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Toyota increases prices on most models, including Scion and Lexus

Filed under: Car Buying, Lexus, Scion, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Toyota is increasing the base MSRP for most models in its lineup. The only Toyota products that won’t see a price hike are the Tacoma light pickup, the Yaris sedan, the Scion tC and xB, the Lexus CT200h Hybrid, and the Lexus LFA.

Toyota’s price hikes range from $200 on the Yaris Liftback, to $900 on the Land Cruiser and Sequoia. According to Toyota, the individual price increases range from 1.2 to 2.1 percent. The changes become effective for American Toyotas built in May, and for Japanese cars with a May delivery date.

The Scion xD gets a price increase of $65, or .4 percent. Lexus prices increase from $600 for the GX 460 to $900 for the IS-F, LS sedans, GS 450h Hybrid and LX 570.

[Source: Toyota]

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Toyota increases prices on most models, including Scion and Lexus originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Car stereo prices set to soar

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Technology

Alpine

According to CE Outlook, the price of car stereo components may be on the rise. The report says that even before Japan suffered its earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters, manufacturers responsible for automotive audio equipment were already beginning to increase MSRPs. The main source of that surge came from steeper prices for metals like aluminum and copper, which are used in heat sinks and connectors. Rockford Fosgate and JL Audio both increased their prices by March 1 of this year after the cost of materials increased six to eight percent. Manufactures say they expect another increase of similar severity by the end of 2011.

Meanwhile, the tragedy in Japan has delayed or stopped business completely at several suppliers responsible for building car audio components. CE Outlook reports that Alpine has already announced that a number of its suppliers have suffered substantial damage. That damage may lead to delays or additional price increases as manufacturers scramble to find interim replacements.

[Source: CE Outlook]

Report: Car stereo prices set to soar originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: U.S. car dealers raising prices because of Japan disaster

Filed under: Car Buying, Japan

Tsunami damage

The problems facing automakers in the wake of Japan’s deadly earthquake and the resulting tsunami are already manifesting themselves in the form of higher transaction prices on some Japanese cars, as U.S. dealers show less willingness to negotiate downward from the number on the window sticker, according to an AP report.

Automakers like Toyota, Honda and Nissan all say they have a sufficient supply of vehicles in the U.S. that had already been imported from Japan before the disaster struck. So, if there are still plenty of Japanese cars on Stateside lots, why the hardening prices?

It’s a simple case of supply and demand, explain some dealers polled by The Associated Press. “We’re going to run out of cars. We had five [Prius hybrids] on the ground yesterday, and I don’t know when I’ll get another,” says Dave Conant, owner of a Toyota dealership in San Diego, CA. “The market has shifted pretty quickly and dramatically.”

Of course, some people believe dealerships are just using speculative vehicle shortages to make a few extra bucks. We suspect the truth may be a little bit of both.

[Source: The Associated Press via ABC News | Image: Kiyoshi Ota/Getty]

Report: U.S. car dealers raising prices because of Japan disaster originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With rising gas prices, how much can you save using mass transit?

Filed under: Etc., Earnings/Financials

LA Subway

According to the American Public Transportation Association, gas prices have jumped by 28 cents per gallon in the last 10 days, bringing the national average up to a staggering $3.47/gallon. The new hike in prices means commuters can save an average of $9,904 annually – $825 per month – by switching from personal to public transportation. That figure includes the national average rate for unreserved parking.

The numbers are the highest they’ve been in two years, due to global unrest and continuing economic problems. Savings were highest in big cities, where public transportation is more readily available, with New York topping the list. The APTA estimates that commuters in the Big Apple could save $1,198 per month or $14,376 a year by switching to public transportation.

[Source: American Public Transportation Association]

With rising gas prices, how much can you save using mass transit? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AP looks into what factors determine gas prices

Filed under: Etc., Earnings/Financials

High Gas Prices

With summer just a few precious months away, most Americans are already bracing for some of the steepest fuel prices in years. According to the Associated Press, unrest in places like Libya has seen the average price tag on a gallon of gasoline rocket skyward by 38 cents per gallon, or around 15 percent, since February 15. In fact, the price per a barrel of crude oil has been on a steady trek upward, and in kind, drivers have seen the numbers tick north at their local pumps. So why is it that when the price per barrel drops, as it did earlier this week, gas prices stay high?

The answer, it turns out, is due to a mix of factors. According to the AP, most gas stations set their prices not according to how much it costs them to replace the fuel, but in correlation with their closest competitors in the area. If one station ups their price per gallon, the rest will follow suit and vice-versa. That’s because station owners typically only make two or three cents on every gallon of gasoline sold. Instead, they make their money off of the snacks and drinks inside.

Since stations may buy their fuel in long-term contracts to lock in a price for a set period of time, lowering the price per gallon too quickly could cause them to actually lose money on the fuel sold. Head over to Yahoo News for a full breakdown of the factors influencing fuel prices.

[Source: Yahoo News | Image: Paul Sakuma/AP]

AP looks into what factors determine gas prices originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin prices Cygnet, announces two launch colors

Filed under: Europe, Hatchback, Aston Martin, UK, Luxury

Aston Martin Cygnet Launch Editions

Aston Martin Cygnet Launch Editions – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you’ve been wondering exactly how much Aston Martin plans on charging for the pleasure of owning its new ~~Toyota iQ~~ Cygnet, wonder no more. The company has officially released pricing details on its first sub-compact. For the lowly price of just £30,995, you can slide behind the leather-wrapped wheel and avoid the hassle of having to shell out for those pesky congestion charges in downtown London.

Seems perfectly justifiable to us.

