GM Rises, Nissan Plummets in New J.D. Power Quality Study

Voice recognition systems and faulty Bluetooth pairing are as aggravating as ever, J.D. Power and Associates' new Initial Quality Study reported today. Tech-focused Ford remains well below average in the agency's 33-brand ranking, but GM's four brands — Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC — all rated above average.

The influential study, which enters its 27th year for 2013, rates overall problems per 100 vehicles — categorized as objective defects and subjective (but specific) dislikes — in the first 90 days of new-car ownership. Missed commands with voice recognition and Bluetooth pairing led overall problems by a significant margin, J.D. Power's David Sargent told reporters at an Automotive Press Association lunch in Detroit today.

Porsche, GMC, Lexus, Infiniti and Chevrolet ranked as the top five brands in this year's IQS; from the bottom, Scion, Fiat, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Mini had the worst rankings. GMC has never broken ninth place before, Sargent noted. Nissan fell from 13th place last year to 30th this year, hurt by a slew of redesigns to some of its most popular cars.

Cadillac's CTS Gets Expensive for 2014

Not only did Cadillac's midsize car grow in size for 2014, the redesigned CTS' base price also got larger. When the rear- or all-wheel-drive sedan goes on sale this fall, it'll start at $46,025, including a $925 destination fee. Last year's model clocks in at just $39,800, including an $895 destination fee.

Several trim levels will be available, including Luxury, Performance and Premium. Powertrain choices for all three include a 272-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder or a 321-hp, 3.6-liter V-6.

Bumping up to the sport-oriented rear-wheel-drive CTS Vsport model gets you the new 420-hp, twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V-6, making a hefty 420 hp and 430 pounds-feet of torque. The model starts at $59,995, including a $925 destination fee, and includes an electronic limited slip differential and eight-speed automatic transmission. It's not to be confused with the CTS-V model and its 556-hp, supercharged V-8; the V line carries over and wears the old generation's design for 2014.

GM Expands Remote-Start App to 2014 Lineup

Vehicles with remote start are becoming more common; GM just announced it's making the feature standard across its lineup.

Through the OnStar RemoteLink Mobile App, owners of OnStar-equipped 2014 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles will be able to remotely unlock their doors and activate the horn, lights and remote start functionality on factory-equipped vehicles.

The free smartphone app is available to customers even if they haven't activated their OnStar system. After the customer takes delivery of the vehicle, they can download the app; GM says the service is free for five years from the delivery date.

The automaker debuted its RemoteLink Mobile App for the Chevy Volt in 2010, with other vehicles following. GM says it's been downloaded more than 1.5 million times and has more than 320,000 regular users.

"We know our customers value remote services. GM owners request remote door unlock assistance through OnStar more than 60,000 times each month, so it makes sense for us to offer RemoteLink Key Fob Services to enable customers to lock, unlock or start their vehicle from anywhere they have a wireless or cellular connection," Mary Chan, president GM Global Connected Consumer, said in a statement.

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Recall Alert: 2013 Cadillac ATS, XTS and 2014 Chevrolet Impala

GM is recalling 1,627 model-year 2013 Cadillac ATS and XTS sedans and 2014 Chevrolet Impala sedans due to an electrical problem affecting the brake lights and cruise control that could cause confusion for other drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

On the affected vehicles, brake lights may flash without the brakes being applied, and the cruise control may disengage. If the brake lights flash when the vehicle is not slowing, a following driver may then fail to adjust speed when the vehicle does in fact brake and the brake lights illuminate as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.

GM will begin notifying owners Friday, and dealers will reprogram the body control module for free. Owners may call Chevrolet at 800-630-2438 or NHTSA’s vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236, or go to www.safercar.gov for more info.

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Recall Alert: 2013 Cadillac SRX

GM is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac SRX crossovers for loose wheel nuts that may cause creaking, steering vibration and, eventually, wheel-nut detachment and a possible crash. The recall involves SRXs with 18-inch wheels that haven't been rotated as part of regular service — a total of 18,871 cars.

Cadillac is one of GM's four U.S. divisions. There are "no reports of wheel failures in real-world driving," spokesman David Caldwell told us. Customers will receive notices to bring their cars into dealerships, where tires will be rotated and the nuts tightened to proper spec. "Testing has shown this eliminates the condition," GM told The Los Angeles Times.

