Uber slashes <b>prices</b> in L.A., ditching a <b>car</b> now worthwhile in worst <b>...</b> |
- Uber slashes <b>prices</b> in L.A., ditching a <b>car</b> now worthwhile in worst <b>...</b>
- GM Sales, Used-<b>Car Values</b> Hold Up Through Recalls « CBS Detroit
- 2015 Audi S3, A3 Cabriolet, and A3 Sedan U.S. <b>Pricing</b>
- Audi <b>Prices</b> 2015 A3 TDI, A3 Cabriolet, High-Performance S3
| Uber slashes <b>prices</b> in L.A., ditching a <b>car</b> now worthwhile in worst <b>...</b> Posted: 19 Jun 2014 05:30 PM PDT I vowed never to own another car again after spending a year living in the commuting dystopia known as Los Angeles. The county consistently ranks as one of worst commuter areas in the country, with average commuting time of around 30 minutes; random traffic congestion doubles commuting time in L.A. more than any city. Uber, the ever disruptive car sharing app, just slashed its prices in LA for UberX, claiming to be 40 percent cheaper than a taxi. My old commute from West Hollywood to downtown is now $20 each way (or the same price across the dreaded 405 freeway to Venice Beach). For me and other frequent telecommuters, it's now the same cost to take UberX everywhere and never have to deal with driving through the congestion madness again. AAA estimates that the average price of car ownership per year is about $9,000. LA is much more expensive, thanks to insurance costs. My old Subaru Forester is about $10,000 per year. Factor in parking and the occasional traffic ticket, and it's about $12,000 per year. For me, I telecommuted between two and four times per week, meaning I'd spent about $280 per week or $13,000 per year on UberXs at current prices. For my own private on-call driver, I would happily have spent an extra $1,000 a year (and probably would have paid much more). For folks who don't telecommute but can carpool and split the cost each way to work, the price savings could be the same, depending on where the group lives in the city. Many of my friends lived in the neighborhood. Others had moved apartments to be closer to their work. Of course, traffic will still be bad, but having one's own personal driver means I could work or read a book, instead. The time saved never having to park would increase my productivity alone enough to justify ditching a car. In San Francisco, it is already cheaper to take Uber everywhere than own a car for many residents (including me). I do question how long Uber can sustain these cut-rate prices. Car sharing companies face fierce opposition to get different insurance approved by the state. Uber could also be charging less just to dominate the market, and then jack rates back up once they've wiped out part of the taxi industry. But if competition between Uber, taxis, and other ridesharing companies continues to drive down costs, it could very well be worthwhile for most city residents to ditch their cars. And that would save thousands of lives and tens of hours wasted each week in traffic. Now, that's disruption I can root for. Uber Technologies Inc is known as Everyone's Private Driver. Uber operates an on-demand car service used all over the world. With the touch of a button from your phone, you can experience your own private driver. Sign-up quickly, g... read more » Powered by VBProfiles We want hands-on expert reports on common marketing automation systems. If you use marketing automation, share your story ... and set your own price for others to learn from it. (Here's an example.)  |
| GM Sales, Used-<b>Car Values</b> Hold Up Through Recalls « CBS Detroit Posted: 21 Jun 2014 05:02 AM PDT DETROIT (AP) - Consumers looking for a used vehicle aren't shying away from GM models — even though more than 20 million GM cars and trucks have been recalled this year. General Motors cars such as the Chevrolet Malibu have retained or increased in value, sometimes more than rival vehicles. And sales of new cars aren't slowing either, up 13 percent in May. GM has issued 44 recalls in North America this year for parts ranging from ignition switches to air bags. The most serious is for ignition switches in 2.6 million small cars linked to more than 50 crashes and at least 13 deaths. Investigations into that recall have exposed GM as a company that was too slow to react to serious safety issues. In the past, consumers punished automakers for big recalls. Those companies lost market share — Toyota's dropped 2 percentage points over 12 months when it recalled 14 million cars for unintended acceleration. Yet GM's has held fairly steady so far, around 18 percent. GM has cautioned that an ongoing companywide safety review could produce even more recalls — just Monday it recalled another 3.4 million cars for a separate ignition switch issue — so consumers might still decide it's smarter to buy their wheels elsewhere. But for now, experts say, GM has retained buyers' confidence by appearing to act quickly on safety matters — even though GM's internal investigation into the small-car switch recall showed that employees took years to realize they had a safety problem on their hands. "People are associating that with being vigilant more than being careless," said