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The current Truck wars is very good for consumers. Like we said before in this blog, now is currently the best time to buy a truck. Aslo, today, Ford saw more good news in terms of quality guidelines.
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More news that affect car prices and sales tomorrow
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 Despite a huge rush to buy hybrids this past year, a new poll suggests Americans are not willing to do anything to save on gas. More specifically, size matters, and Americans are not willing to buy ultra minicars to maximize fuel efficiency.
Early next year the Mercedes Car Group has plans to sell a tiny-two-seat car called the SMART Car. However, several research firms have suggested American will not buy these cars, which are very popular around the world. They are popular because of the very short length which makes for easy parking; 40 MPG which is great for ultimate fuel efficiency; and the very low price (they will start at $12,000 in the USA). Despite all these benefits, most Americans polled said they would rather pay more, for a larger, more mainstream car. "I would like to drive friends around town, if need-be," said Samantha Connor of Detroit, MI. "Safety is also a concern, as larger cars gives a greater feeling of security." Mercedes Car Group will plan a national tour to highlight and promote the new Smart Cars in the USA. They plan to sell 100,000 units each year globally. Vote in our poll...
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- The Ford Ranger is in Danger of being cut by Ford Motor company.
- The Ford Edge is selling like mad, Ford raises sales figures. d
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Maybe Toyota cannot pass it's reliability reputation to it's line of trucks. Recently, many owners have been reporting engine failures with the 5.7-liter V-8s. Rumor has it Toyota may recall all these vehicles as a safety precaution.  Engine Failure Difficult to Fix The nature of Engine failure is particularly hard for Toyota. Engine trouble is one of the more difficult problems to fix with new cars, and the most expensive. In addition to the severity of the problem, Toyota has built it's reputation on building reliable cars. A recall would certainly make headlines, given Toyota's prominence in the car market, and hurt Toyota's brisk sales the new pickup. "Company spokesman Bill Kwong said Toyota realized in February that there was a problem with the camshafts delivered by a supplier for the 5.7-liter engine, and the automaker ordered the necessary changes to production." (1) Toyota also noted that no injuries have been reported in all cases of engine falure they have seen. We should expect to hear about any recalls in the next month. More Rebates Ahead Toyota still wants to make a dent in the truck market. While U.S. manufacturer still hold 90% of all truck sales, Toyota still hopes to capture a larger share. We even think they may be willing to take a loss in order to build a long term user base. We should see prices fall on the biggest vehicle launch in history. Other Sources (1) Detroit News
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 Higher gasoline prices in may did not harm sales of large SUVs. Ford sales holding steady. Developing...
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March 2007 Sales figures for the automobile industry were released today. As expected, Toyota had its best month ever. Both Ford and Chevrolet declined in sales substantially. However, the unexpected data comes from sales of the Toyota Tundra. Executives expected to move over 200,000 Tundra units in 2007. Today they announced, quarter to date, they have only moved a little more than 30,000 units. If things continue, they will fall short of this goal by 80,000 units – making the Toyota Tundra a huge flop. "People just don't accept the design." Toyota has relied heavily on their reliability to move sales. However, they neglected the find out exactly what kind of design truck buyers want. "They missed the mark. Toyota failed to resonate with Truck buyers." [AutoBlog] reported on March 29th another $1000.00 Toyota Tundra rebate – bringing the total rebates for the new Toyota Tundra to $3,000. Industry experts thought this new 2008 model of the Toyota Tundra would bring an end the combination of rebates with Toyota Trucks. They were wrong – Toyota can produce a flop.Industry experts thought this new 2008 model of the Toyota Tundra would bring an end the combination of rebates with Toyota Trucks. They were wrong – Toyota can produce a flop.
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Car makers must keep up with the technology to keep sales rolling. The best selling Honda civic is a classic example. Lower prices, does not always mean increased sales. Sometimes, people just want the best car for a reasonable, not necessarily, lowest price.
This year Honda Civic sales are down 24% from last year, according to The Detroit News. This is damaging news to Honda executives because "Honda looks to the civic for about a quarter of its U.S. sales volume." The Honda civic has set records for the last nine years, but it looks like the tenth will be a folly.
