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Matthew C. Keegan's Articles in Cars Show All|Display Category|Title|Newest|Oldest Types Of Air Filters For Your Vehicle How often do you replace your car’s air filter? Every 10 thousand miles? 12K? 15K? During the life of your car – assuming you plan on keeping your vehicle for many years – you could easily go through 8, 10, even 15 or more air filters. Of course, that is if you choose to purchase disposable air filters every time your shop. However, did you know that you now have another choice, in a reusable air filter, which costs a bit more but will likely outlast your car? Read on for an informative comparison of the two types of air filters available for your vehicle. If you maintain your own vehicle, you probably make regular trips to your auto parts store for oil, filters, wipers, and the occasional air filter. Concerning your air filter, your choices include Fram, ACDelco, Bosch, and Purolator air filters, all very well known and trusted brands. You are not likely to pay a whole lot for one, perhaps between $6 and $15, depending on your vehicle make, model, model year, and engine. For many people purchasing an air filter once a year is a simple procedure: see which one is on sale, buy it, toss the old one, and insert the new one. 4 Ways To Increase Automotive Performance In these days of high gasoline prices, it may seem ridiculous to consider ways to increase your car's performance as they are almost always associated with increased fuel consumption. However, there are four ways to increase performance that do not have to negatively impact your gas mileage. Let's take a closer look at each one. 1. Reusable Air Filters. Landfills are stuffed with items we use once and then throw out. Auto air filters are one such item and through the life of a car you can go through 6-12 of them with no problem. For approximately three times the price, washable and reusable air filters are a great alternative. When you purchase one it likely will be the last air filter your car will ever need. Reusable air filters enable you to gain slight increases in horsepower and acceleration as well as to impact the environment in a positive way. When Fuel Pumps Give Up The Ghost Cruising down the highway at 70mph in your ‘98 Bimmer you notice a strange sound coming from somewhere underneath your car. You proceed down the road a few more miles before exiting and making the turn into your subdivision. The sound magically disappears and you dismiss it as something that must have wedged itself underneath your car and then worked itself free. However, your car engine buckles, hesitates and then dies as you make the turn into your driveway. Fortunately, you made it home. Unfortunately, your fuel pump has gone to auto parts heaven. Sure, we can dream that your fuel pump died just as you got home. How convenient. In all likelihood the problem would have surfaced while you were on a long trip, on a Sunday afternoon, miles from no where. Fuel pump failures can happen without warning and without any engine codes signaling the problem. In other words: when it happens you are SOL. Weather And Car Cover Fundamentals Selecting a car cover for your truck, van, SUV, or passenger car is a matter of finding one that fits your car and going with that one, right? Well, there is a lot more to it than simply purchasing a car cover. Size does matter, but so do quality, durability, and price. Let’s examine some of the fundamentals in selecting a car cover for vehicle. Car covers -- or weather covers as some prefer to call them -- have been successfully covering vehicles for several generations now thanks to the ingenious and persistent work of designers who properly measure each new model to make sure that every cover is custom fitted. One of the first companies to get started in the business was Covercraft, founded in 1965 in Southern California. Covercraft, like so many American success stories, was a two man operation that outfitted car covers for street rods, import makes including Porsche, and for the aftermarket supply network. The company boasts of having produced 55,000 styles of car covers for just about every make and model of vehicle on the road. There are other brands on the market; however Covercraft is dominant and favored by automobile wholesalers such as the Auto Parts Warehouse. 6 Pocket Rockets! Just because your car is small, doesn’t mean that it has to be slow. In fact, some of the fastest cars on the road today are subcompacts. How so? Because their owners have modified them to the point where they can squeeze out additional horsepower and acceleration. Let’s take a look at six cars that qualify as genuine “pocket rockets.” For the sake of argument, here are some ground rules for a pocket rocket: Keep Your Vehicle's Carpets Clean! Your $30,000 car has come equipped with all of the latest bells and whistles: traction control; Sirius satellite radio; side curtain air bags; Onstar; and power everything. Well, there is one thing that is curiously left out of many new car purchases and that is floor mats. You would think that matching floor mats would be standard equipment on all vehicles, instead it is an aftermarket purchase for most motorists. Selecting the right type of floor mat is essential to preserving your car’s interior. The wrong type of floor mats can look terrible and cost you plenty of money in the end. Please read on to find out why this is so. Floor mats are the Rodney Dangerfield of automotive accessories. They just don’t get any respect. If they did, your car would come outfitted with a set of high quality, matching mats. Almost a universal oversight, owners routinely pick up their showroom new cars with just a solitary paper mat in place for the driver. Sure, you could run into the dealer’s parts department and pay $200 for a nice set, but you already paid through the nose for your car. Besides, you want a better selection than what your dealer sells, right? I think so! Lights, Lamps, And Bulbs; Oh My! Can you imagine driving down the road at night with barely a flashlight bulb to guide your way? The first cars were outfitted with headlights that were just about that dim. Fortunately, lighting technology has improved to the point to where your car’s lights can cut through the darkness allowing you to see and to be seen from great distances. Headlights are a terrific and important part of your car, without them driving one be reserved to daytime travel under optimum conditions. So, why do people sometimes neglect them? I used to own a Ford Escort. A basic car for a person like me who, at the time, was on a budget. The car served me well and was still running great when I sold it just after it had clocked 90,000 miles. Hey, it was time for me to step up in the world and the Ford Taurus was a Lincoln Town Car in comparison. Okay, back to the Escort… the only problem I ever had with the car was with its headlight assemblies. You see, they leaked...and then some. Car And Truck Alternators Has your vehicle’s alternator failed? Are you absolutely certain that it isn’t your battery or starter? Determining which part has failed is essential toward avoiding unnecessarily replacing something that hasn’t failed, like your battery. Let’s take a look at some steps you can take to determine that your alternator, in fact, has bit the dust. If you own an alternator testing machine, you can test to see whether your car’s alternator is charging correctly. For most people this isn’t practical as few motorists own such an expensive piece of equipment. For everyone else, there is a practical way for you to easily check to see if your alternator is working properly: 2006 Buick Lucerne: Return Of The V8 The venerable Buick Park Avenue is no more, having been replaced by the all new Buick Lucerne, a down market version of the Cadillac DTS. With a 275-hp Northstar V8 engine, the Lucerne becomes the first Buick car in nearly ten years to arrive equipped with a V8. The entire Buick line up is in the process of being overhauled, so let’s take a look at this make’s newest flagship and see how it plays a part in GM’s overall strategy. If you are a fan of the Buick brand you have witnessed your fair share of changes over the past five years. Gone are the Park Avenue, LeSabre, Century, and Regal, and in its place are the Rendezvous, the Rainier, LaCrosse, Terrazza, and the Lucerne. All the changes are the result of General Motors’ broad realignment strategy in the wake of retiring the Oldsmobile brand, lifting Saturn into the fold, and setting strategy to compete against the nonstop onslaught of foreign brands including Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, and Infiniti. Chevy Classics! Chevrolet used to have an advertising campaign that touted, “Baseball, apple pie, and Chevrolet.” Supposedly, General Motor’s largest division attempted to indoctrinate consumers into believing that a Chevrolet was as mainstream as Main Street, USA. In many ways this campaign worked. For generations now the Chevrolet division has been serving up cars that have been snapped up by Americans, particularly those seeking their first car. Let’s take a look at three Chevy classics that have shaped the respected US automaker. Corvette – In 1953, the Chevy Corvette was released and the auto market hasn’t been the same since. This two seat ragtop paved the way for greater and lesser cars to enter the US market including Chevy’s own Camaro and Chevelle; Pontiac’s Firebird and GTO; Ford’s Thunderbird and Mustang; the Dodge Charger; Plymouth ‘Cuda; AMC Javelin; Datsun 240Z; and a host of other cars. For over 50 years, the limited production Corvette has been the “halo” car for Chevrolet and is now a favorite of the baby boomer set. Dodge: Awesome And Invigorated! If you are a car fan you know that part of the fun of following the market is examining new models as they enter the showroom. There is just something special about a new car: the smell, the look, the price tag! For some 17 million American drivers a new car is in their future, while many others opt for the used car market. Some of the cars on the market today are hot, hot, hot! Let’s take a look at several new and future offerings from Dodge. Thanks in part to new ownership [Daimler Benz purchased the Chrysler Corporation in 1998] a fresh infusion of great looking Dodge models have hit a showroom near you. Additional models are soon to appear and the makeover that Dodge has been receiving is nothing less than astounding. Here are some of my favorites: 2006 Ford Mustang: Retro Cruiser When Ford decided to redesign the Mustang, they opted to incorporate a retro look, much like what was done previously with the Thunderbird. Fortunately, Ford didn’t look at the ghastly Mustang II series from the 1970s for a template, instead the US automaker drew upon the second generation Mustangs of the late 1960s for their inspiration. Let’s just say that the redesigned Mustang has been nothing short of a sell out hit. Introduced as a 2005 model, the retro Mustang for 2006 offers only one change: the introduction of a Pony package which is meant to give the car a GT look and feel. Borrowing from the fastback design of the late 1960s, the 2005 model was such a hit that Ford could not keep up with production. Help Me, Honda! So, you need a new car, do you? Have you considered Honda? Not too long ago your choices were the Civic, Accord, or Prelude. Today, Honda has expanded their line up to cover just about every segment going. Let’s take a look at their current line up and see how Honda stacks up against the competition. Accord – Soon after the Civic entered the North American market, the Accord was introduced. The car has been so well received that it routinely battles with the Toyota Camry for the top spot in the American market. Every few years the Accord receives a complete makeover; today’s Accord is available in three models: coupe, sedan, and hybrid Jaguar For Me; Jag For You? The British automaker, Jaguar, has certainly stepped it up a notch over the past decade. Don’t tell the British, but Ford Motor Company’s purchase of the venerable brand likely saved the company from oblivion. The cat is back. Read on for updates about this feline marquee. I have a friend, his name shall remain anonymous to protect the guilty, and whose knowledge about Jaguar is fairly limited to put it kindly. Both of us enjoy cars, particularly powerful American coupes, and the occasional sedan or hot wagon, such as the Dodge Magnum. When Lincoln’s new LS made its debut more than five years ago I remarked how the Ford Motor Company crafted both it and the Jaguar “S” type from the same platform and that this was the first shared venture between the two companies ever. My buddy was perplexed as he considered what I had said. He then retorted, “how can Ford and GM build from the same car?” Huh?! I was mystified at first, but then I realized his ignorance was typical of many Americans regarding the British automaker: they just did not know the brand. Nissan: 40 Years In North America The North American market has seen some bold changes by Nissan over the years. Originally imported under the Datsun name, Nissan cars in Canada and the US made the switch over to the new name in the early 1980s and the company hasn’t been the same since. A broader line up and the introduction of the luxurious Infiniti brand in the late 1980s changed the face of Nissan tremendously. The winners are consumers everywhere who can get a great vehicle for a fair price. It was in 1965 when the first Datsuns arrived in Canada. Who could forget the 1600cc 510 wagon with a 4 speed manual transmission? The only thing that could kill this car was rust and a rust bucket it was at that. Or, how about the 620 pick up? A great little hauler that is in a league of its own. My personal favorite was the 720 pick up truck equipped with a diesel engine. A good, sturdy truck that really sipped fuel. 2006 Toyota Matrix: Value Meets Fun During the early part of this decade Toyota was examining its vehicle line up and the decision was made to build a car to entice young people who were looking for something that was small, fun to drive, and affordable. While the Corolla served faithfully in this capacity, Toyota needed something that spoke excitement. The Corolla just wasn’t that kind of a car and something radically different was needed. Enter the Matrix. Based on the Corolla platform, the Matrix does what no Corolla can do: turn heads. Let’s take a look at this sporty compact and see how the 2006 model stacks up. In 2003, the Matrix was introduced to the North American market. Built in California as a joint venture with General Motors – the Pontiac Vibe is its twin – the Matrix is aimed toward budget conscious young people who want a car that makes a statement. To save money, the Corolla frame was used, but the Matrix stands some 3 inches taller and is 8 inches shorter than its Toyota sibling. The roof line on the Matrix is completely different too as it slopes from front to back and ends in a wedge, giving the car somewhat of a wagon look to it. This rakish appearance is what gives the Matrix its unique look as well as an extra bit of room for people and their stuff. Indeed, both driver and front passenger sit higher up, much like in a small SUV or as in a car like Chrysler’s PT Cruiser. With four doors and a rear lift gate, the Matrix acts more like a wagon, but its sleek exterior easily refutes that fact. 2006 Chevy Impala Ss: More Vroom! Chevy’s flagship car, the Impala, finally has the power to match its heralded name. Ever since the car was redesigned in the late 1990s, the Impala has been more of a pretender than a performer. Now with an optional small block 5.3L V8 added to the mix, the 2006 Chevrolet Impala can go toe to toe with the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Charger. The changes for the Impala are not all under the hood, Chevy took the time to redo the entire car and they did it with care. Let’s look at some of the changes for 2006. More Power – A V6 is a great engine, especially in these times of high gas prices. Still, if you opt for a car of the Impala’s size, at least having the option of purchasing a V8 makes sense, doesn’t it? You better believe it. GM has sweetened the deal by plunking in a V8 that incorporates Corvette technology as the engine heads with “their pent–roof combustion chambers and flat–top pistons deliver high horsepower”, this according to Chevrolet’s promotional material. In addition, GM’s “displacement on demand” technology allows the V8 to squeeze out a miserly 28 mpg on the highway [18 mpg city] with computer equipment that shuts down unneeded cylinders at the appropriate time. Cadillac tried this in the early 1980s with its V8-6-4 engine that failed to live up to the job as computing technology then wasn’t what it is today. Fortunately, current GM technology makes this a reality for current models. German Vehicles Comparison: Bmw Vs. Mercedes German cars have long been recognized as some of the best engineered and most luxurious cars in the world. Two manufacturers, BMW and Mercedes, rule the roost with offerings from Audi, Porsche, and even Volkswagen getting some attention. Let’s take a look at some current offerings from these Bavarian giants and see how they are impacting the auto industry. BMW – Give BMW credit for moving outside of the box by building a plant in South Carolina. Opened in 1994, the Spartanburg, SC plant has produced the Z3 – now Z4 – roadster as well as the X5 SAV. Seeking to become more of a world player, BMW has also purchased controlling interest in other automakers including Rolls-Royce and Rover during the 1990s. Later, BMW sold off the Rover and MG portions of Rover, but has kept the Mini brand. Green Air Filters For Your Car Alright, all you soy sipping, yogurt eating, diet doing, hybrid driving, environmentally eccentric folks from Vancouver: listen up. You may be causing more damage to the environment than you already know. How so? Your Audi’s air filter, that’s how. Yes, it is true: if you keep your car long enough you will be performing under-the-hood maintenance which will include changing your air filter at least once a year. Keep that same car for ten years and that is ten years of stuff clogging North America’s landfills. And you call yourself earth friendly? Tsk, tsk! All kidding aside, there is an environmentally friendly way whereby if you follow just one small, but important step you can achieve oneness with nature, if not with your wallet: replace your car’s disposable air filter one final time with a reusable air filter. Porsche Car Covers For Top Protection In owning a high quality roadster such as a Porsche Boxster you are making a statement that you value quality, engineering, speed, luxury, and reliability. Few cars can match all that a Boxster does in effectively combining an exhilarating sports car ride with a sensible price. Still, owning any Porsche is an investment and you must take care to protect that investment. A custom fitted car cover is something to consider to properly shield your Porsche. After spending over sixty thousand dollars for your new Porsche, why is it that the one investment that can save you thousands of dollars is often overlooked? What I am talking about is a Porsche car cover. A car cover is a reasonably priced accessory that should be standard equipment for any vehicle. For only a few hundred dollars a custom fitted car cover will protect your car from: 2006 Jaguar X Type: Luxury For The Commoner Prices for top selling luxury cars can easily top $50,000 when taxes, destination charges, and dealer prep fees are factored in. Generally, this isn’t a problem as the customer who purchases a vehicle of this renown can afford the big price tag. However, automakers have learned that there is a market for “entry level” luxury cars for up and coming buyers who want the name without paying the steep price. The dilemma for automakers is not to water down the product line, rather to offer a car that upholds the marquee without diluting its value. One such car that has successfully filled that criterion is the Jaguar X Type, the focus of this review. Admittedly, I am biased toward purchasing American cars even through the ups and downs of the U.S. car industry. Still, I am fascinated by changes that occur in vehicles throughout the world as I know that at some point those changes will be incorporated into cars traversing North American highways. One such feature that I have seen grow more commonplace is the use of all wheel drive to power automobiles. Subaru, for years, has offered all wheel drive across their model line, but few cars – foreign or domestic – have incorporated what has chiefly been the realm of sport utility vehicles. 2006 Ford Taurus: Swan Song The 2006 model year will end the heralded Taurus name and for this writer it is a bittersweet time as Ford retires what once the best selling car in all of America. When Ford introduced the Taurus along with its cousin the Mercury Sable in the mid 1980s the car represented a radical departure from the standard American car of the day. Fairly large, front wheel drive, and very aerodynamic, the Taurus quickly rose to the pinnacle of the American car sales charts and was the best selling car for several years in a row. A much delayed “reskinning” did not occur until 1996, some ten years after the Taurus and Sable were first released. The new style, perceived by some to be ugly, quickly cost Ford sales as newer and more modern Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords out gained the line. Slight changes in style incorporated with the 2000 model year took some of the edge off, but by then the Taurus was considered to be too old and outmatched by the competition. Coming To A Car Dealer Near You! The 2006 cars are fresh in dealer showrooms and already talk is raging about several upcoming cars set for release in model year 2007 or later. The styles are great, the engineering is advanced, and you simply haven’t seen anything yet. Let’s take a peak at what is coming down the pike. One of these future cars just may be what you end up driving! Hyundai Equus – Can you say, V8 Hyundai? That’s right, the Equus which is already sold in Korea, may make its debut here in North America as a 2008 model. Reports have it that the car, which is larger than the Sonata, will be a rear wheel drive four door sedan outfitted with wood, leather, and all the latest electronic gadgetry. 2006 Kia Rio: Use And Toss? Kia vehicles have managed to make significant strides in quality and durability since being introduced to the US market in 1994. Widely panned by critics as producing cheaply built and cheaply priced models, some Kia models are now performing at average or slightly above. The Kia Rio is not one of these cars, however. Only the extended warranty makes the Rio worth a look otherwise slightly more expensive cars from Toyota are preferable. With a base MSRP of just $10,735, the Kia Rio is touted as “still the most affordable 4-door sedan in America.” Certainly, when it comes to price, the Rio is a winner. Add in standard features such as dual remote mirrors, driver lumbar support seats, and the extended warranty, and the car is a value leader. Of course, air conditioning will cost you extra and don’t expect to find any type of radio in the car either unless you pay extra for it. Remember, the emphasis is on value, not equipment. Saturn Sky: Sneak Peek Somebody at General Motors must love Saturn. One hundred year old Oldsmobile was killed off in favor of bringing the Saturn brand in-house. Up until the early part of this decade, Saturn was a separate automaker, wholly owned by GM. Now, as a bonafide GM division, the Saturn line is finally getting some much needed new models including the Sky roadster, the focus of this preview. In the early 1990s, dent resistant polymer cars with the “S” designation began to roll of a factory line of a new plant located in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Several things were unusual about the project. The first was the company: Saturn. As a wholly owned but separately managed GM company, the Saturn initially escaped GM’s often overbearing culture and began to produce cars on its own far removed from Detroit. The second unusual point about the company was the cars itself: compact, import-fighting models designed to withstand the onslaught from Japan of low priced, high quality cars. Available in coupe, sedan, and wagon the cars quickly caught on in part for their engineering as well as for their “no hassle, no haggle” pricing. The sticker price on the car was the price customers paid, making a visit to the Saturn show room a pleasure and not a chore. Bugs And Cars: No Match There For those of us living in the southern US states, the proliferation of the insect population is a recognizable part of southern living. Evidence of the huge bug population is manifest on vehicles across the southland in warmer months, particularly on the hood, in and against the grille, and right on the windshield. Fortunately, two products have been developed that can effectively combat the resultant bug splatter: car bras and bug deflectors. Are they good choices for your car? They can be! Please read on to learn more. Car bras – Also called hood protectors, car bras provide maximum protection for the front end of virtually any vehicle on the road. Custom sized for each vehicle, car bras slip over the front end, covering the grill and the front part of the hood. There are some car bras that extend further up the hood almost to the windshield too. Some car bras are two part sections that allow for motorists to gain access to the hood without removing the bra, while others are one piece units that must be removed before popping the hood. In all cases, bugs are deflected from the grille and from at least part of the hood with a car bra. Nissan Buzz: Future Cars Nissan Motors continues to make important strides in becoming one of the highest quality automakers on the scene in North America today. Long living in the shadow of Japanese stalwarts Honda and Toyota, Nissan is fighting back with a series of new or updated models to cut into the Honda-Toyota dominance. Can they succeed? You be the judge as we take a look at four coming attractions soon to make their appearance at a Nissan dealer near you! Nissan Versa – Toyota’s Scion division has been a hit with the youth, while Nissan has been scrambling to provide models that can capture the interest of new drivers while being at the same time affordable. Scheduled for release by Summer 2006, the Versa will come with a 1.8L inline four cylinder engine and be available as either a five door hatchback or a four door sedan. The car will be manufactured in Mexico with a starting price in the neighborhood of 12 thousand dollars expected. Honda Sneak Peek: The Fit? Credit Honda with not giving up easily in what will certainly become a big fight: the sub $15,000 price range category of new automobiles. Currently, only a stripped down Civic competes in this area and I mean stripped: no a/c, basic tranny, no radio! With Toyota's Scion brand catching on Honda is looking to fight back. A tiny car now on sale in Japan may soon find its way to a dealership in your neighborhood helping to turn the tide for the revered automaker. So, why the big push in this "cheap" category? Chiefly because automakers know that if young and first time buyers have a very good experience with their entry level cars then more than likely they will stay with the brand as their lives change, i.e., get married, start a family, make more money, etc. This practice has been in place for years, although not as widely emphasized by all manufacturers and to their detriment. 