If you have been wondering why that SUV of yours just won’t sell, this just might be the reason. Gas mileage has become an obvious major factor in car purchases over the last few years since the price of gas has skyrocketed. J.D. Power and Associates has recently conducted a study that shows just how important gas mileage is to potential buyers. According to the study the top two reasons people reject new car sales are 1) Price 2) Interior and 3) Gas Mileage.

Gas Mileage is up to 20 percent this year, a three percent jump from last year. The study also said that more consumers are looking to purchase Asian autos while passing on domestic autos (no surprise there either.) It’s not that any of these facts are all that shocking, what is shocking is that the US auto industry has been laging behind for 30 years and still hasn’t even come close to catching up. The last time the US auto industry was producing cars that people actually wanted to buy was around the Carter administration, and even then as soon as the gas crisis hit the public dropped all those gas gusslers for smaller cars. Everyone wants to point the finger and say “you should buy American,” but no one wants to waste their money on junk. I suppose that is just the predicament we find ourselves in.

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It looks like the American auto market isn’t the only group of car makers who are suffering from U.S. economic woes.  Daimler is reporting stagnating sales of their line of trucks.  The company soled 311,000 trucks between January and August, only slightly up from the 309.656 sold last year over the same time span.

Demand sagged in particular in the North American market, where sales dropped 18 percent to 72,000 vehicles, in line with market expectations, mainly due to the worsening economic situation in the United States. (Source Reuters)

As America becomes more communistic (since the government now more or less owns our banks and car manufactures I don’t see how we can’t be considered communists) sales have shifted to up and coming capitalistic economies like India and China.  Surely that is an anachronism you say, but think about it, they are the ones loosening economic restrictions and we are the ones tightening them.

Regardless of Daimler’s sagging truck market, sales of the company’s flagship, Mercedes-Benz trucks have grown in sales by 9%, and in fact Benz is looking to have record numbers this year.  So as we continue our downward spiral, other countries are picking up our slack and keeping these foreign giants alive and well.  I suppose the next question is whether or not we will be selling whatever we produce to the middle east and the far east in the near future.

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Did Chrysler do something right?  Apparently so.  Chrysler has just unveiled four new electric cars that are expected to be for sale between 2009 and 2011.  According to US News:

The vehicles included a pair of extended-range electric vehicles that Chrysler executives claimed could travel 40 miles under electric power alone before a 1-liter gasoline engine kicks in, much like Chevy’s heavily-hyped 2010 Volt.  One was an unnamed Chrysler minivan, the other a four-door Jeep Wrangler.  While Chevy has not allowed the press to drive the Volt and says the powertrain isn’t ready, CNBC’s LeBeau was allowed to drive the Wrangler EV on a Chrysler test track.

Also mentioned was a sports car called the Dodge EV which apparently performs similarly to the Tesla roadster.  The EV is also a very attractive vehicle that resembles something like a Dodge Viper mixed with a Lotus.  Chrysler also rolled out a vehicle called the “peapod” which is similar to the Chrysler GEM.  Apparently Chrysler has been working on these http://www.trianglerentacar.com/Car-Rental-Glossary.php in relative secrecy.

It’s nice to see an American car company make some good moves.  Who knows how long these projects have been in the works, but finally it seems like Chrysler has hit the mark.

For more information about auto rental in Atlanta, contact Triangle Rent A Car today!

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The streets are nicer without cars on them.  I mean it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.  Can you imagine (sorry if I sound like John Lennon for a second) walking down a street without hearing bass blaring out of someones car, not hearing some biker rev their engine as they drive by, not seeing the pickup truck with the obligatory tool box in the back of it-moron in the front seat “hooting and hollering” (to use a phrase I am sure they are familiar with)?  All of these things say one thing to me: Look at me, Look at me!  I’m insecure!

That’s right, I said it.  Every time someone has the rap playing at 150 db, look at them.  I guarantee you, 100%, that they are looking around to see who is looking at them.  It is NEVER eyes forward.  It is ALWAYS “who’s looking at me.”  The streets are just the sad milieu of the desperate attention seekers.  The only problem is that the streets are a common entity, we all share it, we all pay for it.  So why do I have to listen to someone else’s crappy music, or look at their ugly “Fast and the Furious” car?  The fact of the matter is: I don’t.  If you are anything like me, when you see an accident you look away.  Who wants to see that anyway?  Is it going to make you a better person?  When the desperate attention seeker makes the roads unpleasant by trying to draw attention to themselves, I look away.  Don’t give them what they want and maybe they will go away.

