By Jim Meachen
MotorwayAmerica Editor

(November 2009) We are a little dismayed at the state of affairs at two of the three domestic automakers. Chrysler's seemingly unstoppable slide into automotive obscurity continued with a 25  percent drop in sales from November 2008 to November 2009. It continued a precipitous 2009 drop from 2008 sales, now measured at 38 percent with just a month left in the year.

(November 2009) Edmunds.com has submitted a recommendation to make new car window stickers more useful to car shoppers by highlighting usage costs rather than miles per gallon numbers.

The recommendation was submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy and available for viewing at http://www.edmunds.com/industry-car-news/monthly-fuel-cost-letter.html

(August 2009) The vehicle testing team at Edmunds.com has confirmed that it is possible for the floor mats of essentially any vehicle to dangerously interfere with its accelerator pedal, as is suspected in the recent Toyota and Lexus accidents that generated a huge recall and many news headlines.

The Edmunds.com testing team recently reviewed the floor mats of vehicles in its test fleet. Out of the 12 vehicles inspected, three floor mats were out of position, and two additional vehicles had broken floor mat attachment mechanisms that could allow the floor mats to move out of position at any time.

By Al Vinikour
MotorwayAmerica.com

(November 2009) We had never seen Sergio Marchionne in person, and other than the fact he looks like Jonathan Pryce, we didn’t know much about him except his role in Fiat over the last five years. He doesn’t have the larger-than-life image that Lee Iacocca may have had but his “everyman” appearance and deadpan self-deprecating humor and quick mind automatically command respect.  He doesn’t suffer fools wisely and we would image that working for him could be quite stressful – but a job some would fight to keep.

By Jim Meachen
MotorwayAmerica Editor

(November 2009) It's a bit disconcerting that just as Ford announces it is profitable once again — showing us that private automotive enterprise can succeed under good management — that the unions are threatening to derail this new-found momentum. These are the same unions that played a role in leading General Motors down the path to government ownership.

(October 2009) Edmunds.com has determined that Cash for Clunkers cost taxpayers $24,000 per vehicle sold. Nearly 690,000 vehicles were sold during the Cash for Clunkers program, officially known as CARS, but Edmunds.com analysts calculated that only 125,000 of the sales were incremental. The rest of the sales would have happened anyway, regardless of the existence of the program.

By David Shepardson
Detroit News Washington Bureau

(October 2009) Washington — The White House said the influential automotive news Web site Edmunds.com's harsh analysis of the impact of "cash for clunkers" was "faulty" and "implausible." Edmunds shot back that the White House was "shooting the messenger."

Edmunds said cash for clunkers cost taxpayers $24,000 per vehicle sold. Nearly 690,000 vehicles were sold during the $3 billion cash for clunkers program, officially known as CARS, but Edmunds.com analysts calculated that only 125,000 of the sales occurred as a result of the program.