2007 Toyota Camry: A Hybrid For A Leader Toyota has a couple of big things in store for the Camry when the 2007 model year version of the car rolls out this coming summer: a complete redesign and the availability of a hybrid engine. Already the best selling car in America, the Camry is destined to be overhauled and re-engineered. Let’s take a look at some of the changes scheduled for Toyota’s venerable model. New Styling Cues – Nobody has ever said that the Camry is a knock out when it comes to style. Despite its pedestrian look, the Camry has managed to capitalize on Toyota quality, price, and engineering to present a car that is clearly a best seller. Still, critics have routinely yawned at the Camry’s looks, but that will soon all change and dramtically at that. Borrowing some styling cues from Toyota’s Lexus line up of luxury cars, the 2007 Camry is expected to delight motorists and critics alike. Witness the recently made over Toyota Avalon: what was once a bland, full sized car has now been transformed into a sleek, luxurious sedan. 2006 Chevrolet Aveo: America’s Price Leader The only thing American about the compact Aveo automobile is it’s Chevrolet name. Built in Korea [or in China] by GM Daewoo, the Aveo is America’s price champion coming in at just under ten thousand dollars. That’s right; you can still purchase a new car in the USA for under ten thousand dollars excluding taxes, dealer prep, and destination charges. Let’s take a closer look at Chevy’s bargain basement people hauler. Available as either a four door sedan or as a five door hatchback, the Chevrolet Aveo fills an important niche in the Chevy line up as an entry level econocar. Priced nearly five thousand dollars less than Chevy’s next most expensive model, the Cobalt, the Aveo allows for Chevrolet to contend for a piece of the youth market. The Aveo is expressly targeted to compete against similar models from Scion, Kia, Hyundai, and Toyota. 2008 Chery Qq: Sneak Peak! China’s Chery Automotive Group is getting set to import as many as five vehicles into the US starting in the summer of 2007. These 2008 models are reportedly going to be cheaper than competing models in their respective classes, undercutting some models by as much as $10,000 per car. I have been doing a little investigating and have learned more about the Chery QQ, the three door compact that will retail for just $6995. Hold onto your hats as I read off the long list of standard features for its incredible, low price. Just when you think you have seen everything, along comes the QQ. Reportedly, QQ stands for Quality and Quick as the car is made from remnants of destroyed Soviet tanks that battled with China during a protracted border skirmish in 1970. In addition, the car zips from 0 to 48 before the engine craps out. Oh, well zero to sixty would have been nice, but alas... Will Renault Return To The U.s.? Back during the 1980s Renault cars, in alliance with the now defunct American Motors Company [AMC], were sold at American dealers. Once Chrysler purchased AMC, Renault retreated and quit selling cars in the US. A recent announcement by Renault that the U.S. market may once again be a candidate for Renault cars has been met with only tepid enthusiasm by the automotive press. Will Renault return? More importantly: does anyone care? Renault's exit from the US during the late 1980s was hardly noticed by most consumers. As makers of the tiny LeCar, the compact Alliance, and the midsize Medallion/Eagle Premier, not much distinguished Renault from the competition. Nissan’s Pending Up Market Push The Nissan Motor Company is quietly working on a campaign to overhaul their car line up. Current models, including the Maxima, Altima, and Sentra, soon will be transformed into more luxurious and expensive models while a new car line, the Versa, is welcomed into the fold and sold as the automaker’s introductory model. So, why this change for Nissan? Will the automaker’s plans succeed or fail? A lot is hinging on this move by Nissan, perhaps more than meets the eye. The Nissan motor division has been a good performer in the highly competitive US auto market. With the transformation of the make’s name from Datsun to Nissan in the early 1980s to the introduction of a luxury line, Infiniti, in the late 1980s, the Nissan Motor Company has benefited financially and its customers have been receptive to the changes. Still, Nissan’s line is a perennial third place finisher among Japanese automakers in the lucrative U.S. auto market, easily being outperformed and outsold by Toyota and Honda year in and year out. Helpful Car Buying Tips Purchasing a new vehicle is a stressful chore for many people. Ask the average person what they dread most and they will tell you that “price haggling” is the worst aspect of negotiating a price. Few people come away from the deal believing that they got a fair shake; a significant minority will admit that they got ripped off if you press the issue with them. Besides shopping at a “no haggle” dealer – Saturn, for example – how can you avoid an unpleasant experience? Better put, can you? Let’s take a look at some ways you can gain better control over the car buying experience so that you can save yourself some time, money, and a whole lot of aggravation. Stay away from the hot sellers. Many Japanese brands are sold at full price and bargains are hard to come by. Still, if you do a little bit of research you should be able to shave several hundred dollars off of the sticker price or secure a very low loan rate should you choose to finance your vehicle. If your dealer doesn’t want to deal with you, go to another Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. dealer to find a better deal. Hyundai Equus: Are Your Ready For A Korean V8? One generation after the introduction of its first line of cars in the US, Hyundai Motors is preparing to import to the US its first V8 powered car. The Equus, a full sized sedan, will be new to the US market, but the Korean automaker has been making large cars for years. Please read on for more information about this exciting development. Give Hyundai credit. In the teeth of strong competition from Asian and American automobile manufacturers, the South Korean auto giant has managed to carve out a niche for itself in the hyper-competitive US auto market. Twenty years after the Excel Pony was introduced at the budget price of $3750, Hyundai has upgraded its line up and now sells small and medium models, sporty cars, and a pair of SUVs. 2007 Volkswagen Polo: U.s. Debut Stalled? Volkswagens’ plans to deliver a sub-Golf sized car to the U.S. market has stalled as the German automaker considers allowing rival DaimlerChrysler [DCX] to import the car instead and sell it under the Dodge label. VW dealers are naturally unhappy about the move, but much more is at stake than what is evident. Will the Polo still show up? If not, why not? The world of automobile marketing has changed drastically in the last generation. Gone are brands that are purely set behind national borders and localized brands. Instead, vehicles are being sold that wear one label but are actually built by another manufacturer. Globalism is here and automakers have openly embraced these changes. Geely Cars: Gotta Get One? I mentioned in a related article that the first batch of Chinese built cars to be imported to the U.S. is only a few years away. In that article, I discussed Chery Automobiles and how the company has its designs on the American market, particularly in the entry level category. Well, now a second manufacturer – Geely Automotive Company – is also planning on bringing at least one model to the U.S. by 2008. Changes are in the wind, but lest you think that Detroit is the only one quivering don’t be fooled: Japan’s automakers and Korea’s automakers all must take notice of what is about to happen. For certain, the U.S. automobile market is the most lucrative one in the world. It is also the largest with more than 17 million new vehicles sold annually. All automakers know that if you have a piece of the American market, you have a piece of big profits as long as what you are selling is what consumers want [Ford and GM, take notice]. Chevy Camaro: Build It And We Will Buy It! Attention, General Motors! The concept Camaro now making the rounds of U.S. auto shows is a real winner. Keep showing the car, but start making plans to get it built...now! Make no changes to the concept; in other words: keep the boardroom geeks away from the project. Yes, GM is looking at bringing back a venerable nameplate – the Chevrolet Camaro. If all goes as planned, a 2009 model Camaro is a strong possibility. Read on for additional interesting tidbits. Back in the late 1960s, General Motors responded – albeit a little late – to the wildly successful 1964 1/2 launch of the Ford Mustang. A whole new breed of cars were on the market – pony cars – thanks to the Mustang and GM’s release of the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird. Indeed, Chrysler and American Motors jumped in too with the Dodge Charger, Plymouth Road Runner, and AMC Javelin competing successfully in a popular automobile segment. Ball Joints And Your Car's Suspension System An important part of your car’s suspension system is its ball joints. Made of extra tough steel, ball joints act as the pivot point between two parts: the suspension and your car’s tires. Ball joints help support your car’s weight and, as is the case with some vehicles, ball joints may be used to help set the alignment. Let’s take a closer look at this key component of your car’s suspension system. Enclosed in a steel housing, ball joints are used on the front end of almost every car, truck, SUV, and minivan. As might be expected, ball joints are subject to a lot of wear and tear, so to properly protect them ball joints are housed in an enclosed boot to keep dirt away from the joint assembly. 8 GM Brands: 1 or 2 Too Many? Lots of folks are speculating about GM’s future. If you take all the press reports at heart, you would think that General Motors is on life support. Quite frankly, the opposite is true especially when you look at the global picture. In 2005, “the General” sold more than 9 million cars worldwide, the first time the automaker reached that figure since 1978. Yes, U.S. auto sales are down and some are calling for GM to reduce its many brands, currently numbering 8. Who should GM let go? Or, should General Motors stick with the game plan and maintain all 8 brands? For the record, GM’s 8 brands are: Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Saturn, GMC, Hummer, and Saab. You could take Saab out of that pack as the Swedish automaker (although fully owned by GM) builds few cars in North America. Still, GM includes Saab in its marketing schema so we’ll keep them in for argument’s sake. Chrysler Firepower: A Vette Fighter Extraordinaire Chrysler is toying around with the idea of building a vehicle that will go where no Chrysler moniker has gone before it: on the raceway. Sure, there have been stock Newports and Cordobas that have been raced, but nothing that was “pure race material” has ever worn a Chrysler label. Dodge yes, but Chrysler no. That may all change if the Firepower is built. Read on and let’s see what this hot looking car is all about. The U.S. auto shows throughout 2005 featured a number of great looking concepts. One of the vehicles, a Chrysler Firepower, drew strong interest from visitors. Based on this consumer interest, the Firepower may go from concept to developing project if several DaimlerChrysler officials have their way. Retro Mania: “old” Cars Rock! America’s thirst for cars of significance continues unabated. Long tired of copycat, cookie cutter, uninspiring models, consumers are demanding – and receiving – cars that are, quite frankly, retro. Yes, America’s automakers are reaching back in time to build a bunch of models based on popular models from yesteryear. Let’s take a look at the “Big 3” automakers and their current crop of retro cars as well as “future” models soon to be released. Defined, retro cars are vehicles that take their styling cues from cars built a generation or two ago. No, these vehicles aren’t carbon copies of earlier models, rather each retro car borrows much of their look from earlier models. Diesel Powered Cars: Coming At You! The number of diesel powered cars on North American highways has been dropping steadily ever since their peak in the mid 1980s. For many motorists, diesel engines conjure up images of pollution, poor power, and unreliability. However, one generation later and all that is about to change. New diesel powered vehicles will soon be arriving, in fact one is already here and receiving critical acclaim from auto enthusiasts. Who can forget those diesel powered Chevrolet Caprices and Oldsmobile 98s that suddenly became very popular 25 years ago? If you are like many car owners, you want to forget those cars. What GM did back then was to take existing gasoline engines and convert them to diesel engines. These converted engines were loud, smoky, and very unreliable. They were unreliable to the point where GM had to pay tens of millions of dollars to replace failed engines with gasoline engines. You Can Change Your Car's Timing Belt So, how is your car's timing belt doing? Have you changed it lately? If, ever? If not, you must make certain that the timing belt hasn’t been driven too many miles or you could be driving on borrowed time. Typically, a timing belt will last anywhere from about 60,000 miles to just over 100,000 miles; your owner's manual will spell that information out for you. A failed timing belt can occur at any time, but if you are on top of things you can avoid being left stranded. A timing belt is used to turn the camshaft at precisely half the speed as the crankshaft. The camshaft causes the intake and exhaust valves to open and shut in time with the pistons as they move up and down in the cylinders. When the timing belt breaks, you aren't going anywhere as the engine can no longer run. In some cases a timing belt failure could damage or even ruin a car's engine. Unfortunately, too many motorists do not replace their timing belt until it has broken. This can be a real problem when you are miles away from the nearest help! You Can Tune Your Car For Maximum Performance! Are you satisfied with your performance? Your car's performance, that is? If you are not or if you have wondered how you can crank more power out of your engine, then I have some good news for you: you can do it with an engine tuning programmer. Yes, within minutes you can turn your ordinary passenger car into a road warrior without having to pop the hood or by removing the dashboard. It is a quick, easy, and awesome way to unleash more power from your car's engine. The aftermarket parts industry is constantly coming up with everything you need to enhance your vehicle’s look as well as its improve performance. On the performance side of things custom air filters, cold air intakes, and exhaust systems are much sought after options for car enthusiasts. In addition, performance chips are being installed by owners who desire to turn their ordinary cars into something extraordinary. Ford Super Chips: Are They Worth It? Your Ford Mustang is a true pony car. A coupe with class and no other car on the road is like it. Heck, GM abandoned the Camaro and Firebird while Mustang sales continue to surge. Could it be that Mustang owners know a good thing when they drive it? You bet! Still, maybe you have considered ways to ratchet up the performance. Even with a V8 installed, perhaps you could squeeze out more power from an already potent engine? If that is the case for you a superchip may be right. However, are they worth it? Let’s take a look at these little technological wonders and see if a super chip is what you really want. So, exactly how does a superchip work? That’s easy! Every car comes with a computer chip – much like the one the central processing chip that powers your computer. Your stock chip helps to regulate a bunch of things including fuel flow to your engine, horsepower, torque, etc. Unfortunately, stock chips aren’t maximized for performance so the chip you get isn’t necessarily conducive to enhancing power. Brake Calipers, Car Blogs, And You If you are big fan of the internet, as I am, you likely appreciate having access to much of the information you read online. Where else can you find information that is accurate, easily obtainable, and above all else: free? The library, perhaps. Still, reading some of the car blogs out there can be a risky proposition especially if you are prone to taking everything you read as the “gospel truth.” Blogging certainly is fun and it is all the rage. You don’t have to know how to design web sites and you don’t even have to know how to write especially well. Therein lies the rub. Over the past several months I have had occasion to read information that is not only suspect, but downright inaccurate. Of course, if the writings are simply someone’s opinion about something that is one thing. However, when the writings give explicit instructions [or leave out pertinent information] on how to fix something, such as brake calipers, those instructions must be correct otherwise the reader could be obtaining information that isn’t just factually wrong, but dangerous. Jet Chips And Your Car One of several questions car enthusiasts ask about jet chips and other performance chips is whether they are legal in all states, provinces, etc. Well, I can’t answer that question for the rest of the world, but in the U.S. jet chips are legal even in California, home of some of the strictest automotive emission regulations in the world. As the saying goes, “As goes California, so goes the rest of the country,” or some variation on that theme! There is much more to jet chips than the name implies. Let’s take a look at this remarkable aftermarket product and its impact on North American drivers. First of all, like the name “Jeep” which represents a specific brand as well as a type of vehicle, Jet Chips is a brand as well as a type of chip. Confused yet? Don’t be. Because the name is so easy to remember and the company producing these chips is so well known, consumers have given all performance chips the nickname jet chips. Kind of like reaching for that box of “Kleenex” tissues even though the label obviously says “Marcal.” Dodge, Ford To Build Scion Fighters? Toyota’s Scion brand has been a runaway hit for the Japanese automaker ever since being launched in 2003. Designed to appeal to Generation “Y” buyers, the vehicles are popular, edgy – some would say ugly – and have given Toyota an important toehold with young buyers. GM, Ford, and Chrysler are preparing to respond to Scion, but in different ways. GM is planning to import more vehicles from its Daewoo subsidiary while Ford and Chrysler are expected to build all new Scion fighting vehicles in Mexico, good news for motorists looking for affordable and quality vehicles. Let’s take a look at what’s coming down the pike. For the record, Scion isn’t the only vehicle made for the Generation Y crowd. Honda’s Element and soon to be released Fit subcompact are Scion competitors while the Chevy Cobalt, Dodge Caliper, and Saturn ION are also aimed toward youthful drivers. With that being said, Dodge [Chrysler] and Ford must respond and it appears that both automakers will be fielding Scion fighters within the next two years. Chinese Cars: Redefining The Market News reports over the past several months have featured the coming “invasion” of Chinese cars to the North American market. What has gotten the attention of many car buffs is the very low prices at which each model will be sold. Prices as low as $6600 have been quoted for one model with a handful of other models also expected to retail for well under $10,000. If Chinese cars do arrive as expected, look for a massive change in the way entry level model cars are built and sold in the U.S. and Canada. Consumers stand to gain with the increased competition, although exactly what they will be getting for the price is not yet known. The Chevrolet Aveo, a compact car built by GM’s Korean unit, Daewoo, is currently the lowest priced car sold in the U.S. retailing for as low as $9300 after all discounts have been applied [MSRP is currently set at $9890 for the “Special Value” models]. A 16 valve 1.6L I4 mated to a 5 speed transmission is standard and Chevy kicks in an AM/FM radio for good measure. Beyond that, the car is truly stripped. Asian Cars: Auto Manufacturers to Watch The Asian automobile manufacturing market is much broader than many American consumers understand it to be. Beyond Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and other household names there are quite a few automakers that are growing in size and respectability in their own markets. Two of these companies have already committed to selling their models in the U.S., but there are three others worth knowing about and watching. Starting in 2007, two Chinese automobile manufacturers will be exporting cars to the U.S. and Canada. Geely Automobile Company and the Chery Automobile Company are part of the first wave of new Asian automakers preparing to serve the U.S. market. I won’t go into more detail about these two manufacturers, so please read a related article I wrote titled, “Chinese Cars: Redefining the Market,” to learn more about them. Asian Cars: Auto Manufacturers To Watch The Asian automobile manufacturing market is much broader than many American consumers understand it to be. Beyond Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and other household names there are quite a few automakers that are growing in size and respectability in their own markets. Two of these companies have already committed to selling their models in the U.S., but there are three others worth knowing about and watching. Starting in 2007, two Chinese automobile manufacturers will be exporting cars to the U.S. and Canada. Geely Automobile Company and the Chery Automobile Company are part of the first wave of new Asian automakers preparing to serve the U.S. market. I won’t go into more detail about these two manufacturers, so please read a related article I wrote titled, “Chinese Cars: Redefining the Market,” to learn more about them. Ford: Restoring Prestige And Honor The Ford Motor Company, along with rival General Motors, has been going through a time of severe testing due to concerns about product quality and relevancy, profits, and long term viability. The net result is that Ford is planning on closing numerous plants and will lay off as many as 30,000 employees, a historic cutback that may only be the tip of the iceberg. Is Ford finished or will the company be able to regain strength and compete successfully in the years ahead? Ford has certainly taken its lumps and for good reason. Profits in the North American market are nonexistent with losses actually in the multibillion dollar range. Despite the red ink, all is not lost for the “blue oval” as the company remains very profitable overseas. In addition, its three U.S. divisions have much to offer if some serious changes are incorporated. Here are my suggestions for change: Affordable Cars Priced From Under $15k Are you looking for a new car? If you are, there are several models available to you for under $15,000. Twelve are mentioned here; thirteen if you include the Nissan Versa to be released later this summer. Increased competition has made this a great time to buy a new car so compare, shop, and save! Chevrolet Cobalt – With an MSRP of under $13,000, this Chevrolet model is one of the lowest priced cars manufactured in the U.S. A competitive price when you realize that few new car models are priced so low. If the Cobalt price still isn’t low enough for you, then Chevrolet also markets the Aveo, a vehicle GM imports from its South Korean subsidiary Daewoo. The Aveo retails for just $9890! 