Auto Warranty News

Last week California’s Air Resources Board withdrew its stringent mandates for vehicles with zero-emissions, in favor of hybrids that are charged with main electricity.

California is the biggest and most important vehicle market in the world. In fact, over 2 million vehicles are purchased in the state every year. Consequently, the most new car warranties and auto loans are also sold there. Its pollution stance has had an influence on countries all over the world. For the last 18 years, the board has required GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and VW to up production and sales of zero-emissions cars.

Car manufacturers have tried to fight the rules, which are, and have been tough. They were developed originally to put out 25,000 zero-emissions vehicles between 2012 and 2014, however the board realized that this is an impractical goal. Now, carmakers have been offered a 70% cut in the original figure, with a new requirement to produce 7,500 zero-emissions cars.

In exchange, manufacturers must produce 58,000 hybrids that are plug-in in that same period of time. If they do this, they must in addition produce 25,000 zero-emission cars between 2015 and 2017.

Experian has just released its current statistics on used vehicles. They report an additional decline in sales last year. They are warning dealerships that 2008 may show little change because consumers are remaining cautious.

Although pre-owned vehicle sales have had an overall fall, older vehicles between 5-7 yrs old reported a sales increase of 3.3%. This is more of an increase than any of the other age groups.

The popularity of these older vehicles may be associated with the difficulty that motorists are experiencing when trying to get a loan from the bank. Also, consumers can pay less, either outright, or get a loan that is smaller.

In staying true to previous years, the SUV, MPV and sports vehicle segments have seen an increase in sales, despite the drop in all of the other segments.

In this tough economy people are cautious about purchasing any vehicle, new or used. Many people are opting to hold onto their older vehicles, and purchase an auto warranty to protect their tried and true.

Both electric powered cars, and enormous gas-guzzlers were displayed over the weekend at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway car show. Officials at the track said the display was “From Mean to Green.”

Electric cars were available, and even reasonably priced, leaving motorists with extra money to spend on an auto warranty and maintenance costs. For instance, there was the Zap. It can be found at dealerships all over the country for approximately $11,000. It travels at around 50 MPH and will ride on one charge for 20 miles. This is the sort of vehicle that is important to America’s future.

Also available at the Auto Fair were vehicles that were expensive and flashy. These cars keep their charge for about 100 miles, and are not very different from cars that operate on gas. The main difference is that they are much cheaper for motorists to drive. This allows drivers to spend money on a much needed auto warranty.

It can be quite a challenge to find a handicap-accessible vehicle to suit your needs.  Also, it can be nearly impossible to sort through newspapers and services online.  This is why Rick Shutes started HandicapAutoTrader.com.  He wanted to help people who are disabled find suitable vehicles.

HandicapAutoTrader.com is great for buyers and sellers.  People who want to buy can search available vehicles at no cost, and contact the website’s staff conveniently through email or phone.  Sellers are able to list their cars, with an addition of three images for free.

This website allows consumers to search cars according to the features that they desire.  In addition, you can search by categories, such as model, make, year, etc.  Also convenient is the feature, “Easy Compare Vehicles”.  This lets people compare vehicles side-by-side to get the features and price that they want.

As with any vehicle purchase, it is necessary to do your homework.  Make sure to research vehicles, used car warranties, and auto loans before making any decisions.  This will allow you to get the best deals.

Volkswagen is hoping that people can find their love of the small station wagon with their launch of the Sportwagen.  This will be available to car shoppers later this year in July.

According to VW executives, the new wagon derived from the Jetta has the appeal of a compact car, and yet sports a European flair.  This should give it some traction in the market, as drivers want to change to smaller wagons.  Consumers are trying to save money by purchasing small, efficient vehicles.  This allows people to spend their money on an auto warranty, and car maintenance.

The new Jetta wagon has many attractive features.  It offers a 2.5-liter automatic or five-speed, as well as a turbo four that has 200 hp in a six-speed Tiptronic automatic or manual.  Towards the later part of the summer the diesel engine TDI will be here.  It has a six-speed automatic that is dual-clutch, without paddle shifters that are common in other vehicles with the transmission.  You can also get a panoramic sunroof, and a Sirius satellite radio.  Depending on the trim level you pick, the car will run you $19,000 to $26,000.

Consumers can expect to see the VW Sportwagen in July.  As with any auto purchase, new car warranties should be purchased to protect your investment.  This will ensure drivers’ peace of mind.

