incentives

A bill proposed this week in the U.S. Senate aims to give car buyers $3,500 to buy American-made cars, including models from Ford, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, and others, the latest thrust in escalating threats between lawmakers and the auto industry. Democratic Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown...Read More»

It seems fairly clear to most observers that petroleum's days are numbered, and that cars of the future will run on electricity. There's plenty of debate about where that electricity will come from -- batteries? fuel cells? -- but when you have conservative performance and luxury marques throwing...Read More»

Unless you've paid close attention to the Volkswagen "Dieselgate" headlines, you might've missed the fact that Audi vehicles are also installed with emissions-test-cheating software. The fact that Volkswagen's popular, mass-market brand at the center of the scandal shares a name with its parent...Read More»

Last month, Donald Trump ruffled feathers at Ford when he claimed that the automaker was cutting American jobs by shifting production to Mexico. Now, something similar is happening in Canada -- only this time, the cheap-labor boogeyman isn't Mexico, it's the U.S. The problem in the Great White...Read More»

Lots of folks are talking about the Ford F-150. The truck has been America's best-selling vehicle for the past several decades, and the F-Series in general has topped U.S. charts since the 1940s. But is the king about to be kicked off the mountain? ALSO SEE: 2016 Ford F-150 Limited Ups Technology...Read More»

The U.S. can be confusing to Europeans. They don't understand our versions of football or coffee, and please don't get them started on our waistlines. (After an eye-opening trip to a certain big-box store, a French visitor once said to me, "Yes, of course we have fat people, but they do not go...Read More»

If you want to get a special incentive for driving a hybrid, you're a few years too late; but a tax credit applies to nearly every electric car and plug-in hybrid on the market and it can, in some cases, effectively reduce your cost for such a model to that of an ordinary gasoline vehicle (or even...Read More»

In some parts of the world, economies remain shaky, but here in the U.S., financial markets are strong and shoppers are optimistic. Naturally, there's a downside to that. Consumer confidence has surged over the past few months. Numerically speaking, it now rests at 84.5, its highest level since...Read More»

If you're in the market for a new ride and Volvo is your brand of choice, listen up: for a limited time, Costco is offering 2013 and 2014 Volvo vehicles at employee prices. Unlike previous Costco/Volvo promos that focused exclusively on specific models like the XC90, this one includes the...Read More»

Earlier this week, we told you about the extraordinary stats for March car sales. What's notable, though, isn't just the number of vehicles that automakers sold that month, but also the prices at which they've been selling. According to TrueCar, the average transaction price for a new car in March...Read More»

Incentives continued their long, slow decline in January, but according to TrueCar, transaction prices fell, too, which could soften the blow for bargain-hunters. On average, incentives slipped 12.2% between December 2012 and January 2013, coming to rest at $2,274 per vehicle. The pickings are...Read More»

There's good news and bad news for auto shoppers. Let's get the bad news out of the way: transaction prices are climbing. In fact, they're as high as they've been all year. According to TrueCar, the average price for a new vehicle in November 2012 was $30,832. That's up about $335, or 1.1%, from...Read More»

The race to become America's #1 luxury brand is on, and the competition is getting ugly. Last year, Lexus' 11-year reign at the top of the U.S. luxury heap came to an end, precipitated by an aging vehicle lineup and exacerbated by production problems caused by natural disasters in Asia. Since then...Read More»

The good news is, car sales are soaring. Most automakers have already released figures for September, leaving analysts' expectations in the dust. The bad news is, that means demand for cars is high. And when demand is high, so are car prices, making good deals hard to find. Transaction prices are...Read More»

Summers are usually slow at auto dealerships, but this year has been an exception. That's great news for folks working the sales floors, but not so good for shoppers hoping to score a good deal on a new car, according to TrueCar.com. Thanks to growing consumer confidence, easier credit, high...Read More»

If auto sales—now at their highest level in four years—are any indication, Americans are feeling a lot more confident. GM, Ford, and Chrysler all reported strong sales in March—significantly above year-ago levels—but it was the Chrysler Group that saw sales a full 34...Read More»

Many eager auto shoppers in Japan have been stymied by inventory shortages, but according to the Wall Street Journal, the wait for new wheels may be coming to an end. The Journal reports that most Japanese companies are ramping up output, with significantly more cars rolling off the lines over the...Read More»

Spring has sprung in many parts of the U.S., and with the return of flowers, thunderstorms, and high pollen counts comes a glut of auto sales. If you've emerged from hibernation and found yourself in the market for a new Subaru, Costco wants to lure you onto its lots with the promise of a $500 gift...Read More»