For more information about auto rental in Atlanta, contact Triangle Rent A Car today!

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It seems like the Minerals Management Service, the government oversight to the U.S. natural resources, is dropping the ball…to say the least.  A recent scandal has broken involving sex, sex toys, drugs, underhanded dealings, and all sorts of debauchery withing the MMS.  There are reports of cocaine and pot parties, and sex among the MMS and those in the oil industry.

The reason this matters is that the MMS watches over the 8 billion dollar leases on oil drilling in the U.S. Employees have been fooling around with those in the oil industry and taking bribes, gifts, etc.  thetimes.co.za is reporting that:

Between 2002 and 2006, Devaney said, nearly a third of the employees in the Rik programme received an array of gifts from Chevron Corp, Shell, Gary Williams Energy Corp and Hess Corp.

While many of the gifts were lunches and drinks, they also included golf outings, snowboarding rentals and lodging.

Two agency employees conceded they had romantic encounters with men from the industry. One had liaisons with a Shell Pipeline Co. employee and an oil scheduler for Chevron, one report noted. But she did not “think there was a reason to refuse herself from dealing with Shell or Chevron”.

Have you wondered why your gas prices are up?  It may just be because a few idiots at the MMS passed some favorable deals along to the oil industry.  Now we all have to pay for their folly.  Literally.

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According to Carbuyingtips.com, there are at least 10 scams to watch out for when buying a new car.

Scam #1: The Financing Fell Through Scam (Spot Delivery Scam).  Basically this scam involves buying the car under the pretense of a low financing rate, only to find out a week later that you didn’t qualify and must accept a higher financing rate.

Scam #2:The Straw Purchase Scam. Watch out for this one, since it generally hits when inflation goes up.  If you have bad credit and need a co-signer, they will do a bait and switch, leaving your co-signer as the principle on the loan.

Scam #3: “Forget To Pay Off Your Trade In” Scam.  Here the dealer accepts your trade in saying that they will pay the balance on the old car, and apply the cost towards your new car.  The rub is that they don’t pay, the bank calls you for not paying, and you find out that your contract doesn’t say anything about the dealer paying your car off.

Scam #4: The “Lie To The Customer About Their Credit Score” Scam. Here the dealer tells you that your credit score is lower than it really is, and suckers you into financing at a high rate.

Scam #5: The “Your Online Lender Bounces Checks” Scam. Here the dealer tells you that your financing company “bounces checks” and they don’t do business with them, but of course they are willing to finance you themselves.

This is just half of the scams listed, and along with the scam carbuyingtips.com offers ways not to get burned.   Of course another good way to not get suckered is to rent…(see below!)

For more information on car, truck and van rental in the Southeast United States, visit Triangle Rent A Car today!

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GM reported a 20.3% sales loss in August 08′ from August 07,’ and the amazing thing is…they’re happy about it!  Maybe “happy” isn’t the right word, but they are in some sense feeling good about those numbers.  Despite the massive drop in sales from last year, August sales were up 31% over July’s sales.  This sales “boost” (if you want to call it that) are no doubt a result of GM’s employee discount pricing ploy.  Although I doubt you can call a near quarter drop in sales a success, GM seems to be pleased with the results.

For those of you who don’t know, GM is in the middle of retooling…well, everything.  They plan on releasing new fuel efficient cars in the near future, they are trying to get plants to stop making trucks and start making small cars, and they are looking for billions of dollars from the government to do it all.  According to the AP, Mark LaNeve, GM’s vice-president of North American sales, recently stated that:

“We are very encouraged by what we saw in August. It gives us reason to think that we are starting to pull our way out of this.”

I guess it just goes to show you that one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure, or if you prefer; “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”  Annoying metaphors aside, GM is in some serious trouble, and I don’t know how encouraged they should be by underselling themselves massively in the midst of their own economic crisis.

For more information on car, truck and van rental in the Southeast United States, visit Triangle Rent A Car today!

