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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[September sales forecasted to increase 11 percent]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/28/september-sales-forecasted-to-increase-11-percent/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/28/september-sales-forecasted-to-increase-11-percent/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/28/september-sales-forecasted-to-increase-11-percent/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/" rel="tag">Car Buying</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/earnings-financials/" rel="tag">Earnings/Financials</a></p><a href="http://blog.truecar.com/2012/09/26/september-2012-new-car-sales-expected-to-be-up-nearly-11-percent-according-to-truecar-com-highest-september-saar-since-2007/"><img alt="Toyota dealership with balloon" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/09/144071503-opt.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 628px; height: 418px; " /></a><br />
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Despite a spike in gasoline prices, car sales are on track to continue their stable growth, and this September could end up being the best September since 2007.<br />
<br />
Gas prices usually put a complete damper on car sales, especially bigger trucks and SUVs. The uptick in sales this month could mean the economy is getting stronger, says industry tracker <a href="http://truecar.com">TrueCar.com</a>, which <a href="http://blog.truecar.com/2012/09/26/september-2012-new-car-sales-expected-to-be-up-nearly-11-percent-according-to-truecar-com-highest-september-saar-since-2007/">issued the sales estimate</a> earlier this week. But, like most economic forecast figures these days, the numbers don't paint a perfectly clear picture of what's going on.<br />
<br />
TrueCar is forecasting a 10.5-percent increase in sales for September to 1,163,000 units, which translates to a Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate (SAAR) of 14.6 million new car sales for the year, up from 13.1 million last September and 14.5 million in August 2012. Nevertheless, TrueCar forecasts that September sales will still be down about 9.5 percent compared with August.<br />
<br />
<em>Kelley Blue Book</em>, which also tracks industry sales, says that the dip from August to September doesn't mean the economy is getting weaker - it's just a natural fluctuation in monthly car sales. Consumer demand is slowly picking up, it said. So don't expect sales figures to skyrocket any time soon.<br />
<br />
"Even though the lack of big movements in car sales makes for less attractive headlines, the stable growth in sales is a positive for the industry," said Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Market Intelligence for TrueCar.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/28/september-sales-forecasted-to-increase-11-percent/">September sales forecasted to increase 11 percent</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:29:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/28/september-sales-forecasted-to-increase-11-percent/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20335005/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/28/september-sales-forecasted-to-increase-11-percent/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>auto sales</category><category>car sales</category><category>jesse toprak</category><category>kelley blue book</category><category>saar</category><category>september 2012</category><category>truecar</category><category>truecar.com</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sharon Silke Carty]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:29:00 EST</pubDate>
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</item><item><title><![CDATA[These are the best-selling cars in wealthy zip codes]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/09/these-are-the-best-selling-cars-in-wealthy-zip-codes/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/09/these-are-the-best-selling-cars-in-wealthy-zip-codes/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/09/these-are-the-best-selling-cars-in-wealthy-zip-codes/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/" rel="tag">Car Buying</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/honda/" rel="tag">Honda</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/lexus/" rel="tag">Lexus</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/mercedes-benz/" rel="tag">Mercedes-Benz</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/toyota/" rel="tag">Toyota</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/volkswagen/" rel="tag">Volkswagen</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/luxury/" rel="tag">Luxury</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2012-mercedes-benz-e350-first-drive/"><img alt="2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/08/2012-mercedes-benz-e350-fd.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 630px; height: 418px;" /></a><br />
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Perhaps the most frustrating thing about being mired in the 99% is that due to the prevalence of reality-distorting TV and the booming personal security business, we really have no idea what it's like to be <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/romney/">Mitt Romney</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/donald+trump/">Donald Trump</a> or one of the Koch brothers. At least in the olden days, we plebs could point and stare, mouths agape as the robber barons rode through city streets in their jewel-encrusted carriages. But today? Good luck catching a glimpse of Trump's platinum-dipped <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/maybach/">Maybach</a> or the plutonium-burning hovercrafts that the Koch's use to fly to their secret Tea Party Illuminati meetings.<br />
<br />
What's that? Rich people buy their cars at dealerships just like we do?<br />
<br />
