Honda Offers Something New and Different

I don’t usually like change. Alright…I hate it. Change is bad is a mantra that I can’t keep from repeating over and over in my head. So it’s no wonder that I never embrace new products immediately. I typically can’t imagine why I would need it. I never have before, right?

That may make sense to you, but more than likely it seems crazy and illogical. And that’s alright. I’m aware of the implications! When it comes to something exciting and really, really new (as in not been done before) in the car industry…designers would probably like to think it happens all the time. But I’d have to disagree. The car industry definitely offers new vehicles every year, but for the most part, the evolution in design and function is quite slow (probably because most of us are nervous with huge change).

But that doesn’t mean there are never any exceptions! Every now and then something will show up in a new vehicle line up that is so different from everything else available that I find myself annoyed at it a little bit. My first reaction (however silly) is that I don’t need that odd, new vehicle. Sometimes my obstinate nature is rewarded by the failure of the vehicle, but sometimes I’m dead wrong.

At least I can admit when I’m wrong, I guess. Two such vehicles are the Ridgeline and the Element. Both are Honda vehicles and both brought on my ridiculous knee jerk reaction of instant dislike when they were offered up to the public.

My negative feelings towards the Ridgeline were based upon the too quick evolution of the traditional pick up towards car. It was one of the most innovative crossovers before the term became popular to describe all the SUV/car mixes out there today. This vehicle provided those who wanted a truck but might not necessarily need ALL the truck had to offer; instead they get the best of the truck combined with the comfort of the car.

The Element was a stand out design. And I mean that literally. It stood out on the road. Other vehicle designs were embracing the curvy, and the fluid and the Element popped out looking definitely boxy. But it broke up the dominant look and made a space for itself. It still stands out on the road.

Both Honda vehicles, the Ridgeline and the Element, are great examples of the car industry coming up with something vital and new! And it’s obvious (at this late date) that my initial reactions were wrong. Drivers love both of the designs. You can’t deny it when you see them on the road, on the highway, in parking lots, in drive thru’s and in drive ways. And that’s where the Ridgeline and the Element find themselves…everywhere!

Playing MASH..Where are all the Hyundais?

MASH was a classic game when I was a kid. We’d sit and play it anytime we were supposed to sit quietly. The best part was always discovering who you were destined to marry. The next best part was always discovering if you were going to live in a Mansion, and Apartment, A Shack or A House (MASH).

But right up there at the top of the list of fun MASH divinations was what car I would be driving once I was all “grown up.” I had no idea what kind of car I might like to drive (I was only 8, maybe 9) but I gave it my best shot when I was asked to create the initial list. It usually looked something like this:

1. slug bug

2. Lamborghini

3. VW Bug

4. Delorian

I know, I know. Feel free to make fun. It’s a ridiculous list, but I was just a child and laughing too hard would be mean. So you should probably stop now. Since then (and I won’t tell you exactly how long it’s been “since then”) I’ve gotten a bit better at identifying what I like and what I don’t like when it comes to the cars that I drive. And I also wonder why my small, young self had never heard of the Hyundai! They’ve got such a great lineup. The Accent is perfect as a first vehicle with its affordable price. The Elantra is an environmentally friendly car and also offers more room than its closest competition.

The Sonata is the next step up from the Elantra and is even classified as a “large car” through the EPA classification system. It’s got a lot of really great safety features that come standard. The Hyundai Azera received the JD Power & Assoc. APEAL study recognition twice. The Tucson has a great crossover combination of car and SUV. The Santa Fe and the Entourage are both “Top Safety Picks” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Veracruz has the Hideaway seat offering a third row. And we can’t forget the Tiburon that is just plain eye catching with the sport tuned suspension to support the sporty look!

So…if any of you feel like playing MASH I’d like to venture out a little bit with my list of vehicles. I don’t want a slug bug, my husband has a truck and I don’t need the BMW (it’s just for the name anyway). But…I may leave the Ferrari on there just for kicks!

