February 2019

GasBuddy reveals consumers can’t break money-wasting habits

(February 26, 2019) BOSTON — Old habits die hard, and in this case, it is costly too. GasBuddy, the smartphone app connecting drivers with the "Perfect Pit Stop," today issued its 2019 Pump Habits Study, an annual study to glean insights on how consumers decide where and when to stop for fuel, revealing that drivers can overpay by up to $375 per year due to factors such as laziness, procrastination, and not taking advantage of loyalty programs.

Survey finds 66% of small businesses in Europe to go all electric

(February 26, 2019) Two-thirds — 66% — of small businesses predict their fleets will be fully electric within the next 20 years, with 50% expecting this to happen in half that time, global data shows. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi LCV business — which is part of the Alliance — commissioned the survey to gain insight into thousands of small business owners and decision makers globally and found that 93% of business owners or decision-makers responsible for 50 vehicles or more, consider environmental sustainability of high importance.

As pump prices continue to climb, 80 percent of stations selling below $2.50

(February 26, 2019) Motorists can fill up for $2.50 or less at four in five gas stations throughout the country despite more than 40 states seeing gas price averages increase on the week. At $2.39, the national gas price average is eight cents more expensive than last week and 12 cents more expensive than last month, yet remains 12 cents cheaper year-over-year.

Buick continues to shoot for younger image with 2019 Regal GS

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(February 24, 2019) In the interest of full disclosure, I should note that before giving my thoughts on the 2019 Regal GS I recently experienced I should have it on record that at one time I wondered why GM was ditching the Oldsmobile, which it seemed to be getting right again, and not the stodgier Buick.

That was in the early 2000s. A few years later I wondered the same thing when the company ended production of the Pontiac, which, much like Oldsmobile, seemed to be getting back on its game.

Consumers pick their favorite vehicles at Chicago Auto Show

(February 22, 2019) CHICAGO — For the 14th consecutive year, consumer voters selected their favorites in five categories in the Chicago Auto Show's "Best of Show" balloting. The Chicago Auto Show is the only major auto show that polls its attendees' favorite vehicles and exhibit.

In voting conducted over the 10-day public run of the nation's biggest auto show, winners in the contest's five categories were:

IIHS ratings address pedestrian crashes with small SUVs

(February 22, 2019) Reducing pedestrian crashes is the goal of new IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) ratings of automatic emergency braking systems that can detect and brake for people on foot. In the first tests of 2018–19 vehicles with this crash avoidance feature, 9 of 11 small SUVs evaluated earned an advanced or superior rating for pedestrian crash prevention.The 2018–19 Honda CR-V, 2019 Subaru Forester, 2019 Toyota RAV4 and 2019 Volvo XC40 earned the highest rating of superior.

Edmunds forecasts continued decline in new-vehicle sales in February

(February 21, 2019) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Edmunds forecasts that 1,271,009 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in February for an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 16.7 million. This reflects a 12.3 percent increase in sales from January and a 2.2 percent decrease from February 2018.

"Although the drop-off in sales is rather subtle year over year, February is shaping up to be a good barometer of the gradual sales decline we expect through 2019," said Jeremy Acevedo, Edmunds' manager of industry analysis.

Gas prices jump for most of country

(February 20, 2019) On the week, 28 states saw gas price averages increase by at least a nickel, pushing the national gas price average up six-cents to land at $2.33. That is the largest one-week increase seen at the national level this year. Today’s gas price average is nine-cents more expensive than last month, but 19-cents cheaper than a year ago, according to AAA.

2019 Lexus RC F — F is like M, V, RS and AMG

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(February 19, 2019) First introduced back in 2015 the Lexus RC F was developed to compete against the best high-performance coupes out there — Audi RS, BMW M, Mercedes-Benz AMG and Cadillac V — that deliver rocket-sled acceleration, tenacious handling and inexorable braking. These coupes come wrapped in specialty sport-designed, aerodynamic, athletic bodies, with indulgent interiors and some of the best heavily bolstered chairs you’ll ever sit in.

Chevy Colorado offers a comfortable way to get into pickup segment

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(February 19, 2019) Crossovers and SUVs may be pushing aside sedans in the automotive world, but one traditional segment remains strong, and that is the pickup truck. In fact, the top three selling vehicles in 2018 are pickups — in order, the Ford F-Series, the Chevrolet Silverado, and the Ram pickup.