(The Associated Press)
Auto reliability grows; Lexus leads in survey
Lexus was the top performer in a survey of vehicle dependability released last week, but most other brands also showed improvement in an industry that has reached historically high dependability levels. Consulting firm J.D. Power and Associates polled 31,000 owners of 2009 model-year vehicles and rated brands by the number of problems owners have experienced in the last 12 months. Lexus owners reported 86 problems per 100 vehicles. Porsche, Cadillac, Toyota and Scion rounded out the top five.
— The Associated Press
(The Associated Press)
Gas prices hit $3.50 at record pace
U.S. motorists have seen the national average for regular gasoline rise above $3.50 a gallon in just three different years, but it has never happened this early. The national average hit $3.523 a gallon last week, the Energy Department says, up 4.1 cents from a week earlier. Analysts says the early price shocker is likely a sign that pain at the pump will rise to some of the highest levels ever this year. "There's a chance that the U.S. average tops $4 a gallon by June, with some parts of the country approaching $5 a gallon," says Brian L. Milne, refined-fuels editor for Telvent DTN, a commodity information services firm.
— Los Angeles Times
(The Associated Press)
Top-selling cars and trucks in January
The top-selling vehicles and the total number sold last month, with December's rank in parentheses:
1. Ford F-Series, 38,493 (1)
2. Toyota Camry, 28,295 (3)
3. Chevrolet Silverado, 26,850 (2)
4. Nissan Altima, 22,357 (5)
5. Honda Civic, 21,883 (10)
6. Honda CR-V, 18,960 (8)
7. Toyota Corolla, 17,988 (9)
8. Dodge Ram, 17,909 (4)
9. Ford Escape, 17,259 (6)
10. Chevrolet Impala, 16,009 (-)
— The Associated Press
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