To explain it well, you need to understand some history. Many years ago, there were cars and there were trucks. Cars were for transporting passengers. Ford’s Model A was an early example. It was low to the ground, and had plenty of room for passengers. As the years passed, automakers refined the car to have a smoother ride and better gas mileage. Various types of cars became available to cater to specialty needs. The luxury car, the economy car and so on. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, the station wagon became the family car. It was capable of carrying many passengers and had a smooth ride. But its image was pretty nerdy.

Trucks were an entirely different animal. Trucks were for working. To drive a truck, you sat up high and used your muscles to operate the steering wheel and the brakes. They were built to be tough. They needed to have the power to haul things or carry heavy loads in their beds. This, of course, made them gas guzzlers. They had a cab that would seat two, or maybe three people. They could go off road because they had plenty of ground clearance and muscle. Four wheel drive was added to help with off roading. Trucks were owned by construction workers, forest rangers, ranchers and others who needed a tough vehicle in their work.

In the 1990’s, the SUV was born. It was a truck with room for passengers. Build on a the frame of a truck, often with 4 wheel drive, it also had enough seats and comfort for a family. It drove like a truck and sucked down gasoline like one. They were wildly popular, but not among the typical truck crowd. SUVs were popular with families who needed something like a station wagon, but with the image of a truck. Soccer moms everywhere drove Ford Explorers, Cadillac Escalades and Chevy Suburbans. The Hummer was the height of this ridiculous trend of driving a modified off road vehicle to transport families through the cities and suburbs.

When gasoline prices skyrocketed in the 2000’s, the popularity of SUVs plummeted. Some people ditched their SUVs for hybrids and other fuel efficient small cars. For those who wanted SUVs without the gas bill, the crossover was born.

A crossover is like an SUV, except that it’s built on the frame of a car. This makes for a smooth ride and better gas mileage, but you give up much of the power and off road ability. This is fine for most of the people who bought SUVs anyway. You don’t need 4 wheel drive to navigate the freeway every day. So a crossover is a car with room for plenty of passengers. Just don’t call it a station wagon.

There are many reasons to go electric.

The Nissan Leaf does not produce any emissions. None. That’s music to the ears of anyone who thinks it’s ridiculous to pollute the air we breathe to the point where we need a smog alert system. When the air is unhealthy to breathe, the Air Quality Management District issues a smog alert, advising people not to exercise outdoors. Soccer practices, picnics and recesses are cancelled and people are forced indoors. All because we’re addicted to gasoline. What if driving your car didn’t pollute the air at all? Imagine that zero emissions cars become the norm and gasoline powered engines go the way of the dinosaur.

Imagine bypassing the gas station – every time you see one. Most hybrid and electric cars, including the Chevy Volt, do use gasoline when the battery dies. Not so with the Leaf. It’s a strictly electric powered car. You’ll never again buy gasoline. You won’t care what the price of gas is. You won’t care any more. The downside of an all electric car has been one of the main impediments to widespread acceptance of these vehicles. When the battery runs out of juice, you can’t switch over to gas. This limits the range that electric cars can travel, which has inhibited their practicality.  The Nissan Leaf has a range of about 100 miles before needing to be recharged. That’s more than enough for most drivers. Very few drivers travel more than 100 miles in a day on a regular basis. Most Leaf owners can drive as much as they need to during the day, and then plug it in overnight at home. So now you’re paying for electricity instead of gas, right? How cost effective is that? Charging the Leaf would cost about $2.80 at average electricity rates. Yep – less than a gallon of gas.

Long drives have posed a challenge that until now has been insurmountable by many drivers. During a long drive like a family vacation or a trip to a different state, a driver would have to stop along the way to charge the battery, which used to take hours if you could find a charging station. Nissan has added a navigation system that will show you charging stations along the way. A quick charge station can charge the Leaf’s battery will charge up to 80% in about half an hour. That’s practical for long trips. Drivers could stop for lunch and charge the car at the same time. It even makes sense for restaurants that cater to long-distance travelers to install quick charge stations – if there are enough Nissan Leafs on the road.