The Advantage of Having Car Insurance

An auto insurance policy is an agreement between individuals and the insurer for automobiles. The insured person pays a certain premium as insurance and the insurance company, in turn, promises to support financial losses involving vehicles as long as the policy lasts.

Automobile insurance is mandatory in almost every state. Several coverage options are available.

Some of the components of automobile insurance are bodily injury liability, property damage liability, medical payments coverage, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, comprehensive coverage, and collision coverage. A typical policy features the six types of coverage listed above.

Bodily injury liability covers legal bills and personal injury claims filed against you if someone is killed or hurt in your auto and you are found to be in the wrong. Property damage liability deals with legal expenses and other damage claims, in case another person’s property is damaged by your automobile.

Medical payments coverage assists in paying medical expenses, even if the insured person is injured in somebody else’s vehicle. Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage protects against expenses incurred as a result of an accident that is caused by another individual who is either uninsured or who has inadequate insurance coverage.

With across-the-board coverage, insurance is for cars that are damaged due to theft or natural causes. The insurance is used to pay for repairs or to replace the automobile.

Collision coverage is for cars in which damage was incurred due to impact with another automobile, thing or person.

Car insurance policies give discounts for having more than one policy with the same insurer and for having anti-theft devices installed. Another advantage is extended coverage for others who may drive your auto.

Maxi-Cosi Car Seats for Your Baby

Maxi-Cosi car seats have been sold in Europe for years and years. However, very recently they were introduced into the US market and received some very high safety marks by child car seat safety experts.

These car seats have a great combination of both safety and style. In fact, they have been rated as some of the safest car seats available. They’re made of materials that won’t fall apart because they are high quality. This wonderful combination of both style and safety has awarded the Maxi-Cosi company a great reputation that makes them one of the top selling car seat manufacturers thru-out Europe.

A great many European parents have chosen to buy Maxi-Cosi car seats for quite a number of years now. It makes sense too, since there is quite a nice range of seats to choose, from baby seats to child boosters. The ranges are nice, and the style is cool too. There are lots of boring colors like you’d find at Wal-Mart. Maxi-Cosi car seats have some neat designs that make riding in a car seat fun!

The seats come in all kinds of cool colors and designs. You’ll find a great supply of bright colors to bring joy to the car-ride, as well as some great car seat accessories to make things more fun as well. You won’t have to worry about your child being uncomfortable either!

Infant seats, convertible, and booster seats with a sleek design all come with sleek prices to match. These car seats are priced higher than many other in the same safety range. Maxi-Cosi does not just offer a car seat they offer security to the parents that their children will be safe.

Parents in many countries around the world have chosen Maxi-Cosi as their brand of choice and only buy that brand. They’ve grown to love the combination of style, safety, and security that come with the brand and they stick with it for years.

Auto Security Devices - Protect Your Car

A car may be one of your most important assets. However for most of us our car is more than just an item. It is how we get to work, move our kids around, a link to freedom. Eventually you get attached, it reflects your personality, and you learn it’s quirks. For those who are passionate about their cars as well as those who just want to keep their possessions from being stolen there are auto security devices to keep it safe.

There is no guarantee that auto security devices will prevent your car from being stolen. For that reason, you should never install an alarm system in place of having adequate auto insurance. However, use of security devices can both decrease the likelihood that thieves will target your vehicle and decrease the likelihood that they should succeed if they make an attempt.

Any automobile theft deterrent system consists of many different parts. The single simplest piece of the system is known as the alarm. Upon unauthorized access or entry, such devices signal noisily, alerting everyone to the fact a vehicle theft is in process. At this point, the perpetrator will presumably flee.

It’s hard to say which system is the absolute best, since there are so many varieties and special features available in the field of alarm systems. It goes without saying that the best car alarm systems can tell the difference between an animal walking past your car and a criminal break-in. You want an alarm that is sensitive and protects you, but you don’t want your alarm to go off whenever your car is touched.