2006 Ford Focus: Never Better! Back in 2000, the year that the Ford Focus was introduced, Ford Motor Company was hoping that the model would be well received and exceed the sales totals of its previous small car, the Escort. Unfortunately, the new Focus was plagued by various minor quality problems and the car soon became the joke of the industry. Step forward to 2006, and the current Focus is vastly improved on earlier models. Let’s explore what is helping the Focus become a proven challenger in the crowded small vehicle sector: 1. Aggressive Price. Yes, the number of cars available under US$15,000 continues to drop each year. However, the Focus takes it one step further as it retails just below $14,000. Comparably equipped Chevys, Kias and Hyundais sell for nearly the same amount, so the consumer has a good choice when buying the Ford Focus. 2008 Mercedes B Class: American Introduction Delayed? Mercedes has long looked at the entire U.S. auto market as fair game, meaning it is not just a place where it can sell luxury vehicles, but a place to market “low budget” vehicles too. Unknown to some American motorists, the Mercedes name is much broader than simply being a luxury make. Like its German rival, Volkswagen, Mercedes sells cars in Europe that compete directly against the Golf as well as against the luxurious VW Phaeton. Still, introducing a “budget Benz” to America is a psychological hurdle that parent DaimlerChrysler is delaying making a commitment to. Let’s take a look at the proposed B Class and the reasons why the model not make it to the U.S. anytime soon. For starters, the proposed B Class is based upon Mercedes A Class line of cars. Okay, that tells you a lot! In short, the A Class is a true line of compact cars that are popular in Europe. If you were to give serious consideration to purchasing a Volkswagen Golf you would consider the A Class to be its logical competitor. A slightly larger model, the B Class, makes better use of engine placement and design to produce a car that isn’t much larger than the A Class on the outside, but is almost as roomy as the S Class is on the inside [when configured as a wagon]. Get Ready For A Compact Bmw Over the years, the entire definition of what is considered a small, medium, or large car has been turned on its side. Some people measure a car’s entire length to determine size, others take into account its wheelbase, while still others give consideration to the vehicle’s interior room. No matter, BMW is planning to import a car to the U.S. that is truly smaller than any BMW that has ever graced American highways: the 1 Series is coming to America…can you say, “Tiny BMW?” Like Mercedes, the whole thought of a less than luxurious BMW running around is almost blasphemy. Please don’t think that this hasn’t been lost on Bavarian Motor Works as they study and restudy the issue and decide whether to go ahead with the planned introduction of the 1 Series. Long a producer of vehicles from compacts on up, BMW knows that the U.S. market is fickle and may reject the budget bimmer. Still, as the marketplace continues to adjust and consumer tastes change, the 1 Series is ripe for importing to the U.S. Here is why: 2007 Saturn Sky: The Wait Is Over After months of nonstop hype, the 2007 Saturn SKY is now entering dealer showrooms. This two seat roadster marks an important turning point for the Saturn brand long identified with building nondescript, but dependable vehicles. With an MSRP of $23,690, the SKY is certain to sell for several thousand dollars over the dealer's sticker price as demand is expected to far exceed capacity. Let’s examine the Saturn brand and the car behind the hype to see if the SKY was worth the wait. Since Saturn’s first cars became available in 1990, the brand has attracted a loyal following of owners who liked the company’s simplicity and consumer friendly dealer network. Indeed, Saturn’s “no haggle” pricing revolutionized the relationship between dealer and customer changing the typical adversarial business transaction into a partnership benefiting buyer and seller alike. World Auto Production Forecast Predicting the future is a risky proposition often filled with guesstimates and theories based on current events and hoped for consequences. At the same time, automakers are busy doing just that in anticipation of future consumer demands, emerging markets, fuel availability, and so much more. So, with all of that in mind and knowing that only God knows the future, here are some of my predictions concerning worldwide automotive production circa 2015. Consolidation General Motors, Toyota, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Peugeot/Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, Volkswagen, and some other manufacturers are likely to snap up competitors, especially in emerging markets. Nope, I do not see the end of GM or Ford. Instead, I see both automakers concentrating on what they do best: making money overseas. The big factor in all of this will be the impact that Chinese built cars will have on local markets. If the cars are fairly well made and priced below the prevailing market rate, look for several companies to join forces in a bid simply to survive. Look for low priced Indian built cars to be sold worldwide beginning early in the next decade. 3 American Performance Cars Bear with me as I step back in time to formulate what I believe are three terrific American built performance cars: the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Challenger, and the Chevrolet Camaro. Currently, only the Mustang is in production with the Challenger coming back by 2009. GM hasn’t committed to building the Camaro just yet, but the company is likely to make a decision in favor of the car and its sibling, the Pontiac Firebird, by this summer. So, what is it about American performance cars that set them apart from the rest? In one word: muscle. Read on as I compare and contrast these three vehicles and share with you my feeble attempts to explain the culture behind the cars. So, you think I forgot the Chevy Corvette and Dodge Viper when talking about performance cars? No, I did not. Both models are performance cars as well as race cars. On the other hand the Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro are mass produced performance cars with muscle. There is a difference in the way a typical race car handles, rides, and performs vs. a muscle car. 2007 New Car Extravaganza! Months ago, in a related article, I covered five new or revised car models set to be launched on the North American market. The Jaguar XK, Saturn Sky, Toyota FJ Cruiser, Land Rover Freelander, and Dodge Nitro are already in showrooms or soon to make their appearance there. Beyond these five there are quite a number of other models also being planned and some have already been released. Let’s take a look at five more models catching the attention of auto enthusiasts everywhere. Nissan Versa – Yes, Nissan has its own Scion fighter planned and just in time too as two other cars, the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, will also be making their debut in the fast crowding Generation “Y” category. The Versa looks more like a Toyota Matrix as opposed to the bread box looking Scion xB. Available as a four door sedan or five door hatchback, the car will come equipped not stripped and include an AM/FM/CD sound system, air conditioning, 6 speed manny tranny, and power mirrors as standard equipment. Best of all, the roomy Versa will be priced at about $12,000, right in Scion territory. Preview Of Select 2007 Automobiles Many model year 2007 vehicles have already hit new car showrooms starting with several new SUVs built by General Motors. The upcoming model year is shaping up as one likely to be filled with many changes as automakers reshape their line ups and prepare for the coming invasion of cheap imports from China. The choices for consumers have never been better and prices are actually lower for many models, therefore competition is good and you are the winner. Let’s take a look at five vehicles certain to grab much attention as they are released during this year. Ford Explorer Sport Trac – Based on the Explorer body, the Sport Trac has a wheelbase that is nearly 17 inches longer than the Explorer and a bed made out of composite material. With four doors and a truck bed, the SUV/pick up truck “hybrid” does double duty with plenty of style. Powered by a 4.0L V6, the 4.6L V8 found in the Expedition is also available. You can get the Sport Trac in either 2 of 4 wheel drive. Toyota: The New Number One? For the past several months news reports have been focusing on the declining fortunes of the world’s largest automaker, General Motors, as well as on the rise of Toyota to pre-eminence. Many are predicting that this will be the year that Toyota overtakes General Motors in sales while others are expressing caution regarding this assessment. Does it really matter who is number one? In many ways it does. Let’s examine the fortunes of the Top Two to determine whether Toyota’s quest to overtake General Motors will happen this year. So, why does it matter who is the top selling automaker in the world? In one word: prestige. Being number one in any category tells consumers that you are at the top of your game. No, there isn’t anything wrong with being number two – just ask Avis – but saying that “we try harder” doesn’t equate into being number one no matter how cute your commercials may be. Chrysler Gives Its Okay To The Imperial A venerable name in autodom is being resurrected and it will soon grace the body of a large, rear wheel drive luxury car. After a successful “concept car” debut at a pair of recent auto shows, the Chrysler Imperial will be built and should be in U.S. showrooms in 2010. Yes, it will be a long wait for the Imperial’s return but the car must first await additional changes within DaimlerChrysler before it can be built. Read on to learn more about the Imperial’s impending return. The Chrysler Imperial that has been currently making the rounds at various auto shows has been well received. Visitors have remarked favorably about the car’s Bentley like look as well as its cavernous interior and luxury appointments. Currently, the brand has nothing larger or more luxurious to offer buyers who might want to upgrade from the 300C, thus Chrysler has been regularly losing buyers to more luxurious brands, something parent DaimlerChrysler [DCX] wants to stem. Counterfeit Auto Parts: A Global Epidemic Recent concerns about U.S. port control have been focusing on the possibility that American ports will be used as a conduit for terrorists to attack America. What many people do not realize is that only about 5% of all containers going through our port system have their contents inspected by authorities. That means a full 95% of the containers never receive a visual inspection, although many do get electronically scanned. Still, it is the naked eye which can detect and determine if something in a container isn’t quite right. As far as auto parts go, a visual inspection is necessary; unfortunately many fake parts do get through. A global epidemic is in progress and it has little to do with terrorists and everything to do with counterfeit auto parts. Let’s take a look at the counterfeit parts “industry” and how you can avoid getting taken. Yes, it is an industry...the counterfeit auto parts “business” that is. Every year billions of dollars worth of fake auto parts are produced worldwide and circulated to unsuspecting consumers. In some countries the problem is completely out of hand resulting in injury, even death, to drivers and their passengers. Among the parts frequently counterfeited are: Mercedes Benz Parts: Affordable, Easy To Find Owning a Mercedes vehicle puts you in with an elite category of owners who appreciate the engineering, quality, comfort, and fun-to-drivability that go with every “Benz” produced. With a history spanning well over one hundred years and a solid benchmark reputation to preserve, Mercedes continues to impress its loyal owners and attract interest from those who do not yet own a Mercedes. Beyond ownership is the maintenance that is done to preserve your vehicle’s mojo. You know keeping your Mercedes well maintained can go a long way toward helping your car operate problem free as well as looking great. Trouble is, parts can get expensive...you’ll pay a premium if you have some garage or dealer do the work for you. Fortunately, you have some options – terrific ones at that – to find, procure, and install the high quality parts your Mercedes deserves without destroying your budget. Please keep reading for some helpful tips. Bug Protection For Your Car Here in the southern U.S., we residents are used to a bug population that can only make an anteater smack his lips. From about early April to the first frost, bugs outnumber people about 1000 to 1. Some would say 1 million to 1. Quite frankly, bugs are everywhere: in the yard, in the house, on your car, etc. Products containing DEET help, but they can do nothing to protect your car. Think I am exaggerating? Just drive down any southern back road at dusk and see how long it takes for your windshield and hood to be splattered with bug juice. It can get so bad that no amount of windshield washer fluid can keep up with it all. What to do? Well, if you are like many motorists you get some protection for your car. No, I am not saying to spray it with a can of OFF! or drive around with a car cover on it. Instead, there are two must have accessories that can and will make a difference. You’ll have to read on to find out just what I am talking about. Car bras – Some call them hood protectors while others call them car bras. Regardless, this particular accessory provides the greatest protection for the front end of most any passenger vehicle. Customized for your vehicle, car bras slip over the front end, covering the grille and the adjoining section of the hood. Some car bras are designed to extend further up the hood almost to the windshield. Some consist of two part sections that permit motorists to access the hood without taking off the bra, while others are a one piece accessory that must be removed before opening the hood. Both styles are effective in deflecting bugs from the grille and can protect a portion of the hood. Catalytic Converter Hazards! Government auto emissions control legislation mandates that virtually all cars built or sold in the U.S. come equipped with a catalytic converter. A smart device, catalytic converters help to convert dangerous and polluting exhaust gases into less harmful carbon dioxide and water. As helpful of a device that it is, there are some hazards that come with the use of a catalytic converter. Read on to learn what you need to know about your vehicle’s catalytic converter. Many consider a catalytic converter to be a godsend. With pollution levels ever climbing, the U.S. government acted to reduce harmful pollutants in a step to clean up the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency was formed by the Nixon Administration and the agency was instrumental in passing the Clean Air Act to help America control pollution. Since 1975 virtually every passenger vehicle has come equipped with a catalytic converter. Mercedes-benz And Your Safety Volvo has long been attributed with being the number one automobile manufacturer when it comes to vehicular safety and rightly so. As an inventor of “crumple zones” and “safety cages” to protect passengers, Volvo set the tone for worldwide auto building for the next several generations. Indeed, the auto industry owes much to Volvo’s many safety contributions. Not to be lost in all of this is the work that Mercedes-Benz has been doing to improve passenger safety too. Taking the Volvo concept one step further, Mercedes now incorporates several technological advances with their vehicles in order to provide the safest riding experience available. Let’s take a look at Mercedes’ PRE-SAFE system and how it can protect you and your passengers. I must admit that the first time I heard about Mercedes’ new safety system I had thought that it was something that was still years away from becoming available. How wrong I was! The PRE-SAFE system, as it is called, is a terrific way to enhance passenger safety and one that should be adopted by other automakers. Yes, I am sure that it isn’t a cheap system but as it is with so many technological advances the price is bound to drop and the system or something like it will become widely available across the board. Performance Enhancers For Your Car Are you a tuner? A true tuner that is…or, are you a rice boy? Yeah, you know what I mean. Serious tuners bring out the power in their cars while rice boys slap on every imaginable part to make their car look like a racer when in fact they are not. So, what does it take to bring out the power in your engine? Not a whole lot! Let’s examine some helpful performance enhancing parts for your vehicle to give it a truly tuned edge. Sorry for the pejorative term. Enhancing one’s car is a very personal thing and no everyone’s tastes vary. Still, some enhancements add little to the car’s value and can, in fact, take away from its performance. So, here are a few things you can do to add some zap to your engine: 2008 Saturn Vue: Inspired By Opel General Motors’ Saturn division is hard at work on building a replacement for its small SUV, the Saturn VUE. Currently based strictly on U.S. technology, the 2008 VUE is expected to be heavily based on Opel technology: Opel is General Motors’ principal European brand. This is good news for those who were concerned that GM would ditch the Saturn VUE. Instead, the SUV will get new life and additional support via its new relationship with Opel. While it is too early to know all the details about the upcoming Saturn VUE makeover, there are some things we do know about this revamped model. Ever since Saturn released the first “S Series” models back in 1990, the company has struggled to maintain a unique identity. Neglected by parent GM, the upstart Saturn brand had to wait nearly a decade before additional vehicles were added to its line including the Saturn VUE SUV. Along with the “L Series” midsize cars, the three vehicle lines [ION having replace the S Series] fully comprised the Saturn line for several years. Unfortunately, none of the three models were stand out performers, so the brand suffered accordingly. Brand Dilution: Gm's Real Problem Throughout General Motor's post World War II history, the company has managed to sell various products across its entire line up, thereby offering visitors to its showrooms a wide variety of models. This custom of "brand dilution" was an acceptable practice at GM, Ford, and Chrysler for several generations, but the practice has had its pitfalls. More...The cost of rebadging models to cross the entire GM spectrum is much more than you might think be. No, I am not talking about the price of slapping a different name on various models to market them under different brands, instead I am talking about the "cost" to the brand: the consumer's perception that there isn't anything uniquely sold with that brand. Cadillac Sixteen: Concept Or Production Vehicle? This past month I was finally able to get a first hand view of a fabulous looking concept car called the Cadillac Sixteen at the North Carolina International Automobile Show. As concepts go, the Sixteen is truly a radical looking, but thoroughly luxurious sedan that serves as a reminder of Cadillac’s past glory while incorporating a forward-looking 21st century style. Will the car be built? That is hard to say, especially considering GM’s current financial condition. However, let’s take a closer look at the dream car and what a Sixteen could do for the Cadillac brand. It is a given: Cadillac has made tremendous strides over the past decade despite the ongoing problems with parent GM. No longer solely the builder of posh luxo-cruisers for the elderly, the current Cadillac line up is exciting, invigorating, and competitive. Whereas in times past comparisons with BMW and Mercedes would not have been made, today’s models frequently are compared to their elite German rivals. Sales are up and profits are up; still, there is room for improvement and the Sixteen could be the model behind the continued upswing in Cadillac fortunes. Protect Your Bmw's Finish You just paid a cool $73,000 for your fashionably new BMW and are cruising down the boulevard enjoying the ride. You zig and zag your way around the slow movers, marveling over the responsive steering and handling engineered into your 750i. As you pull into your driveway, park your sedan, and exit your vehicle, you turn around and your eyes feast upon its stunning Kalahari beige metallic finish. Quite frankly it is the most attractive looking vehicle you have ever owned. Unfortunately, many new BMW owners fail to provide the one level of protection that can keep your car’s expensive finish from permanently losing its luster. What is that? Read on and I will tell you about a product that simply must be part of every luxury car owner’s inventory. If you haven’t guessed it yet, what I am talking about is a custom fitted car cover for your bimmer. Yes, even if you garage your 750i or other fine vehicle, time and the elements will certainly attack your car’s finish. Sure, you can do regular washes and waxes, but the inevitable will happen: something, somewhere will damage the finish. Besides, do you want to spend every weekend polishing your car? I doubt that! Introducing The Dodge Caliber! The auto world is abuzz over a new car just recently released. The Dodge Caliber, a five door hatchback replacement for the popular Neon, has finally hit North American showrooms. The wait has been long especially since the last Neons were built for the 2005 model year. Still, judging by the press hoopla and by what the car has to offer, the pause certainly has been well worth it. Introducing, the 2007 Dodge Caliber! Part of the buzz surrounding any new car introduction is all the speculation that comes with it. Pictures are released, performance information and specifications supplied, and in some cases the pending model hits the auto show circuit first to fuel additional interest. All of these points have rung true for the Caliber as the pre-release build up was percolating for a number of months. On a personal note, I was able to see a Caliber at a recent car show but I couldn’t get near it as there were too many people gawking ahead of me -- such was the interest in the new model. Nevertheless, there are some things about the Caliber worthy of a mention: Saturn Aura: Turning A Corner General Motors’ Saturn division is one of the few bright spots for the troubled U.S. automaker. As of this writing, the parent company is in the midst of plant closings, massive layoffs, and big losses. Bankruptcy may be the ultimate “out” for GM, but even if the company doesn’t choose that route, big changes are coming nevertheless. Fortunately, the Saturn division is one of the few bright spots for the legendary automaker as are Cadillac, GMC, and select models including the Corvette and the company’s big trucks. For Saturn, there is a certain “AURA” about the division both in model name as well as in sensation. Step back two decades and General Motors is all abuzz over a new car company in the process of being created: Saturn. As a wholly owned subsidiary of GM, Saturn was designed to take on Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda by building compact cars that American drivers really wanted and could rely upon. It worked. For most of the 1990s, the “S Series” was the sole model for Saturn; available in coupe, sedan, and wagon, the S Series achieved cult status and had a loyal following of owners who regularly congregated for meets at Spring Hill, TN where the cars were built. Even when the vehicles’ design aged, the S Series maintained its high status with Saturn aficionados. 