Car Insurance

Traffic safety is one of the major concerns of car manufacturers. Through the years, different active and passive safety features have been developed by automakers to protect their consumers in cases of crashes. While there are a lot of safety features for the occupants of vehicles, there seems to be a shortage of vehicle safety features concerned with the safety of pedestrians.

Protecting a pedestrian from severe injuries or even death as a result of being hit by a car is an issue being addressed by the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan. Currently, the only safety features integrated into vehicles aimed at pedestrian safety are bumpers which are specially designed to absorb energy and would then lessen the impact when a vehicle comes in contact with a pedestrian. These bumpers reduce the risk of severe injuries to pedestrians accidentally hit by vehicles.

Recently, Nissan announced that they are developing a pedestrian safety feature which would be based on cellular communications. The company reported that they are in the process of studying a cutting edge Intelligent Transportation System or the ITS which uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine the location of pedestrians which might be accidentally hit by the car.

The car company also further announced that the new system currently being developed will be using the next 3G cellular communications system. The said system will be used to pinpoint the location of a pedestrian and its relative risk of being hit by the car.

Nissan, known for the dependability of their vehicles and stock parts such as Nissan wheels and other components reported that the system will come in handy on a blindspot situation where the drivers’ vision is limited. Nissan reported that the system will be tasked to collect information concerning the position, speed, and other data regarding the car and the pedestrian. An onboard computer will then consider these data and warns the driver if there is a risk of hitting a pedestrian. The warning will alert the driver to take evasive actions to avoid hitting the person sensed by the system.

Although the safety system looks good in theory, there are still a lot of issues that needs to be addressed. Nissan announced that they will be studying in which situations that drivers should be warned. Information needed for the system to properly warn the driver includes the speed of the vehicle, the position of the pedestrian, and the distance between the car and the nearest pedestrian. These data are just some of the data needed by the system. Nissan is also on the process of looking for the most effective warning medium that will be used with the system.

The demand for cleaner cars is growing steadily and car manufacturers are rising to the occasion by developing and producing environment friendly cars. In the United States, the popular technology used on clean cars is gas-electric hybrid technology. These vehicles make use of an electric motor to provide additional power to the vehicle.

Meanwhile, in Europe, diesel engines are the current trend in “green” car technology. It is so popular in the continent that even luxury cars manufactured by European car manufacturers are equipped with diesel engines.

Asian car manufacturers on the other hand are using the hybrid technology widely. Toyota and Honda are currently leading the hybrid auto revolution in the United States. While the two biggest Japanese car companies are investing heavily on hybrid technology, the Nissan Motor Corporation, a Japanese company, is joining the ranks of European car manufacturers by producing clean diesel engines for their vehicles.

Recently, Nissan announced that they have started the production of the Nissan QASHQAI. The QASHQAI is marketed in the United States under the name Rouge. It is a compact crossover sport utility vehicles and it will be Nissan’s diesel engined vehicle entry to the European auto market. The engine of the QASHQAI is a 2.0-liter dCi engine. The said powerplant is capable of producing 150 horsepower at 4,000 revs per minute.

One of its strongest selling points is its fuel efficiency. The engine has a gas mileage rating of 42.8 miles per gallon. That figure makes the Nissan QASHQAI one of the most fuel efficient vehicle in its class. Consumers will have a choice of transmission. Nissan offers a manual transmission and a six-speed automatic transmission which is considered to be an oddity in the compact crossover SUV class.

The diesel engine is the fruition of the collaboration between Nissan and its French partner Renault. The engine, according to Nissan, perfectly combines power and refinement. While the engine provides a high power output, it produces less sound than one would expect from a diesel engines. The smooth operation of the engine can even be compared to the gentle purring of a Nissan window motor.

What gives the engine a significantly quiet operation is the aluminum bedplate at the bottom of the engine. The said bedplate is designed to absorb much of the vibrations during operation. Other factors that contribute to the smooth and quiet operation of the engine are the twin counter rotating balancer shafts. It counters the vibration produced by the rotation of the crankshaft.

Nissan expects that the diesel engine will become the most popular engine amongst Nissan car buyers. With the performance, refinement, and good fuel efficiency, Nissan’s prediction is definitely within reach.

The increasing awareness of the global community about the threat of global warming has spurred car buyers to opt for environment friendly vehicles. This in turn made car manufacturers develop and produce cars with a good fuel economy and cleaner emissions.

Recently, Forbes named the twelve greenest vehicles for the 2007 model year. The list includes six hybrid vehicles and the remaining six are powered by conventional gasoline engines which are designed to produce less greenhouse gases.

Forbes selected the twelve most environment friendly vehicles based on the data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The agency gives new vehicles with air pollution scores which Forbes used to select the twelve greenest cars for the 2007 model year. The EPA’s rating system gives scores from zero to ten. In such a scale, the ten rating would be the highest. Of the twelve vehicles on Forbes’ list, only two vehicles, the Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid were given a score of ten by the EPA for greenhouse gas emissions.

