Archive for August, 2008

As the carmakers around the world race to build electric cars, North America isn’t prepared in regards to mining the battery material and producing batteries. North America doesn’t have a hearty supply base for the market.  In fact, South America provides over half of the required lithium for batteries.  In about a decade, approximately 40% […]

Many motorists wonder what it actually means for a car to be considered “clean”.  The new Jetta TDI is a prime example.  This car will use a new fuel that is an ultra-low sulfur diesel.  It used to be that diesel fuel contained large amounts of sulfur, which harmed devices like catalytic converters that are […]

The national average cost for fuel in June and July was just over $4 per gallon, fueling a trend in small, fuel-efficient cars.  However, motorists’ focuses on small cars in now shifting as fuel prices are dropping. In fact, data shows that small vehicle trends are leveling off, and there is a reclaimed interest in […]

With the fall term approaching, college students are seeking out the perfect vehicle to drive to college.  And while it isn’t hard to find a great looking car, it takes a lot of research to find a vehicle high in fuel-efficiency, reliability, and safety, with a low sticker price and a good auto warranty.  Here […]

Ford Motor Co. recently made a promise that its new compact and sub-compact cars, which are due in 2010, will exceed the industry average in quality. According to Bennie Fowler, the Ford VP of Global Quality, the carmaker will maintain its “things gone wrong” at approximately 800 for every 1,000 cars. This would be around […]

With the average fuel prices at around $4 a gallon, many motorists are opting to trade in their big vehicles for small fuel-efficient models and purchase new car warranties. But, while that is a smart goal, it could cost you more in owner costs if you switch too early. It makes sense that motorists want […]

Shopping for insurance isn’t as easy as many people make it out to be. In fact, it requires a lot of effort to shop for the best deal. Consumers need to compare not just the price, but coverage details and exclusions. You don’t want to discover after a claim is filed that your policy with […]

Many drivers don’t know if they should be using regular or synthetic oil in their vehicles. To determine the answer you need to consider the age of your car, it’s mileage, and what is recommended by the carmaker. Cars that have high mileage and are older usually have engine wear that is excessive, which allows […]

There has been a drastically changing landscape for the SUV market over the past year.  Driven by the high fuel prices, truck-based and full-size SUVs have declined in favor of car-based SUVs that are smaller.  MSN Autos has also experienced this trend among car searches. The most popular SUV is the Honda CR-V, and best […]

Starting with model year 2010, new car window stickers will have a safety rating combining front, side, as well as rollover tests.  Also, the federal government will upgrade the tests used to compile the ratings.  In addition, female crash dummies will now be used and a new test with a side pole will simulate a […]