Looks like the death of Osama Bin Laden this Sunday took some “fear factor” out of markets, which greeted the news favorably. Pressure at the pump could be relieved a bit with oil falling 0.7% to $113.23. Gains were seen across several markets, with the Dow Jones up .5%, the S&P up 5 points and the Nasdaq moving forward 7 points. However the surge could evaporate easily, even by end of day, as the euphoria wears off. And if Bin Laden’s death leads to retaliatory attacks, you can be sure those gains will be erased, and then some. [More]
Save On Mid-Grade Gas By Mixing Regular And Premium
By April 28, 2011
If you put mid-grade gas in your car, it’s actually cheaper to pump in a mixture of premium and regular to get the same octane level. But how much of each do you use to get the right blend? As will some day be with all things in life, there’s an app for that. [More]
Find Your Car's Most Fuel Economic Speed
By April 25, 2011
As a former long-haul trucker, Jason knows a fair amount about saving money vs saving time when it comes to deciding how heavy to put your foot on the pedal. And it all come down to this: ” “Speed destroys your fuel economy,” he writes. “I routinely drove 3,000 plus miles per *week. The faster you go, the more gas you burn.” Here’s some quick math to back up his claim [More]
Toyota Announces Lower Production Until November
By April 22, 2011
Toyota says it will take until the end of the year before post-quake production levels return to normal. [More]
Don't Fall For These Gas Saving Myths
By April 16, 2011
The economic hardship brought on by gas price increases is a spawning ground for silly, ineffective conventional wisdom on how to cut down on fuel use. It’s important to distinguish between genuine gas-saving maneuvers and moronic wastes of time and effort. [More]
Want Cheap Gas? Try Costco
By April 11, 2011
For a good price on gas, try your favorite purveyor of bulk-sized butter barrels. WSJ reports that Costco tries to sell gas at or below the lowest price in the neighborhood. [More]
3,900 School Buses Recalled For Fire Risk
By April 11, 2011
The wheels on the bus go round and round. The starter cables on the bus rub against the power steering hose, rub rub rub. 3,900 Bluebird school buses have been recalled for a defect that could result in a fire. The affect buses are model year 2004 through 2006, made from June 26, 2003, through December 9, 2004. Recall notices will start to go out to owners May 11, but if they don’t feel like waiting they can call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236. [More]
Reasons New Cars May Be Better Buys Than Used
By April 9, 2011
Because new cars lose a sizable chunk of their resale value once you drive them off the lot, conventional wisdom says it’s wiser to buy used. [More]
Toyota, Microsoft Team For Cloud Automotive Project
By April 7, 2011
In a wacky team-up worthy of a comic book crossover or a buddy cop film, Microsoft and Toyota are joining forces in a $12 million initiative that will grant Toyotas the ability to stream music and connect online to information services, along with other superpowers. [More]
Ex-Hertz Employee Shares 3 Tips On Saving On Your Next Rental
By March 31, 2011
A former slinger of keys for rental car company Hertz has stepped forward from the shadows to share his three tips for saving on your next car. [More]
Wells Fargo Is Worst Friend Ever, Borrows $377.09 For Two Weeks Without Asking
By March 31, 2011
Tom is angry at Wells Fargo, because they’re borrowing $377.09 from him without his permission. When Wells Fargo purchased Wachovia a few years ago, Tom’s car loan came along with it. Every month, the bank would draft a payment of $384.43 from Tom’s account. His last payment was due in March, and it was only $6.34, but Wells Fargo just went ahead and took the entire $384.43 out of habit. [More]
Detroit Loses 25% Of Population In A Decade
By March 25, 2011
The rallying cry of “Detroit, What?” may have to be changed to “Detroit, Who?” following US Census results that show the Motor City has lost 25% of its population from 2000 to 2010. [More]
Guy Who Tweeted Chrysler F-Bomb Blames Tweetdeck
By March 17, 2011
The social media marketer whose f-bomb tweet on Chrysler’s official Twitter account cost him his job and his firm the car maker’s account blames his screwup on Tweetdeck, reports WXYZ. [More]
Chrysler Fires Social Media Firm After Tweeting F-Bomb
By March 10, 2011
Chrysler “will not renew” the contract of the social media firm whose employee sent out a cranky tweet ragging on Detroit drivers and using the f-word, AdAge reports. Why didn’t they just make fun of it? Perhaps give out a coupon code for discounts on driving lessons for Detroit motorists? Because that would denigrate the serious hard work Detroit residents and the car industry in general have been putting into rebuilding, said Chrysler’s Manager of Electronic Communications, Ed Garsten, on their blog: [More]
Chrysler Tweets No One In Detroit "Knows How To F****** Drive"
By March 10, 2011
Chrysler is in damage-control mode after its official Twitter account chirped, “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to f****** drive.” Yeeks, that’s gonna backfire. Screenshot of NSFW language inside. [More]
The $2,300 Tank Of Gas
By March 10, 2011
A man’s eyes popped out his head and went “Awoooga!” when they saw his receipt for pumping 13 gallons of gas: $2297.84! Since he paid with his debit card, that meant real money was immediately drained from his bank account, causing a $1,300 overdraft. At first the gas station manager just shrugged his shoulders and blamed the bank, but he changed his tune after news reporters walked in asking questions about the receipts. [More]
Why Compact Cars Give You The Most Value For The Money
By March 9, 2011
To frugal drivers, value and efficiency are sexier than horsepower and design. With fuel economy, cost of ownership and resale value in mind, Forbes evaluated cars on the market and chose the most value-packed models. Most are compacts, with the Mazda2, Nissan Versa and Chevrolet Cruze taking three of the first four spots on the list. [More]
