Jalopnik: kbb

Study Shows McCain Winning Over Hummer Moms, Obama Cleaning Up With Hatchback-Owning Gay Art Students

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:20:00 EDT

A survey of more than 11,000 car owners and likely voters by Kelley Blue Book shows that Senator John McCain does better than Senator Barack Obama among owners of domestic brands and full-size SUVs, while Senator Obama does better with owners of import brands, hybrids and hatchbacks. Though this doesn't come as a shock to anyone with a brain, it does seem to explain why McCain is getting hosed in the polls lately. His base is shrinking. The financiapocalpyse combined with higher gas prices has meant people moving away from big trucks and towards Corollas and Camrys and Civics (oh my!). The choice of Mustang Grande-driving, big truck-loving Sarah Palin has associated McCain with the largesse of the Bush years. Obama is the change represented by former truck owners who just bought a crossover. The full report from KBB below the jump.

Full-Size Truck Owners Favor McCain, While Wagon Owners Look to Obama

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ — According to Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com Marketing Research, the car brand and segment owned by voters is related to their preference in presidential candidates. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) rates high among domestic and luxury owners. Among the domestic brands, owners of GMC (61 percent), Chevrolet (60 percent), Buick and Dodge (each at 58 percent), as well as Ford (57 percent) vehicles are the highest in favor of McCain. In the luxury vehicle segment, McCain leads among Lexus, BMW, and Lincoln owners at 52 percent each.

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) leads McCain among owners of import vehicles with the highest ratings for MINI (70 percent), Subaru (61 percent), and Saab (59 percent). Fifty percent of Honda owners plan on voting for Obama, ten points higher than McCain.

In addition, vehicle segments have a direct correlation to car-owners' preferred presidential candidates. McCain receives the highest support from full-size truck (66 percent), full-size SUV (61 percent) and luxury SUV (61 percent) owners. Obama leads McCain among luxury station wagon (59 percent), station wagon and sport wagon (55 percent), hatchback (52 percent) and luxury crossover vehicle (52 percent) owners. Among owners of hybrid vehicles, Obama leads with 48 percent of the preferences, nine points more than McCain.

The connection between car ownership and Presidential candidates can also be seen in both the Democratic and Republican campaigns. Republican rallies often promote the idea of "drill, baby, drill," which may link gas-guzzling truck and SUV owners to McCain. On the other hand, Obama has stressed the importance of putting more money toward wind, solar, and other alternative forms of energy, which may relate to his popularity among hybrid owners.

"McCain's appeal among owners of domestics and large trucks/SUVs is right in line with where we see a majority of those vehicles selling - in the traditionally Republican 'red' states," said Rick Wainschel, senior vice president of marketing and analytics for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com. "With import and hybrid owners typically favoring Obama, this also aligns with strong sales of these types of vehicles in predominately Democratic 'blue' states."

Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research also conducted this survey for the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections, and accurately predicted the results. Eight years ago, the survey predicted George W. Bush would take the lead over Al Gore. In 2004, the results revealed President Bush would win over Senator John Kerry.

"Car ownership says a lot about a person, and can even be an indicator who they are likely to vote for," added Wainschel. "If consumers are concerned about the environment, they may choose a more eco-friendly vehicle, like a hybrid, and vote for the candidate with a favorable stance on energy. Consumers' values impact their purchasing decisions and reflect their preferences in political leaders."

The latest study from Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research was conducted September 19 through October 8, 2008, on Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com among 11,142 vehicle owners planning to vote in the upcoming 2008 United States Presidential election.

[Photos: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Image, Bill Pugliano/Getty Images]

Rusty Toyota Tacoma? Toyota May Buy Back Your Truck For 150% The Value

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:45:00 EDT

It wasn't too long ago that Toyota announced they were going to extend the rust-perforation warranty on about 813,000 model-year 1995 to 2000 Tacoma pickups due to serious issues with corrosion of the frame in certain areas. This means that you could add 15 years onto the model year and, if you had problems, take it in to a dealer to have it looked at. If there is damage, which is possible if you live in an area where salt is frequently used on roads, Toyota will either repair or offer to repurchase your vehicle. This is where it gets interesting. No matter what condition your truck is in, Toyota will buy it back at 150% the KBB "excellent condition" price.

Toyota is looking for serious rust that has perforated the frame and not rust on the outside of the car and has issued guidelines for the dealerships, i.e. they will not buy back a truck if they just have to replace a rusty bolt. That being said, if your truck does exhibit some rust they'll give you a loaner car and enter the details in their system to be evaluated by Toyota. Just to test how much value there could be, we built a non-TRD 2000 Tacoma Xtra Cab with moderate options with 120K in the Chicago area and got a value of $10,900, meaning that Toyota would have to give the owner of such a truck $16,350 if the damage was serious enough. The flipside of this is that, if you own a Tacoma without rust, the resale value of your truck could diminish due to a perception of poor quality. If you're lucky, maybe you can trade up to a 1997 Tacoma, before the sudden and unexpected acceleration investigation leads to yet another truck buyback. (Thanks to Bryan for the tip and good luck with your Taco)

[Dealer Communication (PDF), Warranty Policy (PDF), Vehicle Inspection Form (PDF)]

KBB Predicts Highest Resale Value Cars, Pats Super Bowl

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:45:00 EST

The folks over at Kelley Blue Book have announced the ten vehicles they predict will have the best resale value over the next five years in each category. Not surprisingly, the Corvette Z06 makes the list for "high performance vehicle" as there's no high privilege charge attached to buying a new one. They predict you should be able to get 50% of what you paid back in five years on the Vette. The full list below the jump:

High Performance: Chevrolet Corvette - 50% Sedan: Honda Civic - 52% Coupe: Infiniti G37 Coupe - 52% Convertible: Mini Cooper Convertible - 50% Wagon: Scion xB- 52% Hatchback: Scion tC - 52% Luxury: BMW 6-Series - 50% Pickup: Toyota Tundra - 41% SUV: Acura MDX - 49% Minivan: Honda Odyssey - 39% Hybrid: Honda Civic Hybrid - 45%

[KBB via CNN Money]

The Truthiness About Cool Cars Under $18K

Ray Wert — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 11:00:00 EDT

When we think cool — we think Kelley Blue Book. Actually — we think Steve McQueen in a Mustang with a go-go dancer riding ~~his~~ shotgun, then Kelley Blue Book. Still, Kelley Blue Book's so cool, it's now an arbiter of cool — with a list of the top ten coolest new cars under $18,000. And speaking of cool, our very own Robert Farago recently interviewed KBB's Executive Editor Jack Nerad. Head on over and hear these two mavens of coolness discuss what makes a car cool. Glad to know somebody like Farago's helping to discern what's cool — because when you own a Honda Odyssey, cool permeates your very soul.

KBB: The Coolest Cars under $18k [The Truth About Cars]