The recent recession put used cars in high demand. Their lower price tag meant that consumers weary of the economy could get into a car without breaking the bank. But even as the economy begins to thaw, pre-owned cars and trucks are still seeing demand.

According to ADESA, an auto auction services provider, the average price of a used car is up 7.5 percent compared to last year. That’s good news to used car dealers Chantilly Acura which focused plenty of attention on their pre-owned inventory when the economy took a tumble. One used Honda Accord dealer in Fredericksburg Virginia also saw a steep demand for certified pre-owned models among consumers that wanted to save money, but still wanted some type of assurance in the used vehicle’s quality.

“Folks are paying top dollar for used cars,” said Tom Kontos, ADESA’s chief economist. “When you go trade your car in, you should get more money for it, just because there’s not so many going around.”

In the wake of the rescission, many consumers have learned valuable lessons, not least of which is the importance of saving money. Silver Springs used Lexus dealers agree that pre-owned models will still play an important role for dealers even as the economy recovers.

With the economy and the job market seemingly far more stable than even just six months ago, new car sales are rebounding, but for many dealers it’s the pre-owned inventory that still helps to keep the lights on.

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GMC has remained one of GM’s core brands, but until recently it has been known for providing badge-engineered versions of existing Chevrolet models. Based on the Chevrolet Equinox, the 2010 GMC Terrain is much more than a thinly disguised Chevy. With unique styling, the GMC Terrain provides a uniquely GMC-spin on a solid GM platform.

Powering the 2010 GMC Terrain is a 2.3-liter four cylinder producing 182 horsepower and 172 ft lbs of torque, or a 3.0-liter V6 that produces 264 horsepower and 222 ft lbs of torque. The EPA gives the Terrain a fuel rating of 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway with the four-cylinder, and 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway with the V6. Both engine choices are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. For a roomy SUV that provides two powerful engine choices, the GMC Terrain offers highly competitive fuel economy.

Performance for the four-cylinder is not going to be too impressive, but should provide plenty of power for daily commutes and freeway passing. For even more power and improved towing capabilities, the V6 provides more than enough power.

Inside, the 2010 GMC Terrain provides an informative information center that easily provides a wide range of data for the driver, including average fuel economy, tire pressure, fuel range, and oil life, among other data. Behind the wheel, drivers will find a very quiet cabin, comfortable seating, and even a car-like ride that buyers demand in this segment. With a wide range of available features such as leather seating, rear view camera, Pioneer audio system, the Terrain does provide plenty of surprising luxuries. Overall interior quality is also an incredible improvement over other recent GMC products.

With a commendable balance of ride quality, interior comfort, and even fuel economy, the 2010 GMC Terrain offers many benefits, much like the all-new Chevy Equinox, but this time with its own styling.

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Although the industry was shocked to hear that an offer from Spyker to by Saab was back on the table again, it appears that General Motors has not ceased the process of winding down the Swedish automaker.

No new announcements regarding Saab are ready to be made according to GM spokesman Chris Preuss. Clearly the determination of Spyker Cars is not convincing enough for GM to halt the end of this loss-generating brand.

Although Skyker continues to be at the forefront of the Saab saga, GM has revealed that other parties were also interested in Saab. However, with no clear ideal scenario available yet, GM will continue to wind-down Saab and consider offers over the next several months.

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The 2010 Toyota Prius is a technological marvel to some extent. With a base price of $23K, drivers can expect extreme miles per gallon and will also enjoy riding in a vehicle known for eco-friendliness. But while most accounts of the Toyota Prius seem to be positive overall, some admit that real-world driving puts it in a different light than many mainstream reviews.

For starters the design will either excite or sicken potential buyers. The space-aged styling does make the Prius very aerodynamic which is important for reducing fuel consumption, but the problem is that the design also places instruments out of reach for the driver. In addition, controls take a bit of getting used to as they’re not placed where drivers would expect to find them.

As with many Toyota vehicles these days, the base price appears to be highly competitive, but even when the most common options are added the price can climb quickly according to Bremerton car dealers. As such it’s easy for a Prius to reach well into the mid-$30K range with popular technology and safety options.

Another factor that some buyers may neglect is that the Prius is by no means a driver’s car. Sure high-MPG is an attractive selling point, but after driving the Prius every single day, drivers could become disappointed with lack of responsiveness and rather poor acceleration.