For a very brief moment in 2007, General Motors was actually outsold by Toyota.  This occurred in the second quarter of the year, yet slipped back during the remainder of the year.  If Toyota hits its goal for production plans, it may take the lead again in 2008.

Is this a big deal?  Well, you may get different answers depending on who is asked.  CEO Katsuaki Watanabe at Toyota insists that they aren’t even paying attention.

As for GM, it has been the global leader in the industry for about three quarters of a century.  They have taken great pride in being at the top, but several senior executives at GM claim it no longer matters.  According to Bob Lutz, who is the Vice Chairman, it will help sell newspapers, but it won’t have an impact in their operations.    In fact, he claims that falling behind could be a good thing.

Whoever is at the top, one thing is for sure, Toyota and GM both make good vehicles.  Consumers are going to keep buying new cars, new car warranties, and auto loans, so they can find themselves behind the wheel of a new vehicle.

Volvo Cars of North America is coming out with the C30 R-design, limited edition, which will be available this month.  The price on this vehicle will be $25,700.

The C30 R-Design is a similar, yet outstanding version of the latest C30 hatchback.  This vehicle has the power to accompany its new, updated look.  The engine is 227-horsepower, and it puts out 236 ft per pound of torque.

This car comes in four colors- Titanium Grey, Black Sapphire, Passion red, and Orinoco Blue.  The interior of the vehicle is very sporty.  The seats are black flex-tech with a cream trim in leather.  Also trimmed in this leather are the shifter and steering wheel.  The stock pedals have also been replaced with sport ones.

Consumers are awaiting this vehicle model that provides the options for a Dynaudio sound system, and a navigation system based on DVD.  In addition, to spending money on new car warranties and maintenance, consumers are willing to shell out money for these latest technologies.

Ford Motor Company is doing research to develop two new technologies for safety belts.  This is a step that could greatly reduce injury in car crashes.

One of the safety belts that is a possibility is a four-point design that would incorporate a belt and suspenders system.  This is in lieu of the three-point seat belt that people are familiar with.  A second safety belt that is a possibility for the future has an air bag incorporated into the actual belt.

There are certain challenges technically that must be worked through in order for these safety systems to be useful, but this is a great beginning to what might one day be a safety enhancement.

Recent research with customers demonstrated to Ford that many consumers believe four-point safety belts are more comfortable and safer than three-point belts.  Consumers are becoming more and more concerned with issues such as safety, and new technologies.  Drivers are also becoming more responsible and purchasing an auto warranty to protect their vehicles that feature the latest advancements in technology.

General Motors’ goal is to get 1,000 vehicles in California that are hydrogen fuel cell between the years 2012 and 2014.  This is in an attempt to comply with California’s objective to get thousands of cars on the roads that are cleaner.

Currently, in Southern California GM has approximately 60 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles that are fuel cell.  They believe that the logical next step is to raise the scale to 1,000.  This way they will be close to meeting their share of the 7,500 zero emission vehicles California expects on the roadways between 2012 and 2014.

GM believes that if the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the roads increase, there would be more of a mainstream acceptance of these cars.  Also, people would see it as more viable financially by 2017.

Consumers will jump on board eventually if they see that hydrogen fuel cell cars are beneficial.  More people are becoming “green” and looking to save money on gas, new car warranties, and auto loans.

With the poor economy and gas prices nearing $4 per gallon, more people are concerned with buying fuel-efficient vehicles. People don’t want to waste money on gas.  In addition, consumers are more concerned with getting a good deal on an auto loan and an auto warranty.

Some people assume that only small cars are fuel-efficient, but there are several vehicles to choose from in every category.  The following is a list of cars that will help you save at the gas pump.

If you’re looking for a small car, you can’t beat the Honda Civic Hybrid.  Its sticker price is $22,600 and it gets 40 mpg in the city.  Not to mention it’s a sporty ride.

As far as midsize cars go, the Nissan Altima Hybrid is the best.  It costs $25,170 and gets 35 mpg in the city.

In the large cars category, the Lexus GS-450 Hybrid tops the list.  It is a smooth vehicle with a sticker price of $54,900.  In this car you will get 22 mpg in the city.

If a compact SUV is your flavor, you might want to try the Ford Escape Hybrid at $26,505.  This is a nice looking vehicle that gets 34 mpg in the city.

If you need more space, you might want a large SUV.  If this is the case, the best is the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid at $52,395.  It gets 20 mpg.

Whatever your needs may be, there is a vehicle out there that rates well for fuel-efficiency.  Consumers should do their research on new cars, new car warranties, and maintenance costs in order to make a wise auto purchase.