Editorial archive

May 2024

On vehicle automation, federal regulators have catching up to do

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Insight from the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety

By David Kidd

Senior Research Scientist, IIHS

(June 1, 2024) Shopping for a new car? If it’s been a while since you’ve set foot in a dealership, you may feel as if you’ve stepped into the future. Many models on dealer lots today promise to relieve you of much of the drudgery of driving — controlling your speed and lane position and in some cases changing lanes or allowing you to take your hands off the wheel.

Pump prices keep dropping as hurricane season begins

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(May 31, 2024) WASHINGTON, D.C. —The national average for a gallon of gasoline has fallen by a nickel since last week to $3.56, the largest one-week drop thus far for 2024. The primary reasons are tepid demand and a lower oil price.

May sales pace forecast to exceed 16 million units

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(May 28, 2024) Total new-vehicle sales for May, including retail and non-retail transactions, are projected to reach 1,446,800 units, a 2.9% increase from May 2023 on a selling day adjusted basis, according to a joint forecast from J.D. Power and GlobalData. May 2024 has 26 selling days, one more than May 2023. Comparing the same sales volume without adjusting for the number of selling days translates to an increase of 7% from a year ago.

How sneakers and football helmets inspired Nissan Kicks’ new look

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Nissan designers discuss how
Kicks’ bold new form came to be

(May 28, 2024) Examine the sole of most athletic shoes, and you'll find a grippy crosshatch pattern in the rubber. Look closely at the 2025 Nissan Kicks and you'll notice a similar geometric design on the front bumper and rocker panels. It's one of many sneaker-inspired cues found throughout the vehicle, and an example of how Nissan designers looked beyond the automotive world to deliver a fresh, bold look.

2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport — Big on room, short on sport

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By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(May 26, 2024) A mantra ever present in Volkswagen's branding of its huge Atlas SUV is the common refrain: "Built in America, for Americans." Offering the Atlas in either three-row or two-row seat configurations like the Cross Sport reviewed here, Volkswagen makes it perfectly clear the vehicle is targeted squarely at families looking for interior room, a road presences and an attractive sleek and sloping roof vehicle whose price won't bust the budget.

2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison

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Roads? You don't need no stinking
roads while driving a ZR2 Bison

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(May 25, 2024) For a 10-year period that ended late last year, Chevrolet urged us to “Find New Roads” in its advertising. Maybe they changed it because with vehicles like the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison pickup you don’t need to bother finding any roads, let alone new ones, to get where you want to go.

Average age of vehicles in U.S. rises for seventh-straight year

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(May 24, 2024) The average age of vehicles in the U.S. rose for the seventh-straight year, S&P Global Mobility said in a report released this week. The vehicle age rose to a record 12.6 years as of Jan. 1, 2024, a two-month increase from Jan.1, 2023, according to the report. Total vehicles in use increased to 286 million, up 2 million from the year earlier.

Pump prices hit the rest stop ahead of long holiday weekend

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(May 24, 2024) The national average for a gallon of gasoline wobbled slightly since last Thursday before settling one cent higher at $3.61. The lack of pump price movement is typical in the days leading up to Memorial Day.  However, with AAA forecasting a record 38.4 million drivers hitting the road for the long weekend, the price needle could point a bit higher, at least temporarily. 

New vehicle discounting returns this Memorial Day weekend holiday

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Surplus of outgoing model year
vehicles is driving discounts

(May 23, 2024) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Good news for car shoppers seeking a reprieve from scorching new vehicle costs this summer: Outgoing model year (2023MY) inventory available on dealer lots across the country means that discounts should be easier to find this Memorial Day weekend.

Americans to road trip in near-record levels this summer

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(May 22, 2024)  DALLAS  — GasBuddy, a fuel savings platform, has released its 2024 Summer Travel Survey results and forecast for Memorial Day travel, revealing a near-record number of Americans planning to road trip this summer as gas prices continue to decline ahead of the holiday weekend.