Archive for August, 2008

Recently, J.D. Power and Assoc. revealed that Toyota is the best car company when it comes to keeping its customers coming back for more.  Their data also shows that GM comes in second place in this category. Among recent shoppers of new vehicles who have owned a Toyota, Lexus, or Scion, 69% bought another car […]

Do you feel apprehensive about shopping for a new car?  Are you worried you don’t know enough about financing and new car warranties?  Or that you will say something that will give the dealer the upper hand in negotiations?  Car shopping doesn’t have to be stressful.  Here are some things that you shouldn’t tell a […]

Why do people buy sports cars?  They aren’t designed to be practical, they are designed for fun.  They are available in different models, such as hatchbacks and two-seat roadsters.  Most models have very little cargo space, while others provide rear cargo room that is ample.  If you’re looking to purchase a sports car, here are […]

When people are renting cars from companies like Hertz and Enterprise, they are now asking for a hybrid.  To meet demands, the rental car industry is adding more and more hybrids to fleets. In the next several months, Enterprise will have a hybrid fleet of 5,000, while Hertz, is planning to add 2,400 hybrids to […]

When the Toyota Highlander was redesigned for 2008, it only had a V-6 drivetrain, and defended it by claiming that people wanting four-cylinders would instead buy a RAV4. Apparently, that has all changed. With fuel prices through the roof, it seems like a smart move to have a four-cylinder Highlander. The new 2.7-liter four-cylinder comes […]

Brake pad vibrations that result in a high-pitched noise are the cause of brake squeal.  When pads don’t have proper insulation from the caliper, vibration occurs.  The factory will equip brake pads with insulator shims, clips, and even a silicone backing that allows the pad to stay glued to the caliper.  This helps to prevent […]

People are always asking their dealership service departments, “Isn’t that repair covered by my auto warranty?”  A lot of motorists make the assumption that an auto warranty covers all kinds of repairs regardless of important things, such as environmental conditions, car mileage, and maintenance requirements. What many people don’t realize is that an auto warranty […]

Don’t purchase a pre-owned car without first having it looked at by an independent mechanic.  It is hard to know the true state of a pre-owned car until you have a professional examine it.  You don’t want to find out after you buy a car that you bought a lemon. If you leave a photo […]

Now, people search the Internet to purchase cars, an auto warranty, and car loans.  One great resource for this is Autoopia, or autoopia.com.  This is a new search engine that has revolutionized the way that people search for cars, just like Google revolutionized the way in which people make general searches.  The people who created […]

What do you get if the “hybrid” is taken out of a hybrid pickup truck?  In the case of GM, you get the XFE, or Xtra Fuel Economy pickup trucks that are full size.  These trucks share a lot of running gear and hardware with their hybrid counterparts; however, the exception is the two mode […]