http://www.mail.com/subjects/12036-automobiles.html Mail.com - the best personalized free web-based Email en en http://sec-s.uicdn.com/mail.com/2.28/img/mailcom_logo_rss.png http://www.mail.com/subjects/12036-automobiles.html http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2090242-2-13-small-suvs-well-crash-tests.html DETROIT (AP) — Only two of 13 small SUVs performed well in front-end crash tests done by an insurance industry group, with several popular models faring poorly in the evaluations. Subaru's 2014 Forester was the only vehicle to get the top "good" rating in the results released Thursday. The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport was rated as "acceptable." But fas... Thu, 16 May 2013 20:25:05 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2090242-2-13-small-suvs-well-crash-tests.html 2013-05-16T20:25:05Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/2079150-ap-impact-cars-brazil-deadly.html SAO PAULO (AP) — The cars roll endlessly off the local assembly lines of the industry's biggest automakers, more than 10,000 a day, into the eager hands of Brazil's new middle class. The shiny new Fords, Fiats, and Chevrolets tell the tale of an economy in full bloom that now boasts the fourth largest auto market in the world. What happens once those vehi... Mon, 13 May 2013 02:20:25 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/2079150-ap-impact-cars-brazil-deadly.html 2013-05-13T02:20:25Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/2067956-chinas-struggling-automakers-jump-suv-boom.html SHANGHAI (AP) — BYD is known for electric cars but this year's flagship model is the S7, a gasoline-powered SUV. It comes with an interior air purifier, radar to help with backing and digital TV. An onboard hard drive can hold 1,000 films. This is China's Year of the SUV. Whatever their specialties used to be, automakers ranging from global brands to Chin... Wed, 08 May 2013 00:39:30 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/2067956-chinas-struggling-automakers-jump-suv-boom.html 2013-05-08T00:39:30Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2069366-us-consumers-cut-credit-card-use-march.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans cut back on using their credit cards in March, suggesting many were reluctant to take on high-interest debt to make purchases. Consumer borrowing rose just $8 billion in March from February to a seasonally adjusted $2.81 trillion, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday. It was the smallest increase in eight months. The gain was drive... Tue, 07 May 2013 20:21:48 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2069366-us-consumers-cut-credit-card-use-march.html 2013-05-07T20:21:48Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2053550-feds-probe-dodge-viper-suspension-problem.html DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that a rear suspension part can fail on the iconic Dodge Viper muscle car. The investigation disclosed Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers about 2,500 Vipers from the 2005 and 2006 model years. The safety agency says a rear suspension connector could b... Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:36:28 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2053550-feds-probe-dodge-viper-suspension-problem.html 2013-04-30T14:36:28Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2040898-obama-administration-missed-clues-fisker.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The Energy Department did not realize for four months that troubled automaker Fisker Automotive Inc. had missed a crucial production target that was required as part of a half-billion dollar government loan, documents released Wednesday show. The mistake allowed Fisker to obtain an additional $32 million in government funding before the loan was suspended i... Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:33:36 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2040898-obama-administration-missed-clues-fisker.html 2013-04-25T02:33:36Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/2037948-energy-dept-seizes-21m-electric-car-maker.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has seized $21 million from troubled automaker Fisker Automotive Inc. just weeks after the company laid off three-fourths of its workers amid continuing financial and production problems. Fisker had received $192 million in federal loans before a series of problems led U.S. officials to freeze the loan in 2011. I... Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:20:13 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/2037948-energy-dept-seizes-21m-electric-car-maker.html 2013-04-23T01:20:13Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/2034328-shanghai-show-japan-automakers-woo-lost-sales.html SHANGHAI (AP) — Japanese automakers promised special Chinese designs and green technology in addition to the usual flashy fanfare at this year's Shanghai Auto Show, trying to woo back sales that crumpled during a territorial dispute over East China Sea islands late last year. China is the world's biggest auto market by number of vehicles sold and crucial ... Sun, 21 Apr 2013 05:21:33 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/2034328-shanghai-show-japan-automakers-woo-lost-sales.html 2013-04-21T05:21:33Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2032838-automakers-target-chinese-buyers-shanghai.html SHANGHAI (AP) — Global and Chinese automakers showcased family-friendly sedans and SUVs targeting coveted urban buyers at China's biggest auto show Saturday as competition intensifies in this huge but crowded market. China's vehicle sales rose 13 percent in March, blistering growth by Western standards but down from 45 percent in 2009. With sales weak els... Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:49:32 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2032838-automakers-target-chinese-buyers-shanghai.html 2013-04-20T13:49:32Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2027710-chinese-automakers-struggle-global-rivals.html SHANGHAI (AP) — These should be good times for Chinese automakers as they prepare to show off their latest models at the Shanghai auto show. Their home market is the world's biggest and growing. But independent automakers such as Chery and Geely are being squeezed by bigger, richer global rivals including General Motors and Nissan that have moved into tur... Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:15:24 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2027710-chinese-automakers-struggle-global-rivals.html 2013-04-18T10:15:24Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/2027256-gm-diesel-chevrolet-cruze-46-mpg.html DETROIT (AP) — General Motors Co. says the new diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze gets 46 miles per gallon on the highway, making it more efficient than some hybrids. GM announced the U.S. EPA's fuel economy numbers for the diesel Cruze Wednesday. At 46 mpg, the diesel Cruze matches the highway fuel economy of the Toyota Prius C subcompact. But the reg... Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:14:46 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/2027256-gm-diesel-chevrolet-cruze-46-mpg.html 2013-04-18T04:14:46Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1990782-gm-v-8-pickup-trucks-to-23-mpg-highway.html DETROIT (AP) — Chevrolet is upping the ante in the tug-of-war with Ford over America's favorite vehicles: pickup trucks. General Motors said Monday that its new Chevy Silverado will get 23 miles per gallon on the highway with a 5.3-liter V-8 engine. That's a little better than similarly-equipped competitors from Ford, Chrysler and Toyota. The new trucks a... Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:50:34 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1990782-gm-v-8-pickup-trucks-to-23-mpg-highway.html 2013-04-01T19:50:34Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1981514-hot-wheels-bmw-unveils-diesel-3-series-sedan.html NEW YORK (AP) — BMW is giving fans of its 3-Series more room and better gas mileage in two important variations of the small luxury sports sedan that it's rolling out at the New York International Auto Show this week. On Wednesday, the German automaker will formally unveil a new 3 Series Gran Turismo, which has a bigger distance between the front and rear... Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:13:53 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1981514-hot-wheels-bmw-unveils-diesel-3-series-sedan.html 2013-03-27T10:13:53Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1979390-gm-phase-hoped-buick-revival.html NEW YORK (AP) — Stop me if you've heard this one before: There's this famous car brand whose average driver is more familiar with Social Security than social media. General Motors Co. will make another attempt to get Buick to appeal to younger buyers with freshened up versions of the Regal midsize sports sedan and the LaCrosse large luxury car. GM unveils... Tue, 26 Mar 2013 07:17:28 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1979390-gm-phase-hoped-buick-revival.html 2013-03-26T07:17:28Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1940624-job-gains-cut-unemployment-to-77-pct-4-year-low.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The American job market isn't just growing. It's accelerating. Employers added 236,000 jobs in February and drove down the unemployment rate to 7.7 percent, its lowest level in more than four years. The gains signal that companies are confident enough in the economy to intensify hiring even in the face of tax increases and government spe... Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:44:50 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1940624-job-gains-cut-unemployment-to-77-pct-4-year-low.html 2013-03-08T22:44:50Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1933390-kia-concept-car-provo-reminds-ira-terror.html DUBLIN (AP) — Kia's new concept car, the Provo, is designed to provoke comment. But to many across Britain and Ireland, the name sounds like a celebration of terrorism. British lawmakers appealed Tuesday in the House of Commons for the South Korean car maker to junk the name of its planned mini sports coupe because "Provo" is the street name for the domin... Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:53:35 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1933390-kia-concept-car-provo-reminds-ira-terror.html 2013-03-05T21:53:35Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1933392-carmakers-european-recovery-this-year.html GENEVA (AP) — It is still a tough time to be a European carmaker. Profits are falling as idle factories produce more costs than cars. And fewer consumers are buying new cars. Yet despite the gloom, automakers began the rollout of new models at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday, from a pair of hybrid supercars to a sedan to a raft of smaller SUVs. All done ... Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:10:08 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1933392-carmakers-european-recovery-this-year.html 2013-03-05T20:10:08Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1930122-volkswagens-golf-named-europes-car-year.html GENEVA (AP) — The Volkswagen Golf has been named Europe's Car of the Year by automotive journalists from more than 20 countries. Introduced in 1974 and recently redesigned, the hatchback is the company's mass-market flagship — and a key element in its ambition to overtake Toyota as the world's biggest carmaker. The car left the competition in the dust Mon... Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:04:14 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1930122-volkswagens-golf-named-europes-car-year.html 2013-03-04T15:04:14Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1918232-wireless-connections-creep-everyday-things.html BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A car that tells your insurance company how you're driving. A bathroom scale that lets you chart your weight on the Web. And a meter that warns your air conditioner when electricity gets more expensive. Welcome to the next phase of the wireless revolution. The first wave of wireless was all about getting people to talk to each othe... Thu, 28 Feb 2013 01:20:37 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1918232-wireless-connections-creep-everyday-things.html 2013-02-28T01:20:37Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1915572-transunion-late-auto-loan-payments-rose-4q.html LOS ANGELES (AP) — More Americans fell behind on their auto loan payments in the last three months of 2012, a time of the year when some borrowers' financial obligations temporarily take a backseat to spending on holiday shopping. Beyond the seasonal increase, the late-payment rate on auto loans declined on an annual basis and remained near the lowest poi... Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:19:35 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1915572-transunion-late-auto-loan-payments-rose-4q.html 2013-02-26T05:19:35Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1908104-ford-launching-tourneo-minivan-geneva.html BERLIN (AP) — Ford Motor Company says it will launch its new Tourneo Courier minivan at this year's Geneva Motor Show. The company said Friday in a statement that the vehicle's global debut would be March 5 at the show in Switzerland. It's also planning on displaying the all-new EcoSport compact SUV, being built for European markets. T... Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:21:51 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1908104-ford-launching-tourneo-minivan-geneva.html 2013-02-22T14:21:51Z http://www.mail.com/business/finance/1896608-economic-policies-roil-venezuela-car-market.html CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela may be the only country in the world where a new car becomes more expensive the instant it's driven off the dealership lot. Buying a used 2012 Ford Explorer SUV means coughing up 1.2 million bolivars, the equivalent of about $60,000 at the street exchange rate and double the cost of a new car, according to the country's... Sat, 16 Feb 2013 17:51:33 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/finance/1896608-economic-policies-roil-venezuela-car-market.html 2013-02-16T17:51:33Z http://www.mail.com/sports/other/1890272-start-em-up-nascar-season-arrives-with-buzz.html CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — There's a buzz about NASCAR and the season-opening Daytona 500 that has nothing to do with an exploding jet dryer or a well-timed tweet from a driver. The new Gen-6 race car makes its long-awaited debut at Daytona International Speedway, and the success of the 2013 season could depend heavily on its performance. Already, things look... Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:12:07 GMT http://www.mail.com/sports/other/1890272-start-em-up-nascar-season-arrives-with-buzz.html 2013-02-13T22:12:07Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1889078-lexus-porsche-top-vehicle-dependability-rankings.html DETROIT (AP) — If there's one thing you can count on, it's your car. Vehicles are more dependable than ever, says J.D. Power and Associates. The consulting company's latest study, which measures problems experienced in the last year by owners of 3-year-old vehicles, found that reported problems fell 5 percent to the lowest level since J.D. Power began col... Wed, 13 Feb 2013 19:00:40 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1889078-lexus-porsche-top-vehicle-dependability-rankings.html 2013-02-13T19:00:40Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/celebrity/1877460-giant-bill-fixing-rowan-atkinsons-mclaren.html LONDON (AP) — Everyone who's had a fender bender knows the cost of repairs is going up. But few cars can be as costly to fix as "Mr. Bean" actor Rowan Atkinson's rare McLaren F1. It took more than a year — and more than 900,000 pounds ($1.4 million) — to get his supercar up and running after a 2011 crash that left Atkinson with a badly damaged shoulder. T... Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:31:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/celebrity/1877460-giant-bill-fixing-rowan-atkinsons-mclaren.html 2013-02-08T14:31:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1875100-humbled-toyota-rolls-tundra-pickup.html DETROIT (AP) — Back in 2007, Toyota trumpeted its bulked-up Tundra as a game-changer that would cut into Detroit's dominance of the U.S. pickup truck market. "The truck that's changing it all," was the tagline from an ad that featured the beefy Tundra pulling a 10,000-pound trailer up a steep ramp. But after six years on the market, the Tundra hasn't chan... Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:45:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1875100-humbled-toyota-rolls-tundra-pickup.html 2013-02-07T18:45:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1858588-chinas-love-affair-with-cars-chokes-air-cities.html BEIJING (AP) — Endless lines of slow-moving cars emerge like apparitions and then disappear again into the gloom of the thick smog that has shrouded Beijing this week and reduced its skyline to blurry gray shapes. With more than 13 million cars sold in China last year, motor vehicles have emerged as the chief culprit for the throat-choking air pollution i... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:44:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1858588-chinas-love-affair-with-cars-chokes-air-cities.html 2013-01-31T09:44:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1828144-venezuela-military-to-play-central-power-broker.html CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — In a country riven by political strife, Venezuela's military often has served as the arbiter of power. It has launched coups and frustrated them and dispatched soldiers to guarantee stability, distributing food, fighting crime and securing oil fields. Now with President Hugo Chavez battling for his life, the stance of the 134,000... Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:18:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1828144-venezuela-military-to-play-central-power-broker.html 2013-01-18T00:18:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1825704-us-auto-industry-exuberant-heading-2013.html DETROIT (AP) — Maybe it was the brand new, bright red Chevrolet Corvette gleaming in one corner, or the elegant BMW coupe in the other. Maybe it was just the free-flowing espresso at nearly every stand. But car companies were positively giddy this week as the North American International Auto Show opened in Detroit. They have reason to be. U.S. new car an... Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:35:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1825704-us-auto-industry-exuberant-heading-2013.html 2013-01-17T00:35:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1823338-lentz-toyota-winning-buyers-with-models.html DETROIT (AP) — Toyota is on a roll after two difficult years, when it was hit by a string of safety recalls and then by the earthquake in Japan. The Japanese automaker's U.S. sales rose 27 percent last year, thanks in part to strong sales of its recently expanded Prius lineup and its Camry sedan. Now, Toyota's U.S. chief Jim Lentz is turning his attention... Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:48:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1823338-lentz-toyota-winning-buyers-with-models.html 2013-01-15T22:48:00Z