Archive for the ‘Pricing’ Category

All Kinds Of Cars Now Come With Big Incentives

Saturday, November 15th, 2008

A few months ago it was just big vehicles that came with car company rebates, but now the car dealerships are also offering deals on their smaller models to help ease the crush of products on their lots. So excellent deals are the order of the day.

A Balanced View Of The Right-To-Repair Debate

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

Don't even think about reading this story unless you're deeply concerned about the intricacies of how the service industry will look after your vehicle and how it might affect its reliability and your costs.

Auto Affordability Index Worsens, Bank Survey Reports

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

According to Comerica Bank, the average price of a car was $28,929 in the third quarter, which means it takes a family longer to pay it off.

HD Radio Delivers Better Sound For Less Money

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

Lower prices for HD radios make it easier for people to get better sound from all those free radio stations.

The Economic Case For Hybrid Vehicles Fades Again

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

Hybrids have never really made much economic sense for the average buyer because it was hard to recover the cost of their extra cost by small amount you save for gasoline, but with various government incentives drying up and the cost of gasoline falling their financial value is getting worse. 

Hyundai Genesis Buyers Face The Chris Rock Affect

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

By Alex Law For Hyundai's fabulous Genesis premium sedan to succeed, it's going to have to overcome a societal attitude that's most vividly described in Chris Rock's latest concert movie -- Kill The Messenger.

Aging Boomer Needs Influence Design Of Toyota Venza

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

By Alex Law The army of Baby Boomers that makes up the bulk of Toyota's customer base should be thrilled with the arrival of the five-seat Venza this winter bearing price tags from $25,975 to $29,250 when it arrives this December.

As Sales Lag, Little Cars Now Come With Big Deals

Saturday, November 1st, 2008

Car sales have dropped so much across the United States that even small, fuel-efficient cars aren't doing as well as their manufacturers want, so there are now different kinds of deals and incentives available.

Consumer Reports’ Top-10 Mistakes Of Car Buyers

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

This is pretty good advice from an organization that's nowhere near as reliable or infallible as most people believe, but you should be careful about taking Item 5 at face value. Sometimes buying the deal is the best way to get the best price with the least amount of effort. ...

Chrysler Axes Hybrid Versions Of Aspen And Durango

Friday, October 24th, 2008

Even with their significant improvements in fuel economy over the regular models, the two hybrid SUVs have found limited acceptance in a market that seems to have turned its back on such big vehicles. The company is promising a hybrid version of its full-size Ram pickup in 2010.

GM And Toyota Campaigns Say Financing Is Available

Friday, October 17th, 2008

To remove what they believe is a mistaken impression about the availability of credit for new car loans and leases, the world's two biggest car companies are running marketing campaigns to show consumers what kind of financing plans they offer.

Honda Dealers Won’t Let Insight Hybrid Price Stay Low

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

The thing you have to bear in mind about announced MSRPs is that they're just about the only price consumers don't pay for a vehicle. So sometimes they're set high to allow dealers consumer-pleasing discounts. But if the car looks like it's going to be in high demand, the MSRP ...

Toyota EV With 10-Mile Range “Sounds Like A Flop”

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

Several car companies, including Toyota and GM, are hoping that new cars that go a limited distance on battery power will open up a new audience for people looking to reduce or reject the use of gasoline. Not everyone thinks the idea's going to work.

Great Deals On Cars For People With Great Credit

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

If you can afford to buy a new vehicle, there is an "unprecedented" selection of deals available for you to choose from.

Big Sales Drop Forces Toyota To Offer Cheap Financing

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

With sales dropping by almost a third in September, Japan's biggest car company is going to offer American buyers zero interest financing on 11 models until November 3, 2008. A few of them are big SUVs and trucks, but there are some sensible choices as well, such as Matrix, Corolla, ...

Cruze May Lead The Way To More Expensive Small Cars

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

Not only do all of the car companies have to sell more small cars, they all have to sell more small cars that make money, and that means higher sticker prices. Sales for their profitable big models (trucks and SUVs) have really collapsed, so North Americans are already paying more for ...

New Car Buying Depends On Great Credit

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

Thanks to various problems in the financial industry, it's going to be harder than ever for many people to qualify for a new car loan. Without a FICO score of 720, this story suggests, you may be out of luck.

Will You Pay More For A Small Car?

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

What's going on in the auto industry is going to make things less pleasant for people looking to save money on gas by buying a small car, or so says Girl Driver, USA. That and other interesting observations request your attention here.

