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Half of Chinese car buyers won't shop Japanese over hard feelings

The hard feelings between China and Japan is no real secret. Besides modern-day disputes, the two countries have had a long-running enmity that dates back to well before the atrocities of World War II. All things considered, then, it shouldn't be a shock that half of Chinese car buyers wouldn't consider a Japanese car. This survey, conducted by Bernstein Research, found that 51 percent of 40,000 Chinese consumers wouldn't even consider a Japanese car – which, again, isn't really surprising, when you consider stories like this. According to Bernstein, the most troubling thing is the location of these sentiments – smaller, growing cities where the population is going to need sets of wheels. We imagine it wouldn't be as big of an issue in traffic-clogged Shanghai or Beijing, but these small cities are going to become a major focus for automakers. "Nationalistic feelings are an impediment. [Japanese] premium brands will struggle," analyst Max Warburton wrote in a research note, according to The Wall Street Journal. Things will improve for Japanese makes, although China will remain a challenge, with Warburton writing, "the one thing that comes out most clearly is that most Chinese really want a German car. While we expect Japanese brands to continue to recover market share this year, ultimately the market will belong to the Germans." There are a few other insights from the study. According to WSJ, Japanese brands are viewed better than Korean brands, and they're seen as more comfortable than the offerings from Germany or the US, despite the fact that everyone in China apparently wants a German car. This is a tough position for the Japanese makes to be in, as there's really not a lot they can do to win favor with Chinese buyers. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, particularly as the importance of the PRC continues to increase year after year. News Source: The Wall Street Journal - sub. req.Image Credit: Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP / Getty Images Honda Mazda Nissan Toyota Car Buying

Total auto recalls already on record pace in 2014

If you've noticed that there have been more recalls than usual this year, you may be on to something. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US market is on pace to break a record for recalls. In 2013, 22 million cars were recalled. We're only a third of the way through 2014, though, and we've already halved that figure, with 11 million units recalled. That's wild.
Considering the past few months, it shouldn't be a surprise that General Motors is leading the charge, with six million of the 11 million units recalled coming from one of the General's four brands. Between truck recalls, CUV recalls and the ignition switch recall, 2014 hasn't been a great year for GM.
Other recall leaders include Nissan (one million Sentra and Altima sedans), Honda (900,000 Odyssey minivans), Toyota (over one million units in a few recalls), Volkswagen (150,000 Passat sedans), Chrysler (644,000 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs) and most recently, Ford (434,000 units, the bulk of which were early Ford Escape CUVs). So while it's been a bad year for GM so far, its competitors aren't doing too well, either.

Honda bundles up CR-V Special Edition with optional extras

The 2016 Honda CR-V Special Edition is based on the LX trim level, but packs a bunch of extra equipment. It gets 17-inch alloys, a two-tone paint job, tinted rear windows, and a security system. That's about the sum total of what makes this special edition special, but then Honda isn't asking much of a premium for it. The new Special Edition trim slots in between the base LX and the higher-level EX – and below the top-spec EX-L and Touring models. It'll be available in either front- or all-wheel-drive configurations, with prices starting at $24,395 for the former and $25,695 for the latter. That's the MSRP without taxes, registration, or the $880 destination charge. What that boils down to is a modest $800 premium over the base model, which doesn't strike us as a whole lot to ask for the extra equipment – never mind the "special edition" handle. Perhaps most telling, though, is that Honda hasn't released any specific photos for the CR-V Special Edition. It has, however, given us a fresh batch of the 2016 model altogether. And you can check it out in the gallery above, along with the details in the press release below. AMERICA'S BEST SELLING SUV CONTINUES MARKET LEADERSHIP WITH INTRODUCTION OF NEW SPECIAL EDITION 2016 HONDA CR-V Coming off a year of record sales and numerous industry accolades, the exceptionally well received Honda CR-V returns for 2016 with a Special Edition trim offering exterior and security upgrades over LX Oct 6, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. -- After a major refresh for 2015 that brought a new powertrain, significantly enhanced exterior and interior styling and a long list of new standard and available features, the 2016 Honda CR-V returns with a new Special Edition (SE) trim and a lineup with a starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $23,595.1 The new Special Edition CR-V is positioned above the LX trim by adding larger 17-inch alloy wheels with an exclusive two tone finish, second-row and rear privacy glass, and security system. With only an $800 premium over the LX, the SE represents a high-value proposition for the premium look and additional feature content. In addition to the highly prestigious Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year honor, the refreshed 2015 CR-V garnered numerous industry accolades. These include: - 2015 ALG Residual Value Award: Best Compact Utility - 2015 Kelly Blue Book Best Buy: Small SUV/Crossover - Kelly Blue Book 2015 Top 10 Best Resale Value award - U.S.