The other major obstacle to any alternate fuel vehicles has been price. New technology is expensive. Nissan is offering the Leaf for around $35K in the United States. There is some speculation that Nissan is willing to lose money at the beginning in order to establish itself as the major player in the electric car market.  The $7,500 tax credit brings the effective price to $27,500. While not the cheapest car on the market, this brings the price in line with Honda’s CR-V and Toyota’s Prius. Leaf owners will need to install a home charging station, which will cost about $2,200, but they’re eligible for a tax credit for 50% of that cost.

There are still challenges to alternative fuel vehicles, but I think Nissan has solved enough of them to make the Leaf a practical car for most drivers.

You will be able to test drive a Leaf soon at this Los Angeles Nissan Dealer if you’re in the area. Just make an appointment online or stop in.

The apparent advantage to buying a used car is that the price is much easier to afford. In fact, the minute you drive a new car off the lot, it loses much of its value. A week after you’ve bought a new car, it’s still new. It still has a lot of use left, no scratches and it still smells new. But it isn’t a brand new car anymore to the next guy, and that changes the value. You might believe that the value of a car would fall slowly over its useful life, but that isn’t so. A car’s few months and years see a disproportionate loss of value. In the end, the price stabilizes and its value depends entirely on its condition – but it still has some value.

The potential unknown troubles are the biggest down side of getting a second-hand car. Why did its last owner sell it? Is it a lemon? Was it maintained properly? Was the suggested maintenance performed when it was needed? Has it been in an accident, or has it experienced flood damage? Finding out the answers to these questions is much easier now that it has ever been. Many used car dealers offer up a Carfax report, which tells you the car’s history. How many owners has it had? Has it been involved in any accidents? Cars can be tracked by their vehicle id numbers and now that computer records have evolved, it’s much easier to compile this information.

The second drawback is that an older car will probably not last as long as a brand new car. Repairs will be needed sooner. This, of course, depends a great deal on the age of the used car. If a car is still pretty new, it may still be under the manufacturer’s warranty. In fact, several car dealers sell ‘certified used vehicles’. Certified vehicles have been inspected, had any necessary repairs and maintenance performed and have been deemed to meet certain quality guidelines. Certified vehicles generally come with a warranty, so you won’t have to worry about major repairs for a while. If a used car does not come with a warranty, the key is to have your mechanic look it over before you buy it. Compare the price tag to the condition. If you accept a car with some problems, you should get it for a lower price. Of course, there is a limit. A car that’s about to expire isn’t worth any money at all – except to the junkyard.

New cars are expensive – that’s the bad news. There’s a lot of good news too. First, a car manufactured today will run longer than a car built even a few years ago, because engineering is improving so quickly. And you may not be able to find a used car in the model you like if it has just been released. Infiniti has recently released its G37 Convertible. If you can find a used one, it’s probably at a premium price for a used car. You might be better off just to buy it new.

In the end, used or new is an individual decision. The type of car you’re looking for and your purpose in buying it will probably determine which way you go. Either way, do your research and consider both before making a decision.

Technology has taken a completely different direction. Cars already do what we need them to do. Hovering would be cool, but wouldn’t really serve any other purpose. The police are busy trying to slow drivers down because our cars already go more than fast enough. In fact, in many places there’s so much traffic that cars can’t use the speed they already have. Aesthetics are still important, but rather than buying the flashiest possible car, people are choosing streamlined, attractive cars. After market upgrades are made to blend in with the original – boring – look of the car. Huge improvements in reliability and safety have become more important than other considerations.

What do cars still leave to be desired? Fuel efficiency – even more practicality. The price of gasoline has soared in recent years, and it’s expensive just to drive around town. Cars that run on less gasoline, or none at all, are the hot sellers. Automakers have a lot of choices for reaching this goal, from hydrogen to biofuel to propane. All of these technologies have challenges, especially in keeping their costs down enough that they will be economically comparable to gasoline powered cars.

