February 21st, 2006 by admin
Not a single American car manufacturer makes the list
2005 was a tough year for American auto industry.
The industry as a whole is having to take a step back and try to figure out what went wrong.
I can sense when something is amiss and this certainly seems like one of those times. It becomes abundantly clear that something is wrong when not even a single American-made car achieves top 10 status from Cars.com.
- Honda Civic
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Corolla
- Honda Odyssey
- Toyota Camry
- Toyota Prius
- Toyota Sienna
- Honda CR-V
- Toyota Highlander
- Toyota Tacoma
According to this list, American auto manufacturers are missing the mark. With GM’s recent problems, even the silly BMW faux pas during Super Bowl week won’t be enough to save their top American auto spot. Hopefully, this is a wake up call to the American auto industry to "get on the ball."
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February 19th, 2006 by admin
Things to consider when buying a new car.
When buying a car, some of us spend a great deal of time researching.
We research because we don’t want to spend any more time than we are required to find the best price on the vehicle we want. We want all the luxuries without the luxary price tag. However, even as a smart shopper, we may overlook some details that could, potentially, save us money.
1) Review your credit report and score.
Your credit score determines — pretty much to the dollar — how much you’ll have to pay to finance a new car. The higher the score, the lower the interest rate.
2) Shop around with your financing options.
Most consumers get their financing through the dealer, which may be able to offer a lower wholesale rate. But that’s not always the case. So before you head to the dealership, find out what annual percentage rates you can get from your bank or credit union or on the Internet.
3) Check for manufacturer incentives.
Manufacturers sometimes offer special financing offerings on certain models — these are typically in the 2.9 to 6.9 percent range, so low that it’s tough for even credit unions to beat them.
Once you’ve found the vehicle you want to buy, apply these suggestions to finance your purchase.
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February 17th, 2006 by admin
Online auto Advertising is on the rise
Anyone who watches TV knows that the auto industry has the lockdown on TV advertising. I think every other commercial is a car commercial. Well, get ready, the auto industry is pulling out all the stops and crossing the digital divide and heading to the internet.
The auto industry is the largest advertiser in the entire world. However, only 2.5% of their budget accounts for online advertising from January to December in 2005. But, that’s all about to change.
The auto industry is not only changing the "how" in advertising but also the "why." The industry is leaning toward behavioral targeting, which is targeting the customer with ads based upon previous internet activity.
"Behavioral targeting, a tool that tracks a visitor’s online behavior and serves up ads based on the pages they’ve viewed or features they’ve interacted with," says Ms. Phillips. "With the funnel effectively dead, behavioral targeting looks like a light on the horizon. Most of the major independent sites offer some form of this technique and several manufacturers are already testing it."
Major automotive corporations are jumping on the bandwagon of having specific ads targeting the web user’s behavior. So, get ready for some more pop-ups.
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February 16th, 2006 by admin
Auto Warranties provide peace of mind
Ever had vehicle problems?
A reliable auto warranty can give anyone peace of mind while dealing with auto problems. A good auto warranty will cover large problems like engine overhauls and smaller ones like water pumps malfunctioning.
You don’t want to end up parked with no way to go, and an auto warranty can give you the peace of mind you need when your car fails. Everyone needs to consider buying a reliable auto warranty.
Christopher Luck gives us an inside view of what a good auto warranty can do.
An extended warranty can more or less cover anything you want it to cover, so that the unknown demons of blown tires, dead batteries, or other disasters which need the aid of a towing company, can be no longer a dreaded nightmare. As far as the repairs go, the company you buy your warranty from will offer you an array of choices for paying deductibles when you visit the repair shop.
Protect, insure, and invest in your vehicles so they’ll last you a very long time.
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February 14th, 2006 by admin
A big investment amidst troubling times for the car giant
General Motors Corp. will be investing $545 million in five different production plants in the Michigan area. This seems odd for GM, considering that they lost $8.6 billion last year alone and have already ditched 27,000 employees since 2000. However, Joel Spielman, general manager of GM’s North American manufacturing operations, seems to think that this investment may boost moral.
Jennifer Granholm, the Governor of Michigan, had a few things to say about the investment and the restructuring of Detroit’s largest automaker.
"We want you to know that your success-and we know GM will have success in turning it around – is our success," Gov. Jenifer Granholm Said. "There is no vision of Michigan’s future that does not include a vibrant and growing auto industry."
GM also shared three improvement projects that stem from the large investment.
The company is investing $152 million in its Ypsilanti transmission plant to increase production capacity for rear-wheel drive, six-speed transmissions. It is investing $60 million in its Romulus engine plant for making the small-block V8 engines that will go into its new full-size trucks. It is also spending $32 million to update the hydroforming equipment in its pontiac metal stamping plant, which uses water to help make the unique curves on the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters.
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February 13th, 2006 by admin
Driving laws encourage safe teen drivers.
