Know the Car you Buy

By: Greg Chapman

With so many used car sellers on the market, buyers can be
convinced to purchase impulsively, enticed to take advantage of
a limited time offer or to prevent someone from beating them to
the vehicle they are eyeing. Buyers, seduced by the prospect of
driving home the glossy car of their dreams for a steal,
sometimes do not do the homework necessary to protect them from
future suffering. Some deceitful car dealers will sell faulty or
even totaled cars to unsuspecting buyers to make a profit,
regardless of the frustration and problems the buyer will face
in the long run. Cars that have fallen victim to flooding suffer
major mechanical problems, but too often flooded out cars are
still "fixed up" and sold as clean title used cars.

It is always a good idea to read product reviews and owners'
comments about the quality of the vehicle make and model you are
considering. Reviews can be tainted by personal opinion and
preconceived brand image, so try to rely on objective reports
based on facts. If owners across the board are saying that the
transmission in a particular vehicle fails around a certain
mileage, it is probably best to believe it.

Besides studying the reputation of a vehicle make and model,
knowing the history of the particular vehicle you are
considering is extremely important. If a car has been totaled,
it is supposed to have a salvage title, which would allow a
buyer to knowingly still purchase it. Regardless, there is no
standard among different states, and cars that have been totaled
are still being sold with clean titles.

Even the most reliable car's longevity is compromised if it is
victimized by a flood. Flood waters wreak havoc on a vehicle's
transmission, brakes, electrical system, and overall value. When
you are testing a car from a used car dealer, check inside and
out for signs of water damage. Cars that are flood victims may
have a lingering musty smell, regardless of the replaced
upholstery. Any abnormal discoloration or imperfectly fitted
carpeting is cause for concern. Inspect the car fully for signs
of damage, mold or sand, paying attention to the trunk, glove
compartment, engine, and beneath the seats. Also, test for
proper operation of all lights, signals, windshield wipers, heat
and air conditioner. Follow your instincts, if the deal seems
too good to be true, it probably is.

You can learn more about a car by submitting its Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) to a trustworthy company such as
CARFAX, which reports information about vehicles from its
nationwide database. Reputable used car dealers will likely take
this step for you, providing the CARFAX report on the vehicles
in their inventory at no cost to you.

Being conscientious in your car search will help ensure that the
car you are buying has not been flooded or otherwise totaled,
saving you the hassle of costly repairs or a too soon
replacement.

About the author:
About the Author: Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a
knowledgeable and leading provider of used cars, trucks, and
SUV's. Since 1959, Chapman motors has offered reliable used cars in Austin
TX and the surrounding area. For more information please
visit Greg Chapman
Motors.

Saving Money On Car Insurance With A Teenage Driver

By: Barry Brenner

Are you paying a fortune to insure your teenage driver? You
really don't have to.

Some car insurance companies will charge you for your teenage
driver when they turn sixteen. Some won't. Call your carrier
ahead of time to find out what their policy is.

The most costly coverage on your auto insurance policy is the
collision coverage. Collision coverage covers damage to your
vehicle when it is involved in an at-fault accident. I.e. you
hit someone or something. New drivers, no matter what age, are
rated higher and cost more due to their lack of driving
experience.

To save on the cost of the collision coverage on a new driver,
consider purchasing a used vehicle that cost between one
thousand five hundred and three thousand five hundred dollars.
Make sure that it is mechanically sound for your driving needs.
If you want to cover this vehicle for theft and vandalism, you
can purchase comprehensive coverage. Instead of purchasing
collision coverage on this vehicle, purchase uninsured motorist
property damage coverage.

Uninsured motorist property damage coverage protects your
vehicle for up to a limited amount if an uninsured motorist hits
it and you can identify the driver and the vehicle. That way if
anyone hits you, even if they have no insurance, your vehicle
will be repaired or you will receive payment from your insurance
company for the fair market value of the vehicle. Some insurance
companies include a deductible with this coverage. Your savings
could be anywhere from five hundred to two thousand dollars per
year for your first three years of driving. How much does that
add up to after three years?

When my daughter turned sixteen this year, I was faced with this
dilemma. I own a 2002 Honda Accord and a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer.
My auto insurance carrier wanted to increase my premium by two
thousand dollars every six months to add her onto the policy.

I bought her a 1970 Plymouth, in good mechanical condition, and
found a different top insurance company that charged me $642.00
every six months for the Plymouth with her on the policy. This
policy came with permissive driving as a standard feature. This
means that any other car she drove, including my other cars,
were covered by this policy.

