December 2011

Rental fleet cars show highest used car appreciation

(December 15, 2011) IRVINE, Calif. — Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com reports that vehicles typically found in high volume within rental fleet have appreciated most since the start of the year, as covered in the company's Blue Book Market Report for December 2011. Kelley Blue Book's analysis highlights that affordable buying opportunities remain available even in this supply constrained market.

Mopar offers ideas for Christmas giving

(December 15, 2011) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — For the auto enthusiast on your list, Mopar has announced its top 10 list of holiday gift ideas.

“With more than 280,000 parts and accessories, Mopar offers ultimate customization and personalization,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “And for convenience, many of our parts and accessories are available on the Mopar eStore.”

Distracted driving extends beyond texting, study finds

(December 14, 2011) BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — New research from State Farm is showing that though texting while driving remains a concern on the nation's highways, drivers are accessing other mobile web services at much higher rates. These behaviors may pose equal or greater concerns in the battle against distracted driving.

In a new survey of nearly 900 motorists, the company found that use of mobile web services has increased dramatically over the last two years.

Keep your car clean without soap or water, says Edmunds.com

(December 14, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Winter weather can often leave your vehicle grubby and unkempt, but frequent car washes can also get expensive and time-consuming. Edmunds.com has all the dirt on a few easy steps you can take to clean your car without a drop of soap and water in "Clean Your Car Without Washing It."

U.S. recommends ban on drivers using electronic devices

(December 13, 2011) WASHINGTON D.C. (Bloomberg) — U.S. drivers couldn't send text messages or use mobile phones — even with headsets or portable speakers — under U.S. National Transportation Safety Board recommendations aimed at preventing distracted-driving crashes.
 
"Too many people are texting, talking and driving at the same time," NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said at a hearing in Washington today. "It's time to put a stop to distraction. No call, no text, no update is worth a human life."

Dodge says Dart interior sets new standard for compact cars

(December 13, 2011) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Dodge brand is giving a sneak peek into the "high-tech, precisely crafted and highly customizable interior" of its all-new 2013 Dodge Dart. Scheduled to be introduced Jan. 9 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Dodge says the new Dart’s interior sets a new standard for compact cars.

Hyundai Elantra jumps 29 positions on most-researched list

(December 13, 2011) IRVINE, Calif. — Kelley Blue Book today announced the most-researched new vehicles of 2011 on the company's top-rated website, kbb.com, are the Honda Civic and Honda Accord. In addition, Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com revealed the top five brands with the greatest share of market interest for 2011.

This year's success story is the Hyundai Elantra, entering the top 20 most-researched new vehicles list at No. 7, jumping 29 positions from 2010.

Cars.com announces 'Best of 2012' Award nominees

(December 12, 2011) CHICAGO — Cars.com, the premier online resource for buying and selling new and used vehicles, announced its editors' nominees for the Best Car of 2012. 

This year's nominees are the Audi A7, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Veloster, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Subaru Impreza and Volkswagen Passat.  The winner will be announced during the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.

Study finds younger people reducing drive time

(December 12, 2011) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A new study shows that 55 percent of millennials (18-34-year-olds) have actively made an effort to drive less, up 10 percentage points from 45 percent in 2010. Car-sharing company Zipcar, purveyors of the study, said the finding highlights the growing trend of consciously reducing road time.

Leaf blower's emissions dirtier than high-performance Ford Raptor

(December 11, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — A consumer-grade leaf blower emits more pollutants than a 6,200-pound 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, according to tests conducted by Edmunds' InsideLine.com.

The tests found that a Ryobi 4-stroke leaf blower kicked out almost seven times more oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and 13.5 times more carbon monoxide (CO) than the Raptor, which InsideLine.com once dubbed "the ultimate Michigan mudslinger."