Aston Martin is offering two special-edition version of the Cygnet to commemorate the car’s launch. The first, fittingly called the Cygnet Launch Edition White, is slathered in Snow White paint. If this is Aston Martin’s interpretation of the fairest of them all, we’d hate to see the seven dwarves. The exterior also gets plenty of chrome bright work and custom wheels, while the interior gets pearl-white leather and satin chrome accents.

If that’s just not naughty enough for you, Aston Martin is also offering up the Cygnet Launch Edition Black. The evil twin is dipped in Magic Black paint that hides shades of green. Matte-black louvers and chrome accents dominate the rest of the exterior, while the cabin is treated to diamond-pattern black leather. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Gallery: Aston Martin Cygnet Launch Editions

[Source: Aston Martin]

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Aston Martin prices Cygnet, announces two launch colors originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren prices MP4-12C at $229,000

Filed under: Coupe, Performance

McLaren MP4-12C

2012 McLaren MP4-12C – Click above for high-res image gallery

McLaren has finally slapped a sticker on its first road car in nearly a decade and to get behind the wheel of the all-new, carbon-fiber tubbed MP4-12C you’ll need $229,000. To start.

As expected, the 12C’s sticker is right in line with the primary competition from Ferrari and Lamborghini, with the 458 coming in around $225,000 and the latest Gallardo LP-570-4 stickering for just over $237,000.

Naturally, $229k doesn’t include the extras, and after speaking with Managing Director Antony Sheriff last year in Monterey, it’s clear that McLaren plans on on offering a host of upgrades to the 12C, ranging from lightweight wheels and bespoke paint to a three-camera interior recording system for track days. Expect ordering details to be released soon, but if you haven’t put your name on the waiting list already, we suspect you might have a tough time getting your hands on one before 2013.

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C

mp4_12c_011_2 mp4_12c_010_2 mp4_12c_012_2 mp4_12c_014_2 mp4_12c_015_2

McLaren prices MP4-12C at $229,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Facing high gas prices, dealers get cautious with big SUVs

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Crossover

SUV parking lot

The average gas price in the U.S. is over $3 right now, and there’s a good chance it’ll go higher before too long. What do you do in this situation if you’re a car dealer with a lot full of SUVs and big crossovers? You start being cautious.

That’s the takeaway point from an Automotive News article, with the key quote coming from a New York Ford dealer, who told the industry publication:

SUVs are still important in this area, but people are downsizing to more fuel efficient SUVs instead. We are still stocking with the idea that it may go either way. Hoping for the best, but prepared for anything.

For the moment, gas prices aren’t high enough to make people panic and try to offload their gas hogs the way we saw in 2008, but Kelley Blue Book analyst Alec Gutierrez told Automotive News that SUV sales could drop “dramatically” once gas reaches $3.50 or $4 a gallon, saying, “The days where a dealer could just go to auction and stock up on a bunch of SUVs and hold them for 40 or 60 days are over.”

The last time gas jumped up to panic levels was in 2008. That’s when Joe Crawford took the picture that illustrates this post. In the accompanying Flickr caption, he writes:

So a local (Culver City) car dealer started storing cars on the top of our parking garage. I always park on the roof, so anytime I am up there I see the cars. I have taken to think of these cars as an economic indicator. They all seem to be SUV vehicles. I wonder about why they are up there, and why there seems to be more every week. I suspect the fact that they’re stored here has something to do with the price of gas.

We suspect he’s right, and we can’t imagine there are dealers out there who want to have to go through a process like that again.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req. | Image: Joe Crawford – C.C. 2.0]

Report: Facing high gas prices, dealers get cautious with big SUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BBC: At nearly $7.30/gal and climbing, UK gas prices hit record high

Filed under: UK

UK Gas

Think fuel prices are high in the United States? What Yanks pay is nothing to what our former colonial masters are forced to shell out at the pumps, as reports come in of record-high prices in the UK.

According to the BBC, prices have hit an all-time high of 121.76p per liter in the United Kingdom. The numbers work out to $7.27 per gallon in American terminology, but the record doesn’t take inflation into account. To put the current British petrol prices into perspective, consider that it will now cost English soccer moms in Chelsea over $163 (!) to fill up their BMW X5s.

The worst news for British motorists is that this isn’t even the end of it: with both the Value Added Tax (VAT) and fuel duties scheduled to rise again in the new year, next month is anticipated to go even higher. As Edmund King, head of the UK’s Automobile Association put it, “for those people dependent on road transport, it’s not looking like a very happy Christmas or indeed New Year.” Indeed.

[Source: BBC News | Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty]

BBC: At nearly $7.30/gal and climbing, UK gas prices hit record high originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Dec 2010 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz prices new biturbo V8 models

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ready to experience the thrill of a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 that produces 536 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque? Unfortunately, that kind of excitement doesn’t come cheap. Mercedes-Benz has announced pricing for its upcoming 2011 CL63 AMG coupe and S63 AMG sedan. The two-door starts at $151,125 and the four-door will set you back at least $138,875. Both are available with the optional AMG Performance Package, which ups the power output to 563 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. A little lower on the power pole sits the restyled 2011 CL550 4MATIC, which starts at $114,025, and is motivated by a 4.6-liter V8 which produces 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque.

The 4.6-liter unit is 20 percent smaller, in terms of displacement, than the engine it replaces, yet produces 12 percent more horsepower, 32 percent more torque and improves fuel economy by 10 percent. The AMG mill also sees considerable gains in power, and thanks to direct-injection and the use of start/stop technology it sees a 20 percent rise in fuel economy.

Gallery: Paris 2010: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

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Mercedes-Benz prices new biturbo V8 models originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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