ford focus

The average Facebook user spends more than eight hours a month on the site, and many of us spend much, much more. What you might not realize is how much actual spending all that social networking leads to.

U.S. car sales just hit their highest level in four years, and that's good news for economy watchers. Falling unemployment, more cooperative lenders, and rising consumer confidence all contributed to the boom. So if you're looking to buy, what does this all mean for you?

Not long ago, each time gas prices shot up and car buyers turned to more fuel-efficient models, the Detroit automakers would get hammered. Their lineups favored gas-hogs, and their smaller models left much to be desired. Oh, how times have changed.

Upstart automaker Tesla Motors confirmed this week that its groundbreaking Model S, an all-electric luxury-sports sedan, was on track to enter production by this summer. It already has pre-orders for more than 8,000. Is the moment coming soon when electric cars go mainstream?

The soaring price of gas in recent years has made hybrid cars more attractive with each trip to the pump. But before you drive a hybrid off the lot, consider new findings from the Union of Concerned Scientists, which show that many hybrid models don't save consumers as much money or fuel as they might expect.

Higher gas prices and a demand for smaller used cars -- like the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla -- has driven up the price that dealerships are willing to pay for trade-ins to the highest they've been in at least 16 years, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association's used...

Toughened fuel economy standards and engineering know-how are making 40 miles per gallon on the highway the new 30. It wasn't so long ago that boasting 30 mpg on the highway for small cars seemed like enough to paint a car "green." But many new vehicles are hitting 40 mpg and beyond without...

An iffy economy and high unemployment rate make a flock of new vehicles priced below $20,000 well timed for their 2011 debuts. At the North American International Auto Show, concluding in Detroit today, Jan. 23, and at the Chicago Auto Show, held Feb. 11-20, budget vehicles are the stars. Fiat...

Ford Motor Co. says it will begin rolling out its fuel-saving start-stop system, already in use on several models in Europe, on some 2012 North American cars and light trucks with four-cylinder engines. The most likely initial vehicles include the 2012 Ford Fiesta and Focus cars, Escape crossover,...

WalletPop takes a look at what happens when good brands make bad moves -- and consumer outcry follows. Oops! We guess Gap learned the hard way that you don't mess with a good thing. Last month, it unveiled a new "more contemporary, modern expression" (pictured at right) of its much-loved classic...