All Articles Tagged "automobiles"
Nearly 200,000 D.C Households Survive Without Any Cars
(TBD.com) — The Brookings Institution has released on a new report on the millions in America who live the zero-vehicle life. The new breakdown, which pulls its numbers from the American Community Survey as well as 371 transit providers, shows that 7.5 million households in America’s 100 biggest metropolitan areas don’t have access to a private car. That reality holds especially true in D.C. — here, 193,558 households survive without access to personal automobiles. That’s just under 10% of all households in the D.C. metro area.
Chrysler Aims to Drive Up Sales With Dr. Dre and NFL Star Co-Sign
(USA Today) — After making a splash with its unprecedented two-minute Super Bowl ad showcasing rapper Eminem, Chrysler is announcing today plans to keep its urban music theme with a new ad campaign starring rap entrepreneur Dr. Dre. But the ads for its new 300 sedan seek to portray the 300 as a car that drivers aspire to own. They portray luxury as something earned through hard work, not only with Dre, but in additional ads featuring NFL rookie sensation Ndamukong Suh and high-fashion designer John Varvatos. ”This will be a breakthrough in terms of how you speak about luxury (in) this country,” says Olivier Francois, CEO of the Chrysler brand. “It doesn’t speak about luxury in terms of just aesthetic, but about luxury in terms (of) the spirit.”
Tips to Cut Your Car Insurance Premiums
(MONEY Magazine) — Fed up with the rising costs of driving your car? Here are tips to lower how much you pay for car insurance.
1. Get a new kind of plan. The scoop: You install a device in your car that monitors how much you drive, plus your acceleration and braking habits. The fewer miles (and the more safely) you drive, the lower your premium and your gas consumption — no small matter these days. Pay-as-you-drive plans are available from large insurers such as GMAC and Progressive in 35 states and counting.
Do this: Call your insurer or visit your state insurance regulator’s website to see whether you can apply.
Your savings: Up to 30% if you drive less than 15,000 miles a year.
Gas Saving Myths That Get a Lot of Mileage
(KPHO Phoenix) — Prices at the pump keep climbing in the Valley with the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Phoenix at $3.51. That’s 39 cents higher than last month. Last year at this time, gas was only $2.75 a gallon. There are ways to save money at the pump, but AAA Arizona tells CBS 5 News that a lot of tips about how to stretch the dollar are nothing more than myth.
Hold on to Your Car in Bankruptcy
(Bankrate) — If you’re considering bankruptcy, it can be hard to decide what to do with your car loan. You may have difficulty paying all your debts, but at the same time, you want to keep your vehicle. In fact, it could be nearly impossible to get back on your feet financially without the use of a car, which is often needed to travel to a job and earn money, says Andrew Radmin, a bankruptcy attorney with Carkhuff & Radmin in North Plainfield, N.J. Fortunately, it is possible to keep a car in bankruptcy. “For people who have a vehicle, are financing it and want to keep it, there’s a method that can be used for them to continue to make payments and maintain the car they own,” says Radmin.
The Most (and Least) Expensive Vehicles to Insure
(New York Times) — The Mercedes SL65 AMG roadster is the most expensive 2011 model vehicle to insure, according to a new ranking of average premiums for 2011 models that Insure.com released earlier this month. The rankings, which the insurance information and shopping site publishes annually, are based on the premium that a 40-year-old man with a good driving record (no speeding tickets or accident claims), a good credit record and a 12-mile commute would pay annually.
Auto Sales on Upswing in Atlanta
(AJC) — Bill Stewart still had a few months left on his Mercedes CL lease, but recently he decided to give himself an early Christmas present: a new Mercedes SL. ”I made another three-year commitment because I felt things were going well. My business is very brisk right now and I felt comfortable with it,” said Stewart, a 56-year-old Atlantan who owns an interior design firm. Otherwise, he added, “I would have waited to next year.”
D.C. Gets Curbside Charging Station
(Washington Post) — Coulomb Technologies last week showed off the installation of its first curbside electric car charging station in the District, part of a multimillion-dollar government grant to provide 4,600 free outlets around the country. The station, located near the Franklin D. Reeves Center at 2000 14th St. NW, was installed by Pepco and Coulomb’s distributor, NovaCharge. It can serve two cars at once.
The Cheapest Cars to Insure
(Wall Street Journal) — Think a cheap car equals cheap insurance? Think again. There’s more to auto-insurance rates than a vehicle’s sticker price, according to a recent study by InsWeb, an online insurance-comparison provider. Besides your own age and driving record, car insurance is based chiefly on a combination of purchase price and a model’s loss history, or its record of involvement in insurance claims. A model with a history of expensive liability and comprehensive claims will cost more to insure. (An automobile’s safety and security features also affect rates.)
The Secret to Year-End Car Buying
(Smart Money) — With dealers eager to move unsold inventory before the new model year, the end of the year is often the best time to negotiate a deal on a new car. This year, savvy buyers have a new tactic: Figure out which models have been sitting on the lot the longest and score a new car for up to 35% off the sticker price. The days of waiting lists for hot cars are long gone. Most sit around for more than two months before they sell – the average is currently 67 days, up from 63 days last year. American brands– Chrysler, Ford and General Motors – sit about 75 days, according to Ward’s Auto, which tracks the car industry. But even some buyer favorites, like Japanese cars, are experiencing high inventory; Toyotas average 67 days on the lot, up more than 50% over October 2009, for example. And recent sales improvements have done little to reverse the trend. Lot stays are growing longer despite an 11% year-over-year sales gain of light vehicles (subcompacts, sedans and SUVs) through October.
