2009 Nissan Murano: Safety Incarnate

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducts tests on new vehicles so as to be able to find out which among the lot come with the best safety features which could really protect passengers. Results of crash tests would be announced by the IIHS so that consumers would be guided on their purchase of vehicles.

As per the recent tests done by the IIHS, the 2009 Nissan Murano took the top spot among nine other midsized SUVs with four doors. And with that performance, it was awarded the Top Safety Pick award. The vehicles had to go through front tests, side tests, and rear tests and they were aptly graded.

The worst 2008 models did show just what they could not do. For side tests, three 2008 models reflected how poor they could get during side crashes. The three were comprised of the Jeep Liberty, the Kia Sorento, and the four-door Jeep Wrangler. Among the three, the lowest grades went to the Kia Sorento.

They were not exceptional but good ratings are good ratings, especially if you have poor performers with you. For side tests and front crashes, the IIHS was able to find out that good ratings were what the Mazda CX7 and the Mazda CX9 deserved. The Mitsubishi Endeavor also earned good ratings. These three vehicles may have joined the 2009 Nissan Murano in the spotlight however they had low ratings during rear tests. The three were unable to protect passengers well against neck injury which often happens during crashes from the rear. For that, the Mazda CX7 and CX9 only earned marginal ratings while the Mitsubishi Endeavor took home a poor rating.

Joe Nolan is the IIHS' senior vice president on the results he disclosed, "Combined with test results released last year, consumers now have 9 midsize, moderately priced SUV models that earn our Top Safety Pick designation. More good news is that manufacturers have been moving quickly to add safety features like stability control and side airbags to their SUV models. All of the SUVs in this group have ESC, and all but the Wrangler have standard side airbags. Increasingly, consumers are getting the latest safety equipment without having to hunt through a list of options."

What took the 2009 Nissan Murano to the top? Well, Nissan sure did spruce up the vehicle so that it does not only look and perform well but so much so that it also protects well. This new version comes with the electronic stability control as a standard feature. It can be upgraded with nifty products cargo-logic series cargo liner to protect the floor but what is important are the seat belts and the air bags which protect the passengers best.

Jaguar, Land Rover Sold

Some months back, the automotive industry has been bombarded with various pieces of news as per the fate of the Ford Motor Company's Jaguar and Land Rover brands. These two are actually luxury brands that are part of Ford's Premium Automotive Group (PAG).

What has been the seed as per the rumors regarding the fate of the two brands, it actually started with how the brands' vehicles are doing in the market. For quite some time, Jaguar and Land Rover have been performing poorly in the market so much so that the Ford Motor Company has not been gaining much profit from the two brands. It is also not a secret that Ford has been under much financial stress lately because of declining profit and one of their solutions so as to help better their financial situation was to sell their two luxury brands.

When Jaguar and Land Rover was put up for sale, there were quite a number of parties and individuals who were interested in owning the two brands. However, Ford wanted to make sure that they were getting the best deal on the two brands. And what the Dearborn-based car maker did was to set up a system where interested purchasers could put in their bids for the luxury brands. This process took quite some time and experts were looking at the situation as a tactic from Ford so that they could properly study where they would be getting the best deal for Jaguar and Land Rover.

It seems like the end of the bidding for Jaguar and Land Rover has finally come to an end for a couple of days back, a newsletter from the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) carried news that the Ford Motor Company has finally chosen the right party who would purchase the two brands from them. Tata Motors from India would be the new owner of the vehicle and that the purchase of the brands is set to be announced this March 5th of 6th.

The purchase has already been finalized and Tata has already been talking with trade union leaders since last week. The national officer for one of the largest unions in the UK auto industry, Roger Maddison, has announced, "Everything seems fine as far as we are concerned; it's just the lawyers working on it now."

One of the major outcomes of these talks include the fact that Tata would still be sourcing the brands' engines, NGK laser platinum spark plugs, stampings, and other auto systems from Ford.

Jeep Liberties - top of my list for gas guzzlers

Well, now that I sold my 06 Jeep Liberty Limited at auction, I'll be happy to tell you that when I drove it to St. Louis from Springfield Missouri it just about bankrupted me in gas fees. You would think a small SUV like that would not be any big deal on gas, but if you combine automatic, 4 wheel drive, V6 and heater blowing it adds up quick. I've taken that trip a hundred times (literally) and I never gave gas prices a second thought. I have the receipts but I must have spent $60 there and back.

I guess it was the fact that it was such a small vehicle that really set me off about it. I could understand if I was driving a Yukon or Navigator, you would at least expect it then. But what a surprise this was.

While I'm on the subject of Liberties, have you ever driven a 5 speed liberty? It kind of reminds me of driving a 3 wheeler for the first time. It has a very strange feel to it, just not natural. I'm mentioning this because a friend of mine just bought one to resell. It turned out to be a 5 speed with 2 wheel drive. I'll have to ask him about the gas mileage on it...

