Locally, AAA Says, Gasoline Prices Cheaper Than Before

POTTSTOWN PA – Drivers filling their cars’ gasoline tanks across Lower Pottsgrove, Limerick, Pottstown and elsewhere in Pennsylvania generally are paying 21 to 33 cents less per gallon this month than they did a year ago, the East Penn chapter of the American Automobile Association reported Tuesday (July 3, 2012).

The Allentown PA-based AAA office said the average price for self-serve regular unleaded gasoline in the greater Philadelphia market was $3.406 per gallon, 26.3 cents lower than the price during the same period last year, and even 22.9 cents lower than a month ago. The reason: cheap crude oil stemming from economic concerns both in the U.S. and abroad since April.

At least one adjacent market saw a bigger price drop. In the Lehigh Valley, north of Pottstown on Route 100, the average pump price per gallon now is $3.257, more than 14 cents lower than the local cost and down almost 23 cents from last month and 33 cents from last year.

In other automotive news this week:

• TRW’s Active Seat Belt Presenter Aids Driver Comfort
  New technology helps drivers more easily grab their seat belts as they buckle-up. The system, according to its manufacturer, is particularly good for elderly or less mobile passengers.
• “Made In” America More Important To Car Shoppers Than “Made By” U.S. Manufacturer
  According to a study from AutoTrader.com, 41 percent of car shoppers recently surveyed say it’s important to buy a vehicle built in the U.S. by U.S. workers, than to buy one made by a U.S. automaker.
• Auto Manufacturer Sponsorship of Motorsports Continues to Influence New Vehicle Purchases
  Sixteen percent of car buyers who attended a motorsports racing event said it significantly or completely influenced the choice of vehicle they bought, according to statistics from a recent national survey.

And, watch a video (above) from Autobytel.com that showcases three new vehicles from Hyundai for 2012: the Elantra Coupe, the Elantra GT, and the Veloster Turbo … or see it at Autobytel’s YouTube channel.