Consumer Reports’ top pick of 2012

Pickup truck: Chevrolet Avalanche
The Avalanche provides the best combination of utility and versatility of any pickup we’ve tested. Its unified bed and cab help give it a steady, comfortable ride, and the cabin is quiet. The innovative partition in the rear of the cab can be folded down, so longer cargo can extend into the back of the cab. A three-piece bed cover provides a weather-tight and lockable cargo area. We recommend getting the optional backup camera to compensate for the large rear blind zone.
Price: $47,435

Media Source:

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/consumer-reports–top-picks-of-2012.html?page=9

http://www.jackmaxton.com/inventory.cfm?viewnewused=new&reset=true

Fake BBB Emails Leading Recipients to Virus

Someone is using the Better Business Bureau’s name to send a dangerous virus to Charlotte businesses.

The BBB said the emails are showing up all over the region and could make their way to anyone’s computer.

The email virus is currently the top alert on the BBB website.

“We’re getting more calls on this right now than any other scam,” said Tom Bartholomy with the BBB.

What makes the scam different is that the scammers are using the BBB name to target member businesses.

“It’s got a Better Business Bureau masthead on it. (It) says there’s been a complaint filed against you in our office. ‘Click here to get more details,’” he said.

Businesses that click on the link to the bogus complaint can unleash a virus that first resends the same email to everyone in a user’s address book. It also searches the compromised computer for financial information criminals can use for identity theft and other financial crimes.

“It looks exactly like what you’d expect from an organization like the Better Business Bureau,” said Molly Thompson with the Charlotte YMCA.

She said she got one of the emails clicked the link.

“For us, we were really fortunate. When we clicked through, it said ‘Forbidden,’ which was our system acting on our behalf. We were really, really lucky,” she said.

Not everyone has been as lucky.

Experts say there is a way to check the link to see if it is a scam if you get a similar email.

Hover the mouse cursor over the link – but don’t click it – and the name of the link should appear at the bottom of the window. If it does not say Better Business Bureau, don’t click it.

The BBB suggests calling to verify the email before following the link.

“There doesn’t seem to be any stop to it. As long as people keep clicking on these links and they’re getting the information they want, they’re going to keep going out,” Bartholomy said.

The BBB said scammers have also started using other trusted names, including the IRS and the FBI on similar emails, which have similar links.

Media Source:

Chevy News

Ram Joins Battering

Only weeks after Chevy hits Ford at Super Bowl, Chrysler piles on

NEW YORK — First there was the Super Bowl slam, where drivers of Chevy Silverado trucks lament the loss of their buddy Dave, who doesn’t survive an apocalypse because he drove a Ford.

Now Chrysler runs a national spot from Doner that poses the question: What if you were to take away horsepower, torque and warranty coverage from a Ram? “Well,” says the grizzled voice-over, “you’d end up with a Ford F-150.”

A dogfight has raged for decades in the truck category, where sniping at the competition has been a puerile pastime. But the jabs seem to be coming faster and harder of late, as rivals beat up on Ford.

How long, though, before it hits back?

Ford isn’t saying — “We haven’t seen the ad yet, so we’ll reserve comment until we do,” said a Ford spokesman — but the automaker has not always been satisfied to take the high road.

Media Source:
Subject: Dare to Compare
Chevy News chevy.com

 

Chevy Wins Five Kelley Blue Book Awards

Resale value. We understand that it’s a critical factor driving people’s decisions on what new vehicle to buy. At Chevy, it means designing, engineering and producing vehicles that perform beyond expectations now and maintain their quality and value over the long haul. It’s because of this dedication that five of our 2012 vehicles received the Best Resale Value Award by Kelley Blue Book.

 

The 2012 Chevy winners by category are:

• Sports Car: Camaro V6
• Electric Car: Volt
• High-Performance Car: Camaro SS
• Full-Size SUV: Traverse
• Overall Top Ten Cars: Camaro

Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com says consumer research is especially important during tough economic times.

“When keeping every dollar in your wallet as possible, car buyers should carefully review this year’s 2012 Best Resale Value award winners,” Nerad said.

At Chevy we’re learned that even small changes can lead to big improvements.

For example, the Camaro V6 — the only winner in the best sports car category — now features a 323-horsepower V6 as its base engine for improved performance. Its sister model and winner in the high-performance category, Camaro SS, broke with tradition offering a multi-link rear suspension instead of a live axle to improve handling on twisting roads. The gas-electric Volt (available to order at participating dealers) and Traverse — winners in the electric and full-size SUV categories — have also ventured away from traditional thinking to meet the changing needs of drivers.

“Vehicle depreciation is a new-car buyer’s biggest expense, yet many shoppers don’t realize that resale value information is available for free on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com”, Nerad said. “Taking the time to research and choose vehicle makes, models and options wisely now can help new-car shoppers get as much money as possible when they sell or trade-in the vehicle in the future.”

