M O M T M PUBUSHM
One Million
Car Rally
CONTCNTS
Winter 1998
Volume 3, Issue 4
Imagine that the 510,000
readers of this publication gath
ered on the Mall in W ashing
to n , D .C . a n d th a t th e y
b ro u g h t th e ir fam ily and
friends w ho also read African
Americans On Wheels. T h a t’s
about another 500,000, mak
The new 1908 Lexus G S 4 0 0 /3 0 0 a n d 1.S400/SC400
ing the total assembled more are “wickedly "fast, as our test at Sum m it Point Raceway
than one million strong.
in West Virginia proved.
W hat if they all brought
their three cars? (According to our reader surveys, the average African-American house
hold has at least that many). It would be more than a dem onstration, it would cause
gridlock in Washington, Maryland and Virginia.
Lets not call it a protest. Instead, lets declare it a showcase o f black buying power.
Maybe w ed also invite the 1.4 million blacks who plan to buv a new vehicle in 1998.
Perhaps, then our economic influence on the auto industry' would get some much needed
attention.
Speaking of 1998, this edition features full coverage on both im port and domestic
vehicles for the new model year. I he editors of this user-friendlv guide have compiled a
list o f vehicles, arranged according to the companies that make them or country o f origin,
l or example. Ford M otor Com pany owns Jaguar and holds a stake in Mazda, so they are
listed on the same page. European and Asian makes are also grouped together, unless
owned by a domestic company. I he upscale or niche players are also grouped together.
In addition to our standard line-up, we continue to add new sections in response to
vour demands. I his winter we are pleased to offer a section on motorsports, wrirten bv our
new Senior Editor Joe Elia, as well as a special travel segment.
You may have noticed that we have rearranged o ur schedule to better serve vou. This
issue is W inter 1998, instead o f Fall 1997. T he next A dO lC w ill be the Spring 1998
edition in which we II bring you highlights o f our Second Annual Golden Wheel Awards,
held in January' in conjunction with the N orth American International A uto Show in
Detroit. The ceremony will take place at the new Museum o f African American History.
Awards will be handed out for Executive o f the Year, Com pany o f the Year, M inority
Supplier o f the Year, and Vehicle of the Year. O ur independent panel o f judges is currently-
selecting the finalists.
As we close this year, A A O W reminds you o f the trem endous power you have as
consumers. We also w ant to reiterate the well-known maxim that “inform ation and its
application is power. W ith these thoughts, we promise to continue to arm you with the
kind of information you need to fully wield your economic might. T he rest is up to you!
16
New or Used?
by Paul A. Eisenstein
18
1998 New Vehicle Preview
30
Motorhome 101
by Warren Brown
34
Venturing South
In A Chevy
¿y Jacqueline M itchell
35
Gasing Up Without Cash
by Lolita Standifer
Departments
8
Auto Briefs
10
411: C ar Care & Letters
14
First Impressions
33
Long Term Review
36
Around the Track
Editor-In-Chief
Randi Payton
Senior Editors
Warren Brown
Winfred Cross
Paul Eisenstein
Joe Elia
Blair Walker
Managing Editor
Jacqueline Mitchell
E ditorial D irector
Vivienne Samms
A rt D irector
Ed Towles
Copy Editor
Andrea Puchalsky
Reporters
Marc Battle
Adam Dixon
Genea Luck
Lolita Standifer
Cover Photo
By Rogers Wm.
Foster
VW Beetle by
Brenda Priddy
Photographers
Renee Bouchard
Al Marcossi
Eugene Moore
2
Web Site Development
Web Visions
Member of
International Motor
Press Association
Advertising Representative
Christine Anderson
Motor City Media
22 Cambridge
Pleasant Ridge, MI 48069
(248) 544-8762
Washington Automotive
Press Association
Public Relations
Tia Gordon
National Association of
Black Journalists
ABC Audit Pending
Greater Detroit Chamber
of Commerce
A frica n A m ericans On Wheels. © 1 9 9 7 is
p u b lis h e d q u a rte rly as a s u p p le m e n t to
newspapers by On Wheels. Inc. AAOW is on
the Internet at http:/'www.automag.com. Our e-
mail address is AAOW@AOL.Com
National Press Club
By Lolita Standifer
M obil O il is revolutionizing
the way motorists pay for gas, so
don’t be surprised if your next
trip to the gas station is an “out
o f this world experience.”
W ith M obil’s latest innova
tio n s -- th e G o C a rd an d
Speedpass — trips to the pum p
become safer and faster. To pay
for gas. you simply slide your Go
C ard or wave your Speedpass
across a scanner on the gas pum p, allowing
you to pay for gas w ithout leaving your car
unattended or opening your wallet. Asking
the attendant for “$5 on pum p 10” could
become a thing o f the past.
“ 1 his technology is a benefit to custom
ers who don’t w ant to carry cash,” says J.
D onald Turk, M obil’s public affairs spokes
man. “It is also a useful budgeting tool for
teenage drivers,” he adds. “This program has
been extremely well accepted by our cus
tomers who have dem onstrated a choice for
convenience and speed o f paym ent...and
ensures parents th at their teenagers are
spending m oney on gas and n o t o th er
things.”
T he G o Card is a pre-paid rechargeable
gas card available in am ounts o f S25, S50
and S I00. M uch like a debit card, the mag
netic strip is read and the am ount o f money
spent is automatically deducted from the to
tal am ount on the card. Since activation does
not require a password, losing the G o C ard
is the same as losing cash.
Convenience and safety are the primarv
concerns most frequently expressed by con
sumers when making gas purchases, says
lurk. The Speedpass key ring, which Mobil
started rolling o u t in May, utilizes a m inia
ture transponder device that employs radio
signals to com m unicate w ith an electronic
system in the gas pum p. W hen the kev tag
device is waved across the scanner, it acti
vates the pum p and automatically charges
Publisher
Randi Payton
African Americans On Wheels
2034 National Press Building
Washington, DC 20045
Tel. (202) 588-9459
Fax (202) 588-5136
STAFF
Mobil Leads the
Safety at the
noce
Speedpass
H 'R E
the purchase to your credit card.
Both devices are provided free-of-charge
to the consumer. Turk says the Speedpass
program is well over half way through its
introduction phase. For now, Mobil is ahead
of its competitors in new technological con
sumer products.
Amoco said it is still surveying consumer
groups to determine if there is broad interest
in the Speedpass or similar technology. “The
G o C ard and Speedpass are just one area o f
service that M obil is providing its custom
ers, say's Howard Miller, Amoco’s senior
public affairs advisor for marketing.
According to Miller, a survey' o f Amoco’s
Chicago market revealed that Amoco stations
in urban areas reported low incidences o f
crime due to brighter stations, abilitv to make
gas payments with a credit card at the pump,
better placem ent o f the m ini-m an and at
tendant stations and adding video cameras
for security surveillance.
lu r k says M obil is also taking measures
to improve locations and lighting, but is
pursuing technology as well. A variation o f
the Speedpass. due out in November, is called
the Speedpass C ar Tag. It can be m ounted
on the windshield o f a vehicle, so the cus
tom er does not have to leave the vehicle ex
cept to pum p the gas. A similar technology
is used throughout Europe where cars can
drive straight through toll booths w ithout
stopping. A device located at the pum p scans
the car tag microchip, accesses vour credit
card account via satellites and activates the
pum p.
G o Card and Speedpass are available now.
and can be obtained at participating M obil
stations or by calling 1 -800-730-T O -G O .
AFRICAN AMERICANS ON SX Hl EI S
AERK A N A M ER K A N SO N WHEELS 35