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.

What do you get if the “hybrid” is taken out of a hybrid pickup truck?  In the case of GM, you get the XFE, or Xtra Fuel Economy pickup trucks that are full size.  These trucks share a lot of running gear and hardware with their hybrid counterparts; however, the exception is the two mode gas-electric powertrain.

The Chevrolet Silverado XFE and GMC Sierra XFE provide fuel-efficiency ratings of 15/21 mpg for city/highway, in comparison to 21/22 mpg for city/highway for GMs two-mode hybrids and 14/20 mpg for non-XFE pickups that are comparable.  That is an approximate 5%-7% improvement over the trucks that are non-XFE.

Models that are XFE only come in two-wheel drive with the E85-capable LC9 5.3-liter V-8 and a six-speed transmission that is automatic.  An Aluminum engine block, as well as aluminum cylinder heads is used by the LC9 to save weight.  In addition, it has active fuel management in order to change the V-8 between eight-cylinder and four-cylinder modes in order to save fuel.

Consumers are looking to save money on fuel, and GM has delivered.  Also, consumers are concerned with purchasing cars with good new car warranties in order to avoid unnecessary repair expenses down the road.

While most Ford dealerships reacted with joy after Ford Motor Co.’s announcement that they will be making six additional fuel-efficient cars in America, others greeted the announcement with caution.

It’s going to be great to have small, fuel-efficient cars in the lineup because who knows what gas prices are going to do..

However, it is impossible to predict how long this shift toward fuel-efficient passenger cars will last.  Gas prices have already fallen drastically, but who knows how far down they will fall.

This same thing occurred in the ‘70s, and the reality is that America isn’t going to want to eliminate SUVs and pickup trucks forever.

Trucks are needed for construction companies, and therefore will keep being built.  Will they become more fuel-efficient for the future?  Of course, they are going to have to be.

As gas prices fall even more, customers could very well switch their tastes back to SUVs and trucks.

So, for now consumers are just trying to keep money in their pockets by purchasing small fuel-efficient cars with new car warranties, but as the economy improves and gas prices fall, that may all turn around.

Consumers have been more concerned than ever about saving money on their vehicles.  They are doing everything from purchasing small, fuel-efficient cars, to purchasing an auto warranty to ensure they don’t pay unnecessary repair expenses.  But are they willing to skip the amenities that come in new cars, such as air conditioning, an automatic transmission, and power locks and windows, to save money?  And are stripped cars even available?

The truth is that it can be hard to find a car stripped with crank windows and a manual transmission.

According to JATO Dynamics, 89% of vehicles sold in America last year came standard with automatic transmissions, which is up from 85% in 2003.  Also, power locks came standard on 87% of cars sold, compared to 80% in 2003.

The vehicles that offer these features as optional tend to be on small cars, yet economy-car buyers usually pick convenience and comfort over cost if given a choice.

For example, the cheapest model by Toyota is the Yaris, which begins at $11,550 for a 2008 base model hatchback with air-conditioning.  However, approximately 80% of Yaris buyers choose to pay an extra $900 for an automatic, and about 60% opt for a power windows and locks package, which costs an extra $1,680.

It appears that features, such as air conditioning, and automatic transmissions are necessities that most people aren’t willing to live without, just like new car warranties.

Today, Audi announced that the Q7 3.0 TDI, which is powered by diesel, is going to get about 17 mpg in the city and 25mpg on the highway.  This is approximately a 25% improvement over theQ7 V-6 that is non-diesel.  Chris Bokich, a spokesman for Audi, claimed that these figures are official estimates; reports early on had only estimated the highway figure, and the final EPA certification isn’t here yet.  If the numbers remain, the Q7 TDI will be squarely placed between other diesel competitors, such as the BMW X5 xDrive and the Mercedes GL320 Bluetec.

There is no information yet about pricing or new car warranties, but the TDI will be for sale in April.  It will probably rank in the Q7 lineup between the V-6, which is $43,500 and the V-8, which is $59,220.  It wouldn’t be surprising if the Q7 qualifies for tax credits.  The IRS has the Advanced Lean Burn Technology Vehicles program, which the X5 diesel qualifies for a $1,800 tax credit, and the GL320 and ML320 Bluetecs qualify for $1,800 and $900 credits.

If you’re thinking of buying a small SUV you’re in luck because there are many good choices.  Compact SUVs offer practicality, fuel-efficiency, and nice style.  In fact you can find many models for under $25,000 complete with an auto warranty.  So what are the best and worst models to consider?  Read on.