6 Must Have Auto Accessories Buying a new car is an experience that few will ever forget: the smell, the pristine interior, and the flawless ride are some of the things enjoyed by new car owners. Yet, despite how well equipped even the most expensive cars can be, oftentimes they leave the showroom with several accessories missing. No, they weren’t stolen; instead, for some queer reason these “must have” accessories were not included with the sale. Let’s take a look at six accessories every vehicle should have. Floor mats – You have got to be kidding…no floor mats?! Oddly, floor mats are the chief accessory typically not included with any sale. Instead, you get a throwaway paper sheet for the driver. Without floor mats in place you can bet that the interior will be soiled in short order. Worse, if you wait too long your carpeting could be damaged which is especially bad news for you if you lease your vehicle. Just wait ‘til you see the price of replacing damaged automotive carpeting! Jeep Commander: Stuck In A Sales Rut Just months after its much publicized release, the 7 passenger Jeep Commander is a major disappointment for DaimlerChrysler to the point where it has become an albatross around the automaker’s neck. Stung with bloated inventories in excess of 100 days – an industry killer – the Commander is now commanding discounts of over $5000 per vehicle. What went wrong? Plenty, especially if you read what the pundits and prognosticators have to say about the new Jeep. No vehicle introduction should be problematic however, as for the Jeep Commander this model has fallen well short of sales goals. There are many reasons why the Commander may be failing to live up to expectations including: Flex Fuel: Will You Bite? All the talk about gas-electric hybrid vehicles is overlooking another area where fuel economy can be realized. No, I am not talking about diesel engines and I am not even thinking about hydrogen power. Instead, corn powered vehicles are coming into their own. That’s right, ethanol, a fuel that has a history going back a full century, may be the fuel of the future. Is ethanol a good choice for a fuel source? I’ll let you be the judge of that! Back during the days that Henry Ford was building cars, he designed his Model “T” to run on ethanol, a fuel that is typically derived from corn. His idea was to give the driver a choice between gasoline and this particular alternative source of energy. Historically low gas prices however, made the need for ethanol pretty much a moot point at that time. Why fuel up with ethanol when gas was being sold for a quarter or less? 2007 Nissan Sentra: Big Surprises Inside! Once again, Nissan is putting into practice with its all new Sentra model something that has succeeded for them in the past: push the model up market. As it first did with the Maxima and later with the Altima, Nissan has now promoted the Sentra to make room for the pending introduction of the subcompact Versa. With the all new model, Sentra fans will find a better equipped, more polished model then any other car that has ever worn the Sentra nameplate. Intrigued? You should be: the car simply goes where no Sentra has gone before: up market. Over the years, plenty of automakers have taken a popular selling model and elevated it one notch. Why? For a few reasons: to capitalize on demand for the model – a more luxurious version typically carries more profits with it then the base model. Instead of losing customers to another model [or worse, another make] when they are ready to trade up, why not move up the model instead? Another reason: the introduction of a newer, but smaller model in the line up. For Nissan, the latter reason holds especially true as the subcompact Versa, a car built to compete against the likes of Scion enters the Nissan line up at about the same time. Chinese Cars: Arrival Delayed! Over the past year, much has been written about various Chinese automakers and the pending introduction of their vehicles to the U.S. market. Manufacturers such as Chery and Geely have been mentioned most frequently with a few smaller automakers also receiving some press. Originally, it appeared that both manufacturers would import their vehicles some time around the summer of 2007, but that now appears unlikely as several current models have already failed preliminary U.S. safety tests. Regardless, before 2009 hits, at least two Chinese manufacturers will likely be importing cars to the U.S. and at prices starting as low as $8500! Yes, all that talk of $6600 cars from China have evaporated. Many auto enthusiasts, including yours truly, had been passing around information about cheaply priced, cheaply built cars coming from China that would retail below $7000, some $3000 cheaper than any model now sold in the U.S. Dire predictions of just what this would do to the auto industry were raised. Now it turns out that those predictions were woefully incorrect. Chrysler 300c: The Stretched Version As automakers go, developing well received models is a chore all by itself. When a model becomes a hit, as has the Chrysler 300C, the result is favorable press coverage, high customer satisfaction ratings, and a “halo” effect that can extend to the entire product line. Chrysler’s 300C is a hit, but the German-American automaker isn’t stopping there. A stretched version of the car is being developed, one that may find a following amongst enthusiasts, but only if the price is right. So, why would DaimlerChrysler authorize a stretched version of the 300C? For several reasons including: Performance Air Filters For Your Car There are factory installed air filters and there are replacement performance air filters; both are right for any vehicle. Beyond that, a performance air filter takes off where a factory installed air filter leaves off. If you are concerned about the environment, want more power and acceleration, better fuel mileage, and are looking for all around savings than there is no better choice: buy a performance air filter for your truck, van, SUV, or car. Yes, there are products that improve upon the original, so much so, that they are worth considering. A performance air filter is one of these products, for the following reasons: Cadillac V. Lincoln: Does It Matter? Back during the 1950s and all the way through the 1980s, two American luxury car brands battled for supremacy. For General Motors, builder of Cadillacs and for the Ford Motor Company, builder of Lincolns, corporate prestige rested upon which automaker sold the most models each year. For many years, a pitched battle was raised until the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve. During those years, no one knew for sure who the sales winner was until well into January; that is when the final sales tallies were released. Today, the luxury car market has changed dramatically, so much so, that the storied battle between the two automakers no longer matters. So, what brought about this change? Several things, please read on for the details. More Competition -- Before the 1980s, Mercedes and BMW were minor players in the luxury car market. Infiniti, Lexus, and Acura were previously nonexistent brands created during the 1980s by parent Japanese auto giants, Nissan, Toyota, and Honda respectively. Add in Audi, Jaguar, Volvo, and Saab and the competition really heats up. Buick: Giving The Brand Meaning During the 1980s, Buick was a brand that successfully straddled the fine line between luxury and performance. This GM division sold big, fluffy Park Avenues and LeSabres, while also selling the luxury/sport Riviera and the Regal. It was this last model, the Regal, which stunned the automotive world by winning Grand National awards during the early 1980s. Today, all four models have been terminated in favor of newer names including the Lucerne, LaCrosse, Terrazza, Rainier, and Rendezvous, models that didn’t even exist five years ago. Where is Buick headed? Will GM’s troubles finally kill off the brand? Will the Buick name ever regain meaning? A lot is riding on these questions; the answers may not be as simple to utter or imagine. GM’s woes could spell Buick’s demise. At least that is the thought with some “experts” who believe that at least two brands need to be pruned from the GM line up to save the automaker. General Motors, for their part, has said that they will stick with all of their brands; instead, the company is using this crucial time to put into place a long and painful process to remake its entire image. With plant closings, layoffs, and big losses racking up, the world’s #1 automaker cannot afford a misstep, so whatever plans the automaker has for the company must be executed flawlessly, otherwise further trouble will ensue. Ford Fusion V. Lincoln Zephyr: Worth The Premium? Not too many people compare models from the same manufacturer, it is simply something that just isn’t done. Still, when the models are similar enough in development, yet very different in price, the question to be asked about the more expensive car is this: is it worth the premium? Both the Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr share the same platform along with the Mercury Milan. The base price differential for the two models is nearly ten thousand dollars, quite a big difference for the two cars. Is the Zephyr overpriced? Or, is the Fusion that much more of a better buy? Or, perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between. Let’s check out the two cars and see how they compare. The Ford Fusion is a welcome addition to the Ford line up as the venerable but aging Taurus leaves the fleet. Along with the full size Five Hundred sedan and the Freestyle crossover vehicle, these new models are part of the overhaul changes put in place by Ford to get the brand moving again. Naza Automotive: U.s. Market Possible? Malaysia does not conjure up thoughts with car enthusiasts as being an automotive powerhouse. Indeed, many of the cars built in this burgeoning Southeast Asian nation are manufactured in cooperation with more known brands including Volkswagen and Kia. That may all be changing soon as Malaysia’s top auto manufacturers start building more models containing their own content. One manufacturer, Naza Automotive Manufacturing, is doing just that by releasing a pair of models this month that will be Malaysian designed and will utilize local materials. How could this move prove to be important to American motorists? Well, just as several Chinese manufacturers have designs on bringing cheaply priced cars to the U.S., Malaysian automakers may soon follow. Likely, you have never heard of Naza, but keep an eye on the world auto scene as Naza and at least one other Malaysian automaker, Proton, rush to develop cars explicitly designed for the lucrative U.S. market. Naza, is not likely to be a name easily forgotten, but for two different reasons: the first, is the automaker’s similarity to “Nazi” and the second, because the company will soon be building its own cars for the expanding Malaysian market. Previously, Kia cars were the company’s chief product built, with a Peugeot model also planned for release. Now, according to corporate sources, the company will be building two of its own models, a 1.1L powered car called the NX01 and a slightly larger model, the NX02. Mercedes B-class Begets The Dodge Hornet The Mercedes B-Class, a line of compact cars about the size of a Volkswagen Golf, is expected to be imported to the U.S. market within one or two years time. This model is unusual in that it will be the first vehicle marketed by Mercedes in the U.S. that is not a true luxury car. Instead, the German automaker is hoping to capitalize on its venerable name by serving a greater share of the American populace by marketing a more ordinary model. Soon after the B-Class’ debut, yet another small vehicle derived from Mercedes will also make its appearance in the U.S.: the Dodge Hornet. Both the B-Class and Hornet are being developed to revolutionize their respective brands, pitting DaimlerChrysler against some of the leading youth brands in the world. Not everyone thinks that it is a good idea for Mercedes to sell a budget model in the U.S., particularly one sporting the Mercedes marque. Yet, Mercedes has been building smaller models for years and in Europe the brand is known for producing luxury cars as well as vehicles for the masses. Indeed, Mercedes’ biggest adversary, BMW, also produces a line of small cars and is planning on bringing these vehicles to the U.S. shortly. Thus, like it or not, Mercedes must respond and the B-Class will be the answer. GM Plans to Keep Saab, Hummer General Motors is going through a cataclysmic change, one that will certainly pull the company out of its current financial plight or result in bankruptcy, even the possible dissolution of the company. In a quest to right the listing ship, the company is divesting itself of several brands including its share of Isuzu, Fuji Heavy Industries [Subaru], and others. As far as its wholly owned brands, speculation has been rife that one, two, maybe even three brands might be discontinued or sold. Two of the most talked about makes for possible divestment are Hummer – the niche military-style SUV brand – and Saab – the Swedish automaker. Although both brands are currently fairly weak, GM has maintained that the two makes will not only survive, but receive fresh product and backing. Let’s take a look at two of GM’s most vulnerable brands and what the company may have in store for each one. Saab -- Saab enthusiasts have been highly disappointed ever since General Motors snapped up the Swedish automaker back during the early 1990s. Admirer’s hopes that the brand would receive some deep pocket support haven’t quite worked out the way many would have wanted it to. Instead, the Saab brand is simply a shell of its former self with most models based on other automaker’s platforms including the Subaru inspired 9-2x and the GMC inspired 9-7x. Mercedes E-Class: Harnessing The Wow Factor Mercedes is about to release its all new E-Class to the European market this spring, with its North American debut scheduled for some time in the fall. Fresh on the heels of its successful launch of the all new S-Class, Mercedes is pinning much on these two lines to help turn their fortunes around. Indeed, Mercedes has found itself in the uncomfortable position of being in BMW’s rear view mirror, something that DaimlerChrysler is working hard on reversing by way of releasing new models. In any event, there is much to anticipate regarding the E-Class with a staggering 29 different model variations planned. Will you be amongst those waiting in fervent anticipation for the new Benz to arrive? Let’s take a sneak peek at just what Mercedes is planning to offer with its updated model. Mercedes recently found itself in an odd position: trailing German rival BMW in their ongoing battle for sales supremacy. The news was hard for Stuttgart to swallow, but it has also served as a wake up call as parent DaimlerChrysler is now pouring some extra attention into its German luxury brand. Over the past several years the company’s American brands, commonly known as The Chrysler Group, have been the recipients of DCX largesse with Mercedes getting limited assistance, at least in the eyes of some critics. Now, with the S-Class on the market, with the E-Class soon to appear, and with other models being updated, Mercedes is poised to quickly regain the top spot that was wrested away by BMW. American Muscle: Ford, Dodge, And Chevy Back during the 1950s through the mid 1970s, Detroit automakers produced several cars that were out and out “muscle” cars. These types of vehicles shared the same characteristics: they were two door coupes with souped up engines, responsive transmissions, an aggressive exterior design, and a sporty interior. High fuel prices and changing tastes eventually limited sales to the point where only a few models were produced beyond that period of time. Today, muscle car mania is back, despite even higher gas prices. Thanks to the Ford Mustang and to a lesser extent to sedan and wagon models from Dodge, there is new interest in a category long given up. The future is bright for the muscle car segment as one more manufacturer, Chevrolet, considers bringing back one of its darlings of yesteryear, the Camaro. Besides the Ford Mustang there were a whole host of vehicles produced that at one time or another might have been considered a muscle car. In addition to the Mustang, the Ford Fairlane 500 and Ford Torino did duty; the Mercury Montego was another model; Chevrolet produced the Camaro and Corvette; Pontiac the GTO, Firebird, and Tempest; Olds the 442; American Motors’ had its Javelin; Plymouth had the ‘Cuda, and Dodge produced the Challenger and the Charger. Today, only the Mustang and Corvette survives although the Dodge Charger has returned as a four door muscle car along with its sibling, the hot Dodge Magnum wagon. 7 Tips To Help You Select Your Custom Car Cover You lovingly wash and wax your vehicle on most sunny weekends, spending time detailing every single blotch, nick, scrape, or other damaging mark on your car's exterior. Part of the deal with owning any vehicle is making certain that it looks its best week in and week out. Still, you may not be doing all that you can to protect the finish. Other enemies including bird excrement, acid rain, and even harmful UV rays can thwart the best efforts of even the most diligent car owner. Fortunately, there is one automotive accessory that can help keep your car clean, provided you use it when your car is parked for an extended length of time. What am I talking about? Car covers! Read on for seven helpful tips to help you choose the right cover for your truck, van, SUV, or car. When shopping for a custom car cover you must give consideration to what it does besides simply covering your car. Among some important points to know: Lexus’ Tricked Out To The Max Ls-460 Driving enthusiasts have come to expect more and more technological features equipped with their new cars. Just one generation ago, getting something above an AM radio was considered a bonus, but today there are so many electronic devices out there, that motorists expect more…a lot more in fact. Lexus is about to push up the ante a bit more by introducing its all new LS-460, a car that has been electronically “tricked out” to the max. If you thought your personal computer had power, just wait: the LS-460 will likely have you beat by a high tech mile. The world’s love affair with all things high tech continues unabated. Personal computers, cell phones, wi-fi, IPODS, are some of the electronic devices we use on a regular basis. Imagine a world without consumer electronics…a scary thought, right? Well, the good folks at the Toyota Motor Company don’t want you to be without as evidenced in the cars that they are building. Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus, is a leader in providing top quality, extremely reliable luxury cars, but the company doesn’t stop there. Many models are equipped with all of the latest electronic gadgetry and the coming LS-460 will be the leader of the pack as it will offer the following features: Ultra Low Priced Cars: Will You Buy One? North American motorists have gotten used to paying $20-$25,000 or more for their new vehicles. Long gone are the days when sub $10,000 cars ruled the highways, with few cars available for under $15,000 these days. All of that will be changing as the pending introduction of cheap cars from China as well as imports from Mexico and other third world nations will reshape the automotive landscape. Will you buy one of these bargain brands or will you stick with one of the trusted names? Let’s step forward a few years to look at a radically changed automotive market and just what it may have to offer to you, the value conscious consumer. If you follow automotive press reports then likely you have heard talk of cheaply priced cars from China being imported to the US and Canadian markets. At prices reported to be as low as US$ 6500, these cars have created a lot of buzz and have raised concern about the entire automotive industry, domestic and foreign. One big question asked includes this: how will domestic manufacturers be able to compete price wise? Well, prices won’t be quite as low as first reported once certain safety and anti-pollution measures are added in; instead the final starting price will likely be in the neighborhood of US$ 8500. The Hyundai Azera Surges To The Top Hyundai’s all-new near-luxury sedan, the Azera, has been received with critical acclaim. Consumers and critics are calling the Hyundai Azera the highest quality, most luxurious Hyundai to ever appear in the highly competitive US market. A recent award from the automotive consultant group, AutoPacific has underscored what many are quickly learning: the Hyundai Azera is a car that leads in customer satisfaction. None of this is a surprise to Hyundai, but it may be as surprise for you. Read on for a look at Hyundai’s darling near-luxury sedan. Near-luxury, you say? Yes, it is a category reserved for cars that have many luxury appointments and high engineering standards without the price. Retailing at just over $27,000, the Hyundai Azera is a bargain when compared to similar cars from BMW and Lexus, but not quite the engineering and technological marvel of these two competitors, however. Yet, the Hyundai Azera is offering plenty for consumers at prices well below that of its would-be competitors. A Stylish Crossover Vehicle For Kia Kia is planning to bring to the American market a new type of vehicle – a seven passenger crossover – that will compete against the likes of the Toyota Matrix and the Dodge Caliper. The Kia Carens will be sold later this year in Europe and will likely make it to the U.S. market as the Kia Rondo at about the same time. Demand for crossovers continues to rise as the market adjusts to this relatively new type of vehicle. Will the Rondo succeed? If early press reports are any indication then the answer is yes. Kia’s aggressive surge on the world scene is being made evident through new or proposed factories in Europe and in Georgia, USA. As a subsidiary of the mighty Hyundai group, Kia has long stood for being the budget Korean brand while Hyundai is the company’s value brand. The proposed Rondo will continue Kia’s tradition of providing decent quality small vehicles for prices that are thousands of dollars less than the competition. The Expanding E85 Fleet Of General Motors The E85 movement, which is based on an alternate fuel consisting of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, is getting an additional boost thanks to a recent decision by General Motors to expand its existing line up from 9 models to 14. This increase will mean that General Motors, which already has nearly 2 million E85 vehicles on the road, will be able to produce as many as 400,000 E85 vehicles per year. For proponents of alternate fuel sources, the decision by General Motors is certainly a welcome one. Let’s take a look at GM’s expanding E85 fleet and what this could mean for you, the fuel conscious motorist. E85 has been around for well over a decade now, but has only recently has it been the focus of such widespread attention. Credit gas prices exceeding $3 per gallon for interest in E85 and you can see why General Motors is continuing to expand its line up to meet the demand for alternate fuel sources. Cadillac's Proposed Exciting New Coupe Automaker Cadillac has a rich tradition of building exciting, highly regarded sedans as well as coupes. However, changes made to its line up over the past decade have resulted in a fleet of vehicles that now consists exclusively of sedans, crossovers, and sport utility vehicles. Gone are the days of the super size Eldorado and the Coupe de Ville, vehicles that long stood for Cadillac quality and excess. Today, plans are underway to bring in a coupe to compete against European rivals Mercedes, Audi, and BMW. Please read on for more information about the proposed CTS derived coupe. The proposed CTS coupe being planned by Cadillac will not be an Eldorado nor will it be an updated version of the Coupe de Ville. As a large midsize two door model, the CTS coupe will be larger than its European competitors, but vastly smaller than preceding Cadillac coupes. Ford Crown Victoria: Change Is Good One of the most well known names in autodom is poised to get its first major overhaul in nearly thirty years. Ford’s Crown Victoria, introduced in 1979, has had only minor changes since its introduction, but a new plan by Ford to overhaul the crown jewel of its fleet is apparently in the offing. Thanks to government assistance – Australian to be exact – the new Crown Victoria will be a clean break from the current model and will help to spawn additional models for siblings Mercury and Lincoln. Yes, you may not have considered a Crown Victoria up to this point, but the coming new “Crown Vic” may just change your mind about that. You have to go back all the way to the late 1970s to when “downsizing” was a term used by the auto industry to describe a shell game where large cars were dropped down a notch in size to sit on a platform slightly smaller than the previous model. Indeed, throughout the 1970s Ford’s full size offerings the LTD/Galaxie 500 were huge beasts of burden. By the time the then new Galaxie 500 Crown Victoria was released at the end of the decade, Ford was playing catch up to General Motors who had earlier mastered the whole downsizing strategy. The Upcoming Buick Lacrosse Super Sport Edmunds and several leading automotive blogs are theorizing that Buick will finally go ahead and build a sport version of its popular LaCrosse midsize sedan. Unlike the original model, the proposed car will be a true roadster as Buick seeks to inject some youthfulness into its aging model line. This is big news for Buick, which hasn’t built a true youth oriented car since stopping production of the hot-rod Regal Grand National during the 1980s. Will the Super Sport be enough to help Buick recapture a lost segment of the marketplace? That remains open to debate, so let’s see what Buick is planning with the Super Sport and then you can decide for yourself. For the past several years, Buick has been near the top in most customer satisfaction and quality surveys. After years of languishing much further down the list, Buick decided to truly emphasize quality and that move has paid off. However, quality cars are one thing while exciting cars are another. Quite simply, Buick hasn’t been building cars that are high on the “wow” factor list. Sales have remained flat as the age level of its buyers continued to rise. Anyone who understands the business of cars will tell you that you must continually appeal to a younger audience in order to grow and prosper. Let’s just say that even younger AARP drivers haven’t been heavily drawn to the current Buick model line up. [1] [2]

