July 26th, 2008 by Hal Moses
If you ask a woman if she would like to buy a Dodge Viper, chances are she will say “noâ€. This car is a V-10 two seater that starts at approximately $80,000. Although this may not be a woman’s cup of tea, studies show that many men would like to have this car. Like many other aspects of life, men and women seem to have very different tastes, and cars are no exception.
Men and women buy the Viper, but 91% of customers are men. The Porsche 911 and BMW M5 are also cars being bought primarily by males. These models costs above $60,000. Studies show that men often equate their car with their image. In other words, they choose cars that will portray a certain status.
What cars do women like? The #1 choice is the Toyota RAV4. Women like to purchase small, affordable cars that are easy to buy. For example, the Saturn SC, SL, and ION are popular choices for women. These cars start at around $10,000 and have a reputation of being “no hassle†when it comes to buying.
It is obvious that women and men think very differently in lots of areas, cars included. Men like to buy the fast, impressive cars, whereas women purchase the inexpensive, small cars. The only common ground that these cars have is that they are backed by an auto warranty.
July 26th, 2008 by Hal Moses
Modern vehicles are skillfully designed to be sophisticated and elegant. New cars have dashboards with innovative technology that have motorists in awe. This technology benefits drivers, as long as they know how the various functions work. Yet, how many people actually know all of the operations of these switches and controls?
When a driver gets behind the wheel, he needs to be one with his machine. Motorists tend to think of driving as an overly simple task. Sometimes we assume drivers just have to perform movements that are elementary, however, there is more to driving. To become a defensive driver you must become aware of the functions and operations of the instruments before you ever put the car in gear.
It’s risky to search for buttons or dials while you’re driving because it distracts you from watching the road. To avoid this you should go over a list of operations before driving. For example, turn knobs and flick switches in sequence.
Enjoy the technology in new cars, but operate the functions before you get on the road. In order to prevent accidents, educate yourself ahead of time. Of course, new technology is never a sure thing; so make sure you purchase an auto warranty to cover you.
July 26th, 2008 by Hal Moses
Car accidents are always unnerving and happen unexpectedly. An accident leaves motorists feeling shocked and stunned, and often, they don’t know what to do next. Here are some important steps to take in this situation.
First, make sure everyone is OK, and if not place a 911 call. Also, always contact the police and then place a call to your road service program.
Next, call your insurance agent. They can inform you about what information to exchange with the other motorist, and help you survey the scene. Be aware that you shouldn’t admit fault at the scene of the accident, the insurance companies will determine this.
Also, make sure to read the information in your insurance policy, so you file your claim within the specified time limit. Often, if the vehicle damage exceeds $750 you need to file a SR1 form, which can be found on the DMV website of the state that you live in.
It is always scary to be involved in a vehicle accident, but unfortunately it happens to all of us at one point or another. It is essential to know what to do in this instance. To alleviate stress, have all important documents ready, such as your insurance policy and auto warranty.
July 25th, 2008 by Hal Moses
An accelerating driver trend from SUVs and pickup trucks to small fuel-efficient cars will help reduce rollovers, but experts on safety are worried that a smaller fleet presents serious health risks, despite anti-collision systems, air bags, and other safety advances.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which measures the performance of cars in crash tests, shifting to small cars is going to make problems worse. They claim that people are better off in a vehicle that is bigger, not smaller.
U.S. carmakers have been distressed and are therefore retooling plants in Latin America, Europe, and around the world to get more compact cars to Americans in upcoming years and try to meet federal standards on fuel economy that are tougher.
At least 40,000 motorists are killed on roads in America annually in traffic accidents. Approximately three-quarters of these people are from passenger vehicles and two-thirds of them from cars.
Consumers are concerned with saving auto costs, such as car prices, auto warranty prices, and gas costs, yet safety needs to be their #1 concern.
July 25th, 2008 by Hal Moses
Motorists have been able to enjoy car insurance rates that have been low for several years, but now that is all changing.
According to Insurance.com, which is a car insurance agency online, in Illinois and Missouri, rates went up 3.8% from April to June.
A vehicle owner in Missouri who paid $1,569 per year now has to pay $1,629. A car owner in Illinois who previously paid $1,512 now has to pay $1,570.
Illinois and Missouri were two of ten states that have had the largest increase in car premiums, according to the study.
Throughout the nation, this was the second quarter in a row for rate increases, which shows the trend of steady or falling car rates has reversed.
Insurance companies must pay fixed costs, so when motorists can’t afford to sign up for policies, insurers have to keep their profits up by decreasing benefits, increasing existing customers’ rates, and increasing deductibles. Consumers are already paying many auto costs, such as used car warranties, maintenance, and high gas prices, so high insurance rates are going to hit Americans hard.
