The U.S. economy is giving mixed signals these days. Stocks are up, as are home sales, but hiring -- though not on the decline -- is often described as anemic. And yet, the U.S. auto market is charging full-steam ahead. In fact, J.D. Power predicts that the industry will see 12% growth this year...Read More»
While the U.S. auto market outlook can hardly be called bullish, sales this past month are pointing to some growth, and some further steps toward a rebound, in 2011. And that rebound still looks quite far away. AutoPacific is anticipating 12.4 million next year, and J.D. Power predicts that U.S...Read More»
Unless you're a frequent business traveler, you may not think much about rental cars, but rental cars have a huge impact on the auto market. Fleet sales to companies like Hertz and Enterprise (as well as non-rental companies) account for around 10% of total sales, and when fleet numbers picked up...Read More»
October isn't always such a strong month for auto sales, but this year it is. Higher demand for light trucks, along with sustained fleet sales and strong performance from some new models on the market, helped the auto market bounce back to its highest sales level in over a year. Fleet sales, which...Read More»
Details are out regarding the all-new 2012 Ford Ranger, and the design looks poised to step right in below the F-150 in Ford's lineup. But, sadly to longtime Ranger enthusiasts (and there certainly are some), it's not coming to the U.S. Here's why, in short: The new Ranger that was just introduced...Read More»
The industry is still suffering, and sales haven't truly found their rebound yet. But Ford and Chrysler are showing surprisingly strong in the market, compared to where they were last year. Versus the Cash for Clunkers frenzy of last summer, sales are way down—about 20 percent versus last...Read More»
![U.S. Retail SAAR from August 2009 to August 2010 [via J.D. Power]](https://static.hgmsites.net/images/cache/u-s-retail-saar-from-august-2009-to-august-2010-via-j-d-power_100319755_151x113.jpg "Dueling Analysts: Edmunds, J.D. Power Predict Strong, Weak Sales For 2010")
Yesterday, Edmunds and J.D. Power announced their predictions for August sales. And while the numbers were pretty close, the two companies' spins were decidedly different. Of the two, J.D. Power provided the more in-depth analysis, predicting that new-vehicle retail sales will slip from just over...Read More»
J.D. Power has good news and bad news for the auto industry. On the plus side, production is up dramatically from a year ago, and July sales will be significantly higher than those of June. On the down side, the company has scaled back its retail sales forecast for 2010, and a return to...Read More»
Taxi-cab companies, police forces, and executive-car services will soon be left scrambling for vehicles. That's because, after years of speculation about the matter, Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) is expected to discontinue its large, body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive sedans about a year from now. After a...Read More»
Chrysler, at least for a time earlier this year, was sending nearly three out of every five of its new vehicles to commercial and government fleets. According to Automotive News, citing information from the company, Chrysler sent a jaw-dropping 58 percent of its vehicles to fleets just in February...Read More»
If you've been on the lookout for a new car but you're a little short on cash, General Motors may have a deal for you. In a clever shell game that should pay off nicely for consumers, the company is offering dealers $7,000 for every Pontiac and Saturn vehicle that they move to their rental-vehicle...Read More»
