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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.
The Luxury Automaker Is Feeling the Pain of No Search Traffic
BMW was banned from Google’s index for shady search engine optimization work after the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The car manufacturer created a page, stuffed it with keywords, and had it redirect to another page that was significantly different than the page the searcher thought they were getting.
BMW Germany’s offense? It apparently showed one page–a "doorway"–to Google’s search crawler, but another to visitors. The doorway was allegedly loaded with the keywords "used cars," but the company then redirected visitors to a different landing page.
Google blogger Matt Cutts first wrote about the development this weekend, saying that the tactic violated Google’s quality guidelines, which state that Web sites shouldn’t show different pages to search crawlers than to users.
A BMW spokesman told Forbes that the company had not done anything wrong. "We do not understand why Google has decided this," the spokesman was quoted as saying.
Great reviews and plenty of headroom speak highly of Hyundai’s new Azera
It’s never easy to know which car may be the absolute *best* one for you and your family. The new Hyundai Azera is one you should give a second look.
The Azera also comes with Hyundai’s industry-leading warranty coverage that includes a limited powertrain warranty that lasts for 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
The base Azera SE has a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price under $25,000. That compares with a starting price of the car it replaces, the 2005 Hyundai XG350 sedan, of $24,899. With destination charge added, the XG350’s total starting price was $25,494.
Hyundai priced the top-of-the-line Azera, the Limited model, to start around $27,000.
The roomy Azera is less than $30K fully loaded and according to the review, it drives beautifully too.
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Car Maintenance Can Save You Money In Fuel Costs
Taking a trip to the gas station is not som
ething anyone looks forward to, with gas prices at all-time highs. But, with simple auto maintenance on your new OR older car, you can save money at the pumps.
• Worn spark plugs – A vehicle can have either four, six or eight spark plugs, which fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles, resulting in a lot of heat and electrical and chemical erosion. A dirty spark plus causes misfiring, which wastes fuel. Spark plugs need to be replaced regularly.
• Dirty air filters – An air filter that is clogged with dirt, dust and bugs chokes off the air and creates a "rich" mixture – too much gas being burned for the amount of air, which wastes gas and causes the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, saving about 15 cents a gallon.
Applying just one of these simple strategies can save you money next time you have to fill up.
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759,310 visitors to the North American International Auto Show
While seeing 2% lower numbers, the organizers were still happy to see excited fans and auto enthusiasts.
Show officials note that attendance isn’t the only measure of success. National and international media attention is another benchmark, and in that regard, the show improved, Genthe said.
"We’ve seen a 31 percent increase in the press mentions from a year ago," Genthe said. "And that doesn’t even include the auto buff magazines. When the final report is done, I think it’s going to be truly incredible."
Organizers also noted that while group sales were a definite loss, they still did well in walk-up sales.
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Cars sales rise at the end of the year.
Finally good news in the American auto industry, as sales rise 10.3% to end 2005.
The auto industry has weathered some tough news over the past year, and auto giants Ford and GM are seeing particularly bleak futures. But, it looks like an upswing is taking place, when compared to the sales figures of 2004 which showed a loss of 4.6% in overall sales.
Unfortunately, the growth was not as healthy as it may appear. 63% of the sales were for commercial vehicles. In addition, due to aggressive discounts and rebates, margins for new car and used car sales were slim.
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New sponsorship model showcases their popular models
Trying something a little different, Infiniti will air an original show with no commercial breaks on February 9 on BET, and again one week later. The show will center on design and follow a group of artists as they discuss design fundamentals with no mention of Infiniti or their automobiles.
The show marks the next phase of The True Agency’s year-old "Infiniti in Black" campaign and will be backed by teaser ads, events and public-relations initiatives that begin next week and run through March, said Garlanda Freeze, management supervisor at True in Playa del Rey, Calif. The cost of those efforts and the time on BET amounts to an estimated $7 million to $10 million.
The approach differs from those of General Motors and Ford, which have placed brands in TV shows such as The Apprentice and 24, respectively, as well as in music videos and films.
Original programming is a first for Infiniti, a unit of Nissan that hired True in late 2003 as its first agency dedicated to reaching the black market. The show also breaks new ground for BET, which previously scheduled paid programming only on weekends in the early morning. "If it were a hard sell and something that was clearly commercial … then it would have gotten different placement and different treatment," said Michael Lewellen, svp of corporate communications at BET in Washington, D.C. "At the end of the day, we felt this is something that our viewers will enjoy seeing."
At the beginning and end of the program the conversation will cease and a montage of the vehicles will begin. Other than the start and ending of the program, the cars will not be mentioned.
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Should you have the right to have your vehicle repaired where you want?
Dealers hope you aren’t concerned enough to complain about their computer overrides, disallowing independent repair shops from repairing vehicles.
Now, two or three times per month, his computerized diagnostic equipment shows unknown codes when hooked up to an auto with a problem.
"The scanner gets codes, but no translation comes up, meaning the information hasn’t been released," Danneman said.
Manufacturers aren’t allowing shops access to some of the information they need to repair today’s computerized automobiles. They aren’t allowing independent’s to include the information in diagnostic tools that can be used on many different types of vehicles.
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- Right to Repair
Should Dealerships Have The Right To Force You To Use Their Repair Services?
Car Buyers Won’t Purchase From a Shaky Company
When Daewoo folded years ago, many customers were left with cars they were still financing that could not be fixed when they stalled because parts were not available. Warranty’s purchased from the manufacturer were voided and the buyers were left to bear the burden of a car that no longer had a parent company to back it.
A recent survey suggests buyers won’t enter into a similar situation this year.
There’s been talk in automotive circles that General Motors may be on the road to bankruptcy court. But GM executives may do a U-turn after reading the results of a new study that finds car buyers wary of buying a car from a bankrupt company.
The survey by Directions Research, Inc., found that only 26 percent of respondents said they would buy or lease a car manufactured by a company that was in bankruptcy.
GM will probably not collapse, but bankruptcy might be an option they choose. This survey may discourage that once attractive alternative.
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- AutoWarranties.com
Warranties available on any year, make, or model vehicle with any mileage
North America International Auto Show 2005
Looking at two, very opposite, popular market trends, the next few years’ car models seem to be offering either alternative fuel technology or massive horsepower.
This article, from Auto Reviews Online, looks at the North America International Auto Show this year and offers some fascinating highlights from the models showcased:
Mitsubishi showed production models of the Raider and Eclipse Concept cars of last year. The Raider was an "imported brand’s" variation of the Dodge Dakota pick up truck, on which it is based. The styling is more Asian influenced on the exterior and the interior is more car-like than the rugged truck like interior of the Dakota. Factor in the incredible warranty advantage Mitsubishi has on the Dakota, the Raider is sure to attract attention in the showrooms later this year. The Raider will be offered with V6 and V8 power plants. The Eclipse was shown as a gas/electric hybrid at last years show, however it has been introduced as a gas powered model offered with 2 engine choices, the 162HP 2.4L 4 cylinder and 3.8L 260HP V6 motors. The styling is quite bold and should appeal to younger buyers who identify with its street rod persona.
For heavy car buffs, this is a must read. It will be interesting to see whether the market goes the way of the environmentalist or the heavy-duty horsepower route.
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