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America makes good trucks, but unfortunately for American car companies, they are set up to build those trucks.  GM has been racing (no pun intended) to get cars that people actually want to buy into the market.  Since no one is buying trucks (and if you recall GM makes a good deal of trucks) they are attempting to step up production of small cars.  The most recent attempt to crank out more fuel efficient cars has come in the form of extra shifts at an Ohio GM plant.

The “keep the plants” open mentality seems to be across the board, with Ford adopting a similar strategy.  Perhaps this is why Ford, GM, and Chrysler want $50 billion from us, the tax payers.  They want us to pay their workers to stay some extra hours and put out a few more small cars for them.  This all just seems like “too little, too late.”  Why are American car companies never ahead of the curve?  A friend of mine had a good idea as to why.  Her family hails from Michigan, and her father, rather then staying to work at a tire factory, took off to join the Army and escape Detroit.  This is what is happening across the board.  The labor unions make it impossible for the car companies to hire anyone, and all the bright, talented people in the state leave.  If you can’t get a job, and the car companies can’t change with the times (since it is still pro-union turn of the century thinking that prevails) who can blame them for leaving?  Until the employment/union structure changes, nothing else will change for the better.

For more information about auto rental in Atlanta, contact Triangle Rent A Car today!

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I was hoping to share with you a little story about a guy (lets call him me) and his experiences with a certain auto center that rhymes with “peers.” I am the king of tire blowouts, for whatever reason tires do not last on my car. Today I had another flat. Changing the tire was a nightmare itself, but we will leave that story for another day. I digress.

After getting the spare onto my car I head down to this auto center. This is the 9th time they have changed or worked on a tire on my car in a year and a half. The first 2 were my back tires, simply because they were worn out (I even purchased the road hazard warranty.) Within one month, one of the tires they replaced blew out. I went back and it was replaced. Next a tire stem was faulty on the other back tire and would not accept air…another trip back. Now my front tires are like slicks, so they replace them…with the wrong tires. My back tires and front are different sizes, and they put back tires on the front. I don’t catch this error until a few weeks later…another trip back, 2 new tires.

Remember those tires they put on the back? Well it was one of those that blew today. I took the car in and they said that the warranty didn’t cover my tires anymore because it was for 40,000 miles, and I had gone 20,000. Confused? Me too.

Merriam-Webster defines “warranty” as:

a usually written guarantee of the integrity of a product and of the maker’s responsibility for the repair or replacement of defective parts

I went half the miles the tire was warrantied for…the car has been aligned and balanced within the last 5 months. Today I learned warranties mean nothing, I don’t know if it is for all tire manufacturers, but for this auto center they certainly are. What do you think? Am I over reacting? Should they just say “warrantied for 40,000 miles…unless they go before then, in which case you are up a creek.” At least that would be more honest!

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More bad news for the U.S. auto industry.  The Wall Street Journal is reporting that domestic auto makers are poised to report larger than expected losses in August.  Despite the slowdown Reuters has stated that:

Industry-wide sales, however, will improve slightly from July, it said.

The research firm expects sales in the closing days of the month to improve, helped by General Motors Corp’s 100th anniversary sales event, which offers “employee pricing” on most vehicles and cash rebates on selected light trucks.

The J.D. Power report estimates sales of about 1.21 million vehicles for the month, or 13.4 million vehicles on a seasonally adjusted annual rate.

GM is the only company who is actually expected to make any gains over this time last year, which is entirely due to the “employee pricing” mentioned earlier.  What can U.S. auto manufacturers do to prevent further slow down?  Well the first plan is to ask you and I for $50 billion.  Congress has already attempted to fund U.S. automakers with $25 billion, but have yet been unable to come up with the funds.  I’m surprised this is slowing them down.  Not having the money has never stopped congress from spending in the past.  My idea is that they stop producing awful cars, de-unionize, and get to work!  I know unions seem like a great idea, but they hurt more people then they help.  If you want proof of the negative impact of unions, look at New York.  You can’t get your garbage taken out for less then an arm-and-a-leg, and good luck ever finding a job up there!  I think the government should keep it’s nose out of Detroit, and let them solve there problems by creating a better product.

For more information on car, truck and van rental in the Southeast United States, visit Triangle Rent A Car today!

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