Earl Stewart of Earl Stewart Toyota, North Palm Beach, FL, recently repurchased a 2010 Toyota Prius from a customer for more than they originally paid. Purchased used for $20,500, the owners drove it 26,000 miles before selling back to the dealer for $22,000. The supply level for Prius models has bounced in the 10-day range and possibly as low as 4 days. Dealers normally operate with a 60-90 day inventory.
Most of the gasoline sold in the US contains a blend of 10% ethanol. The Environmental Protection Agency has been moving forward on increasing that amount to 15% blend for light-duty passenger vehicles 2001 model year and older. Twelve automakers have sent letters protesting the decision to Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), who?s introduced legislation blocking the EPA from allowing E15.
A bill introduced by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) would make distracted driving a federal offense. Currently cell phone use and other technology use while driving is being covered by the states with varying regulations. The McCarthy legislation would make distracted driving laws the same in all 50 states.
CarMD.com Corp. analyzed more than 80,000 repairs involving the "check engine" light and released those results to provide consumers with a better understanding of common repairs and costs. The Fountain Valley, CA-based company stresses the importance of regularly scheduled maintenance and taking care of small repairs early to avoid catastrophic results.
Hertz has introduced a new rent-by-the-hour vehicle service which competes with ZipCar for the car-sharing market. Easy to sign up and use on their website, your credit card becomes your key. Hertz On Demand offers one-way rentals from some locations.