Autos
*Toyota is raising the U.S. price of its Prius hybrid by $500 for 2009. That’s an increase of 2.2 percent, putting base prices at $22,000 to $24,270. On other 2009 Toyota and Scion models, price increases will average $181.
*Saab is shortening the warranty on its 2009 U.S. models. The General Motors unit will go to a four-year/50,000-mile powertrain warranty from the five-year, 100,000-mile coverage on other GM brands. But Saab will continue to offer free scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles.
Leasing
*To reduce the 60 percent of its U.S. sales that come from leases, BMW is offering buyers 0.9 percent loans for up to five years, says spokesman Jan Ehlen. The company also raised its lease prices an average of 3 percent, May 1. BMW began its push after booking first-quarter costs of $373 million because of bad debts and lower values of vehicles in the U.S. after leases expire.
*Chase Auto Finance has stopped financing leases for Chrysler vehicles. Spokeswoman Mary Kay Bean says the unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co. will continue to make loans for retail sales with Chrysler’s dealers. This comes as Chrysler took its own financial arm out of the leasing business last month.
*GMAC Financial Services has ended leasing incentives in Canada though it will continue them at least through August in the U.S. The firm, owned by Cerberus Capital Management and GM, still will offer standard-rate leases in Canada.
Lakes
*House and Senate committees have approved a compact to prevent the diversion of water from the Great Lakes. Lawmakers are acting quickly on the legislation unveiled last week. The compact among eight states prohibits remote states or countries from tapping into the lakes from their natural drainage basin.
FYI
*Progressive Corp. is offering drivers insurance rates based on how they drive. A monitoring device tells the insurer when people drive, how many miles, how fast they accelerate and how often they hit the brakes. Customers can earn a first-term discount of up to 10 percent for signing up. When they renew, their rate could decline up to 60 percent, or it could rise up to 9 percent.
*Sesser, Ill., has passed an ordinance that lets golf carts and similar vehicles with steering wheels on city streets. The golf-cart drivers can’t ride on sidewalks or state roads and are limited to 25 m.p.h. They will need a $35 annual permit, must be inspected and have safety features, including headlights and a horn.
People
*Margaret Ray Ringenberg, a World War II pilot from Indiana who continued to fly, died last week of natural causes. Ringenberg, 87, of Ft. Wayne was in Oshkosh, Wis., for the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture (this sentence as published has been corrected in this text). She ferried military planes across the country during World War II before serving as a flight instructor and competing in numerous races. Ringenberg and her co-pilot finished third in June’s 2,312-mile women-only Air Race Classic between Bozeman, Mont., and Mansfield, Mass.
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Quick Trips are compiled from the notebook of Rick Popely and from Tribune news services.
