Car Buying


Ruh-Roh: Marchionne reportedly puts Alfa Romeo under review

Take a look at the Fiat auto group. What division (barring Ferrari and Maserati) would you think holds the highest value for the company? If you thought Alfa Romeo, you're on the same page as yours truly, but you'd be mistaken. Horribly mistaken, as it turns out: Alfa has lost Fiat hundreds of millions of euros every year. Its sales have declined sharply, and not just since the global economy collapsed: Alfa sold 203,000 units in the year 2000, but only 103,000 last year. That's a heck of a drop-off. In response, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne ... Read more →

What Price One-Upmanship? 2011 Bentley Mulsanne available from $285,000

With a starting price of $285,000, Bentley's newest flagship model won't come cheap. Nor should it, with its 505-horsepower, 725 lb-ft, gasoline-fed 6.75-liter V8 engine sitting behind the ...

GM confirms Chevrolet Volt to be introduced in California before nationwide rollout

If environmentally-friendly transportation is your thing, there's no place like California. Not only is the state home base to Tesla – the first company to genuinely demonstrate that hugging ...

REPORT: Initial Chevy Volt launch will be in select U.S. markets only

Undoubtedly, the 2011 Volt is one of the most hotly anticipated new model launches in Chevrolet's long and storied history, and it will likely be seen as a halo model of sorts for General Motors ...

Americans like White, the world likes Silver in new Color Popularity Report

DuPont has released its annual Color Popularity Report, and for the first time has converged data from across the globe to create a worldwide report on how we, as a species, prefer our cars to be ...

How do you spell Hyundai's Kryptonite? J-D-M 3 days ago on Autoblog

As Hyundai continues to pull itself up by its bootstraps, the company is moving decisively and picking up share around the globe. However, one key market continues to be so problematic for the brand that they've decided to abandon it altogether: Japan. Rather than dodder around and wait for its ...

REPORT: GM offering special discounts to rejected franchise customers, move angers dealer group 8 days ago on Autoblog

Realizing that one of its keys to survival is retaining existing owners, General Motors is proactively enticing nearly one million customers – those loyal to now-closed dealerships – with significant financial incentives. According to Automotive News, GM started sending 950,000 ...

Car and Driver announces 2010 10Best Cars 8 days ago on Autoblog

Our pals over at Car and Driver, now helmed by our esteemable buddy Eddie Alterman, just released their 2010 10Best Cars. Quite an undertaking. As they put it, "58 contenders. $2.5 million total. 12,000 test miles logged." For those keeping track, this is the 28th time C/D has published their ...

REPORT: Chrysler piles on even more incentives ahead of the holidays 9 days ago on Autoblog

In an effort to spur lagging sales, Chrysler has reportedly cranked up incentive spending on nearly all of its models by $1,000 to $1,500 while also offering 0% financing on many of its models. Chrysler is also said to be offering lease incentives of $500 to $1,000 on minivan leases and ...

Lexus announces pricing for 2010 GX460 will begin at $51,970 9 days ago on Autoblog

Adding one last bit of important information to the release they issued Sunday, Lexus today announced pricing for its second-generation 2010 Lexus GX460 SUV. As we told you yesterday, the 2010 GX460 will (for the first time) be available in two trim levels. The base model will start at an MSRP ...

REPORT: Lexus to lease - not sell - all U.S. LFA supercars in order to foil speculators 9 days ago on Autoblog

In an interesting bid to foil exotic car speculators who drive up the prices of limited-availability models, Lexus will reportedly lease – not sell – its forthcoming LFA supercar when it hits the U.S. market in January of 2011. As Automotive News reports, Lexus will only offer ...

2010 Acura ZDX starts at $45,495 with plenty of kit 12 days ago on Autoblog

If you're interested in picking up the 2010 Acura ZDX crossover, the bottom line begins at $45,495. There's a full press release with all of the details after the jump, but the main points are these: The ZDX will go on sale beginning December 15 with an MSRP of $45,495, plus destination and ...