We did some work on it for him when he got it at the auto auction. So, I drove it to my shop and in the middle of the drive I had to call and warn him of the vehicles strange feel on the road. He said I was imagining things. He was at the sale the next week trying to dump the thing. "Nobody is ever gonna buy this heap after they drive it!" he says.

Well, I don't like slamming other peoples products, but in this case they are a frustrating little truck. Jeep has made some great ones over the years, but this one has missed its mark.

But, as I always say, "I couldn't have built it any better."

Unrealized value in Flipping Project Cars

A common misunderstanding about car pricing gives speculators the upper hand in realizing real value for their money. In analyzing the true nature of car pricing, you can see where the real benefits are won and lost.

New cars are priced based on a hard cost platform that varies slightly depending on the price of steel, plastics, glass, labor and the many other components that make up an automobile. This gives the new vehicles a fairly predictable price point.

Used cars have a more variable pricing structure depending on the owners situation; a leasing or lending institution that needs to liquidate to cover a loan gone bad or a matured lease, a rental company dumping vehicles that have reached a mileage or year plateau, auto dealers covering overheads and sales commissions or an individual that is looking to replace their current vehicle. Depending on their needs, they will be selling the vehicle at or around a reasonably small price range, banks and other lending institutions at the low end of the price spectrum and dealers struggling to get top dollar. Even though there is a range of value, it is still a reasonably tight and predictable market.

Then we have project vehicles, classic cars from the early 1900s to the previously new car that gets into an accident pulling out of the new car store lot. There are a million things that can happen to a vehicle in its lifetime to make it end up a project car; fires, floods, accidents, shootouts, bad transmissions, engines blown, and even a failed customizing attempt. It could have just been a very good car that has been around forever and wound up in a field or in a barn somewhere. When it comes to putting a real hard fast value on a project vehicle it gets a little cloudy. Some owners will have a low perception of its value for whatever reason, other owners will overprice the same car or truck for different reasons. Some buyers will think that a vehicle is worth nothing while another gives it more credit.

The wonderful thing about project cars is that there is a wide range of cost perception between buyers and sellers. This volatility gives speculators great opportunities in some instances and sellers great opportunities in others. I have put this concept to work for many years myself and it has paid great dividends.

Honda RA107: Off with the "Elephant Ears"

In Barcelona, Spain last week Honda F1 team has tested its new aerodynamic design which was in the form of "elephant ears".

The Honda RA107 which was driven by Christian Klien with its protruding elephant ears on its front nose was following the heels on MacLaren's nose-straddling front wing. Unfortunately it seems like the elephant ears are not really meant for racing, the Honda F1 team has set the slowest time of the day. The team has finally decided not to push through with their new aerodynamic design since it has done nothing to enhance the performance of their car.

According to Jacky Eeckelaert, engineering director, "The main purpose of our test programme this week was to evaluate different aerodynamic configurations which have been developed in order to improve the braking stability of the car. The braking is definitely better now and the lap times have improved and become more consistent, but there is still a long way to go to bring the team back into contention."

Honda, second largest auto seller in Japan and maker of high quality accord body kit, has been working really hard to correct the problems of the new car since the start of the season especially in terms of the car's handling performance.

According to some reports the team is currently working round the clock to develop a new car which would be launch hopefully next month in time for the Canadian Grand Prix.

Although the test didn't go well for the Honda team it proceeded remarkably for some teams like for instance David Coulthard and Red Bull Racing has been able to grab some attention by posting a new track record with a time of 1:21.066. The quick lap happens during the qualifying simulation wherein the RB3 was running on a minimal amount of fuel just before it hit the circuit.

Pedro de la Rosa of the McLaren's was 2-10ths back as he tries to test the new front wing of the team's car which would make its debut at the Spanish Grand Prix in two weeks time. Felipe Massa of the Ferrari team was able to finish with the third fastest time despite a mechanical failure that has interrupted his drive in the morning. And as expected of Ferraris they have finished the week recording the fastest time, three out of the four testing days.

Giancarlo Fisichella, the driver for Renault was the fourth quickest with Robert Kubica completing the top five. The driver for Toyota, Ralf Schumacher finishes as the sixth fastest.

About Honda Honda Motor Co., Ltd. or Honda for short is a Japanese engineering and engine manufacturer corporation. It is renowned for its automobiles and motorcycles. It has also surpassed Nissan as the second largest distributor of autos in Japan.

Honda also manufactures other products that include trucks, robots, scooters, jet engines, and jets, ATV, electric generators, water craft, lawn and garden equipment, marine engines, as well as aeronautical and other various mobile technologies. The high-end line of cars of Honda is sold under the Acura brand for China and North America. And just recently the company has ventured into the domain of mountain bikes and they have produced the first-of-its-kind bike that makes use of an internal gear changing system in the Honda RN-01 G-cross.