Larry Dominique, president of ALG, formerly Automotive Lease Guide, whose data is used by dealers to set values of leased cars. That could explain why the value of the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu rose almost 3 percent from February, when the recalls started, through May, according to ALG. That compares with midsize cars as a whole, which dropped in value by 1 percent. The Malibu has been part of five recalls this year. The value of most other used GM cars also rose. The exception: the Chevrolet Cobalt, which is at the heart of the first ignition switch recall. About 1 million Cobalts are being recalled. Of the 13 deaths GM counts, nine occurred in Cobalts. ALG says the value of 2010 Cobalts dropped 2.4 percent from February through May, but the compact car segment's value rose almost 3 percent. Falling values have triggered lawsuits from Cobalt owners. That doesn't mean the cars won't sell. At L.A. Sales in Oyster Bay, New York, on Long Island, part-owner Andy Kaufman recently sold a 2005 Cobalt for just under the $5,000 he was asking. The buyer, he says, had no concerns once Kaufman showed him the switch had been replaced. Experts say the volume of recalls has taken away some of the fear factor. "I'm beginning to wonder if the consumer is almost numb to the next headline that comes out," says Ricky Beggs, a senior vice president of Black Book, which also monitors used car prices. The GM headlines keep coming. On Monday, GM recalled older large cars for an ignition problem, although GM says the cause in this one is the key design. On June 6 the company said 15 people had been dismissed in relation to the findings of its internal investigation into the small-car switch problem. CEO Mary Barra has repeatedly apologized for the injuries and loss of life. She makes a return trip to testify on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Even if consumers do become sensitive to the recalls, any new-car market share decline would be small, predicts Jesse Toprak, senior analyst with the Cars.com website. "They can mitigate it with some targeted marketing efforts" and bigger discounts, Toprak says. Consumers seemed more sensitive in the past. In the early 2000s, Firestone recalled more than 6 million defective tires on Ford SUVs, and the automaker replaced another 10 million. At least 271 people were reported killed and hundreds injured. Ford's share of the SUV market fell 5 percentage points. One important difference is that the recalled GM small cars — the Cobalt, Saturn Ion and Sky, Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and Chevy HHR — are no longer made. And GM's newer cars score much higher in quality surveys. Also, people don't always associate General Motors with the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Lincoln brands, said Dominique. Still, there is fallout. Elise Palazzi of Hawthorne, N.J., near New York City, is still trying to sell a 2005 Cobalt that one of her daughters used to drive. She first put the car on the market for $4,500 just before the recalls began. Palazzi told potential buyers that she had no problems with the ignition, but they were skittish, she says. About a month ago, her local Chevrolet dealer replaced the switch. She didn't change the price, but revised her ad to show the switch has been repaired. Now she's optimistic about selling. But a man came to see the car last week and didn't buy it. Kaufman, the Long Island dealer, is concerned about the large number of GM vehicles subject to recalls. The federal government says there are no regulations preventing used car lots or individuals from selling recalled cars before they are fixed. But Kaufman says he won't sell any until repairs are done. "You have a white elephant that you've just got to stick in the back of your lot and watch it depreciate," Kaufman said. Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
| 2015 Audi S3, A3 Cabriolet, and A3 Sedan U.S. <b>Pricing</b> Posted: 19 Jun 2014 04:00 PM PDT
The 2015 Audi A3 compact sedan is already in showrooms, but Audi is just getting started. The all-new A3 sedan is just the first of a whole range of compact Audis, and today the brand has released pricing on the A3 TDI diesel, the S3 performance sedan, and the A3 cabriolet. Back in March Audi announced a base price of $30,795 for the A3 sedan with a 170-hp 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder, and $33,695 for the 220-hp 2.0-liter. They're now joined by a diesel variant. The A3 2.0 TDI front-drive sedan will carry a base price of $33,495 and be powered by a 2.0-liter direct-injected diesel producing 150 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. All A3s have a six-speed automatic as standard equipment. Also released was a base price of $41,995 for the S3 performance version. It comes with a 292-hp high-performance 2.0-liter engine mated to Quattro AWD. It will feature unique exterior and interior accents, including brushed-aluminum trim, a D-shaped steering wheel, and specific instrument faces. The S3 will also have a sport-tuned suspension and roll on 18-inch wheels—optional 19-inchers will also be offered.
