Tips and Advice
Toyota Resale Values Take Another Hit
Posted: Feb. 09, 2010 10:02:37 a.m.
“The Toyota in your garage,” ABC News reports, “Is losing value by the week.” In the wake of a series of high-profile safety recalls, the company’s public image has taken a hit – and sales of used Toyotas have slowed.
The used car value analysts at Kelley Blue Book “dropped the resale values of recalled Toyotas for the second time in four days Monday, leaving them as much as 4 percent or $300 to $750 lower than a week ago ...
Could Non-Toyota Vehicles Face Unintended Acceleration?
Posted: Feb. 02, 2010 10:02:27 a.m.
Toyota’s public image has taken a beating recently, after the automaker was forced to halt sales of eight popular models over concerns they could face a problem with sudden, unintended acceleration. Some engineers, however, warn that the problem may not stay confined to Toyota products.
The Detroit Free Press explains, “In today's complex cars, a cell phone, satellite radio or even a restaurant's large microwave could -- in theory -- cause the accelerator to surge out of control, according ...
Value of Used Toyotas May Slump After Recall
Posted: Feb. 02, 2010 10:02:28 a.m.
Once Toyota has fixed your accelerator pedal, you’re in the clear, right? Not quite. The stellar reliability reputation and solid resale value of Toyota products over time has made Toyotas a solid investment for millions, but the damage from the company’s high-profile troubles could impact more than just the automaker’s bottom line – it could hurt the value of your car.
The Detroit News reports, “Toyota's resale values long have been the envy of the automobile industry ...
How You Drive Should Determine How You Maintain Your Car
Posted: Jan. 22, 2010 10:01:48 a.m.
Think all cars need to be maintained the same way? Think again.
Kicking Tires reports, "Drivers often underestimate how hard they’re being on their cars and fail to take into account these severe driving habits when following a maintenance schedule, according to AAA."
The Detroit News says, "When polled recently by AAA, only 6 percent of motorists felt they did most of their driving under severe conditions. But when asked about the actual driving behaviors that create severe operating ...
GM Boosts Incentives for Saturn and Pontiac Dealers
Posted: Dec. 30, 2009 10:12:43 a.m.
If you’re in the market for a new Saturn or Pontiac, now may the best (and last) time to buy one. General Motors is doing everything it can to move inventory off dealer lots for the two discontinued brands. Now, they’re paying dealers $7,000 for every new Saturn or Pontiac vehicle they move to rental-vehicle or service-vehicle fleets.
The incentive is a tool to help dealers reduce their inventories as GM prepares to liquidate the two brands ...
Survey: Jaguar, Mercury Dealers Offer Best Buying Experience
Posted: Dec. 10, 2009 11:12:40 a.m.
If you’re shopping for a new car but dreading the experience of sitting across from a car dealer dodging attacks on your wallet, consider a Jaguar or a Mercury product. That’s the conclusion reached by J.D. Power and Associates’ 2009 Sales Satisfaction Index Study.
Edmunds Inside Line reports, “Jaguar ranks the highest among luxury brands while Audi ranks the lowest,” in results released Tuesday. Jaguar took the top spot in last year's survey as well. “Mercury ...
Dealer Taking Deposits on Chevy Volt...But Chevy Hasn't Built it Yet
Posted: Nov. 16, 2009 11:11:18 a.m.
General Motors hasn’t yet started production of its highly-anticipated Chevy Volt electric car. It hasn’t put a price on the vehicle. It hasn’t announced when the Volt will be available, or what dealers will get the first models. It hasn’t told dealers what colors will be available, or whether the car will come with a sunroof or a navigation system or an options package including fog lamps and heated mirrors for cold-weather states. It hasn’t ...
Running Out of Pontiacs
Posted: Nov. 12, 2009 10:11:26 a.m.
If you’ve been considering a Pontiac, get moving. They’re almost gone.
Last spring, General Motors announced plans to close the Pontiac brand by the end of 2009. With just two months to go, the brand appears to be making a smooth exit from the marketplace. On the brand’s official Twitter feed, it has provided an update of what’s left – and the total works out to barely 3,600 cars nationwide.
Many consider the Pontiac G8 to ...
Experts See Auto Sales Recovering Next Year; Prices Could Rise
Posted: Oct. 26, 2009 10:10:52 a.m.
Americans bought more than 16 million cars in 2007. We bought just over 13 million in 2008. Despite the sales frenzy triggered by the government's Cash for Clunkers rebate program, many analysts believe we won't quite have bought 10 million by the end of 2009. Some say, however, that the downward trend will reverse itself soon.
Reuters reports, "U.S. auto sales are projected to rise nearly one-fifth to 11.8 million units in 2010, influential industry tracking ...
World's Largest Cash-Back Rebate: $42K Off Tesla Roadster
Posted: Oct. 23, 2009 11:10:02 a.m.
If you're in the market for a new car and would like a little help with the purchase, there's a nice $3,500 cash-back rebate this month on the Pontiac G8. There's a similar $3,500 rebate on leftover 2009 Ford Mustangs. Or, for Colorado residents, there's a $42,083 rebate on the all-electric Tesla Roadster.
Yeah, read it again.
Didn't change, did it?
Autoblog reports, "Colorado is offering a $42,083 rebate on the ...
