2011 Hyundai Sonata
The Hyundai Sonata gains all new styling, new engines, and a thorough re-working nose to tail for the latest model year. The result is Hyundai's most competitive Camry-Accord-Malibu-Fusion fighter yet.
Styled at Hyundai's Irvine, California, studio, the Sonata is a fresh design that takes a few subtle cues from the Subaru Legacy and Volkswagen CC.
Slightly larger than the existing Sonata, the new car feels substantially roomier inside. Special attention has been paid to materials and design, which is substantially more upmarket than before.
Underhood, the Theta II gasoline direct-injection 2.4-liter four puts out 198 horsepower (bumped up to an even 200 ponies on the sportier SE trim level) and 184 lb-ft. of torque yet delivers an estimated class-leading 35 mpg on the highway with the optional six-speed automatic transmission (a six-speed manual is standard on the base GLS). Regardless of transmission, the Sonata is expected to be rated at 23 mpg in the city, but the manual will be rated at 34 mpg on the highway.
The 16-valve four-cylinder features continuously variable valve timing and variable induction and Hyundai says that some markets will get a PZEV variant. Unlike the outgoing model, Hyundai says it does not plan to offer a six-cylinder powertrain -- but Hyundai does offer both a 2.0-liter Turbo model and a hybrid model.
Hyundai will offer the all-new Sonata in three trim levels, each offering a handful of optional equipment packages. For $750, the GLS automatic can be optioned with the Popular Equipment Package, which adds 16-inch alloy wheels, a power driver's seat with adjustable lumbar, upgraded interior trim and automatic head lamps. Another $950 adds a navigation system and premium audio upgrade.
The GLS gives way to the SE, which adds a middling two horsepower but also 18-inch alloy wheels, unique dark chrome exterior touches, fog lights, dual exhaust, a sport-tuned suspension and steering combination, proximity entry with push-button start and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob. The SE comes only with the automatic and starts at $22,595. An extra $2,600 adds a moonroof, navigation and premium audio.
From there, the Limited adds leather seats, dual zone automatic climate control, automatic-dimming mirror with compass, CD changer, HD radio, upgraded audio, 17-inch alloy wheels, moonroof, exterior mirror-mounted turn signals, upgraded interior trim and rear seat vents. The Limited comes with the standard 198-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder and starts at $25,295. Another $2,100 adds a package that includes navigation, a rear backup camera and Infinity-branded speakers.
Hyundai is especially proud of the trio of audio systems tailored to the all-new Sonata. GLS and SE models get an AM/FM/CD player with six speakers and XM capability, but they will offer a Dimension-branded premium system with a touch-screen navigation. Limited models come standard with the Dimension audio system and a CD changer but offer a 400-watt Infinity audio system.
Click here to find an Hyundai for you.
Hunger Action Month
For every additional Facebook fan Hall Automotive gets to ‘Like’ the fan page in the month of September, we will donate 1 canned good per fan to help “Feed the Hungry” to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.
Just Click To Help – It’s Free & Easy:
Simply, click the ‘Suggest to Friends’ link below the Hall profile picture on the Facebook Fan Page and start inviting your friends and family to become a fan/’Like’ our page. The more fans we get, the more can we donate. Fan Page link: http://www.facebook.com/HallAutomotive
The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia is part of a national movement to raise awareness and take action to fight hunger in America through the 30 Days campaign. Individuals are asked to take the “MY WAY PLEDGE” located at the Hall Chrysler Jeep Dodge Virginia Beach dealership or on the Foodbank’s website, www.foodbankonline.org, committing to participate in the struggle for domestic food security. Throughout the Feeding America network, the food bank with the most pledges will win a truckload of food for our local community. You can also drop off any canned goods you wish to donate at the Hall Chrysler Jeep Dodge Virginia Beach dealership.
More than 380,000 individuals in our community suffer from food insecurity. Its impact is felt by many more than those living with hunger. Food insecurity impacts child development, health and wellness, education, workforce develeopment – our general welfare as a nation.
Car Colors: They’re More Than Skin Deep
What your car’s paintjob says about you—and can it get you ticketed?
By Nick Kurczewski
Henry Ford certainly made things easy when he stipulated that customers for his rugged Model T could have any color they wanted, so long as it was black. Today’s car buyer faces a vastly more complicated decision-making process when choosing the paintjob for his or her new vehicle.
