(December 22, 2016) DETROIT — With a strong close to the year, total new light-vehicle sales in 2016 are expected to reach a record 17.5 million vehicles, surpassing the previous high set in 2015 by 5,000 units, according to a forecast developed jointly by J.D. Power and LMC Automotive.

Retail sales in 2016 are forecast to close at 14.1 million units, a 1.2% decline from 14.2 million units in 2015, but still will be the sixth-highest retail sales year in history.

(December 20, 2016) National pump prices have risen for 20 of the past 21 days, rising a total of 11 cents during this span. The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline sits at $2.24 per gallon, which is the highest mark since October, according to AAA.

Monday's average is three cents more than one week ago, nine cents more compared to one month ago and 24 cents more than the same date last year. Prices continue to rise due to market expectations of tighter availability following the announcement of an OPEC deal to cut oil production that is scheduled to start in January.

(December 17, 2016) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — CarGurus, a car shopping site, has released a study tracking the gap between the prices of used pickup trucks and that of other body styles. The data shows the average price of a used pickup for sale today is now 22% higher than it was four years ago, significantly outpacing the overall CarGurus Used Car Price Index, which is up only 1% over the same period.

(December 16, 2016) MUNICH, Germany — A new study finds a majority of German car drivers (59%) consider autonomous driving technology immature and refuse to hand over control to the vehicle. However, original customer voices on the internet analyzed by Consline AG show that first-hand experience with driving assistance systems significantly increases the acceptance of autonomous driving — systems like adaptive cruise control or lane assist — not only reduce stress in traffic jams they also increase trust in the technology and reduce the perceived accident risk.

(December 14, 2016) IRVINE, Calif. — AutoGravity, a FinTech pioneer on a mission to transform car financing by harnessing the power of the smartphone, has unveiled a mobile app with personalized tools that lets consumers in California finance any new car in four easy steps.

Based here, AutoGravity was founded by an international team of digital natives and industry veterans seeking to meet the growing demand for a smartphone-based car-financing experience.

(December 13, 2016) The national average for gasoline has increased for 14 days in a row following the OPEC oil production agreement on Nov. 30. Today’s average of $2.21 per gallon is up three cents per gallon on the week and two cents per gallon on the month. The national average is up 20 cents compared to the same date last year, according to statistics compiled by AAA.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.