In the last few years, one technology has taken the lead and reached the car dealership: electricity. Hybrids were the first to hit the market and fully electric vehicles aren’t far behind. Toyota was the first to get its hybrid, the Prius, to consumers at a reasonable price. The other automakers followed closely on their heels. The Ford Escape, Infiniti M35, Honda Civic and Nissan Altima are just a few of the offerings. Hybrids don’t have to be small anymore, either, as evidenced by GMC’s Sierra and Cadillac’s Escalade. The government has encouraged the use of cars that consume less gasoline and don’t cause as much damage to the environment by offering financial incentives. You can go buy one of these cars today at your local Riverside Ford Dealer, Georgia Honda Dealership or Orange County GMC Dealership with no problem.

The next development we’ll see is the fully electric vehicle. They’ve been out in very small numbers until now, seen at car shows or as part of a fleet of cars driven by the local electric company. The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf are finally hitting showrooms. Limited range and battery price are not completely resolved yet, but clearly this is the direction that new cars are going.

Good old fashioned fuel efficiency is getting overlooked to some degree. A car can run on gasoline, but use a lot less of it. This is a technology that’s been slowly but steadily improving for many years. Look at the non-hybrid version of the Honda Civic, which gets 34 MPG or the Ford Focus with its 35 MPG highway. This was unimaginable back in the 80’s when gas was only $1.35 a gallon and we loved our V8s.

So while we’re unlikely to see cars like the DeLorean from Back to the Future or Kitt from the Knight Rider, cars will continue to evolve to meet our ever-changing needs. America’s love affair with the automobile is far from over.

It was 40 years ago that the original Shelby GT350 went out of production.  A mint version of one of these cars is pretty much priceless today.  Well let’s say they are out of our range for sure.  The GT350 began its life back in 1964 when Ford Motor Company approached Carroll Shelby with a proposition.  Mr. Shelby was to create a Mustang that could win races and sell like hot cakes to the car buying public.  And he did just that as the GT350 won a ton of races and sold a lot of cars.  Ford now had a true muscle car that would strike fear into the hearts of Dodge and Chevrolet owners everywhere.

In the year 1970, production of the GT350 ceased and since then Mustang enthusiasts have wondered just when this car would return.  There have been many off-shoots of the Shelby in the last few years with such renditions as the Mustang Shelby GT500, but alas no GT350!

Unlike the GT350 of former years, the 2011 version will be available as a post title car.  Meaning you have to first buy a regular model 2011 Ford Mustang GT then drop the car off or have it sent to Shelby Autos in Las Vegas to have the transformation completed.  The cost of the upgrade is a hefty $34,000 and when added to the GT model’s price ($28k) the total tally will be about $62,000.  But as an enthusiast, this is the car you want to have.

Really, what was causing the delay of the reemergence of the GT350 was the engine size.  The original car had a 5.0 liter engine but the Mustang’s of late were limited to 4.6 liters.  It was only for the 2011 model year did Ford decided to bring back the “Coyote” 5-liter engine.  This was the foundation that Shelby was looking for and now we have the GT350 in all its 5 liter glory.  This new engine will feature a supercharger sitting atop the V-8 engine.  Horsepower and torque numbers are still a closely kept secret but you can bet they will be well above the 500 mark.  Of course a 6-speed manual transmission will be on hand to put that power to the ground.

The styling of the car holds true to the original with a traditional white paint job with accompanying blue sports stripes.  Other features include huge 14-inch Baer brakes with 6-piston calipers, a Ford racing suspension complete with upgraded springs, shocks, and sway bars.  The car will also get a myriad of body parts including a sweet hood, rocker panels, a front splitter, and rear wing just to name a few.   And of course 19” Cragar rims wrapped in Goodyear rubber will be standard.

Be on the lookout for these Blasts from the Past!  The 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 is one car that people have been waiting on for over 40 years.

