March 21st, 2006 by admin
The Smart Unit is hurting the company
The Smart Unit is a next generation car; it has all the bells
and whistles that you can imagine. But the Smart Unit has long been a drag on DiamlerChrysler’s finances, and investors are pushing for the Smart series to be done away with because of lackluster sales and below par performance.
However, DiamlerChrysler made this statement regarding the Smart series, "based on current figures, we’re convinced that Smart, will achieve a break-even by 2007, as previously announced," Chief Financial Officer Bodo Uebber told reporters at the company’s Stuttgart headquarters late Monday.
Smart cars have not posted a single cent of profit since 1998, when it was created. That, to me brings a bit of worry. Is something flawed with the design? Is it an eye sore? Is it too expensive? I’m not sure what the problem is, but I do hope DiamlerChrysler can figure something out and not be blinded by ignorant optimism.
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March 20th, 2006 by admin
Five car seats to protect your infant
Our families are the most important things in our lives, and we’ll do everything and anything to protect them.
It is important essential to make sure our kids are buckled properly. Making sure your kids are properly buckled in and quiet is a challenge in itself. But, as parents we have the parental obligation to research the best methods and products for buckling our infants in car seats. So, here are the top five rated car seats for infants. Some of them may be a bit pricey, but consider what they offer.
#1 The "Britex Companion" model is the top rated infant car seat. The seat retails for approximately $170.
The Britax also features Easy harness adjuster and side-impact material. Now while all of that sounds great, if you are on a tight budget, you might just want to check out our number two car seat…
#2 The "Safety 1st Designer" has everything the "Britex" has, it’s just $90 less. However, can a cheaper seat be just as good as the more expensive one? The simple answer is, yes. If you’re on a tight budget the "Safety 1st designer" is the best choice.
#3 The"Peg Perego Primo Viaggio" is much simpler to operate than to pronounce… But, it is a bit pricier than the “Safety First" car seat. The "Peg Perego Primo Viggio" retails around $170 with about the same features as the others.
#4 "Graco" is a very popular brand and has been around for a while. But, as some of you may know, there were recalls on some of the Grarco infant seats. However, every company has their set of recalls, and since the recall, "Graco" has managed to fix and improve their car seats. The “Graco” car seat is around $80 and is a great buy.
#5 The "Baby Trend LATCH-LOC Adjustable Back" comes in at 5th place. The "Baby Trend LATCH-LOC" is a formidable car seat but lacks some of the features of the others. When purchasing this car seat, you’re mainly buying the "Baby Trend" name brand. While the seat is only $90, it is still holds less value than the "Graco" or "Safety 1st" car seat.
Those are the top five infant car seats from consumerreports.com
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March 17th, 2006 by admin
10 secrets that could help you
Cars.com has devised 10 "secrets" that the mainstream consumer is oblivious of. These secrets can help you get the best deal, save gas, and be informed when purchasing or maintaining your automobile. Here are three:
1. The Best Finance Rates
Dealers aren’t required to give you the best finance rate. Many consumers finance their vehicles through the dealership. Sometimes this involves the best deal, especially when subsidized by the automaker. However, if a dealer claims to have found you the "lowest rate," it’s possible that rate includes a point or two of profit for the dealer. (There’s no federal law forbidding this.) To be sure and get the best rate, look into it on your own before entering the dealership.
2. Dealers Don’t Own the Cars They Sell
Dealers don’t own the cars they sell, and neither do the manufacturers. Instead, the bank — sometimes in the form of the captive finance company — owns them.
3. Cordless Hybrids
Hybrids don’t need to be plugged in. Understandably, many people think hybrids run on electric power until their batteries die, and then they switch to a gasoline engine. While some plug-in hybrids existed as long as a century ago, all the current versions use gas engines that both propel the car and replenish the battery, which also is charged through braking. There’s some plug-in research going on, but don’t hold your breath. Automakers determined that American buyers are, well, turned off by the prospect of plugging a car into household current, so most hybrid advertising emphasizes that the model "never needs to be plugged in."
These 3 tips will save you a lot of headaches and money when it comes to automobiles. I sure wish I would’ve known some of these secrets when I was buying my first car.
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March 16th, 2006 by admin
New technology from the auto world
Most Automakers are looking into the future. However, it looks like Nissan maybe the first off the line with the next generation of safety features. Nissan’s newest development is the "Safety Shield" which is an "an electronic system that helps drivers control the distance between their car and the vehicle in front."
The system uses a front bumper-mounted radar sensor to determine the following distance and the relative speed of both cars. If the driver releases the gas pedal the system automatically applies the brakes. If the system itself determines that braking is required (presumably because the vehicle ahead is slowing), the driver is alerted by a lighted indicator and a buzzer, and the gas pedal automatically moves upward to "assist the driver in switching to the brakes."
This distance control assist system with pedal feedback will be very helpful in high traffic areas and in low traffic areas, where the drivers alertness may be at risk. There has been no word when this new technology will see production.
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March 15th, 2006 by admin
A breakdown of where your money goes when you buy gas
Gas prices are a hot topic here at AutoWarranties.com, but I want to make sure everyone knows where his or her money is going. That’s what being a smart investor is all about, right? And, with the fluctuation of gas prices, it’s only natural for people to wonder in amazement about the rapid change in prices from day to day.
Crude oil: Crude oil suppliers require the largest share of the pie at about 45%. This share is determined by the oil-exporting nations and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in particular. The price of one barrel of crude oil depends on how much crude oil these oil-exporting countries produce.
