New Orleans ranked as #1 Car Friendly City in U.S.

According to this:

HOUSTON, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- How happy is your car? If your
automobile could talk, it might tell you it wants frequent trips to the car
wash, traffic-free commutes, and fill-ups with high-quality gasoline. And if
your automobile lives in New Orleans, then it's probably very happy indeed.
According to the "Shell America's Autopias" study released today by Shell Oil
Products US, New Orleans is the city where cars would most want to live if
they had their way.
Shell believes using high-quality gasolines is an important aspect of
overall car care, and the company commissioned the "Shell America's Autopias"
study to better understand how vehicles are cared for and maintained in the
United States. The Shell study evaluated the 50 largest metropolitan
statistical areas (MSAs) in the contiguous United States(1) and found that New
Orleans is "America's Autopia," followed by St. Louis(2); Kansas City, Mo.(3);
Atlanta; and Phoenix. The study measured a variety of factors to identify
which metro areas are best suited for automobiles, including traffic
congestion, road conditions, motorists' use of quality gasolines and motor
oils, and routine car maintenance practices.
"The Shell study showed that some cities clearly have an edge in how
vehicle-friendly they are, and New Orleans topped the list, thanks to the time
and effort local drivers invest in caring for their vehicles," said Mary
Jackson, an automotive expert and author of the best-selling book "Car
Smarts." "A vehicle is typically the second largest purchase that most
consumers make, so it's important to protect that investment. And while
motorists may not be able to control traffic, road conditions and other things
that affect the wear and tear of their automobiles, they can take an active
role in protecting their cars by performing routine maintenance and using
high-quality products, such as gasolines that meet TOP TIER Detergency
Standards."


The Criteria for an Autopia or Car Care Utopia
To determine the rankings, researchers from Decision Analyst, Inc., a
Texas-based independent research firm, scored and ranked each MSA in three
primary areas that can impact the overall care and operation of a vehicle --
quality of fuel and motor oil, routine car care and maintenance, and road
conditions and congestion. Within each of these key areas, the research
organization weighed the following variables equally to determine each
metropolitan area's level of car care and identify America's Autopias:
* Quality of Fuel and Motor Oil. Variables included the percentage of
gasoline sold by retailer based on consumer survey data, specifically
taking into account those retailers that sell TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline, as well as the amount of high-mileage, semi-synthetic and
full-synthetic oil that is purchased. TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is
a new standard for gasoline that surpasses minimum government
standards for gasoline detergency additives. According to BMW,
General Motors, Honda and Toyota, the automakers that developed the
standard, TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline will help keep vehicle engines
clean and reduce deposit-related problems, helping vehicles achieve
optimal performance as well as reduced emissions.
* Routine Car Care and Maintenance. Variables included the number of
maintenance facilities (gasoline stations, car washes and oil change
facilities) in the market per vehicle and the amount of money spent at
these facilities. Purchases of routine car care products and
services, such as oil changes and tire rotation and replacement, also
were taken into consideration.
* Road Conditions and Congestion. Variables included the physical
conditions of roadways and the amount and duration of traffic
congestion within the metro area, which can have an impact on the wear
and tear of a vehicle. Also included in the analysis was the
percentage of roads in disrepair in urban areas and the amount of
money that is spent to improve them.


The 'Big Easy' Eases to the Top
New Orleans' top ranking in the Shell survey was based in part on its
No. 1 ranking in the quality of fuel and motor oil category and the fact that
local residents spend more on car care than residents in most other areas.
According to The NPD Group/Motor Fuels Index, 54.3 percent of gasoline
purchased in the city was sold by a brand that has been certified as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Additionally, nearly 49 percent of all motor oil
purchased is in a premium category, either high-mileage, semi-synthetic or
full-synthetic motor oil, with the remainder of motor oil sales falling into
the standard, conventional oils category. The city ranked third among all
MSAs for its spending on car maintenance products and services, such as oil
filters, tires, oil changes, tire rotations and other car care services. And
while the Big Easy ranked No. 21 for road conditions and congestion out of the
50 MSAs studied, it was not enough to unseat the city as America's Autopia.
In general, the "Shell America's Autopias" study indicates that New
Orleans-area residents take better care of their automobiles than drivers in
other markets by doing simple things like changing the oil, rotating tires,
and using gasolines with added detergency and high-quality lubricants.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I found this to be quite surprising, especially the part about New Orleans being ranked as high as 21 for road conditions and congestion. I would have expected something more like a ranking of 45th or so!

Anyway, thought everyone would get a kick out of this...

 

No doubt, although I bet they didn't take into account the debalce shell had down here a several months ago when they delivered BAD PETROL to a lot of their stations here, causing mechanical problems in hundreds of cars.

 

V-power Ike, V-power!