The Aptera 2e, that all-electric car that has made consumers’ minds roll on what is really the score with the whole design will be delayed. This was learned after Aptera announced that the Aptera 2e will start production in 2010. Originally, this vehicle was to start production this year but apparently some money considerations has stalled the vehicle from breaking ground. The forefathers are contending that they can shell out the cash to kick off things but want to avail of the financing program before making any hasty decisions.

This means that the 4,000 people who have placed pre-orders will have to wait some more before the Aptera 2e really goes into production. Hopefully though the long wait will be worth every penny that they had deposited for the said vehicle.

(Source) Slashgear

Tags: 2e, aptera, breaking ground, consumers, electric car, ev, financing program, forefathers, hasty decisions, long wait, money considerations, score

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For motorists and practical consumers, the turn towards efficient vehicles does not only cover the fuel consumption that is being discussed widely by car enthusiasts today. As we know, a lot of talk has been targeted towards the compact space that most cars (especially the electric vehicles) provide today. But don’t tell that to Toyota as they have their own share of ideal solutions such as this 2010 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD. It exemplifies the traditional vehicles for accommodating families in their transport needs.

The Toyota Sienna comes packed with the traditional Toyota concept along with great features as well. For room, there is no question that space has been thoroughly considered. This includes luggage compartment space along with foldable seats and adjustable center consoles for more passenger room. It is powered by a 3.5 liter V6 engine with a 5 speed automatic transmission. The 2010 Toyota Sienna is definitely a car worth considering, particularly for families who want a sensible vehicle to use.

(Source) The Auto Channel

Tags: auto channel, automatic transmission, car enthusiasts, car worth, Cars, center consoles, compact space, consumers, efficient vehicles, electric vehicles, fuel consumption, liter, luggage compartment, motorists, sensible vehicle, Toyota, toyota sienna, toyota sienna xle, traditional vehicles

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Kia Motors continues to introduce larger vehicles as it has revealed that an all-new Kia Sorento model will start production at their U.S. plant. The latest model is the 2011 Kia Sorento CUV which is scheduled to begin rolling off the assembly line at the West Point, Georgia plant.

The 2011 Kia Sorento CUV boasts of an improved fuel economy and more passenger room and seating capacity that previous Kia Sorento models. It will be longer and lower and carries a sleek styling and futuristic touch. The 2011 Kia Sorento CUV will also highlight two- and four-wheel drive options and a variety of upscale appointments to appeal to a wide range of consumers.

(Source) Pres

Tags: appointments, assembly line, consumers, CUV, four wheel drive, fuel economy, georgia plant, KIA, kia motors, kia sorento, models, west point georgia, wheel

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It seems that the rush to avail the Cash for Clunkers program is slowing down despite the additional funding provided by the U.S. government. Compared to the consumer response during its inauguration last July 27, it seems that the sense of urgency by the people to avail of the program has sorely diminished.

Apparently this is because of the additional funding. With the new influx of funds for the program, there is no rush needed to avail of the said deal. People are taking their sweet time or may have decided to forego the said car rebate program due to financial weights. So does this mean that the motorists have set aside the Cash for Clunkers program opportunity?

For now, it seems that people feel no rush to avail of the program. The scenario is the same for a new gadget released in the market. Rushing to get one is the only thing in any consumer’s mind. Now however, with an abundance of resources in the form of funding, people don’t have to worry about running out of funding. There is plenty to spare so why bother to be affected by it?

(Source) Press

Tags: abundance, car rebate, consumers, gadget, Inauguration, influx, motorists, program opportunity, rebate program, rush, sense of urgency, sweet time, weights

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When it comes to smoother rides and better care for car tires, Audi of America knows that using the best tools will be the proper route to take. And to make sure that most of its Audi line of vehicles carry that niche, Audi of America promotes the Haweka Wheel Balancer Tooling which is now available to all U.S. and Canadia Audi dealers.

Proper care for wheels used is equally important both for safety and financial-related issues. And as far as Audi is concerned, adding that privilege via these Haweka flange plates will be useful when it comes to balancing the wheels of their various Audi vehicles. This new technology provides accurate road balancing results thanks to a better stabilizing method to safeguard the top coating of the wheels.

This should be a great benefit as well for consumers as tire used can be consumed better not to mention smoother rides which would translate to better fuel consumption for all Audi vehicles concerned.

(Source) Press

Tags: audi dealers, audi of america, audi vehicles, benefit, best tools, canadia, car tires, consumers, flange plates, new technology, niche, privilege, wheel, wheel balancer, wheels

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The celebrated Cash for Clunkers program is more complex than one would think. At least concerning the dealers, there is a fine print which states that “All trade-ins must be disabled and scrapped by a disposal facility that is a part of the End of Life Vehicle Solutions program and has been approved by the NHTSA.”

This means that in order to avail of the Cash for Clunkers program, dealers need to properly dispose of traded-in cars, meaning that they still have to add another area of business when it comes to operations. But thanks to disposal facilities such as JunkMyCar.com, the process has been sub-contracted, making sure that the requirements of the CARS rebate program are properly addressed.

