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GM stock at highest point in more than two years
Perhaps it’s just a rising tide lifting all boats, but General Motors stock has hit its highest close in more than two years – beating the $33 a share price tag set during its initial public offering in November 2010.The resurgence comes as the overall stock market charges from one record to another, but also suggests that investors are impressed by the performance of the giant maker which earlier...

Detroit roars back after years of quality issues
Is Motor City getting its mojo back? After years of losing loyal customers frustrated by quality and reliability problems, domestic automakers are showing a new-found focus on customer service that is winning back skeptics – boosting sales, market share and profits.Despite the improvement, it may take awhile for the industry to totally repair its tarnished image. “I’d love to buy something from De...

Electric car maker Tesla to pay off $465M in federal loans
Electric car maker Tesla Motors has shifted into a good place: CEO Elon Musk intends to use the potential $1 billion from a new stock offering to pay off the maker’s $465 million in Department of Energy loans – and to help pay for other products that would grow the California automaker.Musk, who uses tweets to signal his plans, has hinted that he will formally announce the payoff of the loans tomo...

Mercedes S-Class wows with 3D cameras and night vision
There was a time when luxury cars were defined by their sheer size and mass, their power, performance and, of course, exclusive details like leather seats and wood trim.Those factors distinguish the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but there’s more to the redefined German flagship that fit the changing nature of the auto industry. From its LED lamps to the 3D cameras, radar and night vision systems tha...

Expect millions of electric car charging stations by 2020
Tesla Motors might have scored its first-ever profit during the first quarter, but sales of plug-in vehicles are lagging below expectations, which analysts blame on the high price of battery-based vehicles as well as their limited range.But the nascent electric vehicle market may get a big boost if a new study from IMS Research proves on target. It predicts the number of EV charging stations will ...

Subaru only small SUV ranked 'good' on crash test  
Five popular crossover-utility vehicles failed the new overlap crash test designed to simulate an impact with a pole or other narrow object -- one of the most common sources of highway fatalities.Only the 2014 Subaru Forester passed the test, earning a “good” rating from the trade group the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport landed an “acceptable” rating.Re...

Subaru only CUV ranked 'good' on crash test  
Five popular crossover-utility vehicles failed the new overlap crash test designed to simulate an impact with a pole or other narrow object -- one of the most common sources of highway fatalities.Only the 2014 Subaru Forester passed the test, earning a “good” rating from the trade group the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport landed an “acceptable” rating.Re...

Used Fisker Karma EVs are the 'new Delorean' as prices tumble
As used car deals go, this is one to make you think twice. Used Fisker Karmas, which sold for $103,000 just a year ago as new models, are now being sold for roughly half price. In some cases, those trying to sell the luxury extended-range electric car on eBay cannot even get bids above $50,000. Just ask Bill Michlin, a dealer with the Fields Auto Group in the Chicago suburb of Glencoe. He just...

As auto sales rebound, so do repossessions
An increase in auto repossessions due to borrowers defaulting on their car loans is raising new questions about whether the auto industry is going too far selling new cars and trucks to those with subprime credit records. According to Experian Automotive, the percentage of auto repos in the first quarter jumped 16.9 percent, and the average charge-off for bad loans jumped more than $600 to $7,401....

Electric car maker Tesla defies skeptics
Bet against Tesla founder Elon Musk at your own peril. Just ask the short-sellers who predicted his Tesla Motors would be the next electric carmaker to short-circuit. Quite the opposite has happened. The California electric vehicle manufacturer reported this past week its first-ever profit of $11.2 million as sales of its Model S sedan outpaced even its own optimistic expectations. Tesla is promi...