Recently, The Environmental Transport Association named the Toyota Yaris to be the “Green Car Of The Year. The ETA looked at 1300 vehicles in order to put together a green vehicle guide for car shoppers. In order to determine the green guide they researched the power, fuel-efficiency, noise levels, and emissions of the cars.

There were other models by Toyota that also made the top ten list by the ETA. Among these cars were, coming in third, the Prius, in sixth place came the Avgo, and coming in ninth was the Auris. These were considered some of the best green vehicles.

In the segment of the off road vehicle that was the greenest, the Toyota RAV4 came in first. In the category of the greenest city vehicle was the Toyota Avgo.

Motorists are becoming more and more concerned with buying cars that are environmentally friendly. Luckily, there are currently many vehicles in this category that provide style, reliability, and fuel-efficiency, and even come with new car warranties that allow drivers to have peace of mind.

Due to gas prices at $4 per gallon, everyone is looking for tips on how to save gas. One easy thing that motorists can do is to avoid using reverse, if it isn’t necessary. One example of this is when you are in a parking lot at the grocery store or mall. Just by pulling through the parking space so that your car is facing out, you can save a small amount of gas. This allows you to pull forward when it’s time to leave. This tip isn’t going to save you hundreds of dollars, however, little fuel-conscious actions add up.

Why is it so bad to back up? Think about it in these terms. Is it any fun creeping through parking lots in first gear? Absolutely not, and using low gears are terrible for fuel-efficiency. Reverse also gets poor fuel-economy, and most of the time you’re pointlessly covering the same territory that you already covered.

For instance, if you back up and pull forward, you’re driving twice the amount of just pulling out of your parking space and driving off. This might appear to be insignificant, but if you use better driving habits over the course of a year, they will give you great savings.

Motorists often only look at the obvious ways that they can save money on driving expenses, such as buying used car warranties, carpooling, and driving less. But, following easy gas saving tips will save you big in the end.

Luckily, at the moment, not all of the economic news is tragic.

According to economists from Comerica Bank, vehicles have currently become more affordable than has been seen in 28 years.  So, the last time vehicle shoppers’ purchases made up this small of a piece of his or her income, fuel prices were higher than ever and comedians were telling jokes about how old presidential candidates were.

Comerica claims that the average cost of a light vehicle currently is $27,704, including new car warranties, and the average amount of money that people spent on a vehicle fell $700 this quarter, to approximately $23,900.  Motorists have been keeping their payments down by stretching out how much time they will take to pay it off, which is currently more than 62 months.

Incentives have spurred the trend, which continue to get better as dealers try to get rid of inventory (they especially look appealing if you want to purchase an SUV or truck), but for the most part, motorists have just begun to want less-expensive models.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the United States traffic deaths hit an all time low back in 2007, when there were 1.37 deaths per 100 million miles driven.  There were a total of 41,059 deaths, which is 1,600 less than in 2006.

Mary Peters, who is the Transportation Secretary, claims that the decline is due to efforts of law-enforcement, as well as vehicles that have added safety features.  Now, with electronic stability control, and side airbags, people have an increased chance of surviving crashes that would have once been fatal.

The state experiencing the biggest decline was California, with 266 fewer fatalities, while North Carolina experienced the biggest increase, with 121 more fatalities.

Just as experts predicted, 2008 is already experiencing even fewer accident related deaths, not just because of the increasing safety standards, but also mainly because of gas prices.  Americans are trying to keep money in their wallets by keeping their current cars, purchasing used car warranties, and cutting back on driving.  Fewer motorists on the roads have meant less fatal accidents.

GM has brought back its Employee Pricing Sale. Trying to help its sales slump through late August, GM is selling vehicles for the same prices that employees pay, an effort the carmaker hasn’t made since back in 2005. In addition, GM is offering great new car warranties.

The great deals in 2005 made people take interest in the carmaker at the time, and GM is hoping that the same thing will happen this time around. The deals are applied for all vehicles in stock for the 2008 model year for Pontiac, Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Cadillac, Saturn, Hummer, and Saab. Also, select vehicles from the 2009 model year include the Pontiac Vibe and G5, Chevrolet Cobalt and HHR, and Cadillac CTS. However, the 2008 model year medium duty trucks are excluded.

Though GM hasn’t announced what the specific discounts for models will be, USA Today has reported that the Chevy Silverado will have an employee discount of $3,000 with the addition of $5,000 cash back. Also, incentives for the Chevy Tahoe will be up around $10,000. Surprisingly, models that are usually excluded from this pricing sale are also included, such as the Chevy Corvette. In addition to the great prices, they offer an impressive auto warranty with each vehicle.

