Magnetic Gray Metallic, 4 door, FWD, Sedan, 4-Speed Automatic, 1.8L I4 16V MPFI DOHC, Stock# 10811P. TOYOTA ‘11 TOYOTA Corolla $15,000 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota Barcelona Red Metallic, 4 door, FWD, Sedan, 5- Speed Automatic, 2.4L I4 16V MPFI DOHC, Stock# U556646M. TOYOTA ‘07 TOYOTA Camry $14,500 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota Classic Silver Metallic, 4 door, FWD, Sedan, 4- Speed Automatic, 1.8L I4 16V MPFI DOHC, Stock# P046598A. TOYOTA ‘10 TOYOTA Corolla $13,500 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota Blue, 4 door, RWD, Extended Cab Pickup, 4-Speed Automatic, V8, Stock# 10798P. ‘06 CHEVROLET Silverado 1500 $12,500 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota Titanium, 4 door, FWD, SUV, Automatic, 2.0L I4 16V MPFI DOHC, Stock# 1013090A. ‘01 TOYOTA RAV4 $8,000 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota Summit White, 4 door, FWD, Sedan, Automatic, 2.2L I4 16V MPFI DOHC, Stock# 10781P. ‘09 CHEVROLET Cobalt $9,250 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota Millennium Silver Metallic, 4 door, AWD, SUV, 4- Speed Automatic, 3.0L V6 24V MPFI DOHC, Stock# S155900A. ‘02 TOYOTA Highlander $10,500 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota Silver Birch Clearcoat Metallic, 4 door, RWD, Sedan, 4-Speed Automatic, 4.6L V8 16V MPFI SOHC, Stock# ‘06 LINCOLN Town Car $11,750 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota Natural White, 4 door, FWD, Minivan, 5-Speed Automatic, 3.3L V6 24V MPFI DOHC, Stock# S253421A. ‘04 TOYOTA Sienna $6,500 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota Cranberry, 4 door, RWD, Sedan, 4-Speed Automatic, 3.0L V6 24V MPFI DOHC, Stock# P033732A. ‘01 CADILLAC Catera $6,250 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota Vibrant White Clearcoat, 4 door, RWD, Sedan, 4- Speed Automatic, 4.6L V8 16V MPFI SOHC, Stock# U541876B. ‘02 FORD Crown Victoria $6,000 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota White, 8 CYL, Auto. Stock #U593762M. ‘88 CHEVROLET Corvette $5,900 850-575-0168 Legacy Toyota TD-0000215507 Gum Rd.. . d R u a e n i r a B C a p ital Circ l e N w . W. Tharp e S t. i M n o i s s R d. W. TENNESSEE ST REET 10 T T 1581 20 LEGACY TOYOTA 3800 W.Tennessee St • Tallahassee 850-575-0168 www.LegacyToy.com www.12000under.com “You’re gonna “You’re gonna love this place!” love this place!” FREE! Tallahassee's ONLY weekly print source for select Cars.com cars, trucks, SUVs and more! For advertising information, contact your local Cars.com On-The-Move Sales Team at 599-2329. Confidence Comes Standard! Visit Cars.com for side-by-side comparisons, consumer, expert reviews and more! ON-THE-MOVE TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT » MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 FRANKFURT, Germany — Volkswagen is rolling out the latest version of its mainstay Golf hatchback in a key test of its ability widen its lead over other mass-market automakers in Europe, to lower manu- facturing costs and over- take Toyota as VW launches lighter, more fuel-efficient Golf model By David McHugh Associated Press Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn stands next to the new Volkswagen Golf 7 during the model’s launch Tuesday in Berlin. STEFFI LOOS/AP See GOLF » 4D
Transcript
Magnetic Gray Metallic,4 door, FWD, Sedan,4-Speed Automatic, 1.8LI4 16V MPFI DOHC,Stock# 10811P. TOYOTA
‘11 TOYOTACorolla
$15,000850-575-0168
Legacy Toyota
Barcelona Red Metallic,4 door, FWD, Sedan, 5-Speed Automatic, 2.4L I416V MPFI DOHC, Stock#U556646M. TOYOTA
For advertising information, contact your local Cars.com On-The-Move Sales Team at 599-2329.
Confidence Comes Standard! Visit Cars.com for side-by-side comparisons, consumer, expert reviews andmore!
