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2003 Archives | Homepage
Gridlock Worse Than Cavity Filling
Americans may love their cars, but they hate gridlock. According to a recent Yahoo! Autos survey conducted by Harris Interactive, consumers would rather get a cavity filled at the dentist (24 percent) than sit in gridlock traffic for over an hour (12 percent). What else would people choose over backed-up traffic? Standing in line at the DMV (22 percent), sitting in the middle seat of an airplane during a transatlantic flight (19 percent), and dealing with a crowded mall during the busiest shopping day of the year (17 percent). The only unpleasant activity in the survey that ranked lower than sitting in traffic was standing up in a crowded subway for over an hour (5 percent). Even on the move, commuting brings additional annoyances. When asked about driving pet peeves, not surprisingly, the number one answer to the survey was people talking on their cell phones and not paying attention to the road (30 percent). Tailgaters (25 percent) and people who don't use their turn signals (14 percent) were next on the pet peeves list, followed by being cut off (13 percent) and someone braking too frequently in front of you (11 percent).
Posted on November 5, 2003
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Consumer Digest Best Auto Buys 2004
Consumers Digest has come out with its 2004 picks for best auto buys. Thirty-eight vehicles have received Best Buy ratings from Consumers
Digest magazine out of 238 total for the 2004 model year. The Best Buys --
based on behind-the-wheel testing, safety ratings, ownership costs,
warranty, purchase price, comfort, ergonomics, styling and amenities --
reflect the magazine's assessment of which 2004 vehicles offer the most
value for the money.
Six "Small Cars" received Best Buys: Chrysler PT Cruiser, Honda Civic, Pontiac
Vibe/Toyota Matrix, Suzuki Aerio and Toyota Corolla.
The five "Family Car" Best Buys are: Buick Century, Ford Crown Victoria, Honda
Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry.
Four "Luxury Cars" received Best Buy ratings: Acura TL, Audi A4, Buick LeSabre
and Toyota Avalon.
Among six "Sporty Cars" receiving Best Buys was the Dodge Stratus/Mitsubishi
Eclipse, Infiniti G35, Mazda RX-8, MINI Cooper and Volvo S60R/V70R.
Three "Trucks" and three "Vans" earned Best Buys. The Chevrolet Avalanche,
Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra top the list of pickup trucks, and Dodge's Caravan,
Honda's Odyssey and Toyota's Sienna are recognized as the best van values.
Consumers Digest divides SUVs into compact/midsize and luxury/fullsize models.
Of the former, five Best Buys were announced: Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute,
Honda Element, Suzuki XL-7 and Toyota Highlander. Luxury/fullsize SUV Best
Buys include the Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon, Infiniti FX35/45 and
Volkswagen Touareg.
Posted on November 1, 2003
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Technology Available to Stop SUV Rollovers
In 2002 SUV rollover accidents caused a staggering 10,000 deaths. Despite these large numbers American automotive companies have not added new technology (electronic stability control technology) that can help avoid rollover accidents. This technology is being used in many German and Japanese vehicles, but only in 6% of cars built in America. A Mercedes-Benz executive compared the importance of the technology to anti-lock brakes and seat belts.
Sources: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Posted on October 22, 2003
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Car Insurance Rates to Rise in 2004
We already know 2004 is a big year for trucks and SUV. Unfortunately, it will also be another year of rising auto insurance premiums. J.D. Power and Associates, a market-research firm, reported that premiums could rise another 6% after rising over 8% on average in 2003. Part of the reason premiums are rising is because medical costs and vehicle repair costs have been increasing.
Sources: Rutland Herald
Related Links: Auto Insurance Shopping
Posted on October 18, 2003
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The Year of the Truck
2004 could go down as the year for the truck and SUV. Popular Mechanics reports that more people are buying trucks than passenger cars and nearly all manufacturers include new trucks and SUVs in their 2004 models. Click here to read more at popularmechanics.com.
