2020 AAA Car Guide Helps Auto Buyers During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Volvo Sedan Earns Top Spot
By Space Coast Daily // June 21, 2020
AAA Car Guide allows consumers to find the right vehicle, without having to leave the house
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – As Florida businesses continue the process of reopening, manufacturers and dealers may offer incentives to stimulate car-buying.
This week, AAA released its AAA Car Guide, to help consumers navigate the process of buying an automobile during a pandemic (or while observing social distancing recommendations).
Visit the AAA Car Guide Website
Dealerships Enhancing Sanitation Protocols
As buyers return to the market, industry groups such as the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) are providing dealerships with guidance on how to safely interact with car buyers.
This includes procedures on keeping employees and customers safe, cleaning and disinfecting dealership facilities and vehicles and safely handling sales operations. Some dealerships are even modifying their buying process and offering to deliver vehicles to customers for test drives.
“The AAA Car Guide allows consumers to find the right vehicle for them, without having to leave the house,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group.
“These days, a vehicle buyer may feel overwhelmed or confused not only by the differences of how the vehicle is powered, but by which safety features are included and how they work in the real world. This guide removes the guess work, so consumers will understand exactly what they’re getting.”
What can consumers find in the AAA Car Guide?
The guide includes comprehensive, easy-to-read reviews of each vehicle, which are tested and scored based on 13 criteria, including braking, fuel economy, emissions, handling, ride comfort, acceleration and the number of ADAS safety features.
The guide also covers other automotive topics of interest, including:
■ Analysis of the latest advanced automotive safety features — what they do, how well they work, and their limitations.
■ The state of self-driving technology and who is involved in their manufacture and testing.
■ The dangers of distracted driving, including ways to help stay more alert.
Previews of the cars and light trucks scheduled to hit the market in coming years- including developing technologies.
■ A compendium of AAA’s recent research of current automotive technologies and topics, such as advanced driver-assistance systems, gasoline quality, the advantages of synthetic oil, reduced tire traction in wet-weather driving, and headlight effectiveness.
Same Technology, Different Name, Equally Confusing
The latest model vehicles often come equipped with some sort of advanced safety system.
However, many of these systems go by different names, based on the vehicle’s manufacturer or brand. In fact, AAA previously analyzed 34 vehicle brands sold in the United States to identify the number of unique names manufacturers use to market ADAS.
For example, automatic emergency braking, standard on 31% of 2018 vehicles, has 40 names for just this one feature.
As a result, AAA along with other safety organizations has called on the industry to move towards common naming to help clear the confusion for consumers.
AAA helps to alleviate the confusion for consumers in its 2020 AAA Car Guide.
AAA Announces Top-Ranked Vehicles for 2020
This week, AAA announced a 2020 Volvo luxury sedan has earned the top score (Best Overall) in its first edition of the newly released AAA Car Guide.
The majority of the category winners for 2020 are either electric, plug-in electric hybrids or hybrids, signaling that eco-friendly vehicles tend to offer the most cutting-edge vehicle technology.
Highest Ranked Vehicles by Category:
| Category | Vehicle |
| Overall | 2020 Volvo S90 T8 E-AWD R-Design (plug-in hybrid) |
| Small | 2019 Nissan Leaf SV Plus (electric) |
| Midsize | 2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE (hybrid) |
| Large | 2020 Volvo S90 T8 E-AWD R-Design (plug-in hybrid) |
| Pickup | 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 2WD Crew Cab SLT (diesel) |
| SUV/Minivan | 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited (plug-in hybrid) |
| Best Under $30,000 | 2019 Honda Insight 4-door Touring (hybrid) |
| Best $30,000-$50,000 | 2019 Kia Niro EV EX Premium (electric) |
| Best Over $50,000 | 2020 Volvo S90 T8 E-AWD R-Design (plug-in hybrid) |
Winners, detailed evaluation criteria, vehicle reviews and an in-depth analysis of the ADAS technology can be found at aaa.com/carguide
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