Used-Car Prices Fall to Lowest Level This Year

After rising slightly in April, late-model used-car prices dipped again in May. The average price for 2010 to 2012 used cars on Cars.com stood at $22,508 on May 1, a $159 decrease from April 1 and the lowest average price so far this year.

Of the 10 models with the biggest price drops in May, half of them were from luxury brands. Leading the list with the biggest price decline was the Lexus ES 350 sedan. After experiencing a run-up last month, its average asking price fell $2,682 to $30,735, an 8% decline. Lexus alone had three of the top 10 models, with the LS 460 full-size sedan and HS 250h hybrid both experiencing 3% price drops.

The top used-car price gains in May were more closely grouped than in prior months, ranging from 2% to 4%. Most of the top 10 advanced 2%, but two pickup trucks — the full-size Ram 2500 and compact GMC Canyon — saw 4% and 3% increases, respectively.

The chart below details the top 10 used cars from the 2010 to 2012 model years with the biggest price drops — as well as the 10 with the biggest increases. To be eligible for the list, a model had to have 500 cars in Cars.com's national inventory.

2013 Hyundai Elantra GT: Family Checklist

After my weeklong test drive of Hyundai's brand-new 2013 Elantra GT hatchback, my school-age kids were complaining about the backseat legroom and wishing I had a "different kind of job."

Whenever my family of four was in the compact Elantra GT for long stretches of time or lots of errand running, it felt smaller and smaller as time passed. While I liked the passenger room, my 8- and 10-year-old kids weren't sold on it. I had to keep moving the front passenger seat forward whenever my husband wasn't in it to make sure my son had enough legroom in the rear seat.

Plug-in Cars: Where Can You Buy Them?

Thursday’s pricing announcement for the Chevrolet Spark EV likely piqued some interest on the West Coast, but chances are few others gave it much attention. GM will sell the all-electric hatchback only in California and Oregon; the automaker has announced no plans to sell it elsewhere, spokesman Kevin Kelly told us.

Where can EV fans find their cars? We tallied up the states.

No surprise: Californians get the biggest slice of the EV pie. Thank the state's zero-emissions vehicle mandate, which requires automakers to sell a certain percentage of zero-emissions vehicles, explained Ed Kim, AutoPacific's vice president of industry analysis. Nearby Washington state has adopted California's emissions requirements but not the ZEV quota, and states such as Oregon and a number along the East Coast have adopted both.

The emissions requirement should eventually align with the federal government's 2025 corporate average fuel economy requirements. But it still means "a plug-in car sold in Oregon counts towards California’s required ZEV volume for the automaker that makes that vehicle," Kim wrote in an email. "It’s not a natural consumer market for such vehicles, but rather a market legislated into existence."

2013 Volvo S60 Video

Assuming your needs are conventional, the all-wheel-drive 2013 Volvo S60 provides a quick, easy-riding and dutiful driving experience. Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder says both the five- and six-cylinder turbocharged engines provide ample power to get the luxury sedan up to speed in a flash. Interior comfort, especially the seats, is as excellent as one expects from Volvo. Fuel economy is subpar, however, and if you seek track performance, look elsewhere. Watch the video above for more info.

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Law Enforcement Ramps Up Click It or Ticket Campaign

Buckle up. Not only could it save your life, but in most states, it's the law. According to the Department of Transportation, safety and legal ramifications are hitting motorists and more are using seat belts — though still not all the time.

The agency also reports that statistics show drivers and passengers are buckling up more during the day than at night. As law enforcement departments begin their annual Click It or Ticket program ahead of Memorial Day weekend, the department is urging police to crack down this year during overnight hours, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, campaigns that put a spotlight on buckling up are helping people realize the seat belt's importance; in fact, the trend has been increasing since 1994, data shows. Roughly one in five Americans, however, still fail to regularly wear one.

2013 Audi S6: Car Seat Check

A performance variant of the Audi A6, the 2013 S6 adds sportiness and power to the German automaker's midsize sedan. Though the S6 technically has seating capacity for five passengers, a large floor hump in the backseat makes the middle seating position nearly unusable.

Recall Alert: 2013 Cadillac SRX

GM is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac SRX crossovers for loose wheel nuts that may cause creaking, steering vibration and, eventually, wheel-nut detachment and a possible crash. The recall involves SRXs with 18-inch wheels that haven't been rotated as part of regular service — a total of 18,871 cars.

Cadillac is one of GM's four U.S. divisions. There are "no reports of wheel failures in real-world driving," spokesman David Caldwell told us. Customers will receive notices to bring their cars into dealerships, where tires will be rotated and the nuts tightened to proper spec. "Testing has shown this eliminates the condition," GM told The Los Angeles Times.

GM will mail letters in early June, the automaker told us. All work will be covered under warranty, but owners with questions can call Cadillac's recall hotline at 800-333-4223 for more info.

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2014 Chevrolet Spark EV Starts Under $20K After Federal Tax Credit

Attention, California and Oregon residents: The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV, whose 21-kilowatt-hour battery enables 82 miles of travel when fully charged, will start as low as $19,995, including an $810 destination charge and the maximum $7,500 federal tax credit. That undercuts the 2013 Nissan Leaf ($22,150), 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ($22,475) and 2013 Fiat 500e ($25,000) with destination fees and the full tax credit.

Californians may also qualify for additional incentives as high as $2,500, lowering the pint-sized EV to less than $17,500. Like other plug-in vehicles, Spark EVs also get carpool-lane access with a single driver. If you ever drive Los Angeles' Interstate 405 at rush hour — OK, any time of day — that's no small incentive.

California and Oregon get the Spark EV starting next month, but GM has yet to announce plans to sell it in the other 48 states. The automaker is "evaluating the business case" for national availability, spokeswoman Annalisa Bluhm said.

Save Some Cash With Memorial Day Deals

Somewhere between that pile of grilled meat and your food coma, you may want to pencil in some car shopping this Memorial Day weekend. It's a weekend for car dealers to end May on a high note — and it's never too early to sell down some 2013 inventory in advance of the 2014s, the bulk of which will show up during the next four months or so.

We checked out the cash and financing deals from the biggest automakers; take a look below to see what's in store as you pass by all those colorful tents.

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet: Photo Gallery

For the price difference you pay for the 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet over the coupe, you could buy a new Nissan Versa. For the price difference between the base-model Carrera 4S Cabriolet and a fully loaded one, you could buy a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro 1LT — with a droptop.

Starting at $118,480 and topping out at $147,175 (including a $950 destination charge), it's a safe assumption that either you can afford it or that your long-term investment strategy is still finding its way. In either case, what you'll find is that the all-wheel-drive Carrera 4S Cabriolet offers a rare balance between the performance aspects of a luxury sports car and the touring experience of a convertible

The Carrera 4S cabrio's 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine is mated to a seven-speed manual transmission, generating 400 horsepower and 325 pounds-feet of torque for a zero-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds. Exterior styling changes for 2013 include wider rear wheels and rear fenders, a light strip connecting the rear taillights and a revised front grille. Abundant safety, comfort and tech features come standard, and racing yellow paint and a black roof are no-cost options. Flourishes like a black leather interior, sport exhaust and black wheels will cost you thousands, however.

Check out the gallery below.