July 2011

Infiniti spies on journalists' musical choices

(July 25, 2011) ROLLE, Switzerland — Automotive journalists’ musical preferences were laid bare last week for the first time as Infiniti revealed what sounds were recorded onto the Music Box hard drives of its press and VIP fleet by UK media.

After six months of hard driving — and easy listening — the Infiniti Music Chart provided a unique insight into writers’ in-car music tastes. The list spans the decades and embraces every style, from Creedence Clearwater Revival to Jamie Cullum, and Steely Dan to Lady Gaga.

Four-cylinders have replaced sixes as most popular engine

(July 25, 2011) DETROIT (PRNewswire) — Four is the new six. Four cylinders have replaced sixes as America's most popular engine choice, powering 43 percent of U.S. light vehicles sold in the first half of this year, according to IHS Automotive.

Summer sales events late but have finally arrived, Edmunds reports

(July 23, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Summer deals on new cars will be available to consumers after all, even if they're coming a couple of months later than usual, reports Edmunds.com.

The traditional summer sales events — which usually start as early as Memorial Day, but were delayed this year following supply issues caused by the earthquake in Japan — are a popular way for dealers to sell off vehicles in anticipation of new model year inventories.

Prices of fuel-efficient used cars still expected to be high in August

(July 22, 2011) MCLEAN, Va. (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — Although used car prices likely peaked in June, average trade-in values of many popular, fuel-efficient small cars for the 2006-2009 model years are still expected to be 10 to 30 percent higher in August than they were at the beginning of the year, says Jonathan Banks, senior analyst with the NADA Used Car Guide.

Porsche, Mercedes, Jaguar — Baby Boomers buying dream machines, study finds

(July 22, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Baby Boomers, defined as people born between 1947 and 1965 and who today are individuals between the ages of 46 and 64, choose vehicles that have more luxurious and flashy appeal, according to a new study by TrueCar.com.

The study reviewed the purchasing behavior of more than 200,000 car buyers from 2009 and 2010.

Retail auto sales improve, but lag recovery pace of earlier this year

(July 21, 2011) WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Month-to-date new-vehicle retail sales for July are stronger than the past two months, but remain below the recovery pace set earlier this year, according to J.D. Power and Associates, which gathers real-time transaction data from more than 8,900 retail franchisees throughout the United States.

TrueCar — July 30 best day this month to buy a car

(July 21, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Summer is one of the best times to purchase a vehicle as manufacturers are clearing the lots and making room for new model vehicles.

TrueCar.com has found the best new car deals on vehicles including cash, finance and lease deals available nationwide, and forecasting that July 30th is the best day of the month to purchase a vehicle, according to data from its latest TrueTrends Report. 

Study finds children safer with grandparents than parents in a car

(July 20, 2011) SAN DIEGO (PRNewswire) — All parents have at least one thing in common: tending to the well-being of their children. Today, many parents have taken safety — including auto precautions— into their own hands.

TrueCar.com predicts 2011 sales to hit 12.8 million units

(July 20, 2011) SANTA MONICA (PRNewswire) — Light vehicles sales during the first half of 2011 totaled 6.32 million cars sold, up 12.7 percent from the first half of 2010. TrueCar.com had estimated that light vehicle sales for 2011 would equal 12.8 million units.

Insurance claim analysis: Volvo City Safety System prevents collisions

(July 19, 2011) ROCKLEIGH, N.J.  — A newly published analysis from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) indicates that Volvo XC60s get into fewer low-speed crashes than comparable vehicles thanks to Volvo's City Safety technology, a standard feature on all XC60s.