Many people claim to love the smell of a new car.  However, the chemicals that gives cars that new smell may be harmful and have been known to cause long-term health issues.  However, consumers now have a guide that will aid them in figuring out the cars that are the safest.

An advocacy group in Michigan, called The Ecology Center, recently published a guide about toxic chemicals in vehicles and child seats on Tuesday.

The report deals with harmful substances, such as chlorine, bromine, heavy metals and lead.  The Ecology Center got samples of parts that people touch the most, such as center consoles, steering wheels, and seat fronts.

The investigation determined that there are top healthier cars from Smart, Acura, BMW, Chevrolet, Toyota and Honda.  Some cars that created high concern were by Suzuki, Mitsubishi, VW, BMW, Mazda, Lincoln, Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Kia.

Consumers are becoming more and more concerned with car safety issues.  They are taking precautions, such as doing research on new cars, and purchasing cars with added safety features, and new car warranties.

It can be overwhelming to purchase a new vehicle, but keeping a vehicle can be worse.  Television ads are enticing and make it difficult for car shoppers to resist a new vehicle.  However, with the economy being difficult, it pays to not give into temptation.

In the U.S. motorists find it hard to drive the same vehicle for more than five years.  However, an auto warranty on your current vehicle, and some common sense tips can help you avoid an unnecessary purchase.

If your current vehicle is Japanese you are in business.  For example, the Honda Civic will run forever.  You may get a little rust on it, but it will never die.  And although cruising in a ’92 Toyota Tercel might not get you a hot date, it offers you great reliability.

Next, it is important to do your research.  This can actually prevent you from purchasing a vehicle.  It is easy to become overwhelmed with all of the options available in your price range.  And if you don’t have an auto warranty on your current car, research used car warranties.

Lastly, focusing on a specific make and model is good, especially if it hasn’t been made for over a decade.  There are slim odds that you will find the vehicle on the market with under 300,000 miles.

So, what happens if you still want that new vehicle after researching for weeks?  What if your old Tercel is steering toward the dealership?  Just keep in mind that a new car’s value will drop as soon as it pulls out of the dealership.  Holding onto your clunker will save you a lot of money in the end.

For all of you people out there who are fans of the Patriots- the vehicle, not team-here are some additional reasons that you should love your crossover.  In an omission that is rare, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety decided to revise the frontal crash-test rating of the 2008 Jeep Patriot to Good, which is the highest rating that is acceptable.  Russ Rader, who is a IIHS spokesman, claimed that there was a missing wire in a crash-test dummy’s leg that caused the Patriot to get an Acceptable rating, but when the wire was in the correct place, the Patriot received an improved rating of Good.

The side crash-test rating for the 2008 Patriot was also Good with the optional side curtain airbags.  These airbags are now standard for the 2009 model.  Ratings for rear crash-tests were only Acceptable, which is why the Patriot didn’t become the Top Safety Pick.

Consumers are becoming more and more concerned with automobile safety.  They are protecting themselves by purchasing new car warranties, and researching car safety features and crash test results.

What benefits come with purchasing a sedan?  Sedans will give you a balance of performance, handling, fuel-efficiency, safety and easy access.  Also, they handle well in the majority of driving situations.  Unless you are someone who needs to store a lot of cargo, they are a great option.

There are many different choices when looking at sedans.  You could purchase a large, small, family, or luxury sedan.  All of these categories are made up of many models that have different characteristics.  They have various balances of sporty, comfort, and practicality.

Fuel-efficiency varies greatly in different sedans.  Do your homework in this category to make a comparison of different models.

Sedans are equipped with various safety features.  All models that are new have dual front air bags for added safety.  Also standard is three-point seat belts and LATCH systems.  However, certain models also have side air bags and head protection bags.

Do your research to get the sedan that will fit you best.  Also, make sure to buy new car warranties for peace of mind.  Following these simple tips will give you the knowledge to make a good decision when it comes time to purchase a sedan.

Brake pad vibrations that result in a high-pitched noise are the cause of brake squeal.  When pads don’t have proper insulation from the caliper, vibration occurs.  The factory will equip brake pads with insulator shims, clips, and even a silicone backing that allows the pad to stay glued to the caliper.  This helps to prevent vibrations.

Often times when brake pads become too hard brake squeal occurs.  The hard and smooth surfaces then rub together to produce a noise equivalent to nails on the blackboard.  When this occurs, it is necessary to resurface the rotors and replace brake pads.  This will eliminate the squealing.

You should also have your rotors resurfaced when you have your brakes done.  Not doing this will result in squealing.  When replacing brake pads, the rotor refinishing should be done with a non-directional finish.  This will make sure that brake pads are broken in properly.

Act immediately if brake squeal occurs.  Take your car to a highly trained technician to make sure that your brakes are treated appropriately.  And, make sure you have used car warranties to cover repairs performed.  After all, you don’t want to end up paying unnecessary costs.