ON-THE-MOVETALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT » MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012
FRANKFURT,Germany—Volkswagen is rolling outthe latest version of itsmainstay Golf hatchbackin a key test of its abilitywiden its lead over othermass-market automakersin Europe, to lowermanu-facturing costs and over-take Toyota as
VW launcheslighter, morefuel-efficientGolf model
By David McHughAssociated Press
VolkswagenCEOMartinWinterkornstands next tothe newVolkswagenGolf 7 duringthe model’slaunch Tuesdayin Berlin. STEFFILOOS/AP
■ A new Verano Turbo debuts in late 2012 with a 250-horsepower,turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that pairs with a standard six-speed automatic transmission or an optional six-speed manual;newly standard backup camera; standard Buick IntelliLink system,which uses Bluetooth or the USB port to pair a smartphone to thetouch-screen stereo; base 180-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder.
■ City: 21 mpg; Highway: 32 mpg
■ Features familiar Buick styling cues including a chrome water-fall grille, blue-tinted projector-beam headlights and porthole ap-pliques on the hood. Exterior features include: 18-inch wheels;daytime running lights; automatic headlights.
■ Inside, upscale appointments include soft-touch trim, ambi-ent lighting and a woven headliner that’s designed to makethe cabin more quiet. Additional sound-deadening measuresinclude acoustical laminated glass and triple-sealed doors.Interior features include: available push-button start and remotestart; automatic air conditioning; 14.3-cubic-foot trunk.
■ Standard safety features include: front and rear side-impactairbags; side curtain airbags and knee airbags; all-disc antilockbrakes; electronic stability system.
■ Relatively high mileage; keyless access standard. The baseengine is a 150-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder. It teams witha five-speed automatic transmission with a selectable manualmode. A second all-gas engine is a 201-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder that comes only with a six-speed-manual transmission.Hybrid version available.
■ City: 22 to 24 mpg; Highway: 31 to 35 mpg
■ The ILX simultaneously plays down the silver grille in otherAcura models and spices up other aspects of the car’s design.Thefront bumper is more intricate, and hood creases and side charac-ter lines are more pronounced than you’ll find on the TSX. Smallexterior differences accompany the drivetrain choices.
■ The base ILX interior has cloth upholstery with imitation leatherside bolsters on the front seats. Higher trim levels come in the formof two option packages.The Premium and Technology packagesadd leather, heated front seats, a stereo upgrade and a backupcamera.The Technology option adds a top-level stereo with digitalmusic storage, a navigation system, an information system anda multiview backup camera. Standard features include keylessaccess with push-button start and a modest degree of smartphoneintegration. Even without the navigation system, the ILX provides acolor display similar to Honda’s simple, streamlined i-MID system.The center control panel is clean and easily navigated, anchoredby Acura’s multifunction controller knob.
■ Standard safety features include: front, side and side curtainairbags; antilock brakes; electronic stability system with tractioncontrol.
The Buick Vera-no was a new
compact sedan for2012. It seats upto five people andcompetes withthe Acura ILX. Anall-new model forAcura, the five-passenger ILXcompact sedan isthe brand’s newentry-level model,and is pricedbelow the TSXsedan.
2013 Buick VeranoStarting MSRP: $23,080 to $29,105
Sales of the Toyota Corolla and Matrix, above, increased nearly 50 percent in August.
NISSAN
TOYOTANew Sentra due at dealers
Best-selling cars in AugustToyota, Honda sales surge for Accord, Civic, Corolla, Matrix
KICKINGTIRES.NET
The 2013 Nissan Sentra is redesignedwith a new engine and a more up-
scale look, inside and out. The compactsedan, which hits dealerships this fall,gets lighter, longer and morefuel efficient for 2013.
The Sentra grows 2.3inches longer and wearsthe Altima’s new trapezoid-shaped grille and similarwraparound headlights withLED accents.
All models are powered by a new130-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylin-der engine. Nissan says its continuous-ly variable transmission is standardacross the lineup, but base S models
can be equipped with a manual.The FE+ (fuel economy plus) mod-
els will get 40 mpg on the highway,Nissan says. CVT-equipped modelsare rated at 39 mpg on the highway.
Leather seats are newlyavailable, as is maple wood-tone trim. They join a rede-signed instrument panel.