Although the 2010 Toyota Prius lacks some of the positive aspects of many gasoline-powered cars, the Toyota Prius remains the most popular hybrid vehicle on the road nonetheless. The simple reason is that regardless of the car’s shortcomings, the Prius is still priced reasonably and still provides class-leading mileage according to Interstate Toyota. If you can get past its small shortcomings, the Prius is still a great choice for those interested in the environment and in saving on fuel costs.

Despite any shortcoming, Wrentham MA Toyota dealers have a competitive product on their hands that remains the highest selling hybrid on the market. And, chances are, it will stay that way for a long time to come.

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General Motors has announced that its restructuring efforts are already paying off. The automaker has said that it expects to pay back the money it was loaned by to the U.S. government, as well as the Canadian and Ontario governments, earlier than expected.

GM received a total of $6.7 billion in loans from the U.S. Treasury as part of bankruptcy restructuring. As a result of this restructuring, the U.S. Government is still the single largest stake holder in the Detroit automaker. Although GM was eager to announce that progress has been made, CEO Fritz Henderson was quick to downplay the announcement and identified that the automaker still has plenty of work ahead.

Between the emergence of post-bankruptcy GM and the end of the quarter, GM has already lost $651 million. Although the loss is substantial, Wichita Chevrolet Service stresses that it’s still lower than what was originally predicted. According to Oshkosh Buick dealers, success in Asia and in emerging markets has helped the automaker overall. Cash for Clunkers was also beneficial.

As early as June 2010, GM could repay its debt to the U.S. government. While GM is currently a privately owned company, it also expects to begin selling stock again in 2010. All these developments show positive signs that GM is on its way to profitability again says Car Smart Auto Sales, but GM still has plenty of challenges ahead.

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The Volkswagen Passat has seen its fair share of ups and downs. But as new car demand waned, the demand for the Passat plummeted. Instead, buyers were either more interested in sportier looking CC, or in other foreign luxury brands. This has led VW to consider dropping the Passat when a new mid-sized sedan is expected to go on sale in 2011.

The all-new sedan, which is to be built in the U.S., has yet to be named according to a Hamilton car dealership. Although it will be larger than the current Passat, it will also be priced lower, which Saint Louis Used Volkswagen dealers say may help it become more competitive next to lower priced options from Japanese and domestic automakers.

Since it will be built in Tennessee, Volkswagen will be able to offer the new sedan with a lower price tag than the Passat. The 2010 Passat starts at just under $28K. This year VW will also be dropping the V6 model says one Wausau used Volkswagen dealer and will only offer the sedan with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder.

Although a name and specific details of the new sedan are not yet available, VW is expecting to sell about 100,000 units per year when it finally arrives – far more than the goals set for the Passat. Last year Passat sales totaled 30,034 units. Despite being based on the Passat, the CC sedan will remain in the lineup.

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Cash for Clunkers proved to be beneficial to everyone, especially considering that everyone had been hurting before the program’s start. But it was the foreign automakers that benefited even more as their market share actually increased.

Critics of the Cash for Clunkers program warned that it could fuel the sales of foreign brands says Philadelphia Chevrolet dealers, thereby funneling U.S. tax payer dollars away from American companies and into the pockets of other brands. Illustrating the advantageous position of foreign brands is the statistics from J.D Power which suggest that normally U.S. car buyers purchase domestic brands 47% of the time. However, during the Cash for Clunkers program, that percentage fell to 38.5%, indicating a growing preference among American consumers for foreign makes, which has come to no surprise to Tampa Honda.

One of the factors contributing to the interest in foreign automakers is the concern over fuel efficiency point out Toyota Quick Lube. Under the program, most buyers were fixated on improved fuel efficiency. Unfortunately, most consumers also associate foreign brands with improved fuel economy.

With the goal of the Cash for Clunkers program to improve the environment and get more gas-guzzling vehicles off the road, consumer perceptions played a larger role than anticipated notes Car Loans Macon.

Since American buyers still regard Japanese and Korean brands in particular as the leaders in providing fuel efficient vehicles, it was not too surprising to dealers such as Longview Honda Service that consumers flocked to these showrooms more often than domestic brand showrooms. Perhaps this is yet another warning to domestic brands that changes need to happen fast.