SIGN UP FOR FREE   Sign Up for a free account or learn more. Submit Articles Member Login Top Authors Most Popular Articles Submission Guidelines Ezine Notifications Article RSS Feeds About Us Link to Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Service   Most Recent Articles Types Of Air Filters For Your Vehicle How often do you replace your car’s air filter? Every 10 thousand miles? 12K? 15K? During the life of your car – assuming you plan on keeping your vehicle for many years – you could easily go through 8, 10, even 15 or more air filters. Of course, that is if you choose to purchase disposable air filters every time your shop. However, did you know that you now have another choice, in a reusable air filter, which costs a bit more but will likely outlast your car? Read on for an informative comparison of the two types of air filters available for your vehicle. If you maintain your own vehicle, you probably make regular trips to your auto parts store for oil, filters, wipers, and the occasional air filter. Concerning your air filter, your choices include Fram, ACDelco, Bosch, and Purolator air filters, all very well known and trusted brands. You are not likely to pay a whole lot for one, perhaps between $6 and $15, depending on your vehicle make, model, model year, and engine. For many people purchasing an air filter once a year is a simple procedure: see which one is on sale, buy it, toss the old one, and insert the new one. 4 Ways To Increase Automotive Performance In these days of high gasoline prices, it may seem ridiculous to consider ways to increase your car's performance as they are almost always associated with increased fuel consumption. However, there are four ways to increase performance that do not have to negatively impact your gas mileage. Let's take a closer look at each one. 1. Reusable Air Filters. Landfills are stuffed with items we use once and then throw out. Auto air filters are one such item and through the life of a car you can go through 6-12 of them with no problem. For approximately three times the price, washable and reusable air filters are a great alternative. When you purchase one it likely will be the last air filter your car will ever need. Reusable air filters enable you to gain slight increases in horsepower and acceleration as well as to impact the environment in a positive way. When Fuel Pumps Give Up The Ghost Cruising down the highway at 70mph in your ‘98 Bimmer you notice a strange sound coming from somewhere underneath your car. You proceed down the road a few more miles before exiting and making the turn into your subdivision. The sound magically disappears and you dismiss it as something that must have wedged itself underneath your car and then worked itself free. However, your car engine buckles, hesitates and then dies as you make the turn into your driveway. Fortunately, you made it home. Unfortunately, your fuel pump has gone to auto parts heaven. Sure, we can dream that your fuel pump died just as you got home. How convenient. In all likelihood the problem would have surfaced while you were on a long trip, on a Sunday afternoon, miles from no where. Fuel pump failures can happen without warning and without any engine codes signaling the problem. In other words: when it happens you are SOL. Weather And Car Cover Fundamentals Selecting a car cover for your truck, van, SUV, or passenger car is a matter of finding one that fits your car and going with that one, right? Well, there is a lot more to it than simply purchasing a car cover. Size does matter, but so do quality, durability, and price. Let’s examine some of the fundamentals in selecting a car cover for vehicle. Car covers -- or weather covers as some prefer to call them -- have been successfully covering vehicles for several generations now thanks to the ingenious and persistent work of designers who properly measure each new model to make sure that every cover is custom fitted. One of the first companies to get started in the business was Covercraft, founded in 1965 in Southern California. Covercraft, like so many American success stories, was a two man operation that outfitted car covers for street rods, import makes including Porsche, and for the aftermarket supply network. The company boasts of having produced 55,000 styles of car covers for just about every make and model of vehicle on the road. There are other brands on the market; however Covercraft is dominant and favored by automobile wholesalers such as the Auto Parts Warehouse. 6 Pocket Rockets! Just because your car is small, doesn’t mean that it has to be slow. In fact, some of the fastest cars on the road today are subcompacts. How so? Because their owners have modified them to the point where they can squeeze out additional horsepower and acceleration. Let’s take a look at six cars that qualify as genuine “pocket rockets.” For the sake of argument, here are some ground rules for a pocket rocket: Keep Your Vehicle's Carpets Clean! Your $30,000 car has come equipped with all of the latest bells and whistles: traction control; Sirius satellite radio; side curtain air bags; Onstar; and power everything. Well, there is one thing that is curiously left out of many new car purchases and that is floor mats. You would think that matching floor mats would be standard equipment on all vehicles, instead it is an aftermarket purchase for most motorists. Selecting the right type of floor mat is essential to preserving your car’s interior. The wrong type of floor mats can look terrible and cost you plenty of money in the end. Please read on to find out why this is so. Floor mats are the Rodney Dangerfield of automotive accessories. They just don’t get any respect. If they did, your car would come outfitted with a set of high quality, matching mats. Almost a universal oversight, owners routinely pick up their showroom new cars with just a solitary paper mat in place for the driver. Sure, you could run into the dealer’s parts department and pay $200 for a nice set, but you already paid through the nose for your car. Besides, you want a better selection than what your dealer sells, right? I think so! Lights, Lamps, And Bulbs; Oh My! Can you imagine driving down the road at night with barely a flashlight bulb to guide your way? The first cars were outfitted with headlights that were just about that dim. Fortunately, lighting technology has improved to the point to where your car’s lights can cut through the darkness allowing you to see and to be seen from great distances. Headlights are a terrific and important part of your car, without them driving one be reserved to daytime travel under optimum conditions. So, why do people sometimes neglect them? I used to own a Ford Escort. A basic car for a person like me who, at the time, was on a budget. The car served me well and was still running great when I sold it just after it had clocked 90,000 miles. Hey, it was time for me to step up in the world and the Ford Taurus was a Lincoln Town Car in comparison. Okay, back to the Escort… the only problem I ever had with the car was with its headlight assemblies. You see, they leaked...and then some. Car And Truck Alternators Has your vehicle’s alternator failed? Are you absolutely certain that it isn’t your battery or starter? Determining which part has failed is essential toward avoiding unnecessarily replacing something that hasn’t failed, like your battery. Let’s take a look at some steps you can take to determine that your alternator, in fact, has bit the dust. If you own an alternator testing machine, you can test to see whether your car’s alternator is charging correctly. For most people this isn’t practical as few motorists own such an expensive piece of equipment. For everyone else, there is a practical way for you to easily check to see if your alternator is working properly: 2006 Buick Lucerne: Return Of The V8 The venerable Buick Park Avenue is no more, having been replaced by the all new Buick Lucerne, a down market version of the Cadillac DTS. With a 275-hp Northstar V8 engine, the Lucerne becomes the first Buick car in nearly ten years to arrive equipped with a V8. The entire Buick line up is in the process of being overhauled, so let’s take a look at this make’s newest flagship and see how it plays a part in GM’s overall strategy. If you are a fan of the Buick brand you have witnessed your fair share of changes over the past five years. Gone are the Park Avenue, LeSabre, Century, and Regal, and in its place are the Rendezvous, the Rainier, LaCrosse, Terrazza, and the Lucerne. All the changes are the result of General Motors’ broad realignment strategy in the wake of retiring the Oldsmobile brand, lifting Saturn into the fold, and setting strategy to compete against the nonstop onslaught of foreign brands including Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, and Infiniti. Chevy Classics! Chevrolet used to have an advertising campaign that touted, “Baseball, apple pie, and Chevrolet.” Supposedly, General Motor’s largest division attempted to indoctrinate consumers into believing that a Chevrolet was as mainstream as Main Street, USA. In many ways this campaign worked. For generations now the Chevrolet division has been serving up cars that have been snapped up by Americans, particularly those seeking their first car. Let’s take a look at three Chevy classics that have shaped the respected US automaker. Corvette – In 1953, the Chevy Corvette was released and the auto market hasn’t been the same since. This two seat ragtop paved the way for greater and lesser cars to enter the US market including Chevy’s own Camaro and Chevelle; Pontiac’s Firebird and GTO; Ford’s Thunderbird and Mustang; the Dodge Charger; Plymouth ‘Cuda; AMC Javelin; Datsun 240Z; and a host of other cars. For over 50 years, the limited production Corvette has been the “halo” car for Chevrolet and is now a favorite of the baby boomer set. Dodge: Awesome And Invigorated! If you are a car fan you know that part of the fun of following the market is examining new models as they enter the showroom. There is just something special about a new car: the smell, the look, the price tag! For some 17 million American drivers a new car is in their future, while many others opt for the used car market. Some of the cars on the market today are hot, hot, hot! Let’s take a look at several new and future offerings from Dodge. Thanks in part to new ownership [Daimler Benz purchased the Chrysler Corporation in 1998] a fresh infusion of great looking Dodge models have hit a showroom near you. Additional models are soon to appear and the makeover that Dodge has been receiving is nothing less than astounding. Here are some of my favorites: 2006 Ford Mustang: Retro Cruiser When Ford decided to redesign the Mustang, they opted to incorporate a retro look, much like what was done previously with the Thunderbird. Fortunately, Ford didn’t look at the ghastly Mustang II series from the 1970s for a template, instead the US automaker drew upon the second generation Mustangs of the late 1960s for their inspiration. Let’s just say that the redesigned Mustang has been nothing short of a sell out hit. Introduced as a 2005 model, the retro Mustang for 2006 offers only one change: the introduction of a Pony package which is meant to give the car a GT look and feel. Borrowing from the fastback design of the late 1960s, the 2005 model was such a hit that Ford could not keep up with production. Help Me, Honda! So, you need a new car, do you? Have you considered Honda? Not too long ago your choices were the Civic, Accord, or Prelude. Today, Honda has expanded their line up to cover just about every segment going. Let’s take a look at their current line up and see how Honda stacks up against the competition. Accord – Soon after the Civic entered the North American market, the Accord was introduced. The car has been so well received that it routinely battles with the Toyota Camry for the top spot in the American market. Every few years the Accord receives a complete makeover; today’s Accord is available in three models: coupe, sedan, and hybrid Jaguar For Me; Jag For You? The British automaker, Jaguar, has certainly stepped it up a notch over the past decade. Don’t tell the British, but Ford Motor Company’s purchase of the venerable brand likely saved the company from oblivion. The cat is back. Read on for updates about this feline marquee. I have a friend, his name shall remain anonymous to protect the guilty, and whose knowledge about Jaguar is fairly limited to put it kindly. Both of us enjoy cars, particularly powerful American coupes, and the occasional sedan or hot wagon, such as the Dodge Magnum. When Lincoln’s new LS made its debut more than five years ago I remarked how the Ford Motor Company crafted both it and the Jaguar “S” type from the same platform and that this was the first shared venture between the two companies ever. My buddy was perplexed as he considered what I had said. He then retorted, “how can Ford and GM build from the same car?” Huh?! I was mystified at first, but then I realized his ignorance was typical of many Americans regarding the British automaker: they just did not know the brand. Nissan: 40 Years In North America The North American market has seen some bold changes by Nissan over the years. Originally imported under the Datsun name, Nissan cars in Canada and the US made the switch over to the new name in the early 1980s and the company hasn’t been the same since. A broader line up and the introduction of the luxurious Infiniti brand in the late 1980s changed the face of Nissan tremendously. The winners are consumers everywhere who can get a great vehicle for a fair price. It was in 1965 when the first Datsuns arrived in Canada. Who could forget the 1600cc 510 wagon with a 4 speed manual transmission? The only thing that could kill this car was rust and a rust bucket it was at that. Or, how about the 620 pick up? A great little hauler that is in a league of its own. My personal favorite was the 720 pick up truck equipped with a diesel engine. A good, sturdy truck that really sipped fuel. 2006 Toyota Matrix: Value Meets Fun During the early part of this decade Toyota was examining its vehicle line up and the decision was made to build a car to entice young people who were looking for something that was small, fun to drive, and affordable. While the Corolla served faithfully in this capacity, Toyota needed something that spoke excitement. The Corolla just wasn’t that kind of a car and something radically different was needed. Enter the Matrix. Based on the Corolla platform, the Matrix does what no Corolla can do: turn heads. Let’s take a look at this sporty compact and see how the 2006 model stacks up. In 2003, the Matrix was introduced to the North American market. Built in California as a joint venture with General Motors – the Pontiac Vibe is its twin – the Matrix is aimed toward budget conscious young people who want a car that makes a statement. To save money, the Corolla frame was used, but the Matrix stands some 3 inches taller and is 8 inches shorter than its Toyota sibling. The roof line on the Matrix is completely different too as it slopes from front to back and ends in a wedge, giving the car somewhat of a wagon look to it. This rakish appearance is what gives the Matrix its unique look as well as an extra bit of room for people and their stuff. Indeed, both driver and front passenger sit higher up, much like in a small SUV or as in a car like Chrysler’s PT Cruiser. With four doors and a rear lift gate, the Matrix acts more like a wagon, but its sleek exterior easily refutes that fact. 2006 Chevy Impala Ss: More Vroom! Chevy’s flagship car, the Impala, finally has the power to match its heralded name. Ever since the car was redesigned in the late 1990s, the Impala has been more of a pretender than a performer. Now with an optional small block 5.3L V8 added to the mix, the 2006 Chevrolet Impala can go toe to toe with the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Charger. The changes for the Impala are not all under the hood, Chevy took the time to redo the entire car and they did it with care. Let’s look at some of the changes for 2006. More Power – A V6 is a great engine, especially in these times of high gas prices. Still, if you opt for a car of the Impala’s size, at least having the option of purchasing a V8 makes sense, doesn’t it? You better believe it. GM has sweetened the deal by plunking in a V8 that incorporates Corvette technology as the engine heads with “their pent–roof combustion chambers and flat–top pistons deliver high horsepower”, this according to Chevrolet’s promotional material. In addition, GM’s “displacement on demand” technology allows the V8 to squeeze out a miserly 28 mpg on the highway [18 mpg city] with computer equipment that shuts down unneeded cylinders at the appropriate time. Cadillac tried this in the early 1980s with its V8-6-4 engine that failed to live up to the job as computing technology then wasn’t what it is today. Fortunately, current GM technology makes this a reality for current models. German Vehicles Comparison: Bmw Vs. Mercedes German cars have long been recognized as some of the best engineered and most luxurious cars in the world. Two manufacturers, BMW and Mercedes, rule the roost with offerings from Audi, Porsche, and even Volkswagen getting some attention. Let’s take a look at some current offerings from these Bavarian giants and see how they are impacting the auto industry. BMW – Give BMW credit for moving outside of the box by building a plant in South Carolina. Opened in 1994, the Spartanburg, SC plant has produced the Z3 – now Z4 – roadster as well as the X5 SAV. Seeking to become more of a world player, BMW has also purchased controlling interest in other automakers including Rolls-Royce and Rover during the 1990s. Later, BMW sold off the Rover and MG portions of Rover, but has kept the Mini brand. Green Air Filters For Your Car Alright, all you soy sipping, yogurt eating, diet doing, hybrid driving, environmentally eccentric folks from Vancouver: listen up. You may be causing more damage to the environment than you already know. How so? Your Audi’s air filter, that’s how. Yes, it is true: if you keep your car long enough you will be performing under-the-hood maintenance which will include changing your air filter at least once a year. Keep that same car for ten years and that is ten years of stuff clogging North America’s landfills. And you call yourself earth friendly? Tsk, tsk! All kidding aside, there is an environmentally friendly way whereby if you follow just one small, but important step you can achieve oneness with nature, if not with your wallet: replace your car’s disposable air filter one final time with a reusable air filter. Porsche Car Covers For Top Protection In owning a high quality roadster such as a Porsche Boxster you are making a statement that you value quality, engineering, speed, luxury, and reliability. Few cars can match all that a Boxster does in effectively combining an exhilarating sports car ride with a sensible price. Still, owning any Porsche is an investment and you must take care to protect that investment. A custom fitted car cover is something to consider to properly shield your Porsche. After spending over sixty thousand dollars for your new Porsche, why is it that the one investment that can save you thousands of dollars is often overlooked? What I am talking about is a Porsche car cover. A car cover is a reasonably priced accessory that should be standard equipment for any vehicle. For only a few hundred dollars a custom fitted car cover will protect your car from: 2006 Jaguar X Type: Luxury For The Commoner Prices for top selling luxury cars can easily top $50,000 when taxes, destination charges, and dealer prep fees are factored in. Generally, this isn’t a problem as the customer who purchases a vehicle of this renown can afford the big price tag. However, automakers have learned that there is a market for “entry level” luxury cars for up and coming buyers who want the name without paying the steep price. The dilemma for automakers is not to water down the product line, rather to offer a car that upholds the marquee without diluting its value. One such car that has successfully filled that criterion is the Jaguar X Type, the focus of this review. Admittedly, I am biased toward purchasing American cars even through the ups and downs of the U.S. car industry. Still, I am fascinated by changes that occur in vehicles throughout the world as I know that at some point those changes will be incorporated into cars traversing North American highways. One such feature that I have seen grow more commonplace is the use of all wheel drive to power automobiles. Subaru, for years, has offered all wheel drive across their model line, but few cars – foreign or domestic – have incorporated what has chiefly been the realm of sport utility vehicles. 2006 Ford Taurus: Swan Song The 2006 model year will end the heralded Taurus name and for this writer it is a bittersweet time as Ford retires what once the best selling car in all of America. When Ford introduced the Taurus along with its cousin the Mercury Sable in the mid 1980s the car represented a radical departure from the standard American car of the day. Fairly large, front wheel drive, and very aerodynamic, the Taurus quickly rose to the pinnacle of the American car sales charts and was the best selling car for several years in a row. A much delayed “reskinning” did not occur until 1996, some ten years after the Taurus and Sable were first released. The new style, perceived by some to be ugly, quickly cost Ford sales as newer and more modern Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords out gained the line. Slight changes in style incorporated with the 2000 model year took some of the edge off, but by then the Taurus was considered to be too old and outmatched by the competition. Coming To A Car Dealer Near You! The 2006 cars are fresh in dealer showrooms and already talk is raging about several upcoming cars set for release in model year 2007 or later. The styles are great, the engineering is advanced, and you simply haven’t seen anything yet. Let’s take a peak at what is coming down the pike. One of these future cars just may be what you end up driving! Hyundai Equus – Can you say, V8 Hyundai? That’s right, the Equus which is already sold in Korea, may make its debut here in North America as a 2008 model. Reports have it that the car, which is larger than the Sonata, will be a rear wheel drive four door sedan outfitted with wood, leather, and all the latest electronic gadgetry. 2006 Kia Rio: Use And Toss? Kia vehicles have managed to make significant strides in quality and durability since being introduced to the US market in 1994. Widely panned by critics as producing cheaply built and cheaply priced models, some Kia models are now performing at average or slightly above. The Kia Rio is not one of these cars, however. Only the extended warranty makes the Rio worth a look otherwise slightly more expensive cars from Toyota are preferable. With a base MSRP of just $10,735, the Kia Rio is touted as “still the most affordable 4-door sedan in America.” Certainly, when it comes to price, the Rio is a winner. Add in standard features such as dual remote mirrors, driver lumbar support seats, and the extended warranty, and the car is a value leader. Of course, air conditioning will cost you extra and don’t expect to find any type of radio in the car either unless you pay extra for it. Remember, the emphasis is on value, not equipment. Saturn Sky: Sneak Peek Somebody at General Motors must love Saturn. One hundred year old Oldsmobile was killed off in favor of bringing the Saturn brand in-house. Up until the early part of this decade, Saturn was a separate automaker, wholly owned by GM. Now, as a bonafide GM division, the Saturn line is finally getting some much needed new models including the Sky roadster, the focus of this preview. In the early 1990s, dent resistant polymer cars with the “S” designation began to roll of a factory line of a new plant located in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Several things were unusual about the project. The first was the company: Saturn. As a wholly owned but separately managed GM company, the Saturn initially escaped GM’s often overbearing culture and began to produce cars on its own far removed from Detroit. The second unusual point about the company was the cars itself: compact, import-fighting models designed to withstand the onslaught from Japan of low priced, high quality cars. Available in coupe, sedan, and wagon the cars quickly caught on in part for their engineering as well as for their “no hassle, no haggle” pricing. The sticker price on the car was the price customers paid, making a visit to the Saturn show room a pleasure and not a chore. Bugs And Cars: No Match There For those of us living in the southern US states, the proliferation of the insect population is a recognizable part of southern living. Evidence of the huge bug population is manifest on vehicles across the southland in warmer months, particularly on the hood, in and against the grille, and right on the windshield. Fortunately, two products have been developed that can effectively combat the resultant bug splatter: car bras and bug deflectors. Are they good choices for your car? They can be! Please read on to learn more. Car bras – Also called hood protectors, car bras provide maximum protection for the front end of virtually any vehicle on the road. Custom sized for each vehicle, car bras slip over the front end, covering the grill and the front part of the hood. There are some car bras that extend further up the hood almost to the windshield too. Some car bras are two part sections that allow for motorists to gain access to the hood without removing the bra, while others are one piece units that must be removed before popping the hood. In all cases, bugs are deflected from the grille and from at least part of the hood with a car bra. Nissan Buzz: Future Cars Nissan Motors continues to make important strides in becoming one of the highest quality automakers on the scene in North America today. Long living in the shadow of Japanese stalwarts Honda and Toyota, Nissan is fighting back with a series of new or updated models to cut into the Honda-Toyota dominance. Can they succeed? You be the judge as we take a look at four coming attractions soon to make their appearance at a Nissan dealer near you! Nissan Versa – Toyota’s Scion division has been a hit with the youth, while Nissan has been scrambling to provide models that can capture the interest of new drivers while being at the same time affordable. Scheduled for release by Summer 2006, the Versa will come with a 1.8L inline four cylinder engine and be available as either a five door hatchback or a four door sedan. The car will be manufactured in Mexico with a starting price in the neighborhood of 12 thousand dollars expected. Honda Sneak Peek: The Fit? Credit Honda with not giving up easily in what will certainly become a big fight: the sub $15,000 price range category of new automobiles. Currently, only a stripped down Civic competes in this area and I mean stripped: no a/c, basic tranny, no radio! With Toyota's Scion brand catching on Honda is looking to fight back. A tiny car now on sale in Japan may soon find its way to a dealership in your neighborhood helping to turn the tide for the revered automaker. So, why the big push in this "cheap" category? Chiefly because automakers know that if young and first time buyers have a very good experience with their entry level cars then more than likely they will stay with the brand as their lives change, i.e., get married, start a family, make more money, etc. This practice has been in place for years, although not as widely emphasized by all manufacturers and to their detriment. 