The have not updated any technological features since 2004. The groups highly prized by the Honda Civic are generally educated, have some concern about the environment and adapt quickly to new technologies.
But all these cars now have front runners—other car makers have beat them to offer the best technological punch. The Ford Fusion, Edge and Nissan Versa outpace the car cell phone tools as a standard feature. Toy
- Ford Fusion or Lexus LS is now the choice of young professionals.
- Toyota Prius and Infiniti M45 now the choice for high tech professionals.
- A new movement in the drive to impress crowd: after market accessories. They take any car and make it over. This is a new phenomenon that has just recently gained huge popularity.
- Performance enthusiasts prefer the Mustang or Lexus IS, GS, or LS.
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The North American division of Mitsubishi announced that the all-new 2008 Lancer delivers ‘drive-to-thrill’ dynamics and is a class-up from its predecessor. More specifically, this includes a style overall and technological enhancements, brining the 2008 Lancer to a ‘cutting-edge’ class. These are major improvements. In addition, early reviews indicate the handling and ride comfort will be the best in its class.
The new lancer incorporates race car technology for the average driver – smooth on rough surfaces and the wind noise on highways are kept minimal.
Price Analysis We have never seen a car with so much to offer (early reviews are coming in and most experts agree this is an awesome car) for so little. I expect prices to at first sell for MSRP because as more and more reviews emerge, a consensus that Mitsubishi has produced a winner will be more pronounced. Here is the specks rundown, including prices: About the Lancer’s Basics · Front wheel drive · 152 horse power · 0-60 in 8 seconds · 24.5 mpg for fuel economy · 2.0 world engine · 152 pounds of torque 2008 Lancer Pricing from Mitsubishi (MSRP) · Lancer DE Five-Speed Manual: $13,990 · Lancer DE CVT: $14,890 · Lancer ES Five-Speed Manual: $15,990 · Lancer ES CVT: $16,890 · Lancer GTS Five-Speed Manual: $17,490 · Lancer GTS CVT: $18,490
* CVT is a replacement to automatic transmission designed to increase fuel economy. Additional Options You Can Add · A/C and Power Package: $1,100 · Sun Roof & Premium Sound Package: $1,500 (Rockford-Fosgate, including subwoofer) · Navigation and Technology Package: $2,000 (GPS and FAST ignition via key) Cool Extras · MP3 Player · 16-inch wheels · Map lamps Links
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Rising crude oil prices – now at $62 a barrel – have pushed the average pump price per gallon to new highs. Our gas price ticker has seen an increase of 15 cents in the past week, pushing up average gasoline prices per gallon in the U.S.A. to $2.45 for regular. Drivers are feeling the pinch.
Average | Price | Current | $2.41 | Yesterday | $2.38 | Month Ago | $2.15 | Year Ago | $2.25 | Highest Ever | $3.05 |
Seasonal Change – End of February Always Has Higher Gas Prices
Gas prices tend to fluctuate wildly this time of year because refineries begin to change production from the winter blends of fuels to the summer blends of fuel. The changeover often produces irregularities in the refining process such as mechanical malfunctions, overtime pay, and plant shutdowns. These unexpected events increase the cost of gasoline.
Demand of Hybrids Increasing
One method of measuring demand is search queries demand for hybrid related vehicles. In the past day we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people searching for 'hybrid cars.' Our hybrid car buzz index has jumped 400% in the past week – signaling higher demand for hybrid cars, and based on the principle of supply and demand, higher hybrid car prices.
We recommend to hold off on your hybrid car purchases until late spring, and before the summer gas price spike. Check car prices now with a new car price quote online.
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 Attention Digg Users: Pontiac wants to capture your attention. And they have spent a considerable amount of money understanding social media in order to utilize the social media realm to their advantage. First, Pontiac and Yahoo have launched a car club online at pontiacunderground.com – mimicking the popular digg style vote buttons, and taking advantage of Yahoo's social media assets (such as Yahoo Answers, Flickr photos, and Yahoo Groups) they plan to ride the social media trend.
