European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 25, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday july 25, 1994 automotive the stars and stripes Page 9. Mich Lins Are again the favorite original equipment tires by Consumers according to . Power and associates. Michelin topped the list for the fourth time in the five years the study has been conducted the marketing and consulting organization says. It edged the 1992 favorite Pirelli into second place. Michelin and Pirelli have finished first and second in four of the five years. V both companies earn satisfaction Index scores significantly above the other 10 tire brands in the study. The three second tier companies a of Goodrich Firestone and Goodyear a earned scores roughly equal to the Industry average score. Of Goodrich and Firestone were below the Industry average in 1992. Brands finishing below the Industry average score of 119 for car owners were in alphabetical order Bridges tone Continental Dunlop general Toyo uniroyal and Yokohama. Michelin a High Marks As an original equipment tire helped it top the list of Best replacement tires for 1993, the organization said. A a a a. A. Toyota motor corp., Japan a largest automaker said Friday that purchases of foreign Auto parts Rose 12 percent to $7.02 billion in the year ended March 31. Toyota a foreign part procurement has risen steadily in recent years in part because the japanese yen a Sharp appreciation in value against the Dollar makes imports cheaper. The United states has demanded that japanese automakers buy More american parts japanese firms rely heavily on affiliated parts manufacturers with whom the have built up relationships Over several decades. Japanese automakers say they Are. Buying As Many american parts As possible but argue that . Suppliers still need to improve Quality to the level of their japanese counterparts. Toyota said last month that it spent $4.65 billion on american parts in the latest fiscal year. A a a a a a. A Kia motors America recalled 6,945 of us 1994 Sophia compact sedans last week to replace a Speed sensor that could malfunction. The. South korean automaker said it knows of no accidents or injuries resulting from problems with the sensors. The sensors operate the speedometer odometer and on some models cruise control. The cars in question were built from november 1993 to March 1994. Free replacement takes about 30 minutes at a dealer Kia said in a news release from its . Headquarters in Irvine Calif. Mazda is recalling 1994-Model rx-7 sports cars because of a Cooling system defect that has caused fires in some cars. Mazda inspectors found that the Radiator Cap and pressure valve can fail on some of the vehicles because of heat stress. The defect could cause the Cool Arft to boil and Spray if the engine is shut off after High Speed operation Mazda motor corp. Said last week. After repeated instances the problem could damage coolant hoses or cause engine fire. 4. Mazda has received reports of engine fires but no accidents or injuries stemming from the problem spokesman Tom Mcdonald said. The 12,316 owners will be notified. By mail to bring their cars in for free inspection and repair. A from wire reports spotting safety in autos armaker borrow camouflage research to Cut Down crashes by Julia Prodis. A business writer Detroit a military technology used to camouflage tanks on the Battlefield is being used by the Auto Industry to do the reverse a make cars easier to spot to help avoid crashes. \. Engineers from general motors corp. And the army Are applying military research of the human perception of colors and shapes to civilian Drivers. A a at this Point we have a couple of years of work to do to translate the tool from a Battlefield Arena to an automotive Arena a said Richard decking a manager in Gmys crash avoidance department. Early research is focusing on the color and placement of Brake lights. Yellow might be a better color than red and Neon might be better still army physicist Tom Cilz scr said wednesday Quot a a a it a got something to do with How cars and their lights blend into the background clutter a he said a maybe at a particular time the Eye Isnit picking it up. They see it but they done to really see  a a the army a engineering Center in Warren mich., is building a state of the Art a visual perception lab where people will watch traffic simulations and be asked what kinds of vehicles Are easiest to spot. An estimated one out of seven crashes occurs because Drivers did no to Sec the other vehicle. In1991, motorists paid $140 billion to repair their crashed cars a and about $150 million of that damage was done to cars where the Drivers say they did no to Sec the other car coming Meitzler said. Military technology has come a Longway from the world War ii Days when tank Crews would paint their own camouflage once they got on the Battlefield he said. Sophisticated computer simulations and mathematical formulas a along with psychology and vision research a have created an abundance of military data on what makes objects less visible. A we can essentially flip the Model and have it calculate what makes particular vehicles More conspicuous or simpler to see a Meitzler  by Ann Marie Job the associated press you can to have too Many vans. That seems to be the feeling at Ford motor