Is Big Oil To Blame For High Gas Prices?
Big Oil gets a lot of grief over high gas prices - but what about Big Government?Motor fuels taxes account for some 22 percent or so of the current per-gallon cost of gasoline in this country. This is arguably both regressive (because it hits people with low and moderate incomes harder than it does the well-heeled) as well as disproportionate - since the amount of tax is very high relative to the actual cost of the item being taxed.
New Car Review: 2007 VW GTI
The new VW GTI is very much like the original in every respect but one. It's no longer cheap thrills.At least, not if you aren't careful with the options.
The base hatchback coupe starts at $22,100 with the six-speed manual gearbox; $22,600 for the hatchback sedan. Add the optional 18-inch rims ($750), body kit ($1,650) and Sirius satellite radio and you're already up to about $25k. My test vehicle was well into the $30k range with GPS, sunroof, climate control AC, "Top Level" sport seats with leather trim and heated washer nozzles.
Why Toyota's Number One
Circa 1977, General Motors was selling around 300,000 Camaros and Firebirds per year. And these were "specialty" cars - not mass market family-type cars. The best selling car in the United States was an Oldsmobile - the Cutlass. GM sold even more of those. It owned close to 60 percent of the entire U.S. automobile market.Toyota was, at best, a bit player - purveyor of funny-looking econo-boxes with strange names like Corona.
The Un-American Way to Save Money On Your Next New Car
People are spending unprecedented sums on cars these days - close to $30k, on average, for a mid-sized SUV, mid-priced minivan or "entry-luxury" sedan. That's fine - if you don't mind (and can afford) a $500 or more per month liability in order to drive around a depreciating asset that won't be worth half its original sticker price by the time you've paid it off. (If real estate worked like that, we'd all be in the poorhouse.)No slam on new cars - just a reality check.
