IIHS reveals most, least expensive cars to insure by type

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released a rating of which cars have the highest and lowest insurance claims by category. In general, 2007-2009 SUVs and sports cars fared better than most other vehicle types in minimizing insurance losses.

The top 10 vehicles with the lowest overall insurance losses were the Chevrolet Corvette convertible, Mazda Miata, Chevrolet Corvette coupe, Volkswagen New Beetle convertible, Saturn Sky, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Veracruz, Honda CR-V, Subaru Outback, and Toyota 4Runner.

Among the vehicles with the lowest claims rate for medical payments other than sports cars are the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 pickups, Honda Pilot, Audi A6, and Buick Enclave.

The results are relative, expressed on a scale with 100 representing the average car.  Unlike in past reports, IIHS says it adjusted, or standardized, the results to reduce distortions from non-vehicle factors such as operator age, gender, and marital status and vehicle population density. Collision and comprehensive results are also adjusted to standardize the deductible.

Read More: http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/10/iihs-reveals-most-least-expensive-cars-to-insure-by-type-chevrolet-corvette-mitsubishi-lancer.html

Buick Dealers

Buick Helps Bring International 140 Character Conference to Detroit

Social media conference allows Buick to engage consumers

DETROIT – Buick is sole automotive sponsor for the 140 Character Conference at the Fillmore Theatre in Detroit on Wednesday. The name of the conference refers to the number of characters allowed in a Twitter post, and is a leading international social media conference that attracts thought-leaders within the social media community, celebrities, politicians and business executives.

The #140conf encourages attendees to discuss and examine how social networking platforms and tools have had an impact on businesses, the media and their communities. The theme of the conference is “Exploring the State of Now,” where speakers discuss how the social web has changed the way they do business and, in many cases, the way they live.

“#140conf Detroit is an opportunity for everyone, from large brands to small businesses and entrepreneurs to non-profits to explore the opportunities available to us because of the rise of social networks,” said Christopher Barger, director of Social Media for General Motors. “By helping to bring this conference to Detroit, we hope to provide the Detroit community ideas and connections that will help them take better advantage of these channels – and we hope to learn more about how we can be more effective online.”

Buick’s sponsorship of the #140conf allows the brand to harness the power of social networking tools to engage and participate in conversations with customers. At the event, consumers will have the chance to interact with Buick’s two newest models – the LaCrosse sedan and the Regal sport sedan.
Conference organizers have arranged to bring together speakers from a range of practices, including politicians, media, educators, bloggers and business owners from across the United States.

Read More: http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_buick.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2010/Oct/1019_buick

Cadillac Illinois

2011 Buick Lucerne

2011 Buick Lucerne 4dr Sdn CXL
Stock#: 110282
Exterior: Quicksilver Metallic
Interior: Titanium
Miles: New
Doors: 4
VIN: 1G4HC5EM3BU113516
3.9L V6 Cylinder Engine

M.S.R.P. $34,190

4 yr/50,000 Mile Ltd 'Bumper-to-Bumper'
Plus 5 yr/100,000 Mile Powertrain

Buick Repairs Chicago

2011 Buick LaCrosse

2011 Buick LaCrosse 4dr Sdn CXL FWD
Stock#: 110168
Exterior: Mocha Steel Metallic
Interior: Cocoa/Light Cashmere
Miles: New
Doors: 4
VIN: 1G4GC5EC9BF145829
2.4L 4 Cylinder Engine

M.S.R.P. $29,805

4 yr/50,000 Mile Ltd 'Bumper-to-Bumper'
Plus 5 yr/100,000 Mile Powertrain

Buick Chicago

2011 Buick Enclave

2011 Buick Enclave FWD 4dr CX
Stock#: 110013
Exterior: Gold Mist Metallic
Interior: Cashmere With Cocoa Accents
Miles: New
Doors: 4
VIN: 5GAKRAED6BJ108444
3.6L V6 Cylinder Engine

M.S.R.P. $36,490

4 yr/50,000 Mile Ltd 'Bumper-to-Bumper'
Plus 5 yr/100,000 Mile Powertrain

Buick Dealers Chicago

2011 Buick Regal

2011 Buick Regal 4dr Sedan CXL RL1
Stock#: 110304
Exterior: Granite Gray Metallic
Interior: Cashmere
Miles: New
Doors: 4
VIN: W04GN5ECXB1010803
2.4L 4 Cylinder Engine


M.S.R.P. $27,190

4 yr/50,000 Mile Ltd 'Bumper-to-Bumper'
Plus 5 yr/100,000 Mile Powertrain

Buick Dealers

Buick-GMC considers loaner cars to build brand awareness

DETROIT (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Co.'s GMC and Buick, the fastest-growing brand in the U.S. this year, are considering a courtesy loaner program for customers getting warranty service on their vehicles to build awareness of the company's products.

