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Pontiac G8 GT: No longer most powerful car under $30K
Written by paul on June 19th, 2008 with
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Filed under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Pontiac
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
If you like horsepower, speed and a usable back seat, the Pontiac G8 GT was a great deal with an MSRP of $29,995. In fact, Pontiac advertised the 2008 model as just such a bargain: “Most powerful car starting under $30K,” which is riding the line pretty close.
But the company will have to ditch that ad campaign with the 2009 model as prices for a G8 GT will now begin at $31,360, or some $1,365 more than the previous year. Some of the cost is due to more standard luxuries like XM Radio, but at least part of the increase can be blamed on those familiar culprits of a weak U.S. dollar and rise in material costs. Still, we would’ve thought some of the car’s cost was trimmed by ditching the oversized auxiliary gauges for the car’s battery charge and oil pressure. Guess not.
[Source: GM Inside News via Motor Authority]
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Signs of Bad Customer Service
Whether you’re buying a new car or shopping for clothes, sooner or later you’ll come across a sales representative with horrible customer service. Bad customer service is common. However, rather than get mad and lash out, it’s best to keep your cool.
Here are four signs of bad customer service skills.
1. You Aren’t Acknowledged: Have you ever walked into a retail store and been completely ignored by the salespeople? I understand that it gets hectic at times, and salespeople can’t respond to everyone. On the other hand, if you’re the only person in the store, and you don’t receive a greeting within the first minute, this is bad customer service.
2. Rude Employees: If you ask a question, and the salespeople give an ‘I don’t want to be bothered look,’ this is also bad customer service. True, they might have had a bad day. However, if you choose a career in customer service, you’ve got to learn how to maintain a happy face. This doesn’t have to involve engaging in an extended conversation with customers. It only takes a second to offer a friendly greeting or address a concern.
Volkswagen prices 2009 Jetta TDI from $21,990
Filed under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Green, Volkswagen
Volkswagen revealed today that $21,990 will be the base price for its highly anticipated 2009 Jetta TDI, while the Sportwagen model will start at $23,590. This is extremely aggressive pricing on the part of Volkswagen that places the Jetta TDI in direct competition with the Toyota Prius, as eco-minded shoppers will surely cross-shop the two.
The TDI model will be the equivalent of the SE trim level for gas-powered Jettas. A 2009 Jetta SE 2.5L manual sedan starts at $19,990, which tells us that the high-tech, 50-state-compliant clean diesel engine is worth about a $2,000 premium. The Jetta TDI will, however, be available with either a manual or DSG transmission.
The EPA recently rated the 2009 Jetta TDI at 30 mpg city and 41 mpg highway, which were disappointing numbers for Volkswagen. It has since hired an independent, third-party certifier, AMCI, to ascertain what it refers to as the Jetta’s “true fuel economy”. AMCI came back with a better rating (surprise!) of 38 mpg city and 44 mpg highway. Whether or not you think it’s fair for Volkswagen to go around the EPA in search of a higher fuel economy rating, we were just as surprised at how low the EPA numbers were. We’re eager to get one in the Autoblog Garage ASAP for a review so we can test its “true fuel economy” for ourselves.
[Source: VW]
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2009 Dodge Challenger will start at $21,995
Filed under: Car Buying, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Chrysler, Dodge
click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Dodge Challenger SE and R/T
Back in April we reported a top Chrysler executive had leaked to The Detroit Free Press that the 2009 Dodge Challenger SE would start at $23,995. Apparently this executive is not very much in the loop, as Dodge officially announced today that the base model Challenger SE would start at just $21,995, which includes $675 for destination charges. Just to refresh your noodle, the Challenger SE is the base model and comes with a 3.5L V6 producing 250 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. And for comparison’s sake, a 2008 Ford Mustang V6 starts at $19,650, though that’s excluding destination charges. The next best Challenger is the R/T model, which Dodge says can be had with a 370-hp 5.7L HEMI V8 starting at $29,995. Finally, the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 that’s already been on sale for a year will get a hefty $2,000 bump in its starting price from $37,995 to $39,995. The only new items on the SRT8 for 2009 are a standard limited-slip differential, High Performance Red and B5 Blue paint colors with black hood stripes, and a “pistol-grip” shifter with the Track Pak. Otherwise, the 425-hp muscle car remains largely the same. Does the $2,000 jump in price matter much, though, if you’ll never be able to buy the car without a big dealer markup? Regardless, all three models will be available this fall and dealers are already taking orders.
Gallery: 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T and SE
[Source: Chrysler]
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