Are videocameras at traffic lights meant to make roads safer? Or just serve as an easy way for states and municipalities to dish out tickets and raise revenues? Considering the serious money generated by cameras—as much as $480 …
cars
Buying a New Car? Let a Website Handle the Haggling
The new car purchase is easily one of the most painful and confusing of all shopping experiences. Most business relationships are built on trust, yet there’s good reason to distrust nearly everything seen or heard at a car dealership, from complex financing terms, to claims that a certain figure is their “absolute best price,” to the …
Oh, the Cruel Irony: Smaller, Cheaper Cars Are More Expensive to Insure
Studies have shown that poor people tend to pay more for auto insurance. Guess who else pays a premium? People who own small, inexpensive cars—a group that also tends to be poor.
Best Cars for the Least Money Are Made by … Kia?
In a study evaluating the total costs of owning a car—including initial price, as well as likely fuel expenditures and expected maintenance and depreciation—Kia has been crowned as the overall lowest-projected-cost champ.
All Signs Point to a Big Year for Car Sales: New Cars, Used Cars, You Name It
After years in which tons of dealerships closed, auto brands disappeared, natural disasters caused vehicle production disruptions, and consumers just didn’t have the money or desire to drop big bucks on cars, 2012 looks to be a …
Gas Price Hike: Expect $4 a Gallon—or Perhaps $6—By Spring
The national average for a gallon of regular is about $3.50 right now. That’s significantly below the highest ever (yet) price of $4.11, hit during the summer of 2008. Nonetheless, 2011 was the overall priciest year ever for …
How Random Companies Desperately Try to Attach Themselves to All the Super Bowl Hoopla
The Super Bowl is obviously a big deal for business. Advertisers are paying an average of $3.5 million per 30-second commercial aired during the game, and they’re spending millions more to promote online contests and viral video …
Woman Gets Nearly $10K Suing Honda For Misleading About Civic Hybrid’s MPG
Fifty miles per gallon? That’s what Honda claimed. But Heather Peters’ 2006 Civic Hybrid never did better than 41, maybe 42 mpg. And when Honda “fixed” her battery, the car dropped below 30 mpg. Instead of agreeing to take part …
Can a Car Cost $95K and Still Be Considered a ‘Best Value’?
By all accounts, Porsche makes some pretty amazing automobiles. But do cars that sell for $80K and $95K belong on a list naming the best values for consumers?
Study: Poor People Pay More for Auto Insurance
Low-income drivers are routinely charged higher auto insurance premiums than well-heeled car owners. But why should the poor pay a premium when it comes to premiums? Is the system inherently unfair? Or are there valid reasons why …
Why Do Consumers Avoid One Car and Buy Another? Often, for No Good Reason at All
A new study shows that when many drivers are shopping for cars, they don’t winnow their searches by researching vehicle quality and reliability reports. Instead, they often make their decisions based on preconceived notions and …
Is That a Ford? Fiat? U.S. Consumers See Fewer Differences Between Car Brands
I’ve never been a car guy. I can’t tell you the difference between Honda and Hyundai. I don’t see a classic speedster (that’s the term, right?) on the road and say, “There goes the ’69 Camaro SS 396 4-Speed. Boy, listen …