GM may start the service in the “next couple weeks,” Brian Sweeney, vice president of sales for Buick and GMC, said in a telephone interview. The program would seek to get GMC Acadia owners into a Buick Enclave, for example, and build recognition of more GM vehicles, he said.

“We want to expose customers to other Buick and GMC products,” said Sweeney, who last week met with about 900 dealers that sell the two brands.

Dealers selling Buick need to change and meet the expectations customers have when shopping for a premium car, said Mike Bowsher, co-chairman of the national dealer council for Buick-GMC and president of Carl Black Automotive Group.

“We can't sell Buicks like we did Pontiac,” Bowsher, who runs dealerships in Georgia, Tennessee and Florida, said in a telephone interview. “A lot of us were old Pontiac dealers, and we now have to learn how to handle the Lexus, Ritz-Carlton, Cadillac, Mercedes kind of crowd.”

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101011/RETAIL03/101019965/1147#ixzz129y4I4Zy

Buick Dealers

GM to announce production of first Buick compact car in 20 years

DETROIT -- General Motors Co. is set to announce Thursday that it will begin production on a new compact car, the Buick Verano, at its assembly plant in Orion Township, Mich., according to published reports

The Buick Verano, which will be a luxury version of the Chevrolet Cruze, will go on sale in 2012 -- the first Buick compact car since the Somerset Regal more than 20 years ago.

The Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, and The Wall Street Journal all reported the plans this week. A GM spokeswoman declined to confirm the reports.

GM is set to use the Orion Township plant to create several smaller, fuel-efficient cars, including a new version of the Chevrolet Aveo for next year. GM is also set to begin production of the Chevrolet Spark minicar in 2012.

The domestic production of the Aveo is a part of the recent agreement GM reached with the UAW that allows the union to negotiate separate labor agreements for plants making small cars, Automotive News first reported Monday.

This amendment to the 2009 agreement was made to allow GM to profitably produce small cars in the United States. The agreement requires 60 percent of all hourly workers at the plant to receive traditional production wages of $28 an hour with full benefits, while the remaining 40 percent receive about half that wage.


Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101006/OEM01/101009911/1259#ixzz11gxUdpO2

Buick Dealers Illinois

Buick GMC Dealers Go Behind the Scenes

Dealers to receive first of its kind treatment at annual business meeting

DETROIT – Nearly 900 of more than 1,000 Buick and GMC dealers invited from across the United States are going behind the scenes to see how the products they sell are built and to do their own test drives.

In a first for General Motors, the dealers are test driving Buick and GMC vehicles at GM’s Milford Proving Ground and touring the Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant to get a firsthand look at where the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia are assembled. The dealers are paying their own way to participate.

“We have never brought our dealers this close to our business. This program was created to give them a unique behind-the-scenes look,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Sales and Service. “We want to empower our dealers to take what they learned here and share their experience with their customers and dealerships.”

The program, consisting of three waves, began Oct. 5. During each wave, approximately 300 dealers participate in vehicle test drives at GM’s Milford Proving Ground, a tour of Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant and a business meeting.

“This is a great time to be a Buick & GMC dealer,” said Bobby Cavender of Cavender Buick GMC in San Antonio. “GM dealers are excited about the future and the next generation of vehicles.”

While at the proving ground, participants are behind the wheel of the newest Buick and GMC cars, trucks and crossovers, including the 2011 Buick LaCrosse, 2011 Buick Regal CXL Turbo, 2011 GMC Sierra HD and 2011 GMC Acadia Denali. Four unique test tracks were set up to highlight vehicle performance, capabilities, ride and handling. At each test drive, dealers were able to drive competitive products for a head-to-head comparison.

The highlight for many dealers at the proving ground was driving the Regal CXL Turbo through an “autocross” course to evaluate vehicle handling at higher speeds; and using the 2011 Sierra 3500HD to tow an 8,000 lb. trailer up a 7 percent hill against the 2011 Ford F-350 Diesel and the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 Diesel.

At Lansing Delta Township, attendees toured the Stamping Plant, Body Shop and General Assembly operations. The plant recently started production for the 2011 GMC Acadia Denali, and the award-winning facility is the first and only manufacturing facility to be a Gold Certified Leader in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Read More: http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_buick.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2010/Oct/1006_buick

Buick Dealers