There are times when auto security devices come pre-installed when your purchase your car. This means the security system and other devices are already installed upon purchase. If you are planning to install other auto security devices in your car, you can take your car to an auto shop or some electronics dealers. Before doing so, it’s a good idea to get quotes and read reviews of the various system devices available.

Your security system should be customized to your needs. GPS devices can be attached to your car also. Another method is to install devices to your car so that you can lock your car using your cell phone or another handheld device. Be sure to make sure a respected dealer is the one to install the customization of your auto security devices.

Increase Gas Mileage DIY HHO Mileage

A plan for HHO generators can be found online. HHO gas has been looked at experimentally and you will find many entrepreneurs discussing perfecting HHO fuel cells in forums as a means to improve gas mileage. As gasoline prices rise at the gas pump more fuel saving devices and diesel additives will become available in your local automotive store.

With gasoline soaring to new highs people are looking for ways to increase gas mileage. Many gas additives and devices exist claiming to get better gas mileage. HHO gas is coming to the forefront and has made news headlines as another possible source for supplementing gasoline.

This technology can be used with diesel motors and some are trying it on other types of engines that depend on internal combustion. If you recall the conversions of cars and trucks that were converted to propane then you will find this conversion easier and less expensive requiring very few engine modifications. The water to gas kit or HHO fuel cell can be removed and leaves little trace of its existence.

Most entrepreneurs who are constructing HHO generators from plans are claiming gas mileage increases of 15 - 40% some are suggesting more. When building a water for gas kit or HHO fuel cell you should be able to construct one in a few hours when you have all the parts.

Plans for HHO generator should be able to be followed by many people and it could be considered a weekend project. It depends on the plans you have available but the ones I have seen allow for parts that can be found in the house, shop or around town.

Once you have your HHO fuel cell completed you should test it before placing it on the engine to make sure it is producing gas. There is usually plenty of room under the hood of a car, truck or SUV to place 1 to 6 cells. More HHO cells are sometimes added to further increase gas mileage.

The Ups and Downs of Budget Rent A Car

Budget Rent A Car is a name widely known in the rental industry. It has been around since the early days of car rental and one of the first to target travelers on a budget (hence the name). The company has had a bumpy ride and seen many ups and downs but the name and company values have remained. Here is an overview of how this company has survived.

Budget Rent A Car was the brainchild of Morris Mirkin who established the business in Los Angeles in 1958. He started the business with just $10,000 and only his wife and himself as employees. He only had a fleet of 10 cars but with a 4 dollars a day and 4 cents per mile rate, his rentals were popular for their value.

Budget was doing good business but Mirkin wanted rapid expansion and knew that to be successful he needed to have a number of locations. Funding was provided a year later by his relative, Jules Lederer. This enabled the company to create a leasing company and increase its fleet. Lederer and Mirkin established Budget Rent A Car Corporation in 1960 in Chicago, Illinois. The company started to rapidly expand both nationally and internationally.

The 60s and 70s were a very successful time for Budget. Like many companies in the industry, they moved their location to the airport so it was more convenient for travelers. They maintained their low rates to attract the budget-minded customers and they gained about 20 percent of the leisure market every year. They also increased their market reach by attracting smaller businesses and medium size corporations.

The 80s and 90s were a rough time for Budget Rent A Car. The company changed hands a few time and profit rose and fell. A tax credit law was repealed in 1986 allowing rental car companies to exempt taxes on new car purchases. A management restructuring took place and many car rental companies felt the financial blow. Despite this upset, the company was taken public in 1987 and had an initial offering of 3.2 million shares.

Changes continued in the late 80s and 90s. Budget was bought out for 3.3 million by various corporations and taken private again in 1987. In 1997 it was bought by Team Rental Group and changed its name to Budget Group, Inc. and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Things seemed to be looking up with expansion worldwide but by 2002 sales of public stock dropped and the company was de-listed. Budget was forced to sell most of its assets.