Yep, and according to a new study from <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/truecar/">TrueCar</a>, Mr. and Mrs. Moneybags don't go in for luxury models nearly as completely as you'd think. TrueCar has released a list of the top 10 most popular cars in the wealthiest zip codes in the U.S. and, shockingly enough, half the vehicles on it are mainstream models from <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/toyota/">Toyota</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/honda/">Honda</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/volkswagen/">Volkswagen</a>.<br />
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As you would expect, a <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/mercedes-benz/">Mercedes-Benz</a> is indeed at the top of the list, but note that it's the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/">E-Class </a>rather than the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/mercedes-benz/s-class/">S-Class</a>. Runner-up was the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/3+series/">BMW 3 Series</a>, just ahead of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/mercedes-benz/c-class/">C-Class</a>. Fourth place went to the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/lexus/rx/">Lexus RX</a>, and fifth to the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/toyota/prius/">Toyota Prius</a>. Then the real commonplace models take over, with the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/volkswagen/jetta/">Volkswagen Jetta</a> in sixth, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/honda/cr-v/">Honda CR-V</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/honda/accord/">Accord</a> in seventh and eighth, and the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/toyota/camry/">Toyota Camry</a> taking ninth. The <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/x5">BMW X5</a> wraps up the list in 10th place.<br />
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What this tells us is that the rich are clearly not stupid, choosing to buy the same sorts of vehicles that the rest of us do, models with good reputations for quality and value. Either that or they're paying their servants in cars.<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/09/these-are-the-best-selling-cars-in-wealthy-zip-codes/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>These are the best-selling cars in wealthy zip codes</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/09/these-are-the-best-selling-cars-in-wealthy-zip-codes/">These are the best-selling cars in wealthy zip codes</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 10:45:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/09/these-are-the-best-selling-cars-in-wealthy-zip-codes/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20296093/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/09/these-are-the-best-selling-cars-in-wealthy-zip-codes/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>3 series</category><category>accord</category><category>bmw</category><category>c-class</category><category>camry</category><category>cr-v</category><category>e-class</category><category>honda</category><category>jetta</category><category>lexus</category><category>mercedes</category><category>prius</category><category>rx</category><category>toyota</category><category>truecar</category><category>volkswagen</category><category>wealthy</category><category>x5</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Sabatini]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 09 Aug 2012 10:45:00 EST</pubDate>
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</item><item><title><![CDATA[Average price of new car sales transaction hits $30,748, an all-time record]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/11/average-price-of-new-cars-hits-all-time-record/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/11/average-price-of-new-cars-hits-all-time-record/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/11/average-price-of-new-cars-hits-all-time-record/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/" rel="tag">Car Buying</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/etc/" rel="tag">Etc.</a></p><a href="http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2012/04/new-car-prices-hit-all-time-record/"><img alt="Female car buyer looks at new vehicle"  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/04/female-buyer-checking-out-new-car.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 628px; height: 419px;" /></a><br />
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If you've looked into purchasing a <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/new%20car/">new car</a> recently, we likely don't need to tell you prices are plenty lofty. According to TrueCar.com's data, the average selling price of a new car sold here in the U.S. last month was $30,748, marking an all-time record (last year's figure was just $28,771). While buyers are currently looking toward smaller, less expensive and more fuel-efficient models, overall vehicle sales have jumped ahead of the rest of the slowly recovering economy. In addition, manufacturers are keeping <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/production/">production</a> more in line with demand, resulting in significantly scaled-back <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/incentives/">incentives</a>.<br />
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As a result, the average transaction price has inched skyward even in the face of an uncertain economy and escalating fuel prices. In addition, small cars now carry significantly more content than before and prices to match, and crossovers just keep getting more and more popular. Buyers have proven none too wary of optioning B and C-segment vehicles well above MSRPs typically seen on mid-sized fare, and used car fleets are thin, raising prices and pushing buyers toward new cars instead. According to CNW Marketing, consumers now routinely option a vehicle to within 86 percent of the fully loaded cost.