After I purchased the policy on the Plymouth, I was then able to
add her onto my current policy for my Honda and Mitsubishi as a
not rated driver without any additional cost. If she causes an
accident while driving my Honda or Mitsubishi, the policy on the
Plymouth would come first with its' coverage's. Then my current
policy would come second, if necessary.

My current carrier wanted $1,200.00 every six months if I added
the 1970 Plymouth and my daughter onto the policy. So I ended up
saving over $1,100.00 a year on my car insurance.

About the author:
Barry Brenner is a licensed auto insurance agent with extensive
experience selling car insurance. You can visit his popular
website at: http://www.cheapcarinsurancequotetips.com

Cadillac's Smaller SUV: The SRX

By: Anthony Fontanelle

The American motoring public is slowly turning their backs on
gas guzzling sport utility vehicles. The skyrocket increase in
the price of gas for the past two years have affected the way
most car buyers choose new cars. But there are still those who
are looking for the versatility and the performance of large
vehicles like SUVs.

In response to this, car makers continue building better sport
utility vehicles. One car manufacturer who is still churning out
SUVs is the legendary Cadillac brand. The luxury brand has two
sport utility vehicles: the Escalade - known for its size and
popularity among NBA players and rappers, and the smaller SRX.

The SRX may lack the size that the Escalade boasts around but
this smaller SUV offers performance and luxury that surely makes
it at par with the Escalade if not for popularity. It shares the
same platform with the GMC Acadia, but since the SRX is a
Cadillac, it offers more luxury features. The vehicle is
configured as a rear-wheel drive vehicle but an all wheel drive
configuration is available.

Consumers also have a choice as to what engine to equip their
SRX with. The selection is composed of a 3.6 liter V6 engine and
a 4.6 liter Northstar V8. The immense amount of power from these
engines can be transferred to the wheels via two available
transmissions. For the V6, a five-speed automatic can be fitted
while for the V8, a six-speed automatic transmission is
available. Both engines are capable of producing much power that
brake components from EBC Active
Brakes Direct can handle efficiently and with ease.

The combination of the engine and their corresponding
transmissions gives drivers the convenience of gear shifting.
The SRX can handle hill climbs without sorting to manual
transmission due to the low end torque provided by the engine.
The Cadillac SRX is engineered to offer the optimum in
performance, thanks to its highly reliable drivetrain. And since
the SRX is a Cadillac, one can be sure to find good luxury
features.

Indeed, Cadillac took care of the luxury features of this car
just like it does with the Escalade. The seats are comfortable
with good back and side support. The seats offer comfort even on
long drives. They are also heated for those cold winter drives.
Aside from steering, the steering wheel is where drivers can
control the audio entertainment system in the vehicle. Cadillac
designed the audio controls to be integrated into the steering
wheel in a spot where drivers will not accidentally hit them.

Another luxury feature that the Cadillac SRX boasts of is a
sunroof which covers the first two rows of seats. For those who
like to sit back and relax on an SUV with great performance, the
SRX is the right vehicle. You also do get to enjoy the warmth of
the sun as you drive along with your sunroof open.



About the author:
Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up
in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive
magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.

GM Reports Profit For Fourth Quarter

GM reported a fourth quarter(2006) profit of 950 million, today. It was the the first profit in some time for GM. Part of it was due to the sale of GMAC, their financing division. Cost cutting and increased sales accounted for the rest.

Things are looking a lot better than the billion dollar losses from last year.

Smart Car Shopping

By: Greg Chapman

When most car buyers are asked what kind of car they would like
to buy, they often answer something like "a Volkswagen Passat,
or maybe one of those Chevy Trailblazers, but I really love
those Mazda Miatas." It seems funny, but many people have no
idea what they really want or need. Only one, if any, of those
cars will suite the person's real needs and wants. The most
common mistake of car shoppers is that they really don't know
what they want. Everyone knows what happens when you go to a
grocery store without a list of items. Either you end up buying
everything your stomach growls at and find out later you didn't
really need half the stuff you bought, or you will spend hours
wandering about the store without finding much of anything at
all. Both of these scenarios are the same with car shopping. It
is important to have a shopping list for car buying so that you
get exactly what you need and don't waste a large amount of time
browsing cars that do not fit your criteria. Here are some
things that should be laid out on your car-shopping list before
you even begin to look at used cars in Austin.

