AUTO I Doesn't Your European Car Deserve The FINEST? For the last 15 years, The Auto Doctor has specialized in fine European cars. We guarantee that you will be satisfied with the workmanship and personal service we provide. Call for FREE expert advice and competitive quote. By appointment only. BOSCH SERVICE Bosch Authorized Service • • • • Gasoline Fuel Injection Anti-Lock Brake Systems Diesel Fuel Systems Electrical Systems • Hybrid Ignition • Electronic Systems • Accessories The Auto Doctor The Finest in European Auto Service in Metro Detroit 33181 Dequindre (North of 14 Mile) Troy, Michigan 585.1890 23151 Telegraph Road (North of 9 Mile) Southfield, Michigan 355-1505 A DAVID ROSENMAN'S A1J110 ANIL PIURCHASEIRS NEW & USED CAR BROKER (313) 851•CARS (313) 851.2277 Right in Your Own Driveway! WINTER VACATIONERS / THE TUNE , -UP '1 MAN Beat The Auto Rental Rates! Certified by the National Automotive Institute of Excellence Comes to your home or office with the garage-on-wheels Valet service that doesn't cost one penny extra • Expert diagnostic tune-up • Electronic analyzer - all engine systems • Professionally trained mechanics • Perfect results assured Ship YOUR Car To Florida! A & YC AUTO TRANSPORT, INC. 46900 W. 12 MILE RD. • NOVI, MICH. 48050 CALL 348-4486 Expanded Services Call Sanford Rosenberg for your car problems FOR FURTHER INFO I A-6 FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1990 ViS4. 1 ismoi 3 98- 3 6 0 5 -_t-c°. Mini-Van Market Continued from preceding page Power and Associates, Califor- nia marketing and research firm. Analysts credited carlike qualities, such as low floor height that eases entry, for the success of Chrysler's minivans: the luxurious Chrysler Town and Country, Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan. When Mazda introduced its rear-drive MPV (multi- purpose vehicle) in late 1988, the firm stressed the vehicle's carlike handling and ride. In- stead of a van-like sliding door for rear seat entry, Maz- da designers gave the MPV a conventional swing-out door for easy-access. The MPV, too, has been a sales success. Nissan dropped its Stanza station wagon last year when it introduced Axxess, its minivan intended for people who need a station wagon- type vehicle but don't want a van that looks business-like. Other new minivans will be arriving soon. Toyota's new model has a mid-mounted engine for roominess and walk-through capability. It's called a Previa in Japan, and should be here this month. Most minivans now are available with four-wheel- drive. UTILITIES New utility vehicles are ar- riving fast, as auto makers compete for their share of this popular market. They range from the compact models with two-wheel drive only, at around $8,000, to the big lux- ury Range Rover with four- wheel-drive, at $40,000 tops. (If you can get one, you can also spend $126,000 for a Lamborghini four-wheel- drive sport utility.) At the North American In- ternational Auto Show in Detroit, Ford unveiled its new explorer, a "baby" sport util- ity to compete with Chevro- let's compact-size S-10 Blazer. Explorer sports a 4.0-liter V-6 engine plus "shift-on-the-fly" for changing from two-wheel to four-wheel operation, nice handling and a quiet, well- insulated interior. It can be equipped with the first-class JBL Audio System, the first ever for a Ford truck. Also at the Detroit Auto Show, GMC has an extended wheelbase four-door sport utility S-15 Jimmy for 1991. Chevrolet will show its counterpart, the four-door S-10 Blazer. Toyota is planning a midyear introduction of a new sport-utility Land Cruiser. Last November, Aro of North America introduced a Romanian-built Aro Hunter 244 sport-utility vehicle. It's a husky-looking four-wheel- drive four-door model. Suzuki brings out its Samurai for 1990 with a soft top only. Its more modern and larger Sidekick introduces a two-wheel-drive JS softtop model for consumers who want a sport-utility look without four-wheel-drive. The super-luxurious Range Rover makes an anti-lock braking system standard for 1990. PICKUPS Base pickup prices range from just under $8,000 to about $18,000 for an ex- tended cab model. As for what's new among pickups, GMC will be in- troducing a restyled version of its compact S-15, to be renamed the Sonoma. Chevrolet's opposite entry, the S-10, will also be restyled. Toyota added anti-lock braking systems for its two and four-wheel-drive pickups for 1990. THE FUTURE There may be some changes in the car/truck competition if the federal government tightens up on standards for fuel economy and safety. As of now, vans and trucks do not have to comply with passen- ger car standards for side- door and roof strength, head restraints, passive restraints The traditional sedan and the station wagon can't handle all the transportation jobs for a 1990s family. rl (automatic safety belts or air bags) and a third brake light. Eventually, trucks may be re- quired to comply with the same standards mandated for passenger cars. And that will raise the price of trucks and take away a few selling points in the car/truck decision- making process. For the immediate future, however, Americans are ex- pected to keep on trucking. John Rock general manager of GMC Truck Division, predicted recently that a growing number of con- sumers will continue to opt for trucks over cars. More auto makers are entering their candidates in the truck popularity contest. As analyst William R. Pochiluk, president of Autofacts, Inc. predicts, trucks are benefiting beause "the competitive environment is forcing vehicle manufacturers