Auto Warranty

Many motorists don’t realize that buying a less-expensive vehicle model can actually end up costing you more in the long run than a model that is more-expensive up front.

One example of this is a Mitsubishi Lancer vs. a Mini Cooper Clubman.  A new Lancer costs around $17,500, which is $5,000 less than the initial cost of the Mini Cooper.  Yet, when you consider what ownership costs will be with each vehicle, the Mitsubishi Lancer will end up costing you about $3,000 more after owning the car for five years.

Also, a Toyota Highlander will initially cost you $3,000 more than a Ford Explorer V6.  However, when you consider ownership costs you will end up paying $6,500 more over a five-year period.

Motorists are very concerned with the sticker price of a vehicle when choosing a car, but many people fail to factor in the ownership costs.  For example, auto loans, maintenance costs, and auto warranty, fuel costs, repair costs, and sales tax need to all be factored into the equation.

According to the Associated Press, Toyota has “secretly” started to develop a solar-powered car, even though the Japanese company has experienced its first year down after having positive growth for 70 years.

However, don’t get too excited yet.  Perhaps the story that is the biggest here is the reason that the AP wrote about a potential solar car being created by Toyota.  This isn’t any different than any other carmaker that has developed a prototype in the Research & Development department.  Toyota is known for a reputation for its green technology that is cutting edge, and it will receive key expertise when Panasonic, its battery developer, takes in solar leader Sanyo later in the year.

The technology is there to build such a car, without a doubt.  However, you have to ask, what sort of range is it going to have?  Also, is there going to be anyone that will purchase a car costing $200,000 that will need to be recharged after 35 miles?  One thing’s for sure; an auto warranty would be a good idea for a car with solar technology, such as this.

In other words, can a vehicle that is solar-powered be mass-produced and actually work for people’s lifestyles?

An accelerating driver trend from SUVs and pickup trucks to small fuel-efficient cars will help reduce rollovers, but experts on safety are worried that a smaller fleet presents serious health risks, despite anti-collision systems, air bags, and other safety advances.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which measures the performance of cars in crash tests, shifting to small cars is going to make problems worse.  They claim that people are better off in a vehicle that is bigger, not smaller.

U.S. carmakers have been distressed and are therefore retooling plants in Latin America, Europe, and around the world to get more compact cars to Americans in upcoming years and try to meet federal standards on fuel economy that are tougher.

At least 40,000 motorists are killed on roads in America annually in traffic accidents.  Approximately three-quarters of these people are from passenger vehicles and two-thirds of them from cars.

Consumers are concerned with saving auto costs, such as car prices, auto warranty prices, and gas costs, yet safety needs to be their #1 concern.

Terms like geometric morphometrics and pareidolia aren’t generally important to people designing or buying cars, however they were significant in a recent study that found that people see faces when looking at vehicles, and typically they prefer ones that look powerful.

Pareidolia is an occurrence in which people actually see faces in various things from clouds to inkblots to cars.  A recent study was based on this concept and used geometric morphometrics to let participants rank vehicles on how they looked, using traits that are human like disgusted, sad or extroverted.

The results of the study confirmed that pretty much all people like cars that are powerful looking, like the BMW 5 Series.  Also, people tend to shy away from designs that are feeble-looking, like the Toyota Prius because they worry that they won’t be as sturdy and will require a good auto warranty.

Who knows if this research will determine the future designs of cars, but it might mean that we will see more big-mouthed grilles on the roads.

Colorado has a new system that will help prevent road kill along one of the busiest highways in the state.  The system works by using an underground cable running parallel to the highway that is able to sense if an animal is around through an electromagnetic field.  If an animal trips the system, drivers are alerted through electronic road signs.

The system is going to be tested in Colorado on US-160, and radar detectors will be deployed to observe if motorists slow down after receiving the warning.  If it is obvious that the system is working it will most likely proliferate on roadways that have seen a large amount of collisions between cars and animals.

You may think this is a strange idea, or that it’s a waste of money.  And, people have even asked, “Why not just put up a fence?”  Well, if you’ve ever seen a deer jump a fence you would understand why that wouldn’t help the problem.

About seventy percent of collisions on Colorado’s highways involve animals.  With those high numbers something needs to be done about the problem.  The underground cable is a good start, but drivers need to drive more defensively.  In addition, all motorists should protect themselves with a roadside assistance program in case of an emergency and a good auto warranty.

Purdue University conducted a recent survey that found the majority of drivers are perfectly fine with driving at a speed above the posted limit- regardless of what that number is.