1. Determine the type of vehicle that fits your intended use.
What type of car will fit the needs of your family? Do you need
a vehicle with 7 seats or 5? Is storage space an issue? Do you
need to transport materials for work or some other purpose? 2.
Consider the mileage and features that are important. Do you
need a car that is still under warranty or do you need features
such as four wheel drive or side front airbags? 3. Think about
the different Makes and models of cars and consider the
reliability of different types of vehicles. 4. Look for Dealers
that provide CarFax reports. These reports give you the history
of used vehicles so you know what the car has been through, such
as major collisions or a replaced transmission. 5. The
affordability of the automobile is possibly the most important
item on your list. You need to figure out what your price range
is, what down payment requirements you have, and especially
monthly payment goals.

Going into a dealership with this shopping list in hand is
guaranteed to save you time and money, not to mention helping a
sales staff to quickly locate a vehicle that is right for you.
You will find so many used cars in Austin to choose from that it
is extremely helpful to know what you are looking for. The most
important part of shopping for a vehicle is knowing what you
need and want before you go looking.

About the Author: Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a
knowledgable and leading profider of used cars, trucks, and
SUV's. Since 1959, Chapman motors has offered reliable used cars in Austin
and the surrounding area. For more information please visit http://www.gregchapmanmot
ors.com.

Ford Fusion: Challenges Competition

By: Anthony Fontanelle

The Ford Motor Company has faced problem after problem in
recent memory. This shows and is reflected in their performance
in the market. While the Michigan based car maker has suffered
loss and other problems in the past months, the company is
trying to put itself as one of the serious competitors in the
market. They hope to attract American motorists to once again go
for American cars like their Ford Fusion vehicle.

In an effort to create a center of attention for the Fusion,
Ford is taking a step to challenge its competition, namely Honda
and Toyota. The approach that Ford is taking is a simple on but
very effective. The auto maker allows consumer to see how the
Ford Fusion perform against Toyota and Honda vehicles.

The contest started back in December last year when Car and
Driver magazine facilitated a test on how the Ford Fusion will
do against its class-mates. At the said event, consumers are
allowed to drive the three vehicles - the Ford Fusion, Toyota
Camry, and the Honda Accord. The aim of the test is to see which
car consumers will opt for in terms of attractiveness, the fun
it offers while driving, performance, and handling as well. The
result of the test shows the Ford Fusion besting both the Toyota
Camry and the Honda Accord.

Following the tests conducted in December, Ford launched an ad
campaign in January of this year based on the result of the
tests. The approach taken by Ford in marketing the Fusion is an
"overwhelming success" according to the company's leadership
team. What Ford shows as the proof for the success of the ad
campaign is the number of Ford Fusion units that they have sold
in February of this year. As a result of the ad campaign, Ford
sold more Fusion units in February this year compared to
February 2006's sales numbers.

After the successful result of the ad campaign for the Fusion,
Ford sees it fit that the same approach should be taken in the
marketing of their other vehicles. Last month, Ford took the
Fusion in California to be pitted against Asian vehicles where
400 consumers will gauge the performance of the Fusion against
Asia brands. This time, the event was facilitated by Road &
Track Magazine. Once again, the evaluation of the 400 consumers
shows that the Ford Fusion is ahead of its competition.

After the tests have proven the supremacy of the Fusion over its
Asian counterparts, Ford once again launched an ad campaign to
exploit the result of the tests. This time though, Ford added
the Ford Expedition and the Ford F150 truck in the ads. With
these ad campaigns, Ford hopes to stop the company's downward
slide as effective as EBC
Redstuff brake pads in stopping a car in its tracks.



About the author:
Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive.buff who grew up
in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive
magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.

GM after 70 years of being no.1: bowing down to Toyota?

By: Noah Scott

Toyota Motors have been very open about their plan of grabbing
the number one spot from General Motors this year. And sadly,
with the present turn of events for General Motors it is not
impossible for it to lose its post to Toyota.

According to analysts for this year, Toyota Motors will succeed
in overtaking General Motors and will become the new largest
carmaker in the world. Looking back in the year 1931 when GM
became the world's numero uno, threats of toppling it down seems
to be impossibility.

General Motors has been the world's number one automaker for the
past 70 years and if ever Toyota really do surpass GM that would
have an intense psychological effect on the entirety of the US
industry which is sadly to say the last manufacturing sector
where Americans still lead.

One of the reasons cited for General Motors sudden plunged is
its failure to adapt its production methods to meet the changing
consumer tastes. General Motors have failed to realize that it
would not always have the same edge that it has like in the year
1955 when four out of five cars in the world were US made and
half of them were products of GM. This probably was one of the
reasons why GM is in its dismal state right now since it has
become too confident of its standing in the auto industry and
failed to see the imminent danger that would challenge its
position.