African-Americans And Hispanics Pay More For Insurance

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

A study by the Federal Trace Commission (FTC) shows how using a person's credit rating to determine her insurance rates can have a special impact of certain specific communities. Both groups have lower average credit scores than non-Hispanic whites and Asians.

Pontiac Adds Fourth 30+MPG Car

Friday, September 19th, 2008

The G3 four-door hatchback will join the G5 coupe, the G6 sedan and the Vibe crossover/wagon on the list of vehicles capable of delivering fuel economy in the plus-30 mpg range. When it arrives next year, the G3 will also have the benefit of being the least-expensive vehicle on that ...

Actor And Artists Pay Less For Insurance

Monday, September 15th, 2008

Yes, that is a little hard to figure out. But it makes sense to insurance companies, as this story shows. If nothing else, it suggests that pretty much everything about you influences your auto insurance premium. 

Examine Your Options At End Of Lease

Sunday, September 14th, 2008

If you're clever when your lease is up, you might be able to make some money by selling your car privately and paying off what you owe (this generally applies to small, fuel-efficient cars), or giving the car back and buying a similar vehicle for less on the open market ...

Keep A Skeptical Eye On Low-Mileage Cars

Monday, September 8th, 2008

Thanks to the fact that modern odometers are easier to turn back so a car seems to have fewer miles on it than it actually does, this story should be a priority if you're thinking about buying a used car. The basic message is if it looks to good to ...

Small Car Fender-Benders Cost Thousands To Fix

Friday, September 5th, 2008

You don't have to be going very fast in a small car to do a lot of damage, a study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) makes clear. For example, if you hit something (like the wall in a parking garage) with the rear end of a Prius ...

Weight-Loss To Save Gas Leaves Familiar Features Out

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008

As part of its effort to show it really does know how to build cars that don't use much gas, GM recently introduced an XFE (for Xtra Fuel Economy) designation on some of its vehicles. The most popular model, the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt XFE LS, comes with hand-cranked windows and ...

Record Number Of Cars Pass $10,000 In Incentives

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

A study by Edmunds.com proves what most observers have recently felt -- that car companies are more willing than ever to offer incentives to get people to buy cars. 

Get Ready For Small Cars That Cost A Lot Of Money

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Every car company doing business here, including Toyota and cheap-and-cheerful Kia, has been caught with some wrong products at the wrong time. Now they're all trying to deal with a move to a fuller range of smaller cars with bigger price tags -- much bigger price tags. Early evidence suggests ...

Flood Of New Vehicles From India And China Delayed Again

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

You probably didn't even know that a company from India was planning to bring diesel-powered pickup trucks to North America, but they are, at some point. This is a reminder that the car market here is about to get a whole lot more crowded with cars and trucks from India ...

Liberty Mutual Launches Special Car Insurance Plan For Educators

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

While it may be as much public relations gesture as anything else (see how it worked with us?), the move by Liberty Mutual to offer a special package of car insurance coverage to teachers and education administrators might also have some genuine benefits for people who often need some financial ...

10 Things You Should Know About Your Car Insurance

Monday, August 25th, 2008

You may be aware of most of these aspects of auto insurance, but there are bound to be some you weren't aware of and they might be useful to know.

Honda Fit Shows Hybrids Not Needed To Save Gas

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

Small, distinctive, inexpensive new version of Honda Fit compact car shows you don't have to waste your money on a hybrid to save fuel, as long as you're will to put yourself at risk more amongst all those bigger vehicles.

GM Puts 12-Month Warranty On Certified Used Cars

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

If you're looking for a good used car, those certified used car programs have always featured many better units at slightly higher prices. Now GM has made the idea even more appealing with a bumper-to-bumper, fully-transferable warranty on many of its used cars.

GM Offers Employee Pricing To Sell More Cars

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

This is one of those times when a headline pretty much tells the entire story, but there is some small print about what's not eligible. Bottom line is that GM's willing to give you a really good price if you bring the money with you, or have financing arranged.

Koreans Try To Go Upmarket, But Buyers Want Cheap Cars

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

For years the Korean car firms -- Hyundai and Kia -- have been trying to shake their cheap-and-cheerful image by offering "premium" models, but American buyers aren't too interested in paying more for them.

Gas Prices Lowest Since May

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

Prices per gallon are probably still too high for most people, but at least it's not as bad as it was. At least they're not getting worse.