July 2011

Improvements to gas engines will meet future needs, study finds

(July 12, 2011) DETROIT (PRNewswire) Internal combustion engines are improving their ability to cut CO2 emissions at a lower cost than expected, and, as a result, carmakers should be able to meet 2020 emissions targets mainly through improvements to conventional technologies, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group.

Study finds people holding onto their cars longer

(July 12, 2011) CARSON, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Car owners continue to hold onto their vehicles longer, planning to put more miles on them than in previous years, according to a survey of car owners conducted by AutoMD.com.

And, the majority of car owners appear to be resisting changing this, with 58 percent saying a "recovering" economy has not decreased the number of miles they plan to put on their current vehicle.

Do a little calculating before you head to the dealership

(July 11, 2011) Negotiating a deal on a new car is a Texas cage match between you and the salesman, and he has the metal folding chair to wield as a weapon. In other words, advantage: dealership.

The sales person and the finance manager have you outgunned at the closing desk. They have a variety of gimmicks to make a deal appear more attractive than it might actually be, so here’s where a little education and preparedness can level the playing field before you hit that showroom floor.

Red tape can be avoided in transferring ownership of a used car

(July 10, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Transferring ownership of a used car can often be a bureaucratic headache at the local Department of Motor Vehicles, but Edmunds.com says that car owners can sometimes avoid the long lines and red tape by steering clear of the DMV altogether.

Consumers turn eyes toward trucks and SUVs in June

(July 10, 2011) ATLANTA (PRNewswire) — With the steady decline in gas prices throughout June, American consumers are showing signs that they want to shift their focus back to trucks and SUVs. 

AutoTrader.com's June Trend Engine report, which provides analysis of site traffic as it relates to consumer shopping behavior, shows that trucks and SUVs have gained consumer interest since May and that interest in compact cars is starting to subside.

Chinese increase purchase consideration of European vehicles, study finds

(July 9, 2011) SHANGHAI — Reflecting the changing nature of the automotive market and consumer preferences in China, purchase consideration for models from European manufacturers has increased notably while consideration for Japanese models and Chinese domestic models has decreased.

Toyota's new Venza ad campaign walks line between boomers, Gen Y


Karl Greenberg      
MediaPost

(July 9, 2011) Toyota will probably get more attention than it bargained for with its new campaign for the Venza crossover. That attention may be at least as much about the campaign's sociological commentary as it is about the Venza itself.

Overall gas mileage drops in June as buyers choose bigger vehicles

(July 8, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. (PRNewswire) — TrueCar.com today provided actual fuel economy numbers from June light vehicle auto sales that indicate miles per gallon will increase to 21.6 MPG in June 2011 compared to 21.3 MPG in June 2010. It's a decrease from May 2011 at 21.9 MPG.

Environmental group gives hybrids from Ford, Toyota and Honda top marks

WASHINGTON (July 7, 2011) – The current crop of hybrid vehicles demonstrate automakers know how to provide dramatic fuel savings and pollution reductions, but have yet to fully deliver those benefits, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) announced Wednesday.
 
The organization’s new Hybrid Scorecard evaluated 34 hybrids for their fuel efficiency, environmental improvement, consumer value, and the “forced features” automakers install that artificially inflate the cost of some models.

Scion tC most purchased model by Generation Y, study finds

(July 6, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Generation Y, the 18-27 age range that represents the newest demographic of car buyers, favor car brands Scion and Mitsubishi, according to a new study by TrueCar.com. The study reviewed the purchasing behavior of more than four million car buyers from 2009 and 2010.

The Scion tC sporty coupe was the most purchased model, TrueCar reports, followed by the Mitsubishi Lancer and Honda Civic Si.