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Web Videos Let Car Buyers Survey Their Many Choices

ONE of the most dreaded buying decisions is becoming still tougher, according to the New York Times. Auto manufacturers now sell about 280 different cars in the United States, up from 208 at the start of the decade. In five years that number is expected by market researchers to reach 340.
The Internet’s solution to this problem sounds suspiciously like its answer to everything else these days: more video. But in this case, analysts said, it could help buyers, carmakers and automotive Web sites — at least in the short term.

Posted by   at 10:27 AM to Consumer rights | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas: What you pay depends on where you are

Gas prices vary widely across the USA. There are several reasons for the disparity, according to USA Today, including competition, taxes, gasoline blends, distance from refineries and even land values.
Nationwide, the average price for regular gasoline on Friday was $3.042 per gallon, up fractionally from the previous day, according to motorist club AAA. That price was nearly 9% higher than a month ago and about 5% higher from the same date last year.

Posted by   at 10:24 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford, Acura Earn Top Crash Test Scores

The 2007 Acura MDX sport utility vehicle and the 2008 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable passenger cars received top scores in new crash tests released Monday by the insurance industry, according to the Associated Press.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave its highest score of "good" in frontal, side and rear-impact testing for the vehicles, built by Honda Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co.

Posted by   at 10:22 AM to Companies , Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Cerberus to Buy 80 Percent of Chrysler

German-based DaimlerChrysler will sell almost all of money-losing Chrysler to a private equity firm for $7.4 billion, backing out of a troubled 1998 takeover aimed at creating a global automotive powerhouse, the Associated Press reports.
Eighty percent of Chrysler Group, burdened by high pension and health costs and declining market share in the United States, will be sold to Cerberus Capital Management, which is taking a huge risk by agreeing to take on billions of dollars in pension and retiree health care costs at Chrysler, AP said.
Chaired by former U.S. Treasury Secretary John W. Snow, Cerberus has steadily been building strength in the automobile business. It led a consortium that bought a majority stake last year in General Motors Acceptance Corp., the financial arm of GM, and plans to invest in ailing auto parts giant Delphi, AP said.

Posted by   at 10:18 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0