In addition, Honda is also the world's largest producer of engines, building more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. It was in the year 2004 when Honda started producing diesel motors that were very silent and does not required the addition of particulate filter to pass the emission standards.

Honda has its base in Tokyo. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange, Tokyo Stock Exchange and exchanges in Osaka, Sapporo, Nagoya, Kyoto, London, Switzerland, Paris, and Fukuoka. Honda has subsidiaries in California and Canada plus it also forms a number of joint ventures around the world which include Honda Siel Cars India Ltd., Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company in China, Hero Honda Motorcycles India Ltd., and Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan.

Five Fairy Tales Of Automobile Bumpers

Bumpers have been a long standing battle between automakers and auto insurers with consumers stuck in the middle. Here's why...

FAIRY TALE #1 All Automobiles Manufactured In The United States Have 5 MPH Bumpers.
FACT: In 1982, the federal government bowed to pressure from automakers and rolled back impact test requirements from 5 to 2.5 mph for 1983 and later model cars. The 2.5 mph standard also allows unlimited damage to the bumper and attachments - and most of today's flimsy bumpers cost considerably more than the old 5 mph bumpers to fix.
FAIRY TALE #2 Todays 2½ MPH Bumper Standards Apply To All Vehicles Manufactured In The US.

FACT: Federal bumper requirements apply only to passenger cars. There are no federal standards for Minivans, Pickup Trucks, or SUVs.

FAIRY TALE #3 Bumpers Don't Need To Be More Effective.

FACT: Consumers want stronger bumpers and they want them on all vehicle types. In a 1998 Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) survey, 77% of respondents said the government should require car bumpers to withstand a 5 mph impact with no damage. Eighty-eight percent said federal bumper standards should apply to all passenger vehicle types, not just cars.
FAIRY TALE #4 New Bumpers Are Better Than Old Ones.

Generally no. Bumpers used to be stronger. Example: "The F-150 is all new, but its bumpers are just as flimsy as before and even a little worse," says Adrian Lund of IIHS. "The highest damage total was in the rear-into-pole test. The whole bumper was pushed downward, and the tailgate was crushed. In addition, the left and right ends of the bumper were driven into the rear fenders." But it's not just Ford.

FAIRY TALE #5 All Bumpers Are The Same.

No. Bumpers vary a lot in terms of both components and performance. In fact, some vehicles don't even have bumpers. According to Adrian Lund of the IIHS; when one Toyota RAV4 was crashed into another Toyota RAV4 at 10 mph, "it didn't engage the rear bumper because this SUV doesn't have a rear bumper. Instead, the striking RAV4 hit the spare tire mounted on the tailgate," Lund says. "This spare tire was the 'anti-bumper.' It didn't absorb any energy. It didn't prevent any damage. In fact, it caused most of the damage to both vehicles.
Why It Costs You Money...

Bumpers play a significant role in insurance costs because so many physical damage claims are for relatively small amounts of damage involving the front or rear of vehicles--damage that a well designed bumper could prevent. Half of all collision claims are $1,500 or less. Repair costs for these minor incidents are a major factor in overall collision insurance costs.
So, How Can Consumers Tell If A Vehicle Has A Good Bumper?

Consumers cannot tell a good bumper from a bad one by looking at it. The federal government does not require automakers to disclose information about bumper performance.

Why Pickup Truck And SUV Bumpers Will Never Get Better

Why Pickup Truck And SUV Bumpers Will Never Get Better

Bumpers have been a long standing battle between automakers and auto insurers with consumers stuck in the middle. Automakers want to make lighter, lower-cost (and higher-profit) vehicles with sleek cab-forward designs and short overhangs. Insurers want big, strong bumpers that stick out ahead of the rest of the body to provide maximum protection - and maximum profits for the insurance industry.

The smooth, flowing lines of most new cars and trucks conceal bumpers so well consumers rarely give them a second thought. But back into a pole in a K-Mart parking lot on a busy weekend and bumper design suddenly becomes an important part of your life.

If you ram the pole in a Ford F150 going 5 mph (8 km/h), you're looking at $2,042 in damage and all the hassle that entails: dropping the truck off at the body shop, fighting with the insurance company, mooching rides to work for a week while they fix your truck. But it's not just Ford! Out Of All The Pickup Trucks Made Today, Not One Has An Energy Absorbing Rear Bumper That Will Withstand A 5 MPH Impact!

When it comes to bumpers, Andy Rooney probably said it best: "Bumpers don't protect anything except the income of automobile parts departments."

