)
Toyota Avalon (Toyota Motor Corp)

Winners will be honored at a ceremony during the WardsAuto Interiors Conference on May 22 in Dearborn, MI.

Readers, we want to hear from you! What do you think of the 2013 winners? Are you happy with the list, or did you notice any snubs? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used vehicle today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Buying a Car By Horoscope – Not a Great Idea

Sometimes on a slow news day, news sites like to trot out silly fluff pieces like “How Clean Is Your Purse?” and “What Your Toothpaste Brand Says About Your Love Life.” We at Approved Loan Store had a good laugh, though, when we saw this headline, “Follow Your Zodiac Sign and Buy the Perfect Car in 2013.” This is not a joke. Someone actually wrote an article about buying a car based on your zodiac sign.

What do they recommend? Well, Aries gets the 2013 Dodge Challenger. Taurus will go for the 2013 Ford Flex. Gemini will jump for the 2013 Acura ILX. Cancer will prefer the 2013 Mazda CX-5. Leo, having a “flashy personality,” will pick up the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado. Virgo will take the reliable 2013 Toyota Corolla. The 2013 Volkswagen CC will catch Libra’s eye. Scorpio will spring for a 2013 Infiniti M37. Sagittarius will look for fuel efficiency and choose the 2013 Acura RDX. Capricorns will have a tendency towards the 2013 Lexus GS450h, and finally, Aquarius will pick up a 2013 Hyundai Elantra.

Now, I enjoy reading my horoscope in the paper. I don’t put much stock in it, but they can sometimes remind me to take things easier or to appreciate my friends or family. The notion that someone would base their car buying decision on a horoscope, though, is kind of ridiculous.

At Approved Loan Store, we don’t base how we do our business on horoscopes but on years of experience in auto financing. We work with customers who have stellar credit, no credit, and poor credit alike and use every available option to get them the car they want at terms they can afford. No need to check your horoscope, we are ready to help you!

Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and get the latest auto news and buying tips by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Auto Loan: Finalists Announced for 2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year

This morning, the top 3 finalists for the 20th annual North American Car of the Year and Truck/Utility of the Year were announced at a luncheon for the Automotive Press Association. Contenders for Car of the Year will be the Cadillac ATS, Ford Fusion, and Honda Accord, and contenders for Truck/Utility of the Year will be the Ford C-Max, Mazda CX-5, and Ram 1500.

Finalists for both awards were voted on by 49 American and Canadian automotive journalists. 11 cars and 10 trucks/utilities made the short list of nominees. The Dodge Dart, BMW 3 Series, and Nissan Altima were among the cars that didn’t quite make the cut. On the truck/utility side, the Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Nissan Pathfinder didn’t make the top 3.

Here are the complete nominee lists for the 2013 North American Car of the Year and Truck/Utility of the Year Award.

2013 North American Car of the Year

BMW 3 Series
Cadillac ATS – FINALIST
Chevrolet Malibu
Dodge Dart
Ford Fusion – FINALIST
Honda Accord – FINALIST
Lincoln MKZ
Nissan Altima
Scion FR-S
Subaru BRZ
Toyota Avalon

2013 North American Truck/Utility of the Year

Acura RDX
Audi Allroad
BMX X1
Ford C-Max – FINALIST
Ford Escape
Hyundai Santa Fe
Infiniti JX35
Mazda CX-5 – FINALIST
Nissan Pathfinder
Ram 1500 – FINALIST

Both winners will be announced on January 14th as part of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Last year’s winners were the Hyundai Elantra and the Land Rover Range Rover.

Readers, we want to hear from you! Who do you think will win Car and Truck/Utility of the Year? Do you disagree with the top 3? Leave a comment below, and tell us what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used car, truck, or utility vehicle? Approved Loan Store can help! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get you the car you want at terms you can afford! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and get the latest auto news and buying tips by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Used Car Financing: ALG Announces Residual Value Award Winners

Earlier this week, ALG announced the winners of its 14th Annual Residual Value Awards which honors vehicles that are projected to retain the highest percentage of MSRP after a three-year period. Top honors for Mainstream and Premium brands went to Honda and Acura, but the big winner of the year was Toyota with six awards.

Toyota took home six segment awards for the Toyota Prius c, Toyota FJ Cruiser, Toyota Sequoia, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra, and Toyota Land Cruiser. Interestingly enough, though, Toyota only ranked sixth on the Mainstream Brand rankings after Mazda, Subaru, Scion, Hyundai, and Honda.

Here is a complete breakdown of the awards results and the top 10 brand rankings for Mainstream and Premium Brands.

Segment Awards

Sub Compact Car – Honda Fit
Compact Car – Hyunda Elantra
Midsize Car – Honda Accord
Fullsize Car – Hyundai Azera
Sports Car – Scion FR-S
Alt-Fuel Vehicle – Toyota Prius c
Minivan – Honda Odyssey
Sub Compact Utility Vehicle – MINI Cooper Countryman
Compact Utility Vehicle – Toyota FJ Cruiser
Midsize Utility Vehicle – Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
Fullsize Utility Vehicle – Toyota Sequoia
Midsize Pickup – Toyota Tacoma
Fullsize Pickup – Toyota Tundra
Premium Compact Car – MINI Cooper
Premium Midsize Car – Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Premium Fullsize Car – Lexus GS 350
Premium Executive – Lexus LS 460
Premium Sports Car – Porsche 911 Carrera
Premium Alt-Fuel Vehicle – Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTEC
Premium Compact Utility Vehicle – Acura RDX
Premium Midsize Utility Vehicle – Audi Q7
Premium Fullsize Utility Vehicle – Toyota Land Cruiser

Top 10 Mainstream Brands

Honda
Hyundai
Scion
Subaru
Mazda
Toyota
Nissan
Kia
Volkswagen
Mitsubishi

Top 10 Premium Brands

Acura
Infiniti
Audi
Lexus
Mercedes-Benz
BMW
Cadillac
Porsche
Volvo
Lincoln

Readers, we want to hear from you! Are you surprised by the awards and ranking results? Which cars would you have picked for the segment awards? Leave a comment below, and tell us what you think!

Are you looking to get into a reliable new or used car? Approved Loan Store can help! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get you a car you want at terms you can afford! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and get more car news and buying tips by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!