Newly standard are a tilt/telescoping steering column,six-way manual driver’s seat,two auxiliary 12-volt power
outlets, remote keyless entry and theEasy Fill Tire Alert system. Optionsinclude the NissanConnect navigationsystem, dual-zone automatic climatecontrol and Bluetooth connectivity.
A fuel-economy-plus model of the 2013 Sentra will get 40 mpg on the highway.
Go to Cars.com forreviews and advice, andwww.kickingtires.net for
news and updates.
READ MORE AT
KICKINGTIRES.NET
New-car sales in August continueda trend that dates to May: mas-
sive gains for Toyota and Honda rela-tive to an earthquake-stymied 2011,with solid — albeit smaller — gainsamong other major automakers. Theindustry’s seven biggest automakersgained 20.4 percent in August sales.
The highest gains among big sell-ers came from the Honda Accord andCivic, whose combined sales nearlydoubled. Toyota Corolla and Matrixsales increased nearly 50 percent. De-troit winners included the new FordEscape and Chevrolet Cruze.
Top-selling vehiclesin August1. Ford F-Series: 58,2012. Chevy Silverado: 38,2953. Toyota Camry: 36,7204. Honda Accord: 34,8485. Ford Escape: 28,1886. Chevrolet Cruze: 25,9757. Nissan Altima: 25,8898. Ram Trucks: 25,2159. Honda Civic: 24,89710. Toyota Corolla/Matrix: 24,311
KICKINGTIRES.NET
the world’s biggest auto-maker.
The new Golf looksmuch like the old one, butthe key differences areon the inside. The car hasbeen completely rede-signed and based on anew common mechanicalstructure for the chassis,engine and other basicparts.
The new Golf is “theacid test” in VW’s effortsto ramp up mass produc-
tion and achieve lowercosts while maintainingquality standards, ac-cording to Marc-ReneTonn at Warburg Re-search. The car is thecompany’s mass-marketflagship, having sold
29 million since it was in-troduced in 1974.
Thecommonstructurewill underpin not just theGolf, but other Volks-wagen vehicles. Savingsfrom sharing partsshould make the compa-
ny’s cars cheaper tobuild, analysts say. Thosesavings in turn will helpVW add onmore environ-mental, safety and ener-gy-saving features thatwill help Volkswagenreap higher profit mar-gins.
Thecommonstructure— with the jawbreakername of modular trans-versal toolkit, or MBQfrom itsGerman abbrevi-ation — will eventuallyunderpin the Polo, Golfand Passatmodels aswell
as some Skoda, Audi andSEAT models. It actuallydebuted with the Audi A3in June, but the Golf rep-resents much biggermanufacturing volume.
The company saidWednesday that the newGolf will go on sale Nov.10 in Germany, and or-ders are being taken now.The basic model starts at$21,353— same as the oldone. The company is notsaying when the new ver-sion will make it to theothermarkets such as the
United States.The MBQ common
structure will mean that40 to 50 percent of partscould be shared based onvalue. Volkswagen is tell-ing analysts it will mean20 percent savings inmanufacturing costs andsimilar savings on thefixed costs already sunkinto developing new ver-sions. By 2018, vehiclesusing the platform mayrepresent two-thirds ofVW’s global output.
The car has been completelyredesigned and based on a newcommon mechanical structure forthe chassis, engine and other basicparts.
Starting price for the 2013 Cadillac ATS, above and below, is $33,990.
PHOTOS BY GM
Cadillac scores big withATS for entry-luxury buyers
By JAMES R. HEALEYUSA TODAY
Cadillac, which needed an en-try car more like the BMW 3Series, started from scratch
and came up with the ATS. It’s thesmallest, lightest, least-expensiveCaddy and the only one offeringfour-cylinder engines.
ATSmight lack thepurelyGermanicfeel of a BMW or Audi, butATS is roundly satisfying todrive. It provides crisp han-dling, quick acceleration,snappy braking, responsivesteering, and entertainingtechnology.
The 3 Series that’s inCaddy’s cross-hairs is$3,405 more expensive,though it comes with morepower: 240 horsepower vs.202 horsepower from the ATS’ base2.5-liter four-cylinder. The other twoATS engines are a new-design 2-literturbo four rated 272 horsepower andGM’s 3.6-liter V-6 rated 321 hp.