Today Budget maintains its name and corporate identity but is now a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group. Budget Rent A Car has almost 2000 car rental locations and is again listed on the NYSE.

Exposing the Reasons Why You Hate Getting Auto Insurance Quotes

Each day that passes, we as a people progress our technology to new levels and many of our daily tasks get easier and easier as a result. Many of us don’t stop to think about this but there are so many things that we just take for granted these days that would have been simply impossible to do not that many years ago. Whether it be researching some information or picking up some auto insurance quotes most things take up less time and effort than they once did.

So there really is no excuse for you to go out and get the best auto insurance quotes you can and start to save on auto insurance. You have plenty of options open to you when trying to obtain your quotes, the Internet, by phone, driving to an auto insurance company’s offices, etc

Still despite all of this the idea of researching for auto insurance quotes is still something that people hate. This is no doubt partly to do with the negative stereotypes that people associate with insurance companies and their sales people.

They were seen as multi-million dollar sharks seeking to devour and hoard all of your money. Also you have to remember that Auto insurance was also viewed as unnecessary at one point.

Even today there are people who seem to think that they will never be in an accident and if you go back some years from now you would find a lot more people with that attitude.

But we should not allow the past to get in our way, thankfully things are no longer as they once were and insurance companies finally have begun to understand that they must focus more on their customer service and value their customs properly.

Being fairer to each individual customer is one thing that auto insurance companies are beginning to incorporate into their plans; an example of this is the fact that a number of auto insurance companies now take into account the drivers accident history when evaluating their rates.

Geico is just one of the countless companies that is striving to be there when they are most needed; It’s in there interests now to make sure that if you are involved in an auto accident, you will have someone there to assist you.

Progressive is also an interesting company, when it comes to innovation and thinking out-of-the-box they have to be the leader right now.

A very plain and simple example of this is their website. When you get your online auto insurance quotes through their website you’ll be surprised to notice that they also supply you with four or five quotes from other auto insurance companies. The really surprising part though is that quite often some of the competitors mentioned have actually got lower rates.

Gas Guzzling Brutes Are Not For the Poor

Gas prices are a hot topic right now, and have been for some time. With increased demand, especially from developing third world countries like China and India, continued unrest in the Middle East, and lack of investment in new refineries, the problem continues to grow worse and shows no signs of slowing down. And while we may certainly feel we have it bad, some countries actually pay more at the pump than we do, including the U.K, Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands, largely because of heavy government taxes on gasoline to discourage their consumption, a technique that is also employed with cigarette and alcohol taxes in some regions.

In the U.S, the price of a gallon of gasoline has nearly quadrupled in the past decade. Here’s a quick look at the average price of gas through the past decade.

U.S. Regular Conventional Retail Gasoline Date Cost Per Gallon

Source: Energy Information Administration

That price jumped dramatically since August of last year, with the price in New York topping $4 a gallon in May 2008. The scariest thing to consider is that gas prices have by no means hit their ceiling, with the cost of oil per barrel actually resting at a lower rate than it did in the late 1970’s considering inflation, though the price of oil has gone up considerably in the past few years.

So what can be done, if anything? Is this just a natural case of supply and demand that we’ll have to accept and cope with? The short term answer at least is yes. While oil companies make record profits that could be taxed by the government, therefore reducing personal tax on gas, this is unlikely to occur.

On the distant horizon of course is the creation of alternative fuels or methods of powering automobiles. The current main alternative is ethanol, but it currently costs even more than gas itself, and there are unanswered questions surrounding the impact it may have on food prices if it ever went into mass production.

Hybrid cars are another alternative, but also another expensive alternative, with studies estimating that the actual savings in gas would not make up for the difference in cost of the automobile over a standard economy car for as long as ten years.

