Its Shop Time Mondays: Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, Ford And GMC Are In The Hot Seat

If you have your 17 Digit VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), click here to see if there is a recall on your vehicle.
1. Temporary Loss of Electric Power Steering (EPS)

If EPS assist is lost and then suddenly returns, the driver may have difficulty steering the vehicle, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V586000

Manufacturer General Motors LLC

Components STEERING

Potential Number of Units Affected 1,015,918

The Battle Of The Flagship Plug-In Hybrids: 2018 BMW 740e AWD VS 2018 S90 T8 E AWD Inscription

Highlights: The BMW 740e and Volvo S90 T8 e, which are flagship cars for their respective brands, are powered by both gasoline and electricity. The BMW and Volvo plug-in hybrids are only available in an all wheel drive configuration.

BMW 740e AWD MSRP: $99,845 (Base Price: $91,695)

Volvo S90 T8 e AWD MSRP: $82,140 (Base Price: $64,645)

Seating Capacity: 5

Five Year Analysis: Hybrid Market Share Remains Stagnant As More Automakers Play In This Segment

To increase the size of the above chart, click on the photo.

At one point, hybrids were supposed to be the answer to today's rising gas prices. As consumers hit a threshold of becoming quite uncomfortable with paying what consumers perceived to be higher gas prices, consumers trade-in and switch to hybrids and alternative vehicles. However, with most gasoline models being so fuel-efficient today, hybrids currently account for 3 percent of the new-vehicle market, so far this year based on the first quarter of 2014. 

Consumer Alert: Six Myths About Electric Cars And Plug-In Vehicles

Automakers are scrambling to find an alternative to today's unpredictable gas prices by replacing them with more fuel-efficient rides like hybrids and electric vehicles. While these alternative fuel vehicles represent less than 3 percent of total new-vehicle sales, before taking the plunge here are five questions you should ask yourself:

1. Hybrids always achieve higher gas mileage than gasoline vehicles. While hybrids like the Toyota Prius achieve a combined 50 mpg, that is not always the case with all hybrids. For instance, Subaru offers a XV Crosstrek in a hybrid and a gasoline configuration. Subaru's hybrid achieves a combined 31 mpg, as opposed to their gasoline model which garners 28 mpg. With such a dismal difference in the mpg of the XV Crosstrek, it doesn't justify the price difference to invest in  the XV Crosstrek hybrid. Before buying a hybrid, we recommend visiting fueleconomy.gov to compare the mpg. Over a five-year period, buyers will only save about $750 in fuel costs. Ironically, the XV Crosstrek hybrid stickers for about $4,000 more than a comparable gasoline model. Although hybrids are designed for city driving and stop-and-go traffic, there are gasoline models like the Nissan Altima that can achieve 38 mpg in highway driving.
2. All hybrids are priced the same as their gasoline equals. Most hybrids are priced significantly higher than their non hybrid counterparts. The higher price tag is due to the additional cost of the hybrid battery and other components. In a rare move, the folks at Lincoln have decided to absorb the additional expense of their MKZ hybrid, making it the same price as their 4-cylinder gasoline MKZ. The MKZ gas model achieves about 26 mpg, whereas the MKZ hybrid achieves 45 mpg.

What Is The Real 3-Year Value: Hybrid Vs. Plug-In Hybrid?

Source: Automotive Leasing Guide

While today's hybrids and their plug-in counterparts are packed with a premium price, because of the additional costs required to operate. Consumers can also expect for the non plug-in hybrids to carry a slightly lower three-year residual value, in comparison to more fuel efficient plug-in hybrids, which costs significantly more than a non plug-in hybrid.

By the way, the 3-year residual value, let's buyers know what the vehicles will be worth on the used car market a few years down the road.