August 2020

Auto industry skids to all-time low in customer satisfaction, ACSI data show

(September 1, 2020) ANN ARBOR, Mich.  — The U.S. automobile industry, like the economy at large, couldn’t escape the crosshairs of the COVID-19 global pandemic. But that’s not the only hurdle the industry has to overcome: New data indicate an ongoing, industrywide customer satisfaction decline. Overall customer satisfaction with automobiles and light vehicles has dropped 1.3% to a score of 78 (out of 100), and 17 brands post downturns year over year, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Automobile Report 2019-2020.

Kelley Blue Book names 10 most awarded cars and brands of 2020

(August 31, 2020) IRVINE, Calif. — In this age of uncertainty, car buyers are looking for vehicles and brands they can trust to take on the road ahead. With an overwhelming amount of choices on the market, consumers are looking for a simple way to identify their best options. For shoppers wanting to search for a new vehicle with ease and confidence, the editors at Kelley Blue Book have named the 10 Most Awarded Cars of 2020 and the 10 Most Awarded Brands of 2020.

High Performance in a turbocharged 4-cylinder 2020 Ford Mustang

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(August 28, 2020) Back in 2014 when Ford introduced its sixth-generation Mustang it created no shortage of controversy with its retro styling design. It also made news with the return of a four-cylinder under the hood after nearly three decades and for the first time it was being sold globally in places like Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Trucks top list of vehicles with most retained value, Edmunds finds

(August 28, 2020) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The car shopping experts at Edmunds say all vehicle owners could benefit from checking how much their car is worth as trade-in values continue to spike during the pandemic, but note that truck owners in particular are in the best position to cash in on their vehicles right now. According to trade-in data from Edmunds, trucks are retaining the greatest value and commanding the highest trade-in prices of all consumer vehicles.

2020 Mercedes C 300 Cabriolet — The glamorous way to soak up rays

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(August 27, 2020) Research, customer feedback and more important and relative is sales that suggest convertibles have fallen out of favor with the car buying public and currently account for less than one percent of new car sales. By today’s standards of vehicle popularity, Thelma & Louise in the 1991 movie of the same name would more likely find an SUV with a massive panoramic sunroof their object of desire than the Thunderbird they famously took their fatal leap into the Grand Canyon. Likewise, for James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder and Steve McQueen’s Jaguar XKSS ragtops.

Autotrader announces its Best Cars for Dog Lovers list

(August 26, 2020) ATLANTA — One bright spot amid the COVID-19 pandemic is that pet adoptions have surged across the country as people look for companionship and new additions to their families; and as your family grows by four feet, you might find yourself needing the right vehicle that accommodates everyone. For the seventh consecutive year, Autotrader celebrates National Dog Day, today (August 26), by unveiling its list of the Best Cars for Dog Lovers and announcing limited-edition dog vests, to make dog hair clean up quick and easy while on the road, keeping your car looking its best.

2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid add fun to fuel-sipping performance

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(August 25, 2020) If you still cling to the notion that a gas-electric powertrain has to be a boring vehicle that is no fun to drive, you need to check out the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. You will likely change your mind. The Sonata offers a different kind of hybrid performance. Though it wouldn’t be your first choice for a drag race, it is a peppy performer around town and a steady cruiser on the highway.

How to give your vehicle the detailing TLC it needs at home

(August 25, 2020) When shelter-in-place orders took effect in cities across the U.S. this spring, a hobby renaissance began. Images of people comfort baking, knitting and puzzling flooded social media, along with car enthusiasts showing off their new DIY car detailing projects.

“Our business was doing some doomsday planning as most small businesses were at the start of the pandemic, waiting for the wall to close in and it just never did,” said Jared Toops, general manager and director of E-Commerce at Car Supplies Warehouse, a subsidiary of the Chicago Auto Pros detail shop.

Slow movement at the gas pump; all eyes on tropical storms

(August 25, 2020) At $2.18, the national gas price average increased by one cent this past week. That is the same price as a month ago and 41 cents cheaper than a year ago. The minimal change reflects the slow movement at pumps across the country on the week. The vast majority of states (30) saw pump prices fluctuate by a penny, if at all, according to AAA.

J.D. Power rates vehicle technologies — Some popular, some not

(August 21, 2020) New-vehicle buyers are being offered an increasing number of advanced technology features, some of which are hits while others are currently missing the mark. The J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study finds that automakers that innovate and are early to offer new technologies — so long as customers value them — stand to benefit most as those technologies enter the mainstream.