To Chevy, the greatest reward is that drivers can turn to us knowing they will get the best value. That’s why we continue to push ourselves to improve each and every model every year. We don’t do it for awards, but it is nice to have something shiny to put on the shelves.

 

Media Source:

http://www.chevrolet.com/culture/article/chevy-nabs-five-kbb-awards/

 

Eli Manning’s new Chevrolet Corvette

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/hub.1326407570.html

Manning won his second Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award Sunday after leading the Giants on another game-winning drive against the Patriots.

Manning also led an 83-yard drive to capture the 2008 Super Bowl over the Patriots, which ended New England’s hopes of a perfect season and ended with Manning winning MVP.

Manning joined Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Hall of Famers Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana as the only players in NFL history to win Super Bowl MVP multiple times.

In the process, he fully put to rest any lingering doubts over his standing as an elite NFL quarterback, doing so six months after stirring criticism by saying he considered himself on equal footing with Brady.

“This isn’t about one person,” Manning said. “This is about a team coming together, getting this win. I’m just proud of our guys.”

Just like the stadium he quarterbacked the New York Giants to their Super Bowl victory in, Eli Manning’s new car is a convertible.

As a prize for being named MVP of the game, Chevrolet handed Manning the keys to a Corvette Grand Sport Centennial Edition.

No run of the mill Vette, the special package celebrates the 100th anniversary of Chevy’s founding on November 3rd, 2011, and is only being offered on 2012 model year cars.

Available on any of the Corvette models, the $49500 option includes Carbon Flash Metallic paint, Satin Black wheels with red accents, a suede-trimmed black interior, special 100th Anniversary badges and an advanced active suspension system.

Eli’s drop top has a starting price of $69,115, but a top of the line 628 hp Corvette ZR1 with a top speed of 205 mph will run you $128,515.

Soon to have two Super Bowl trophies on the shelf of his Hoboken, N.J., apartment, Eli could likely afford to fill his parking spot with either Vette, but the Grand Sport should be just fine for his 15 minute commute to MetLife Stadium to defend the team’s title next season.

Media Souces:

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/02/06/eli-mannings-new-chevrolet-corvette/#ixzz1li6VzLXm

Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/football/super-bowl/Manning+wins+another+Super+Bowl/6106074/story.html#ixzz1li6O9jJW

Ford fights over Silverado Super Bowl ad

The Silverado ad ran in the first quarter of the Super Bowl and was one of five spots that Chevrolet planned to debut on Super Bowl Sunday.

DETROIT — And you thought the real Super Bowl battle would be between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.

Not if bitter rivals Ford and Chevrolet have anything to do with it.

A snit developed today between the two brands over a Super Bowl ad (see link at the bottom of the story) for the Chevrolet Silverado pickup that showed a group of Silverado owners surviving the cataclysm supposedly predicted by Mayan culture for 2012.

In the ad, the group meets and takes a moment to mourn a friend who didn’t make it because “he drove a Ford” and praises the Silverado as the longest-lasting, most dependable full-sized pickup.

Today Chevrolet parent General Motors, in a statement, said Ford had sent a letter requesting that GM pull the ad.

Ford’s complaint

Jim Farley, Ford global vice president of marketing sales and service, told reporters in Las Vegas: “We’ve been the leader in the truck market for 35 years. We will absolutely defend our leadership. The letter was intended to challenge the assertion toward that type of claim. It’s up to GM. We have nothing else to say.”

According to The Detroit News, which obtained a copy of the letter written by Ford lawyer Lynne M. Matuszak, the letter said this:

“Ford demands that Chevrolet immediately cease and desist from making any unsubstantiated and disparaging claims regarding Ford’s pickup trucks,” Matuszak wrote. She demanded that GM not run the ad and to “permanently remove the commercial from its website, its YouTube and Facebook pages and any other internet sites,” according to The Detroit News.

“If Chevrolet does not comply with the above terms prior to the start of the Super Bowl, then Ford will take all appropriate steps to enforce and protect its reputation,” the letter said, according to the report.

GM: No way

GM marketing chief Joel Ewanick said GM has no intention of pulling the ad.

“We stand by our claims in the commercial, that the Silverado is the most dependable, longest-lasting full-size pickup on the road. The ad is a fun way of putting this claim in the context of the apocalypse,” said Ewanick, GM’s global chief marketing officer.

“We can wait until the world ends, and if we need to, we will apologize. In the meantime, people who are really worried about the Mayan calendar coming true should buy a Silverado right away.”

The issue arose during dealer meetings today in Las Vegas.

“Most-dependable longest-lasting truck has been a theme of ours that we’ve substantiated time and time again,” said Chris Perry, Chevy’s vice president of global marketing, said following a Chevy dealer meeting.

“There have been Super Bowl ads showcasing Coke versus Pepsi, Miller Lite versus Bud Light. This is simply in that same genre.”

The Silverado ad ran in the first quarter of the Super Bowl and was one of five spots that Chevrolet planned to debut on Super Bowl Sunday. The spots can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/user/Chevrolet/home.

GM, Chevrolet News