Impressions:■ Track. Everybody ought to have
access to a race course to exercisethis kind of car. The manual trans-mission that felt too stiff and balkyon regular roads became just-so inslap-it-hard track driving.■ Engines. Eager and quick to an-swer the throttle. But if you drivethe turbo four or the V-6 first, thebase four will seem tepid.■ Dynamics. Steering’s nicely cen-
tered, responsive. Suspen-sion is firm, but not harsh.Brakes are wonderfullyfree of the spongy-pedalfeel, and they seem tohaul the car down prompt-ly from high speed.■ Tech. The full-on CUE(Cadillac user experience)system lets you amuseyourself for hours learn-ing things it’ll do that you
didn’t even know you might want acar to do.
Not so good: sliding bar for stereovolume. Knobs, please. No better way.
ATS is a delight and is the credi-ble starter model Caddy has neededto snag entry-luxury buyers.
PHOTOS BY HYUNDAI
2013 Santa Fe Sport all newKICKINGTIRES.NET
The all-new five-passenger 2013Hyundai Santa Fe Sport — notto be confused with the seven-
passenger 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe —starts at $25,275, includingan $825 destination fee.
The thoroughly redesigned2013 Santa Fe Sport is$1,225 more expensive thanthe outgoing 2012 Santa Fe.
Standard equipment in-cludes the 2.4-liter engine andsix-speed automatic transmis-sion from the Sonata sedan, 17-inch alloywheels, LED headlight accents, satelliteradio with USB input, Bluetooth connec-tivity and Hyundai’s Blue Link commu-nication system.
Optional equipment includes all-
wheel drive with models starting at$27,025, and numerous option packag-es that offer features such as automaticheadlights, leather seating, power driv-er’s seat with four-way lumbar control,
Dodge is dropping the price of the Grand Caravan base trim by $1,000 for 2013.
TOYOTA
CHRYSLER
Prius takes care of families
Grand Caravan lowers price
By SARA LACEYCARS.COM FAMILY
The 2012 Toyota Prius is a greatcar for smaller families. It easilyhandles kids and a good amount
of cargo, and it gets amazing gas mile-age.
This wasn’t my first timetest-driving the Prius. I’m al-ways fascinated that no matterwhat I do — short of taking aroad trip — I can’t get the gasgauge below half a tank overthe course of a week.
This gas-electric hybrid has surpris-ingly good pickup. It gets up to speedwithout any hesitation and is easy tomanage in stop-and-go traffic.
What’s a benefit to families is the low
step-in height that’s a snap for toddlersto manage.
The Prius still wows withits fuel-economy numbers:51/48 mpg city/highway. Ituses a 98-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and an elec-tric motor to make 134 hp.It’s a good amount of powerand can get peppy for when
you’re not driving so eco-consciously.There are tons of cubbies, bins and
shelves in the Prius’ front row. In thebackseat, space and storage are a littletighter but not by much.
Family-friendly features on the 2012 Prius include a low step-in height for toddlers.
KICKINGTIRES.NET
For 2013, Dodge is lowering theGrand Caravan’s starting price by
$1,000; prices stay the same for the oth-er versions.
The 2013 Grand Caravan in baseAmerican Value Package trim, whichgoes on sale this fall, starts at $20,990,including a $995 destination charge.The base AVP model again joins SE,SXT, Crew and R/T trim levels.
Power still comes from the 283-horse-power, 3.6-liter V-6. Standard featureson the lower-price entry model includeseven airbags, second-row in-floor stor-age bins, third-row Stow ’n Go seating,
power windows, locks and mirrors, re-mote keyless entry and cruise control.
Standard on AVP is a second-rowbench seat, replacing other models’buckets. The bench reclines, folds and isremovable.
In other Grand Caravan lineup news,a new Blu-ray video player will be avail-able on Crew and R/T versions. It canplay Blu-ray discs and DVDs.
New-for-2013 standards across theboard include 17-inch wheels (up from16s) and trailer-sway control. Optionssuch as a Black/Sandstorm interiorcolor scheme and 17-inch aluminumwheels are new for 2013.
Go to Cars.com andwww.kickingtires.net for
family-oriented news andreviews about cars
READ MORE AT
2012 Toyota PriusStarting MSRP: $24,000 to $29,805
DETROIT — Strongpickup demand fueled abig jump inU.S. auto saleslast month.
