Priceline.com is yet another online source for automotive tidbits and as a part of Earth Day which happens this April 22nd, the group has already done a survey. This new study has focused more on consumers of rental car companies and what they have been aiming to find out is what kind of vehicles do these consumers really want to see as part of rental fleets.
After the survey was done and all the statistics were evaluated, priceline.com was able to find out that 72 percent of all respondents said that they would like to find rental car companies who do offer hybrid vehicles which are not only economical but would be friendly to the environment. Of course, this group also did say that they would like to find hybrid vehicles that run on both electricity and gasoline.
Of the 764 consumers who took part of priceline.com’s study, 71 percent did also state that they are very much willing to rent out a hybrid vehicle especially if they would be traveling to other states. A good 48% of the total respondents did also disclose that even if they would have to shell out for a premium payment for the hybrid, they would gladly do so.
It is of course a reality that there are quite a few hybrid vehicle models available through most of the country’s rental car companies. And because of such, there would be a higher demand for the vehicles though the supply may be quite low. And as according to the study, more consumers would even be willing to shell out an additional $1 to $3 per day on the rent of the vehicle and it would mean that it would also more and more consumers are thus inclined to greener vehicles rather than ordinary vehicles like the Honda Civic or the Ridgeline which comes equipped with the Honda cold air intake. Although this may be so, there is a small amount of consumers, amounting to eight percent of the total, who did mention that they are even willing to shell out $4 to even $6 per day of renting out a hybrid.
Showing posts with label Cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cars. Show all posts
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Ford expands operations in China
Ford manufacturer of Ford mufflers has recently made several strategic announcements that will support its forward-moving business direction in China focusing on the company’s rapidly expanding presence and increasingly competitive position in the world’s second largest automotive market.
On a formal press conference held at the Ford stand, Mei Wei Cheng, Vice President of Ford Motor Company and Chairman & CEO of Ford Motor China announced the following:
1. The official start of volume production at the Changan Ford Mazda Engine Company would begin very soon.
2. The production at the new Nanjing facility, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Company (CFMA) will commence before the end of this year.
3. The third generation Ford Mondeo will start production at Changan Ford Mazda Autombile’s Chongqing plant later this year.
4. An all-new Ford small car is to be produced at the Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Company Nanjing plant in 2008.
Moreover, Cheng referred to Ford Motor Research & Engineering (Nanjing) Co. Ltd. in his speech, which received government approval last March for its role as an integral part of Ford Motor Company’s global research & design. Cheng said that this new operation will boost Ford China’s local engineering capabilities as well as strengthening the sourcing capability for manufacturing in China and at the same time support Ford Motors global manufacturing.
According to Mr. Cheng, “These collective announcements underscore Ford Motor's commitment to the China market and China's growing importance to our overall global strategy. Ford Motor China now encompasses one of the most comprehensive and competitive operations in the Chinese market, including full-scale vehicle and engine production; research, development and engineering; sales; aftersales services; and auto financing. Our local partnerships and the smooth implementation of our China strategy have greatly contributed to Ford becoming a leader of China’s automobile market. Ford's complete line up of cars in China now includes premiere and mid-size vehicles, small cars, SAVs, SUVs, and commercial vehicles."
The sleek, third generation Ford Mondeo and recipient of quality Ford muffler was used in the latest James Bond movie “Casino Royale” which showcase Ford’s special European kinetic design language and world class technology. It follows the path of the S-MAX which was chosen as the ‘Car of the Year for 2007’ and to become the next Ford model to be produced in China.
Mr. Cheng said “Our hugely successful European products have also proven to be very popular among Chinese consumers. From the hot selling Focus to the eye-catching S-MAX, and now the sleek Mondeo, Ford will continue to introduce our latest auto design engineering concepts to the China market. This will be supported by our renowned professional sales and aftersales services, as well as our creative ‘Make Every Day Exciting’ brand campaign."
Ford Motor Company and its five affiliated brands are showcasing 53 exciting vehicles at its Auto Shanghai 2007 stand. For its third generation Mondeo, Ford will showcase its kinetic design language with the sculpted iosis X sports crossover concept together with the CFMA produced S-Max, and C-Max, which is making its very first China debut.
The very popular Ford Focus lineup will also be featured on the Ford stand with the 2007 Focus, the European-imported Focus ST, Focus China Circuit Championship Racing Car, and the 2006 Focus RS ‘World Rally car’. Ford Motor Company and the CFMA have become one of the leaders in China’s growing auto industry with an impressive 86.6 percent increase in China market sales for 2006 which is far ahead of the overall industry average. The CFMA’s first quarter sales have totaled 38,908 units or 40.8 percent increase over the same period a year ago.