Edmunds data suggests Honda Crosstour buyers don't know what it competes against either 12 days ago on Autoblog

The 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour hasn't won too many fans amongst the automotive press, and while we're sure it fills the Accord Wagon space in Honda's lineup, the way the Crosstour has a foot both in the wagon and CUV realms still has us scratching our heads. Taking a peek at what's being ...

193 vehicles returned under GM's 60-day satisfaction guarantee 12 days ago on Autoblog

Last month, General Motors raised some eye brows when it announced its 60-day satisfaction guarantee program giving customers the ability to drive their vehicles for 60 days and return them with zero minimal risk. A month ago, we told you that only one vehicle had been returned under the program, ...

Swedish Pickle: Study says GM lost $5,000+ on each Saab sold over the last 8 years 12 days ago on Autoblog

When the automotive history of the last ten or so years is written, one of the most curious chapters will be why big, flush with cash American car companies purchased relatively diminutive, relatively oddball Swedish brands. Ford and Volvo, while still not a match made in heaven, at least gave ...

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad: Most Chevy Camaros reportedly being sold with V8 power 13 days ago on Autoblog

It's a sign of the times that most buyers of the new Camaro would go for the V6 and not the V8. At $31,595, the eight-cylinder SS model naturally sells for more than the $23,530 base V6 model. To compound the issue the V6 model costs the auto giant nearly as much to build as the V8 version. ...

2010 Top Safety Picks announced by IIHS, new roof strength rule shakes things up 14 days ago on Autoblog

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has once again announced the winners of its Top Safety Pick award – all 27 of them. This time out, 19 cars and eight SUVs made the all-important grade. To break it down a bit for you, Subaru is the only make to earn top marks in each of the ...

Mahindra maps out 'potential' U.S. dealer network for forthcoming small diesel pickup 14 days ago on Autoblog

No, you're not looking at yet another voting map, or even a topographical depiction of the WalMarting of America (trust us, you don't want to see that). The image seen above is that of Mahindra's "dealership network." We're putting quotes on that because the Indian automaker says on its website ...

Dutch Porsche dealership covers new 997 Carrera S in milk chocolate for the holidays 15 days ago on Autoblog

Back when we were but wee little Autobloggers, Easter was one of our favorite holidays. Not that we were religious, mind, we just really dug finding baskets filled with sugary treats nestled in plastic grass first thing in the morning. As far as we were concerned, you could keep your colored ...

REPORT: Nissan may offer optional higher-capacity batteries at premium 15 days ago on Autoblog

It looks like Tesla probably won't be alone in offering different-sized battery packs in its future electric vehicles. At a U.S. launch event for the Leaf electric car on Friday, Nissan product planner Mark Perry told Paul Eisenstein of the Detroit Bureau that the Japanese automaker is ...

Ford Fusion wins Motor Trend Car of the Year award 15 days ago on Autoblog

For the first time ever, Motor Trend announced the winner of its annual Car of the Year award this afternoon live via webcast. Though the field of 23 contenders was highly competitive this year (follow the jump for a complete list), we guessed immediately that the winner was a Ford as soon as ...

REPORT: Saab dealers 'running out of cars' 15 days ago on Autoblog

With new vehicle production at a trickle, and its dealer network slashed by a third, retailers of the Saab brand are finding inventory shrinking to drought levels. Some of the remaining dealers may even run out of new vehicles before replacements arrive. Point the blame towards the pending ...

REPORT: All GM brands to go on sale this week 16 days ago on Autoblog

The holidays are coming and everything must go! So says GM's VP of sales Susan Docherty. "All of our efforts will be to sell down our remaining 2009 inventory." Docherty is expecting all the 2009 cars to be cleared out by January, 2010. The big sales, starting this week, each get their own ...

REPORT: BMW X3 U.S. launch delayed by up to 6 months for custom order effort 16 days ago on Autoblog

According to BMW of North America's president, Jim O'Donnell, the Roundel crew will delay the launch of the 2011 BMW X3 by six months to establish a new customer ordering program and iron out which engines will be available in the States. The move will apparently make the customization of the ...

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG priced for Europe, now taking orders 16 days ago on Autoblog

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG now has an order form and a price. While it's not cheap, it's nowhere near the most expensive car in the range: for €177,310 ($265,531 U.S. – note: that is a straight conversion, not an indication of the car's U.S. cost), you can put one of the gullwinged ...

