Day: July 3, 2021

For a used car, how old is too old? Here’s the ideal age, according to auto experts

By Betty C. Morrow 3 weeks ago

Scotty Reiss, founder of A Girls Guide to Cars, is in the market for a used car. “I need to buy something for my daughter, who is sophomore in college,” she says. “She is living off campus and she needs a car.”

There are lots to choose from, she says, but her budget is not going as far as she thought it would. “We’re looking for something under $20,000,” she says. “What we want to get for our budget is probably putting us back a model year older than we’d like.”

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The average price of a used car has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic, according to data from automotive

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Chip shortage creates price hikes

By Betty C. Morrow 3 weeks ago

In the age of seemingly endless options for cereal, condiments and candies, choice is often taken for granted.

But these days, choice is a luxury when it comes to buying a new or used vehicle.

With the global semiconductor chip shortage hobbling automotive production, vehicle availability is constrained and prices are soaring as automakers are struggling to keep up with demand.

The upshot for consumers shopping for a new or used vehicle during the July 4 holiday weekend is that flexibility is paramount. 

That is, embrace the Rolling Stones philosophy: You can’t always get what you want.

Chip shortage hobbles availability

“The No. 1 thing – and it will be really obvious when people show up at the dealership lot – is there simply won’t be the selection you’re accustomed to,” said Ivan Drury, analyst at car research site Edmunds.

Consumer Reports:These are the 10 most and

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Volkswagen Electric Cars Showcased at the Petersen

By Betty C. Morrow 3 weeks ago

Looks like the future is going to be all-electric, and the Petersen Automotive Museum is celebrating it with their exhibit, “Building an Electric Future: The Technology of Today for the Vehicles of Tomorrow.”

While that title isn’t exactly spot-on—sounds like we’ll have outdated technology in the future—the exhibit itself is pretty cool. Actually, the Petersen has had some sort of Cars of Tomorrow-type exhibit its whole existence, from the day the museum first opened in 1994. Those cars have included everything from whacky, university-built solar cars for the World Solar Challenge race to steam cars and early electrics.

“We endeavor to do two things, learn from the past and become inspired for the future,” said Petersen Museum chief historian Leslie Kendall. “With electric cars, we’ve done both of those things.”

The museum has a 1901 Detroit Electric car that it exhibits to remind people how long EVs have been

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