Of course the best way to avoid gas prices is to avoid using so much gas. Biking is becoming a popular alternative means of transportation, and almost a necessity for cash starved people. Getting that office carpool set up, or finally caving in and joining it or other good choices.

As much as we may hope otherwise, high gas prices mess up house expenses and are here to stay and should be considered the norm if anything, and not high. You can reserve the word high for what they will reach in the future, as it seems all but a certainty that they will continue to rise. Planning ahead for the future could save you a lot of money down the line. As for the present, pumping up those old bicycle tires and finding your helmet in that box in the basement would be a good start.

Is Synthetic Oil the best choice for my Tundra?

After first purchasing a new vehicle, a lot of people wonder if they should start using synthetic oil. There are many benefits to synthetic oil over regular oil, including but not limited to higher purity, better resistance to high heat, better viscosity, and being less likely to break-down or turn into sludge. But these advantages may not matter depending upon how you use and maintain your new Tundra.

First of all, are you zealous when it comes to changing your oil? In other words, if the manual says to change your oil every 5000 miles, do you have the oil changed at 4999.9? If you follow an oil change regimen, chances are you won’t benefit from synthetic oil. Synthetic oil is highly resistant to breakdown and sludge forming. However, most regular oil won’t breakdown unless excessive time and/or mileage passes between changes. Because most the benefits of synthetic oil over regular oil don’t show until the oil is subjected to adverse conditions, you really won’t see any benefit from synthetic unless you stress the oil. If you are the type that might forget an oil change (shame on you), or if maybe you don’t get to changing your oil right at 5000 (or within 500 miles of 5000), then you can buy a little insurance against engine damage by using synthetic oil.

Case in point. My grandmother, who drives a few thousand miles a year (less than the Toyota recommended 5000 miles between oil changes), uses synthetic. Why? Because her oil can go more than a year between changes. Unlike regular oil, synthetic oil will last more than 6 months without any breakdown in effectiveness. So, if you (or someone in the family) is likely to exceed the 6 month time between changes OR is less than perfect at getting oil changed on time, a synthetic oil makes sense.

Another reason to consider using synthetic oil is if you find yourself in extreme conditions often, or if you find you’re running your engine a lot when the vehicle is parked. Extreme conditions (like high temps or high altitudes) will often cause the engine to run at higher-than-normal temperatures, which in turn will lead to accelerated oil break-down. If you’re running your engine a lot when your vehicle is parked, you’re also creating higher-than-normal temperatures in your engine. Synthetic oil performs better in these situations.

Synthetic oil is most often used in high performance vehicles. If you are utilizing your vehice like a high-performance car (high speeds, fast turns, you know who you are) then synthetic is a smart choice.

I’ve read a lot of articles about using synthetic if you’re in a lot of stop-and-go situations. I think that this really depends upon your individual situation. After all, anyone who has been to New York or Los Angeles will tell you stop and go in those places is different than anywhere else. Also, if you drive short trips only, people may recommend synthetic oil as a way to protect you engine. However, short trips, regardless of your choice of oil, damage your motor. No matter whether you use synthetic or regular oil, you engine was designed to be ran for at least 20 minutes. That’s the best way to protect your engine from damage due to short trips.

After reading this, you may have determined that synthetic oil is the oil for you. Use caution when purchasing synthetic oil. Sometimes your maintanence facility will suggest a synthetic blend to you as a way to save some cash. I suggest you pass. Most synthetic blends don’t tell you how much of the oil is synthetic and how much is regular. Remember — technically, synthetic blend could be 1% synthetic and 99% not. No blends (unlesss they’re recommnded by Toyota).

Last but not least, what does Toyota have to say about synthetics? “Any oil that meets API standard specifications can be used in your vehicle.” That means normal oil is just fine.

In conclusion: The new Toyota Tundra will operate for a very long time without the benefit of synthetic oil as long as the vehicle is properly maintained and used normally.