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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I think it’s what people call irony: Just a week or so before Toyota became synonymous with unintended acceleration, it was focusing on the intended kind at the Tokyo Auto Salon. That’s where it gave five of its JDM models the “G Sports” treatment, introducing a new series of products that are “designed for customers who strongly desire to own a unique vehicle, offering them a personalized interior and exterior design along with sports-driving performance.”

And while three of those vehicles will remain solely aimed at the Japanese domestic market, two—the Toyota Prius and coming Toyota FT-86—should hit the U.S. later this year. These two are ideal choices for the U.S., with the new Prius bodykit alone sure to make people reassess their view of the popular Toyota hybrid. As for the FT-86, Toyota’s coming new rear-wheel-drive sports-car, gearheads have been salivating over its style and relatively-low MSRP ever since a concept version showed up at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show. The G Series version shown at theAuto Salon adds a turbocharger into the mix, which should add further excitement into the marketplace.

Volkswagen is using the same strategy with its R division, which will officially launch at Geneva in March and is expected to be a rival to other OEMs’s in-house performance divisions, like BMW’s M group or Mercedes-Benz’ AMG. In fact, VW already offers “R” versions of the VW Golf and Scirocco in Europe, where they both pack 260+ hp.

That Golf is expected to be the first R vehicle to reach U.S. dealerships, starting later this year, and R versions of the latest Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen Eos and Volkswagen CC are under consideration as well.

I know Volkswagen is aiming to drastically boost U.S. sales in the coming years, and these R vehicles should certainly help get things off to a fast start.

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Find more information on what other companies are doing to boost their US Sales.

One might not understand the true grasp for technology based on the automotive industry.  But, it has become more apparent that the automotive world is dependent on technology.  As technology evolved, the automotive industry began to incorporate new technologies into their new vehicles.  Some of the first technologies to take effect in vehicles were power steering, power windows, antilock brakes, and all-wheel drive.

Advances in technology continued to embark throughout the years culminating in the advanced features we see in today’s premiums autos like Woburn Infiniti EX crossovers. CD disks and CD players were being invented.  The automotive industry saw the popularity explode and began offering CD players in their new vehicle models.  With more electronics unfolding, satellite radio, MP3 players, and iPods continue to be in the spotlight.  Almost every car model has satellite connection to play music from an MP3 player or an iPod. There is no longer a need to carry the navigation device in your car or mount it to your dashboard. Now, cars are purchased with a built-in navigation system in the center console.

The automotive industry has gained much of its benefits from the evolution of technology. Today, many vehicles on the market among Puyallup Nissan dealers for example, allow you to make phone calls through the vehicle, instead of using a handheld cell phone. Once the plug is placed into the console, your voice is used to activate phone calls or answer the phone when it rings.

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Look for more updated advances about automotive news posted soon.

While the 2010 Detroit Auto Show will be known for hybrids, electric cars and “going green”, the auto show also featured military vehicles. That is right, the auto show in Detroit for 2010 featured fuel-efficient military vehicles! Two vehicles in particular were big hits at this year’s auto show: the CERV (Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle) and the APD (Autonomous Platform Demonstrator).

The CERV was manufactured at the Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), which is based in Warren, Michigan. Michigan is growing rapidly as the nation’s defense industry, and will be granted $14 billion in federal funds for manufacturing operations over the next year. As the military forces are looking to add to their array of vehicles in the coming months, the biggest surprise was that both the CERV and APD are hybrids.

APD

As fuel consumption and transportation is very expensive and dangerous, the armed forces have turned to hybrids to increase efficiency says Marlboro Nissan. The fewer shipments of fuel sent to the battlefields, the fewer soldiers put in harm’s way and fewer dollars spent for the effort. The military vehicles that were on display at the Detroit Auto Show on the 12^th of January were a big hit not only with the press but also with the public.

CERV

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Keep checking back for more information on hybrids and “going green”.

The winter months can wreak  not only the appearance of your vehicle, but also the way it performs on the roads.  One of the most important things a person can learn when taking Driver’s Ed or being taught how to drive by a family member is how to drive in the snow.  Now, not every person who gets their driver’s license will need to learn how to drive in the snow because of their geographic location.  However, for those who live in the Central part of the country and the Northeast, learning how to drive in the snow is crucial to their survival.

Always be prepared when heading out in the snowy weather.  If you are driving in extreme conditions, be sure to put chains on your tires or have snow tires put on your vehicle.  Also, make sure that you have a shovel in your trunk in the event that your car gets stuck in a snow bank, so you can try to dig it out before an accident happens.

When the roads are covered in snow, you should slow down.  If the speed limit is 45 MPH, make sure you are driving at 30 MPH or less.  Speed is the number one cause of accidents during the winter months.  It doesn’t matter if you have chains on your tires, if you have anti-lock brakes, or if you know how to drive out of a skid, your car will run off the road if you are speeding.

Always apply the brakes when entering a curve on snowy or icy roads.  If you take the curve too fast, your vehicle will skid and possibly run off the road.  If you brake when going into a curve, you increase your chances of coming out of the curve, still on the road and completely safe.

Everyone who drives on snowy and icy roads should know how to control a skid.  The two biggest tips for controlling a skid include turning your vehicle into the skid and accelerating just a little bit.  If you release the brake and turn towards the direction of the skid, you will find that an accident can be avoided.

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Catch more auto “how to” news here soon.

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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Catch more Saab-GM news here.

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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Get the latest on hybrid cars here at Car Biz Buzz.

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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For all the latest on General Motors sales check back soon.

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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Read more about import auto news right here at Car Biz Buzz.

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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