The edge of Toyota over General Motors is the fact that the
Japanese automaker was concentrating on changing its production
system to become more efficient and leaner. The complacency on
the part of GM was countered by Toyota with relentless pursuit
for excellence which resulted to the changing fortunes of the
two companies. Although, it is wrong also to construe that GM
products are deteriorating in quality but the main point is that
the automaker has been very lax lately which has given the
Japanese automaker the chance to grab most its market share.

Until the time comes that Toyota be officially proclaimed as the
new number 1 automaker in the world, General Motors will
continue to lead as the world's largest carmaker in terms of
vehicles produced and auto parts manufactured and that includes
products like GM grille guards. The only question now
is for how long?

About the author:
Noah Scott is a 30 year old native of New Jersey, writer, and
car fan - having grown up with both parents being auto
enthusiasts. He works for an automotive consultancy firm and
regularly contributes articles to car magazines.

Ford Challenges The Auto Competition

By: Lauren Woods

The Ford Motor Co. shifts to a more rational approach by
replacing its "Bold Moves" theme in favor of its new "Challenge
the Competition." Ford claims that the recent theme is more
powerful and resonant hence it is expecting a warmer reception
from auto enthusiasts. The automaker says, "We challenge you to
find a better choice than Ford."

Along with the new theme is a new approach - the automaker will
be putting its customers into competitive vehicles to allow them
to gauge the competitions cars against Ford vehicles. The simple
yet rational approach is anticipated to make a difference to the
advantage of Ford. The automaker gives customers the opportunity
to weigh the plus factors of vehicles - whether they cover the
Apexi cold air intake, wheels,
amenities, luxuries or more.

The idea of the challenge started in Washington, DC last
December when consumers drove competitive vehicles - the Toyota
Camry and the Honda Accord - against Ford's Fusion in a test
conducted by the Car and Driver magazine so as to assure
objectivity. The challenge yielded positive results on the part
of Ford. To make it linger, the automaker created a new ad and
marketing campaign in January.

The new marketing campaign is called the Fusion Challenge.
Though the said campaign is barely two-months old, Ford
executives called it "an overwhelming success." Last month, Ford
Fusion's sales surged a double-digit increase compared with the
2006 report. This was triggered by an all-time high for conquest
sales of 47 percent.

The Fusion Challenge resulted to another head-to-head test,
which was conducted last month by Road & Track magazine. In the
said challenge, Fusion was evaluated by 400 consumers against
competitive models. Fortunately, the test reported similarly
favorable results. The Ford Fusion commercial features the
results of the LA tests with consumers' comments about handling.
It was shown for the first time on the hit show, American Idol.

To boost the campaign a little further, Ford added the
Expedition SUV and the Ford F150 truck in the challenge. The
campaign uses evaluations from leading consumers and auto
publications. This has resulted to a nostalgic retrospective
voyage through Ford's 103-year history of auto manufacturing
that paved way for iconic and state-of-the-art vehicles.

A set-up commercial features a resonant voiceover that says:
"They didn't buy the Model T just because it was priced right.
We had to prove ourselves then. And we're still proving
ourselves today." The commercial proceeds with other specific
products and features.

"Ford products offer some of the best quality, the most advanced
technology and sophisticated designs available today, and that's
the focus of the Ford Challenge," commented Cisco Codina, the
group vice president for the company's North American Marketing,
Sales and Service team.

The commercials are produced in both English and Hispanic
versions. For the Ford Expedition EL, a humorous physical
fitness concept was employed to evaluate Ford's seat-ing
package, flexibility, ease of use and comfort to other sport
utility vehicles. The F150 truck ads feature Mike Rowe of the
Dirty Jobs television show.

In connection with the challenge campaign, Ford will also
incorporate new retail and lease offers. Other elements of the
campaign include dealer ads, print ads and the might of Internet
connectivity.

About the author:
Given her background on cars as an auto insurance director,
Lauren Woods finds the world of cars to be constantly changing.

Honda Reports Good Sales Figure For February

By: Glady Reign

The increase in the popularity of the Honda Accord and the Honda
CR-V pushed American Honda brand to post record sales figures
for the month of February. The subsidiary of the Japanese car
maker sold more than 110,000 units of vehicles from the Acura
and Honda brands last month. Last year, the American Honda Motor
Company, Inc. sold 106,644 units in the month of February and
this shows a 3.2 percent improvement for this year. Following a
good sales outing in January with equally good sales figure for
February, American Honda now has a total of 210,816 units of
Honda and Acura vehicles sold for the first two months of 2007.
This year's year-to-date sales figure is 0.7 percent higher than
last year for the same period.