2007 Toyota Camry: A Hybrid For A Leader Toyota has a couple of big things in store for the Camry when the 2007 model year version of the car rolls out this coming summer: a complete redesign and the availability of a hybrid engine. Already the best selling car in America, the Camry is destined to be overhauled and re-engineered. Let’s take a look at some of the changes scheduled for Toyota’s venerable model. New Styling Cues – Nobody has ever said that the Camry is a knock out when it comes to style. Despite its pedestrian look, the Camry has managed to capitalize on Toyota quality, price, and engineering to present a car that is clearly a best seller. Still, critics have routinely yawned at the Camry’s looks, but that will soon all change and dramtically at that. Borrowing some styling cues from Toyota’s Lexus line up of luxury cars, the 2007 Camry is expected to delight motorists and critics alike. Witness the recently made over Toyota Avalon: what was once a bland, full sized car has now been transformed into a sleek, luxurious sedan. 2006 Chevrolet Aveo: America’s Price Leader The only thing American about the compact Aveo automobile is it’s Chevrolet name. Built in Korea [or in China] by GM Daewoo, the Aveo is America’s price champion coming in at just under ten thousand dollars. That’s right; you can still purchase a new car in the USA for under ten thousand dollars excluding taxes, dealer prep, and destination charges. Let’s take a closer look at Chevy’s bargain basement people hauler. Available as either a four door sedan or as a five door hatchback, the Chevrolet Aveo fills an important niche in the Chevy line up as an entry level econocar. Priced nearly five thousand dollars less than Chevy’s next most expensive model, the Cobalt, the Aveo allows for Chevrolet to contend for a piece of the youth market. The Aveo is expressly targeted to compete against similar models from Scion, Kia, Hyundai, and Toyota. 2008 Chery Qq: Sneak Peak! China’s Chery Automotive Group is getting set to import as many as five vehicles into the US starting in the summer of 2007. These 2008 models are reportedly going to be cheaper than competing models in their respective classes, undercutting some models by as much as $10,000 per car. I have been doing a little investigating and have learned more about the Chery QQ, the three door compact that will retail for just $6995. Hold onto your hats as I read off the long list of standard features for its incredible, low price. Just when you think you have seen everything, along comes the QQ. Reportedly, QQ stands for Quality and Quick as the car is made from remnants of destroyed Soviet tanks that battled with China during a protracted border skirmish in 1970. In addition, the car zips from 0 to 48 before the engine craps out. Oh, well zero to sixty would have been nice, but alas... Will Renault Return To The U.s.? Back during the 1980s Renault cars, in alliance with the now defunct American Motors Company [AMC], were sold at American dealers. Once Chrysler purchased AMC, Renault retreated and quit selling cars in the US. A recent announcement by Renault that the U.S. market may once again be a candidate for Renault cars has been met with only tepid enthusiasm by the automotive press. Will Renault return? More importantly: does anyone care? Renault's exit from the US during the late 1980s was hardly noticed by most consumers. As makers of the tiny LeCar, the compact Alliance, and the midsize Medallion/Eagle Premier, not much distinguished Renault from the competition. Nissan’s Pending Up Market Push The Nissan Motor Company is quietly working on a campaign to overhaul their car line up. Current models, including the Maxima, Altima, and Sentra, soon will be transformed into more luxurious and expensive models while a new car line, the Versa, is welcomed into the fold and sold as the automaker’s introductory model. So, why this change for Nissan? Will the automaker’s plans succeed or fail? A lot is hinging on this move by Nissan, perhaps more than meets the eye. The Nissan motor division has been a good performer in the highly competitive US auto market. With the transformation of the make’s name from Datsun to Nissan in the early 1980s to the introduction of a luxury line, Infiniti, in the late 1980s, the Nissan Motor Company has benefited financially and its customers have been receptive to the changes. Still, Nissan’s line is a perennial third place finisher among Japanese automakers in the lucrative U.S. auto market, easily being outperformed and outsold by Toyota and Honda year in and year out. Helpful Car Buying Tips Purchasing a new vehicle is a stressful chore for many people. Ask the average person what they dread most and they will tell you that “price haggling” is the worst aspect of negotiating a price. Few people come away from the deal believing that they got a fair shake; a significant minority will admit that they got ripped off if you press the issue with them. Besides shopping at a “no haggle” dealer – Saturn, for example – how can you avoid an unpleasant experience? Better put, can you? Let’s take a look at some ways you can gain better control over the car buying experience so that you can save yourself some time, money, and a whole lot of aggravation. Stay away from the hot sellers. Many Japanese brands are sold at full price and bargains are hard to come by. Still, if you do a little bit of research you should be able to shave several hundred dollars off of the sticker price or secure a very low loan rate should you choose to finance your vehicle. If your dealer doesn’t want to deal with you, go to another Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. dealer to find a better deal. Hyundai Equus: Are Your Ready For A Korean V8? One generation after the introduction of its first line of cars in the US, Hyundai Motors is preparing to import to the US its first V8 powered car. The Equus, a full sized sedan, will be new to the US market, but the Korean automaker has been making large cars for years. Please read on for more information about this exciting development. Give Hyundai credit. In the teeth of strong competition from Asian and American automobile manufacturers, the South Korean auto giant has managed to carve out a niche for itself in the hyper-competitive US auto market. Twenty years after the Excel Pony was introduced at the budget price of $3750, Hyundai has upgraded its line up and now sells small and medium models, sporty cars, and a pair of SUVs. 2007 Volkswagen Polo: U.s. Debut Stalled? Volkswagens’ plans to deliver a sub-Golf sized car to the U.S. market has stalled as the German automaker considers allowing rival DaimlerChrysler [DCX] to import the car instead and sell it under the Dodge label. VW dealers are naturally unhappy about the move, but much more is at stake than what is evident. Will the Polo still show up? If not, why not? The world of automobile marketing has changed drastically in the last generation. Gone are brands that are purely set behind national borders and localized brands. Instead, vehicles are being sold that wear one label but are actually built by another manufacturer. Globalism is here and automakers have openly embraced these changes. Geely Cars: Gotta Get One? I mentioned in a related article that the first batch of Chinese built cars to be imported to the U.S. is only a few years away. In that article, I discussed Chery Automobiles and how the company has its designs on the American market, particularly in the entry level category. Well, now a second manufacturer – Geely Automotive Company – is also planning on bringing at least one model to the U.S. by 2008. Changes are in the wind, but lest you think that Detroit is the only one quivering don’t be fooled: Japan’s automakers and Korea’s automakers all must take notice of what is about to happen. For certain, the U.S. automobile market is the most lucrative one in the world. It is also the largest with more than 17 million new vehicles sold annually. All automakers know that if you have a piece of the American market, you have a piece of big profits as long as what you are selling is what consumers want [Ford and GM, take notice]. Chevy Camaro: Build It And We Will Buy It! Attention, General Motors! The concept Camaro now making the rounds of U.S. auto shows is a real winner. Keep showing the car, but start making plans to get it built...now! Make no changes to the concept; in other words: keep the boardroom geeks away from the project. Yes, GM is looking at bringing back a venerable nameplate – the Chevrolet Camaro. If all goes as planned, a 2009 model Camaro is a strong possibility. Read on for additional interesting tidbits. Back in the late 1960s, General Motors responded – albeit a little late – to the wildly successful 1964 1/2 launch of the Ford Mustang. A whole new breed of cars were on the market – pony cars – thanks to the Mustang and GM’s release of the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird. Indeed, Chrysler and American Motors jumped in too with the Dodge Charger, Plymouth Road Runner, and AMC Javelin competing successfully in a popular automobile segment. Ball Joints And Your Car's Suspension System An important part of your car’s suspension system is its ball joints. Made of extra tough steel, ball joints act as the pivot point between two parts: the suspension and your car’s tires. Ball joints help support your car’s weight and, as is the case with some vehicles, ball joints may be used to help set the alignment. Let’s take a closer look at this key component of your car’s suspension system. Enclosed in a steel housing, ball joints are used on the front end of almost every car, truck, SUV, and minivan. As might be expected, ball joints are subject to a lot of wear and tear, so to properly protect them ball joints are housed in an enclosed boot to keep dirt away from the joint assembly. 8 GM Brands: 1 or 2 Too Many? Lots of folks are speculating about GM’s future. If you take all the press reports at heart, you would think that General Motors is on life support. Quite frankly, the opposite is true especially when you look at the global picture. In 2005, “the General” sold more than 9 million cars worldwide, the first time the automaker reached that figure since 1978. Yes, U.S. auto sales are down and some are calling for GM to reduce its many brands, currently numbering 8. Who should GM let go? Or, should General Motors stick with the game plan and maintain all 8 brands? For the record, GM’s 8 brands are: Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Saturn, GMC, Hummer, and Saab. You could take Saab out of that pack as the Swedish automaker (although fully owned by GM) builds few cars in North America. Still, GM includes Saab in its marketing schema so we’ll keep them in for argument’s sake. Chrysler Firepower: A Vette Fighter Extraordinaire Chrysler is toying around with the idea of building a vehicle that will go where no Chrysler moniker has gone before it: on the raceway. Sure, there have been stock Newports and Cordobas that have been raced, but nothing that was “pure race material” has ever worn a Chrysler label. Dodge yes, but Chrysler no. That may all change if the Firepower is built. Read on and let’s see what this hot looking car is all about. The U.S. auto shows throughout 2005 featured a number of great looking concepts. One of the vehicles, a Chrysler Firepower, drew strong interest from visitors. Based on this consumer interest, the Firepower may go from concept to developing project if several DaimlerChrysler officials have their way. Retro Mania: “old” Cars Rock! America’s thirst for cars of significance continues unabated. Long tired of copycat, cookie cutter, uninspiring models, consumers are demanding – and receiving – cars that are, quite frankly, retro. Yes, America’s automakers are reaching back in time to build a bunch of models based on popular models from yesteryear. Let’s take a look at the “Big 3” automakers and their current crop of retro cars as well as “future” models soon to be released. Defined, retro cars are vehicles that take their styling cues from cars built a generation or two ago. No, these vehicles aren’t carbon copies of earlier models, rather each retro car borrows much of their look from earlier models. Diesel Powered Cars: Coming At You! The number of diesel powered cars on North American highways has been dropping steadily ever since their peak in the mid 1980s. For many motorists, diesel engines conjure up images of pollution, poor power, and unreliability. However, one generation later and all that is about to change. New diesel powered vehicles will soon be arriving, in fact one is already here and receiving critical acclaim from auto enthusiasts. Who can forget those diesel powered Chevrolet Caprices and Oldsmobile 98s that suddenly became very popular 25 years ago? If you are like many car owners, you want to forget those cars. What GM did back then was to take existing gasoline engines and convert them to diesel engines. These converted engines were loud, smoky, and very unreliable. They were unreliable to the point where GM had to pay tens of millions of dollars to replace failed engines with gasoline engines. You Can Change Your Car's Timing Belt So, how is your car's timing belt doing? Have you changed it lately? If, ever? If not, you must make certain that the timing belt hasn’t been driven too many miles or you could be driving on borrowed time. Typically, a timing belt will last anywhere from about 60,000 miles to just over 100,000 miles; your owner's manual will spell that information out for you. A failed timing belt can occur at any time, but if you are on top of things you can avoid being left stranded. A timing belt is used to turn the camshaft at precisely half the speed as the crankshaft. The camshaft causes the intake and exhaust valves to open and shut in time with the pistons as they move up and down in the cylinders. When the timing belt breaks, you aren't going anywhere as the engine can no longer run. In some cases a timing belt failure could damage or even ruin a car's engine. Unfortunately, too many motorists do not replace their timing belt until it has broken. This can be a real problem when you are miles away from the nearest help! You Can Tune Your Car For Maximum Performance! Are you satisfied with your performance? Your car's performance, that is? If you are not or if you have wondered how you can crank more power out of your engine, then I have some good news for you: you can do it with an engine tuning programmer. Yes, within minutes you can turn your ordinary passenger car into a road warrior without having to pop the hood or by removing the dashboard. It is a quick, easy, and awesome way to unleash more power from your car's engine. The aftermarket parts industry is constantly coming up with everything you need to enhance your vehicle’s look as well as its improve performance. On the performance side of things custom air filters, cold air intakes, and exhaust systems are much sought after options for car enthusiasts. In addition, performance chips are being installed by owners who desire to turn their ordinary cars into something extraordinary. Ford Super Chips: Are They Worth It? Your Ford Mustang is a true pony car. A coupe with class and no other car on the road is like it. Heck, GM abandoned the Camaro and Firebird while Mustang sales continue to surge. Could it be that Mustang owners know a good thing when they drive it? You bet! Still, maybe you have considered ways to ratchet up the performance. Even with a V8 installed, perhaps you could squeeze out more power from an already potent engine? If that is the case for you a superchip may be right. However, are they worth it? Let’s take a look at these little technological wonders and see if a super chip is what you really want. So, exactly how does a superchip work? That’s easy! Every car comes with a computer chip – much like the one the central processing chip that powers your computer. Your stock chip helps to regulate a bunch of things including fuel flow to your engine, horsepower, torque, etc. Unfortunately, stock chips aren’t maximized for performance so the chip you get isn’t necessarily conducive to enhancing power. Brake Calipers, Car Blogs, And You If you are big fan of the internet, as I am, you likely appreciate having access to much of the information you read online. Where else can you find information that is accurate, easily obtainable, and above all else: free? The library, perhaps. Still, reading some of the car blogs out there can be a risky proposition especially if you are prone to taking everything you read as the “gospel truth.” Blogging certainly is fun and it is all the rage. You don’t have to know how to design web sites and you don’t even have to know how to write especially well. Therein lies the rub. Over the past several months I have had occasion to read information that is not only suspect, but downright inaccurate. Of course, if the writings are simply someone’s opinion about something that is one thing. However, when the writings give explicit instructions [or leave out pertinent information] on how to fix something, such as brake calipers, those instructions must be correct otherwise the reader could be obtaining information that isn’t just factually wrong, but dangerous. Jet Chips And Your Car One of several questions car enthusiasts ask about jet chips and other performance chips is whether they are legal in all states, provinces, etc. Well, I can’t answer that question for the rest of the world, but in the U.S. jet chips are legal even in California, home of some of the strictest automotive emission regulations in the world. As the saying goes, “As goes California, so goes the rest of the country,” or some variation on that theme! There is much more to jet chips than the name implies. Let’s take a look at this remarkable aftermarket product and its impact on North American drivers. First of all, like the name “Jeep” which represents a specific brand as well as a type of vehicle, Jet Chips is a brand as well as a type of chip. Confused yet? Don’t be. Because the name is so easy to remember and the company producing these chips is so well known, consumers have given all performance chips the nickname jet chips. Kind of like reaching for that box of “Kleenex” tissues even though the label obviously says “Marcal.” Dodge, Ford To Build Scion Fighters? Toyota’s Scion brand has been a runaway hit for the Japanese automaker ever since being launched in 2003. Designed to appeal to Generation “Y” buyers, the vehicles are popular, edgy – some would say ugly – and have given Toyota an important toehold with young buyers. GM, Ford, and Chrysler are preparing to respond to Scion, but in different ways. GM is planning to import more vehicles from its Daewoo subsidiary while Ford and Chrysler are expected to build all new Scion fighting vehicles in Mexico, good news for motorists looking for affordable and quality vehicles. Let’s take a look at what’s coming down the pike. For the record, Scion isn’t the only vehicle made for the Generation Y crowd. Honda’s Element and soon to be released Fit subcompact are Scion competitors while the Chevy Cobalt, Dodge Caliper, and Saturn ION are also aimed toward youthful drivers. With that being said, Dodge [Chrysler] and Ford must respond and it appears that both automakers will be fielding Scion fighters within the next two years. Chinese Cars: Redefining The Market News reports over the past several months have featured the coming “invasion” of Chinese cars to the North American market. What has gotten the attention of many car buffs is the very low prices at which each model will be sold. Prices as low as $6600 have been quoted for one model with a handful of other models also expected to retail for well under $10,000. If Chinese cars do arrive as expected, look for a massive change in the way entry level model cars are built and sold in the U.S. and Canada. Consumers stand to gain with the increased competition, although exactly what they will be getting for the price is not yet known. The Chevrolet Aveo, a compact car built by GM’s Korean unit, Daewoo, is currently the lowest priced car sold in the U.S. retailing for as low as $9300 after all discounts have been applied [MSRP is currently set at $9890 for the “Special Value” models]. A 16 valve 1.6L I4 mated to a 5 speed transmission is standard and Chevy kicks in an AM/FM radio for good measure. Beyond that, the car is truly stripped. Asian Cars: Auto Manufacturers to Watch The Asian automobile manufacturing market is much broader than many American consumers understand it to be. Beyond Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and other household names there are quite a few automakers that are growing in size and respectability in their own markets. Two of these companies have already committed to selling their models in the U.S., but there are three others worth knowing about and watching. Starting in 2007, two Chinese automobile manufacturers will be exporting cars to the U.S. and Canada. Geely Automobile Company and the Chery Automobile Company are part of the first wave of new Asian automakers preparing to serve the U.S. market. I won’t go into more detail about these two manufacturers, so please read a related article I wrote titled, “Chinese Cars: Redefining the Market,” to learn more about them. Asian Cars: Auto Manufacturers To Watch The Asian automobile manufacturing market is much broader than many American consumers understand it to be. Beyond Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and other household names there are quite a few automakers that are growing in size and respectability in their own markets. Two of these companies have already committed to selling their models in the U.S., but there are three others worth knowing about and watching. Starting in 2007, two Chinese automobile manufacturers will be exporting cars to the U.S. and Canada. Geely Automobile Company and the Chery Automobile Company are part of the first wave of new Asian automakers preparing to serve the U.S. market. I won’t go into more detail about these two manufacturers, so please read a related article I wrote titled, “Chinese Cars: Redefining the Market,” to learn more about them. Ford: Restoring Prestige And Honor The Ford Motor Company, along with rival General Motors, has been going through a time of severe testing due to concerns about product quality and relevancy, profits, and long term viability. The net result is that Ford is planning on closing numerous plants and will lay off as many as 30,000 employees, a historic cutback that may only be the tip of the iceberg. Is Ford finished or will the company be able to regain strength and compete successfully in the years ahead? Ford has certainly taken its lumps and for good reason. Profits in the North American market are nonexistent with losses actually in the multibillion dollar range. Despite the red ink, all is not lost for the “blue oval” as the company remains very profitable overseas. In addition, its three U.S. divisions have much to offer if some serious changes are incorporated. Here are my suggestions for change: Affordable Cars Priced From Under $15k Are you looking for a new car? If you are, there are several models available to you for under $15,000. Twelve are mentioned here; thirteen if you include the Nissan Versa to be released later this summer. Increased competition has made this a great time to buy a new car so compare, shop, and save! Chevrolet Cobalt – With an MSRP of under $13,000, this Chevrolet model is one of the lowest priced cars manufactured in the U.S. A competitive price when you realize that few new car models are priced so low. If the Cobalt price still isn’t low enough for you, then Chevrolet also markets the Aveo, a vehicle GM imports from its South Korean subsidiary Daewoo. The Aveo retails for just $9890! 