Gas Prices Rise with Thanksgiving Travel

If you’re traveling by car this Thanksgiving, you’ll notice a difference in gas prices from last year. Up 72 cents per gallon from a year ago, the national average stands at roughly $2.64, according to AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report.

Keep in mind that last year at this time we had just seen the crash of the housing and automotive markets and the meltdown of the financial sector. Thanksgiving travel plummeted by 25% from 2007 to 2008, and all the talk was of how to avoid a Great Depression redux.

AAA says Thanksgiving travel will rise 2% over last year, with a total of 33.2 million people hitting the road, and gas prices are actually down a few cents from a month ago.

Still, oil prices have been rising steadily and currently hover at around $77.56 per barrel. An unemployment rate of more than 10% should help keep that in check, but experts expect the economic recovery to be tested as energy prices rise.

The Energy Information Administration expects gas prices to rise past $3 per gallon during the summer of 2010.

Higher Gasoline Prices Greet Thanksgiving Travelers (USA Today)

Saab's Buyer Backs Out

Koenigsegg, the Swedish boutique car maker, has terminated its purchase agreement to buy Saab from GM. General Motors just released a statement from CEO Fritz Henderson:

"Many have worked tirelessly over the past several months to create a sustainable plan for the future of Saab by selling the brand and its manufacturing interests to Koenigsegg Group AB. Given the sudden change in direction, we will take the next several days to assess the situation and will advise on the next steps next week."

What the next steps will be is uncertain. GM recently decided to keep Opel, it’s German subsidiary instead of selling it off. Could Saab possibly remain under the GM umbrella? Or will it suffer the same fate as Saturn?

The sale was based on a loan from the Swedish government of roughly $600 million and a Chinese company was planning on a minority stake as part of the deal as well.

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Cities Pay Drivers to Carpool

Following the lead of other big American cities with congestion, Washington D.C. has set up a program to pay commuters $2 a day to carpool. The hope is that by giving people a short-term incentive, the cities can alter their long-term behavior.

Atlanta, Seattle, Birmingham and Los Angeles have tried similar programs. Atlanta’s program—led by the Clean Air Campaign—began in 2002 and has had 19,000 participants, most of whom have continued carpooling after their payments ended. Atlanta’s system works by allowing people to log their commutes online, receiving $100 after a three-month trial period. Drivers tend to realize the savings they’re making on gas and maintenance and stick with the carpools.

Still, some economists think this is an expensive way to incentivize drivers when tolls tend to work better than cash payments in changing driver behavior. Because tolls are politically unpopular, cash payments are easier to sell.

D.C.’s program aims to take just 750 cars off the road at first, a small difference when considering Beltway traffic. Nevertheless, city officials want to see if the program can alter driver behavior permanently.

Cities Use Cash to Encourage Carpooling (NPR)

Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Mazdaspeed3

Despite its confounding, redundant name, the Mazdaspeed3 is a sporty little car that offers a dose of practicality, according to Cars.com reviewer Bill Jackson. The Mazdaspeed3, he says, is no pretender when it comes to driving pleasure, but there is a chance buyers will get caught up on some of the subjective details. Read Jackson’s full review to find out why he thinks this car should be on your test-driving list if you’re looking for zippy practicality.

2010 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 Review

2010|Mazda|Mazdaspeed3

Honda, Hyundai, Toyota Tops in Fuel Efficiency

Honda has the most fuel-efficient U.S. fleet with an average of 23.6 mpg, followed by Hyundai and Toyota in second and third place, respectively, according to preliminary figures released by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Hyundai averaged 23.4 mpg and Toyota had 23.2 mpg — close on the heels of Honda. Volkswagen came in fourth with 22.3 mpg, while Nissan and BMW tied for fifth with an average of 21.6 mpg. Of those, only Toyota and Nissan offer both full-size pickups and SUVs.

Highlighting the gap that has plagued the Detroit Three’s gas-guzzler habit, the American automakers finished in the last three slots of the study. Ford averaged 20.5 mpg, GM had 19.9 mpg and Chrysler had just 18.7 mpg.

The official figures won’t be released until October or November of next year, but the final verdict seems to be an average of 21.1 mpg for all vehicles sold in the 2009 model year. This is a one-tenth improvement on 2008’s average and a 0.5 mpg improvement from 2007.

These EPA figures are based on real-world fuel-economy rankings and sales versus the EPA ratings on window stickers, which are based solely on the EPA’s testing methods.