The benefits Junk my Car offers to dealers include ensuring they receive the Disposal Facility Certification Form, determining the scrap value that will be passed on to the customer, and receiving payment for each vehicle removed.

Hence, for the consumers thinking of availing of the Cash for Clunkers Program, make sure that the dealer you are negotiating with has the proper means of properly processing your intent to avail of the special rebate program. Better yet, inquire if they have an affiliation with Junk my Car, a free junk vehicle removal service that facilitates the removal of cars, trucks, and motorcycles in the United States and Canada.

(Source) Press

Tags: affiliation, Canada, Cars, consumers, free junk, ins, junk vehicle, management services, motorcycles, nhtsa, rebate program, salvage, salvage management, scrap value, trucks, united states, vehicle solutions

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For the people in search of a used car online, here is another site that was redesigned to be more browser-friendly. When it comes to matching used cars with car finders, site owners just have to put into consideration things that a person would be looking for. And it looks like Dominion Dealer Solutions has done just that with GetAuto.com.

Among the highlights of GetAuto.com include that of over 1 million used vehicles and real-time updates on vehicle choices. As you know, the demand for second hand cars has grown tremendously, something sparked by the financial problems that most people are plagued with today.

The new GetAuto.com is accessible to consumers anywhere, anytime through its new iPhone application. Also available on the iTouch, the GetAuto iPhone application can be downloaded from the Apple iTunes Store by searching for “GetAuto.com.”

(Source) Press

Tags: apple itunes, car finders, car shopping, consumers, dealer solutions, dominion, getauto, iPhone, itouch, press car, real time, second hand cars, time updates, vehicle choices

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Now that the Summer is here, the next thing you would need is to find an economical solution to address the cars you will be renting. Rather than reserve your cash for some other enjoyable means, a large chunk of it goes to the vehicle you will rent. However, thanks to Hotwire.com, some tips may change all that.

Here are some great leads to wiser car renting for the summer and it would be advisable to apply these as soon as you can:

If you see a good rate, reserve it right away. Prices are expected to continue rising through July and are expected to stay high all the way through August.

Rent on the weekends. When business travelers have gone home for the weekend, there is more inventory and lower prices for the consumer.

Rent away from the airport if possible. Off-airport and local rental centers can often be cheaper due to lower taxes and fees. Often, by sacrificing convenience, you can save money.

Make sure to fill up the tank before returning your car. Rental centers charge a much higher rate than you’d find at the pump for those who forget to fill up. If you don’t want the hassle, many rental car companies will also allow you to pre-purchase your tank of gas to avoid fees, but it’s still cheaper to fill it up on your own.

Book opaque. Although prices are expected to spike this year, by booking through opaque sites such as Hotwire, consumers can save big. Hotwire Hot Rates allow you to choose your car category and pick up and drop off times without knowing the exact car rental company in exchange for deep discounts – up to 40 percent and rates from $14.95 a day.

(Source) Press

Tags: business travelers, car category, car rental company, Cars, chunk, consumers, convenience, economical solution, exact car, hassle, lower taxes, money, rental car companies, Tank

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A new campaign kicks off with a creative slogan for Nissan of North America, as it embraces the new challenges that the automotive industry has to deal with today. The new campaign, “Look Closer Nissan Deliver” is something that should help spice up the advertising efforts of Nissan, a boost that they need to make their car line exciting for consumers concerned.

Among the inclusions of this advertising campaign include a TV spot, print campaigns, interactivity, and direct mail. All these advertising campaign efforts started last July 8. The campaign was created in conjunction with Zimmerman Advertising, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

(Source) Press

Tags: advertising campaign, automotive industry, campaigns, car line, challenges, consumers, fort lauderdale, inclusions, lauderdale florida, Nissan, north america, slogan, spice, tv spot, zimmerman

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Women need the respect and proper attention when it comes to car maintenance services. And one good thing to direct the female drivers to car service centers is being certified on being female friendly. Autohaus Imports Inc. becomes the first certified female friendly center in Raleigh, completing the AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly training.

Similar to most special training courses aimed at being certified for a marquee niche, AutoHaus successfully completed over 8 hours of online training on how to better meet the expectations of the woman consumer.

“Up until now, like many automotive businesses, we thought the obvious goal was to ensure that women were treated the same as men. Through the Ask Patty program, we’ve learned that treating women the same as men does not necessarily yield the ideal experience for women. This may not sound profound, but with an increased awareness of what elements women seek in a positive automotive servicing experience, our service center is better prepared to meet and exceed the expectations of our female clients” stated Doug Rogers, Owner/Operator, Autohaus Imports Inc.

An Ask Patty certified service center creates an inviting and comfortable environment where women feel welcome. They guarantee that the experience of repairing and maintaining a vehicle will be a pleasant one. Ask Patty trained and certified associates are held to a high level of customer satisfaction with women consumers.

(Source) Press

Tags: car maintenance services, car service, consumers, customer satisfaction, doug rogers, elements, female clients, female drivers, friendly center, niche, owner operator, proper attention, training courses

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Extended car warranties will from hereon be something linked to scams. That is perhaps how you can sum it all up when you talk about the celebrated Car Warranty Robo calls, one of the most aggressive telemarketing schemes that has annoyed motorists to date.

