October 2011

Don't be spooked by creepy car noises

(October 29, 2011) DETROIT — While wary ears may be scanning for the spooky sounds of Halloween this time of year, the sounds coming from beneath your hood should be taken just as seriously. Editors at shopautoweek.com recommend a semiannual checkup to keep a truly terrifying maintenance bill out of your future. 

Female car buyers find love with Porsche

(October 28, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Female car buyers are making up a larger customer base for some of the top domestic auto brands, but none approach the gains that Porsche has made with women this year, according to an analysis by Edmunds.com.

The analysis found that of all automakers, Porsche has made the largest relative market share gains among women nationwide over the past year.

One year after brand's death, Pontiac owners show loyalty to GM

(October 28, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — One year after the last remaining Pontiac dealers shut down for good on October 31 2010, General Motors has managed to maintain — and even grow — the loyalty rate of former Pontiac owners, according to data analyzed by Edmunds.com.

Edmunds.com found that 39.9 percent of Pontiac owners who traded in for a new car this year opted for a GM vehicle. This retention rate is eight-percentage-points greater than GM's retention rate in 2010, and represents the highest retention rate since 2007, when the rate was also 39.9 percent.

Kelley lists best total cost of ownership among most researched vehicles

(October 28, 2011) IRVINE, Calif. — Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com reports the vehicles with the best Total Cost of Ownership among cross-shopped models for the Chevrolet Cruze and Honda CR-V, two of the most researched models on kbb.com. 

Both top-selling models, the Cruze and CR-V, offer a diverse list of cross-shopped vehicles on kbb.com. 

Economist says auto sales more likely to rise than fall because of 'basement thesis'

(October 27, 2011) LONDON and NEW YORK — Many key cyclical sectors are still depressed and appear more likely to rise than fall, pointing to a "basement thesis" in autos, capital spending and housing according to BNY Mellon Chief Economist Richard B. Hoey in his October 2011 Economic Update.

Ford drops in Consumer Reports 2011 auto reliability survey

(October 27, 2011) In recent years Ford has been a model of American reliability, competing well against Japanese makes that have dominated for decades. But three of its new models are blemishing that record, according to Consumer Reports.

The new Explorer, Fiesta, and Focus all had below-average reliability in their first year. As a result, Ford’s overall reliability rank among 28 major car makes slipped from the 10th to the 20th spot this year — the biggest drop for any major nameplate in Consumer Reports 2011 Annual Auto Survey.

AAA experts help consumers avoid the pitfalls of love at first sight

(October 26, 2011) ORLANDO — It is easy for car buying consumers to fall in love at first sight with the sleek styling and attractive exterior of their dream machine.  In most American households today, a vehicle purchase is a major financial expense, so a second look and an extensive test drive is time well invested.

NADA studying return-on-investment of facility image programs

(October 26, 2011) DETROIT — New-car dealers who have been hit hard by the economic recession need less financial pressure—not more—especially when faced with tough decisions to remodel their dealerships, said Stephen W. Wade, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association.

"Each year dealers collectively invest billions of dollars in facility upgrades, much of it mandated by the auto manufacturers," Wade said in remarks last week to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit.

Tips for winterizing your car and prepping it for storage

(October 25, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — As the temperatures drop and the leaves pile up on the ground, it's not too early to prepare your car for the winter months, advises Edmunds.com. In fact, Edmunds says that there are 10 simple steps that all drivers can take to safeguard their cars against the hazards that come along with winter conditions.

New tools provide parents with resources to teach safe driving

(October 24, 2011) BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The years have flown by. They knew the day would come but, in a new State Farm survey, more than half of parents say they did not feel prepared when it came time to teach their teens to drive.

Parents have the greatest influence on safe teen driving behavior, but only a third of teens rate their parents as "very good" driving instructors and 60 percent of parents admit to being nervous about teaching their teen to drive.