source:http://www.shelbyautos.com/vehicles/2011GT350.asp

PACKAGE PRICE: $33,995

Standard Features
#Shelby/Ford Racing/Whipple Supercharger
# Shelby/Ford Racing Suspension
# Caster Camber Plate Kit
# Shelby/Baer 6 Piston Front Brake Kit
# Shelby Rear ERADISPEED Rear Rotor Upgrade
# Front and Rear Brake Duct and Cooling Kit
# Shelby/Borla Unique Center Exit Exhaust
# Shelby/Cragar 19” Alloy Wheels
# Goodyear Performance Tires
# Front Fascia including Grille & Shelby GT350 Signature Badging
# Rear Fascia including exclusive GT350 45th Anniversary Badging
# Unique Taillight Trim
# Rear Deck Lid Filler Panel
# Side Rockers with functional integrated brake cooling ducts
# Exclusive GT350 Guardsman Blue vinyl over-the-top and side stripes
# Unique Shelby GT350 fender mounted badging
# Serialized Engine Plate
# Shelby Engine Cap Set
# Serialized Dash Plate with Shelby GT350 sequential serial number
# A-Pillar Mounted Gauge Package including Fuel Pressure, Oil Pressure and Boost
# Embroidered Carroll Shelby Signature headrests
# Exclusive GT350 45th Anniversary embroidered front floormats
# Shelby GT350 45th Anniversary windbreaker jacket
# Jerry Titus race sticker package
# Carroll Shelby signed passenger airbag cover**

Options

FUNCTIONAL
# Shelby/Baer 6 piston rear brake upgrade
# Watts link rear suspension
# Goodyear street race tire package
# Shelby high performance cooling system (late availability)

APPEARANCE AND INTERIOR
# Painted over the top and side stripe kit
# Custom interior upgrade
# Shelby/Kicker premium sound system
# Premium exclusive interior:
-Leather seating surfaces with
contrasting stitching and red/white/blue
insert on front seats
-Tone on tone embroidered GT350 on
seat backs
-Console cover and shift boot
# MUSEUM DELIVERY

You can keep your Porsche, Corvette or BMW Roadster.  The hottest sports car in decades comes from the Pontiac lineage.  The 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP is perhaps the most alluring turbo roadster to fly across American pavement in a long time.  The Solstice was smoking hot when it was introduced in 2002 and has only improved over the years. 

The 09 GXP Coupe is the fastest Solstice yet reaching 60 mph in only 5.5 seconds. Edmunds.com took it for a spin and deemed it quicker than the Mazda Miata PRHT and just a hair slower than the Nissan 370Z.  Suffice it to say this baby is fast.

The 2-liter Ecotec inline-4 engine was designed for drag racing and cranks out 260hp.  A short wheelbase of 95.1”, rear wheel drive and 18” aluminum wheels provide superior maneuverability and allow the GXP to cling to curves.

Perhaps the most attractive attribute of the Solstice is the distinct exterior styling by Franz von Holzhausen. The rounded hood, sexy front fascia, muscular stance and low, sleek, profile are like nothing else on the road.

The GXP is the only model to come standard with a removable, targa-style hard top, made of magnesium. There’s a practical side to the Solstice GXP too.  It’s surprisingly good with gas mileage, at an estimated 28 MPG hwy and the only thing shocking about the sticker is the low starting price of around $33,000.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and sadly, this is true for the Pontiac Solstice.  Pontiac has announced that the Solstice has been taken out of production, as the full Pontiac lineup is slowly being phased out. For those that have already purchased a Solstice GXP Coupe or other 2009 Pontiac, the good news is that these vehicles are still covered by Pontiac’s Best Coverage in America plan, which includes a 5-Year/100,000 mile warranty.  For those that would like to own one of these soon-to-be collector’s items, there are still a few new cars for sale at Pontiac dealers across the nation; but they won’t last long.  You can also find a great deal on a Used Pontiac Solstice too!

At first glance the new Ford Fiesta appears to be a distant relative to the June bug, especially when wearing its exclusive “Lime Squeeze Metallic” exterior color.  The teardrop body shape is lower in the front and higher in the back making the Fiesta appear as if it’s about to launch into flight.   When it is coming straight toward you, the Dragon’s-eye headlamps complete its insect-like appearance.  If you don’t like bugs, Ford is offering six additional colors which make the Fiesta look more like a car.  These include; Oxford White and lots of metallics in hues of: Yellow Blaze, Bright Magenta, Monterey Gray, Blue Flame, Tuxedo Black, Red Candy and Ingot Silver.

