Tag: average

Report: Average US car now a record-setting 11.4 years old [w/poll]

Filed under: Car Buying

Heavy traffic is shown on north-bound Interstate Highway 5, Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, in Seattle. Commuter traffic was congested but moving slowly in Seattle on the first weekday commute following the nine-day closure of the elevated Alaskan Way Viaduct, one of the city's main north-south highways. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Cars are becoming less and less of a disposable item, according to a report from The Detroit Free Press. The average age of the 247 million cars and trucks in the US fleet is now up to 11.4 years, an increase of two full years since 2007 and 0.2 years since 2012. The newspaper spoke with Mark Seng, vice president of industry research firm Polk, who cited consumers’ desire to avoid monthly payments and the ever-improving quality of mainstream cars and trucks as reasons for the increased age.

The first item is fairly obvious – no one really likes to carry a monthly car payment. The second point, though, is perhaps less obvious. The fact of the matter is that modern vehicles are just so reliable that people aren’t feeling the need to scrap them as quickly. In fact, scrappage has fallen 50 percent since the start of the recession, a stat that is sure to pain junkyard scroungers everywhere.

But while the nation’s average vehicle age is likely to continue to increase, it is expected to do so right along with increasing sales of new vehicles. After a 30-year low of 10.4 million vehicles in 2009, the annual average is running right along at 15.5 million according to The Detroit Free Press. While it seems counterintuitive for these two stats to climb together, the combination of improved reliability, lower interest rates and readily available longer-term financing options has created a kind of perfect storm for both long-term ownership and new vehicle sales.

How old is your primary vehicle? Participate in our poll below, then let us know your thoughts in Comments.

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Average US car now a record-setting 11.4 years old [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Average new-car fuel economy figures continue record pace

Filed under: Budget, Hybrid, Honda, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Electric

Manufacturers are making more efficient cars and trucks; we’ve known that to be true for some time. Nearly every new car has some sort of trick to eke a few extra miles out of every gallon of fuel. Whether that be turbocharging, active aerodynamics or hybrid technology/electrified powertrains, the fact is that our vehicles are more efficient than ever before.

Thanks to a recent study by TrueCar, we’ve got fresh quantitative data to support the above statements. For the fourth month in a row, we’ve seen an improvement in national fleet fuel economy. We Americans are 0.7 miles per gallon more efficient than we were last month, and our cars are 1.6-mpg better than at this time last year. That said, we’re still down on 2013’s high, which was set back in January at 24.5 mpg.

Not only does this reflect the improved technologies in our vehicles, but it demonstrates a changing mindset among consumers, who are purchasing more efficient vehicles despite the relative stabilization of fuel prices. Every fuel-efficient model sold drives its manufacturers fleet average up.

The top three brands among mainstream manufacturers aren’t a huge surprise. Hyundai, which offers 10 models with four-cylinder engines (including the excellent Elantra range) took the top spot, while the diesel and turbocharged models from Volkswagen finished just 0.8 mpg behind Hyundai’s 27-mpg average. Honda is further back in third, thanks to its remarkably efficient four-cylinder engines. American makes didn’t fare as well, with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler all finishing below the 23.7-mpg industry average. This isn’t a huge surprise, though, as the Detroit Three are responsible for the vast majority of eight-cylinder pickups and muscle cars sold in the US.

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Average new-car fuel economy figures continue record pace originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Jul 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Average lifetime car insurance costs estimated at $84,000

Filed under: Etc., Safety

Iggy Pop car insurance bus ad

Unless you live in New Hampshire, here in the States, you’re required to have some form of car insurance covering your vehicle. The annual cost to insure a car depends on an array of factors ranging from the type of vehicle to where you live to your driving record. You undoubtedly know what you pay for insurance on an annual or monthly basis, but do you know how much you will end up paying over the course of your driving life? According to Insurance.com, the average person will spend $84,388.

