Blog Category: Auto Awards

It is awards season for the automotive industry and in today’s blog post we’ll take a look at the recent awards handed out by the Consumer Guide Automotive. Some of you might wonder about the impact of these awards on the automotive industry - well these types of awards are a great way to track the pros and cons as well as highlights for the year in automotive. While there are a lot of different awards given out, it is the criteria used to rank and rate vehicles that is super useful for you when it comes to making buying decisions.

If you were in the market for a green car ten years ago, your choices were few and far between. The Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid were newly available -- and rarer than hens’ teeth. Now it seems like every third driveway has a hybrid in it, and all-electric cars are moving from hobbyists’ garages to the mainstream vehicle marketplace.

When Kelley Blue Book, a well-known authority on vehicle prices and buying trends, published its annual list of the Top Ten Green Cars for 2011, it had lots of eco-friendlier cars to choose from, and they’re not all limited to that one special dealership in Los Angeles. You can find most of these cars most anywhere.

"Back To Football"...If you are a football fanatic, you know exactly what this quote means...after the offseason soap opera of the NFL Lockout, fans across the country were thrilled to see everything put to bed with the owners and players getting back to focusing on what millions of Americans love....football.  Between the upcoming professional and college seasons, for the next 5 months, millions of fans, every weekend, will load up their beloved car, truck, SUV, or hybrid and head out to a fun filled day of tailgating.  Yes, other sports may get the occasional tailgating group, but football, more than any other sport, brings out the tailgaters.  And thus, our vehicles play a critical role in our game day experience.

We’ve been talking a lot about used cars, lately.

The reason is simple:  there are some really great deals to be gotten if you know what to look for and how to spot them.  Our friends at Edmunds have put together their annual Edmunds Used Car Best Bets, which is a great list that will help you in that search. 

As you may have noticed, we have an ongoing theme that relates to helping you find great autos and being able to buy them without breaking the bank.  We will often steer you to great websites that can help you make those decisions or provide you with tips and information to do it yourself.

In an article recently published by Forbes Magazine, the publishers identify the automotive brands that Americans think are the best.  This is not a list made up of the best selling cars in America, as that would be populated by Chevrolets, Toyotas and Fords.

Unless you haven’t been paying attention (or perhaps have been in jail or something), you are fully aware that gas has surpassed the $4 per gallon mark in the US.  In Los Angeles, many gas stations are showing prices at or above $5 per gallon.  Amazing really, considering a year ago gas was hovering below the $3 per gallon mark and showed no real signs of upward mobility.

Car and Driver, one of the leading automotive publications dedicated to enthusiasts and auto reviews, recently announced their 10Best Cars for 2011.  The full coverage of their 10Best selections can be found in the January magazine edition and on their website, CarandDriver.com.

When it comes to measuring long term reliability and value, Consumers Union (the publisher of Consumer Reports Magazine) is one of the most respected sources in the industry. So for consumers, it's always helpful to see their ratings on new autos, as you should definitely consider their Top Picks as solid recommendations.