Honda Leads in Fuel Efficiency (Detroit News)

Today's News From the Cars.com Family

A tall reader wants to know what expensive sports car might be a good fit for his 6-foot-4-inch frame, and Ask.cars.com lays out the best option. Then, PickupTrucks.com explains why pickups disappeared from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2010 Top Safety Picks. Finally, MotherProof.com has a recall alert for a type of infant-safety seats.

Which Sports Car in the $100,000-$150,000 Range Will Fit Me (Ask.cars.com)
Why Pickup Trucks Disappeared From IIHS Top Safety Picks (PickupTrucks.com)
Recall Alert: Evenflo First Choice Infant-Safety Seats (MotherProof.com)

Americans Slowly Buying More Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

U.S. consumers are increasingly buying more fuel-efficient vehicles, but the pace of mileage improvements remains slow, according to a report issued by the Environmental Protection Agency.

American vehicles averaged 21 mpg for the 2008 model year, which is a 0.4 mpg increase from 2007. The average is expected to increase to 21.1 mpg for 2009, although the EPA warns that the past year's upheaval in the auto industry could render that forecast false.

The elephant in the room is the Obama administration's insistence that automakers hit a 35.5 mpg average by 2015. Keep in mind that this is just what car companies have to build, though not necessarily what consumers have to buy. Even after the $4 per gallon of gas price spike of 2008, consumer behavior has not altered as quickly as some would like.

It should also be noted that the federal government's fleet average uses a completely separate formula for measuring mileage; it's not what the EPA lists on new-car window stickers. This means achieving the 35.5 mpg standard will not necessarily ensure a real-world 35.5 mpg fleet average.

Purchases of Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Increase Slowly (Detroit Free Press)

Cars.com Podcast: Audi A5 Cabriolet

Before you load up the car for a Thanksgiving road trip, make sure you refresh your iTunes podcast subscription to get our latest edition. Kelsey Mays tells us all about the soft-top convertible Audi A5 he recently reviewed. Then we tackle a question from Ask.cars.com and discuss the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new ratings and its 2010 Top Safety Picks. We cover a lot of bases, which should distract you for about 20 minutes of your trip. Drive safely and download the podcast via iTunes here, or hit the play button below.

Cars.com Podcast #32

2011 BMW 5 Series: First Look

• Competes with: Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, Infiniti M
• Looks like: The 5 Series and 3 Series are finally playing for the same team
• Drivetrain: 240-hp, 3.0-liter six-cylinder (528i); 300-hp, twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder (535i); or 400-hp, twin-turbo V-8 (550i) with six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmissions; rear- or all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: 2010

Redesigned versions of the 7 Series sedan and Z4 roadster have left the 5 Series as one of the last relics of BMW’s chiseled, avant-garde styling. (OK, the 6 Series soldiers on, but that one came out of the oven better to start with.) The polarizing styling didn’t stop the 5 from topping its segment in sales — or at least sharing the perch with its perennial archrival, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which is selling at a breakneck pace after a recent redesign of its own.
 
There’s no reason to doubt that the new 5 has similar potential. It’s more aerodynamic than its eyebrow-adorned predecessor — effectively taking on a lot of the styling themes from the 3 Series and 7 Series. Frankly, we’re glad BMW went with this face instead of the 550i Gran Turismo hatchback’s stubby mug.
 
BMW says the 5 and 7 share the same platform. That’s apparent on the inside where the two cars have similar dashboard contours, complete with a massive 10.2-inch navigation display and the backlit Black Panel gauges BMW has adopted of late. Alas, the automatic transmission still uses BMW’s less-than-ergonomic electronic shifter.

2010 Lexus GX: First Look

• Competes with: Land Rover LR4, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Audi Q7
• Looks like: The previous GX 470 with styling tweaks here and there
• Drivetrain: 301-hp, 4.6-liter V-8 with six-speed automatic transmission, full-time four-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Late December 2009

Lexus’ midsize truck-based SUV, the GX, has been redesigned for 2010. The new luxury SUV features a more powerful V-8 engine, slightly improved gas mileage and revised styling inside and out. For the first time, the GX will be offered in two grades: base, which will carry an MSRP of $51,970, and Premium, which will be priced at $56,765. The MSRP does not include a delivery charge of $875. The all-new GX 460 will be on display for the first time at the L.A. Auto Show in early December. It hits U.S. dealerships in late December.