The entire site is all consumers submitted or generated content – because people rely on other people to make car buying decisions. But is it a true community or a big advertisement? Front and center is the 'pontiac informer' which broadcasts news and links relating to Pontiac cars to the entire community, as voted on by users. While many of the site's visitors are fans, there is no negative content or places to voice concerns. Therefore, while this site mimics the digg community in look and feel, it is not a true community forum. Simply another marketing scheme developed to ride to popularity of digg. Overall verdict: A big advertisement for Pontiac and not a true community. 
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Lowest Auto Loan Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for JanuaryTrucks win again: This could be the best time to buy a full size truck. Almost all full size trucks have huge APR and Cash Back incentives for January. Zero Percent Financing is Currently Available on One Car Only, the Mercury Mariner. However, there are many cars from Mitsubishi, Nissan and Ford that are under two percent. Many of these offers are mixed in with excellent cash back incentives. Please use the auto finance calculators to find out your total savings. Best deals: Ford Freestar, Ford F-Series Super Duty, Nissan Titan, Ford Explorer, and Chevy Silverado. I have said before, this is the best time to buy a full size or mid size truck. Data is coming in for February, but you cannot loose if you price and buy | VEHICLE | APR | CASH BACK | EXPIRES | | 2007 Mercury Mariner excluding Hybrid | 0.00% | $2,500 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Ford Focus | 0.90% | $2,500 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Ford Crown Victoria | 1.90% | $2,000 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Ford Freestar | 1.90% | $5,000 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Ford F-Series Super Duty | 1.90% | $3,000 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Lincoln Town Car | 1.90% | $6,000 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis | 1.90% | $5,500 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Mercury Monterey | 1.90% | $5,000 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe GS/SE | 1.90% | $1,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe GT | 1.90% | $2,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Mitsubishi Endeavor LS | 1.90% | $4,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Mitsubishi Endeavor SE | 1.90% | $3,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Mitsubishi Galant ES | 1.90% | $2,500 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Nissan Titan Crew Cab | 1.90% | $2,500 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Nissan Titan King Cab | 1.90% | $3,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Suzuki XL7 | 1.90% | $1,000 | 2/28/2007 | | 2007 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Mega Cab | 2.90% | $3,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Reg Cab & Quad Cab | 2.90% | $5,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Ford E-Series Wagon/Van | 2.90% | $1,000 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Ford Explorer | 2.90% | $1,500 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac | 2.90% | $1,500 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Ford F-Series F-150 | 2.90% | $3,000 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Ford Ranger | 2.90% | $2,000 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Kia Rondo | 2.90% | $0 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Kia Sorento | 2.90% | $2,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Kia Sportage | 2.90% | $1,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Lincoln Mark LT | 2.90% | $3,500 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Mercury Mountaineer | 2.90% | $1,500 | 4/2/2007 | | 2007 Nissan Armada | 2.90% | $3,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Nissan Frontier 4-cylinder | 2.90% | $1,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Nissan Frontier V6 | 2.90% | $1,500 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Nissan Maxima | 2.90% | $1,500 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Nissan Murano | 2.90% | $0 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Nissan Quest | 2.90% | $2,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Acura RDX | 3.90% | $0 | 2/5/2007 | | 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic 1500 Crew Cab | 3.90% | $1,750 | 2/28/2007 | | 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic 1500 Extended Cab | 3.90% | $3,000 | 2/28/2007 | | 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic 1500 Regular Cab | 3.90% | $2,000 | 2/28/2007 | | 2007 Chrysler Town & Country LWB | 3.90% | $4,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Chrysler Town & Country SWB | 3.90% | $3,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Dodge Caravan SWB | 3.90% | $3,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Honda Element | 3.90% | $0 | 2/5/2007 | | 2007 Honda Odyssey | 3.90% | $0 | 2/5/2007 | | 2007 Honda Pilot | 3.90% | $0 | 2/5/2007 | | 2007 Honda Ridgeline | 3.90% | $0 | 2/5/2007 | | 2007 Hyundai Entourage | 3.90% | $500 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Jeep Commander | 3.90% | $2,500 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Jeep Liberty | 3.90% | $3,000 | 1/31/2007 | | 2007 Lincoln MKX | 3.90% | $0 | 4/2/2007 |
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GM announcement Signals lower prices for GM vehicles this year in a price war sure to help consumers.Toyota may have spoken too soon by predicting they will take the No. 1 spot from GM in terms of cars sold per year. The current CEO of General Motors, Rick Wagoner, stated the title will not go down without a huge fight: "I like being No. 1, and I think our people take pride in it." He continued to a small group of reporters at GM's main headquarters. "It's not something we're going to sit back and let somebody else pass us by.