July 25th, 2008 by Hal Moses
What a pleasant surprise. A sensible, simple, enjoyable vehicle equipped with all-wheel drive, good fuel-efficiency, a comfortable interior, and a nice amount of people space, all with the addition of an auto warranty.
This is what you will find in the Subaru Impreza. Generally, this car hasn’t been a frontrunner when shoppers are considering purchasing a small vehicle, however, now the Impreza is a smarter choice than many of its competitors. In fact, it makes more sense than ever.
It is not because it is unbelievable in fuel-efficiency, however it does pretty well, but because this car will give you a lot of vehicle for an excellent price. All of those cars that are popular as fuel-efficient cars, such as the Civic and Corolla seem pricey now that gasoline costing $4 per gallon has lighted such a high demand for them. And with the Impreza you get AWD, which you don’t with the others.
It is hard to beat the amount of car you get for your money with the Impreza, complete with new car warranties. You’ll find this car to be a simple car without all of the fuss and complications, a pleasant surprise.
July 24th, 2008 by Hal Moses
Recently, the California Secretary of State signed a new regulation that requires all new vehicles being sold in the state to have a sticker stating their environmental impact. In the past, consumers have only been concerned with such things as sticker prices and an auto warranty. But now, motorists have more information to compare.
These labels are already being seen on some car models and will be on all vehicles by the 2009 model year.
The stickers will allow consumers to have the necessary information to choose a vehicle that burns cleaner; carmakers will be expected to give the correct information to the Environmental Protection Agency.
This system will require two scores: one is a rating for smog and the other is for carbon dioxide. Both scores will be rated on a scale of 1-10. Vehicles that are cleaner burning and more fuel-efficient will have higher scores because they will have less of an environmental impact.
Providing these labels on cars will allow consumers to have important information needed in choosing a car that will reduce emissions, fight smog, and help save on gas.
July 24th, 2008 by Hal Moses
Many people claim to love the smell of a new car. However, the chemicals that gives cars that new smell may be harmful and have been known to cause long-term health issues. However, consumers now have a guide that will aid them in figuring out the cars that are the safest.
An advocacy group in Michigan, called The Ecology Center, recently published a guide about toxic chemicals in vehicles and child seats on Tuesday.
The report deals with harmful substances, such as chlorine, bromine, heavy metals and lead. The Ecology Center got samples of parts that people touch the most, such as center consoles, steering wheels, and seat fronts.
The investigation determined that there are top healthier cars from Smart, Acura, BMW, Chevrolet, Toyota and Honda. Some cars that created high concern were by Suzuki, Mitsubishi, VW, BMW, Mazda, Lincoln, Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Kia.
Consumers are becoming more and more concerned with car safety issues. They are taking precautions, such as doing research on new cars, and purchasing cars with added safety features, and new car warranties.
July 24th, 2008 by Hal Moses
General Motors may have fallen behind on the technology of the hybrid, but it is going to be competitive with the new electric car generation.
Tuesday, GM made an announcement that they will become partners with the Electric Power Research Institute, which is representative of at least 30 utilities, to speed up the commercialization of electric cars that are plug-in. This was announced in San Jose, California at Plug-In Conference.
NYSE: GM has a plant in Tonawanda, which is planning to put out the Chevrolet Volt by 2010 and has announced a grant by the Department of Energy for a demo plan of the Saturn Vue Plug-in Hybrid.
This partnership will tackle challenges, such as electric grid capacity, the standardization of grids, and educating people about electric vehicles. Having utility companies associated with this will be important in getting technical standards universal.
Consumers are becoming more and more willing to purchase hybrid cars with new car warranties. The high gas prices are making motorists look to alternative vehicles.
July 22nd, 2008 by Hal Moses
In Bowling Green, KY, GM just unveiled a six-figure Corvette. This is at a time when gas prices are at an all time high, and the economy has hit people hard. People just want to protect their wallets by having reliable, fuel-efficient vehicles with an auto warranty. So, is this the right time to introduce high-end vehicles?
Many people consider a car such as the Corvette to be a dream vehicle. It is a luxury vehicle with a price tag of upwards of $100,000.
This latest Corvette comes at a time when sales at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant have seen a decline of 12%, which has forced GM to look for ways that they can reduce their production costs, keep their customers, and remain competitive.
According to Paul Graham who is the manager at the plant, no product is immune from a potential downturn. This is why they aren’t taking the Corvette for granted; they are improving it to keep customers wanting to buy it.
The consumers purchasing this dream car aren’t concerned with costs such as gas and new car warranties; they just want to get their dream car. In fact, many people save all of their life to be able to buy one.