In fact, 21% of those surveyed said it wasn’t a problem to drive 5 mph over the limit, 43% said it was fine to go 10 mph over, and 36% of people said why not go 20 mph over the limit.

Fred Mannering, who is the author of the study, hypothesizes, that measures to associate concerns, such as neighborhood safety, noise, and fuel-efficiency, has caused people to disassociate speed limits with safety.  This is why many officials lower the speed limit signs artificially because they figure that drivers will go over the speed limit 5-10mph.

The biggest danger isn’t speeding, but discrepancies in how fast some motorists are going compared to others.  If half the drivers are going the speed limit and half are over by 20 mph, then problems arise, such as accidents and emergency roadside assistance calls.  Drivers need to be more cautious by taking precautionary measures, such as driving the speed limit and purchasing an auto warranty.

Teens are known for making driving mistakes, which unfortunately can result in car accidents. This leaves parents feeling anxious, not knowing if their teen driver is safe. There are numerous devices out there that allow parents to track their teenage drivers.  However, now parents can track their teen right from their own keychain.

Many technologies out there monitor the speed and location of your teenage driver, and some even videotape who’s riding in the car.  However, now there is a Canadian company that is offering a new device called the Lemur Autovision keychain.  For the low price of $99.95, parents are able to track the maximum speed that their teen is driving, as well as excessive braking and distance traveled.  Essentially all that it requires is the installation of a non-GPS based sensor box and the monitor keychain.  This system doesn’t invade a teen’s privacy, but allow parents to discipline children for speeding.  And the best part is that it is tamper proof and protected by a PIN, which lets parents know if there have been attempts to fool the system.

Parents need to take extra precautions to keep their teen drivers safe, which includes purchasing an auto warranty, monitoring teen driving, and setting strict guidelines.  You can never be too careful when it comes to your children.

Most consumers rely on major car hire companies, such as Avis for rentals on vacations or business trips.  However, people don’t realize that firms such as these are excellent sources of reasonably priced used cars.  Avis’ business is to rent cars but they also sell their cars.  Buyers can save big if they purchase a car from Avis instead of traditional dealers. This allows you to put your money towards an auto warranty that will protect your vehicle.

Avis sells cars that are more than one year old, which allows them to make way for more recent models.  This ensures that Avis’ fleet is current and well maintained.  If certain vehicle models turn out to be very popular, Avis may sell them early, after the vehicle as passed a particular level of mileage.

Another advantage of buying a used vehicle from Avis is that their cars are treated with paint that is metallic.  This is usually not the case when dealers sell used cars.  Some motorists are hesitant to buy a second-hand car from rental firms because they feel that these vehicles have endured a lot of wear and tear.  After all, the cars have been driven frequently and for long distances.  However, Avis points out that cars up for sale are younger than six months old and haven’t been driven for more than 13,000 miles.  Another bonus is that in some cases, the vehicle’s warranty is still valid.  However, it only lasts for about a year, so it is important to shop around for an auto warranty that will protect your investment for longer.

It is apparent that Ford is looking to give its buyers an assist, at least the consumers purchasing a 2010 Lincoln MKS or MKT.  These vehicles are equipped with the Active Park Assist system, which literally will parallel park the car automatically.  Ford’s MKT is a brand new car.

Ford’s system is very similar to the one that is found on the Lexus LS 460.  However, instead of using cameras, this system uses a sensing system that is ultrasonic-based.

Ford says there are a few advantages over the technology that Lexus is using.  First of all, drivers can use Ford’s system if they are parking in a downhill situation, and Ford says its system has improved reliability and speed while parking.

This technology could prove to be very beneficial to drivers; however, drivers should protect themselves with a good auto warranty.  After all, you never know when you will find yourself needing repairs on new technology.

When it comes to car features, experts claim that women take more of an interest in safety than men, while men are more concerned with the performance of a car, and the technical gadgets.

The interest that women have in safety is basically limited to safety features that are passive, such as rollover protection, airbags, and advanced seat belts, not active safety features, such as electronic stability control, and lane departure warnings, which help motorists avoid accidents.  The reason for this is that men take more of an interest in playing around with the latest technology than women do.

Generally, women request the safety features that are going to help their children remain safe.  In other words, women’s motherly instincts play a role in the safety features they choose.

In addition, women tend to have a more practical approach to vehicle shopping than do men.  That is why women’s purchases have more to do with safety, as opposed to how long it takes for the car to go from 0-60 mph.

Although men typically know more about cars than women, women seek out information about cars before purchasing.  This means that they end up purchasing cars that are safer.  Also, they make sure to purchase an auto warranty to maintain their cars.