Drew Eggleston is anxious to get his license. In a week, the 16-year-old will take his driving test. But like teens all over the state, he won’t be driving his friends anytime soon.Teenagers all across the country this year will turn 16 with the anticipation of "freedom" and "independance" from their parents. But, in California, teenagers will be waiting a little longer. As of Jan. 1, 2006, California requires teenage drivers to have their licence for an entire year before they can transport their peers. California legislators decided to adhere to this law because of teen driving behavior.
According to the Institute for Highway Safety, Begining teen drivers who transport other teens are three times more likely to have a fatal crash than other drivers.
Crash rates for young drivers are high because of immaturity and driving inexperience. Teens are more likely to speed, pass inappropriately and follow other vehicles too closely.
With California changing their driving laws, other states may follow the trend. This could lead to a decrease in teen accidents and lower insurance rates.
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February 12th, 2006 by admin
A better ethanol
In the past ten years, biotechnology has become a very popular concept. The prominence of biotechnology stems from public concern about our unhealthy addiction on fossil fuels. Cars and SUVs today consume a great deal of gasoline and automakers have come to realize consumers are in the market for energy-efficient vehicles.
Alternatives have become available. Hybrid automobiles, ethanol, and other feul alternatives will continue to advance over the next few years.
Ethanol is the fastest growing fuel alternative, but, until recently, ethanol has been difficult and expensive to produce. Scientists at the Natural Resource Defense Council believe using microbes may solve the current production problems that plague ethanol production.
Thanks to biotechnology breakthroughs, supporters of alternative energy sources say that after decades of unfulfilled promise and billions in government corn subsides, energy companies may be able to produce ethanol easily and inexpensively.
Using microbes may even solve a growing dilemma over the current ethanol manufacturing process, which relies almost exclusively on corn kernals and yielded only 4 billion gallons of ethanol last year (compared to the 140 billion gallons of gasoline used in the U.S.). There’s growing concern throughout the Midwestern corn belt that the 95 U.S. ethanol plants are increasingly poaching corn meant for the dinner table or livestock feed.
Hopefully, as technology advances, Americans will abandon their addiction on oil and gasoline altogether.
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February 11th, 2006 by admin
Protect Yourself With An Auto Warranty
Complaints from the Attorney General’s office of the state of New Mexico are topped by consumer Auto Sales complaints:
1. Auto Sales (491 complaints)
In 2005, as in previous years, consumers filed the most complaints about contract disputes in automobile purchases. Consumers filed complaints involving items being added onto the sales agreement, such as extended warranties and miscellaneous items that had not been disclosed to them before the purchase took place. Also common were reports that dealerships did not give consumers the interest rate they were originally promised. Other frequent complaints involved odometer rollbacks, which gives a false indication of the total miles that have been put on a vehicle. Also common were reports of previously wrecked or salvaged vehicles that were repaired and sold, but the vehicle’s repair history was not disclosed to the consumer, which could later lead to many costly repairs.
Anyone who’s ever purchased a car knows that buying a car comes with risk. You have no idea if the car will have problems or not. In fact, if it’s a used car you may end up with one that’s not been maintained or even raced. An auto warranty is your best protection when buying a car.
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February 9th, 2006 by admin
The US government is giving benefits to hybrid car drivers
If beautiful aesthetics, clean design, and lower gas prices aren’t enough, the US Government is resorting to bribery to encourage hybrid use.
In the United States, Prius drivers can use a carpool lane in some places even when no one else is in the car. No matter where they’re driving, they coast down the road in a whisper-quiet hum unlike anything else. Best of all, even if no one likes admitting it, they get to enjoy the cool-kid cachet that comes with being an early adopter of a fad. No other vehicle has had a recurring role on the TV show "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
You can expect to see more of these vehicles on the road in the coming months. In fact, if gas prices continue to rise, we may just see the hybrid age a year or two ahead of expectations.
February 8th, 2006 by admin
Drivers now can make trips with real-time directions
Fold up the maps and just press the blue button
Everyone has heard about the onboard communicator known as "Onstar".
Onstar has been a helping hand in saving thousands of people’s lives and is now making road trips even more comfortable and convenient. Onstar now offers real time GPS directions.
The OnStar safety and navigation system will be upgraded a decade after its debut at the Chicago Auto Show, which opens Friday. The upgrade will enable users to receive real-time directions while they are driving. Turn-by-Turn Navigation will debut on the Buick Lucerne and the Cadillac DTS in March, and will gradually be added to other GM vehicles. GM says it will be available on approximately 1 million cars and trucks by the 2007 model year, when GM plans to make OnStar standard on all vehicles.
If you’re a guy and the whole idea of "asking for directions" makes your masculinity twitch then I’m sure you will be excited for this new edition.
Women seem less hesitant to ask for directions, but the convenience-factor should still make this addition quite attractive for both sexes.
AutoWarranties.com Research your next auto warranty online
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