General Motors recently announced that it is extending an auto warranty offer on its certified used trucks and cars, citing quality gains and less auto warranty-funded repairs.

GM claims it will begin to offer a 12-month, 12,000-mile auto warranty that is “bumper to bumper” on all certified used trucks and cars that are eligible for the coverage by GM dealers.

This change will start September 13, and will extend the terms of the GM auto warranty on late model used vehicles in good condition an extra 9 months and 9,000 miles.

This step comes one day after an announcement by GM that it is putting out a new discount program on new trucks and cars that will provide employee-level pricing to new buyers.

GM, as well as other U.S. carmakers, has been arguing that their quality improvements in their vehicles have long been ignored by American consumers.

In response to this, the Big Three have offered more generous used car warranties over the last few years in order to gain consumer confidence.

The legendary and powerful V-8 engine is finding its place in history, because very few new cars are using it, according to U.S. car industry reports.  Consumers want to protect themselves with fuel-efficient vehicles that have an auto warranty, and aren’t purchasing vehicles with V-8 engines.

The majority of carmakers are deciding not to put V-8’s under the hoods of family vehicles, USA Today stated in a NY report.  The V-6’s are also losing popularity and people are instead deciding to purchase vehicles with the V-4.  In fact, observers claim that the V-8 in particular isn’t politically correct anymore.

Carmakers who are choosing to introduce new V-8s are tending to confine them to high-performance sports cars, trucks meant for towing, and several premium cars.

New vehicles that are planning to be equipped with a V-8 engine include the Cadillac CTS-V, the Hyundai Genesis, and the Dodge Challenger.  Carmakers are making it a point to stress the fact that the newer V-8s are much more fuel-efficient than in the past.

However, GM is discarding the eight-cylinder engine from next year’s 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover and Ford won’t be offering its Lincoln MKS sedan with the V-8.

Consumers are opting for cars with smaller engines that have new car warranties in order to protect their wallets.  V-8s are finding their place in history.

Other carmakers are scrambling to downsize their car lineups, yet Honda Motor continues to restock its current lineup of small vehicles that are fuel-efficient.

Honda is the most popular car company in the U.S., and its success will continue to grow with the introduction of a new updated version of the Honda Fit subcompact today.

The current version of the Fit has experienced a sales increase of a staggering 79% this year due to the trend for consumers to steer clear of large vehicles that guzzle gas.

And with the new Fit, which gets 34mpg/highway and comes with an auto warranty, Honda continues to polish its sparkling reputation as the carmaker that is best able to capitalize on an auto market that is changing rapidly.

Sales in the U.S. car market have dropped 11% this year, and yet Honda’s sales have gone up 3%. To compare, GM has had sales decline 11%, Ford Motor has declined 14%, and Toyota has dropped 7%.

Honda’s success can be explained in simple terms. When all other automakers, including Toyota, shifted to trucks, Honda resisted and stuck with their formula. Consumers are looking for small, fuel-efficient cars that are dependable and come with new car warranties, and Honda delivers. With the current economy people aren’t taking risks on gas-guzzlers.

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.