Saturn’s days are numbered, maybe

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Posted in Saturn - DO NOT USE

Earlier this week General Motors announced that it would be discontinuing the Saturn line of cars after the current product cycle. But reports say Saturns could possibly continue production past the 2011 end date set by GM.

According to the Detroit News, Saturn officials, dealers and consultants are looking into ways that they could team up with another manufacturer to continue the Saturn line as an independent entity.

It is also possible that the brand could be sold to another company which could give possibly give a foreign automaker an inside track to American car buyers.

GM announced this week that it would be cutting back on a number of its product lines in the next few years as the automakers attempt to cut costs. In addition to losing Saturn GM will also cut out most of its Pontiac line of vehicles and could potentially sell the Hummer line to another company.

But it appears that buyers of used Saturns won’t need to worry about the future of their cars. In a letter to car owners this week, which was posted on Consumerist.com, Saturn assured owners that GM would continue to cover warranties and that parts for the cars will continue to be available.

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Cars.com lists some top used car buys

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Posted in Ford

In the slumping economy, many Americans are turning to used cars as a smart way to save money on the purchase of a car. Cars.com says it has had a record number of people using its site to look for their new used car purchase and has some advice on which cars to choose.

It seems that the people at Cars.com think Fords make a good used car purchase with the website picking five Ford vehicles in its top ten used cars. One of them is the always popular Ford Taurus.

The 2005 Ford Taurus was mostly sold as a fleet vehicle, but according to Cars.com, that might be a tribute to the strengths of the car. The website also suggests looking for a Taurus with the side impact airbags which may be hard to find as only 10 percent of the 2005 models came with them.

The site also recommends the Hyundai XG350 which it says established Hyundai as a maker of luxurious cars. The one thing lacking in the car is its fuel economy which the site says is around 19 miles per gallon.

According to Dow Jones, the price of used cars fell 8 percent in 2008 meaning this might be a better time than ever to make a used car purchase.

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Which cars are better used?

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Posted in Volvo - DO NOT USE

According to U.S. News & World Report, people interested in car shopping might want to consider looking at a used car first when it comes to a couple of models.

A number of reports have said it’s a good time to buy a used car with the Dow Jones reporting that used car prices had dropped in the last year, but according to the magazine, there are a couple of cars that would be good used car purchases anyway.

Take the Volvo S60 for example. It’s rumored that a new design for the S60 will be coming out in 2010, which means a 2009 model will depreciate in value more rapidly than normal. But the magazine says a 2005 model might be worth your while as Kelley Blue Book estimates it at $13,585.

Another car the magazine suggests buying used is the Mitsubishi Eclipse. U.S. News says a 2008 Eclipse is around $6,000 less than a brand new model and with a high depreciation rate, it’s likely you can an older model even cheaper.

Across the board it is cheaper to buy a used car today than it was a year ago with the National Automotive Dealers Association reporting that used cars in every category fell in 2008.

Man turns used car into electric vehicle

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Posted in General Auto News

Sometimes the future of technology can be found by going to the past. That was surely the case of a man who turned a rusted 1972 Volkswagen Beetle into a car that costs a penny to drive.

As a former NASA engineer, John Hendrickson definitely had an advantage when turning the 37-year-old VW into an electric vehicle but his story shows that with some determination and a disdain for paying for gas, anything is possible.

“I thought gas stations were ripping us off, so I decided to just go build my own electric car,” Hendrickson told the Houston Chronicle.

After about two years of work, Hendrickson’s VW now gets about 50 miles on one charge and has taken home a number of awards.

But according to the paper, Hendrickson isn’t through tinkering with used cars. Now the 74-year-old intends on turning a used 1992 Isuzu Amigo into a hybrid vehicle that runs on electric and gasoline.

Although many would like to see the day when it is no longer necessary to make a visit to the gas station, it appears that hybrid cars are the next best thing for the time being. As another sign of the hybrid future, the New York City police department will soon unveil 40 hybrid vehicles that will be on patrol in the city, according to the New York Post.

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Getting a loan for used car purchase

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Posted in Auto Loans & Financing News

The economic downturn may have made it more difficult for some people to get loans for a used car purchase, but there are ways to get a loan approval.

There is hope that a new economic stimulus package will open up the purse strings of lenders, but even if that doesn’t come to pass, Edmunds.com says there is money out there to be had.

Jesse Toprak, Edmunds.com’s executive director of industry analysis said that although consumer confidence is low and people are avoiding big purchases, there are loans available. He also says this is a great time to make a car purchase.

“If someone needs a car, they know the market is down, and this is a great buying opportunity,” said Toprak.

The website says buyers looking to secure credit should take a three-pronged approach which includes trying to optimize their credit score, coming up with a plan of getting the loan and then having dealers and lenders work together to get the loan for you.

Although there seems to be a never ending barrage of bad economic news, the current state of the economy could be good news for car buyers. According to the Dow Jones, used car prices have dropped 8 percent in the last year.

