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SANTA MONICA, Calif. — June 15, 2010 — Car shoppers should consider more than just the top-selling mainstream models when deciding on a new vehicle. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, has put together an article entitled Top 10 Dark-Horse Cars which lists of vehicles worthy of more serious consideration by car shoppers.

“Although they may not have the same level of recognition as say the Ford Explorer, Honda Civic or Toyota Camry, these cars offer great value and quality, and definitely should be on more consumers’ shopping lists,” said Karl Brauer, Senior Analyst and Editor at Large for Edmunds.com.

Edmunds.com’s Top 10 Dark-Horse cars of 2010 are (in alphabetical order):

• 2010 Buick LaCrosse
• 2011 Ford Fiesta
• 2010 Ford Fusion
• 2010 Hyundai Genesis
• 2011 Hyundai Sonata
• 2010 Kia Sedona
• 2010 Mazda Mazda5
• 2010 Nissan Versa
• 2010 Suzuki Kizashi
• 2010 Suzuki SX4

Find more at Edmunds.com’s Best Car Lists.

What do you think? Any Internet Car of the Year contenders on that list?

Fueleconomy.gov, the official source for EPA fuel economy ratings for automobiles, has compiled a list of the Top 10 Misconceptions about Fuel Economy . The list was developed in response to questions frequently asked by the site’s users and based on input from fueleconomy.gov’s staff of automotive engineers and a panel of experts from auto manufacturers.

Even auto enthusiasts and knowledgeable consumers may find some surprises on the list, because several of the misconceptions generally held true and were considered common knowledge in the not-so-distant past. However, rapid changes in vehicle technologies have made several of these “truths” obsolete or less pervasive.

For example, changing a dirty or clogged air filter could improve your fuel economy significantly in the past, when most vehicles had carbureted engines. However, modern computer-controlled, fuel-injected engines regulate the air-fuel mixture so well that a dirty air filter does not decrease fuel economy—although it can still affect performance.

Also, it was once typical for a vehicle with a manual transmission to get better fuel economy than the same model equipped with an automatic due to the added weight and energy losses associated with the automatic transmission. However, newer automatic transmissions are lighter and more efficient, and it is not uncommon for an automatic-equipped vehicle to achieve fuel economy as good as or better than its manual-equipped counterpart.

Fueleconomy.gov provides an explanation for each of the following Top 10 Misconceptions about Fuel Economy:

1. You have to drive a small car to get good fuel economy.
2. Manual transmissions always get better fuel economy than automatics.
3. It takes more fuel to start a vehicle than it does to let it idle.
4. Vehicles need to warm up before they can be driven.
5. As a vehicle ages, its fuel economy decreases significantly.
6. Replacing your air filter will help your car run more efficiently.
7. Aftermarket additives and devices can dramatically improve your fuel economy.
8. Using premium fuel improves your fuel economy.
9. The EPA fuel economy estimates are a government guarantee on what fuel economy each vehicle will deliver.
10. All vehicles are tested for fuel economy.

Fueleconomy.gov will soon release other Top 10 lists, including the most fuel-efficient vehicles of the past 25 years and the most efficient vehicles as reported by actual drivers.

Three in four likely to research on the Web

There’s an interesting report on the shopping habits of new and used car buyers on eMarketer.com. It reports, in part:

In 2009, used-vehicle purchases became as common online as offline, and with many consumers ready to buy a car after holding back during the recession, online research is the first step in both new- and used-vehicle purchase decisions.

That just goes to show what an influence the Internet Car and Truck of the Year awards are going to have. Our jurors are the folks consumers turn to for car shopping advice. Make sure you’re a part of it.

By the way, the research was conducted for About.Com, which is heavily involved in Internet Car & Truck of the Year.

Ford’s $2.1 billion in net income for the first quarter of 2010 is great news for the domestic automotive industry. Ford and GM are really starting to get it when it comes to new product that people enthusiastically embrace – Chrysler has some catching up to do.

Here’s the official release from Ford:

DETROIT – Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] today reported first quarter 2010 net income of $2.1 billion, or 50 cents per share, a $3.5 billion improvement from first quarter 2009, as strong selling new products, improvements in its global Automotive operations, and higher profits at Ford Credit boosted results.

Excluding special items, Ford reported pre-tax operating profit of $2 billion, or 46 cents per share, an improvement of $4 billion from a year ago. It marked Ford’s highest quarterly pre-tax operating profit in six years.

Ford North America posted first quarter pre-tax operating profit of more than $1.2 billion, a $1.9 billion improvement from first quarter 2009, as a result of higher volume and mix and favorable net pricing. Ford operations in South America, Europe and Asia Pacific Africa as well as Ford Credit also posted pre-tax operating profits in the first quarter and improved results over the same period in 2009.

“The Ford team around the world achieved another very solid quarter, and we are delivering profitable growth,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. “Our plan is working, and the basic engine that drives our business results – products, market share, revenue and cost structure – is performing stronger each quarter, even as the economy and vehicle demand remain relatively soft.”

At the end of March, Ford entered into a definitive agreement to sell Volvo and related assets to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group for $1.8 billion, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The sale is expected to close in the third quarter of 2010. As a result of the agreement to sell Volvo, all of Volvo’s 2010 results are being reported as special items and excluded from Ford’s operating results; 2009 data include Volvo.

Ford’s first quarter revenue was $28.1 billion, up $3.7 billion from the same period a year ago. If Volvo had been excluded from 2009, automotive revenue would have increased by $7 billion, or more than 30 percent.

Here are the highlights:

• Ford reports first quarter net income of $2.1 billion, or 50 cents per share, a $3.5 billion improvement from first quarter 2009. Pre-tax operating profit of $2 billion, or 46 cents per share, a $4 billion improvement from first quarter 2009
• Ford Automotive operations posted first quarter pre-tax operating profit of $1.2 billion, a $3.2 billion improvement from first quarter 2009
• Ford North America reported first quarter pre-tax operating profit of more than $1.2 billion, a $1.9 billion improvement from first quarter 2009; Ford Europe earned a pre-tax operating profit of $107 million, a $692 million improvement from a year ago
• Revenue for the quarter totaled $28.1 billion, a $3.7 billion improvement from first quarter 2009
• Strong response to new vehicles drove the largest quarterly U.S. market share gain since 1977
• Ended the quarter with $25.3 billion of Automotive gross cash, with operating-related cash outflow of $100 million. Ford ended the quarter with $34.3 billion in Automotive debt
• Ford Motor Credit Company reported first quarter pre-tax operating profit of $828 million, an $864 million improvement from first quarter 2009
• Based on Ford’s improving performance, the gradually strengthening economy, and its present assumptions, Ford now expects to deliver solid profits this year with positive Automotive operating-related cash flow