As with many professions, writing about cars has busy seasons and slow ones. Fall, winter, and spring are fast and furious, with countless auto shows demanding coverage and new models rolling into showrooms every day. In summer, on the other hand, we usually see a steep drop in the number and...Read More»
At first glance, you might think that hybrid and electric car shoppers would be cut from the same cloth, demographically speaking. But a new study from Experian Automotive suggests that the two are, in fact, quite different. MUST SEE: 50 Years Of The Ford Mustang: Video To reach that conclusion...Read More»
There's good news and bad news on the automotive front. The good news is for auto shoppers: according to Experian Automotive, the average interest rate for U.S. car loans fell to 4.27 percent in the third quarter of 2013. That's the lowest rate Experian has recorded since it began tracking interest...Read More»
Though America's economic recovery seemed iffy at one time, it now appears that we're on the right track. Consumer confidence is mostly high, stocks are mostly up, and though it's not as robust as we'd like, economic growth is in mostly positive territory. In the auto world, the recovery has had...Read More»
Once upon a time, the thought of leasing a vehicle was a foreign concept to new-car shoppers. "Why rent when you can own?", our grandparents said. But oh, how things change. According to Experian Automotive, leased vehicles now make up a significant chunk of dealership business -- and in fact, that...Read More»
America's economic recovery has been slow but steady. Thanks to improved consumer confidence and slightly looser credit restrictions, individuals and businesses are moving back toward the "old normal". But hold the phone: data from Experian Automotive suggests that we may be returning to the old...Read More»
Brand loyalty is a big deal in some industries. When it comes to cell phones and soft drinks, for example, people can come to blows debating the merits of the iPhone and the Galaxy S3, or Coke Zero and...well, whatever the Pepsi equivalent is. For auto shoppers, though, brand loyalty isn't the...Read More»
How much do you love your car? Enough to buy another of the same make when it's time to upgrade? Or at least enough to buy another from the same automaker? If you drive a vehicle from the Toyota family -- including Scion and Lexus -- chances are pretty good that your answer to that third question...Read More»
It's one thing to attract a first-time customer, but quite another to get that customer back. According to new data from Experian Automotive, no automaker in America does that quite as well as General Motors -- though Ford comes awfully close. #1 and #2: GM and Ford During the first quarter of...Read More»
It's the cycle of life. As we buy new vehicles, we trade others in; frugal used-car owners buy those, and sell their older vehicles. And in turn, a tired heap of a vehicle is retired. Trouble is, we're not retiring as many vehicles as we used to. The average vehicle in the U.S. is now about ten...Read More»
People are passionate about their cars -- if they weren't, we'd be out of a job. But some people are more enthusiastic than others, and for those folks, Experian Automotive has created a new social network, CheckMyRide.com. The site's premise is pretty straightforward: users create accounts, then...Read More»
To get the vehicle you want, and the right credit terms, having a high credit score has been extremely important over the past couple of years. With credit tight, lots of consumers who would have been green-lighted in the past have been simply turned away—or pointed toward high-risk lenders...Read More»
If you've been to the dealership earlier this year and weren't at all pleased with the finance terms offered, you might want to give it another try. Auto lenders are loosening up once again, especially on new-car loans, and have started to extend loans to those with more blemished credit histories...Read More»
Buying or selling a vehicle on eBay Motors? You no longer need to worry about paying separately for an outside vehicle history check. It's now automatic and free, covering all vehicles for sale on the site, for model years back through 1981, thanks to a new exclusive agreement between the...Read More»
