Mercruiser/omc 14in X 19p Stainless Steel Propeller on 2040-parts.com

Automakers need love, not just quality, Strategic Vision study shows

Strategic Vision, a company that studies how and why consumers make decisions, released its yearly Total Quality Index on July 12, and the results might be surprising. The study found that love--how much or what part of a car that people like--is more important than the number of problems a car has when choosing a vehicle. For example Ford, which was a quality leader in the study, received a number of complaints about its Sync system.

Watch 'The Million Dollar Mustang' part one: Shelby GT350 R

“The Million Dollar Mustang” is not about how much these great cars go for at auctions in today's heady times, but about what made them worth so much in the first place. Nearly five years in the making, the documentary starts out talking about the Ford Mustang in general, how they sold 22,000 of them on the first sales day and then sold a million of them in the first two years and things like that -- the notion that the Mustang was a revolution in American car design and in the American consciousness. Then it starts to narrow its focus more and pretty soon the bulk of the piece is all about the Shelby GT350 R.

Mazda 3 hatchback (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

The Mazda 3 is back: lighter, more eco-friendly and supposedly better to drive than ever, promises Mazda. Brought up-to-date with Mazda’s new ‘Kodo’ design style from the 6 saloon and CX-5 crossover, the new Mazda 3 is a handsome hatchback, and boasts a far superior cabin to its predecessor. Is that enough to shoehorn buyers out of the VW Golf and Ford Focus? Get the full CAR story here.