Ford Breaks Out 0% Financing on All Models

Independence Day is usually a big time for car sales, but so far this summer nothing like the huge discounts of summers past had been announced. It’s not huge, but Ford will be offering 0% financing for 36 months on every 2007 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury model through July 9. Most SUVs and trucks will get an additional $2,007 cash rebate on top of the financing. The cash back excludes the Ford Edge, Mercury MKX, Ford Freestyle and Ford E-Series vans.

You’ll start seeing ads for the sale soon on TV. Let us know if you’re a car shopper who routinely waits for sales like this before pulling the trigger on a planned car purchase.

Source: Automotive News 

The View from London

It’s summer travel time around the Cars.com offices, it seems. Brian Neale hit Greece a few weeks ago, and I just got back from five days in London. Unlike Brian, I am a car nut who has ogled British car magazines and TV shows for years, so getting to see all the different models we aren’t lucky enough to get here was a real treat. Of course, my wife was a bit miffed as we stood in the middle of one of the most historically significant cities in the world and I was going, “Oooh, check out that Peugeot!” And was it my fault that we walked by the BMW, Lotus/TVR, Mini and Corvette (it’s a brand of its own there) dealers on the way to our hotel every day?

World's Oldest Car Up For Auction

Originally built for a French count, this 1884 De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux — aka “La Marquise” — will go on the auction block this August in Pebble Beach, Calif. Surprisingly, the 123-year-old steam-powered car still runs … on coal and wood. It was raced a year before Daimler and Benz built their first gasoline-powered cars and 12 years before Henry Ford’s auto effort.

The auction company estimates La Marquise’s value at $1.5 to $2 million, but with the recent trend of over-inflated prices at exotic-car auctions, we could see the old count’s coach going for much more than that.

World's Oldest Car for Sale (CNN.com)

Reader Review of the Week: 2007 Honda Accord Hybrid

Not many people have purchased the Honda Accord Hybrid. In fact, the company recently said it has no plans to produce a hybrid version of the new 2008 model when it debuts this fall. For all those folks out there looking to buy a 2007 Accord, Ron from Pasadena, Calif., offers his take on the hybrid version he bought in February. As always, you can review your own car too, right here.

Smart ForTwo a Hoot to Drive

Smart mania has begun, as the Smart brand finally has committed to importing its sub-subcompact (micro?) cars to the U.S. in the first quarter of 2008, with prices ranging from $12,000 to $17,000. Stoking the mania this past weekend in Cars.com's hometown of Chicago was the Street Smart Road Show, which is appearing in more than 50 cities this summer. The event gives people a chance to drive the ForTwo, a two-seat model that’s the only one currently destined for our country. Smart gave media (that would be us) some time in the coupe and cabrio (convertible) before letting in the people who had begun to line up a couple hours before the official start time.

Audi Prices RS 4 Cabriolet: Time to eBay That Action Figure Collection

The news that Audi was bringing its ultimate midsize convertible to the U.S. was enough to bring a smile to our faces. Of course, we get to drive cars without paying for them as we “test” them for Cars.com. Those who live in the real world will have to find $81,900 between the sofa cushions, in the change jar or from the winnings of their fantasy sports league to secure one when the car goes on sale this fall.

Destination is another $775, and there are no available options. The RS 4 comes with standard equipment like a navigation system, Bluetooth, a Bose sound system, heated front and rear seats, a rear parking system, an iPod interface and brushed aluminum or carbon fiber inlays.

Related
Photo Gallery: 2008 Audi RS4 Cabriolet
2008 Audi RS 4 Dropping Top in U.S.

BMW 6 Series Sees Minor Changes for 2008

If you’re a 6 Series owner, chances are you won’t be salivating over the 2008 model when it arrives in the U.S. this fall. That doesn’t mean, however, that changes to the model are completely insignificant. Sure, at first glance the 650i coupe and convertible look a lot like the old models, but there are subtle changes to the front and rear styling, along with changes to the head- and taillights.

Under the hood is the same 4.8-liter V-8 producing 360 hp, with 60 mph coming in 5.3 and 5.6 seconds for the coupe and convertible, respectively. The major change to the car’s performance comes with a single automatic transmission option. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, but the no-charge six-speed Sport Automatic transmission adds shift paddles on the steering wheel for manual selection of gears.

The 650i convertible also receives the new sun-reflecting leather first used by BMW in the new 3 Series convertibles. This keeps the seats up to 36 degrees cooler than regular leather seats. Another interesting technological option is a lane departure warning system. Other companies offer the same feature, which alerts the driver when they stray into another lane inadvertently, but this one makes the steering wheel vibrate, like a cell phone, to warn the driver instead of relying on an audible alert.

Prices haven’t been announced, but expect them to remain close to the 2007’s $74,700 for the coupe and $81,700 for the convertible. Also, check out the photo gallery below for more images of both 2008 6 Series models.

BMW 6 Series Photo Gallery

Cadillac May Go Hybrid

Cadillac’s product chief, John Howell, is focusing a green eye on GM’s luxury lineup. “Pretty much every program I am looking at going forward has got a hybrid as part of it," he told Bloomberg News. The brand is already planning a hybrid Escalade SUV for the 2009 model year and could add the powertrain to Cadillac’s four other current models: the new CTS sedan, STS, DTS and SRX SUV.

Easy money would be for the popular CTS to go hybrid after it relaunches with its second-generation design at the end of the summer. Howell wouldn’t give a timeframe for more hybrids, but if Cadillac did go all green it could be a surprise marketing success. 

Cadillac Mulls Hybrids of all Models as Sales Slump (The Detroit News)

Cars.com Releases Latest American-Made Index

One of Cars.com’s most-read features is the semiannual American-Made Index. Every six months, we study the content and assembly of all new car and truck models on the market and rank how American they actually are in a convenient top 10 list. 

Cars.com’s Kelsey Mays has assembled the list for the past two years.

“It’s our inclusive approach — domestic parts, assembly location, U.S. sales, production status — that makes these cars stand out,” he said. “They aren’t just cars that make the grade in one or two respects, they’re truly American across the broad spectrum.”

Cars.com’s American-Made Index

2008 Nissan Versa Adds Sedan Sport Package

Not much has changed on the Nissan Versa hatchback and sedan since they were introduced last year. The most noticeable change is that the Versa SL sedan is now offered with an optional sports package — already available for the hatchback — that features a rear spoiler, fog lights and added body cladding for $700.

Prices for the 2008 models otherwise remain very similar, with the hatchback getting a $100 increase. The only noticeable bump in prices was to the SL sedan. It starts $1,000 higher in 2008 at $15,550. Full prices can be found below.