The car warranty ‘robo-calls’ warn consumers that their vehicle warranty is about to expire which is said to be one of the most aggressive telemarketing schemes ever known. This scam has been finally put to rest after the FTC lawsuits were served.

Federal regulators have filed lawsuits against all three companies seeking the return of illegal profits, believed to be in the tens of millions of dollars, from the extended warranty telemarketing scams. Identifying the companies as Voice Touch & Network Foundations (FTC File No. 0823263) and Transcontinental Warranty (FTC File No. 0923110) was no easy task since they took extraordinary measures to conceal their identities.

But the damage has been done and from hereon there may be no stopping car owners into fearfully classifying extended car warranties as scams. In short, this has severely punctured the actual use of extended car warranties. On whether these will be corrected and reversed will take time and for sure, a lot of legit companies are praying that it would erase this awful stigma.

(Source) Press

Tags: car owners, car warranty, consumers, extended car warranties, extended warranty, ftc, illegal profits, lawsuits, measures, motorists, network foundations, regulators, robo calls, stigma, telemarketing scams, telemarketing schemes, tens, vehicle warranty

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Call it a marketing gimmick, but the best way to guide motorists on how it is to save fuel is through an actual vehicle the proves to be fuel-efficient. This promotion comes right in time for the summer when people are expected to do a lot of traveling.

And the person tasked to head the cause is Penske Racing driver Sam Hornish Jr., who will be driving a special no. 77 Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 11.

The event will also highlight a retail promotion in which consumers can receive a $10 rebate when they buy five one-quart bottles or one five-quart jug of Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy. The promotion runs from May 18 to August 31, 2009.

(Source) Press

Tags: chicagoland, consumers, Dodge, fuel economy, gimmick, jug, lifelock, marketing, mobil 1, motorists, nascar, quart bottles, retail promotion, right in time, sam hornish jr, speedway, sprint cup

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Various groups have been aiming to educate consumers on whether they are eligible for the much publicized “Cash for Clunkers” program but now Polk offers a new solution that can possibly get right down to which vehicles are actually eligible, saving people the trouble of being turned down and wasting their time.

Polk’s new custom solution is a predictive model created by taking into account a vehicle’s age, category, current market value and EPA combined fuel economy. It enables focused targeting of consumers most likely to qualify for the Cash for Clunkers program.

“Polk has followed the Cash for Clunkers concept since it was introduced and has created a robust resource to help our customers target qualifying households that may benefit from this government program. Ultimately, it’s about selling new vehicles,” said Lonnie Miller, director of industry analysis at Polk. “We forecast that the U.S. will see roughly 200,000 additional sales this year due to the Cash for Clunkers program.”

(Source) Press

Tags: consumers, households, new solution, new vehicles, program source, vehicle eligibility

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Consumers looking for new reliable GPS devices can now check out the Magellan Maestro 4700 GPS device. This is a new ultra-slim device that features a 4.7 inch color touch screen along with some captivating features for people who want a reliable and trendy navigation aid and tool for their vehicles.

The Magellan Maestro 4700 device also performs advanced navigation tasks with built-in voice command capabilities and hands-free Bluetooth calling.

Features:

• Exclusive OneTouch Favorites Menu
• Bluetooth Compatible Hands-Free Calling
• Predictive Traffic
• Instant Access to All Points Of Interest (POI)
• “Find Your Car” with Pedestrian Mode
• 3D Landmarks
• Larger Fonts
• Intuitive, Context-Driven Touch Zones
• New Address Book
• QuickSpell with Smart City Search

The Magellan Maestro 4700 is now available for purchase at $299.99. It ships with a windshield mount and cradle; 12-volt vehicle power adapter; USB cable, protective pouch, adhesive disk for alternative, on-dash mounting; and quick reference guide.

(Source) Press

Tags: 12 volt, address book, capabilities, city search, color touch screen, consumers, gps device, gps devices, instant access, landmarks, magellan maestro, navigation aid, navigation tasks, points of interest, power adapter, quick reference guide, Ships, smart city, voice command, windshield

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Today, cars rely heavily on what is hot as far as cars are concerned. While many point to magazines and websites, the only problem is reliability. For web users, landing the right side may be inconsistent since we all know that there over a million sites that offer car reviews which may be either exaggerated or lacking in information

However, there is a new way to get these leads, all through your mobile phone. The Talee’s TestDrive Website should be a great resource for motorists who want to find out the latest about the hot cars in the market either for possible purchase or simply for comparison.

“TestDrive gives car buyers a great new service that for the first time lets car buyers see which cars are rated the highest by real people from across the Web,” said Taleee CEO Steve Harmon. “Rather than rely on one magazine review or one opinion, with Taleee’s TestDrive car buyers get the overall rating on a car from consumers across the Web, the widest possible consumer base. Ratings from peers is number one.”

(Source) Press

Tags: base ratings, car buyers, car reviews, consumers, hot cars, magazines, mobile phone, motorists, real people, reliability, testdrive, web users

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