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/11/average-price-of-new-cars-hits-all-time-record/">Average price of new car sales transaction hits $30,748, an all-time record</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:01:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/11/average-price-of-new-cars-hits-all-time-record/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20213416/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/11/average-price-of-new-cars-hits-all-time-record/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>auto prices</category><category>auto sales</category><category>car buying</category><category>car price</category><category>car prices</category><category>car sales</category><category>new car prices</category><category>price</category><category>transaction prices</category><category>truecar</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Zach Bowman]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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</item><item><title><![CDATA[TrueCar polishing edges off business model to comply with state regulations]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/truecar-polishing-edges-off-business-model-to-comply-with-state/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/truecar-polishing-edges-off-business-model-to-comply-with-state/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/truecar-polishing-edges-off-business-model-to-comply-with-state/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/" rel="tag">Car Buying</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/etc/" rel="tag">Etc.</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/government-legal/" rel="tag">Government/Legal</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/marketing-advertising/" rel="tag">Marketing/Advertising</a></p><a href="http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120116/RETAIL07/301169933/1422"><img alt="Man polishing new car in showroom"  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/man-polishing-car-in-dealership.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 628px; height: 419px; " /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/truecar/">TrueCar</a> has attracted much unwanted attention recently, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/13/honda-fighting-below-invoice-online-pricing-deals/">drawing the ire of Honda</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/06/state-regulators-turn-up-the-heat-on-truecar/">torquing off regulators in several states</a>. In response, the company has announced a series of changes to its business model, designed to address the legality of its service, according to a report in <em>Automotive News</em>.<br />
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The biggest change is that dealers in some states will now have to subscribe to the lead service rather than paying a per-vehicle fee for sales closed from a TrueCar referral. Consumers will now have to sign up with TrueCar, providing contact information in the process. Additionally, TrueCar will drop the term "invoice" when describing the deals it offers.<br />
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While these changes are expected to mitigate TrueCar's biggest problems, the company also says it will be making its service more dealer-friendly, according to AN. One of the contentious aspects of the TrueCar business model for some dealers has been the requirement that TrueCar have access to the dealer's computers, such that the company can mine sales data. TrueCar says it will be limiting this in the future, along with establishing a national dealer council to procure feedback from its partners.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/truecar-polishing-edges-off-business-model-to-comply-with-state/">TrueCar polishing edges off business model to comply with state regulations</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:21:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/truecar-polishing-edges-off-business-model-to-comply-with-state/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20151056/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/truecar-polishing-edges-off-business-model-to-comply-with-state/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>below invoice</category><category>car dealer</category><category>car dealers</category><category>dealer</category><category>dealers</category><category>dealership</category><category>dealerships</category><category>truecar</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Sabatini]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:21:00 EST</pubDate>
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</item><item><title><![CDATA[State regulators turn up the heat on TrueCar]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/06/state-regulators-turn-up-the-heat-on-truecar/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/06/state-regulators-turn-up-the-heat-on-truecar/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/06/state-regulators-turn-up-the-heat-on-truecar/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/" rel="tag">Car Buying</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/government-legal/" rel="tag">Government/Legal</a></p><a href="http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120102/RETAIL07/301029968/1422"><img alt="Car dealership" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/gyi0062947481.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 628px; height: 418px;" /></a><br />
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What exactly is <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/truecar/">TrueCar</a>? That's the question behind recent conflicts between the company and a growing list of foes, which include dealership organizations, automakers and regulators in at least three states.<br />
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According to a report by <em>Automotive News</em>, TrueCar's business model is under fire by this old guard, backed by long-standing legislation to protect their franchise interests. <em>AN</em> says government officials in Colorado, Wisconsin and Virginia have all raised issue with TrueCar, and that the company may face legal problems in other states, including California. TrueCar has responded by promising to make "meaningful changes" to its service by the end of the year, according to the report.<br />
<br />
