NATION

NATION

Toyota Tundra chosen
as 2008 truck of the year

DETROIT — The full-size pickup Toyota Tundra is Motor Trend’s 2008 truck of the year, the magazine announced Tuesday.

Motor Trend’s editors said the Tundra is a match for Detroit rivals the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge Ram in dimensions and performance. The Silverado won the award a year ago.

Motor Trend named the new Cadillac CTS its 2008 car of the year last month and the 2008 Mazda CX-9 as its sport utility vehicle of the year in October.

Housing construction
continues to decline

WASHINGTON — Housing construction fell in November with single-family activity dropping to the lowest level in more than 16 years. Analysts said the recession in housing showed no signs of a turnaround.

The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that construction of new homes and apartments dropped by 3.7 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.187 million units.

Construction of single-family homes fell by 5.5 percent to an annual rate of 829,000 units. It was the eighth consecutive drop in single-family starts, pushing activity in this area to the lowest level since April 1991. Apartment building rose last month by 4.4 percent to an annual rate of 332,000 units.

Associated Press