The Honda CR-V is the #1 compact SUV.  It ranked the highest for performance, safety, and interior.  According to reviewers, it drives really well, has a sleek design and offers ample storage room.  Following close behind, the Toyota RAV4 comes in second place in its class.  This vehicle has a surprising amount of power for its size. It now offers a V-6 engine, as well as a third row seat. The RAV4 was the first compact SUV in its class over a decade ago.  Coming in #3 is the 2008 Subaru Forester.  This SUV is known for being a fun, family-friendly vehicle.  Reviewers complained about the exterior being bland and the balky transmission, but were willing to overlook these things because it had some great positive features.

Unfortunately, there are some compact SUVs that didn’t score as well.  In last place was the Saturn Vue Hybrid.  According to reviewers, it isn’t very refined and isn’t as fuel thrifty as many other hybrids.  Also at the bottom of the list is the Mazda Tribute because its power and handling doesn’t match its competitors.  Finally, the Jeep Compass drives more like a car, but doesn’t have the sportiness or off-road capabilities that other Jeeps have.

If you’re thinking of buying a compact SUV, there are many great choices out there.  The most important thing is to do your homework and make sure you are choosing wisely.  Also keep in mind the cost of new car warranties, maintenance costs and auto loans when determining your budget.

Imagine one day waking up to find that the only cars on the roads, in driveways, and in parking lots were electrics or hybrids.

CNW Marketing Research made some calculations to determine when America would become completely hybridized, and could stop depending on Middle Eastern powers for barrels of oil.

Based on the amount of people who live in America today (300 million), the number of cars driving on U.S. roads (11 million), the number of new cars that are sold in a year (15 million), and the number of those purchased cars that are hybrids, CNW calculated that in 2034 there is going to be:

• 357 million Americans
• 381 million cars, all hybrid or electric
• 15.7 million cars written off
• 18.1 new cars sold that are all hybrid or electric

It may seem like a long time, but it’s not unreasonable when you consider that every car being built and sold would have to be a hybrid, and every car on the road would have to be replaced with a hybrid vehicle.  Also, many people are holding onto their old vehicles and buying used car warranties because of the poor economy, so that is slowing things down.

The 2008 Chevrolet Aveo5 didn’t have many trophies to its name; however, it was best known for being the most affordable car in America.  But for 2009 there are several new contenders.  Nissan just announced its new rock-bottom entry, which is now the cheapest car in America; it is the Nissan Versa 1.6 that has an MSRP of $9,990 including new car warranties.  That price beats the Accent by about $1,000 and the Kia Rio, Toyota Yaris, and Chevy Aveo by around $2,000.

The Versa has a four-cylinder 107 hp, 1.6-liter.  It has 15 hp fewer than the standard Versa 1.8, however it is still competitive.  The newer version has a standard five-speed manual with the option for a four speed automatic for $11,990.  Gas mileage is 26/34-mpg city/highway for the manual and 26/33 for the automatic version.

For the price, Nissan makes air-conditioning an option for $1,000 extra. However, it comes standard on the other models, and also on the 1.6 Versa.

Not only is the Versa the least expensive car in America, but also it exceeds its competition in passenger volume and has good power and mileage ratings, as well as an excellent auto warranty.

The downturn of the U.S. economy has drivers steering toward purchasing used cars instead of new ones.

A recent survey examining 40 car retailers indicated used car sales have increased.  In fact, of the dealerships, 28 percent said that they had sold more used vehicles than expected.

Also, 82 percent of the dealerships indicated that their used car inventory is just enough.  This is up 64 percent from last year at the same time.

In addition, 15 percent of the dealerships claimed that they didn’t have enough inventories, which was higher than the 6 percent in the previous survey.

Used vehicle interest could represent a bright spot for an expected gloomy year in the automotive industry.  Consumers want to save money on cars, used car warranties, and auto loans.

Used car buyers need to be aware of a common scam; odometer fraud.  This is the act of rolling back the odometer on a car.  This deceives buyers into thinking a vehicle has fewer miles than it really does.  It is estimated that this crime leads to sales of around 450,000 vehicles every year.

Also alarming is that digital odometers are easier to meddle with than traditional odometers.  There are ways that consumers can protect themselves against odometer fraud.

First of all, request to see the car’s title and make a comparison between its mileage and the car’s odometer.  Also, compare the mileage on the car’s maintenance records with the odometer on the vehicle.  In addition, sometimes there are stickers with maintenance records on doorframes and windows.

Next, you should ask for a Carfax History Report on the vehicle to see odometer discrepancies.  If the person selling the car doesn’t have one, you can order one online with the vehicles VIN number.

Finally, check to see that the odometer gauge numbers are all aligned.  If they aren’t aligned, or if they move when you tap on the dash, you may want to think twice about buying.

These tips can save you from buying a car that has been tampered with.  However, you never know the true history of a used car.  This is why used car warranties are a good idea to protect you against unforeseen repairs.