2014 Impala outscores Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and others

The all-new 2014 Impala received high marks for its comfortable ride, agile handling and peppy acceleration, earning it the top spot as the highest-scoring sedan. Read all about it from USA Today usat.ly/17pQeJc

2014 Chevrolet Volt gets a $5,000 price cut

General Motors is cutting the Chevrolet Volt's price by $5,000. The sticker price on the 2014 Volt, which will arrive at dealerships this month, will be $34,995, including an $810 destination fee. That drops the effective price to $27,495, after applying the $7,500 federal tax credit for the plug-in hybrid. GM cited price competition as a key reason for the price drop.

GM also said it has made "great strides" in reducing the Volt's production cost, Chevy sales chief Don Johnson said in a statement, without quantifying the savings. GM executives have said that they expect to wring $5,000 to $10,000 out of the cost of the next-generation Volt, which isn't expected until 2015.

GM said the lower price would boost interest in the Volt by aligning it more closely with comparable vehicles in research by online shoppers. "Before, if you were going to price-shop a hybrid or a plug-in, the Volt didn't even show up because of price point," GM spokeswoman Michelle Malcho said. The lower price should put the Volt in more shoppers' search results, she said.

Many dealers were already selling the Volt at well below sticker. GM has been offering cash rebates of $4,000 on 2013 Volts since June, and $5,000 on 2012 models.

In July, the average U.S. transaction price for the Volt was $38,578 and the average incentive per unit was $10,489, TrueCar.com says. And since mid-2012, GM has run a stair-step program that awards dealers escalating bonuses as they hit factory-set sales targets. That has provided many dealers tens of thousands of dollars in bonus cash to defray the Volt's sticker price.

The Volt runs on battery power for a range of 38 miles before a 1.4-liter gasoline-powered generator kicks on to recharge the battery, giving the car an overall range of 380 miles on a full charge and a full tank of gasoline.

GM said 2014 models begin shipping from its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant today and will arrive in showrooms within a few weeks. The only changes from the '13 model are two new colors -- ashen gray metallic and brownstone metallic -- and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The Chevy Spark just got even more attractive! With a huge new price cut from GM, you can save on the 2014 Spark when you purchase it and for years to come with low fuel costs.