If you’re looking for a used car like the 2009 Pontiac G8 GT pictured above and were hoping for a deal, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. Used car prices hit a record high in April, as inventories are tight in the new car market and wholesale used-vehicle prices keep increasing. The domestic auto business is doing very well as evidenced by good news from auto retailers like AutoNation, so prices are going up all across the board.

Auto sales are set to jump in the coming years but will high gas prices put a strain on the auto recovery?

From CNN.com:

FORTUNE — It has been a dismal three-plus years for U.S. auto sales.

After a halcyon stretch early in the 2000s, when annual sales of cars and light trucks topped 16 million for nine straight years — and even poked above 17 million at times — they have been sharply depressed.

Sales tumbled to 13.2 million in 2008 and then fell all the way to 10.4 million in 2009, helping to send General Motors and Chrysler into bankruptcy.

Since then, sales have improved slightly, recovering to 11.6 million last year — but still well below long-term trends.

Now, in a surprisingly upbeat forecast, economist George Magliano of HIS Global Insight sees better times ahead — much better, in fact.

Read the full article.

News flash! Another dumb idea from GM! The brain trust at GM have apparently decided against selling the all new Chevy Orlando in the U.S. because they want to focus on “other” Chevy products??? OK, So GM is calling this new stylish and sensible vehicle a “minivan” and guess what? 1.) GM/Chevy have no minivan for sale in the U.S. 2.) GM/Chevy have no other vehicle with 3 rows that compares to the Orlando 3.) With gas prices likely to rise soon the Orlando (which is off the same platform as the Volt and Cruze will get close to 35mpg on the highway) would be a home run in the U.S.

Oh well, I guess GM/Chevy are happy with losing market share to other companies like Ford and Hyundai so keep one of the better new products to come out of their stable in awhile and sell it basically everywhere but the U.S.

From AutoGuide.com:

The Chevrolet Orlando crossover will not be sold in the United States after all. In an interview with Bloomberg, Margaret Brooks, GM’s product marketing director for small cars and crossovers said that “The best thing to do for Chevrolet is to focus on the brands we’ve already brought to market: the Traverse, Equinox, Malibu and, soon to come, the Cruze.”

Read the full article here.

Apart from this crisis, the auto industry is facing challenges rearding energy as well. Summer gas prices convinced many that our addiction to oil must be addressed, and looming climate change is also driving policy changes. Fortunately, significant progress has been made on hybrids, including plug-in hybrids, that might change the auto industry in ways not imagined just several years ago.

Yet even with all these problems, many of us still love cars. We’ll be addressing the tough issues facing the auto industry, but we’ll also bring you reviews and stories covering the great new vehicles being produced around the world.