On a formal press conference held at the Ford stand, Mei Wei Cheng, Vice President of Ford Motor Company and Chairman & CEO of Ford Motor China announced the following:
1. The official start of volume production at the Changan Ford Mazda Engine Company would begin very soon.
2. The production at the new Nanjing facility, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Company (CFMA) will commence before the end of this year.
3. The third generation Ford Mondeo will start production at Changan Ford Mazda Autombile’s Chongqing plant later this year.
4. An all-new Ford small car is to be produced at the Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Company Nanjing plant in 2008.
Moreover, Cheng referred to Ford Motor Research & Engineering (Nanjing) Co. Ltd. in his speech, which received government approval last March for its role as an integral part of Ford Motor Company’s global research & design. Cheng said that this new operation will boost Ford China’s local engineering capabilities as well as strengthening the sourcing capability for manufacturing in China and at the same time support Ford Motors global manufacturing.
According to Mr. Cheng, “These collective announcements underscore Ford Motor's commitment to the China market and China's growing importance to our overall global strategy. Ford Motor China now encompasses one of the most comprehensive and competitive operations in the Chinese market, including full-scale vehicle and engine production; research, development and engineering; sales; aftersales services; and auto financing. Our local partnerships and the smooth implementation of our China strategy have greatly contributed to Ford becoming a leader of China’s automobile market. Ford's complete line up of cars in China now includes premiere and mid-size vehicles, small cars, SAVs, SUVs, and commercial vehicles."
The sleek, third generation Ford Mondeo and recipient of quality Ford muffler was used in the latest James Bond movie “Casino Royale” which showcase Ford’s special European kinetic design language and world class technology. It follows the path of the S-MAX which was chosen as the ‘Car of the Year for 2007’ and to become the next Ford model to be produced in China.
Mr. Cheng said “Our hugely successful European products have also proven to be very popular among Chinese consumers. From the hot selling Focus to the eye-catching S-MAX, and now the sleek Mondeo, Ford will continue to introduce our latest auto design engineering concepts to the China market. This will be supported by our renowned professional sales and aftersales services, as well as our creative ‘Make Every Day Exciting’ brand campaign."
Ford Motor Company and its five affiliated brands are showcasing 53 exciting vehicles at its Auto Shanghai 2007 stand. For its third generation Mondeo, Ford will showcase its kinetic design language with the sculpted iosis X sports crossover concept together with the CFMA produced S-Max, and C-Max, which is making its very first China debut.
The very popular Ford Focus lineup will also be featured on the Ford stand with the 2007 Focus, the European-imported Focus ST, Focus China Circuit Championship Racing Car, and the 2006 Focus RS ‘World Rally car’. Ford Motor Company and the CFMA have become one of the leaders in China’s growing auto industry with an impressive 86.6 percent increase in China market sales for 2006 which is far ahead of the overall industry average. The CFMA’s first quarter sales have totaled 38,908 units or 40.8 percent increase over the same period a year ago.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Car Buying VS Car Leasing
When it is time to shop for a new car there are many things to take into consideration. One of the biggest decisions is whether you should choose car leasing or car buying. There are many fundamental differences between the two.
To help make your decision easier the following is a list of those differences:
- At the end of the car loan term you will own a car if you opted to buy. At the end of the car lease term you return the car to the dealer and are left with nothing.
- A car loan term is usually four to six years. A car lease term is typically two to four years.
- Monthly car loan payments are generally higher than car leasing payments. This is because you are only really only paying for the car’s depreciation during the car lease term plus interest, taxes and service fees.
- Most car leases limit the amount of mileage you can put on the vehicle. If you plan on traveling a great deal you will have to consider negotiating a higher mileage limit. This will mean slightly higher monthly payments. If you exceed the limit you will be required to pay a charge of between 10 to 15 cents per mile. If you choose to buy the vehicle this is not an issue.
- When leasing a car there are limits to the amount of wear you can cause to the vehicle. Excessive wear will result in extra charges. If you buy you can do what ever you want to your car.
- If you terminate a car lease before the term is over there usually is a charge. In the case of car buying if you buy out the remainder before the car loan term is up you are usually charged a fee as well.
- The up front costs of car leasing include first month’s auto lease payments, a refundable deposit, a capitalized cost reduction( similar to a down payment), taxes and service fees. The up front costs of car buying include a down payment, taxes, registration and other service fees.