There are hundreds of new vehicles on the market, which can make it difficult for car buyers to choose what is best for them.  Many people tend to base their decision on looks alone, but this is a dangerous way to decide on a car.  So, what other considerations should motorists make?

The first factor to consider is how much money you intend to spend.  Figure out what your maximum amount is before going to the dealership and stick with it.  Also, make sure to include everything in the bottom line, such as interest, taxes, finance charges, insurance and new car warranties.  You need to factor in all of these expenses.

Also determine if you need a fuel-efficient car.  Some models rate much higher on fuel efficiency and if you have a long commute to work this might be an important factor.

Consider safety features.  Does the car you are looking at have side-curtain air bags, brake assist, stability control?  Also, how were the scores on crash tests?

Finally, do you need a lot of space?  If you have a large family you might want to think about a minivan or SUV that has ample passenger room and cargo space.

Do your homework before getting to the dealership so you know what you are looking for.  In addition, make sure to get an auto warranty so you can protect your wallet in case of unforeseen repair costs down the road.

With the poor economy, motorists are looking a little more closely at used cars.  The National Automobile Dealers Association reports that last year the average cost of a used vehicle was around $15,000, while it was $29,000 for new vehicles.

While you want to purchase a pre-owned car that has a solid reputation for dependability, it’s even more beneficial to purchase a used vehicle that consumers find less popular, because it has already depreciated rapidly.

Many people believe that the best new vehicles make the best used vehicles, which is true in general.  However, often these cars depreciate at a slower rate, which makes them popular as new vehicles, but means they cost more as used vehicles.

According to Kelly Blue Book, the vehicle brands that depreciate the slowest are Mini, Scion, Volkswagen, BMW, and Honda.

Instead of purchasing those models, consider other brands that have high reliability scores, but depreciate more quickly and can save you thousands of dollars.  Domestic brands are good to consider, such as Dodge, Ford, and Chevrolet.  These will get you a bargain.

If you want to save money by buying a used car, consider depreciation. You can get a good bargain by buying reliable, more rapidly depreciating models, and buy used car warranties to give you peace of mind.

For three months, Suzuki is offering an incentive of free gas to any consumer who buys a 2009 Suzuki SX4 crossover or sedan.  In addition, it is offering a cash-back incentive of $2,000 on the SX4 models that come with a manual transmission.  Both deals are good through Aug. 31.

Suzuki’s offer of free gas might not be as effective as the gas offers that were around last year.  At only $2.63 per gallon around the nation, fuel prices don’t even come close to last year’s $4 per gallon.  Gas prices just aren’t as scary as they were in 2008.  And in terms of real money, the pre-paid fuel cars only equal about $300.

And as a general rule, giving people three free months of gas isn’t near as good as making a car that is more efficient.  The Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla both eat up the SX4’s lunch when you’re talking about fuel economy and come with great new car warranties.

The DuPont Global Color Popularity Report found that White and White Pearl are the favorite car color choices in America, with 16% and 4% of the market share.  This is the second year in a row that white has been the #1 choice.

Black and silver tied for second place at 17% each.

Trends for North America also highlight the trend for global convergence.  This means that the colors that Americans like the best are similar to the ones that motorists in Russia and Brazil like, and vice versa.

Leading in Europe, however, is black, and silver takes the lead in the Russian car market.  Asia likes silver cars the best and India likes white.

According to the report, blue is now the “new green” when thinking of cars that represent the “preservation of nature.”

At this point it doesn’t really matter what color cars people are buying, as long as they are purchasing new cars with new car warranties.  Unfortunately, this year many people chose to hold onto their current cars and buy used car warranties.

There is nothing worse than getting your car repaired and hearing, “It isn’t covered under your auto warranty.”  Often, motorists are confused because they assume that certain repairs are covered.  Drivers need a little education to understand more about their new car warranties.

People need to understand that an auto warranty isn’t an entitlement, but an agreement you make with the car manufacturer.  Your responsibility is to fulfill specific maintenance requirements that the manufacturer sets.  After doing your part, the manufacturer must perform repairs resulting from a defect or a failed part.

So, what parts are covered?  The auto manufacturer must cover the parts that it makes.  For example, transmissions, engines, steering, suspension, computers, instruments, chassis wiring, and other parts that they manufacture are covered.  Maintenance items and wearable items aren’t covered under new car warranties.  For example, filters, hoses, belts, brakes and tires aren’t covered.

What about the parts not made by the manufacturer of the car?  Items such as stereo systems and conversion components have a warranty through their manufacturers.  These can be found in paper work you received with the purchase of the car.

The best thing that you can do to avoid misunderstandings about new car warranties is to educate yourself.  Make sure that you do your homework and read all of the fine print in your auto warranty.