co., which recently added a fourth Van nameplate to its lineup. The new entry the front wheel drive Ford ,-.starts at $19,455. Contrary to Early reports it will not replace the rear drive Ford Acostar which continues to hold its own in Ford showrooms. Its easy to Sec Why the nations no. 2 automaker is bullish on minivans. Since Chrysler corp. Started moving  station wagons to Chrysler a a Dodge caravan and Plymouth voyager models in 1983, annual minivan sales in the United states have soared to More than 1 million. A generation of american parents has made  a vehicle of Choice for family vacations grocery shopping and carting children to school and baseball practice. Meanwhile some older empty testers Are finding that minivans arc the nicely sized solution to travel and vacation needs. Now every car maker is seeking to do the Chrysler minivan one better Ford positions its win Star As a the next a incr action. Minivan.�?�. But in nearly All minivans shoppers find the same Basic minivan package that Chrysler pioneered warlike handling and ride combined with flexible seating and cargo room All in a two Box exterior design where the engine compartment makes up one Box and the passing or cargo area the other. Ford shapes this Basic package into a. Tasteful aerodynamic people Carrier in its upscale win Star la. A with a base Price of $23,000, the wind Star la has a Quality feel with solid fit of doors and other body panels relatively quiet ride except for some wind noise and a Well cushioned nearly Plush ride. The win Star la As Well As the base Model the Glare the Only minivans to meet All Federal car safety standards when fitted with Standard equipment according to Ford. That equipment includes two front air bags bumpers that a can sustain a 5 Mph collision and four wheel anti lock brakes in each win Star. Chrysler minivans do not have 5 Mph bumpers and some base Chrysler models do not include Standard anti lock brakes Ford notes. Wider and longer than the Chrysler grand caravan the win Star also has a bit More headroom and hip room in front Middle and rear seat positions and a Tad More front  win Star boasts a 16-Inch step in height at its passenger doors a excluding the rear lift Gate. A Ford spokeswoman said it is the lowest among the minivans and compares with a 16 Inch step in new Star will Rise the new Ford win Star minivan olters Cartic handling a nearly Plush ride and a Little More headroom and front legroom than the Chrysler grand caravan. Height for the Dodge caravan. The wind Start a 3.8-liter, fuel injected v-6 engine and four Speed electronic automatic transmission Are based on those in the Lincoln Continental. In the win Star the powertrain produces maximum horsepower of 155 at 4,000 revolutions per minute just a Tad under the 162 horsepower at 4,400 rpm of the competing Dodge grand caravan be with optional 3.8-liter v-6. A in a 0-to-60-Mph race the Chrysler is 0.3 second faster than the win Star hitting 60 Mph at 9.7 seconds. A fuel Economy is competitive with the win Star rated at 17 Miles per gallon in the City and 24 mpg on the Highway. In the test of the la the win Star averaged 20 mpg in mixed driving. Handling is indeed Carlick with some body Roll on tight turns As expected. Still the win Star which sits on a stretched Ford Taurus Chassis is sturdy and capable in Day to Day Maneu vers. The win Star la is devoid of Chrome save for the shiny Silver adorning the Ford Oval logo. Body molding is the same color As the win Star body and outside mirrors Are finished in Black. All this helps make the win Star shape and lines flow  modern lines Are found inside too. The win Star dashboard is a dual shelf design that sweeps tastefully in front of the from scat passenger. Again there a no distracting shiny Silver stuff. There Are two cup holders for the front seats a cup Holder for the Middle seating area a Bench or bucket seats Are Avail Able a and two More cup holders for the rearmost Bench seat also Standard Are rear radio controls for Middle scat riders. Legroom for riders in both the Middle and rearmost seats is commendable and Ford puts a grab handle at the Back of the front passenger seat to help people As they climb in and out through the sliding Side door. The door slides with ease and offers a Good amount of doorway space. The wind Start a rear door lifts upward As in other minivans. Middle and third Row seals Are removable with Ford suggesting its easiest to take both out through the sliding Side door rather than out the Back. Still the Bench scats Are Large awkward and heavy to handle alone. If you need just a bit More or Ergo room you can leave the seals inside but fold Down the Back of the rearmost Seal and slide the seat Forward on its track a feature that a also found in the Mercury villager a another Ford minivan. Since introduction in March the win Star has racked up More than 21,500 sales. A company spokeswoman said the automaker looks for 145,000 sales this year rising to nearly 300,000 annual sales once production is at a regular Pace. Among the competitors of the $23,000 win Star la Are the $24,185 Chrysler grand caravan with optional 3.8-liter v-6 and the $26,578 Toyota Previn be available Only with a four Cylinder engine. Quot. Because the win Star is a new vehicle consumer reports does not list owner trouble complaints