- At the end of the car lease term you have to pay any charges for excess wear and mileage then you can either walk away or buy out the car. When you reach the end of the car loan term you have no further payments and you walk away with your car.
Consider all these differences before coming to a decision on whether to buy or lease your next vehicle. Your choice will effect quite a lot over the loan or lease term including your monthly auto loan payments as well as what you can do to your vehicle to a certain extent. If you know what your long term goals are it will allow you to select the right option for your next car.
For more information you can visit http://www.findacarlive.com.
To help make your decision easier the following is a list of those differences:
- At the end of the car loan term you will own a car if you opted to buy. At the end of the car lease term you return the car to the dealer and are left with nothing.
- A car loan term is usually four to six years. A car lease term is typically two to four years.
- Monthly car loan payments are generally higher than car leasing payments. This is because you are only really only paying for the car’s depreciation during the car lease term plus interest, taxes and service fees.
- Most car leases limit the amount of mileage you can put on the vehicle. If you plan on traveling a great deal you will have to consider negotiating a higher mileage limit. This will mean slightly higher monthly payments. If you exceed the limit you will be required to pay a charge of between 10 to 15 cents per mile. If you choose to buy the vehicle this is not an issue.
- When leasing a car there are limits to the amount of wear you can cause to the vehicle. Excessive wear will result in extra charges. If you buy you can do what ever you want to your car.
- If you terminate a car lease before the term is over there usually is a charge. In the case of car buying if you buy out the remainder before the car loan term is up you are usually charged a fee as well.
- The up front costs of car leasing include first month’s auto lease payments, a refundable deposit, a capitalized cost reduction( similar to a down payment), taxes and service fees. The up front costs of car buying include a down payment, taxes, registration and other service fees.
- At the end of the car lease term you have to pay any charges for excess wear and mileage then you can either walk away or buy out the car. When you reach the end of the car loan term you have no further payments and you walk away with your car.
Consider all these differences before coming to a decision on whether to buy or lease your next vehicle. Your choice will effect quite a lot over the loan or lease term including your monthly auto loan payments as well as what you can do to your vehicle to a certain extent. If you know what your long term goals are it will allow you to select the right option for your next car.
For more information you can visit http://www.findacarlive.com.
Friday, November 10, 2006
10 Worst Autos Of The Year
Earlier, The Truth About Cars (TTAC) conducted a survey having its faithful and candid readers as respondents. The survey is all about tracking the Ten Worst Automobile Today (TWAT) from all the vehicles available in the United States within this year. The polls and tallying are closed. Further, the winners are yet to be unraveled. The winners of the 2006 TTAC Ten Worst Automobile Today awards are the following:
On the tenth place is Chevrolet Aveo. The automaker claims that said car is the lowest [new] car in America however; the contents of the vehicle may vary. In the United States and Canada, Aveo is available in both 5-door and 4-door models. Chevrolet Aveo sedan debuted in January this year at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. Lincoln Mark LT landed on the ninth place. According to TTAC's voters, the car is an unholy degradation of the world-famous Lincoln Mark nomenclature. In addition, it is said that the Mark LT is a rolling testament to Dearborn's short-term, suicidal reliance on bean-counted engineering.
Saab 9-7x entered in the eighth place of the TWAT. Voters say that the car is nothing more than a Chevy Trailblazer with the ignition key between the seats. Subaru B9 Tribeca, a crossover SUV, settled on the seventh place. Some enthusiasts are saying Subaru should not have bothered building an SUV.
On the sixth place is Chevrolet Monte Carlo, which is said to be a wrong wheel-drive engineering joke from the late '80's. Next on the line is the Hummer H2. The latter, according to some, is so heavy that IRS will give the purchaser a tax break because you just bought a piece of commercial farm equipment. They further added that it looks like a school bus from behind and a morbidly obese Cherokee from every other angle.
The fourth placer is Chrysler Aspen. Simon and Garfunkel said, "Every way you look at this you lose." Some of the comments to this car are: It's ugly. It's thirsty. It's slow. It's badly built. It's cramped. It's expensive. Landing on the third place is Buick Rendezvous, which is based on a 1997 minivan.
Jeep Compass landed on the second place. Jeep auto parts that include round headlights and a 7-slot grill made Compass repulsive to TTAC enthusiasts.
Finally, the worst among the worst belong to General Motors. GM Minivans Talk emerged as the TTAC's accolade as the worst vehicles currently for sale in America. Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac SV6, Buick Terraza, and Relay that boasts its Saturn auto body parts fall short of pleasing aficionados.
