QUESTION:
We’ve driven Infinitis for years. But soon we want to shift to a hybrid. Infiniti doesn’t make one. Can you explain why?
ANSWER:
Some automakers have been slow to enter the alternative market. Their reasons vary from “We wanted to get it perfect” to “We’ve been exploring technologies that will provide even better gas mileage than those currently available.”
Infiniti has been at the extreme end of the slow-to-come-through spectrum. But if you can wait until spring 2011, you can get the M35 hybrid.
QUESTION:
Do any U.S. cars sell for about $10,000 new?
ANSWER:
Hyundai’s Accent Blue (new this past fall) and Accent and the Nissan Versa all have base sticker prices that come in at under $11,000.
QUESTION:
We became Chrysler fans two cars ago. We’ll be ready next year for a new one, but it seems Chrysler isn’t doing any updating or new introductions. Will that continue?
ANSWER:
The future’s impossible to predict in this topsy-turvy environment. The only new thing Chrysler displayed at the recent auto show in Detroit was a new interior in the Dodge Caliber. The rest of the lineup hasn’t been updated for a while, which may be a contributor to Chrysler’s sales dropping about 40 percent last year. A new Jeep Grand Cherokee will be rolled out later this year, as will, probably, a new Chrysler 300.
Company officials have been quoted as saying they’re focused on the restructuring right now, but that the lineup will eventually be refreshed.
All you can do is hang tight until your time to buy arrives, then check to see what’s coming soon to dealerships.
