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Mercedes, Infiniti, Lexus rank tops with mystery shoppers

If you want the best experience possible when buying a new car, then you'd better head down to your local Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti, or Lexus showroom. According a mystery shopper study conducted by the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, those three luxury brands ranked highest among the 33 makes surveyed. The highest scoring mainstream brands included GMC, Hyundai, Kia, and Ford.
The study asked 5,203 mystery shoppers about the tactics used by salespeople during their most recent automotive purchases, and found a few interesting parallels along the way. For example, dealers at Infiniti, Land Rover, and Smart leaned heavily on vehicle walk-arounds with potential customers, while Jaguar, Volvo, and Audi were quick to point out exclusive features.
This study contrasts with a similar study conducted by JD Power in 2012. Its Sales Satisfaction Survey listed Mini as the top scorer, while Pied Piper's mystery shoppers ranked the BMW-owned brand below the industry average. Lexus scored highly on both surveys, as did Infiniti and GMC.

Recharge Wrap-up: Formula E gets more power, Tesla outsells competition

Tesla sold significantly more electric vehicles than its competitors in 2015. Tesla delivered 50,580 vehicles in 2015. 208 of those were its new Model X SUV, and likely half of its Model S units were sold in the US. By comparison, Nissan sold 17,269 Leafs. For General Motors, through the end of November, Cadillac sold 1,024 ELRs, while Chevrolet sold 15,393 Volts and 2,477 Spark EVs. Ford sold similar numbers of its plug-in vehicles in 2015, compared to Nissan and GM, putting each of those automakers between 17,000 and 19,000 EVs. By comparison, Tesla had quite a year. Read more at Teslarati. Lexus is teasing an "unprecedented" world premiere at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. The automaker is rumored to debut its LC 500, powered by a 465-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8, as well as the LC 500h using a hybrid powertrain consisting of a V6 engine and electric motor. The LC 500h is rumored to produce over 470 horsepower. The Lexus LC will be based on the LF-LC concept that debuted in Detroit in 2012. Lexus has set up a dedicated microsite for its presentation at the Detroit show on January 11. Read more from Hybrid Cars. Formula E will raise its power limit for its third season. According to the newly published FIA Formula E 2016 Technical Regulations, output will be boosted from a maximum 200 kW (268 horsepower) to 250 kW (335 horsepower). While race energy will still be limited to 28 kWh, the battery weight limit has been raised from 200 kilograms (441 pounds) to 230 kilograms (507 pounds), likely to help accommodate the higher output. Meanwhile, overall car weight drops from 888 kilograms (1958 pounds) to 880 kilograms (1940 pounds). Lighter, more powerful cars should make the next season of Formula E even more exciting. Read more at Current E. Related Gallery Lexus LF-LC Concept: Detroit 2012 View 11 Photos News Source: Telsarati, Hybrid Cars, Lexus, Current E, FIA Formula EImage Credit: Formula E Green Motorsports Detroit Auto Show Lexus Tesla Electric Hybrid recharge wrapup

Lexus teases new F Sport engine cover

Lexus has teased a new F Sport model by revealing just the engine cover. It could point to a new performance version of the 2021 Lexus IS, and a potential successor to the dearly departed IS F. The image was obtained by Lexus Enthusiast, which pointed out that the carbon-fiber pattern cover is exactly the same shape as the one found shrouding the 5.0-liter V8 that powers the GS F and RC F. Good for 467 horsepower and 389 lb-ft of torque and a symphonic revving sound, the 2UR-GSE has traditionally been the heart of Lexus's F performance line. The teased cover, however, shows an "F Sport" badge where the GS F and RC F's "F" badge once resided. That implies a car with stiffer sport suspension along with some of the styling of a full-blown F model, but not the full stable of horses under the hood. Recently, Best Car magazine reported that Lexus was about to come out with a trio of F models. We think this engine cover is unlikely to preview an LC F, as the LC 500 is already powered by the 2UR-GSE, and wears a completely different engine cover. Also, an LC F would likely be turbocharged and thus don a different cover altogether. While it's possible that Lexus would drop the more powerful 2UR-GSE into the LS to give it a 73-horsepower bump over its current 394, that would imply an LS F model, not a simple F Sport. And besides, the LS already has an F Sport variant. The Best Car report also indicated that the LS F in the works, if it happens at all — and that's a big "if" — would be propelled by a twin-turbo V8.  That leaves the new IS, which in its most powerful guise has a 3.5-liter V6 generating 311 horses and 280 lb-ft of torque. It's possible that rather the teased engine cover is foreshadowing an IS 500, a conclusion that Lexus Enthusiast also draws, albeit with slightly different reasoning. An IS 500 would be one way for Lexus to squeeze as much use out of its marvelous 2UR-GSE before the V8 goes the way of the dodo, but without having to develop an all-out F model. The original IS F had, among other things, wider body panels, six-pot front brake calipers with cross-drilled rotors, and a Torsen LSD. By not calling an IS F, Lexus could be lowering expectations for enthusiasts of the original who would expect those performance features. Or, if the V8 gods are listening, perhaps Lexus is saving the true F badge for an IS with the rumored twin-turbo powering the LC F. One can hope, right? Related Video: