Every year around this time, retailers go into fire sale mode when certain clothes and toys haven’t sold as expected. Automakers basically do the same thing, only with discounts on a much larger scale. Facing an oversupply of 2012 pickups unsold on dealership lots, GM is knocking prices down by as much as $9,000.
GM
Deep Impact: Sandy’s Big Effects on Car Sales Now — and for Months to Come
Floods, falling trees, and the disruption of what’s normally a hot end-of-the-month period for car dealerships will all affect auto sales going forward. So will new Sandy-related incentives from car manufacturers.
Why Brand Loyalty Is Fading Among Car Buyers
In generations past, there were Ford families, and there were Chevy families. Switching allegiances was akin to converting to a new religion, or voting for the Democrats after being raised in a stalwart GOP household. The truth …
Free Fuel! Ultra-Cheap Leases! Automakers Sweeten Deals on Alternative-Energy Cars
What with gasoline prices rising unexpectedly lately, drivers are more likely than usual to consider a vehicle powered by cheaper energy sources. Sensing an opportunity, Honda is now offering the equivalent of three years’ free …
Is It Time to Declare the Nissan Leaf a Flop?
The headline for a recent Detroit News story has it that the “20,000 sales target [is] unlikely” for the Nissan Leaf. But “unlikely” is probably understating things. It appears as if Nissan won’t get halfway to its 20,000-Leaf …
Losing Weight Is a Hot Trend – in the Auto Industry
Facing a government-mandated requirement of new cars averaging 54.5 mpg by 2025, automakers are going into overdrive figuring out ways to improve fuel economy. Some of the solutions are high-tech, with innovations and increased …
What’s Behind GM’s New 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee?
Getting our money back for purchases we no longer want or need is the norm almost everywhere except car dealerships. But this summer, you’ll be able to drive off with a Chevy and then return it weeks later.
Don’t Like the Car’s Price? Wait an Hour
This is the kind of negotiating that a car buyer could get used to. Through Monday, eBay is selling at least 10 new cars per day in a very unique way: The asking price for each vehicle starts at MSRP—and then drops by $500 every hour until somebody buys.
Once-Struggling Cars That Are Suddenly Hot Sellers
Fiat and Toyota, both of which had a rough sales year in 2011, can’t seem to produce cars fast enough for buyers lately. One much-hyped plug-in vehicle is also faring better in the marketplace in 2012. After struggling to attract …
Driving like a Jerk May Cost You an Extra $100 Per Month in Gas
How can one driver average 37 m.p.g. and get 575 miles per fill-up, while another driver — driving the same model car — tops out at 21 m.p.g. and 325 miles per tank? The answer is that these two drivers drive very differently.
Does Mitt Romney Deserve Credit for Saving Detroit? Not Quite
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s claim that he deserves “a lot of credit” for saving the auto industry prompted an immediate reaction from critics — and they have a point. Although Romney is right that the vehicle …