GM won’t be posting the pricing sale online, which makes it necessary for consumers to visit a dealership to see how large the incentives and discounts are. The new prices are available through September 2nd.

In order for a vehicle to maintain its peak performance motorists must get routine maintenance and service.  This will also keep your car prepared for difficult driving conditions that come up. Purchasing used car warranties is a good idea so that you don’t dread taking in your car just to find that it requires additional repairs.  To keep your car in tip-top shape, follow these tips.

First, check your tire pressure on a regular basis.  To keep track, you should do it every other time that you get gas at the pump.  In addition, check your tire treads to look for wear and tear and ensure that there isn’t any cracking.

Second, get regular car washes to keep a nice, shiny exterior.  And add a coat of wax to keep away corrosion.

Don’t forget to be aware of your check engine light.  Don’t ignore it if it lights up.  Make sure to take your car to a professional in this case so that you don’t have expensive repairs down the road.  Of course an auto warranty will help you avoid unnecessary repair expenses.

Lastly, determine a service schedule with a mechanic and keep it.  Your car has certain parts that a professional should look at periodically.  Look at your owner’s manual in order to determine what maintenance schedule is best for your car.

Just by following these tips you can head off unnecessary repairs in the future.  However, you want to make sure you have an auto warranty to protect your wallet.

Most of us would like to be able to purchase a brand new shiny car, but not all of us have the option.  However, there are a lot of good used cars out there that you can get for a terrific deal.  Kelley Blue Book recently put a list together of vehicles in average condition that go for between $15,000-$21,000.  The following cars make the top of the list.

Number 1 on the list is the 2003 BMW 3 Series sedan.  The average value of this vehicle is $20,290 according to the Kelley Blue Book.  This car is performance-oriented, handles well, and provides a terrific style.

Next, is the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, which is valued at $20,335, making it a great bargain.  The Chevrolet Tahoe is a joy to drive and handles easily.  In addition, the interior in this SUV is roomy and comfortable.

Finally, the 2006 Chrysler 300 sedan has an average value of $17,865.  This is a great used vehicle with a 3.5-liter V-6, and it provides adequate power in all kinds of challenging situations.

Of course a new car would be the goal for a lot of people, but many used vehicles offer motorists a terrific bargain.  To ensure that you get a good vehicle do your homework, and buy used car warranties to go with it.  After all, this will give you peace of mind to enjoy your used car.

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. Parents need to take precautions, such as purchasing used car warranties and monitoring their teen’s driving.  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.

Gooding & Co. just released the closing tally for its auction in Pebble Beach. This sale follows the Concourse d’Elegance and is among the most elite auto auctions in the world. It is also an important barometer for the market of collectible cars.

The auction this year concluded Sunday and made $64.2 million, which tops last years tally of $60 million. Twenty vehicles went for over $1 million, which is triple the 2006 number. Five vehicles were sold for over $2 million, and Peter Williams sold the Bugatti collection, which is made up of 12 cars, for above $15.5 million.

However, the news wasn’t all good. One in five vehicles didn’t sell.

Still, the large amount of price records crushed over the weekend implies that the business of rare cars remains strong.

In addition, there was the highest price ever paid for a car in North America. A 1937 Bugatti Type 37SC Atalante Coupe sold for $7.92 million. This is the kind of car you wouldn’t dare drive out of your driveway without an auto warranty.

The collectibles boom probably won’t last forever, after all, most people are opting for used cars with used car warranties, but for now, it’s still strong.

Do you feel apprehensive about shopping for a new car?  Are you worried you don’t know enough about financing and new car warranties?  Or that you will say something that will give the dealer the upper hand in negotiations?  Car shopping doesn’t have to be stressful.  Here are some things that you shouldn’t tell a car dealer.

Don’t discuss monthly payments.  Your focus should go into negotiating the purchase price of the car.  It can get very confusing when you start talking about monthly payments because it can be unclear whether the payment is for 24 or 36 months.

Don’t tell the dealer right away that you have a trade in.  If the dealer realizes this he will know that you are hoping to get as much as possible for your trade-in.  The dealer may tell you he is going to give you a lot for your trade-in, but it’s actually a smokescreen because then the new price won’t be negotiable.

Don’t tell the dealer if you’re planning on paying in cash.  A lot of their money is made in financing, and if they realize they won’t be able to make that money, they probably won’t negotiate the car’s purchase price.

It is important to do your homework before purchasing a car.  Arrive at the dealership with knowledge about new car prices, financing, and new car warranties.  This will allow you to stand ground with the dealer.