ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley signed two bills late last week promoting advanced vehicle propulsion technology and giving consumers incentives to buy electric vehicles. One of the incentives will allow plug-in electric vehicles to use high-occupancy vehicle lanes no matter how many passengers are along for the ride. This becomes effective Oct. 1 and remains […] [Read More]

TUSTIN, Calif. — AutoPacific spotlighted the vehicles that best satisfy their owners, rolling out its 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards on Thursday. Receiving the top overall score was the Suzuki Kizashi, while the Lincoln MKT earned the top score in the truck or SUV category.  Cadillac earned a score of 713 to win the award for highest […] [Read More]

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Memorial Day — popularly viewed as the kick-off to summer, a time when consumers tend to be more willing to shop for new rides — is likely to provide a nice lift to May's new-vehicle retail sales, which began the month in a "wavering" fashion, according to J.D. Power and Associates. The company […] [Read More]

CARY, N.C. — Dealers and other industry executives went to AutoRemarketing.com to learn more about the ongoing debate in the U.S. Senate over sweeping financial reform. A story detailing vigorous stances taken by the White House and the National Automobile Dealers Association particularly caught readers' attention. The latest analysis from ADESA's Tom Kontos also was a […] [Read More]

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The Toyota brand isn't out of the woods just yet, according to Edmunds.com. It appears to still be struggling from an onslaught of "image problems" and the proof is in its early May numbers. The manufacturer has seen a 12-percent month-over-month slowdown in sales so far in May. Compare that to chief […] [Read More]

NEW YORK — Consumers are starting to feel better about the economy and their own financial situations, but they still are rather cautious, and most are still planning to continue dollar-stretching habits even in easier financial times, according to a recent study from Deloitte. More specifically, 55 percent of respondents in the early-May study believe the […] [Read More]

MONTVALE, N.J. — A high-level executive from Mercedes-Benz USA predicted enormous industry changes ahead since new greenhouse gas emissions standards have been signed into federal law. The automaker's manager of advanced product planning expects more vehicle emissions changes to happen during the next 10 years than what's occurred in the previous half century. Sascha Simon stressed […] [Read More]

ATLANTA — Although popular notions may suggest otherwise, younger consumers seem very much committed to auto ownership and find it to be not only important, but exciting, according to a recent study by AutoTrader.com of "echo boomers," the generation of people who were born between 1975 and 1991. These consumers are also similar to their parents' generation — […] [Read More]

DETROIT — The economy may appear to be headed toward a rebound, but the retail auto segment remains a "buyer's market," with automakers offering heavy incentives, according to AOL Autos, which recently released its Best May Deals list. "Even with clear signs of economic recovery, consumers are still enjoying a buyer's market in dealership showrooms," AOL Autos […] [Read More]

DES PLAINES, Ill. — The National Insurance Crime Bureau spotted another widespread drop in the amount of vehicle thefts nationwide; this time it was last year as compared to 2008. Officials now believe vehicle thefts throughout the country have trended downward for six consecutive years.  Based on data obtained from the National Crime Information Center, NICB indicated that […] [Read More]