July 2015

Sears and Michelin tires celebrate 50 years in business together

(July 22, 2015) GREENVILLE, S.C. — Michelin and Sears are celebrating 50 years in business together. In that half-century, Sears has sold more than 135 million Michelin tires, more than any other retailer.  Sears was also instrumental in bringing radial tires to U.S. customers in 1965, when it signed an agreement to sell Michelin Radial tires under the Allstate trademark, even before Michelin opened its first manufacturing sites in North America.

Gas prices continue slow decline; California drivers seeing highest prices

(July 21, 2015) WASHINGTON — Despite regional volatility, the national average price for regular unleaded gasoline has remained relatively stable over the past 30 days. Monday's average price of $2.76 per gallon represents the lowest average for this date since 2010 and is down nearly a nickel per gallon compared to the 2015 peak price reached on June 15 ($2.80), according to AAA's weekly report.

Kelley Blue Book names 10 best new-car deals for July

(July 21, 2015) IRVINE, Calif. — The experts from Kelley Blue Book, kbb.com, have assembled their list of the 10 best lease, financing and cash back deals for new cars available in July from a variety of auto manufacturers.

"This month's list of standout deals includes some smart fuel-sippers, a couple SUVs, full-size sedans and a pickup truck," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. 

TomTom expands map footprint globally

(July 21, 2015) LONDON — TomTom has announced the addition of navigable maps for 13 new countries. TomTom’s global map database now covers over 45.6 million kilometers and 4.3 billion people worldwide, and features full navigable coverage for 134 countries.

Classic Pontiac Firebird hot item for thieves over the years

(July 20, 2015) DES PLAINES, Ill. — When General Motors introduced the Pontiac Firebird in 1967, it joined the growing field of "muscle cars" populated with nameplates such as the Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger both of which were scoring commercial success in the marketplace. 

But as today's new report shows, the Firebird was also a popular target for auto thieves with more than 250,000 of them reported stolen since they were introduced.

Strong economy, low gas prices drive CPO shoppers to trucks, SUVs

(July 17, 2015) ATLANTA — With summer gas prices at a five-year low and the economy going strong, shoppers looking for certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles on Autotrader.com flocked to trucks and big SUVs last month. These insights are the result of an analysis of Autotrader's Trend Engine data, which measures shopping activity on the site each month.

Study finds auto shows are key to vehicle buying process

(July 15, 2015) DETROIT — For decades, auto dealer groups across the United States and Canada have made the case that the annual events they host — auto shows — are among the most effective ways to reach the car-buying public, offering what amounts to a one-stop, pre-shopping experience before they make a trip to a dealership.

MotorwayAmerica now featuring reviews, interviews from automotive radio

(July 13, 2015) MotorwayAmerica has hooked up with The Automotive Reporter, a long-running automotive radio show in Texas, to bring you the best of its programming, headlined by the short-and-to-the-point automotive reviews by long-time auto writer and broadcaster Harold Gunn.

BMW M4 wins Cars.com 3-vehicle luxury performance coupe challenge

(July 14, 2015) CHICAGO — Cars.com has named the 2015 BMW M4 the winner of its Luxury Performance Coupe Challenge. The challenge pitted three luxury performance coupes against each other in a series of tests to determine which was the best. In addition to the BMW M4, other cars tested were the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V and the 2015 Lexus RC F.

Gas prices skyrocket in California; stable in remainder of country

(July 14, 2015) WASHINGTON — Today’s national average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $2.77 per gallon. The average is just fractions of a penny more than a week ago and is at the lowest mark for this date in nearly five years. The steady national average obscures dramatic weekly price movement in several states including California (+28 cents) Indiana (-12 cents) and Michigan (-11 cents), AAA reported this week.