Aramation Auto

End of the year means automakers are trying to unload inventory to clear the dealers’ lots for new models, or simply to boost sales. Here are the top 10 biggest deals in luxury vehicles: if you always wanted these cars, now’s the best time to take advantage of the new low prices (prices in USD).

10. Saab 9-7X
If you can get past the silly idea that Saab is a good fit for an American-style SUV, then 9-7X is now available with almost $8,635 in savings.

9. Infiniti QX56
Another SUV that hasn’t captured the public’s imagination (and wallets) is QX56. We’re talking about $9,062 rebate just in time for the introduction of brand-new 2009 QX model next year.

8. Volvo S60 R
What’s the point of a sporty Volvo? Potential savings of almost $9,294 means not too many people want a sporty Volvo in their garage. Especially not at the MSRP of almost $39k.

7. Land Rover LR3
Mid-size Land Rover is having trouble finding acceptance in the marketplace. It is still one of the best off-road SUV available in its class, but most people want a glorified station wagons without any off-road intentions. Generous rebate of $9,729 for the remaining 2007 models.

6. Cadillac Escalade
All 3 versions of Escalade are getting over $9,000 in discounts, partly to blame on the rising gas costs. Maybe the upcoming hybrid will ensure more people think of Escalade as their own transportation, instead of a monster that kills environment.

5. Lincoln Mark LT
Another bad idea gone to production, Mark LT is a over-glorified Ford F150 and $9,845 in rebate means Ford is desperate to unload the inventory.

4. Lincoln Navigator
This Lincoln could have been as big as Escalade, but rising fuel costs are hampering its sale as well. $10,475 (yes, over $10k) rebate is equivalent to almost 1/5th of the SUV price…

3. BMW Z4, M Coupe
BMW with a big discount? If you really want a high-performance roadster or coupe, in an overly saturated market, BMW’s latest offering nets you $11,490 in savings (or as they call it “dealer assistance”).

2. Land Rover Range Rover HSE
Perhaps overshadowed by the Sport version, the original Range Rover is struggling and Ford is giving you $11,888 in discounts to lure you away from Range Rover Sport, and countless other full-size SUVs on the market.

1. Cadillac XLR, XLR-V
A Cadillac close to $100k is hard to imagine, but they built it. If you want a competent 2-door hard-top cruiser with good performance, you can knock off $18,708 from the purchase price.

Nissan has recalled 713,986 Altimas and Sentras with 2.5 liter engine (model years 2002, 2005-2006) due to overheating that may cause the engine to stop functioning.

At 12,000km I went in for the scheduled maintenance service costing $99.99 + taxes. From the list, it looks like they did everything including rotating the tires to topping windshield wiper fluids…

Today, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving and Toronto received its first snowfall, finally giving me a chance to test the all-wheel drive capabilities of the car. So far so good: I didn’t notice any slipping while moving from standstill, ABS didn’t have to kick in too many times to stop the car. Granted the roads were not icy and it was more slushy than snowy, but it is still a promising start since I am using all-season tires that came with the car. I don’t think Winter tires would be necessary (although they are strongly recommended), and I have yet to engage the “snow mode”… I’m sure more snow can be expected soon.

Lincoln finally builds a car that’s worthy of being called luxury. It may not offer the performance of many of its rivals (for example, my 2007 Infiniti G35x comes to mind which offers over 300hp in a smaller engine), but it still remains a viable choice if what you really want is an American luxury vehicle.

Some of the announced features include:

• 3.7L V6 rated at 272hp
• SYNC system
• THX certified 5.1 surround sound audio system
• Voice-activated navigation system with real time traffic updates, movie listing, Doppler radar weather forecasts
• EasyFuel capless fuel-filler system
• Adaptive cruise control
• Intelligent access with push button start
• Adaptive headlights with automatic high beams
• Rearview camera system

More pics after the jump:

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The Melody Road created in Japan (of course) allows passing cars to create music thanks to specially designed grooves on the road surface. When the car drives over at about 40km/h,

This is only best appreciated with a video demonstration:

Controlling information from leaking out to the net is almost impossible: latest proof is the pictures for 2009 Nissan Murano revealed before any official debut. It looks like it’ll be a bigger version of the Rogue,featuring similar stylings both inside and out.

Here’s more leaked pictures:

Edmunds.com is well known for its comparison tests, and the latest pits 2007 BMW 335i, all-new 2008 Cadillac CTS, all-new 2007 Infiniti G35S, 2008 Lexus IS350 and all-new 2008 Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport.

Arguably the best of Japan, United States and Germany take on the perenial favourite BMW 3-series. Will it keep contenders at bay, or will it finally be knocked off the throne?

[Read the comparison test at Edmunds.com]

Newly-independent Chrysler announced major job and product cuts in order to turn the company around. Here’s the quick overview of major announcements:

• Elimination of a total to 8,000 to 10,000 hourly positions,
• Elimination of 1,000 salaried positions,
• Chrysler Crossfire, Chrysler PT Cruise Convertible, Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Magnum cancelled

Overall these moves were anticipated as they are the most logical: Chrysler needed to fire people, and remove products that weren’t selling well. Hopefully this means better financial future for the company.

[Read coverage from Detroit News]