Here's the Thing

Kelley lists 10 best car deals for December

(December 13, 2016) IRVINE, Calif. — For the everyday car shopper in search of a great new-car deal as dealerships continue their year-end selldown, the experts from Kelley Blue Book have compiled their list of the 10 best lease, financing and cash back deals for new vehicles available in December from a variety of auto manufacturers.

Top Safety Pick + winners meet new IIHS headlight criteria

(December 9, 2016) Consumers who choose a 2017 Top Safety Pick+ award winner shouldn't have trouble seeing the road on nighttime drives. Good or acceptable ratings in the Institute's new headlight evaluations set the latest crop of qualifiers apart. Thirty-eight models earned the "plus" accolade, and 44 earned Top Safety Pick.

Missing one-to-two hours of sleep doubles crash risk

(December 7, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Drivers who miss between one to two hours of the recommended seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period nearly double their risk for a crash, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 35 percent of U.S. drivers sleep less than the recommended seven hours daily.

And with drowsy driving involved in more than one in five fatal crashes on U.S. roadways each year, AAA warns drivers that getting less than seven hours of sleep may have deadly consequences.

Gas prices climb as market reacts to OPEC deal

(December 6, 2016) The national average price of regular unleaded gasoline has increased for seven consecutive days, reaching today’s price of $2.18 per gallon. Today’s average price represents an increase of five cents per gallon compared to one week ago, four cents less than one month ago and 14 cents more than the same date last year, according to AAA.

Study finds most U.S. drivers leery of auto repair shops

(December 2, 2016) ORLANDO, Fla.— According to a new AAA survey, two out of three U.S. drivers do not trust auto repair shops in general citing overcharges, recommendations for unnecessary services and poor past experiences for their lack of confidence.

New-car transaction prices climb nearly 2-percent year-over-year

(December 1, 2016) IRVINE, Calif. — The analysts at Kelley Blue Book kbb.com, the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both today reported the estimated average transaction price (ATP) for light vehicles in the United States was $34,948 in November. New-car prices have increased by $581 (up 1.7 percent) from November 2015, while dropping $51 (down 0.1 percent) from last month.

"Climbing transaction prices reflect the shift in consumer preference from cars to more expensive trucks and SUVs," said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book.

National U.S. average gas price continues slide ahead of OPEC meeting

(November 29, 2016) Drivers this year paid the second lowest gas prices for Thanksgiving since 2008, and the national average has steadily dropped days ahead of Wednesday’s OPEC meeting in Vienna, Austria. During the meeting, OPEC is expected to carve out the details for a production cut which could potentially result in an increase in global oil prices, though the details of the agreement are still unclear, according to AAA.

Today’s average price of $2.13 per gallon is down one cent per gallon for the week, seven cents over the last month and is only nine cents more compared to a year ago.

Black Friday expected to help new-car sales rise 4 percent

(November 24, 2016) IRVINE, Calif. — New-vehicle sales are expected to increase 4 percent year-over-year to a total of 1.37 million units in November 2016, resulting in an estimated 17.7 million seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), according to Kelley Blue Book kbb.com.

This will be the highest November sales total on record, beating the previous record of 1.32 million units in November 2001.

More car shoppers underwater on trade-ins with negative equity

(November 19 2016) SANTA MONICA, Calif. —  A rising number of car shoppers have negative equity on their trade-ins when they're purchasing their next vehicle, reports Edmunds.com. According to Edmunds data, an estimated 32 percent of all trade-ins toward the purchase of a new car through the first three quarters of 2016 were underwater.

Donating food in exchange for parking fine emerges as holiday trend

(December 18, 2016) ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Paying a parking ticket can make anyone feel like Scrooge, but what if your payment could help feed those in need? This holiday season, a growing number of cities are waiving their parking-ticket fines in exchange for donations to local food banks.