March 2019

Michelin ranks highest in three segments for original equipment tires

(March 21, 2019) COSTA MESA, Calif. — Overall customer satisfaction with original equipment tires affects tire brand loyalty, but also vehicle brand loyalty, according to the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, released today.

The annual study measures tire owner satisfaction in four key areas (in order of importance): tire wear; tire ride; tire appearance; and tire traction/handling. Rankings are included for four vehicle segments: luxury; passenger car; performance sport; and truck/utility.

Volkswagen boosts horsepower to 278 for 2019 Golf GTI hatchback

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(March 20, 2019) Fuel economy may be the No. 1 reason many people shop in the compact class, but it’s not the only one. In what could be considered a “sub-grouping” in the segment, so-called “pocket rockets” — compacts and sub-compacts tuned for performance — throw a bit of spirit into the mix while still offering decent fuel economy.

GasBuddy — National gas prices up 35 cents per gallon since January

(March 20, 2019) BOSTON — GasBuddy today reports that the national average price of gasoline has risen 35 cents per gallon since January to $2.58 per gallon and now stands at its highest level since November as seasonal changes and refinery problems push prices higher. Yet as prices rise across the country, the pain has not been equal from state-to-state.

Autotrader lists top certified pre-owned deals for March

(March 19, 2019) ATLANTA — With warmer weather on the way, automakers and dealerships are gearing up in March for one of their prime selling stretches of the year. Car shoppers can make the most of dealers ready to drive sales by checking out certified pre-owned vehicles, a part of the market that's been growing in recent years.

"To kick off the spring selling season, dealers will be rolling out specials on new cars to attract customers, but car shoppers looking for a good deal should consider a certified pre-owned vehicle," said Brian Moody, executive editor for Autotrader.

Gas prices continue to push higher, but most gas still under $2.50

(March 19, 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.

2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS450 Coupe — Glitz, glimmer, bling

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(March 16, 2019) For 2019, Mercedes has launched its third-generation CLS 450, which originally debuted in 2004. Often confused as a stable mate in the C-Class category, slotting below the S- and E-class, the CLS actually occupies a class of its own between the S- and E-class sedans. The new CLS actually rides on the E-Class platform but uses the S-Class’ engines and electronics.

Study finds millennials are buying cheaper cars

By Adam Johnson
Quote Wizard by Lending Tree

(March 15, 2019) With an estimated 71 Million millennials living in America today, they’re quickly becoming America’s largest generation. Millennials are the trend setters in industries like technology, but the auto industry they don't have the same influence.

QuoteWizard looked "under the hood" of its car insurance quote data to see what cars millennials are driving these days. The data shows that they tend to drive cheaper sedans over the more popular SUV’s and Trucks of their elder generations.

AAA finds 3 in 4 Americans remain afraid of fully self-driving vehicles

(March 15, 2019) ORLANDO, Fla. — A year after a number of high-profile automated vehicle incidents, American attitudes toward fully self-driving cars have not rebounded. AAA’s annual automated vehicle survey found that 71 percent of people are afraid to ride in fully self-driving vehicles indicating that overall sentiment has not yet returned to what it was prior to these incidents occurring — 63 percent.

Porsche tops luxury brands, Buick tops mass market in customer satisfaction

(March 14, 2019) COSTA MESA, Calif. — Porsche ranked highest among luxury brands in customer satisfaction with dealer service and Buick, for the third straight year, topped all mass-market brands in J.D. Power's latest Customer Service Index study.

Porsche, with a score of 893 on a 1,000-point scale, gained 19 points over last year's score (874), supplanting Infiniti, which topped the survey of luxury brands for the first time in 2018 but fell to fourth place in the 2019 study.

GasBuddy reveals U.S. cities with the most aggressive drivers

(March 14, 2019) BOSTON — Honking, squeaking brakes and bumper-to-bumper traffic are common problems in many of America’s congested cities. Frustrated drivers can get agitated quickly, and their aggressive driving habits like speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can lower gas mileage by as much as 40 percent, costing them as much as $477 per year in additional fuel consumption.

GasBuddy today reveals the major metropolitan areas in the United States with the most aggressive drivers, causing them to pay more for gasoline by making more frequent trips to the pump.