Editorial archive

March 2011

Next generation fuel — garbage and soybeans

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(March 18, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Fueling up your car may one day be as easy as cleaning out the refrigerator or taking out the trash, says Edmunds.com in its latest look at the new innovations in alternative fuels.

In "Weirdest Types of Car Fuel," Edmunds.com contributor Francis Soyer examines some of the new fuel alternatives that are looking to push gasoline off its perch.

AAA offers advice on selecting a quality driving school for teens

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(March 17, 2011) ORLANDO, Fla. (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — Having a new teen driver in a household can be a stressful experience with good reason. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and more teens die from traffic crashes each year than by homicide, suicide and drugs and alcohol combined.

NADA Guide analyst: Rising cost of fuel will impact used-vehicle prices

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(March 16, 2011) MCLEAN, Va. (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — Rising gasoline prices will play a significant role in determining the price of used cars and trucks — including trade-in values — across all vehicle segments, said Jonathan Banks, executive automotive analyst for the NADA Used Car Guide.

HID headlight adoption rate lags other safety equipment

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(March 16, 2011) HILLSBORO, N.H. (PRNewswire) — Though High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights made their debut more than a decade ago, they are not catching on as quickly as other safety features like traction control, stability control and tire pressure monitoring.

Insurance firms in United Kingdom accused of encouraging claims

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(March 16, 2011) CHESTER, England (PRNewswire) — The car insurance industry in the UK is coming under fire after a report from the Transport Select Committee attacked the relationship between insurance firms and personal injury lawyers.

The report, which was presented by leading actuarial consultancy EMB, described the "merry-go-round" of payments that occurs after car crashes, with lawyers allegedly paying insurers and even garages for information about people involved in car accidents.

Edmunds offers tips on buying the best audio system for your car

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(March 16, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Even though new cars come equipped with better standard stereo systems than ever before, aftermarket car stereos can still offer the best sound quality and the latest integrated features.

Edmunds offers five tips for choosing the right auto body shop

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(March 16, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Finding an honest auto body shop can be a scary experience for consumers who don't know the difference between a fender and a bumper. Edmunds.com seeks to save drivers some angst — and even some hard-earned money — with "Five Tips for Choosing the Right Auto Body Shop."

Evolution of car and fashion design traced

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(March 15, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — As L.A. Fashion Week gets underway, Edmunds' AutoObserver.com examines the influence that fashion has on automotive design and discovers that the two industries have more in common than many may realize.

In his new piece "Catwalks to Car Dealerships," AutoObserver.com contributor Nick Kurczewski explains the parallels traced by the evolution of fashion and automotive design over the last century.

Earthquake will affect auto industry worldwide

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(March 14, 2011) The massive earthquake and tsunami that slammed Japan last week may have a devastating and lasting affect on the entire Japanese auto industry including production and sale of U.S. vehicles even though the Japanese big three — Toyota, Honda and Nissan — assemble a large portion of their vehicles in North America.

Study finds Lexus, Toyota and Honda dealerships most responsive to internet inquiries

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(March 14, 2011) MONTEREY, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Lexus, Honda and Toyota dealerships ranked highest in a newly released study to measure dealership responsiveness to customer inquiries over the internet. The study measured average dealership performance for all major U.S. automotive brands, showing a wide variety in performance by brand.