2011 Ford Fiesta There’s no way of knowing whether Mr. Ford would have approved of the eight colors currently available with the 2011 Fiesta SE subcompact sedan. Our guess is “Tuxedo Black” might have won his approval—although “Lime Squeeze Metallic” would probably have cost someone his job.
Things only get more complex the higher up the automotive food chain you go. The $330,000 Bentley Mulsanne luxury sedan is available in more than 100 exterior shades. Customers can also order a customized color, should they so desire. During this year’s New York Auto Show, a Bentley representative described the company’s recent efforts to color-match everything from 1950s kitchenware to gowns worn by royalty.
We’re here to present today’s most popular car colors, some dos and don’ts when it comes to choosing a paintjob, and a peek at the hottest colors coming in the future. Along the way—aided by science and industry experts – we’ll attempt to debunk a few common myths related to car color.
Can you be charged higher insurance rates for a car with a bright paintjob? Do police really prefer ticketing red cars? Keep reading to find out…
What are the most popular car colors?
“The most popular color in North America for the past three years is white,” says Nancy Lockhart, Color Marketing Manager for DuPont Vehicle Paints. “We’ve also seen that, globally, black has gained in popularity.” Lockhart credits growing consumer interest in metallic and pearl-coat finishes with boosting the appeal of these two colors.
According to DuPont’s annual “Color Popularity Report,” silver remains the most popular choice worldwide. However, more shocking colors are making inroads. “We’re seeing a rise in purple globally,” says Lockhart. “Orange has also been a color space that has really taken notice the last five years.”
2010 Dodge Challenger R/T Classic Furious Fuchsia and Dodge Challenger SRT8 Furious Fuchsia Emerging markets like China and India will soon influence car color palettes here in North America. Michelle Killen, Exterior Color Designer for General Motors, predicts a distinctly rose-tinted future. “A trend that is starting to make its way here from China is the use of "pink" or "fuchsia," says Killen. “You are going to start seeing this used more in North American and European markets.”
Killen says she relies on “everything” when studying the next must-have colors. “I use fashion for the "what's hot right now" and for longer term or further into the future I like to use trend sites.” Furniture, product design and architecture all influence the colors GM offers, says Killen. “We are still seeing orange as a "hot" color space. Orange has really become a staple in exterior paint design.”
Can color add or detract from a car’s value?
The simple answer is yes, especially if you plan on holding onto your car long enough for it to attain classic status. “Everybody talks about Resale Red,” says Mike Fairbairn, a founding partner at RM Auctions Inc. Red is perennially popular with buyers but, according to Fairbairn, not all colors are so lucky. “The other conventional wisdom is that you can’t sell green.”
2003 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph Fairbairn advises owners—specifically those in the classic car world—to think carefully when choosing a color. “Choose a period color that people would consider iconic for that model.” A color should also apply to the type of car, with darker hues working well with formal luxury vehicles like a vintage Rolls-Royce.
For some makes and models, color can add enormous value. When it comes to 1960s-era muscle cars, Fairbairn says the whole vehicle is valued according to what color it was when it left the factory. “God help you if it was hideous green,” says Fairbairn with a chuckle. Whether the owner likes it or not, the car is more valuable in an unattractive but entirely original color scheme.
Fairbairn explains that buyers of certain classic Chrysler muscle cars, for example, will pay up to “one third more” for cars finished in wacky period colors like “Plum Crazy” purple. No wonder Chrysler brought back some of these lurid hues for its modern lineup of vehicles, including the Challenger coupe.
1970 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda 2D (Color: Plum Crazy) “Chrysler understands that there’s a strong emotional bond drivers can have with their cars, and color takes that feeling and personalizes it,” says Jim Parker, Head of Chrysler’s Exterior Color & Trim Studio. “Think about it; the color of a car can really make or break a great design.”
“When we developed the new Challenger tribute colors, we went back in our archives and found the original color standards that were developed in the late-60s for these wild colors,” says Parker. These Challenger tribute colors have included “TorRed,” “B5 Blue” and, of course, “Plum Crazy.”
“We're topping off the 2010 model year now by introducing a limited run of new Furious Fuchsia, a tribute to the outrageous 70’s color Panther Pink,” says Parker.
Do certain colors attract police?
