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Detroit 3 small cars lay an egg in latest Consumer Reports reliability study

Consumer Reports has released its Annual Auto Reliability Survey and the results are, in a word, interesting. While we already covered the score-damaging effects of infotainment systems, there's another big angle to the data that's getting some attention - the utterly dismal scores of the Detroit Three's small car offerings.
The turbocharged Dodge Dart and Chevrolet Cruze, as well as the Ford Fiesta were their respective brands' lowest-scoring models, a stat that's made worse by the fact that the American automakers finished 25th, 21st and 23rd, respectively.
That's not acceptable for The Detroit Free Press' auto critic, Mark Phelan, who has penned a scathing critique of the D3's small car reliability scores, arguing that GM, Ford and Chrysler are "out of excuses."

Special Dodge Challengers get Hellcat bits to celebrate Mopar's 80th birthday

This year, Mopar is celebrating its 80th anniversary, and it's doing so in two-tone style with this very limited edition Dodge Challenger. Only 160 of these Challengers will be built, with 80 in each paint scheme. Buyers can choose between either Billet Silver or the slightly painful sounding Contusion Blue, each of which gets a hand-painted Pitch Black top half. These Challengers are based on the existing 392 Shaker package, but come with an array of upgrades and tweaks. In addition to the custom two-tone paint, the shaker scoop and rear spoiler are painted in the same color, rather than the usual matte black. The cars come with 20-inch wheels and hand-painted 392 logos on the fenders. The 392 cu. in., or 6.4-liter if you prefer, engine produces the same 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque as its normal counterpart. This Mopar Challenger will have more access to cold air, though, since it has both the shaker scoop and the headlamp intake from the Challenger Hellcat. At the back, there's also exhaust tips borrowed from the most hellish of Challengers. Or at least the most hellish, so far. View 14 Photos Inside, the changes are more minor. Performance seats are added with embroidered Mopar logos in the backrests. The seats and other trim also feature a silver-colored Tungsten stitching. Naturally, a serial number badge makes an appearance inside, too. Owners will also receive a little box of goodies including a booklet, signed rendering, keychain, additional badge, and a certificate showing the date of manufacture. The overall package is rather attractive, but it isn't cheap. To own one of the few Mopar Challengers, you'll have to fork over $56,885. That's a significant premium over the 392 Scat Pack Shaker, which starts at just $44,890 and makes just as much power. You'll also be able to get a 392 Scat Pack Shaker right away, while the Mopar special edition won't be out until spring. Plus, you may not get it until summer because the hand-painting process takes some time. Of course, for some people, the cost and the wait are worth the exclusivity. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2014 Dodge Durango Ron Burgundy ads already have 2.7M views [w/videos]

The guy who once made the Dodge Stratus a punchline of sorts is now a spokesman for the 2014 Dodge Durango, and the move appears to be paying off handsomely for Dodge. Will Ferrell, acting as 1970s-era TV news personality Ron Burgundy, has teamed up with the automaker for co-branded advertisements between the refreshed 2014 Durango and Ferrell's new movie, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Like Ferrell's fictional character, the ads are outrageous, flamboyant and a bit random. They're also successful: Automotive News says that more than 2.7 million people have already watched the videos since they debuted on October 5.
Those views are similar to the numbers that AN's top viral video of the year (e.g. Volkswagen's "Get Happy" Super Bowl ad) received, but there will eventually be as many as 70 videos comprising the Burgundy-Durango spots. According to the report, the videos were created primarily as a viral campaign online, although some are airing on television, too. For Dodge's part, the cost of the videos was significantly lower than a usual television campaign thanks to the fact that Ferrell wasn't paid for the spots since they were made in cooperation with promotional efforts for his new movie.
We've already posted a few of the videos in our previous post, but scroll down for several more - and head over to Adweek for a little added background on how these spots came to be.