- New Lamborghini featured at swanky Beverly Hills gala
http://t.co/DMOjzVZ92011/12/01 13:52 by HootSuite - Honda's natural gas Civic named Green Car of the Year
http://t.co/NNCNiTsf2011/11/30 13:55 by HootSuite - Amazing ICON redesign of the classic Ford Bronco.
http://t.co/kkvQcwpW2011/11/30 08:10 by HootSuite
Posts Tagged ‘carhelp.com’
We’re still not completely sold on electric cars as an eco-friendly alternative, mostly because of questions over how the batteries are created, but this commercial creatively links the Renault line of electric cars to how so many appliances and machines use electricity today.
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If you’re an environmentally conscious consumer, your old tires are either left with the tire replacement shop to be recycled, or taken to an approved landfill or recycling center in your area if you replaced them yourself. Most communities also offer recycling programs that allow homeowners to put tires, batteries and electronics curbside for pickup once or twice a year.
At one time, these used tires tended to pile up, creating a singularly ugly health and safety hazard that encourages breeding mosquitoes, rodents and –when heated by intense summer sun – a source of almost inextinguishable fires (thanks to layers of compacted debris) that can seriously impact air quality.
Fortunately, a combination of advanced technology and an increasing awareness of the environment have led to a plethora of recycling options, some highly commendable, others somewhat peculiar (if no less desirable). For example, I can clearly see the value of tires as bumper guards. Tire art, on the other hand, leaves me frowning. Read more
Running out of gas is one of those things that we all hope as drivers we’re never going to do. But, no driver is perfect. There comes a time where drivers decide to push it to the next gas station on a road trip, leave home in a rush only to discover the last driver left the tank low, or in some cases, even find that the gas gauge was deceiving. The gas light is never a welcome sign as no matter what the reason.
So what do you do when the unthinkable happens and you find yourself stranded on the side of the road after running out of gas? Don’t bang your head on the steering wheel in frustration…follow these steps instead. Read more
Tire maintenance is something that many drivers overlook. Unless air pressure is drastically reducing, you can’t tell that it’s time to change your tires from behind the wheel of your car. But, neglecting to do so can cause damage to the suspension system of your vehicle, and it can increase your gas consumption if the car needs more power to run because of low air pressure or poor traction. There are also safety concerns, of course. Neglecting to change your tires when it’s needed can increase the odds of a collision, especially when the roads are slick with water and ice.
Here are a few things you should know about replacing your tires: Read more
Buying or leasing a car can be a long-term commitment. Signing on that dotted line, you know you’ll be responsible for covering the payments on the vehicle for two or more years and over time your needs can change. When you commit to a vehicle today, there’s no way to predict your financial situation and lifestyle requirements years down the road. Before your lease is over you could change jobs, or need to trade in your Porsche for a practical minivan as your family expands. So what can you do if you’ve taken on a car lease for a vehicle that’s just not working for you anymore?
Pay to Terminate the Agreement
It is possible to end the lease early, but you will pay a termination fee (based on how much time is left on your lease) and have to pay back all payments owed for the remainder of your lease period. If you’re looking to end your lease because of lack of affordability, this option isn’t realistic. Even if you can afford to, paying a huge lump sum on a vehicle you no longer want isn’t ideal anyway. Consider this a last resort option, but know it is available to you.
Transfer your Lease
The better option is to find someone to take over your lease since you won’t end up with large fees to terminate your lease. Basically, this process involves “selling†your car to someone who will be legally taking over the lease for the remainder of the term. The process can be laborious if you try to do it on your own, but there are lease transfer companies like Swapalese or LeaseBusters that will advertise your vehicle and work with the financing lease company to transfer the lease agreement to the new owner . They do charge a fee for their services, but the process is far easier on you.
Sell the vehicle to the dealer
In many cases a dealer will sell your vehicle and pay off the lease company if you buy or lease a new vehicle. If you call the general manager or owner of a small dealer, they’re much more likely to help you find out. What they do is call the latest auctions to find out what your car is selling for. If the auction price is close to your lease payoff, you can often negotiate your lease as a ‘trade-in’ and if there is money owed, simply wrap that into the new lease or car loan. This is often the easiest way to get out of a loan. There may be early pay off fees, but again it can be wrapped into your new lease. Remember, when you sign a new car lease the payoff schedule is probably one of the most important pieces to negotative.
How to Avoid Breaking a Car Lease
Leasing a car is a long-term commitment, so while you can’t predict what might occur in the future, you can attempt to anticipate and plan for it. Think you’ll have a family before the 5 year lease term will be up? Buy a car that will accommodate one or more child. To ensure your leased vehicle always remains affordable to you over time; choose one with a monthly payment well below your maximum budget.
Edmunds.com has more tips on what you need to do to prepare for breaking or transferring your car lease .
A writer for the New York Times Wheels section recently described his youth as “driving down the back roads of America pretending his Volkswagen was a Porsche racecar.â€
The story (and the writer) may be old, but the dream hasn’t changed. Teenage drivers, particularly males, still feel the need for speed – a need that can be as devastating as it is enticing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, teenage car accidents are the leading cause of death among U.S. teens, with those in the 16-19-year-old group four times as likely to crash as older drivers. Read more
According to a brochure developed jointly by the NOAA, the American Red Cross, and FEMA, almost half of all deaths from flooding happen to people 
trapped in vehicles. In fact, only in recent years has heat surpassed flooding as the primary cause of fatalities in the U.S. Flash floods are the most dangerous type of flooding, largely because waters rise rapidly and unexpectedly, especially in arroyos and irrigation ditches not normally associated with water, leaving most drivers (and their passengers) unprepared.
More important, water itself is a tremendous force. It weighs 62.4 pounds per cubic foot, delivering 500 pounds of pressure per square inch to doors and windows. It also makes cars buoyant, subtracting 1500 pounds from the weight of the vehicle for each foot it rises. Water a mere two feet deep can sweep away a vehicle, even a heavy-duty truck or SUV, as well as the bridge it is trapped on. Vehicles trapped in underpasses during rapidly rising water are in even more danger, and when flooding occurs at night drivers often can’t see such danger until it is too late. As Carblog.com notes, even a burst water main can trigger dangerous flooding in low-lying areas. Read more
Summer is traditionally travel season, and the tradition remains strong even in these days of job losses, housing foreclosures and manufacturing downturns.
The upside to families visiting that favorite vacation spot, be it Grandma and Grandpa’s house or a to-die-for cabana on the Pacific near Mazatlan, is that gas prices remain well below 2008’s astronomical $4 a gallon or more.
These prices, which are also sparking a renewed interest in bigger vehicles (think crew-cab trucks and family-sized SUVs like the Ford Flex reviewed on Roadtripsforfamilies.com), average $2.72, offering hope that the family road trip is not a thing of the past (we weren’t all that fond of staycations anyway, were we?). Read more