In today’s era of radar and laser detectors—not to mention soulless speed cameras—the easy answer is no. Most police officers will explain that if you’re speeding, you’re going to be pulled over no matter the color of your car. But could law enforcement subconsciously be focusing on brighter colors, and red in particular?
2010 Ferari 458 Italia (Photo by John Lamm) They might be, at least based on research conducted by Dr. Mark Changizi, professor of Human Cognition at 2AI Labs. An evolutionary neurobiologist, Changizi’s online biography details his studies as a means to “grasp the ultimate foundations underlying why we think, feel and see as we do.”
According to his studies of primates, our eyes have evolved to detect subtle changes in blood oxygenation. In layman’s terms: we notice pigment changes when, for example, someone turns red with anger or pale with fright. “It’s all about emotions,” says Changizi. “Our eyes are designed to see these color changes.” Primates with less fur on their face and rump (such as baboons and chimps) can detect these pigment shifts.
Different emotional states depend on how oxygenated your blood is. “Red is a symbol of strength physiologically,” says Changizi, while mentioning recent studies that have proven wearing red sportswear leads to a higher probability of winning. Changizi says cultural factors also play an important role. Think about a red car, and chances are good a low-slung Ferrari or Corvette springs to mind.
Millions of years of evolution, along with some clever marketing, means that brighter colors (especially reds) could simply be hard-wired in our minds as being powerful, fast and strong. Just don’t try to wiggle your way out of a speeding ticket by telling a cop he was genetically programmed to ticket your little red sports car.
Do insurance companies charge higher rates for bright colors?
It sounds silly, but the idea of paying higher insurance rates for a brightly colored car has been around for years. Let’s finally put it to rest. It’s not true and, according to insurance industry experts, it never has been.
“I’ve never heard of a company that does” charge more for a certain color, says Jeanne Salvatore, Senior Vice President Public Affairs at the Insurance Information Institute. “They’re looking at theft records and safety records…make and model, and expense to repair.”
“It’s a myth,” says Luz Correa, Public Affairs Specialist for State Farm Insurance in Metro New York. “[Car color] is not something that goes into a rate.”
At the beginning of the 21st century Chincoteague Island contains the world's only what?
Crab Museum
Oyster Museum
Jellyfish Museum
Turtle Museum
See answer under Car Doctor.
Air Pressure - Correct, Underinflated and Overinflated
Advantages of Correct Tire Inflation
Maintaining correct tire inflation pressure helps optimize tire performance and fuel economy. Correct tire inflation pressure allows drivers to experience tire comfort, durability and performance designed to match the needs of their vehicles. Tire deflection (the tread and sidewall flexing where the tread comes into contact with the road) will remain as originally designed and excessive sidewall flexing and tread squirm will be avoided. Heat buildup will be managed and rolling resistance will be appropriate. Proper tire inflation pressure also stabilizes the tire's structure, blending the tire's responsiveness, traction and handling.
Can you easily identify which tire is 30% underinflated? Here is what they would look like in the morning parked in your garage.
Tough to tell; isn't it? Tire pressure must be checked with a quality air gauge as the inflation pressure cannot be accurately estimated through visual inspection.
Disadvantages of Underinflation
An underinflated tire can't maintain its shape and becomes flatter than intended while in contact with the road. If a vehicle's tires are underinflated by only 6 psi it could weaken the tire's internal structure and eventually lead to tire failure. Lower inflation pressures will allow more deflection as the tire rolls. This will build up more internal heat, increase rolling resistance (causing a reduction in fuel economy of up to 5%) and reduce the tire's tread life by as much as 25% while increasing the probability of irregular treadwear. Drivers would also find a noteworthy loss of steering precision and cornering stability. While 6 psi doesn't seem excessively low, it typically represents about 20% of a passenger car tire's recommended pressure.
Disadvantages of Overinflation
An overinflated tire is stiff and unyielding and the size of its footprint in contact with the road is reduced. If a vehicle's tires are overinflated by 6 psi, they could be damaged more easily when encountering potholes or debris in the road, as well as experience irregular tread wear. Higher inflated tires cannot isolate road irregularities as well causing the vehicle to ride harsher and transmit more noise into its interior. However, higher inflation pressures reduce rolling resistance slightly and typically provide a slight improvement in steering response and cornering stability. This is why participants who use street tires in autocrosses, track events and road races run higher than normal inflation pressures.
Make sure that your automobile is up to date on its service schedule.
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Oyster Museum