What does ‘average’ mean in the context of this study? In this case, researchers assume that you first insure your own vehicle at 21 years old, get married at 27, insure two teenagers for a few years and then stop driving when you turn 75. That passage of time is filled with a variety of claims, including accidents and other incidents that get sent across your insurance agent’s desk.

Predictably, Insurance.com offers up a few suggestions for cutting your overall coverage expenses. Some are easier said than done (avoid traffic tickets) while others might actually be fun (defensive driving course). Check out the company’s press release for the full details after the jump.

[Source: Insurance.com | Image: Flickr/jcrakow via CC2.0]

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Study: Average lifetime car insurance costs estimated at $84,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EPA: U.S. average fuel economy hit new record in 2009

Filed under: Government/Legal

window sticker shopping

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, which first started keeping track of such things way back in 1975 around the time of the first fuel crisis in America, the average fuel economy of all vehicles sold in the U.S. hit a record high in 2009. For those favoring hard data, that equals 22.4 miles per gallon. Not surprisingly, average fuel economy has been on an upward path over the last several years (minus a small dip in 2008).

These mileage increases are being achieved through all sorts of electronic gadgetry, despite significant gains in both horsepower and overall vehicle weight. It’s also interesting to note that the percentage of trucks sold dropped from 47 percent to just 40 percent.

It should be pointed out that the way the EPA figures fuel mileage varies greatly from the numbers used to determine an automaker’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE. The EPA’s numbers, which are about 20 percent lower than those use for CAFE reporting, are said to be more realistic representations of everyday usage.

For what it’s worth, the EPA is currently predicting that a new, slightly higher record will again be set in 2010: 22.5 mpg. Yes, that’s just a tenth of a mile per gallon higher than ’09, but let’s take what we can get, shall we?

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Tim Boyle/Getty]

EPA: U.S. average fuel economy hit new record in 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Average male drives extra 276 miles/year because he won’t stop for directions

Filed under: Etc., UK

That long-running joke about men unwilling to stop for directions? Well, it’s no joke, at least not according to British insurance firm Sheilas’ Wheels. In fact, the average male motorist in Britain travels some 276 extra miles per year simply because he refuses to ask for directions. Worse yet, that amounts to £2,000 ($3,100) worth of wasted fuel over the stubborn man’s lifetime.

In the UK, 25 percent of all men would rather wander aimlessly for up to a half hour before stopping to ask for directions, and one in 10 simply refuse to ask altogether. On the flip side, three quarters of women polled have zero qualms about asking for help. And here’s our favorite stat: 41 percent of men admitted to telling their passengers that they knew where they were going… even though they didn’t.

Though the study took place in the UK, we’d bet that, if anything, it’s worse here in the States. After all, as a much larger country with sometimes huge stretches between destinations, we probably waste more time and fuel pretending like we know exactly where we’re going.

[Source: Telegraph | Image: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images]

Study: Average male drives extra 276 miles/year because he won’t stop for directions originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai pledges to average minimum 50 MPG CAFE standards by 2025

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Hyundai

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai is nothing if not ambitious. The Korean automaker announced today that it will continue its efforts to be the most fuel-efficient automaker in America through the next two decades, with plans to achieve a Corporate Average Fuel Economy rating of 50 miles per gallon by 2025 for its entire vehicle lineup.

The cornerstone of Hyundai’s approach is its Blue Drive strategy, which incorporates a range of engine technologies – from turbocharging and direct-injection to lightweight materials and both traditional and plug-in hybrids – to reduce consumption and improve overall efficiency.

Hyundai points to the 2011 Sonata as the first in a wave of new products to utilize its new and improved drivetrains, available with either hybrid, turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines. And Hyundai appears to be in a better position than other full-line automakers to reach its lofty mpg goal, as it doesn’t offer any pickup or body-on-frame SUV models. Hit the jump for the full blast and read our First Drive of the Sonata Hybrid for details on its gas-electric system.

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

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Hyundai pledges to average minimum 50 MPG CAFE standards by 2025 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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