(October 17, 2020) ORLANDO, Fla. — According to a recent AAA Travel survey, American travelers are making vacation plans through the end of the year, but remain cautiously optimistic about those future plans. Sixty-seven percent of U.S. adults planning a vacation before the end of the year report some degree of uncertainty they will actually be able to take their vacation. As a result, some are opting for spur-of-the-moment travel decisions as they take coronavirus implications into account.

(October 16, 2020) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Consumers with a lease expiring in the next few months could be leaving thousands of dollars in cash on the table if they don't check on the equity in their vehicle, according to the car shopping experts at Edmunds. And this could affect quite a few Americans. Edmunds data reveals that approximately 4.2 million consumers chose to lease a vehicle in 2017, and most of those leases expire in 2020.

(October 15, 2020) BOSTON — Travel and navigation app GasBuddy has released its latest report on consumer ratings and foot traffic at gas stations in the United States analyzing more than 9 million consumer visits and 1 million ratings and reviews in the GasBuddy consumer app between July and September and found that gas station visits increased in the third quarter.

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(October 14, 2020) Introduced a little over a year ago, the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 is one of the more practical and stylish SUVs in the luxury class. It is functional, comfortable, a joy to drive, and offers all the technology expected in today’s top-end vehicles though you do need to add optional packages to get features like blind-spot assist, larger displays, hands-free liftgate, keyless entry, and adaptive cruise control.

(October 13, 2020) Over the weekend Hurricane Delta made landfall in southwestern Louisiana as a category 2 hurricane. While the storm caused some disruptions, refineries are reporting operations have resumed. The Colonial Pipeline Line 1, the main gas line, was down temporarily over the weekend due to loss of power, which has since been restored as well as service. Line 2, the distillates line, is currently shutdown without power.

(October 9, 2020) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — October is Fall Car Care Month and Mopar, FCA’s service, parts and customer-care brand, is helping customers prepare for the changing weather and driving conditions with factory-backed services and products. 

“With the cold-weather driving season fast approaching, preventative vehicle maintenance is critical,” said Mark Bosanac, head of Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care, FCA – North America.

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(October 8, 2020) We first drove the Hyundai Venue when it was all new for 2020, and was introduced to the media in Miami. We came away from that first introduction more than impressed with Hyundai’s smallest and least-expensive SUV that slots below the excellent subcompact Kona.

(October 8, 2020) IRVINE, Calif. — The valuation analysts at Kelley Blue Book have reported the estimated average transaction price for a light vehicle in the United States was $38,723 in September. New-vehicle prices increased $940 (up 2.5%) from September 2019, while raising $23 (up 0.1%) from last month.  

"New-car transaction prices have climbed year-over-year, but remained flat for the past few months," said Sara Richards, an analyst for Kelley Blue Book.

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(October 7, 2020) MIAMI — It didn’t take long for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator pickup truck to make an impression. First shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late fall of 2018 and launched the following spring of 2019 as Jeep’s first truck since 1992, the Gladiator earned 2020 North American Truck of the Year honors at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

But that’s not what my neighbor called it when it showed up in my driveway recently.

(October 6, 2020) SANTA MONICA, Calif. —  Consumers in the market for a new car during the pandemic aren't shying away from making bigger down payments than usual. According to the car shopping experts at Edmunds, the average down payment for a new vehicle climbed to $4,457 in the third quarter, compared to $3,891 last quarter and $4,045 a year ago.

Edmunds data also shows that the average transaction price (ATP) for new vehicles rose significantly in the third quarter. Edmunds estimates that the ATP in Q3 climbed to $39,303, compared to $38,893 last quarter and $37,207 in Q3 of 2019.