September 2010

More people are considering smaller cars

(September 27, 2010) Will your next new car  be smaller than the one you drive today? Edmunds.com has announced that compact and subcompact cars are currently being considered by 16.4 percent of its 15 million monthly site visitors, up from 15 percent three years ago.

Retail sales pace recaptures lost momentum, J.D. Power says


(September 23, 2010) New-vehicle retail sales in September are expected to recover from the tumultuous summer selling season and post a significant selling rate increase, compared with August, according to J.D. Power and Associates, which gathers real-time transaction data from more than 8,900 retail franchisees throughout the United States.

New regulations not best solution for distracted driving

(September 22, 2010) On Tuesday  U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood hosted a summit on distracted driving, presumably in an attempt to spur further legislation on the issue. Edmunds.com hopes to broaden the discussion despite receiving no response to a letter sent to Secretary LaHood last week.

September car sales soft following strong Labor Day weekend

(September 17, 2010) Edmunds.com reports today that new car buyers flocked to dealerships for Labor Day weekend sales but have largely stayed away since then.

Poll finds EPA letter grade not favored by public

(September 14, 2010) When the Environmental Protection Agency invited the public a few weeks ago to comment on two proposed redesigns of the traditional new  car window sticker, Edmunds.com launched a poll to determine which sticker is preferred by car buyers. Check out the poll and other related materials.

More than 80 percent of respondents preferred "Sticker 2," which provides a clearer and more complete set of information, rather than the simple letter grade featured in the "Sticker 1" proposal.

The new VW Jetta — Beyond first impressions

By Mark Holthoff
Edmunds.com

(September 11, 2010) Volkswagen will soon begin selling its sixth generation Jetta, a somewhat larger and, according to VW, cheaper-to-build car than the current model. The car also is a key piece in Volkswagen Group of America's announced plan to reach annual sales of one million vehicles in the United States by 2018.

Fort Collins, Colo., named safest driving city by Allstate

(September 4, 2010) The Allstate Insurance Company has released its sixth annual "Allstate America's Best Drivers Report." The report ranks America's 200 largest cities in terms of car collision frequency to identify which cities have the safest drivers, according to Allstate claim data.

J.D. Power study finds increased problems with heavy-duty truck engines

(September 3, 2010) WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Following two rounds of revisions in emissions standards since 2004, problem rates for heavy-duty truck engines in 2010 are nearly twice as high, on average, as rates for engines manufactured prior to these emission changes, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. Heavy-Duty Truck Engine and Transmission Study released on Thursday.

True cost of incentives for automakers up nearly 10 percent

(September 2, 2010) Edmunds.com estimated today that the average new car incentive in the U.S. was $2,681 per vehicle sold in August 2010, down $84, or 3.0 percent, from July 2010, and up $225, or 9.2 percent, from August 2009.