Auto


2008-2009 Auto-buying guide
Hot tech moves
down the food chain
Car buyers may be willing to hand in their hefty SUVs and their high-horsepower luxury drop-tops in the face of volatile gas prices and a reeling U.S. economy, but the gadgets and gizmos? From their cold, dead hands.
The 2009 Hyundai Genesis
 
AUTO REVIEW
2009 Maserati GT
 It's true that American automakers are circling the drain, the economy is choking and drivers are getting whiplash from volatile fuel prices. But take a deep breath, sit back and enjoy a ride with Ron Amadon in a driving enthusiast's dream car.
• Back to reality: Marshall Loeb has six tips for buying a car in the credit crunch
From hybrids to high-speed
The Los Angeles Auto Show kicks off the show season while the fate of the industry hangs in the balance. If the Detroit manufacturers manage to survive the current
crisis, any viable future will have to include big strides in alternative technology.
• See a slide show featuring some of the vehicles debuting at the LA Auto Show

Part 3 of a MarketWatch special series focusing on latest industry trends, consumer news and car reviews. 
The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
 
SUVS AND TRUCKS
The chill is gone
The steep drop in gas prices
might not be enough to save
Detroit, but it has made it easier
for dealers to unload trucks and SUVs.
U.S. AUTOMAKERS
Bankruptcy stigma
 In a business where perception plays a big role, automakers worry the stigma of bankruptcy could 
drive customers away.
 
Hoping for a jolt
from the Volt
GM, shaken to its core, is forging ahead with development of the Chevrolet Volt and plans to place a contract for the battery by year-end.
• Aid plan for Big Three falters in Congress
Taking tech
for a spin
Ford hopes the high-tech package on the 2009 Lincoln MKS, including the sound system and rear-view
camera, will win over younger drivers. MarketWatch's Shawn Langlois goes for a drive.
 
Auto reviews
By Ron Amadon
 
2009 Ford Mustang GT
Ford seems to find ways to keep making the Mustang more interesting.
 
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
This is a nice compromise for those who remember the pony cars of the '70s but now want more comfort and convenience.
 
2009 Lincoln MKS
There are some things to like about this, but it won't move the segment forward.
 
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
This car is multidimensional and evolved, but it still has a way to go.
 
2009 Audi A4
Ron Amadon says this is a car that is truly designed to fit the driver.
 
2009 Hyundai Genesis
This is a bold gamble by the rising Korean car company that is confident it can make an attractively priced luxury car.
NAVIGATION SYSTEMS
 Portable or in-dash?
 Fancy in-car GPS systems have become a must-have for the rich and the lost, but portable devices may be a good alternative.

Best used-car bang for your buck
A new car typically turns out to be a rotten investment, losing a huge chunk of its value the second the buyer drives off the lot. But some actually hold their value over time better than others -- even among sports cars like the Chevy Corvette and tiny gas-sippers like the Mini, a new survey shows.
Watch interview with Kelley Blue Book's Jack Nerad
• Slideshow: The 10 best-selling crossover vehicles

The lease switch
With mortgages and the cost of gasoline rising, it's no wonder people are looking for ways to get out of big lease payments.

Lexus, move aside
 After more than a decade of earning top honors in J.D. Power's auto reliability survey, Lexus must now share the limelight.

In the cards
How to make the most of credit-card rebates at the gas pump? Read the fine print.

Gadgets to go
Tech options that make your car a rolling entertainment center.

Dog days
More car buyers consider their pets when choosing a new model, options.

Fossil-fuel featherweights
Which cars in each price range get the best gas mileage? Here are the 2007 fuel-efficiency champs.

CONSUMER NEWS

Gas sippers 2007
Ron Amadon rolls out his annual list of gas sippers that may make it just a little easier to pay between $3 and $4 a gallon.

Hybrids vs. horses 
For all the enthusiasm over hybrid cars, gas guzzlers continue to draw attention. Plus: Hyundai thinks luxe, a Ford "people mover," the latest Hummer and more.

Reducing insurance costs
Most Americans may pay less for car insurance. Marshall Loeb tells how to reduce your costs.

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