December 2012

Car owners should reconsider installing inexpensive recycled airbags

(December 16, 2012) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Car owners who need to replace a vehicle's airbag should only consider replacements produced by the car's manufacturer, says Edmunds.com. And while it's perfectly legal — and often a lot cheaper — to use recycled non-deployed airbags from identical vehicles, Edmunds.com says that car owners should exercise extreme caution before taking that route.

Proper vehicle maintenance can help holiday travelers avoid trouble

(December 15, 2012) ORLANDO, Fla. — As 84.4 million travelers take to the roads for the year-end holiday, AAA anticipates coming to the assistance of more than 1.2 million stranded motorists between Dec. 19 and Jan. 2. The nation's largest motor club will be busy with lockouts, battery replacements, jump starts, changing tires, extricating vehicles from snow, towing vehicles for repair and more.

Average fuel economy for new cars flat for fourth straight month

(December 14, 2012) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — TrueCar today provided actual fuel economy numbers from November light vehicle auto sales that indicate TrueMPG increased to 23.2 mpg in November 2012 compared to 22.3 mpg in November 2011, and stayed flat from October 2012 at 23.2 mpg.

Holiday travel to increase by 1.6 percent, AAA forecasts

(December 14, 2012) ORLANDO, Fla. — AAA projects 93.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holidays, an increase of 1.6 percent over the 91.8 million people who traveled last year. This increase brings holiday travel figures to within half a million of the decade high mark seen during the 2006/2007 season.

Ford Fusion named 'Best Redesigned Vehicle' by Kelley Blue Book

(December 13, 2012) IRVINE, Calif. — The Ford Fusion has been named 2013 Best Redesigned Vehicle by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com. The editors of Kelley Blue Book considered more than 20 vehicles that were redesigned for the 2013 model year, but none could hold a candle to the completely renewed version of the popular mid-size model.

Everything you ever wanted to know about asphalt

(December 12, 2012) LANHAM, Md. — The Asphalt Pavement Alliance kicked off its Asphalt FACTS campaign Tuesday to help raise public awareness about the many benefits of asphalt pavements.

"Every day, we all use asphalt roads without giving them a second thought. Most people don't understand how technologically advanced asphalt pavements have become and the important role they play in sustainable infrastructure," said Mike Kvach, executive director of the APA.

Auto affordability improves In third quarter, Comerica Bank reports

(December 12, 2012) DALLAS — The purchase and financing of an average-priced new vehicle took 23.1 weeks of median family income in the third quarter of 2012, according to Comerica Bank's Auto Affordability Index.

TrueCar notes trends, predicts a big sales month in December

(December 10, 2012) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — TrueCar.com today highlights the major trends from November 2012 auto sales and looks into December 2012 auto sales. And predicts that December may be an even stronger sales month than November.

Porsche sizzles, Jaguar fizzles in analysis of L.A. Auto Show

(December 9, 2012) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The 2014 Porsche Cayman generated more buzz than any other car making its world or U.S. debut at the 2012 LA Auto Show, according to site consideration data from Edmunds.com. Web traffic patterns show that interest in the Cayman, pictured above, on Edmunds.com climbed 61 percent during the week of the car's unveil, more than doubling the buzz generated from the show by any other vehicle.

Edmunds advises holiday car buyers how to properly review car sales

(December 6, 2012) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — As car shoppers rush to land a good holiday deal this month, Edmunds.com advises all buyers to take a moment to carefully review their sales contracts before they sign on the dotted line. And while the contract can appear to be an overwhelming jumble of numbers and fine print, Edmunds.com identifies the key elements that every car buyer should look for.