Autos

bailout

GM's Prez Begs Customers To Plead On GM's Behalf

Consumerist reader Darkrose writes, "I just got this in my e-mail. Thought you guys might be interested in it." In the email, GM's president Troy Clarke is in high PR mode, pointing out the grave consequences and emphasizing that GM wants not "a bailout but rather a loan that will be repaid." We thought other readers who aren't GM customers would find it interesting.

Tonight, the president of Ford Motors will be on Campbell Brown's "No Bias, No Bull" program on CNN at 8pm ET/5pm PT, presumably to hit similar talking points. Dance, auto monkey! Dance for the TV audience! More »

1:57 PM on Tue Nov 18 2008
By Chris Walters
7,936 views, 238 comments

Most discussed bostonhockey: Can someone explain this to me: so, we're to bailout a company - or rather, three companies - that failed more »

predatory lending

Car Title Loans Are Liable To Leave You Taking The Bus

You surely already know better, because you're a loyal Consumerist reader, but stay far, far away from the form of legalized usury known as car title loans! CNN has published an overview of the industry, noting that APRs frequently exceed 200%, and that added fees and loan "rollover" options help keep borrowers in a cycle of debt. More »

10:35 AM on Wed Oct 8 2008
By Chris Walters
5,298 views, 30 comments

Most discussed Saeculorum: If there was no need for loans like these, they would not exist. It is not possible to create a more »

follow ups

Chairman Of Advantage Rent-A-Car Investigates 49-Day Repair Claim, Waives It

Earlier this summer, we wrote about how Paul was being gouged by Advantage Rent-A-Car on repairs that had to be made after his rental was damaged in a hit and run. Paul was willing to pay the repairs on the vehicle, but Advantage wanted almost double the amount. After we posted his story, Paul was able to get in touch with a higher-up at Advantage who passed him along directly to the Chairman. Here's what happened. More »

7:57 PM on Thu Sep 11 2008
By Chris Walters
10,302 views, 23 comments

Most discussed Deeter2: Similar thing happened to me with Bugdet in Campbell River, British Columbia: hit a deer in a remote area which more »

auto industry

Washington Considering $25 Billion Loan Handout For U.S. Auto Makers

What do you do when your industry starts to go belly up and you can't make enough revenue to stay afloat? If you're a short-sighted U.S. auto maker, you beg the government for $25-50 billion in immediate, low-interest loans in order to retool your plants, so you can start producing the hybrid cars you should have been planning years ago. More »

2:46 PM on Tue Sep 9 2008
By Chris Walters
4,126 views, 107 comments

Most discussed everfade: This if pretty f*kn ridiculous! If you make bad business choices then you pay the price for it. I'm so more »

cars

10 Cheapest Cars To Drive

Hybrids are all the rage right now but fuel costs aren't the only thing you should be thinking about. After taking into account repairs, maintenance, and financing, these 10 cars offer great deals. More »

9:47 PM on Mon Aug 25 2008
By Ben Popken
18,218 views, 107 comments

general motors

Maybe GM Can't Sell Cars Because Its Dealerships Won't Sell Them

Consumerist reader Chris decided to take advantage of GM's please-buy-a-car Employee Discount sale that we wrote about yesterday, so he headed off to two different dealerships in the NY/NJ area. What he found were deserted showrooms with salesmen who ignored him or argued with him over the existence of specific models he'd looked at online. He adds, "tonight I’m off to Toyota for some hard numbers on a Corolla and Camry." More »

4:26 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Chris Walters
17,580 views, 103 comments

Latest by donovanr: Exactly what service or value do dealerships provide? It seems that most only provide a car + misery pain and more »

gm

GM's 'Employee Pricing' Sales Mean Big Discounts On Cars Right Now

GM is desperate to boost its sales this month, so the company is offering some steep discounts under its "Employee Pricing" sale. The car blog KickingTires is covering the discounts and points out that "almost all of the prices are around 10% off, which is big in terms of car sales." For example, you can save $9,000 on a Hummer H3. Of course, you'll spend that much on gas for it in the first week, but there are other options as well, like Saturns, Chevys, and even the 2008 Corvette Z06 (which we mention separately because KickingTires says powerful sports cars are usually exempt from this sort of sale, but not this time). More »

7:16 PM on Wed Aug 20 2008
By Chris Walters
7,420 views, 37 comments

Latest by chrispr0: FWIW: Went to a local Chevy dealer & worked on a deal for an HHR. Sticker was $19,180. Employee pricing was more »

fuel economy

When Does It Make Financial Sense To Downsize Your Car?

Over at Consumer Reports they've been running the numbers, trying to figure out when it makes financial sense to downsize into a more fuel efficient car. More »

6:59 PM on Tue Jun 17 2008
By Meg Marco
9,669 views, 77 comments

mini cooper

This BMW Dealership Doesn't Handle Criticism Well

David had a pretty bad experience when he purchased his Mini Cooper from Brecht MINI/BMW in Escondidio, California last year: "Salesman Luis blatantly lied to me about the car's future routine service requirements," their employees wouldn't help him schedule that service, and "they were completely unresponsive when I mentioned these problems to Brian, the service department representative." When a MINI USA customer service rep called him for a follow-up review last week, he was honest about the level of service he received. That didn't sit well with Brian over at Brecht, who left David a terse, oddly worded voicemail a few days later. More »

11:29 AM on Sat Jun 14 2008
By Chris Walters
17,068 views, 63 comments

Latest by jrubow: @jrubow: I apologize, I thought you were commenting on my comment. more »

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