GM’s August U.S. salesrose 10 percent comparedwith a year earlier, whileFord’s rose13 percent andChrysler’s 14 percent.
Pickups, traditionallythe top sellers in the U.S.,drove much of the busi-ness, thanks to a recover-ing housing market. Salesof Ford’s F-Series trucksrose 19 percent, whileChrysler’s Ram jumped
by the same. GM’s pick-ups, the Chevrolet Silve-rado and GMC Sierra,amongtheoldest trucks inthe market, saw a 6 per-cent sales increase.
Holding off onpurchases
The overall increasewas mainly because ofpent-up demand as con-sumers and businesses
were forced to replace ag-ing cars and pickuptrucks, said Yingzi Su,GM’s senior economist.The average age of a vehi-cle on U.S. road is ap-proaching 11 years.
“People have beenholding off on new pur-chases for such a longtime, since 2008 to now,”she said.
Pickups drive auto salesBy Tom KrisherAssociated Press
Chrysler’s U.S. sales rose 14 percent in August. APSee SALES » 8D
The 2013 Ram 1500 with a 3.6-liter V6 engine will get 17/25 mpg city/highway.
TOYOTA
The 2012 Camry SE Sport features navigation and a powered moonroof.
CHRYSLER
Ram readies 1500 pickupSeeks to entice buyers with fuel efficiency, new technology
KICKINGTIRES.NET
As the first model year for thenew eighth-generation Toyota
Camry comes to an end, Toyota hasannounced a limited-edition SEmodel that offers an array of fea-tures for an extra $2,775.
Called the 2012 Toyota CamrySE Sport, the sporty-minded modelwill be available with limited coloroptions and will be produced onlyfor about three months.
Compared with the regular SEtrim, the SE Sport adds 18-inch al-loy wheels, an eight-way powereddriver’s seat, a powered tilt/slidemoonroof and a 6.1-inch touch-
screen with navigation and Entunefor $25,995, excluding a $795 des-tination fee.
Like all SE trims, the SE Sportcomes with a firmer suspension andquicker steering; a leather-wrapped,three-spoke steering wheel; andpaddle shifters.
The SE Sport is only availablewith a 178-horsepower four-cylin-der and a six-speed automatic trans-mission. It comes in three exteriorcolors: Barcelona Red, AttitudeBlack or Blizzard Pearl, all pairedto a black/ash interior color.
The model is in limited produc-tion through early November.
USA TODAY AND DETROIT FREE PRESS
Armed with a substantially up-graded Ram 1500 pickup and 20
percent improvement in fuel efficiency,Chrysler hopes to lure buyers fromcompetitors even though truck ownersare fiercely loyal to their brands.
The 2013 Ram 1500 has a new engineand eight-speed transmission while in-troducing Chrysler’s first stop-start sys-tem and an air-suspension system to ad-just clearance. Pricing starts at $23,585,including a $995 destination charge.
Chrysler picked Ram to introducestart-stop technology that turns off theengine when idled and restarts upon ac-celeration. It is a feature on a new high-
fuel-efficiency 2013 Ram for custom-ers who cite fuel economy as a majorconsideration in choosing a pickup. TheHFE version gets 18 mpg in the city.
The 2013 model hits showrooms inOctober with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6engine generating 305 horsepower and269 pounds-feet of torque and an eight-speed transmission replacing the oldfour-speed. The extra gears contributeto fuel economy of 17 mpg city, 25mpg highway.
Ram will continue to offer its 5.7-li-ter Hemi V8 engine that could alsohave leading fuel economy numberswhen it goes on sale early next yearwith the eight-speed transmission.
2012 Camry SE Sportgets in the game
DETROIT — Ford is re-calling 7,600 newEscapesto fix coolant leaks thatcancauseengines to over-heat or catch fire.
The recall affects 2013models with 1.6-liter four-cylinder engines. Plugs inthe engine may not havebeen installed properlyand can fall out while the
motor is running. Coolantcan leak and cause en-gines to overheat.
Dealers have repairparts available and own-ers should make serviceappointments as soon aspossible, said Fordspokeswoman MarceyZwiebel. Ford will fix theproblem for free.
It’s the third recall inless than two months forthe completely rede-
signed SUV, which alsohas had problems withfuel lines and carpet pad-ding. InJuly, thecompanyrecalled 11,500 Escapes tofix lines that can crack,leak and cause fires. Thatsame month, Ford said itwould recall more than10,000 of the vehicles tofix carpet padding thatcan interfere with brak-ing.
