(December 13, 2010) IRVINE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — According to the latest Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence Brand Watch study, embattled automaker Toyota has regained the top spot as the most-considered auto brand among new-car shoppers. 

Toyota consistently captured the most-considered auto brand title from Q1 2007 through Q3 2009, but then fell to the number-two spot for Q4 2009 through Q2 2010, during which time the company experienced its high-profile recall crisis. Domestic auto manufacturer Ford surged ahead to capture the top spot.

(December 10, 2010) — Small cars appeal to buyers on a budget, to the environmentally conscious, to growing numbers of empty-nesters and to the legislators pushing for improved fuel economy from automakers — and yet consumer expectations inspire automakers to make smaller cars more powerful and more functional.

As a result, compact cars are physically larger and heavier than in the past, according to analysis by Edmunds.com.

(December 9, 2010) WESTLAKE VILLAGE — New-vehicle owners are increasingly citing fun-to-drive vehicles as a top reason to remain loyal to their brand, while shifting away from expected resale value as a loyalty reason, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Customer Retention StudySM released today.

Ford and Honda rank highest in a tie among automotive brands in retaining vehicle owners. Each brand retains 62 percent of owners.

(December 8, 2010) DETROIT — It has often been said that the first rule of good business is take care of your customers, or someone else will. And the second rule is you can’t take care of your customers if you haven’t taken care of yourself first. Buick and GMC dealers know you can’t do one without the other, and the customer survey results show it.

(December 6, 2010) WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — New-vehicle appeal and dealer service performance are greater differentiators among automotive brands in Mexico than are initial quality or cost of ownership, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Mexico Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study released last week.

(December 5, 2010) Our colleagues overseas at Honda Motor Co. recently announced that the Civic will no longer be sold in Japan. We've seen that spur some online conversation and wanted to set the record straight as it relates to the U.S. and American Honda.

(December 4, 2010) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — There are a number of current new car tax credits expiring at the end of December. Edmunds.com encourages would-be buyers to consider this timing when making purchase decisions.

"Credits are expiring once and for all on a huge swath of new cars, unless there's a successful lame-duck effort in Congress to extend them," noted Edmunds.com Features Editor Carroll Lachnit.

(December 2, 2010) Edmunds.com estimated today that the average automotive manufacturer incentive in the U.S. was $2,470 per vehicle sold in November 2010, up $31, or 1.3 percent, from October 2010, but down $255, or 9.4 percent, from November 2009.

(November 30, 2010) WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — While fuel economy levels vary widely among truck engine manufacturers, fleets with the most fuel-efficient engines may benefit from significant cost savings and higher satisfaction, particularly after a year-over-year increase in gas and diesel prices, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. Medium-Duty Truck Engine and Transmission Customer Satisfaction Study.

(November 29, 2010) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Consumers driving three-year-old cars have the opportunity to get a lower monthly car payment by buying a new car, thanks to a downward trend in interest rates and an increase in used car values.

According to the analysts at Edmunds.com trade-in values for three-year-old cars were up 10.3 percent in October 2010 compared to October 2007, while interest rates on 60-month auto loans have declined from an average of 7.4 percent in October 2007 to 4.7 percent in October 2010.