Nominally, TrueCar is an "Internet marketing company" that profits from the fees that dealers pay when they sell a car that was listed on TrueCar. But that practice may not be legal, especially in states that have consumer protection laws against brokering and what is known as "bird-dogging," or paying third parties for leads. There are also issues with TrueCar's marketing, which could be in violation of some state's rules prohibiting the mention of invoice price. Dealers who do business with TrueCar may risk steep fines or loss of license in some jurisdictions, but from what the report says, most regulators are putting businesses on notice first.<br />
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TrueCar has also raised the ire of at least one carmaker, with <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/honda/">Honda</a> recently <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/13/honda-fighting-below-invoice-online-pricing-deals/">reminding its dealers that if they want to get money through its dealer marketing program, they'd better not be advertising cars for below-invoice price</a> on TrueCar.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/06/state-regulators-turn-up-the-heat-on-truecar/">State regulators turn up the heat on TrueCar</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:01:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/06/state-regulators-turn-up-the-heat-on-truecar/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20140421/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/06/state-regulators-turn-up-the-heat-on-truecar/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>car dealer</category><category>dealer</category><category>dealers</category><category>dealership</category><category>dealerships</category><category>truecar</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Sabatini]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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</item><item><title><![CDATA[Honda fighting below-invoice online pricing deals]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/13/honda-fighting-below-invoice-online-pricing-deals/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/13/honda-fighting-below-invoice-online-pricing-deals/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/13/honda-fighting-below-invoice-online-pricing-deals/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/" rel="tag">Car Buying</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/honda/" rel="tag">Honda</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2012-honda-civic-ex-sedan-review/"><img alt="2012 Honda Civic" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/2012-honda-civic-ex-sedan-opt.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 628px; height: 420px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Let's face it, nobody pays MSRP anymore. In fact, the most savvy car buyers among us don't even pay invoice price. Thanks to Internet pricing sites like <a href="http://www.truecar.com/">TrueCar.com</a>, it doesn't take negotiating skills or friends in the business to get dealers to sell you cars at deep discount. And that fact has <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/honda/">Honda</a> ticked off.<br />
<br />
According to <em>Automotive News</em>, Honda has issued an ultimatum to its dealers: Stop selling cars below invoice price through these websites, or lose the per-car marketing spiffs that the factory gives dealers. Since Honda corporate turned the screws on its dealers in October, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/truecar/">TrueCar</a> says Honda sales through its service are down.<br />
<br />
While many dealers do opt to play ball with TrueCar, offering guaranteed discounted prices up front and hoping to make more money on other aspects of their business, some are not thrilled with TrueCar. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/AutoNation/">AutoNation</a> CEO Mike Jackson has called TrueCar's pricing transparency a "death spiral" for dealers, according to <em>AN</em>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/13/honda-fighting-below-invoice-online-pricing-deals/">Honda fighting below-invoice online pricing deals</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:59:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/13/honda-fighting-below-invoice-online-pricing-deals/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20126961/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/13/honda-fighting-below-invoice-online-pricing-deals/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>below invoice</category><category>dealer</category><category>dealership</category><category>dealerships</category><category>discounting</category><category>discounts</category><category>honda</category><category>honda dealer</category><category>invoice</category><category>msrp</category><category>pricing</category><category>truecar</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Sabatini]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:59:00 EST</pubDate>
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</item><item><title><![CDATA[What Would Grandpa Drive? Apparently, a CTS Wagon or Panamera [UPDATE]]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/27/what-would-grandpa-drive-apparently-a-cts-wagon-or-panamera/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/27/what-would-grandpa-drive-apparently-a-cts-wagon-or-panamera/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/27/what-would-grandpa-drive-apparently-a-cts-wagon-or-panamera/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/" rel="tag">Car Buying</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/cadillac/" rel="tag">Cadillac</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/porsche/" rel="tag">Porsche</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/senior-citizen-car-sales/"><img alt="Elderly Car Sales" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/07/chart630.jpg" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; " /></a><br />
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<div>
