46 - Friday, March 15, 1991 - North Shore News Awards mean rewards for car co’s SALES OF Nissan cars jumped almost 35) per cent last month compared to February of 1990 despite a general slowdown in the economy, and the uncertainty over the Goods and Services Tax. Coincidentally, or perhaps not so coincidentally, Nissan has won a string of awards in the last few months. The Sentra Classic economy sedan won the CAA’s Used Car Performance Award in 1990 and 1991. The award is bas- ed on @ survey of 20,000 CAA members who rate used vehicles for value, reliability and owner loyalty. The Sentra Classic is a revival of the previous model Sentra, and is priced at $8,380. Sales of this budget-priced econobox have been fifty per cent ahead of forecast, according to Nissan Canada. Many Nissan dealers are reporting back-orders, and Nissan’s factory in Cuernavarca, Mexico, is runn- ing at full capacity. its low price is probably the biggest factor in its popularity, but price alone can‘t account for the increase in sales of Nissan’s other models. In the past couple of months, there has been a sudden increase in demand for the Maxima, Nissan’s high-priced luxury sedan. Again, coincidentally, the Maxima was recently voted one of Road & Track’s Ten Best Cars in the World, as were four other Nissan products, the Sentra, 300ZX and 300ZX Turbo sports cars, and the Infiniti Q45 luxury sedan. As well, the Nissan NX sports coupe was recently awarded Canada's Best New Sports Coupe by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, a group of sixty automotive journalists and broadcasters. After these awards were an- nounced, Nissan launched exten- sive print and television advertes- Greg Wilson AUTOMOTION ing campaigns focusing on the awards results. There is little doubt that Nissan, and other car companies, use these independent awards as effective sales tools. Awards, it seems, sell cars. However, there are so many awards offered each year that their effect is becoming diluted. Almost every car enthusiast mag- azine has annual awards, and a number of independent companies have set themselves up as experts on consumer automobile buying habiis. One of the most prominent is J.D. Power in the United States. J.D. Power charges hefty fees for automakers that wish to use their results, and their survey results concerning owner satisfaction are quoted constantly in advertising media. One of their most-quoted surveys is the Initial Quality Survey which measures owner satisfaction during the first three months. In my opinion, this is hardly long enough to give a meaningful representation of a car’s worth. The most reliable awards, in my opinion. are those given by con- sumer vroups and non-preric organizations, such as Consumer Reports and the CAA. These awards are given) without the unsettling influence of advertising dollars or related revenue. Can- sumer Reports, for example, ac- cepts no advertising in its maga- zine, and won't allow its results to be used in car manufacturer's advertising. While there are no awards for bad cars, specific criticism by a recognized automotive authority can send a car’s sales spiraffing downwards. The classic case was Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe At Any Speed about the Chevrolet Cor- vair. The negative publicity created by Ralph Nader caused the Corvair to die a slow death. Another more recent case was 60 Mizutes portrayal of the Audi $000’s alleged ‘‘unintended accel- eration’’. Hundreds of cases went to couri, likely encouraged by eager lawyers looking for large commissions, but not one case was ever proven to be the result of a mechanical defect by Audi. Audi car sales, however dropped dramatically in North America, and the firm is cnly now recov- ering. Car companies depend on the opinions of experts to help sell their cars, and consumers depend on their opinions to help buy cars. Awards are an easy and conve- nient way to judge a vehicle’s worth. However, consumers should remember that awards tend to oversimplify the value of the winners versus the losers. In addition, some awards are more valuabie than others, depending primarily on the repu- tation of the organization offering them, Due to special arrangements made by our corporate head office and a major bank, a SPECIAL INTEREST SALE wili be held between 10am and 4pm, Saturday, March 16. for 6 hours ... lf you've been waiting to buy, this is your best opportunity. THIS MAJOR m INTEREST EVENT a] WILL BE IN EFFECT a FOR 6 HOURS ONLY PLEASE BE | PREPARED TO BUY via aes It be at this focation to monitor the sale of SWAMIT mazoa 15506 E. HASTINGS ST. VANCOUVER, B.C. 253-4221 ~ ‘ Sia ae os wat USED CAR ff @ APPRAISER AND BANK CREDIT BUYER WILL BE PREMISES Olds 98 should stand out from pave 43 | foor down, There is little noise, Vibration or harshness. J rate this powertrain very highly. A manual setting for firm or normal suspension damping i- available as an option on the 98, and automatic electronic load-leveling rear shock ab- sorbers are standard equip- ment. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes are standard equipment and traction-control (desisned io stop wheelspin of the driving °90 M-B 560 SEL “90 M-B 300 SEL 89 M-B 420 SEL °87 M-B 420 SEL 87 M-B 420 SEL °87 M-B 420 SEL 87 M-B 420 SEL *86 M-B 560 SEL *85 M-B 506 SEL 85 M-B 380 SE 89 M-B 360 SL “89 M-B 560 SL *88 M-B 560 SL *87 M-B 560 SL 86 M-B 560 SL 85 M-B 380 SL °84 M-B 380 SL Mercedes-Benz wheels is sippery conditions) will be available later this year. The redesigned interior features an electronic, digital instrument panel and push- bution conirols for climate control, stereo, and other fune- tions mounted high in the cen- tre dash area. Now that the 98 has a distinctive appearance, it should stand out in the com- petitive luxury car market. Considering its features, the 98’s price is very reasonable. Astral Silver/Burg. Leather Midnight Blue/Cream Leather Black Peari/Black Leather Diamond Blue/Blue Leather Smoke Silver/Burg. 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