Both the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius were named as co-leaders of the green vehicle revolution. The two hybrid vehicles from the Japanese car manufacturers shared the top spot. Another Toyota model, the hybrid version of the Camry, also made it to the list. The fourth hybrid on Forbes’ list is the Ford Escape Hybrid. The Honda Accord hybrid is also considered as one of the twelve greenest vehicles as well as the Mercury Mariner Hybrid.

Completing the list are conventional gasoline engine powered vehicles. These are designed with greenhouse gas emission reduction in mind. The six non-hybrids are typically small cars. The Ford Focus is one of the six non-hybrid vehicles to make it to the list. The Hyundai Elantra is also named as one of the greenest vehicles. The Kia Spectra, a small car first released in 2001, makes it to the list as well. The Mazda3, a compact car produced by yet another Asian car company, is also included in this green list.

Another Asian brand which has a vehicle in the list is Nissan. The Nissan Altima sedan with its energy efficient components such as the Nissan window regulator is also named as one of the twelve greenest cars. Completing the lineup of the twelve greenest cars is the Saturn ION. While the ION is technically a compact car, it is currently the longest vehicle in its class.

Forbes furthermore reported that the average price of these cars on the list is $20,000. Last year, the average price of Forbes’ list was $21,000.

The growing threat of global warming and the depletion of fossil fuels has forced the auto industry to venture in the development of auto technologies which will reduce dependence on fossil fuels. One technology being explored by car manufacturers is the possible advent of electric cars.

Currently, the auto industry has successfully developed hybrid electric vehicles and fully-electric vehicles as well. These vehicles use an electric motor to aid the vehicle’s internal combustion engine. One major issue being faced by the auto industry when it comes to the construction of hybrid electric and even fully-electric vehicles is the battery pack which a vehicle needs to have so as to get and store power.

To address the issue, car manufacturers are partnering with other companies outside the auto industry to develop better battery packs for electric cars. One car company which has expressed its dedication to the development of better battery packs is the Japanese car company Nissan. The company recently announced that they have formed an alliance with NEC Tokin, which is a subsidiary of NEC, to develop highly efficient lithium-ion batteries for automotive application.

The partnership aims to make the electric cars more practical. A problem being faced by the electric car technology is the cost of production. If a partnership such as this can find a way to make an electric car’s battery cheaper, then electric cars can be within the reach of an even larger number of consumers.

The partnership between two of Japan’s biggest companies will work on the safety and stability of lithium-ion batteries. This kind of battery is seen as a better alternative to the nickel-metal hydride batteries which is being widely used currently. Lithium-ion batteries weigh less than nickel-metal hydride batteries. It is also more powerful than Ni-MH batteries. In fact, lithium-ion batteries are half the size of nickel-metal hydride batteries but they can store twice as much power as the Ni-MH battery. This battery pack can efficiently power an electric car or its amenities such as power windows controlled by a Nissan window switch.

Investing in the development of an advanced battery pack will positively affect Nissan. After all, it is predicted that the rechargeable car battery market will experience a surge in the near future. The expected expansion of the said market will be the effect of the advent of electric cars. It can be expected that as car manufacturers come up with ways to bring the cost of production, the public will certainly buy these environment friendly vehicles.

Car manufacturers are already developing plug-in hybrid cars which show that the future of electric cars is coming pretty soon.

Many of us dream of buying a cheap used car. Well, let’s amend that a bit. Many people dream of buying a cheap, good, used car. Unfortunately it’s all too easy to get a cheap used car that’s, well, cheap. You’ve probably already got one of those, though. Here is how you can get one of the cheap, good used cars.

There are several things to consider. The first thing to think about when you’re looking for a used car is what your requirements are in a vehicle. If you need to drive yourself 40 miles a day to work, a Chevy Suburban is probably not your best choice. Conversely, if you take your family of 7 on trips while towing your boat, a Suburban would be a great vehicle for you. You can save quite a bit of money by getting only what you really need in a vehicle. While that may not be very exciting, the money you save will be.

Once you’ve decided what type of vehicle suits your needs the best, narrow down which vehicles in that category will be the most desirable. The less picky you are when it comes to things such as colors, brand, and features, the easier it will be to get a great used car, cheap. A few features you shouldn’t overlook are safety and reliability. After all you, and possibly your family, will depend on this car, and if you think about it, your lives are at stake every time you ride in it. Check Consumer Reports and MSN autos for reliability figures. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does some very good tests to determine the vehicle safety in a variety of different collision situations. Check them out as well.

