Cost of vehicle maintenance is escalading

The pains many automobile owners are feeling at their local service station isn't just at the pump -- prices for general maintenance is also increasing. Petroleum based products, such as oil and tires, are heading north with the price of gasoline. Demand for steel has also pushed up prices on various automotive parts. That means consumers are seeing larger bills from their auto repair specialists, even when their exhaust doesn't require three people to install. Instead, many are choosing to squeeze pennies and skimp on elaborate repairs in order to stay on the road. AAA says in 2008 the average vehicle owner will spend $8,121 to operate their automobile. That is up nearly $300 from last year. The only ease in operational expenses could come from the insurance industry. As costs increase, people drive less and less, which should subsequently lead to fewer accidents and lower premiums.
[Source: Detroit News]












Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Chris 6:43PM (5/29/2008)
Cadillac Escalading?
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Seanross 3:50AM (5/30/2008)
I guess once the price goes up too high we'll all get free Cadi's?
Eric 6:43PM (5/29/2008)
Escalading? Where did you go to school?
God help this country....
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William 7:21PM (5/29/2008)
Lay off of him. If you can justify a guy's intelligence by a mere typo, you must be an absolute idiot by now.
JD 12:01AM (5/30/2008)
I'd hope for some proofreading though, especially from a reputable site like Autoblog.
tekdemon 12:22AM (5/30/2008)
I just assumed he meant it as a pun since the Escalade is fairly expensive.
Maybe I assume people are wittier than they actually are, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for this one.
JD 12:39AM (5/30/2008)
The thought had crossed my mind, but then I realized that if it was a funny joke he would have referred to the title in the article, which he didn't, so even if it was pun intended, it wasn't exactly carried off well. So there ya go. :)
Chris 5:48AM (5/30/2008)
William obviously doesn't understand what a typo is.
testdummy 3:19PM (5/30/2008)
Typos and bad spelling are two different things folks.
Jeff 6:48PM (5/29/2008)
Wowzers! Escalading????????
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johnny 6:50PM (5/29/2008)
I think you mean escalating.
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tbcolby 6:51PM (5/29/2008)
Escalade \Es`ca*lade"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Escaladed; p. pr.
& vb. n. Escalading.] (Mil.)
To mount and pass or enter by means of ladders; to scale; as,
to escalate a wall.
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Aron T 7:56PM (5/29/2008)
So ladders are the reason maintenance costs are so high? I don't get it...
sam 6:52PM (5/29/2008)
"escalading"!!!+1
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johnny 6:54PM (5/29/2008)
Merritt, next time ask yourself, can you say something is Tahoeing? Or Yukoning? If not, then dont say Escalading.
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Paul M. Watson 8:27PM (5/29/2008)
If it was intentional then it is funny, being a car blog and all. If it was unintentional then it explains a lot.
BlazerUnit 10:50PM (5/31/2008)
As a prior poster noted, 'escalade' is a word, and it means scaling, which could reasonably be interpreted as climbing--just like automotive maintenance costs.
A creative choice of a word, intentional or not.
Mazdamia 7:02PM (5/29/2008)
I'm not going to comment on the obvious typo but who honestly thinks insurance companies are going to "lower their rates?" Ever?
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Derek 10:49PM (5/29/2008)
If you drive less, your rates do generally go down.
jte 7:03PM (5/29/2008)
Insurance would stay the same! Maybe fewer accidents, however parts to repair those cars would cost more.
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