Lotus Evora gets a U.S. pricetag, starts at $73,200 16 days ago on Autoblog

Now that the new Lotus Evora has been successfully launched in Europe, it's time to start delivering the new model to U.S. Lotus dealers. Production of U.S.-spec cars will be starting shortly so Lotus has finally defined a price point for the car beginning at $73,200. For that price you get the ...

Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche dishes out advice for Chrysler 17 days ago on Autoblog

It's said that certain cultures don't handle the concept of irony well. You know, irony – where the intended answer is the opposite of the actual answer. Case in point: Back when cab forward cars were all the rage and the once mighty Plymouth brand was put out to pasture, Chrysler looked as ...

REPORT: Ford continues strong sales in European Market 18 days ago on Autoblog

Ford's year-over-year sales were up nearly four percent for the month of October here in the United States, but the Blue Oval appears to be in even better shape across the Pond in Europe. The Dearborn, MI-based automaker saw its sales in the top 19 Euro nations rise by 12.8% versus October 2008, ...

VW building $125M flagship dealer complex on Manhattan's west side 19 days ago on Autoblog

Volkswagen is building swanky new digs on New York City's west side for its VW and Audi brands. The automaker has purchased a 256,000 square foot space currently occupied by Potamkin GM (the Potamkin family has been synonymous with car sales in NY for decades), which stretches between 55th and ...

Ford Fusion breaks into Top 10 best-selling vehicles amid best year ever 20 days ago on Autoblog

There was a time when Ford vehicles absolutely dominated the list of the top 10 vehicles sold in the U.S. The F-Series was always number one, followed by stalwarts like the Taurus, Explorer, Ranger and even the Focus (or Escort before that). 2001 was a long time ago, though, and the past eight ...

eBay Motors begins offering free vehicle history reports from Experian 21 days ago on Autoblog

Consumers wary of purchasing vehicles off eBay may take a bit of comfort in the online auction site's announcement that all vehicles built since 1981 will now include free vehicle history reports effective today. The "AutoCheck" information, supplied by Experian Automotive, will detail whether ...

While Supplies Last: Pontiac says only 16 G8 GXPs left at U.S. dealers (among other things) 21 days ago on Autoblog

If you're looking to get your hands on a Pontiac before the General Motors division shuts its doors for good, you'd better act fast, because stocks are dangerously depleted. According to Pontiac's Twitter page, there are only some 3600 units left of some of the brand's most desirable products ...

Atom Smasher: UK-bound Ariel V8 to command $200,000? 22 days ago on Autoblog

Two hundred thousand bucks is a house in most places. Well, that's £120,000 to our British friends. Still, that's an awful lot of scratch. How much is it compared to other cars? If say you wanted a Porsche Cayman S -- a car many consider the finest sports car in the world -- the ...

REPORT: Stand-alone Lincoln-Mercury dealers being scaled out of existence 23 days ago on Autoblog

In 2006, Ford began to shrink its dealership network in order to more efficiently align its distribution network. Three years later, it appears that the hardest hit are the company's stand-alone Lincoln-Mercury dealerships. While there were 619 Lincoln-Mercury dealerships nationwide just a few ...

Still want a Sprinter? 100 Mercedes dealers sign on to sell big van 23 days ago on Autoblog

Last year, there were 350 dealers selling Sprinters, but the signs in front of those dealerships had the word "Dodge" on them. Now that Sprinters have been pulled from Chrysler's pipeline, Automotive News reports that Mercedes-Benz has established its own U.S. van subsidiary and is canvassing ...

Hyundai wins Advertising Age Marketer of the Year award 23 days ago on Autoblog

Allow us to set the stage. The year was 2009, the month was February. The U.S. economy, which for months had been showing signs of springing a leak, was now fully flooding into five forward compartments. Banks were dead or dying, the housing industry had ground to a halt and without massive ...








Autoblog Podcast #155: 'Twas the night before LA...

Chris, Dan, and Editor Paukert go over some LA Preview action and quietly whoop it up on the podcast.

 
 

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