Posts Tagged ‘vehicle’

CarFax: Learn How To Read The Report

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

If you are in the market to buy a used car, you MUST understand the CF (CF) report that each used car MUST have. CarFax is either provided free, by the seller, or you, the purchaser, must pay for the report. The typical CarFax report is 25 pages in length – don’t panic there is a recap page or two that summarizes the rest of the report. There are six parts to the report:

Vehicle History Report. This is the first page of the CarFax and the most significant! This page at once sums the entire CarFax if 1) any accidents, 2) number of previous owners, 3) if the car was leased or corporate vehicle, 4) service records available, 5) detail event records 6) last odometer reading. One glance, at the CF, informs you if this used automobile is a turkey and not to spend another second of your time or if this car is worthy of more research.

A summary of 1) title problems, 2) ownership history, and 3) other data follow. Critical items that CF has found can be investigated in just seconds. Items CF has determined need to be investigated are spotlighted – this saves a lot of time and that’s the secret of CarFax.

The Details section, under the Vehicle History Report, shows all events, like accidents, change in ownership, state inspections, etc. in one handy location. Each owner of the car has a section with all the details CarFax has accumulated.

Vehicle Highlights. There are many sections in Vehicle Highlights. Ownership History segment reviews the number of prior owners and latest mileage. State DMV-Reported Title Problems is an enormous critical section. Check if the car’s title has been reclassified into: Salvage, Junk, Rebuilt, Fire/Flood, Hail Damage, or Buyback/Lemon titles. Bypass this used car, if this has occurred.

Warranty Check. This is a very handy segment that shows various kinds of warranty coverage and if there is some warranty left. Reject or confirm any seller’s claim about warranties in this section. Some of the types of warranty coverage tracked by CarFax are: Basic coverage, coverage of the Drive Train, Emissions coverage, Corrosion coverage, and if any of the warranties are transferrable.

Safety & Reliability Ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests are covered in this fantastic section. Front, side, and rear crash results inform you just how safe this used car is to drive. Injury, Collision, and Theft Indicator section rates this used car against all automobiles and gives you guideposts as to this automobile’s ranking – below average, average, or better than average. Manufacturer recalls and if they were done to the car are covered in the Safety Recall section. J.D. Power Rating is a wealth of information contained in the last segment.

Buyback Guarantee Certificate (Optional). If the used car qualifies, CF will buyback the car if they screwed up with damage warnings, odometer readings, titles, or a Lemon History reporting. Some cars flunk and this should be your test too – if CarFax won’t issue a Buyback Guarantee then you should NOT buy that used automobile.

Consumer Ratings & Comments. This last segment constitutes feedback from car owners of this same model, make, and year of car. Trust me, if there is a problem with this kind of car other owners will post their horror stories. Once you use CF you will advise folks of any problems you have with this make of car.

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Best Used Cars for Your Teen

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Whether you are a teenager buying your first car, or a parent taking on the challenge of finding a car for their teenager, there are a variety of aspects that must be understood before getting behind the wheel.

Regardless of your teens protests, it is usually best to stay as practical as possible when buying the first car. Pick something safe and reliable because after all, who wants to be sitting on the side of the road a day after the car has been purchased just because the vehicle was your teens favorite color?

With all of the makes and models out there today, there are a vast sea great quality used vehicles to choose from. The following is a list of some of the best used cars for your teen:

- Dodge Charger: This is a great vehicle that is safe to drive. It is not prone to rolling over and the size of the vehicle keeps the passengers safe. Its tough and rugged look leans towards the looks of a muscle car which appeals to the male teens, and it has an average fuel usage of approximately 25 mpg on the highway and 18mpg in the city. The cost of this car can be a bit high, but it is well worth it.

- Chrysler 300: This is a great looking vehicle that everyone in the family would like to drive, so the teen may find that they are wrestling with Mom and Dad in the driveway for the keys. On average, the price is a bit high, but it is a safe car. The gas mileage is much like that of the Dodge Charge.

- Jeep Wrangler: This car is popular with the teens because of all the extra gadgets it can come with such as MP3 players and iPods. Keeping that in mind, this may not make it one of the safest to be on the road with, especially if attention is focused on shuffling tunes instead of watching the road. With that said, the price is usually reasonable and the gas mileage is great. An added plus is that the government gave the Jeep a five star crash test rating, so you can feel safe about your teen driving in this vehicle.

- Chevy Cobalt: There are a variety of brightly colored cars to choose from with this model which helps to make it a fun drive for the teen. The price is affordable, even if purchasing it as a new car. It is also very fuel efficient. This is a popular choice of both teens and their parents because of its price, looks, safety, and fuel-efficiency.

- Chevy Equinox: If you are looking for a bigger set of wheels, then the Equinox will fit the bill. Even though it is an SUV, which have a bad reputation for rollovers, the Equinox has a four star rating so that issue can be placed lower on the list of things to worry about The pricing is average to high and gas mileage is a bit lower coming in at 24 mpg on the highway and 17 mpg in the city.

Finding the right car for a teen can be a time consuming task, but the more research and test driving you do from a used cars dealership, the better it will be for you and your teen. Make sure that the car you choose has the options you require. Remember to compromise when picking out the car, and most importantly, have fun while shopping!

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Half Water Half Gas Save 60% On Gas

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

High gas prices have become a normal occurrence today. We often have to shell out more and more money to get just as far as we were getting before.

Today, there is a solution to this problem called Half Water Half Gas. This system allows your car to run on both gas and water allowing you to save over 60% of your fuel costs.

This technology was apparently invented over 90 years ago but was never put into widespread use because the oil industry did not like it. This technology has become more available today due to the internet and better spread of information.

This system basically works by increasing gasoline efficiency by running a car on gasoline and water.

We see that it works fine by using the extra electricity that is generated by the battery to turn the water in oxygen and hydrogen. This is then run through the engine’s vacuum system to blend with the gas. Gas in normal cars doesn’t burn very efficiently so by adding water, you end up with a cleaner burn and also the result of not as much gas having been used. So, you are saved quite a bit of gas and in turn, quite a bit of money.

The technology to be able to make your car run on water and gas is surprisingly simple and anyone can install it. Even those people without any automobile experience can do it in about 30 minutes using hardware and tools that can be picked up at a hardware store.

If you are interested in picking up your own guide on installing this wonderful device to save you 60% and more of your fuel costs, then check out the Half Water Half Gas guide which features detailed instructions on how to install such a system and allow you to start saving more money on gasoline today.

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,