Once you’ve narrowed down the field a bit, it’s time to start looking for your new, used car (isn’t that an oxymoron?). Look for some of the less popular, but still functional, reliable, and safe brands. You’ll save some money for example, by foregoing a Honda for a Nissan, or skipping a Toyota and landing in the driver’s seat of a Mazda. One other point to consider is that today’s vehicles hold up remarkably well with far beyond 100,000 miles showing on the odometer. In fact, they can still look and run almost new at this figure. So, don’t let a few miles scare you. You’re buying the car for what it has left, not what it has.

Once you found a car that seems to fit your requirements, there are some things you should check to make sure you are in fact getting a good, cheap car, not just a cheap car. Locating one that has been well taken care of is vital. While today’s vehicles are remarkably robust, they do require regular maintenance to ensure they will provide the years of service of which they are capable.

They may run like Swiss watches, with the highly engineered, internal parts spinning about in a fine, choreographed ballet, but that example of modern engineering could turn into a pile of very expensive junk if it doesn’t get the care it feels it deserves. The subsystems for modern vehicles are very expensive. It’s not uncommon for a transmission to cost between $3,000 and $6,000. An engine may set you back almost $10,000. The moral here is that a bit of careful investigation could save you a big headache later. You need to act like a horse trader in the old west. Look at the old girl to be sure you really want to take her home.

When you’re out shopping, you should definitely check the vehicle’s history. You may discover all manner of horrors hiding in it’s sordid past. Carfax works very well for this. Bring a laptop or mobile device to access the web while you’re shopping. You can get unlimited uses for a month for a pretty reasonable price, so you can check out a large number of prospective vehicles as you’re shopping.

When you’re actually looking at the car, kneel down and sight down the car’s body lines. If they are wavy or you can see obvious imperfections in the paint, chances are the car has been damaged and repaired at some point. Another trick is to bring a small magnet with you. If the car has metal body that’s been repaired with body filler putty, the magnet will not adhere to the repair as well as it does to the other parts of the body. Crawl under the car and check the frame or unibody members for any signs of bending, corrosion or other damage. See if it looks like the car’s underside has been places you wouldn’t take a car you loved.

Pop open the hood. Pull out the dipstick to check the oil. See if the oil is between the “add” and “full markers, and if it’s black or a nice, golden brown. If it’s thick and black, the oil probably has been neglected. Check to see of there’s any white substance mixed with the oil. That’s usually engine coolant. It’s not supposed to be in there with the engine’s oil. If it is, there’s a blown gasket or an even more serious engine problem. That won’t be an inexpensive car, but it may be a cheap one.

Check the tires for uneven wear. If the tires need to be replaced soon, that may not be a trivial expense on many cars. You could spend $350 - $600 on a new set of treads, mounted and balanced. The car’s tires are extremely important to vehicle safety, handling, braking and acceleration however, so don’t skimp if you do have to put on a new set of tires. Just be sure you use the fact in your negotiations. Uneven tire wear may also be indicative of a greater problem, such as a suspension or alignment issue. It could also mean the car has been wrecked in the past and not repaired correctly.

You need to decide where you want to look for your car. You can choose a private party. You can often get a great deal from a private party. See if you can discover their reason for selling the car. Some insight here may determine if you have a highly motivated seller and give you the upper hand in the negotiation. Another benefit to a private party is that you’ll often get the car’s service records. These can boost the resale for you later and shed light on any past problems.

You can obviously buy from a dealer. There are hundreds of lots brimming with shiny used cars in most metro areas. You won’t get as good a deal from a dealer (?) in most cases, but you won’t have to meet 46 different sellers either. In addition, you can possibly get some kind of warranty of the dealer offers one. If you do elect to avail yourself of a warranty, read the entire contract vewy, vewy carewfuwy.

You can buy your cheap, used car from an auction. There are many different kinds of vehicle auctions. Many law enforcement agencies sell off vehicles confiscated according to property forfeiture laws. These laws allow the agencies to keep property of those arrested for a variety of crimes, particularly drug crimes. If the perp had pride in his ride, you can get a very nice vehicle. Other auctions are held to dispose of vehicles seized by customs officials, abandoned at towing yards, or to satisfy tax liens. You can also find fantastic deals at auctions held to liquidate vehicle fleets of large businesses, such as phone and utility companies. It’s not uncommon for vehicles to be sold for far lower than they would in any other marketplace, often at only pennies on the dollar..

The downside of auctions is, you guessed it, you know nothing about these cars. In addition you can’t drive them in most cases. In the cases where you can drive them, you’ll only be permitted to take them for a slow spin around the auction yard. Another downside is inventory selection at many vehicle auctions. The selection can range form outstanding to very limited. You know what, though? Many used cars on dealer lots are found at auctions. The dealers keep this little secret tucked safely away inside their little book of tricks. If you could get your new car at an auction you could pay what the dealer’s pay, sometimes less.

Next time you need to buy a cheap, used car, remember there is one for you out there somewhere. You just need to find it. Remember, cheap and good!