But, what is the purpose of bumpers?
According to the Federal Bumper Standard, the car bumper is designed to prevent or reduce physical damage to the front and rear ends of passenger motor vehicles in low-speed collisions. Automobile bumpers are not typically designed to be structural components that would significantly contribute to vehicle crashworthiness or occupant protection during front or rear collisions. It is not a safety feature intended to prevent or mitigate injury severity to occupants in the passenger cars. Bumpers are designed to protect the hood, trunk, grille, fuel, exhaust and cooling system as well as safety related equipment such as parking lights, headlamps & taillights in low speed collisions.

So why won't pickup truck and SUV bumpers ever get better? Because, THEY DON'T NEED TO! These vehicles fall under the category of trucks and consequently have NO Federal Bumper Standards. Only passenger cars are required to have 2.5 mph bumpers.

"Pickups may look tough, but they're clearly not tough at all when it comes to preventing damage in low speed crashes" says Adrian Lund of the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety. Today, the average 5 mph rear-into-pole accident for full size pickup trucks costs $1,618 to repair! (That's in 2004 prices - the last time the IIHS tested pickup truck bumpers)
How about SUVs? "SUVs may be advertised as rugged and manufacturers tell potential buyers they can drive these vehicles anywhere adventure leads' them... But consumers can expect big repair bills if they're unlucky enough to bump these so-called rugged vehicles into something at slow speeds" says IIHS President - Brian O'Neill

So how can bumpers be made better? "If you don't have enough overhang, no matter what you have, you're going to have problems," says Mike Ciccone, special projects coordinator at the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety. "You need overhang, energy-absorbing material and a strong enough bumper beam. Those are three main elements."

How do I know if my vehicle meets or exceeds the Federal bumper standard?
Manufacturers self-certify their products in order to meet the bumper standard, as well as all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards. Since this is a minimum performance standard, the manufacturer may or may not be providing a greater level of protection. The agency does not require manufacturers to report the actual performance capabilities of their bumper systems.

Although many manufacturers voluntarily include bumper performance information on the window stickers of new passenger cars sold in United States, only California and Hawaii have bumper performance disclosure laws that require manufacturers to be specific about its performance capabilities.

All About Motorcycle Classifications

There are many types of motorcycles, with each class having distinct differences. Here are the basics of the different types of motorcycle classes.

Cruisers and Choppers

A cruiser is a type of motorcycle where the rider has a straighter position while sitting and the feet are always in a forward position on the bike, meaning they are resting up or in front of the rider. Where for example on a bicycle, for instance, your feet are below where you are sitting.

Cruisers are said to be more comfortable for riding long distances. Cruisers tend to be the most widely customized motorcycles and as such are sometimes referred to as "custom motorcycles". These custom cruisers, also called "choppers", which comes from a reference to the frame being chopped by having the front fork extended. The chopper was the type of motorcycle that Henry Fonda and Dennis Hopper rode in the 1960's movie Easy Rider. A cruiser or chopper is also the most popular class of motorcycle for the serious biker and you'll find a majority of bikers riding them at motorcycle conventions, expos, rallies and other events, as they give off the classic "cool" biker look. The leading maker of this type of bike is Harley Davidson.

Touring Bikes

Touring bikes are another major type of motorcycle. Touring bikes differ from cruisers and choppers in that they are geared towards riders who wish to travel frequently or have commutes. Typically, a touring bike has a large wind screen above the handlebar area. A touring bike will also typically have a larger fuel tank to allow for less frequent stops during travel. The seats and seating position are also optimized for long rides, with more overall comfort and better positioning. Some types of touring bikes may also have luggage and storage options including hard case saddlebags and storage on the rear end of the bike. Other types of touring bikes offer amenities that you'd find on cars, including heated seats, stereo systems, GPS and even air conditioning. Safety devices such as air bags have also been included in some touring bike models. Other types of touring bikes are optimized for off road travel, and include higher ground clearance and extra shielding for protection from off road hazards. A good example of this type of bike is the police bikes that were used on the TV show "Chips". Honda, BMW and Yamaha are some of the leading makers of touring bikes.

Sport Bikes

Sport bikes are much less geared towards comfort than to optimizing the overall performance of the bike. The speed and acceleration are foremost a priority for sport bike enthusiasts. To accommodate this, sport bikes typically offer features like wider tires, lightweight frames and technologically advanced braking, which all sit on a high performance engine. Sport bikes are also much more aerodynamically designed to lessen wind drag and maximize speed, so you'll see very sleek, smooth and often colorful designs. There are also different types of sport bikes, with small sport bikes offering engines from 100 cc to 150 cc, all the way up to what's known as hyper sport bikes, with engines ranging from 1000 cc all the way up to an astounding 1400 cc. Japanese makers lead the pack when it comes to sport bikes, with makers like Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha being at the forefront.