Here's the Thing

Lexus still on top, but BMW, Mercedes gain

(January 19, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Lexus sold more luxury cars in the U.S. in 2010 than any other brand, maintaining its place at the top of the luxury market for an eighth consecutive year, according to sales data compiled by Edmunds.com.

But European competitors BMW and Mercedes closed the gap by enough last year that both are poised to make a run at the top spot in 2011.

Study finds Toyota fails to sway many new car shoppers

(January 18, 2011) IRVINE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Kelley Blue Book today announced the release of its special report Toyota: One Year Later, providing an in-depth look at Toyota one year after its major recall crisis began in January 2010.

Fiat's first impression

(January 17, 2011) Fiat it seems is getting off on the wrong foot in the United States. And as the adage goes, sometimes the first impression is the best impression, or perhaps the last impression.

We thought Fiat would have things right when introducing its first car in America under the new Fiat/Chrysler banner. But it appears a few things have gone wrong.

Asian brands account for more than 60 percent of the Hispanic market in U.S.

(January 17, 2011) SOUTHFIELD, Mich.  — Toyota, Honda and Nissan dominate new vehicle preferences among Hispanics in the U.S., according to Polk. The three companies account for 46.4 percent of the Hispanic market based on an analysis of new vehicle registrations for the first nine months of 2010, according to a recent study by automotive research firm Polk.

OnStar looking for application developers of the future

(January 15, 2011) DETROIT — OnStar is looking for the most original and compelling in-vehicle voice-enabled application through the 2011 OnStar Student Developer Challenge. Students enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Michigan, University of Texas and University of Toledo can vie for an opportunity to bring their ideas to the road.

Chevrolet turns 100

One of the historic nameplates in North American automotive history has been in existence for 100 years.

General Motors and Chevrolet kicked off a one-year centennial celebration of the iconic car brand at the Detroit auto show last week. Chevrolet was founded in November 1911 by racer Louis Chevrolet and General Motors founder William C. "Billy" Durant. The fledging company quickly earned the reputation for performance, durability and value.

Edmunds explains the true cost of powering an electric car

(January 10, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Electricity powers two of the three finalists for the prestigious "North American Car and Truck of the Year:" the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf.

Edmunds.com analysts report that about 2.4 percent of all the new cars sold in 2010 were hybrid or electric.

NADA wants to raise safety awareness in 2011

(January 9, 2011) McLEAN, Va. — With millions of car shoppers visiting dealerships each year, it’s an ideal opportunity for the nation’s new-car and -truck dealers to help raise the awareness of road safety issues with motorists of all ages.

A new exhibit, “Dealers Driving Road Safety” which is set to launch at the NADA Convention & Expo in San Francisco, Feb. 5 to 7, will attempt to do just that.

Most wanted list includes CTS-V Wagon, Corvette Z06, Kia Optima

(January 7, 2011)  Edmunds.com has announced the winners of its 2011 Editors' Most Wanted Awards.

"Our winners are chosen for one simple reason: they're the cars, trucks and vans that we like the best. These are the cars we would buy for ourselves, the ones that we remember even after getting behind the wheel of hundreds of vehicles throughout the year," said Ed Hellwig, Editor of Edmunds' InsideLine.com.

NADA predicts 2011 sales of 12.9 million

(January 7, 2011) DETROIT — U.S. new-car and light-truck sales are headed for double-digit percentage gains in 2011, says Paul Taylor, chief economist of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

“The auto industry is coming back strong from what has been a difficult economy,” Taylor says. “Auto sales are playing a key role in leading the economic recovery.”