2006 Ford Focus: Never Better! Back in 2000, the year that the Ford Focus was introduced, Ford Motor Company was hoping that the model would be well received and exceed the sales totals of its previous small car, the Escort. Unfortunately, the new Focus was plagued by various minor quality problems and the car soon became the joke of the industry. Step forward to 2006, and the current Focus is vastly improved on earlier models. Let’s explore what is helping the Focus become a proven challenger in the crowded small vehicle sector: 1. Aggressive Price. Yes, the number of cars available under US$15,000 continues to drop each year. However, the Focus takes it one step further as it retails just below $14,000. Comparably equipped Chevys, Kias and Hyundais sell for nearly the same amount, so the consumer has a good choice when buying the Ford Focus. 2008 Mercedes B Class: American Introduction Delayed? Mercedes has long looked at the entire U.S. auto market as fair game, meaning it is not just a place where it can sell luxury vehicles, but a place to market “low budget” vehicles too. Unknown to some American motorists, the Mercedes name is much broader than simply being a luxury make. Like its German rival, Volkswagen, Mercedes sells cars in Europe that compete directly against the Golf as well as against the luxurious VW Phaeton. Still, introducing a “budget Benz” to America is a psychological hurdle that parent DaimlerChrysler is delaying making a commitment to. Let’s take a look at the proposed B Class and the reasons why the model not make it to the U.S. anytime soon. For starters, the proposed B Class is based upon Mercedes A Class line of cars. Okay, that tells you a lot! In short, the A Class is a true line of compact cars that are popular in Europe. If you were to give serious consideration to purchasing a Volkswagen Golf you would consider the A Class to be its logical competitor. A slightly larger model, the B Class, makes better use of engine placement and design to produce a car that isn’t much larger than the A Class on the outside, but is almost as roomy as the S Class is on the inside [when configured as a wagon]. Get Ready For A Compact Bmw Over the years, the entire definition of what is considered a small, medium, or large car has been turned on its side. Some people measure a car’s entire length to determine size, others take into account its wheelbase, while still others give consideration to the vehicle’s interior room. No matter, BMW is planning to import a car to the U.S. that is truly smaller than any BMW that has ever graced American highways: the 1 Series is coming to America…can you say, “Tiny BMW?” Like Mercedes, the whole thought of a less than luxurious BMW running around is almost blasphemy. Please don’t think that this hasn’t been lost on Bavarian Motor Works as they study and restudy the issue and decide whether to go ahead with the planned introduction of the 1 Series. Long a producer of vehicles from compacts on up, BMW knows that the U.S. market is fickle and may reject the budget bimmer. Still, as the marketplace continues to adjust and consumer tastes change, the 1 Series is ripe for importing to the U.S. Here is why: 2007 Saturn Sky: The Wait Is Over After months of nonstop hype, the 2007 Saturn SKY is now entering dealer showrooms. This two seat roadster marks an important turning point for the Saturn brand long identified with building nondescript, but dependable vehicles. With an MSRP of $23,690, the SKY is certain to sell for several thousand dollars over the dealer's sticker price as demand is expected to far exceed capacity. Let’s examine the Saturn brand and the car behind the hype to see if the SKY was worth the wait. Since Saturn’s first cars became available in 1990, the brand has attracted a loyal following of owners who liked the company’s simplicity and consumer friendly dealer network. Indeed, Saturn’s “no haggle” pricing revolutionized the relationship between dealer and customer changing the typical adversarial business transaction into a partnership benefiting buyer and seller alike. World Auto Production Forecast Predicting the future is a risky proposition often filled with guesstimates and theories based on current events and hoped for consequences. At the same time, automakers are busy doing just that in anticipation of future consumer demands, emerging markets, fuel availability, and so much more. So, with all of that in mind and knowing that only God knows the future, here are some of my predictions concerning worldwide automotive production circa 2015. Consolidation General Motors, Toyota, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Peugeot/Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, Volkswagen, and some other manufacturers are likely to snap up competitors, especially in emerging markets. Nope, I do not see the end of GM or Ford. Instead, I see both automakers concentrating on what they do best: making money overseas. The big factor in all of this will be the impact that Chinese built cars will have on local markets. If the cars are fairly well made and priced below the prevailing market rate, look for several companies to join forces in a bid simply to survive. Look for low priced Indian built cars to be sold worldwide beginning early in the next decade. 3 American Performance Cars Bear with me as I step back in time to formulate what I believe are three terrific American built performance cars: the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Challenger, and the Chevrolet Camaro. Currently, only the Mustang is in production with the Challenger coming back by 2009. GM hasn’t committed to building the Camaro just yet, but the company is likely to make a decision in favor of the car and its sibling, the Pontiac Firebird, by this summer. So, what is it about American performance cars that set them apart from the rest? In one word: muscle. Read on as I compare and contrast these three vehicles and share with you my feeble attempts to explain the culture behind the cars. So, you think I forgot the Chevy Corvette and Dodge Viper when talking about performance cars? No, I did not. Both models are performance cars as well as race cars. On the other hand the Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro are mass produced performance cars with muscle. There is a difference in the way a typical race car handles, rides, and performs vs. a muscle car. 2007 New Car Extravaganza! Months ago, in a related article, I covered five new or revised car models set to be launched on the North American market. The Jaguar XK, Saturn Sky, Toyota FJ Cruiser, Land Rover Freelander, and Dodge Nitro are already in showrooms or soon to make their appearance there. Beyond these five there are quite a number of other models also being planned and some have already been released. Let’s take a look at five more models catching the attention of auto enthusiasts everywhere. Nissan Versa – Yes, Nissan has its own Scion fighter planned and just in time too as two other cars, the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, will also be making their debut in the fast crowding Generation “Y” category. The Versa looks more like a Toyota Matrix as opposed to the bread box looking Scion xB. Available as a four door sedan or five door hatchback, the car will come equipped not stripped and include an AM/FM/CD sound system, air conditioning, 6 speed manny tranny, and power mirrors as standard equipment. Best of all, the roomy Versa will be priced at about $12,000, right in Scion territory. Preview Of Select 2007 Automobiles Many model year 2007 vehicles have already hit new car showrooms starting with several new SUVs built by General Motors. The upcoming model year is shaping up as one likely to be filled with many changes as automakers reshape their line ups and prepare for the coming invasion of cheap imports from China. The choices for consumers have never been better and prices are actually lower for many models, therefore competition is good and you are the winner. Let’s take a look at five vehicles certain to grab much attention as they are released during this year. Ford Explorer Sport Trac – Based on the Explorer body, the Sport Trac has a wheelbase that is nearly 17 inches longer than the Explorer and a bed made out of composite material. With four doors and a truck bed, the SUV/pick up truck “hybrid” does double duty with plenty of style. Powered by a 4.0L V6, the 4.6L V8 found in the Expedition is also available. You can get the Sport Trac in either 2 of 4 wheel drive. Toyota: The New Number One? For the past several months news reports have been focusing on the declining fortunes of the world’s largest automaker, General Motors, as well as on the rise of Toyota to pre-eminence. Many are predicting that this will be the year that Toyota overtakes General Motors in sales while others are expressing caution regarding this assessment. Does it really matter who is number one? In many ways it does. Let’s examine the fortunes of the Top Two to determine whether Toyota’s quest to overtake General Motors will happen this year. So, why does it matter who is the top selling automaker in the world? In one word: prestige. Being number one in any category tells consumers that you are at the top of your game. No, there isn’t anything wrong with being number two – just ask Avis – but saying that “we try harder” doesn’t equate into being number one no matter how cute your commercials may be. Chrysler Gives Its Okay To The Imperial A venerable name in autodom is being resurrected and it will soon grace the body of a large, rear wheel drive luxury car. After a successful “concept car” debut at a pair of recent auto shows, the Chrysler Imperial will be built and should be in U.S. showrooms in 2010. Yes, it will be a long wait for the Imperial’s return but the car must first await additional changes within DaimlerChrysler before it can be built. Read on to learn more about the Imperial’s impending return. The Chrysler Imperial that has been currently making the rounds at various auto shows has been well received. Visitors have remarked favorably about the car’s Bentley like look as well as its cavernous interior and luxury appointments. Currently, the brand has nothing larger or more luxurious to offer buyers who might want to upgrade from the 300C, thus Chrysler has been regularly losing buyers to more luxurious brands, something parent DaimlerChrysler [DCX] wants to stem. Counterfeit Auto Parts: A Global Epidemic Recent concerns about U.S. port control have been focusing on the possibility that American ports will be used as a conduit for terrorists to attack America. What many people do not realize is that only about 5% of all containers going through our port system have their contents inspected by authorities. That means a full 95% of the containers never receive a visual inspection, although many do get electronically scanned. Still, it is the naked eye which can detect and determine if something in a container isn’t quite right. As far as auto parts go, a visual inspection is necessary; unfortunately many fake parts do get through. A global epidemic is in progress and it has little to do with terrorists and everything to do with counterfeit auto parts. Let’s take a look at the counterfeit parts “industry” and how you can avoid getting taken. Yes, it is an industry...the counterfeit auto parts “business” that is. Every year billions of dollars worth of fake auto parts are produced worldwide and circulated to unsuspecting consumers. In some countries the problem is completely out of hand resulting in injury, even death, to drivers and their passengers. Among the parts frequently counterfeited are: Mercedes Benz Parts: Affordable, Easy To Find Owning a Mercedes vehicle puts you in with an elite category of owners who appreciate the engineering, quality, comfort, and fun-to-drivability that go with every “Benz” produced. With a history spanning well over one hundred years and a solid benchmark reputation to preserve, Mercedes continues to impress its loyal owners and attract interest from those who do not yet own a Mercedes. Beyond ownership is the maintenance that is done to preserve your vehicle’s mojo. You know keeping your Mercedes well maintained can go a long way toward helping your car operate problem free as well as looking great. Trouble is, parts can get expensive...you’ll pay a premium if you have some garage or dealer do the work for you. Fortunately, you have some options – terrific ones at that – to find, procure, and install the high quality parts your Mercedes deserves without destroying your budget. Please keep reading for some helpful tips. Bug Protection For Your Car Here in the southern U.S., we residents are used to a bug population that can only make an anteater smack his lips. From about early April to the first frost, bugs outnumber people about 1000 to 1. Some would say 1 million to 1. Quite frankly, bugs are everywhere: in the yard, in the house, on your car, etc. Products containing DEET help, but they can do nothing to protect your car. Think I am exaggerating? Just drive down any southern back road at dusk and see how long it takes for your windshield and hood to be splattered with bug juice. It can get so bad that no amount of windshield washer fluid can keep up with it all. What to do? Well, if you are like many motorists you get some protection for your car. No, I am not saying to spray it with a can of OFF! or drive around with a car cover on it. Instead, there are two must have accessories that can and will make a difference. You’ll have to read on to find out just what I am talking about. Car bras – Some call them hood protectors while others call them car bras. Regardless, this particular accessory provides the greatest protection for the front end of most any passenger vehicle. Customized for your vehicle, car bras slip over the front end, covering the grille and the adjoining section of the hood. Some car bras are designed to extend further up the hood almost to the windshield. Some consist of two part sections that permit motorists to access the hood without taking off the bra, while others are a one piece accessory that must be removed before opening the hood. Both styles are effective in deflecting bugs from the grille and can protect a portion of the hood. Catalytic Converter Hazards! Government auto emissions control legislation mandates that virtually all cars built or sold in the U.S. come equipped with a catalytic converter. A smart device, catalytic converters help to convert dangerous and polluting exhaust gases into less harmful carbon dioxide and water. As helpful of a device that it is, there are some hazards that come with the use of a catalytic converter. Read on to learn what you need to know about your vehicle’s catalytic converter. Many consider a catalytic converter to be a godsend. With pollution levels ever climbing, the U.S. government acted to reduce harmful pollutants in a step to clean up the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency was formed by the Nixon Administration and the agency was instrumental in passing the Clean Air Act to help America control pollution. Since 1975 virtually every passenger vehicle has come equipped with a catalytic converter. Mercedes-benz And Your Safety Volvo has long been attributed with being the number one automobile manufacturer when it comes to vehicular safety and rightly so. As an inventor of “crumple zones” and “safety cages” to protect passengers, Volvo set the tone for worldwide auto building for the next several generations. Indeed, the auto industry owes much to Volvo’s many safety contributions. Not to be lost in all of this is the work that Mercedes-Benz has been doing to improve passenger safety too. Taking the Volvo concept one step further, Mercedes now incorporates several technological advances with their vehicles in order to provide the safest riding experience available. Let’s take a look at Mercedes’ PRE-SAFE system and how it can protect you and your passengers. I must admit that the first time I heard about Mercedes’ new safety system I had thought that it was something that was still years away from becoming available. How wrong I was! The PRE-SAFE system, as it is called, is a terrific way to enhance passenger safety and one that should be adopted by other automakers. Yes, I am sure that it isn’t a cheap system but as it is with so many technological advances the price is bound to drop and the system or something like it will become widely available across the board. Performance Enhancers For Your Car Are you a tuner? A true tuner that is…or, are you a rice boy? Yeah, you know what I mean. Serious tuners bring out the power in their cars while rice boys slap on every imaginable part to make their car look like a racer when in fact they are not. So, what does it take to bring out the power in your engine? Not a whole lot! Let’s examine some helpful performance enhancing parts for your vehicle to give it a truly tuned edge. Sorry for the pejorative term. Enhancing one’s car is a very personal thing and no everyone’s tastes vary. Still, some enhancements add little to the car’s value and can, in fact, take away from its performance. So, here are a few things you can do to add some zap to your engine: 2008 Saturn Vue: Inspired By Opel General Motors’ Saturn division is hard at work on building a replacement for its small SUV, the Saturn VUE. Currently based strictly on U.S. technology, the 2008 VUE is expected to be heavily based on Opel technology: Opel is General Motors’ principal European brand. This is good news for those who were concerned that GM would ditch the Saturn VUE. Instead, the SUV will get new life and additional support via its new relationship with Opel. While it is too early to know all the details about the upcoming Saturn VUE makeover, there are some things we do know about this revamped model. Ever since Saturn released the first “S Series” models back in 1990, the company has struggled to maintain a unique identity. Neglected by parent GM, the upstart Saturn brand had to wait nearly a decade before additional vehicles were added to its line including the Saturn VUE SUV. Along with the “L Series” midsize cars, the three vehicle lines [ION having replace the S Series] fully comprised the Saturn line for several years. Unfortunately, none of the three models were stand out performers, so the brand suffered accordingly. Brand Dilution: Gm's Real Problem Throughout General Motor's post World War II history, the company has managed to sell various products across its entire line up, thereby offering visitors to its showrooms a wide variety of models. This custom of "brand dilution" was an acceptable practice at GM, Ford, and Chrysler for several generations, but the practice has had its pitfalls. More...The cost of rebadging models to cross the entire GM spectrum is much more than you might think be. No, I am not talking about the price of slapping a different name on various models to market them under different brands, instead I am talking about the "cost" to the brand: the consumer's perception that there isn't anything uniquely sold with that brand. Cadillac Sixteen: Concept Or Production Vehicle? This past month I was finally able to get a first hand view of a fabulous looking concept car called the Cadillac Sixteen at the North Carolina International Automobile Show. As concepts go, the Sixteen is truly a radical looking, but thoroughly luxurious sedan that serves as a reminder of Cadillac’s past glory while incorporating a forward-looking 21st century style. Will the car be built? That is hard to say, especially considering GM’s current financial condition. However, let’s take a closer look at the dream car and what a Sixteen could do for the Cadillac brand. It is a given: Cadillac has made tremendous strides over the past decade despite the ongoing problems with parent GM. No longer solely the builder of posh luxo-cruisers for the elderly, the current Cadillac line up is exciting, invigorating, and competitive. Whereas in times past comparisons with BMW and Mercedes would not have been made, today’s models frequently are compared to their elite German rivals. Sales are up and profits are up; still, there is room for improvement and the Sixteen could be the model behind the continued upswing in Cadillac fortunes. Protect Your Bmw's Finish You just paid a cool $73,000 for your fashionably new BMW and are cruising down the boulevard enjoying the ride. You zig and zag your way around the slow movers, marveling over the responsive steering and handling engineered into your 750i. As you pull into your driveway, park your sedan, and exit your vehicle, you turn around and your eyes feast upon its stunning Kalahari beige metallic finish. Quite frankly it is the most attractive looking vehicle you have ever owned. Unfortunately, many new BMW owners fail to provide the one level of protection that can keep your car’s expensive finish from permanently losing its luster. What is that? Read on and I will tell you about a product that simply must be part of every luxury car owner’s inventory. If you haven’t guessed it yet, what I am talking about is a custom fitted car cover for your bimmer. Yes, even if you garage your 750i or other fine vehicle, time and the elements will certainly attack your car’s finish. Sure, you can do regular washes and waxes, but the inevitable will happen: something, somewhere will damage the finish. Besides, do you want to spend every weekend polishing your car? I doubt that! Introducing The Dodge Caliber! The auto world is abuzz over a new car just recently released. The Dodge Caliber, a five door hatchback replacement for the popular Neon, has finally hit North American showrooms. The wait has been long especially since the last Neons were built for the 2005 model year. Still, judging by the press hoopla and by what the car has to offer, the pause certainly has been well worth it. Introducing, the 2007 Dodge Caliber! Part of the buzz surrounding any new car introduction is all the speculation that comes with it. Pictures are released, performance information and specifications supplied, and in some cases the pending model hits the auto show circuit first to fuel additional interest. All of these points have rung true for the Caliber as the pre-release build up was percolating for a number of months. On a personal note, I was able to see a Caliber at a recent car show but I couldn’t get near it as there were too many people gawking ahead of me -- such was the interest in the new model. Nevertheless, there are some things about the Caliber worthy of a mention: Saturn Aura: Turning A Corner General Motors’ Saturn division is one of the few bright spots for the troubled U.S. automaker. As of this writing, the parent company is in the midst of plant closings, massive layoffs, and big losses. Bankruptcy may be the ultimate “out” for GM, but even if the company doesn’t choose that route, big changes are coming nevertheless. Fortunately, the Saturn division is one of the few bright spots for the legendary automaker as are Cadillac, GMC, and select models including the Corvette and the company’s big trucks. For Saturn, there is a certain “AURA” about the division both in model name as well as in sensation. Step back two decades and General Motors is all abuzz over a new car company in the process of being created: Saturn. As a wholly owned subsidiary of GM, Saturn was designed to take on Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda by building compact cars that American drivers really wanted and could rely upon. It worked. For most of the 1990s, the “S Series” was the sole model for Saturn; available in coupe, sedan, and wagon, the S Series achieved cult status and had a loyal following of owners who regularly congregated for meets at Spring Hill, TN where the cars were built. Even when the vehicles’ design aged, the S Series maintained its high status with Saturn aficionados. 