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Reporter defends the used car

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Posted in Buick- DO NOT USE

It’s tempting to spend a lot of money on a new car even while the economy is tanking, but Boston Globe reporter Geoff Edgers makes the case for the used car saying a used car has something a new one will never have – soul.

Edgers admits it’s tempting to look at a new car, but he’s happy with his 1997 Buick Skylark which he says allows him to appreciate the finer things in life, like good wine. But perhaps more significantly, used cars have something that’s less tangible.

“Old cars have soul. They have character,” says Edgars. “They get us where we’re going without forcing us to spend money we should not be spending or should be spending on something important.”

A new car might seem essential, but Edgars says by spending less on a used car you can save money and buy something that might be more important. A $600 a month car lease, says Edgards, means an extra $7,200 at the end of the year.

Buying a used car may be even cheaper than it would have been a few years ago. According to the National Automotive Dealers Association, used car prices in every category dropped during 2008.

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Woman breaks world record fingernails in SUV accident

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Posted in General Auto News

A Utah woman suffered a devastating loss following a car crash Tuesday night – her world record-length fingernails.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Lee Redmond had not cut her fingernails since 1979 and the total length of her nails combined reached almost 30 feet. Guinness says Redmond’s longest nail was her thumb which measured in at 2 feet 11 inches.

But according to the Salt Lake City Tribune, Redmond’s nails were broken off on Tuesday when her SUV was involved in a four car crash outside of Salt Lake City, Utah and she was ejected from the vehicle.

Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Don Hutson told the paper that Redmond was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

According to the Deseret News, Redmond was the passenger in an SUV that hit the side of another vehicle Tuesday afternoon in Holladay, Utah. That caused the second vehicle to strike a third, and force Redmond’s SUV onto the curb, through a chain link fence and into a fourth vehicle.

The 67-year-old Redmond had previously said she turned down $10,000 from a Japanese television station to cut the nails.

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Hef’s new girlfriends need a car upgrade

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Posted in Celebrity Auto News

Playboy icon Hugh Hefner may have found himself some new girlfriends to replace the Girls Next Door, but it seems that he has yet to give the girls a new set of wheels as photographers recently caught two of them getting into a Mitsubishi.

The octogenarian founder of the men’s magazine has reportedly replaced former girlfriends Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquardt with three new models, including 19-year-old twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon.

It seems that the twins were recently spotted in a California parking lot by photographers getting into a Mitsubishi – quite a difference from the Cadillac Escalade that former girlfriend Kendra Wilson had stolen from her last year according to TMZ.

According to the Celebrity Cars Blog, that’s not how it’s done in California.

“[T]hey are in desperate need of a new ride!” writes the blog. “My guess is they’re not from around here!”

Even Holly Madison was seen driving a classic Chevy Corvette last year and in one episode of the E! Network show The Girls Next Door, Bridget Wilkinson was seen driving in a red Porsche with customized Playboy logo rims.

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Jetta TDI wins ‘Best of the Year’ honors

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Posted in Volkswagen - DO NOT USE

Citing its environmental-friendliness, fuel-efficiency and its appealing driving experience, MotorWeek named the Volkswagen Jetta TDI its “Best of the Year” 2009 Drivers’ Choice Award winner at the Chicago Auto Show this week.

Although the choice of a Volkswagen as the car of the year may not be too shocking, the fact that this car has a diesel engine makes the choice somewhat surprising. But John Davis, host of the PBS show MotorWeek says the choice of the Jetta TDI was clear.

“The Jetta TDI has no peer this year,” said Davis. “It is the best of all worlds rolled into one vehicle. It’s clean, powerful, fun to drive, roomy and comfortable, and it also happens to be very affordable. If history is any judge on past Volkswagen diesels, you can also add extremely reliable and durable to the list.”

In winning the award the TDI beat out 150 other vehicles that were evaluated by the show. It also named the car the Best Eco-Friendly vehicle.

Other cars taking home awards were the Honda Fit for Best Small Car, the Nissan GT-R for Best Performance Car and the Subaru Forester for Best Small Utility.

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Romantic Rides for Valentine’s Day

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Posted in Celebrity Auto News

With Valentine’s Day only days away some couples may be thinking of taking a long romantic car ride together and maybe heading to “Makeout Point.” If that’s in the cards, Kelley Blue Book has put together a list of the most romantic cars to take a ride in.

It’s natural for people to associate cars with a holiday like Valentine’s Day says Kelley Blue Book executive editorial director Jack Nerad.

“So many people have romantic feelings tied to cars, whether it is the thought of what a car represents at a certain time in a person’s life, an activity they are passionate about, or perhaps the memory of a long drive with a special someone,” said Nerad who is also executive market analyst for kbb.com.

Taking a ride in a convertible with the wind running through your hair can be very romantic and the company lists a couple of cars that are known to be driving with the top down. According to the company, a Mazda MX-5 Miata and a Chevy Corvette are perfect choices.

For the more environmentally friendly couple the company suggests the cozy smart fortwo. At 8.8 feet long and 5.1 feet wide a couple can’t help but stay close.

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