Two Used Tires 205 65 16 on 2040-parts.com

Higher gas prices? Blame ethanol

MarketWatch reported today that the price of ethanol has seen a 30-percent price increase so far this year, taking the price of gasoline up with it, since a good majority of "gasoline" sold today is around 10 percent ethanol. The average price of a gallon of gas today is $2.30, according to FactSet data, but this has varied since the beginning of 2014. Despite the recent surge, ethanol prices have also proved to be rather volatile with reports of it dropping 8 percent this past Thursday after falling 10 percent just the day before.

Scion considers moving upscale

Toyota's struggling Scion brand may move upscale to challenge entry-level luxury models coming from European automakers. The new lower-luxury niche includes Mini, the front-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz CLA arriving this fall and Audi's compact A3 sedan shown last week on the eve of the New York auto show. Scion has gone after young entry-level buyers since its inception 10 years ago but has lost its early momentum.

Toyota wins unintended-acceleration case

Toyota secured a legal victory on Friday against the landslide of unintended-acceleration claims that have dogged the company for more than a year. A jury in New York found in favor of Toyota, rejecting claims of a driver who said a floor mat was the cause of his 2005 crash in a Scion tC. The jury took 45 minutes to reach the verdict after a weeklong trial in federal court.