The interior of the Fiesta incorporates most of the “engaging to the senses” features that Ford is banking on. For starters, Ford incorporated plenty of sound deadening materials in the doors, headliner and pillars and utilized an acoustic laminated windshield to keep the interior whisper quiet.  Unlike any competitor in its class the Fiesta has available luxuries such as heated front leather trimmed seats and a power moon roof.  A 4” multifunctional LCD display screen for phone info, audio settings and other data is positioned in the direct line of sight with red, easy to read text. Ford loaded the Fiesta with technology as well, including their Intelligent Access push-button start ignition system and the Ford-exclusive SYNC ® system which allows for hands free communication.

Under the hood of the Fiesta lies a 1.6-liter twin-independent variable cam timing (Ti-VCT) Duratec ® Engine.  Add the available PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission, which eliminates drag and the Fiesta could reach a highway fuel economy of 40 mpg. Service visits are reduced as well by the fill-for-life transmission fluid system which is designed to last up to 150,000 miles and is virtually maintenance free.  An electric powered rack and pinion steering system with AdvanceTrac ® makes the Fiesta nimble and ultra responsive. Car and Driver gave the new Ford Fiesta a high ranking in their fun-to-drive (FTD) factor and they were “thoroughly impressed with the Fiesta’s eager agility and exceptional road-holding.”

With any small vehicle driver and passenger safety is always a concern.  Ford has forseen this and packed the new Fiesta with more airbags than any other vehicle in its class.  A total of seven airbags are standard for the Fiesta.  This includes an innovative driver’s knee airbag designed to provide a cushion between the driver and the instrument panel in the event of a crash.   Time will tell how the New Ford Fiesta will do here in the U.S. but with a starting price around $13,500 combined with so many fun and innovative features the Fiesta will surely be met with great enthusiasm.  Just like June bugs the Fiesta will be arriving Spring/Summer 2010.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI looks like a regular Jetta but is completely different under the hood.  It has diesel turbocharged direct-injection that is also fuel efficient. The Jetta TDI will also be the first car to meet the world’s most stringent emission control standards.  The Jetta TDI has a new engine that features a rail fuel injection system, instead of the traditional mechanical system. Instead of controlling NOx emissions and converting it into nitrogen and water like most Blue Tec vehicles, the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI uses a NOx-storage catalyst. This storage catalyst, like a filter, temporarily holds noxious emissions until they can be burned off during an engine cycle. This new technology permits higher injection pressures that atomize fuel and make it easier for pollution control.

On top of maintaining a status of a hybrid fuel economy car, the Jetta TDI’s amazing new engine is surprisingly silent and fast. It is propelled by a 2.0L that produces 140horsepower and 236torque, and goes from 0 to 60 in 8.4 seconds. The Jetta also attains a combined fuel-economy rating of 33mpg, which gives it a little extra appeal than the traditional diesel car. The retail price for a the new Jetta TDI is estimated at around $23,000 but is a prominent choice for economy conscious customers who don’t want to sacrifice premium performance.

source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4235586.html
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009-volkswagen-jetta-20-tdi-review/
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/oneyear/112_0902_2009_volkswagen_jetta_tdi_arrival/index.html

Starting with the exterior the xB RS 6.0 get the aforementioned Absolutely Red paint job that just screams I’m hot to all within eyeshot. There is a color matched spoiler wing offered as an option that is a must have. The wheels are shod in exclusive branded Release Series covers that measure 16”. Finishing off the exterior treatment is a custom blacked-out front grille.

The electronics inside the cabin get the rock star upgrade. The dash houses a 5.8” advanced touch screen Pioneer entertainment system. You get an IPod docking station, Bluetooth connectivity, and DVD player. Teens are just about the world’s worst navigators, so the satellite NAV will ensure they do not end up in Canada on accident.

The interior also houses some other great options. There are color tuned seats and upholstery that features black fabric with red accents that match the exterior. The lighting in the interior gets pimped with illuminated lighting that changes colors and lighted door sills. Lastly is the individual numbered holographic badge that signifies the limited edition status of this car.

Priced at around $18,000 (depending on the transmission choice) the Scion xB Release Series 6.0 won’t last long

See Other Cool Scions

Now you’re ready to go buy a brand-new fuel efficient car or truck!