6 Must Have Auto Accessories Buying a new car is an experience that few will ever forget: the smell, the pristine interior, and the flawless ride are some of the things enjoyed by new car owners. Yet, despite how well equipped even the most expensive cars can be, oftentimes they leave the showroom with several accessories missing. No, they weren’t stolen; instead, for some queer reason these “must have” accessories were not included with the sale. Let’s take a look at six accessories every vehicle should have. Floor mats – You have got to be kidding…no floor mats?! Oddly, floor mats are the chief accessory typically not included with any sale. Instead, you get a throwaway paper sheet for the driver. Without floor mats in place you can bet that the interior will be soiled in short order. Worse, if you wait too long your carpeting could be damaged which is especially bad news for you if you lease your vehicle. Just wait ‘til you see the price of replacing damaged automotive carpeting! Jeep Commander: Stuck In A Sales Rut Just months after its much publicized release, the 7 passenger Jeep Commander is a major disappointment for DaimlerChrysler to the point where it has become an albatross around the automaker’s neck. Stung with bloated inventories in excess of 100 days – an industry killer – the Commander is now commanding discounts of over $5000 per vehicle. What went wrong? Plenty, especially if you read what the pundits and prognosticators have to say about the new Jeep. No vehicle introduction should be problematic however, as for the Jeep Commander this model has fallen well short of sales goals. There are many reasons why the Commander may be failing to live up to expectations including: Flex Fuel: Will You Bite? All the talk about gas-electric hybrid vehicles is overlooking another area where fuel economy can be realized. No, I am not talking about diesel engines and I am not even thinking about hydrogen power. Instead, corn powered vehicles are coming into their own. That’s right, ethanol, a fuel that has a history going back a full century, may be the fuel of the future. Is ethanol a good choice for a fuel source? I’ll let you be the judge of that! Back during the days that Henry Ford was building cars, he designed his Model “T” to run on ethanol, a fuel that is typically derived from corn. His idea was to give the driver a choice between gasoline and this particular alternative source of energy. Historically low gas prices however, made the need for ethanol pretty much a moot point at that time. Why fuel up with ethanol when gas was being sold for a quarter or less? 2007 Nissan Sentra: Big Surprises Inside! Once again, Nissan is putting into practice with its all new Sentra model something that has succeeded for them in the past: push the model up market. As it first did with the Maxima and later with the Altima, Nissan has now promoted the Sentra to make room for the pending introduction of the subcompact Versa. With the all new model, Sentra fans will find a better equipped, more polished model then any other car that has ever worn the Sentra nameplate. Intrigued? You should be: the car simply goes where no Sentra has gone before: up market. Over the years, plenty of automakers have taken a popular selling model and elevated it one notch. Why? For a few reasons: to capitalize on demand for the model – a more luxurious version typically carries more profits with it then the base model. Instead of losing customers to another model [or worse, another make] when they are ready to trade up, why not move up the model instead? Another reason: the introduction of a newer, but smaller model in the line up. For Nissan, the latter reason holds especially true as the subcompact Versa, a car built to compete against the likes of Scion enters the Nissan line up at about the same time. Chinese Cars: Arrival Delayed! Over the past year, much has been written about various Chinese automakers and the pending introduction of their vehicles to the U.S. market. Manufacturers such as Chery and Geely have been mentioned most frequently with a few smaller automakers also receiving some press. Originally, it appeared that both manufacturers would import their vehicles some time around the summer of 2007, but that now appears unlikely as several current models have already failed preliminary U.S. safety tests. Regardless, before 2009 hits, at least two Chinese manufacturers will likely be importing cars to the U.S. and at prices starting as low as $8500! Yes, all that talk of $6600 cars from China have evaporated. Many auto enthusiasts, including yours truly, had been passing around information about cheaply priced, cheaply built cars coming from China that would retail below $7000, some $3000 cheaper than any model now sold in the U.S. Dire predictions of just what this would do to the auto industry were raised. Now it turns out that those predictions were woefully incorrect. Chrysler 300c: The Stretched Version As automakers go, developing well received models is a chore all by itself. When a model becomes a hit, as has the Chrysler 300C, the result is favorable press coverage, high customer satisfaction ratings, and a “halo” effect that can extend to the entire product line. Chrysler’s 300C is a hit, but the German-American automaker isn’t stopping there. A stretched version of the car is being developed, one that may find a following amongst enthusiasts, but only if the price is right. So, why would DaimlerChrysler authorize a stretched version of the 300C? For several reasons including: Performance Air Filters For Your Car There are factory installed air filters and there are replacement performance air filters; both are right for any vehicle. Beyond that, a performance air filter takes off where a factory installed air filter leaves off. If you are concerned about the environment, want more power and acceleration, better fuel mileage, and are looking for all around savings than there is no better choice: buy a performance air filter for your truck, van, SUV, or car. Yes, there are products that improve upon the original, so much so, that they are worth considering. A performance air filter is one of these products, for the following reasons: Cadillac V. Lincoln: Does It Matter? Back during the 1950s and all the way through the 1980s, two American luxury car brands battled for supremacy. For General Motors, builder of Cadillacs and for the Ford Motor Company, builder of Lincolns, corporate prestige rested upon which automaker sold the most models each year. For many years, a pitched battle was raised until the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve. During those years, no one knew for sure who the sales winner was until well into January; that is when the final sales tallies were released. Today, the luxury car market has changed dramatically, so much so, that the storied battle between the two automakers no longer matters. So, what brought about this change? Several things, please read on for the details. More Competition -- Before the 1980s, Mercedes and BMW were minor players in the luxury car market. Infiniti, Lexus, and Acura were previously nonexistent brands created during the 1980s by parent Japanese auto giants, Nissan, Toyota, and Honda respectively. Add in Audi, Jaguar, Volvo, and Saab and the competition really heats up. Buick: Giving The Brand Meaning During the 1980s, Buick was a brand that successfully straddled the fine line between luxury and performance. This GM division sold big, fluffy Park Avenues and LeSabres, while also selling the luxury/sport Riviera and the Regal. It was this last model, the Regal, which stunned the automotive world by winning Grand National awards during the early 1980s. Today, all four models have been terminated in favor of newer names including the Lucerne, LaCrosse, Terrazza, Rainier, and Rendezvous, models that didn’t even exist five years ago. Where is Buick headed? Will GM’s troubles finally kill off the brand? Will the Buick name ever regain meaning? A lot is riding on these questions; the answers may not be as simple to utter or imagine. GM’s woes could spell Buick’s demise. At least that is the thought with some “experts” who believe that at least two brands need to be pruned from the GM line up to save the automaker. General Motors, for their part, has said that they will stick with all of their brands; instead, the company is using this crucial time to put into place a long and painful process to remake its entire image. With plant closings, layoffs, and big losses racking up, the world’s #1 automaker cannot afford a misstep, so whatever plans the automaker has for the company must be executed flawlessly, otherwise further trouble will ensue. Ford Fusion V. Lincoln Zephyr: Worth The Premium? Not too many people compare models from the same manufacturer, it is simply something that just isn’t done. Still, when the models are similar enough in development, yet very different in price, the question to be asked about the more expensive car is this: is it worth the premium? Both the Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr share the same platform along with the Mercury Milan. The base price differential for the two models is nearly ten thousand dollars, quite a big difference for the two cars. Is the Zephyr overpriced? Or, is the Fusion that much more of a better buy? Or, perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between. Let’s check out the two cars and see how they compare. The Ford Fusion is a welcome addition to the Ford line up as the venerable but aging Taurus leaves the fleet. Along with the full size Five Hundred sedan and the Freestyle crossover vehicle, these new models are part of the overhaul changes put in place by Ford to get the brand moving again. Naza Automotive: U.s. Market Possible? Malaysia does not conjure up thoughts with car enthusiasts as being an automotive powerhouse. Indeed, many of the cars built in this burgeoning Southeast Asian nation are manufactured in cooperation with more known brands including Volkswagen and Kia. That may all be changing soon as Malaysia’s top auto manufacturers start building more models containing their own content. One manufacturer, Naza Automotive Manufacturing, is doing just that by releasing a pair of models this month that will be Malaysian designed and will utilize local materials. How could this move prove to be important to American motorists? Well, just as several Chinese manufacturers have designs on bringing cheaply priced cars to the U.S., Malaysian automakers may soon follow. Likely, you have never heard of Naza, but keep an eye on the world auto scene as Naza and at least one other Malaysian automaker, Proton, rush to develop cars explicitly designed for the lucrative U.S. market. Naza, is not likely to be a name easily forgotten, but for two different reasons: the first, is the automaker’s similarity to “Nazi” and the second, because the company will soon be building its own cars for the expanding Malaysian market. Previously, Kia cars were the company’s chief product built, with a Peugeot model also planned for release. Now, according to corporate sources, the company will be building two of its own models, a 1.1L powered car called the NX01 and a slightly larger model, the NX02. Mercedes B-class Begets The Dodge Hornet The Mercedes B-Class, a line of compact cars about the size of a Volkswagen Golf, is expected to be imported to the U.S. market within one or two years time. This model is unusual in that it will be the first vehicle marketed by Mercedes in the U.S. that is not a true luxury car. Instead, the German automaker is hoping to capitalize on its venerable name by serving a greater share of the American populace by marketing a more ordinary model. Soon after the B-Class’ debut, yet another small vehicle derived from Mercedes will also make its appearance in the U.S.: the Dodge Hornet. Both the B-Class and Hornet are being developed to revolutionize their respective brands, pitting DaimlerChrysler against some of the leading youth brands in the world. Not everyone thinks that it is a good idea for Mercedes to sell a budget model in the U.S., particularly one sporting the Mercedes marque. Yet, Mercedes has been building smaller models for years and in Europe the brand is known for producing luxury cars as well as vehicles for the masses. Indeed, Mercedes’ biggest adversary, BMW, also produces a line of small cars and is planning on bringing these vehicles to the U.S. shortly. Thus, like it or not, Mercedes must respond and the B-Class will be the answer. GM Plans to Keep Saab, Hummer General Motors is going through a cataclysmic change, one that will certainly pull the company out of its current financial plight or result in bankruptcy, even the possible dissolution of the company. In a quest to right the listing ship, the company is divesting itself of several brands including its share of Isuzu, Fuji Heavy Industries [Subaru], and others. As far as its wholly owned brands, speculation has been rife that one, two, maybe even three brands might be discontinued or sold. Two of the most talked about makes for possible divestment are Hummer – the niche military-style SUV brand – and Saab – the Swedish automaker. Although both brands are currently fairly weak, GM has maintained that the two makes will not only survive, but receive fresh product and backing. Let’s take a look at two of GM’s most vulnerable brands and what the company may have in store for each one. Saab -- Saab enthusiasts have been highly disappointed ever since General Motors snapped up the Swedish automaker back during the early 1990s. Admirer’s hopes that the brand would receive some deep pocket support haven’t quite worked out the way many would have wanted it to. Instead, the Saab brand is simply a shell of its former self with most models based on other automaker’s platforms including the Subaru inspired 9-2x and the GMC inspired 9-7x. Mercedes E-Class: Harnessing The Wow Factor Mercedes is about to release its all new E-Class to the European market this spring, with its North American debut scheduled for some time in the fall. Fresh on the heels of its successful launch of the all new S-Class, Mercedes is pinning much on these two lines to help turn their fortunes around. Indeed, Mercedes has found itself in the uncomfortable position of being in BMW’s rear view mirror, something that DaimlerChrysler is working hard on reversing by way of releasing new models. In any event, there is much to anticipate regarding the E-Class with a staggering 29 different model variations planned. Will you be amongst those waiting in fervent anticipation for the new Benz to arrive? Let’s take a sneak peek at just what Mercedes is planning to offer with its updated model. Mercedes recently found itself in an odd position: trailing German rival BMW in their ongoing battle for sales supremacy. The news was hard for Stuttgart to swallow, but it has also served as a wake up call as parent DaimlerChrysler is now pouring some extra attention into its German luxury brand. Over the past several years the company’s American brands, commonly known as The Chrysler Group, have been the recipients of DCX largesse with Mercedes getting limited assistance, at least in the eyes of some critics. Now, with the S-Class on the market, with the E-Class soon to appear, and with other models being updated, Mercedes is poised to quickly regain the top spot that was wrested away by BMW. American Muscle: Ford, Dodge, And Chevy Back during the 1950s through the mid 1970s, Detroit automakers produced several cars that were out and out “muscle” cars. These types of vehicles shared the same characteristics: they were two door coupes with souped up engines, responsive transmissions, an aggressive exterior design, and a sporty interior. High fuel prices and changing tastes eventually limited sales to the point where only a few models were produced beyond that period of time. Today, muscle car mania is back, despite even higher gas prices. Thanks to the Ford Mustang and to a lesser extent to sedan and wagon models from Dodge, there is new interest in a category long given up. The future is bright for the muscle car segment as one more manufacturer, Chevrolet, considers bringing back one of its darlings of yesteryear, the Camaro. Besides the Ford Mustang there were a whole host of vehicles produced that at one time or another might have been considered a muscle car. In addition to the Mustang, the Ford Fairlane 500 and Ford Torino did duty; the Mercury Montego was another model; Chevrolet produced the Camaro and Corvette; Pontiac the GTO, Firebird, and Tempest; Olds the 442; American Motors’ had its Javelin; Plymouth had the ‘Cuda, and Dodge produced the Challenger and the Charger. Today, only the Mustang and Corvette survives although the Dodge Charger has returned as a four door muscle car along with its sibling, the hot Dodge Magnum wagon. 7 Tips To Help You Select Your Custom Car Cover You lovingly wash and wax your vehicle on most sunny weekends, spending time detailing every single blotch, nick, scrape, or other damaging mark on your car's exterior. Part of the deal with owning any vehicle is making certain that it looks its best week in and week out. Still, you may not be doing all that you can to protect the finish. Other enemies including bird excrement, acid rain, and even harmful UV rays can thwart the best efforts of even the most diligent car owner. Fortunately, there is one automotive accessory that can help keep your car clean, provided you use it when your car is parked for an extended length of time. What am I talking about? Car covers! Read on for seven helpful tips to help you choose the right cover for your truck, van, SUV, or car. When shopping for a custom car cover you must give consideration to what it does besides simply covering your car. Among some important points to know: Lexus’ Tricked Out To The Max Ls-460 Driving enthusiasts have come to expect more and more technological features equipped with their new cars. Just one generation ago, getting something above an AM radio was considered a bonus, but today there are so many electronic devices out there, that motorists expect more…a lot more in fact. Lexus is about to push up the ante a bit more by introducing its all new LS-460, a car that has been electronically “tricked out” to the max. If you thought your personal computer had power, just wait: the LS-460 will likely have you beat by a high tech mile. The world’s love affair with all things high tech continues unabated. Personal computers, cell phones, wi-fi, IPODS, are some of the electronic devices we use on a regular basis. Imagine a world without consumer electronics…a scary thought, right? Well, the good folks at the Toyota Motor Company don’t want you to be without as evidenced in the cars that they are building. Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus, is a leader in providing top quality, extremely reliable luxury cars, but the company doesn’t stop there. Many models are equipped with all of the latest electronic gadgetry and the coming LS-460 will be the leader of the pack as it will offer the following features: Ultra Low Priced Cars: Will You Buy One? North American motorists have gotten used to paying $20-$25,000 or more for their new vehicles. Long gone are the days when sub $10,000 cars ruled the highways, with few cars available for under $15,000 these days. All of that will be changing as the pending introduction of cheap cars from China as well as imports from Mexico and other third world nations will reshape the automotive landscape. Will you buy one of these bargain brands or will you stick with one of the trusted names? Let’s step forward a few years to look at a radically changed automotive market and just what it may have to offer to you, the value conscious consumer. If you follow automotive press reports then likely you have heard talk of cheaply priced cars from China being imported to the US and Canadian markets. At prices reported to be as low as US$ 6500, these cars have created a lot of buzz and have raised concern about the entire automotive industry, domestic and foreign. One big question asked includes this: how will domestic manufacturers be able to compete price wise? Well, prices won’t be quite as low as first reported once certain safety and anti-pollution measures are added in; instead the final starting price will likely be in the neighborhood of US$ 8500. The Hyundai Azera Surges To The Top Hyundai’s all-new near-luxury sedan, the Azera, has been received with critical acclaim. Consumers and critics are calling the Hyundai Azera the highest quality, most luxurious Hyundai to ever appear in the highly competitive US market. A recent award from the automotive consultant group, AutoPacific has underscored what many are quickly learning: the Hyundai Azera is a car that leads in customer satisfaction. None of this is a surprise to Hyundai, but it may be as surprise for you. Read on for a look at Hyundai’s darling near-luxury sedan. Near-luxury, you say? Yes, it is a category reserved for cars that have many luxury appointments and high engineering standards without the price. Retailing at just over $27,000, the Hyundai Azera is a bargain when compared to similar cars from BMW and Lexus, but not quite the engineering and technological marvel of these two competitors, however. Yet, the Hyundai Azera is offering plenty for consumers at prices well below that of its would-be competitors. A Stylish Crossover Vehicle For Kia Kia is planning to bring to the American market a new type of vehicle – a seven passenger crossover – that will compete against the likes of the Toyota Matrix and the Dodge Caliper. The Kia Carens will be sold later this year in Europe and will likely make it to the U.S. market as the Kia Rondo at about the same time. Demand for crossovers continues to rise as the market adjusts to this relatively new type of vehicle. Will the Rondo succeed? If early press reports are any indication then the answer is yes. Kia’s aggressive surge on the world scene is being made evident through new or proposed factories in Europe and in Georgia, USA. As a subsidiary of the mighty Hyundai group, Kia has long stood for being the budget Korean brand while Hyundai is the company’s value brand. The proposed Rondo will continue Kia’s tradition of providing decent quality small vehicles for prices that are thousands of dollars less than the competition. The Expanding E85 Fleet Of General Motors The E85 movement, which is based on an alternate fuel consisting of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, is getting an additional boost thanks to a recent decision by General Motors to expand its existing line up from 9 models to 14. This increase will mean that General Motors, which already has nearly 2 million E85 vehicles on the road, will be able to produce as many as 400,000 E85 vehicles per year. For proponents of alternate fuel sources, the decision by General Motors is certainly a welcome one. Let’s take a look at GM’s expanding E85 fleet and what this could mean for you, the fuel conscious motorist. E85 has been around for well over a decade now, but has only recently has it been the focus of such widespread attention. Credit gas prices exceeding $3 per gallon for interest in E85 and you can see why General Motors is continuing to expand its line up to meet the demand for alternate fuel sources. Cadillac's Proposed Exciting New Coupe Automaker Cadillac has a rich tradition of building exciting, highly regarded sedans as well as coupes. However, changes made to its line up over the past decade have resulted in a fleet of vehicles that now consists exclusively of sedans, crossovers, and sport utility vehicles. Gone are the days of the super size Eldorado and the Coupe de Ville, vehicles that long stood for Cadillac quality and excess. Today, plans are underway to bring in a coupe to compete against European rivals Mercedes, Audi, and BMW. Please read on for more information about the proposed CTS derived coupe. The proposed CTS coupe being planned by Cadillac will not be an Eldorado nor will it be an updated version of the Coupe de Ville. As a large midsize two door model, the CTS coupe will be larger than its European competitors, but vastly smaller than preceding Cadillac coupes. Ford Crown Victoria: Change Is Good One of the most well known names in autodom is poised to get its first major overhaul in nearly thirty years. Ford’s Crown Victoria, introduced in 1979, has had only minor changes since its introduction, but a new plan by Ford to overhaul the crown jewel of its fleet is apparently in the offing. Thanks to government assistance – Australian to be exact – the new Crown Victoria will be a clean break from the current model and will help to spawn additional models for siblings Mercury and Lincoln. Yes, you may not have considered a Crown Victoria up to this point, but the coming new “Crown Vic” may just change your mind about that. You have to go back all the way to the late 1970s to when “downsizing” was a term used by the auto industry to describe a shell game where large cars were dropped down a notch in size to sit on a platform slightly smaller than the previous model. Indeed, throughout the 1970s Ford’s full size offerings the LTD/Galaxie 500 were huge beasts of burden. By the time the then new Galaxie 500 Crown Victoria was released at the end of the decade, Ford was playing catch up to General Motors who had earlier mastered the whole downsizing strategy. The Upcoming Buick Lacrosse Super Sport Edmunds and several leading automotive blogs are theorizing that Buick will finally go ahead and build a sport version of its popular LaCrosse midsize sedan. Unlike the original model, the proposed car will be a true roadster as Buick seeks to inject some youthfulness into its aging model line. This is big news for Buick, which hasn’t built a true youth oriented car since stopping production of the hot-rod Regal Grand National during the 1980s. Will the Super Sport be enough to help Buick recapture a lost segment of the marketplace? That remains open to debate, so let’s see what Buick is planning with the Super Sport and then you can decide for yourself. For the past several years, Buick has been near the top in most customer satisfaction and quality surveys. After years of languishing much further down the list, Buick decided to truly emphasize quality and that move has paid off. However, quality cars are one thing while exciting cars are another. Quite simply, Buick hasn’t been building cars that are high on the “wow” factor list. Sales have remained flat as the age level of its buyers continued to rise. Anyone who understands the business of cars will tell you that you must continually appeal to a younger audience in order to grow and prosper. Let’s just say that even younger AARP drivers haven’t been heavily drawn to the current Buick model line up.

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