Three recalls in two
months shows there arequality problems with thenew vehicle, said Clar-ence Ditlow, executive di-rector for the Center forAuto Safety, a consumergroup.
But Zwiebel said therecalls show that Ford isresponding quickly toproblems and that theyare not a sign of quality is-sues.
Ford issued the latest
recall after getting a sin-gle report from a dealer-ship, and no customershad filed complaintsabout the problem, shesaid.
The dealer reportedthat the fire broke out inan Escape driven by anemployee. Coolant spilledonto hot engine parts andcaused a fire that wasquickly put out, Zwiebelsaid, adding that no one
was hurt.About 2,000 of the re-
called Escapes are still ondealer lots, she said. Theengines on the recalledSUVswerebuilt fromOct.5, 2011 to Aug. 31, 2012 at aFord factory in England.
Older-model Escapes,which are completely dif-ferent vehicles from thenew ones, also have been
Ford issues another Escape recallBy Tom KrisherAssociated Press
See ESCAPE » 8D
8 » MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 » TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT » ONTHEMOVEYOU WON’T BUY FOR LESS! IF YOU HAVE BEEN SHOPPING FOR A NEW CHEVY, BUICK, OR GMC - I WILL GIVE YOU A PERSONAL GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE THE BEST PRICING AND THE VERY BEST SERVICE BAR - NONE
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August sales could hitmorethan1.2millionvehi-cles, uparound20percentfrom a year earlier, ana-lysts predict.
Recovering from2011 earthquake
Toyota, which now hasa full inventory of newcars at dealers, continuedits recovery from lastyear.Salesgrewalmost46percent.
Like Toyota, Hondasaw its factories hobbledby the earthquake in Ja-pan last year; it reporteda60percent increase ledbythe Civic compact, CR-Vsmall SUVand theAccordmidsize sedan. Kia salesrose 21.5 percent from ayear earlier, while Hyun-dai’s rose only 4 percentover strong numbersfrom August 2011.
Volkswagen continuedits staggering growth.Sales jumped 63 percenton strong demand for theJetta and Passat sedans.
Chrysler also reporteda big spike in minivans,with sales of the DodgeCaravan and ChryslerTown & Country each ris-ing more than 30 percent.
Newmodels helprebound from July
AtFord, sales rebound-ed from a poor July,driven by the new Escapeand Explorer crossoverSUVs. The redesignedEs-capebouncedback fromasafety recall lastmonth toincrease 37 percent. Ex-plorer large SUV saleswere up 33 percent.
GM also recoveredfrom a bad July, with allfour of its brands report-ing increases.Chevysaleswere up11percent, led bythe Cruze compact. TheSonic subcompact, whichhad barely reached show-rooms in August of lastyear, saw sales jump tomore than 8,700.
GM also said it washelped by heavy advertis-ing on the Olympics and afull month of a money-
back guarantee programfor Chevrolets.
Incentives up,interest rates down
Customers likelyfound good deals on 2012models lastmonth. Chrys-ler is offering $4,289 indiscounts on the Ram1500,Edmunds said,whileHonda raised its incen-tives 27 percent inAugustfromJuly toanaverageof$1,666 per vehicle.
Buyers also weredrawn out by new modelssuch as the midsize Nis-san Altima and the DodgeDart compact, said JeffSchuster, senior vicepresident at LMC Auto-motive. Chrysler soldmore than 3,000 Darts inits first full month on themarket.
Low interest rates alsowere pulling people in. A48-month new-car loanaveraged2.98percent lastweek, according to Bank-rate.com. Automakerswere offering no-interestloans on somemodels.
Continued » 6D
recalled recently. Ford recalled nearly485,000 of them in late July to fix stick-ing gas pedals that can cause crashes.
That worldwide recall covered thefollowing Escapes: the 2001 through
2004 model years powered by 3-literV-6 engines with cruise control. U.S.safety regulators received 68 com-plaints about the problem, including13crashes, nine injuries and one death. Ateenage girl died when an Escapecrashed in Arizona in January.
Ford is recalling about 7,600 Escape SUVs to fix coolant leaks that can cause fires. Therecall affects 2013 Escapes with 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. AP