	What you see here is a list of the cars most often purchased by senior citizens, and thus, the fact that the <a href="http://autoblog.com/tag/town+car">Lincoln Town Car</a>, <a href="http://autoblog.com/tag/lucerne">Buick Lucerne</a> and <a href="http://autoblog.com/tag/dts">Cadillac DTS</a> are the top three spots should come as no shock whatsoever. But look at the fourth place listing - the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/cadillac/cts+sport+wagon/">Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon</a>. That's right, <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/gm">General Motors</a>' Art &amp; Science cargo-hauler accounted for a whopping 74.2 percent of <strike>all senior citizen car sales</strike> <em>CTS Sport Wagon sales</em> between 2009 and 2010. That's a whole lot of cool grandpas.<br />
	<br />
	Scan further down the list and you'll see other no-surprise entries like the <a href="http://autoblog.com/tag/impala">Chevrolet Impala</a>, <a href="http://autoblog.com/buick/lacrosse">Buick LaCrosse</a> and <a href="http://autoblog.com/toyota/avalon">Toyota Avalon</a>. But then there's the <a href="http://autoblog.com/porsche/panamera">Porsche Panamera</a>, which takes the 11th place spot, <strike>accounting for 53.3 percent of sales to these 65+ drivers</strike> <em>meaning that 53.3 percent of all Panameras sold were to the 65+ crowd</em>. Even more cool grandpas.<br />
	<br />
	The TrueCar.com study also ranked the top brands for senior citizen buyers during 2009 and 2010, with <a href="http://autoblog.com/buick">Buick</a>, <a href="http://autoblog.com/lincoln">Lincoln</a>, <a href="http://autoblog.com/cadillac">Cadillac</a> and <a href="http://autoblog.com/chrysler">Chrysler</a> taking the top spots with 57.5, 47.7, 44.0 and 36.1 percent of total sales going to senior citizens, respectively. Only 29.5 percent of Porsche sales are to the older crowd, putting it in seventh place. See the full results of this study in our <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/senior-citizen-car-sales/">image gallery</a> below.</div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/27/what-would-grandpa-drive-apparently-a-cts-wagon-or-panamera/">What Would Grandpa Drive? Apparently, a CTS Wagon or Panamera [UPDATE]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:28:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/27/what-would-grandpa-drive-apparently-a-cts-wagon-or-panamera/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20001998/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/27/what-would-grandpa-drive-apparently-a-cts-wagon-or-panamera/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>cadillac</category><category>car buying</category><category>cts</category><category>cts sport wagon</category><category>cts wagon</category><category>elderly</category><category>panamera</category><category>porsche</category><category>senior citizens</category><category>seniors</category><category>truecar</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven J. Ewing]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:28:00 EST</pubDate>
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</item><item><title><![CDATA[Scion, Mitsubishi and Mazda top brands among Gen Y buyers]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/12/scion-mitsubishi-and-mazda-top-brands-among-gen-y-buyers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/12/scion-mitsubishi-and-mazda-top-brands-among-gen-y-buyers/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/12/scion-mitsubishi-and-mazda-top-brands-among-gen-y-buyers/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/" rel="tag">Car Buying</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/economy/" rel="tag">Budget</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/mazda/" rel="tag">Mazda</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/mitsubishi/" rel="tag">Mitsubishi</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/scion/" rel="tag">Scion</a></p><a href="/2011/07/12/scion-mitsubishi-and-mazda-top-brands-among-gen-y-buyers/#continued"><img alt="Scion emblem" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/07/scion-badge.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 4px 0px;" /></a><br />
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Sure, every age demographic is important to marketing and sales teams in the automotive industry. But automakers would love nothing more than to grab hold of a young person and instill brand loyalty at an early age.<br />
<br />
Which manufacturers are actually doing that? According to a study conducted by TrueCar.com, car shoppers aged between 18 and 27 years old are flocking to <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/scion/">Scion</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/mitsubishi/">Mitsubishi</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/mazda">Mazda</a>.<br />
<br />
Referred to as Generation Y, this group represents a vital segment of the car-shopping public. If a brand can grab you here, it has a strong chance of grabbing you again down the road. In 2009 and 2010, Scion was able to capture 21.2 percent of the Gen Y car buyers. Mitsubishi was close behind with 20.3 percent of that market, and Mazda was third with 10.7 percent. Surprisingly, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/bugatti/">Bugatti</a> failed to make the list.<br />
<br />
TrueCar.com also took a look at the specific models that appeal to this young segment of shoppers. The <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/scion/tc">Scion tC</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/mitsubishi/lancer">Mitsubishi Lancer</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/honda/civic">Honda Civic Si</a> nabbed the top three spots for sales in the previous two years. Generation Y clearly has a thing for imports, and you can dig deeper into TrueCar's findings by reading the full press release posted <a href="/2011/07/12/scion-mitsubishi-and-mazda-top-brands-among-gen-y-buyers/#continued">after the jump</a>.<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/12/scion-mitsubishi-and-mazda-top-brands-among-gen-y-buyers/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Scion, Mitsubishi and Mazda top brands among Gen Y buyers</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/12/scion-mitsubishi-and-mazda-top-brands-among-gen-y-buyers/">Scion, Mitsubishi and Mazda top brands among Gen Y buyers</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:58:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/12/scion-mitsubishi-and-mazda-top-brands-among-gen-y-buyers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19988579/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/12/scion-mitsubishi-and-mazda-top-brands-among-gen-y-buyers/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>gen y</category><category>generation y</category><category>honda</category><category>mazda</category><category>mitsubishi</category><category>scion</category><category>truecar</category><category>young buyers</category><category>young car buyers</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeff Glucker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:58:00 EST</pubDate>