 Current Situation:
GM sold 9.2 million vehicles in 2006. Toyota announced the plan to produce 9.6 million vehicles in 2008. If current trends for GM sales hold, and Toyota sells every single vehicle they plan to produce, the title for GM will fall.
Toyota's Big Gamble:
Toyota is placing a lot of eggs in the Toyota Tundra basket. We have seen time and again highly rated cars in sales flops because they do not resonate with the average car buyer. However the new 2008 Tundra is very impressive and sleek. However, the design may be a little too effeminate for the average truck buyer - it lacks testosterone in the design with the curvy edges and flamboyant doors. I think it will be a Honda Ridgeline II - highly rated but a flop in sales.  GM Strategy:
Build more cars. The GM CEO stated that they have the ability to increase production beyond Toyota. In that case, with supply possibly outpacing demand, prices will fall for GM vehicles in 2008. It is also not clear yet what vehicles will be produced in droves. It is also not clear on how this will mesh with GM's highly publicized strategy to build quality products so they rely less on selling cars and trucks with huge incentives. Basically GM is going for the long term win. They want the word of mouth reputation of building top quality cars - even if they change a little more. But they also want to hold on to the claim of being the world's No. 1 automaker. My prediction: They will build quality cars, but in order to combat Toyota they will use incentives and rebates and lower prices to keep the volume up even if they are not hugely profitable in 2008. The GM line looks like a good deal for 2008 - I'll keep you posted. Let me know your thoughts -- please post your comments below! RockSolidWes
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1) Do Not Make an Emotional Car Purchase
Do your homework. Think logically. Make a pros/cons sheet for each and every car. Chances are, if you fall in love with a car, you will be willing to pay any price for that car. Unfortunately, an emotional decision like this may not get you the car you really need or can afford. You should first write down all the things you want out of a car. Then compare multiple cars side by side to see which ones best fit your needs and wants. 2) Focus on the Full Price, Not Monthly Payments
Your montly payment can be adjusted to fit your needs regardless of the price by adjusting the loan from 32 months to 72 months or more. Therefore, focus your efforts in negotiation on the ‘out-the-door' price of the car. Every car salesman will know the term ‘out-the-door' price, which means the final cost of the vehicle. Use that term always. 3) Do Not Accept MSRP
Unfortunately many people accept the MSRP as the price of a vehicle-because they do not realize you can negotiate a car price. Your best research friend is the True Internet Price (T.I.P.) which tells you the average car transaction in your market area. 4) Take a Test Drive
But remember not to make it an emotional experience-in other words do not get caught up in the moment of a brand new car. 5) Don't Focus on the Deal
A lot of car dealerships and manufacturers offer attractive deals for cars that are not selling. However the deal should never be your starting point. The deal or rebate should come in to play when you have narrowed down your potential cars to at least 4 or 5. At this point the extra savings are very meaningful to what you need. 6) Do Not Rely Solely on the Manufacturer for Information
You have to take the responsibility to do your own car research before you enter the dealership. Especially with safety and reliability-make sure you get a third party opinion of the car-and you do not solely use Toyota.com or the official website of the car you want. Use car research guides to help you get an objective opinion. 7) Keep a Paper Trail of Your Trade-In
Do research on how much your trade in is worth at kbb.com and when you bring your current car to the dealership write down the math so you can see it on paper. In rare instances (but it happens common enough to give fair warning) some salesmen will try and cheat you out of your trade in with tricky math figures. 8) Not Necessary to Load on Options
In many cases, extended warranties do not provide more converge than the standard warranty. And even if the extended warranty will place a warranty on your car for more years, you can always buy extended warranties later. 9) Know Your Credit Score
And know what kind of rates you can expect before you enter the dealership! 10) Stay Updated on Industry News
The RockSolid Car Price blog offers car industry news-and more importantly-how it affects the consumer's wallet. Bookmark this blog now.
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