On the tenth place is Chevrolet Aveo. The automaker claims that said car is the lowest [new] car in America however; the contents of the vehicle may vary. In the United States and Canada, Aveo is available in both 5-door and 4-door models. Chevrolet Aveo sedan debuted in January this year at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. Lincoln Mark LT landed on the ninth place. According to TTAC's voters, the car is an unholy degradation of the world-famous Lincoln Mark nomenclature. In addition, it is said that the Mark LT is a rolling testament to Dearborn's short-term, suicidal reliance on bean-counted engineering.
Saab 9-7x entered in the eighth place of the TWAT. Voters say that the car is nothing more than a Chevy Trailblazer with the ignition key between the seats. Subaru B9 Tribeca, a crossover SUV, settled on the seventh place. Some enthusiasts are saying Subaru should not have bothered building an SUV.
On the sixth place is Chevrolet Monte Carlo, which is said to be a wrong wheel-drive engineering joke from the late '80's. Next on the line is the Hummer H2. The latter, according to some, is so heavy that IRS will give the purchaser a tax break because you just bought a piece of commercial farm equipment. They further added that it looks like a school bus from behind and a morbidly obese Cherokee from every other angle.
The fourth placer is Chrysler Aspen. Simon and Garfunkel said, "Every way you look at this you lose." Some of the comments to this car are: It's ugly. It's thirsty. It's slow. It's badly built. It's cramped. It's expensive. Landing on the third place is Buick Rendezvous, which is based on a 1997 minivan.
Jeep Compass landed on the second place. Jeep auto parts that include round headlights and a 7-slot grill made Compass repulsive to TTAC enthusiasts.
Finally, the worst among the worst belong to General Motors. GM Minivans Talk emerged as the TTAC's accolade as the worst vehicles currently for sale in America. Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac SV6, Buick Terraza, and Relay that boasts its Saturn auto body parts fall short of pleasing aficionados.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Young Driver Car Insurance
Andrew Bowen
It has become increasingly difficult to get young driver car insurance in the UK. The reason behind this is because the statistics for young drivers having a car accident are not very good. By definition, young drivers have very little experience of driving and thus have a greater chance of having a bump in their vehicle. Car insurance companies are obviously in business to make money and are understandably reluctant to insure such drivers. In most cases, companies will either offer a policy at a very high premium or refuse to insure the person altogether.
However, there are ways to lower your premium. First of all you should purchase a car that has a low insurance group number. Insurance group numbers range from 1 - 20. Generally speaking the higher the number the higher your premium is likely to be. This is because cars with high insurance group numbers usually have bigger engines, are more expensive and go faster. A low insurance group vehicle will lower the premium for a young driver policy. Young drivers should also be encouraged to take an advanced driving test. Some companies look favourably on drivers who take this test as they are seen as more responsible and more careful about their driving. Finally, opting for third party fire and theft or third party only cover also lowers your quote. If you have purchased a vehicle that does not cost very much money then you should seriously consider whether or not you need a fully comprehensive policy.
Getting cheaper quotes for young drivers can still be tricky. However, http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk have a special option that is aimed at this particular market and can save you a lot of money on your insurance quote.
Copyright (c) 2004 Accept Direct Limited http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk
It has become increasingly difficult to get young driver car insurance in the UK. The reason behind this is because the statistics for young drivers having a car accident are not very good. By definition, young drivers have very little experience of driving and thus have a greater chance of having a bump in their vehicle. Car insurance companies are obviously in business to make money and are understandably reluctant to insure such drivers. In most cases, companies will either offer a policy at a very high premium or refuse to insure the person altogether.
However, there are ways to lower your premium. First of all you should purchase a car that has a low insurance group number. Insurance group numbers range from 1 - 20. Generally speaking the higher the number the higher your premium is likely to be. This is because cars with high insurance group numbers usually have bigger engines, are more expensive and go faster. A low insurance group vehicle will lower the premium for a young driver policy. Young drivers should also be encouraged to take an advanced driving test. Some companies look favourably on drivers who take this test as they are seen as more responsible and more careful about their driving. Finally, opting for third party fire and theft or third party only cover also lowers your quote. If you have purchased a vehicle that does not cost very much money then you should seriously consider whether or not you need a fully comprehensive policy.
Getting cheaper quotes for young drivers can still be tricky. However, http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk have a special option that is aimed at this particular market and can save you a lot of money on your insurance quote.
Copyright (c) 2004 Accept Direct Limited http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk
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