Taxes: Federal and local taxes take about 31% of the price you pay at the pump. Federal excise taxes account for about 18 cents per gallon, while state excise taxes require about 20 cents per gallon.
Refining costs: Refining crude oil makes up approximately 13% of the price you pay at the gas pump.
Distribution and marketing: The costs of transporting and marketing gas make up about 13% of the price of gas. Crude oil must be transported from oil-producing countries to refineries, then the gasoline must be transported to distribution points, and then lastly to the gas stations that fill your tank.
Gas station markups: There is no set percentage for this number. Gas stations are at their own discretion as to how much to add on to the price in order to actually make a profit on the gas that they sell. Some stations (usually the larger ones) will only tack on a couple cents, while others will add a dime or even more.
There you go! A simple breakdown of where each penny goes when you buy gasoline.
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March 14th, 2006 by admin
Gas prices are raised again
Gas prices are back on the rise.
U.S. gas prices are up 11 cents in two weeks which cancels out the 9 cents drop at the beginning of January.
Retail gas prices across the country climbed an average of 11 cents in the past two weeks, according to a new survey. The weighted average price for all three grades increased to $2.38 a gallon by Friday, according to Trilby Lundberg, who publishes the semimonthly Lundberg Survey of 7,000 gas stations around the country.
With gas prices on the rise, it’s now becoming as apparent as ever that we need new technology, such as hybrids or better ethanol. I sure hope automakers and/or the government can figure something out soon, because bicycles are looking more and more attractive to this car enthusiast.
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March 13th, 2006 by admin
Kia will build its first US production plant in Georgia
Kia will be investing $1.2 billion in their first
production plant in the US.
The plant will be located in West Point, Troup County, Ga. and is expected to be completed in 2009. Georgia was competing with Kentucky and Mississippi to acquire the plant. Apparently, Sunny Perdue, Georgia’s Governor, offered incentives that could not be turned down.
The state promised various incentives that are worth 410 million dollars. These include free land and infrastructure, subsidies for the creation of new jobs, financial support for training workers and tax breaks.
Kia has seen exponential growth in America over the past few years, and they’re building this plant to demonstrate their longevity in and commitment to the American auto industry.
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March 10th, 2006 by admin
The high price of hybrids
Hybrid cars have been around for a few years, but they’ve yet catch on because of the high price tag.
Until recently, if you bought a hybrid, you would’ve probably ended up spending more money in five years than you would if you bought the gas-only counterpart. And, that is still the case for some popular hybrid cars and SUVs.
NUMBER CRUNCHING. The new calculations show that owners of the Toyota (TM) Prius will save $406 and owners of the Honda (HMC) Civic hybrid will save $317 compared with owners of their gas-only counterparts. However, owners of four other hybrids — the Honda Accord, Ford (F) Escape, Toyota Highlander, and Lexus RX 400h — will still end up spending $1,883 to $5,508 more over five years and 75,000 miles, Consumer Reports said.
Some manufacturers, however, are switching to diesel/electric instead of gas/electric.
GO DIESEL. With cleaner diesel fuel becoming available in the U.S. this fall, some automakers, including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler (DCX) are adding more diesel models to their fleet. Honda is adding diesels by 2010. Diesels tend to get better fuel economy than hybrids when usage is more cruising than urban stop-and-go. A Toyota hybrid, for example, doesn’t make it from Washington, DC, to Detroit, a distance of more than 500 miles, on one tank of gas, as it gets about 38 miles per gallon. A Volkswagen Jetta TDI diesel-powered car, however, can make the journey without stopping, getting 45 mpg (see BW Online, 2/15/06.
With recent technological breakthroughs and the government’s plan ease us of our gasoline addiction, maybe these vehicles will actually be affordable for the common person in the future.
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March 9th, 2006 by admin
Cottman, Aamco to merge chains
Aamco and Cottman are set to merge their respective chains to form one of the largest automotive repair chains in America.
The combined company, to operate under the Aamco name, will be 83 percent owned by American Capital Strategies Ltd. of
Bethesda, Md., a publicly traded investment company. American Capital acquired Cottman for $46 million in 2004.
The new Aamco will continue to provide transmission repair and expanded automotive services. Cottman centers will switch to the Aamco name.The combined company, to be based in Horsham, Pa., will employ more than 6,000 people and have annual sales of about $600 million.
At one time, Cottman and Aamco were one entity but it the 1950s they split. Hopefully, it’ll be a good reunion.
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March 8th, 2006 by admin
GM cuts employee’s pension plans
After a difficult year, GM is announcing changes in employee’s pension plans. This should come as no surprise, almost all companies that "restructure" cut their employee’s pensions to save money.
Effective Jan. 1, GM will freeze the accrued pension benefits for approximately 40,000 U.S. salaried employees. The change won’t affect retirees.Salaried employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2001, will move exclusively to a defined contribution plan. Those employees currently have a cash balance plan, which works like a traditional defined benefit plan but allows participants to collect their benefits in a lump sum at retirement instead of in monthly checks. GM said those employees will continue to earn annual interest on the balance in their plans. Those employees also will get a contribution of 4 percent of their annual pay to their 401(k) program."These changes will reduce financial risks and future costs for GM, while protecting current retirees’ and employees’ earned pension benefits and providing competitive and fair retirement benefits going forward," Wagoner said in a statement.
Restructuring is a difficult process. The company must decide either to lose a few employees/benefits or lose the company.
Even though I don’t like to admit it, GM may be doing the right thing to save the company.
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