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</item><item><title><![CDATA[Volkswagen New Beetle still number one with the ladies]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/15/volkswagen-new-beetle-still-number-one-with-the-ladies/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/15/volkswagen-new-beetle-still-number-one-with-the-ladies/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/15/volkswagen-new-beetle-still-number-one-with-the-ladies/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/" rel="tag">Car Buying</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/economy/" rel="tag">Budget</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/etc/" rel="tag">Etc.</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/volkswagen/" rel="tag">Volkswagen</a></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-volkswagen-new-beetle/#5"><img hspace="0" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/09nb_03_hr_opt.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Volkswagen New Beetle - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Men, take note: According to a new survey from research firm TrueCar, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/new+beetle">Volkswagen New Beetle</a> is (still) the ultimate car for women. Apparently, its combination of cute-as-a-button looks and affordable pricing make the reborn Bug a total hit with the fairer sex.<br />
<br />
This data was determined not by some silly woman-on-the-street clipboard survey, but rather by looking at the registrations of more than 13 million vehicles over the past two years. We could have saved them quite a bit of work if they wanted to know that the New Beetle was a chick car, but whatever. There was some other interesting info gleaned from the research, including the revelation that 64% of all cars are registered by men despite the fact that there are more women (at 51% of the population, just a tad) than men in America.<br />
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Rounding out the top five vehicles that scored well with the mono-chromosomed gender were the <a href="http://autoblog.com/nissan/rogue">Nissan Rogue</a>, <a href="http://autoblog.com/hyundai/tucson">Hyundai Tucson</a>, (saw this one coming) <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/eos">Volkswagen Eos</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/s40">Volvo S40</a>.<br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-volkswagen-new-beetle">2009 Volkswagen New Beetle</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-volkswagen-new-beetle/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/09nb_04_hr-1255382753_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-volkswagen-new-beetle/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/09nb_05_hr_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-volkswagen-new-beetle/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/09nb_01_hr_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-volkswagen-new-beetle/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/09nb_03_hr_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-volkswagen-new-beetle/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/09nb_02_hr_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2010/06/11/what-women-want-in-a-car/">The Wall Street Journal</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/15/volkswagen-new-beetle-still-number-one-with-the-ladies/">Volkswagen New Beetle still number one with the ladies</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:31:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2010/06/11/what-women-want-in-a-car/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/15/volkswagen-new-beetle-still-number-one-with-the-ladies/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19515217/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/15/volkswagen-new-beetle-still-number-one-with-the-ladies/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>beetle</category><category>bug</category><category>chick car</category><category>chick cars</category><category>ChickCar</category><category>ChickCars</category><category>eos</category><category>girl car</category><category>girl cars</category><category>GirlCar</category><category>GirlCars</category><category>hyundai</category><category>hyundai tucson</category><category>HyundaiTucson</category><category>New Beetle</category><category>NewBeetle</category><category>nissan rogue</category><category>NissanRogue</category><category>rogue</category><category>s40</category><category>TrueCar</category><category>tucson</category><category>volkswagen</category><category>Volkswagen Beetle</category><category>volkswagen bug</category><category>volkswagen eos</category><category>volkswagen new beetle</category><category>VolkswagenBeetle</category><category>VolkswagenBug</category><category>VolkswagenEos</category><category>VolkswagenNewBeetle</category><category>volvo</category><category>volvo s40</category><category>VolvoS40</category><category>vw</category><category>VW Beetle</category><category>vw bug</category><category>vw eos</category><category>VW New Beetle</category><category>VwBeetle</category><category>VwBug</category><category>VwEos</category><category>VwNewBeetle</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeremy Korzeniewski]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:31:00 EST</pubDate>
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