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The Cube is the Nissan answer to Scion’s xB or Honda’s Element. All are compact, bold in their design, and affordable. While affordability and fuel efficiency is enough to excite plenty of car buyers these days, the Nissan Cube and its closest competitors also feature a love-it-or-hate-it design that certainly won’t resonate with every car buyer.

Powering the Nissan Cube is a 1.8-liter four cylinder engine mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission. The engine produces 122 horsepower and 127 lb ft of torque which doesn’t sound like much to consumers at a Nissan dealer in Seattle but once under way it’s certainly enough to easily move this 2864 pound vehicle. The Cube gets 28 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway with the CVT. Those numbers are enough to make it more fuel efficient than many other vehicles in its class.

The exterior of the Cube is the Nissan’s most distinctive quality according to test drivers among Nissan dealers Boston. However, its boxy appearance will likely appeal to younger car buyers and the exotic exterior styling is continued throughout the interior as well. The headliner even features ripples around the overhead dome light, mimicking the effect of a pebble dropped into a pond. One Providence used Nissan dealer says the Cube has a wide range of unique and fun available features including 16 inch alloy wheels, six speaker audio with Rockford-Fosgate amplifier and subwoofer, and even a USB input for your iPod.

Priced from $13,990, the Nissan Cube is certainly an affordable compact vehicle that offers ample versatility for passengers and cargo. With competitive fuel efficiency, the Cube should appeal to plenty of buyers, but thanks to its unique style the Cube will certainly not be confused with just any compact vehicle.

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General Motors lost its top spot as the as the highest selling automaker in the world when Toyota took the reigns as GM sales plummeted. Despite continued sales slumps and bankruptcy restructuring, GM narrowly missed overtaking Toyota in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, Volkswagen remains very close behind in the number three spot.

In the first six months of 2009, GM trailed Toyota sales by a mere 11,000 units, which has not surprised Dayton car dealers since the Detroit automaker has introduced several all-new models in recent months, including the popular all-new Chevy Camaro. Volkswagen has also done well, closing the gap with Toyota significantly to solidify its third place stance. Toyota was able to sell 463,805 more vehicles than Volkswagen.

Ford is the only other American automaker in the top ten lists, holding steady in the number five spot. Although Ford was able to avoid bankruptcy restructuring, Toyota Service Woodbridge observes that like Toyota, Ford still battles the effects of a sluggish economy, with new car demand stagnate worldwide.

In total, the top ten list for highest auto sales includes three manufacturers from Europe, five from Asian, and two from the U.S. With GM loosing the added sales of Saturn, Pontiac, Saab, and Hummer brands one dealer specializing in used cars in Philadelphia expects GM’s position on this list to change dramatically in the coming months. After holding on to the top spot for nearly 80 years, Toyota became the world’s largest automaker in 2008.

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General Motors and Toyota doesn’t seem to be done battling each other for number one.

General Motors has announced that it will be exiting its partnership with Toyota. After 25 years, GM will cut its stake in the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc (NUMMI), which was a joint manufacturing venture between GM and Toyota. The partnership produced vehicles such as the Toyota Corolla and the Pontiac Vibe, as well as the Toyota Tacoma. The manufacturing facility is based in Fremont, CA and produces about 250,000 cars and 170,000 trucks per year.

Since GM has dissolved the Pontiac brand, the involvement in NUMMI was called into question as the Pontiac Vibe was the only GM vehicle currently coming out of the partnership. At first it appeared as though another GM brand would become a Toyota Matrix clone observed Newburgh Toyota, but with GM’s financial struggles it seems that simply walking away is the most feasible option at this time.

There’s been plenty of speculation about GM’s involvement in NUMMI following bankruptcy, but after trying to find solutions that made sense to all parties involved, NUMMI was labeled as part of the Old General Motors says Chicago Chevrolet dealers, and as such would be sold off through bankruptcy.

GM has expressed that the NUMMI partnership has been a positive relationship says one Poughkeepsie used cars dealer. While NUMMI will come to a close, GM is said to be open to future opportunities as well. As it stands, NUMMI employs about 4,500 workers and 890 salaried personnel.

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