Hybrids can save owners thousands: Consumer Reports

Yonkers, New York - A new analysis of owner costs in the U.S. by Consumer Reports shows that drivers can save anywhere from $500 to $4,250 (all prices U.S.) over five-year ownership by choosing selected hybrids, rather than similar, conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. The report appears in the magazine’s October issue. The magazine reports that six of the 12 hybrids it examined — the Toyota Prius, and hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Escape, Saturn Vue and Toyota Camry — can save these amounts even without tax credits, and pay back their price premium after only one year .The Toyota Camry hybrid saves the most money, about $4,250 over five years, compared with a similarly-equipped four-cylinder Camry. The Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid can save about $3,000, while the Prius and Tahoe save $2,000 and $1,500 respectively when compared to their non-hybrid counterparts The issue also includes an analysis of how drivers can save gas and money by opting for a car with a stick shift, which can improve gas mileage and cut a car’s price by $800 to $1,200.The magazine notes that it would take many years for most hybrids to pay back their premium price on just fuel savings alone, but fuel costs are only 25 per cent of overall owner costs in the first five years; other factors include depreciation, insurance, interest on financing, maintenance and repairs, and sales tax. The cost estimates were based on driving 12,000 miles (19,312 km) per year and paying $4.00 for regular gasoline and $4.20 for premium.“Most of the hybrids tested by CR have done really well, but hybrids have higher initial upfront costs,” said Rik Paul, automotive editor. “If you can afford that initial cost, you can be better off buying one, and driving one might make you feel greener.”The Honda Civic, Nissan Altima and Saturn Aura hybrids cost drivers a little more than their conventional counterparts, from $250 to $750 over five years, but some consumers might prefer to drive a more environmentally-friendly car. With U.S. federal tax credits, all three come out ahead after just one year. The Lexus GS 450h, Lexus RX 400h and Toyota Highlander Hybrids cost more than their counterparts in the first five years, with losses ranging from about $1,250 for the Highlander to $5,500 for the GS. The magazine noted that hybrid sales jumped almost 40 per cent last year, and according to a recent Consumer Reports survey, 32 per cent of active car shoppers are considering a hybrid for their next vehicle.

Five million unrepaired Fords could be fire hazards

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is warning consumers that as many as five million Ford products, out of 12 million involved in a recall, have not yet been brought to Ford for repair. The vehicles contain a defective cruise control switch that could lead to a fire at any time, even when the vehicle is turned off, parked and unattended. NHTSA said that repair parts are immediately available. The recall affects certain Ford, Lincoln and Mercury (a brand not sold in Canada) SUVs, pickup trucks, vans and passenger cars. Consumers with questions should contact their local dealers.

Scrap metal thieves steal $10,000 worth of fencing from Millville New Jersey dealership

As scrap metal prices have soared, we have become accustomed to stories about crooks stealing catalytic converters from cars and trucks- especially from dealer’s lots. Now a story about a dealer losing 200 feet of metal fencing from around his lot. Giancola Pontiac Buick GMC of Millville, New Jersey reported to police that 20 10-foot sections of the metal fencing went missing sometime between August 29th and September 1st. Fernando Giancola, a spokesperson from the dealership, told police that the fencing had a value of about $10,000, but would cost somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000 to replace. A security camera from neighboring Quality Lincoln Mercury was examined by police to look for clues as to the identity of the thieves, but proved to be of no assistance, according to an article appearing in The Daily Journal, a local newspaper. Apparently in Millville, as in many parts of the country, scrap metal has become a “hot” commodity, attracting thieves who do little more than sell the loot at scrap metal dealers. In Millville, the local police would not venture a speculation as to whether or not this theft was related to a number of similar thefts from homes, businesses and houses of worship. Perhaps the time has come to invest in those security cameras.

While using an expanded employee discount promotion to move the metal- GM cost cutters also move on what they think are renegade insiders passing discounts to unqualified buyers

Dealership employees may become the target. Some of the accused are suggesting that their employee numbers are being stolen, possibly by salespeople at the dealership level. With a bit of irony, (and what a GM spokesperson called a coincidence), GM is filing suit against employees, retirees and widows for improper use of the GM employee discount program- the very same program open to all through the current promotion. A full accounting of all the suits brought by GM was not revealed in the Detroit News article, but the suits do mention they could reach as high as $87,095. Again, not a full accounting, but the story claims to have identified suits by GM totaling $450,000. If the allegations in the suits prove accurate, it appears that GM is taking action against repeat offenders, those who have repeatedly used their access to GM employee discounts to benefit unqualified non-employees. However, attorneys for those accused are claiming that their clients had nothing to do with the falsified employee discount applications and that someone else was using their employee number to cheat the system. One went so far as to suggest that a vehicle salesperson at a GM dealership would be in an excellent position to acquire the details needed to falsify an application for a GM employee-discounted purchase. GM spokesperson, Tom Wilkinson is reported to have said that GM is not suing any of its dealers over the issue. However, dealers should be forewarned that this does not appear to mean that they won’t do so. If actions against individual employees, retirees, etc. reveal that the real culprits were the dealerships or dealership employees, it would not be out of the question for them to move against either or both. After routine audits of dealership records, the employees on the certificate were asked to verify the family relationship of the person purchasing the vehicle under the program. When they would or could not, legal remedies were sought. Stay tuned- this could get a whole lot more complicated and possibly costly for some dealers.