Auto leasing, temporarily crippled by the credit and financial crisis, is making a comeback this fall. Many auto makers, impacted by the credit crunch last year, reduced their lease programs. According to MSNBC, business isn't nearly back to where it was before the crunch hit, when leases comprised about 20 percent of all car transactions. But it is trending upward after hitting a high for the year of 12.8 percent in October, up from a bottom of 7.2 percent in August. The turnaround reflects both the slowly strengthening economy and a change in strategy by U.S. carmakers, whose sales suffered from the absence or limited availability of leasing. Consumers still face a more challenging lease market, however. Finding an attractive deal is tougher now, and you'll need good credit to get one at all. Beyond that, the discounts and other incentives long used to make leases more appealing aren't nearly as plentiful. A list of incentives and rebates by region is available at Edmunds.com. Click here for more on auto makers' renewed focus on their leasing programs.
Thanksgiving travelers will find gasoline prices much higher than last year with little hope for respite heading into the rest of the holiday season, oil and gas analysts say. According to USA Today, the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $2.64 on Monday, slightly less than a month ago but up 72 cents a gallon from a year ago. Oil prices ended the day Monday up 9 cents, closing at $77.56 a barrel. Thanksgiving travel provides an opportunity to gauge the mood of U.S. consumers, AAA says. The auto club expects 2 percent more travelers on roadways this year than last, for a total of 33.2 million people. Click here for state-by-state gasoline averages from AAA. The expected increase reflects improved consumer confidence, a rising stock market, and growing sense among many consumers that the worst of the global economic crisis is behind us. Last year, Thanksgiving travel tanked 25 percent from the previous year in the wake of the housing and financial meltdown. The Energy Information Administration, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Energy, expects higher crude oil prices to drive gas near $3 a gallon during next year's summer driving season. Click here for more on this Thanksgiving's higher gas prices.
Nissan is beefing up quality control at its flagship Infiniti factory, partly by adding more female inspectors to improve the fit and finish of the redesigned M sedan, which arrives next spring in the United States. According to Automotive News, Nissan says women show better attention to detail. But there are other quality stopgaps, including new laser measuring devices and better instructions for line workers. "We have been making drastic changes in terms of quality assurance," said Mikio Aoki, general manager of quality at Nissan's Tochigi plant, which builds several Infiniti models including the M. "We are trying to build more robustness into the manufacturing process." The Fuga, known as the Infiniti M in the United States, goes on sale in Japan this month. A hybrid version of the Infiniti M is due stateside in spring 2011. Nissan is introducing the new quality measures for the luxury sedan's redesign. This year, Nissan added more women to the final inspection. It's partly to relieve them from more strenuous assembly work, but there are other reasons. "Women tend to be sensitive and can better check quality elements," the Tochigi production control manager, Yasuhiko Obata said. Click here for more on Nissan's plans to include women in its quality control methods.
Thanksgiving is one of the most traveled weekends of the year, which also makes it one of the most accident-prone. With more drivers on the road, each one filled to the brim with people, turtleneck sweaters, and pumpkin pie, it's no wonder the holiday is known for a range of accidents. Add in the dangers of inclement weather, alcohol, and driver fatigue and it's almost a perfect storm for mishaps. That's the very reason why every single police force in the country ups the ante on the roadways during the holiday season. AOL Autos has unveiled its list of what drivers can do to avoid being ticketed during this driving holiday. AAA says more than 38 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the four-day weekend; 33 million of those will travel by car. State and local police forces work extra hard during this period to make the roads safer and they're going to write more tickets. Click here to see AOL Autos' entire guide for avoiding getting a ticket over the holiday.
It's been 40 years since Nissan introduced its sports car to America. Scott Burgess at the Detroit News writes that the 2010 Nissan 370Z roadster advances the stellar 370Z another step with its comfortable ride and rip-roaring, seat-of-your-pants cornering that will leave a big smile on your mug and your hair ruined by the wind. Click here for a photo. The 3.7-liter gives the roadster excellent power, 332 horsepower, and 270 pound feet of torque. Nissan uses aluminum on the hood, door panel, and trunk to help the convertible weigh in close to the regular model. When the roadster launches, you can feel it in your stomach as the carbon fiber driveshaft sends all that power to the rear wheels. Ramps to highways become rollercoaster rides in this roadster. Nissan has included SyncroRev Match with the manual to allow for throttle blips on downshift where the engine revs jump to match the lower gear, eliminating the engine braking. The technology Nissan uses on this roadster is impressive and seamless. You never notice the technology, only its results. The fully independent suspension keeps the car connected to the road but it's never harsh or overbearing. Click here for Burgess' entire review of the 2010 Nissan 370Z.
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BMW Unveils All-New 5 Series Sedan [Autoblog]
Man Drives Bull Around in Custom Convertible Pontiac Grand Am [Jalopnik]
Women-Drivers.com Guide to Groovy Gadgets and Gear [Women-Drivers.com]
Nissan GT-R with Full Chrome Wrap [DUB Daily]
McLaren MP4-12C Launch "On Track" [Motor Trend]
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