December 2014

TrueCar's December site traffic jumps 50% as car-buying process evolves

(December 31, 2014) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — TrueCar saw a year-over-year spike in unique visitor volume in December as more consumers accessed the site via mobile devices.  In fact, mobile users led the way with over 90 percent growth.

Unique visitors to TrueCar.com totaled 3.7 million in December versus 2.4 million a year ago. This increase coincides with reinvigorated consumer confidence that helped push TrueCar.com's unique visitor count to a one-day record high of nearly 200,000 on Dec. 27.

Top Gear's James May choses 13 'most significant cars' of all time

(December 30, 2014) LONDON — James May has chosen the 13 most significant cars of all time for The London Classic Car Show… but is he right? It’s bold, controversial and bound to cause arguments… and that’s just the way BBC Top Gear’s May wants it.

May has stuck his neck on the line and has chosen what he regards are the 13 most influential cars of all time. The result is The Cars That Changed The World and it’s one of the star exhibits at the London Classic Car Show taking place at ExCeL in London’s Docklands Jan. 8-11.

Cars.com projects best December sales since 2006

(December 29, 2014) CHICAGO — Cars.com forecasts December light, new-vehicle sales will hit 1,510,500 units, up 11.3 percent from December 2013 and 16 percent from last month. This marks the highest December unit sales count since December 2006. A SAAR of 16.86 million is expected for the month.

Driving with drugs — AAA finds Americans confused and concerned

(December 29, 2014) WASHINGTON — With the recent legalization of recreational marijuana use in Colorado, Alaska, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia, safety advocates are increasingly concerned that drugged drivers pose a very serious threat to the safety of American road users. 

RateWatch: Personal auto insurance rates up 2.1% over last 12 months

(December 26, 2014) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Personal auto insurance companies increased their rates by an average of 2.1% nationwide over the 12 month period from 4th quarter 2013 through 3rd quarter 2014. Homeowner insurers increased their rates by an average of 3.5% countrywide over the same period.

Ford F-150 maintains status as most shopped vehicle, AutoTrader reports

(December 26, 2014) ATLANTA — 2014 was once again the year of the truck for car shoppers, as the Ford F-150 retained its place as the most popular nameplate on AutoTrader.com across new, used and CPO vehicles.

Kelley predicts year-over-year sales to increase 9.8 percent

(December 24, 2014) IRVINE, Calif. — New-vehicle sales are expected to increase 9.8 percent year-over-year to a total of 1.49 million units, resulting in an estimated 16.7 million seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), according to Kelley Blue Book kbb.com.

"While some vehicle sales may have been pulled forward during the start of holiday shopping in November, December sales remain strong with nearly double-digit growth expected for the industry," said Alec Gutierrez, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book. 

Edmunds.com says week after Christmas biggest car shopping period of year

(December 24, 2014) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — It's no secret that the final week of every month is a busy time for car shopping, but it's especially so in December, according to Edmunds.com. Edmunds predicts the week between Christmas and New Year's will be the busiest car shopping time of the year, and that leasing will hit an all-time high.

Tagging the week "New Car, New Year," Edmunds projects that new car sales will be 78 percent higher than the average week earlier in December, while typically the last week of any month averages just 40 percent higher than the sales in earlier weeks.

Safety gains ground: More vehicles earn top honors from IIHS

(December 23, 2014) The number of vehicles earning either of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's two awards has jumped to 71 from 39 this time last year, giving consumers more choices for optimum protection in crashes. The number of winners in the top tier — Top Safety Pick+ — has increased by 11 for 2015, despite a tougher standard for front crash prevention.

Record 98.6 million traveling this holiday season, AAA predicts

(December 22, 2014) ORLANDO, Fla. — AAA projects 98.6 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holiday season, an increase of four percent from the 94.8 million people who traveled last year. This upward trend marks the highest travel volume for the holiday period on record.