The Honda division's best seller is still the Accord. American
Honda sold 30,370 units of Accord in the region. That is 20.1
percent higher than the number of Accord sold during the second
month of 2006. While the conventional engine powered Accord
enjoyed increased sales number, the hybrid version did not do so
well. From last year's 783 units sold for February, the number
plunged to only 312 for the same month this year. Another model
line from the Honda division that made good progress on terms of
the number of units sold is the compact SUV CR-V. Last month,
American Honda sold 31 percent more CR-V units compared to the
number of the said model sold in February of last year.

Although Honda managed to increase their sales figure for
February this year, there are Honda models which suffered
declining sales numbers. The Honda Civic, another popular sedan
from the Japanese brand, received less attention in February of
this year. This is true for the conventional Civic. American
Honda sold 20,041 units of the Civic during the past month. This
is 18.9 percent lower than the number of conventional Civic sold
in February of 2006. The hybrid version though of the Civic
received much interest from car buyers. There are 8.1 percent
more Civic Hybrid bought last month compared to February last
year.

In the 24 selling days in February, the Acura division of
American Honda sold 13,658 vehicles. That figure is 3.4 percent
lower than the number of vehicles that the division sold last
year during the same period. Meanwhile, the luxury division
failed to overshadow its performance last year for the first two
months of the year. Last year, Acura sold 28,127 vehicles for
January and February. This year, however, they sold 7.1 percent
less than that at 26,675 vehicles. The best seller for the
luxury brand is still the MDX.

The demand for the Honda Accord and the Honda CR-V that can be
likened to the demand of the braking system to a Volvo brake hose is what keeps
Honda as one of the more popular brands out in the market. With
the fuel efficiency and reliability that comes with the Honda
brand, sales records like those set in February will surely keep
on coming.

About the author:
Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive
firm based in Detroit, Mi. She is a native of the motor city and
grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field.

Toyota Continues Success In The U.S. Market

By: Glady Reign

Toyota is experiencing and enjoying much success on U.S. soil.
The Japanese car maker posted record breaking sales figures in
January of this year. And February is just as the same with the
Toyota Prius setting an all-time sales record. The increase
again in the sales of Toyota vehicles is consistent throughout
its lineup. From small cars to full size pick up trucks, Toyota
managed to sell more of them in February this year compared to
February 2006.

Once again, passenger cars have become the main reason for the
success of Toyota in the market. Total sales of these cars add
up to 106,429 units which is a 21.1 percent improvement over the
February 2006 sales figures for passenger cars. The Toyota Camry
is the best selling model in the lineup of the Toyota division.
The Asian car manufacturer and the second largest car
manufacturer in the world sold 32,148 units of the popular
Camry. That is a 17.5 percent improvement over last year for the
same period. The Camry hybrid also posted very good numbers with
3,332 units sold.

The Toyota Prius, the hybrid electric sedan, posted all-time
best-ever sales figure. Toyota sold 12,227 units of the Prius
for the month of February 2007. This is an 87 percent increase
over last year's sales output. This shows that more and more
American motorists are taking advantage of the technology while
helping the environment at the same time. It seems that even a
Vol
vo brake booster is not enough to put a stop to the momentum
being shown by Toyota.

Other Toyota models which showed good performance in the market
are the Yaris and the Corolla. The subcompact car that is the
Toyota Yaris posted a sales figure of 5,702 units sold. The
Toyota Corolla meanwhile posted a 12.9 percent increase over
last year's performance. Toyota sold 28,321 of the classic
Corolla for the month of February this year.

Light trucks sales are also showing good figures. Toyota sold
80,901 units of light trucks and this is the best ever February
performance for the Japanese brand. The best selling light truck
in the lineup of the Toyota division is the RAV4 compact SUV.
Toyota sold 11,643 units of the sports utility vehicle, which is
a 5.2 percent improvement over last year's sales figure for the
same period. The full-size pickup truck recently introduced by
Toyota in the market, the Tundra, is doing good. The Tundra
showed strong sale figure for the month of February with 9,669
units.

Another popular model from Toyota has shown good performance in
the market. The Highlander and the Highlander Hybrid combined to
post a sales figure of 9,368 units. This is a 3.7 percent
improvement over the February 2006 sales figure for both the
conventional Highlander and its hybrid version.

About the author:
Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive
firm based in Detroit, Mi. she is a native of the motor city and
grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field.