Posted on October 10, 2003
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Best Cars for Your Buck
SmartMoney.com is offering a look at their picks for some of the best cars for your money for 2003-2004. SmartMoney.com used a Total Quality Index (TQI) developed by Strategic Vision to help them narrow their results. Some of the vehicles included and reviewed are: Lexus GS 300, Honda Accord LX, Toyota Corolla LE, Volkswagen Passat Wagon GLS, Toyota Sienna LE and Hyundai Santa Fe GLS AWD. Click here to read the feature on SmartMoney.com.
Posted on October 7, 2003
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2004 Big Year for Six Figure Cars
According to a feature on CarandDriver.com 2004 is going to be a big year for six figure vehicles. The feature offers a look at what's coming in 2004 from each manufacturer. Click here to read about the 2004 models on Caranddriver.com.
Posted on October 4, 2003
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Passing An Emissions Inspection
Having trouble passing your emissions inspection? Just what are emissions anyway? Emissions include hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) or oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and your car fails the test when one of them is over the limit or emissions standard. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to reduce emissions from your car and a recent Popular Mechanics article provides detailed instructions.
Click here to read an article on PopularMechanics.com.
Posted on September 30, 2003
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Auto Parts Industry Stalls, Jobs Cut
The auto parts industry has stalled resulting in job cuts as auto parts companies close. The loss of business is blamed on overseas competition and high steel prices. Read more at Boston.com.
Posted on September 19, 2003
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Ford, UAW Announce Agreement
Ford Motor Co. and the United Auto Workers union have reached a labor contract agreement. The companies want the Union to accept some layoffs and plant closings due to economic difficultires and rising foreign competition, while auto workers want to retain their health and retirement benefits. Read more at Washingtonpost.com.
Posted on September 16, 2003
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New Small Cars Head for U.S.
European companies are coming out with new small cars they hope make a big splash on the U.S. market. Some of the new models include the Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Concept R, Mazda 3 and the Volvo S40 and V40. The new cars should be available early in 2004. Read more at USAToday.com.
Posted on September 15, 2003
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Driving and Blind Spots
New technologies are attempting to solve the problem of rear blind spots. Many are killed each year, including children, because of blind spots when backing up. Kids and Cars reported that backover accidents killed 58 children last year. New technologies coming to market to help drivers overcome blind spots include sensors and cameras. ConsumerReports.org offers a good review of these two methods and includes tips for avoiding backover accidents. Read more at ConsumerReports.org.
Posted on September 10, 2003
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Toyota Third In US Car Sales
Toyota has overtaken Chrysler to become the third biggest car seller in the US. Toyota moved over 200,000 units in August, 2003.
Source: BBC
Posted on September 6, 2003
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New Car Parks Itself
A new car from Toyota may help those who suffer from parallel-parking difficulties. The new car is able to park itself using computer technology and rear-mounted cameras. The car should be available in the U.S. next year.
Source: BadgerHerald.com
Posted on September 4, 2003
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Gas Prices Rise For Holiday Weekend
Gas prices are soaring to record levels just in time for the Labor Day Weekend when millions of people will be behind the wheel. The the nationwide average gas price is $1.74 per gallon according to the AAA.
Source: American City Business Journals
Posted on August 29, 2003
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Auto Insurers Use Consumer Credit Info
Auto insurers are using consumer credit information to determine insurance premiums because they believe consumers with poor credit file more claims. Consumers advocated want this practice stopped. Some auto insurers use as many 10-12 different price levels to charge consumers based on their insurance scores (similar to credit scores).
Source: BankRate.com
Posted on August 27, 2003
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Cadillac Escalade SUV Is Top Thief Target
Car thieves pick the Cadillac Escalade SUV as their number one target, according to a report from Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). The Cadillac Escalade has the highest theft claim frequency, followed by the Dodge Stratus Midsize, the Mitsubishi Mirage Small, Jeep Wrangler 4WD and the Lincoln Navigator 2WD.
Source: InsuranceJournal.com
Posted on August 26, 2003
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