“Penske Truck Leasing to sell used trucks on eBay - Raleigh News & Observer” plus 4 more

Penske Truck Leasing to sell used trucks on eBay - Raleigh News & Observer
Penske Truck Leasing to Sell Used Trucks on eBay Motors - Biloxi Sun Herald
Penske Truck Leasing to begin selling used commercial trucks on eBay ... - Morning Call
Best bang-for-the-buck cars - WTVF
No suspects in stolen truck crash - Craig Daily Press

Penske Truck Leasing to sell used trucks on eBay - Raleigh News & Observer

Posted: 19 Aug 2009 07:47 AM PDT

READING, Pa. -- Penske Truck Leasing Co. will begin selling used commercial trucks through the auction Web site eBay, the company said Wednesday.

Penske Truck Leasing - a joint-venture between Penske Corp., Penske Automotive Group and General Electric Co. - said truck shoppers will be able to bid on a full-range of trucks, including utility trucks, buses and sedans, on the eBay Motors site.

The company will also offer financing options to buyers through the auction site.

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Penske Truck Leasing to Sell Used Trucks on eBay Motors - Biloxi Sun Herald

Posted: 19 Aug 2009 06:14 AM PDT

"Innovation and entrepreneurship are part of our DNA at Penske Truck Leasing," said Jack Mitchell, Vice President - Remarketing, Penske Truck Leasing. "Leveraging this new sales channel and being among the first major truck leasing companies in our industry to bring used truck sales direct to the retail market via eBay Motors exemplifies this."

Through the eBay Motors store, Penske also offers customers comprehensive financing options within a few business days through a partnership with netLoan and the option to add an extended warranty from National Truck Protection, the largest independent used truck warranty company in North America.

For a complete listing of used trucks for wholesale and retail purchase, visit www.PenskeUsedTrucks.com. Penske is a top commercial vehicle reseller. In 2008, it sold more than 23,000 used trucks, tractors and trailers, primarily to wholesalers, original equipment manufacturers and corporate fleets.

Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P., headquartered in Reading, Pa., is a joint venture among Penske Corporation, Penske Automotive Group and General Electric. A leading global transportation services provider, Penske operates more than 200,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 1,000 locations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Product lines include full-service truck leasing, contract maintenance, commercial and consumer truck rentals, transportation and warehousing management, and supply chain management solutions. Visit www.GoPenske.com to learn more about the company and its products and services.

SOURCE Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P.

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Penske Truck Leasing to begin selling used commercial trucks on eBay ... - Morning Call

Posted: 19 Aug 2009 07:19 AM PDT

By Associated Press

9:49 a.m. EDT, August 19, 2009

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Best bang-for-the-buck cars - WTVF

Posted: 19 Aug 2009 07:11 AM PDT

By Hannah Elliott

The BMW 3-Series sets the standard in premium performance sedans. So far this year, it has sold twice as many units as the next-best-selling car in its class and is BMW's overall best-selling model.

But is it the "ultimate driving machine"? Perhaps not. Jake Fisher, senior automotive engineer for Consumer Reports, thinks there's something out there that can beat it.

A Slideshow: Top Cars, Head-To-Head

"The Infiniti G37 is awesome," Fisher says. "What's funny about it is that it really competes with the cars that everyone knows about, the 3-Series and all that stuff, but it's cheaper and more powerful and more reliable and just awesome in general."

The $33,250 G37 isn't the only underappreciated car out there. In our match-ups of some of the hottest cars for sale this year, we found surprising winners in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Audi Q5 crossover, to name just two. The Q5 barely surpasses the long-standing Lexus RX 350 when it comes to handling and amenities; the Genesis coupe solidly beats Pontiac's Solstice coupe by virtue of its power, speed and fuel-efficiency.

Behind the Numbers

To determine the vehicles for our list, we chose top-selling models in several segments and paired them with well-known competitors. When evaluating specs, we used the base model of each car and, when available, the manual-transmission option. We took into account extras like leather seats, sunroofs, satellite radio, fog lights and the like if they were offered as standard features. We also evaluated the handling and performance of each vehicle based on our own test-drives and input from experts at Consumer Reports and NADA Guides, a California-based automotive information and research company.

The Consumer Reports "recommended" rating indicates the vehicle received the highest marks for safety, performance, reliability, owner satisfaction, comfort and fuel economy. Performance ratings include tests for acceleration, transmission, routine handling, emergency handling, braking and headlights.

While the $22,000 Toyota Prius was clearly superior in our match-up against the $19,800 Honda Insight in every way (including the most important element for hybrids, fuel economy), such distinction between other contenders was more difficult to make.

Take the $21,565 Ford F-150 pickup, for instance. It sold 36,327 units last month, down a better than average 19% from June 2008, and has been the best-selling truck in the U.S. for three decades. It was the overall top-selling vehicle in the nation last month, beating both the Toyota Camry and the Honda Civic. In its upper trim levels, the chocolate leather seats, navigation system and satellite radio make it more like a car than a truck, says Mike Caudill, an automotive expert for NADA Guides.

"The Ford F-150 Platinum Edition is unbelievable on the inside," Caudill says. "These things used to be hard trucks -- rough suspension, no creature comforts, cloth seats -- and this thing was so beautiful on the inside I forgot at times I was in a truck."

Not to be outdone, the $19,375 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is the second-best-selling truck and the sixth-best-selling vehicle overall in the U.S. last month. It sold 27,617 units in June, down just 16% from last year. Both the Silverado and Ford are down 32% in year-to-date sales.

The Silverado beats the F-150 on several fronts: towing capacity, cargo volume and fuel efficiency. Both trucks received "recommended" ratings from Consumer Reports, although the F-150 has higher scores for handling and braking. For someone with no prior brand loyalties, it's a toss-up between the two, Caudill says.

The bottom line: There's no use arguing with a Chevy guy that Ford is better, or vice versa. They're both good trucks.

Muscling Up

Another common match-up is in the muscle class, and a hot comparison right now is between the $22,245 Chevrolet Camaro, which led the segment last month, and the $20,995 Ford Mustang. Needless to say, it's a contest that runs deep in Motown history.

"Americans' love for blue jeans and Ford Mustangs and Camaros is just never going to die," Caudill says. "It's a part of who we are. It's part of our chemistry."

The contest is a tough one to call. In general, the Camaro is more beastly than the Mustang: It's wider, tougher to coax around corners, faster and more expensive. It's ideal for cruising. The Mustang, however, is more nimble, lighter and handles better, with an unmistakable roar beloved by generations of car buffs. The Mustang received the "recommended" seal of approval from Consumer Reports; the Camaro has yet to be fully tested.

"On the Camaro, they hit a home run on the styling -- people love that car," Caudill says. But in his opinion, the Mustang's longevity, originality, performance and iconic design are superior.

Rob Callender, trends director at TRU, a Chicago-based research firm that focuses on teenagers, agrees. The $2,000 difference between the two cars isn't insignificant, he adds: "The Mustang is not necessarily super new anymore, but the redesign was very popular. It's got a really nice sporty but distinctive look to it. It's fairly affordable, so that's what gives it its edge."

And in this economy, two grand can make all the difference.

A Slideshow: Top Cars, Head-To-Head

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No suspects in stolen truck crash - Craig Daily Press

Posted: 18 Aug 2009 10:57 PM PDT

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An investigation into a reported auto theft and accident is ongoing, Craig Police Department officials said. Shortly after 11 p.m. Aug. 12, a green Chevy truck crashed into the side of Al Cashion's house at Sandrock Drive and Barclay Street ...