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Behind the Wheel with Phil Lebeau
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A new study shows drivers who use hands free cell phones to talk or send messages while on the road are more distracted than those not using a cell phone behind the wheel.
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Let the Truck Wars Begin!
Posted By: Philip LeBeau
Well at last, the battle for America's heartland has begun. Armed with bigger quad cabs, more torque, and plenty of bravado ... Detroit's 3, Toyota, and Nissan are working harder than ever to win over truck buyers. This week, Toyota's long anticipated, and much hyped Tundra full size pick-up goes on sale.
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Toyota's Surge; Taurus' Return?
Posted By: Philip LeBeau
Tuesday in Japan the company reported it's quarterly profits and posted a 7.3% increase. Impressive given the company's home market of Japan is going through a slowdown. But Europe and North America more than made up for the sluggish market in Japan. Toyota's surge in Europe has long been one of the most under appreciated aspects of the automakers recent run. ... Automotive News is reporting Ford plans to re-name it's 500 sedan as the Taurus. An announcement could come as soon as tomorrow at the Chicago auto show. This change doesn't surprise me given the comments new CEO Alan Mulally has made about the demise of the old Taurus.
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No Serious GM-Chrysler M&A Talks
Posted By: Philip LeBeau
General Motors doesn't appear to be in serious negotiations to buy Chrysler Group from its German parent, DaimlerChrysler spacer. It doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen down the road, but it seems like we may be getting ahead of ourselves.
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Can Chrysler and Mercedes Finally Fall in Love?
Posted By: Philip LeBeau
Like a third-grade boy forced to hand out Valentine's Day cards to the little girls in his class he would rather not acknowledge, Chrysler and Mercedes are going to see if they can finally get together. My opinion: It won't work unless both the Americans and Germans change their attitudes.
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Is GM Really Worth Buying?
Posted By: Philip LeBeau
As I woke in Detroit after flying in from New York this morning, I saw the story on "Squawk Box," - another Wall St. firm had raised GM to a buy rating. Why? Primarily on the idea that GM's 17 billion surplus on It's pension wil give it the leverage needed to strike a better deal with the uaw regarding retiree healthcare costs.
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Mercedes "S" class: The "S" is for Sizzling
Posted By: Philip LeBeau
Stylish, smokin', sensational sales. Pardon the alliteration, but it seemed the best way to characterize Mercedes "S" class. This luxury car is red hot. According to the Power Information Network, the "S" was one of the most popular leased vehicles in January. And on the sale side, the average "S" stays on dealer lots just 18 days. Making it one of the 10 fastest selling cars of the month.
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Toyota Cutting Labor Costs? Probably Not
Posted By: Philip LeBeau
Today at the Chicago Economic Club, Jim Press, the highest ranking American member of Toyota's executive corps caused a bit of stir, when he said the Japanese automaker would like to cut labor costs without cutting wages. Though vague, the comment has investors wondering if Toyota is talking tough on labor -- and if this is a sign of problems for the folks that make the Camry.
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Is it gut-check time for Ghosn? You bet!
Posted By: Philip LeBeau
If you woke up early this morning and saw the wire reports out of France, you would have seen the latest earnings and comments from the man who many consider to be the best CEO in the auto industry - Carlos Ghosn. The CEO's two company's just posted awful quarterly earnings. Renault down 15% and Nissan down 23% ... Is it gut-check time for Ghosn? You bet.
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Super Bowl Auto Ads: Where's The Buzz?
Posted By: Philip LeBeau
It wasn't just Dolphins Stadium that left people feeling all wet Sunday: the auto ads were largely forgettable. From Ford's F-series Super Duty to Honda's fuel efficiency message, the auto ads were, in my opinion, largely forgettable.
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Euro-models Perception Problem, GM Extends Warranties
Posted By: Philip LeBeau
The latest survey of new car buyers from CNW marketing research shows the perceived quality of European brands continues to slide. While Volvo, Audi, and Porsche have higher perceived quality compared to a similar survey in 1997, Mercedes, BMW, and VW are all lower. In fact, Mercedes has gone from #1 to #12 in CNW's quality perception survey. The only silver lining for the Euro brands is that they are still given high marks by car buyers.
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About Behind the Wheel with Phil Lebeau
Welcome to Behind the Wheel with Phil LeBeau. This is the place where you'll hear the latest about what is happening in the auto industry, and the reason why that news is so important. This is not the place to come if you are looking for cheerleader for one automaker over another. Phil won't wave the flag for any company, but he will let you know when he thinks someone is making the right moves, and when they've screwed up.
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LeBeau is a CNBC auto and airline industry reporter based at the Chicago bureau and author of "Behind the Wheel" on CNBC.com.
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Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 10:13 AM ET
No reason has been given yet for the departure of founder and executive chairman George Zimmer, reports CNBC's Courtney Reagan. Zimmer has long been the face of the company.
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