Open-air fans have two choices: The base A3 ($36,525) has a 1.8-liter turbo and front-wheel drive while a 2.0-liter turbo four powers the Quattro AWD ($39,525). All A3 cabriolets feature a foam-lined cloth top with a magnesium steel frame and a glass rear window. It can be raised or lowered in 18 seconds, even on the fly at speeds up to 31 mph. Rollover protection is also standard. All models in the new A3 lineup are generously equipped, and include such standard items as leather seating surfaces, Bluetooth with streaming audio, satellite radio with HD, a power driver's seat, bi-xenon headlights, LED taillights, and Audi Pre-Sense. Sedans also feature a panoramic sunroof.
Optional equipment includes 4G LTE connectivity, LED headlights, Bang and Olufsen audio, an advanced version of Audi Connect, and Audi Drive Select, which allows the driver to tailor throttle response, shift points and steering effort to one of four settings. The A3 TDI diesel, S3 sedan and A3 cabriolet are expected to arrive this fall. An A3 Sportback gasoline-hybrid version is expected to round out the line in early 2015.
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| Audi <b>Prices</b> 2015 A3 TDI, A3 Cabriolet, High-Performance S3 Posted: 20 Jun 2014 08:53 AM PDT By  With the launch of the all-new 2015 Audi A3 sedan now out of the way, Audi can get ready to start selling some more exciting versions of its entry-level car. Before they put the gasoline A3 sedans on sale this summer, Audi announced the starting prices for the 2015 Audi A3 TDI (diesel) sedan, 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet and 2015 Audi S3 sedan. As we still wait for pricing and availability for the upcoming S3 Cabriolet and A3 Sportback, the S3 sedan currently stands as the highest priced variant of the 2015 Audi A3 lineup. Starting at $41,100, the 2015 Audi A3 demands a big price for a little sedan, but the 292-hp S3 sedan does represent a significant value compared to its closest rival, the $47,450 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG. ALSO READ: 2015 Audi A3 Sedan first drive If you're looking for a different type of excitement, the 2015 A3 Cabriolet will go on sale around the same time as the S3 sedan with a starting price of $35,600. This price is for the front-wheel-drive model with the 1.8-liter turbocharged engine, but those demanding better performance will be able to opt for the bigger 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder mated to Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system starting $38,600 – these prices are a $5,700 premium over the comparable A3 sedan variants starting at $29,900 for the 1.8T FWD and $32,900 for the 2.0T quattro. BMW has yet to officially announce its 2 Series Convertible, but the drop-top BMW will likely be priced higher than the base A3 Cabriolet considering the current 2 Series Coupe starts at $32,100. Finally, the diesel-powered 2015 Audi A3 TDI will start at $32,600, which puts it just $550 more than the Lexus CT200h. Although official EPA-estimated fuel economy numbers haven't yet been announced, the A3 TDI should return some impressive figures while being a more fun and engaging alternative to the Lexus hybrid hatchback. ___________________________________________ |
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