GM will mail letters in early June, the automaker told us. All work will be covered under warranty, but owners with questions can call Cadillac's recall hotline at 800-333-4223 for more info.

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2014 Cadillac XTS: What's Changed

• Most significant changes: All-new twin-turbo V-6, automatic parking assist and Intellibeam automatic high-beam control system
• Price change: TBA
• On sale: Summer 2013
• Which should you buy, 2013 or 2014? Price will weigh heavily, but the twin-turbo engine is tempting

When the 2014 Cadillac XTS goes on sale later this summer, the large sedan will be what the automaker calls "one of the most technologically advanced production cars in the brand's history." Topping the list of upgrades is a new twin-turbo V-6 engine that's borrowed from the 2014 CTS sedan.

Cadillac said the optional twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 is good for 410 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque; that’s compared with the standard naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V-6's 304 hp and 264 pounds-feet of torque. The twin-turbo engine comes only with all-wheel drive while the standard V-6 comes with front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The twin-turbo requires premium gas; fuel-economy figures have not yet been announced.

Rear Entertainment Systems Trump Tablets for Larger Families

Many have said the age of the in-car rear entertainment system is over. It's all about tablets such as the iPad or Kindle Fire in the car these days.

I disagree. I have three kids and one tablet, and unless I buy two more tablets, which are pricey, the kids have to share. That won't go well. Let's say I do buy a couple of tablets. Sometimes I forget things. Sometimes my children forget things. What happens when only two out of three of the kids remember their tablet? Or only one out of three? There's a lot of whining. There are tears. No good.

For my family, for now, a factory-installed rear entertainment system is our best choice. I'm not alone. GM spokesman Fred Ligouri says demand for the Buick Enclave's rear entertainment system has remained around 25% since the three-row crossover's introduction in model-year 2008. The iPad debuted in 2010.

Cadillac Extends Certified Pre-Owned Coverage

Cadillac announced new coverage limits Monday on its certified pre-owned cars, with a full bumper-to-bumper warranty extending to six years or 70,000 miles from when the car was new. That's two years and 20,000 miles past the brand’s previous CPO policy, which extended just four years or 50,000 miles. The program also includes 24-hour roadside assistance and three months' OnStar and Satellite radio service.

Shoppers can also purchase Cadillac's Premium Care Maintenance, which covers oil changes, tire rotations and other routine maintenance, for $399, Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell confirmed. Premium Care Maintenance is standard on new Cadillacs but was previously unavailable on CPO cars.

The brand’s program falls short of BMW's six-year, 100,000-mile CPO bumper-to-bumper policy; both brands employ simple caps that apply no matter when you buy the car. Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Audi also have 100,000-mile warranty limits, but their yearly limits vary depending on when you buy the car.

Cadillac Takes Self-Driving Tech to the Streets

Cadillac has tested its semiautonomous technology, Super Cruise, on closed courses and driving simulators, and now it could be coming to an interstate near you. Not for public use, of course — the technology won't be that far along until at least later this decade — but to take testing to the next level on real-world roadways. The automaker said that by the time testing is complete, researchers will have accumulated hundreds of thousands of driving miles in varied environments, including day and night, and weather and traffic conditions.

Super Cruise is capable of semi-automated driving, including hands-off lane following, braking and speed control under certain driving conditions. It is designed to ease the driver's workload on freeways, in bumper-to-bumper traffic and on long road trips, but still requires the driver to respond to external factors when prompted. The system uses lane-centering technology that relies on forward-looking cameras to detect lane markings and other sensors to recognize curves and other road characteristics; it also incorporates a series of alerts to communicate with the driver.

Why Luxury Sales Could Thrive in 2013

Leather-clad luxury cars may seem the domain of an affluent few. After all, this year's best-selling luxury car through March — the Mercedes-Benz C-Class — ranked 51st among all cars. But the group may be poised for a comeback. Total sales improved 12.3% in the first three months of 2013, outpacing the industry's 6.4% gain. By year's end, one in every 7.5 new cars sold in 2013 could be a luxury model.

That would buck a trend several years in the making. Luxury cars, including Buick, hovered around 13% of the new-car market from 2005 to 2010. In 2011 that share slid to 12.9%, and in 2012 it tumbled to 12.6%.

It seemed counterintuitive, given the wealthy are alive and well.