(November 20, 2024) DALLAS — GasBuddy, a fuel savings platform, has released the findings of its 2024 annual Thanksgiving Travel Survey, revealing that 72% of Americans plan to take a road trip over the holiday. This is a 75% increase from the 41% that planned to take a trip by car in 2023, amidst gasoline prices that have fallen to multi-year lows, including 29 states where average prices are currently below $3 per gallon.

AAA forecast tops pre-pandemic
numbers, sets all-time record

(November 19, 2024) WASHINGTON, DC  — AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. For the first time, AAA’s forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers. This year’s projection of nearly 80 million travelers is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019.

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(November 18, 2024) The Ford Explorer certainly is not the oldest SUV around — origins of the segment actually date back to the 1930s — but there is no question that the Explorer ignited the segment’s popularity in leading what may be considered the “SUV Revolution” of the 1990s. Its impact on the market was such that by 2020, or 29 years after it replaced the Bronco II in the the company’s lineup as a 1991 model, it claimed the title of the best-selling SUV off all-time..

Kelley Blue Book data finds
incentives up 1.7% year over year
    
(November 16, 2024) ATLANTA — The average transaction price (ATP) paid for a new vehicle in the U.S. in October was $48,623, according to new data from Kelley Blue Book. Transaction prices last month were higher than the revised September price ($48,423) and higher by 1.7% from year-earlier levels ($47,826).

Mazda-sponsored survey finds
child safety is biggest concern
 
(November 15, 2024) IRVINE, Calif. — From school drop-offs to family activities, driving with children is a regular part of life for parents. While being in the car can be a great opportunity for quality time, it also comes with added stress, according to a recent survey sponsored by Mazda of 1,776 parents and guardians.

(November 15, 2024) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The national average for a gallon of gas is now less than a dime away from dipping below $3 for the first time since May of 2021. But the possible formation of a new hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico could delay or even temporarily reverse the decline in pump prices. Since last week, the national average dropped two cents to $3.08.

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(November 13, 2024) If the results of the annual survey conducted by the research and data firm J.D. Power are on the mark, this may be a good time to buy a new car just based on the quality of what is available After two years of decline, the latest J.D. Power Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout.

Inventory and pricing drive
gains in sales satisfaction

(November 11, 2024) TROY, Mich. — Customer satisfaction with the vehicle purchase process continues to rise as new-vehicle inventory and pricing improve year over year, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study. This year, overall customer satisfaction with the vehicle purchase experience is 801 (on a 1,000-point scale), up from 793 a year ago. Even so, gains in other aspects of the purchase process such as personnel, paperwork and delivery are markedly smaller.

Photos by Paul Borden

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(November 9, 2024) As I wrote about 11 months ago in my first experience with the vehicle, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a good option for those hungering for a pickup truck, but don’t want to deal with the size (and budget) that comes with a full-size model.  A recent revisit simply confirms that notion. Like it the first time, you’ll like it the second. And third. And so-on.

(November 8, 2024) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Faced with a rare November hurricane churning in the gulf, the national average for a gallon of gas only fell by three cents since last week to $3.10.