Jeep’s Safety Tips

The Winter X Games is on! And extreme as this event may be, the Jeep brand is, at the same time, sharing its safety tips for everybody.

Dr. John R. Tongue, a fellow at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, says, “More than 12 million Americans will take advantage of the winter season and spend time outdoors sledding, skiing, snowboarding or snowmobiling this year. Of those, nearly 400,000 -- or approximately one out of every 30 -- Americans will sustain a winter sports-related injury. Our goal is to make sure consumers embodying the adventurous Jeep motto, 'go anywhere, do anything,' are acting in a safe and intelligent manner whether they're on the slopes or in their own backyard.”

The doctor even further shares, “A proud sponsor of the Winter X Games since 2002, Jeep has been dedicated to safety and outdoor action sports for more than 66 years. The Jeep Safe Way to Play campaign combines Jeep's commitment to safety and adventure in an effort to ensure that the same attention to safety designed into every Jeep vehicle is carried over to sledding, skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling.”

Here are some of the driving tips as shared by automobile brand, Jeep:

Drive slowly. Snow on the road could make driving quite slippery so drive slower than usual. Make sure that your vehicles come with the best safety features and technologies.

Be aware of the ice. The sun may already be up but there are still some icy areas around.

Have first aid kits handy. Anywhere you go, do not forget to bring a first aid kit. You might need that.

Alabama To Use Alternative Fuel

Many states are trying out vehicles that use alternative fuel. And the state of Alabama is joining in the band wagon. What it’s head, Governor Bob Riley, mentioned is that the state would then be transferring from ordinary vehicles to units that use ethanol for their fleet. This, of course, is a way to let the public know that using alternative fuel vehicles can be actually done.

Aside from this, the governor also mentioned that they would also be working on making the availability of alternative fuels much easier for consumers. And at the state’s Motor Pool, the state would be investing $324,000 so as to be able to put in a fuel tank of E-85 which has the capacity to hold 12,000 gallons of such a kind of alternative fuel.

Be excited for such would be available come this May.

2008 Lexus RX 350: How Much?

A couple of days ago, the Lexus luxury brand has already shared the new prices for the 2008 Lexus RX 350 – the leader in sales of luxury SUVs. With the new prices, there would also be new upgrades to the vehicle which include:

exterior enhancements

new front grille design

extgerior door handles in chrome

18-inch alloy wheels with seven spokes

two exterior colors: brandy wine mica & desert sage metallic

new interior wood trim color

So much would be the new prices for the vehicle?
$37,400 – front wheel drive unit
$38,800 – all wheel drive model

Good deal, I may say.

Which Sedan Gets The Best Fuel Economy?

Are you in the market for a good sedan? Well, not only a good sedan that would give you the things you need in a vehicle. But more of a sedan that would also allow you to save much on fuel. After all, the prices of fuel is sure going higher and higher again these days.

Well, here is a list of 2007 model year sedans and their fuel economy. Maybe it could help you out pick the right one for you.

55 mpg
Toyota Prius 4-Door Liftback
Toyota Prius Touring

39 mpg
Toyota Camry Hybrid 4-Door Sedan

37 mpg
Toyota Yaris Sedan
Toyota Yaris S

36 mpg
Toyota Corolla CE
Toyota Corolla S
Toyota Corolla LE

35 mpg
Honda Fit 5-Spd MT
Honda Fit Sport 5-Spd MT

34 mpg
Honda Fit 5-Spd AT
Honda Civic Sedan DX 5-Spd AT
Honda Civic Sedan LX 5-Spd AT
Honda Civic Sedan EX 5-Spd AT
Honda Civic Sedan EX 5-Spd AT w/ Navigation System

33 mpg
Hyundai Accent GS 3-Door
Hyundai Accent SE 3-Door
Honda Fit Sport 5-Spd AT
Hyundai Accent GLS 4-Door
Kia Rio Base
Kia Rio LX
Kia Rio SX
Honda Civic Sedan LX 5-Spd MT
Honda Civic Sedan EX 5-Spd MT
Honda Civic Sedan EX 5-Spd MT w/ Navigation System

31 mpg
Ford Focus Sedan S
Ford Focus Sedan SE
Ford Focus Sedan SES
Ford Focus 5-Door Hatchback S
Ford Focus 5-Door Hatchback SE
Ford Focus 5-Door Hatchback SES
Mazda MAZDA3 i Sport 4-Door
Mazda MAZDA3 i Touring 4-Door
Hyundai Elantra GLS
Hyundai Elantra SE
Hyundai Elantra Limited

30 mpg
Chevrolet Aveo LS 4-Door
Chevrolet Aveo LT 4-Door
Saturn ION 2 Sedan Manual
Saturn ION 3 Sedan Manual
Nissan Sentra 2.0
Nissan Sentra 2.0 S
Nissan Altima 2.5
Nissan Altima 2.5 S

Driving Safely During The Winter

Here are some tips to keep you and your car in mint condition despite driving through snowy and icy roads:

If you are driving through snowy roads, make sure that you do not speed up. You see, your tires may give up and send you skidding through the road.

A temperature gauge would help you out a lot during driving. That way, you can check if you can already speed up or slow down.

If you are on black ice, drive more slowly. You would know you are on black ice if your car’s tires are kind of quiet. Other hints are that the temperature has dropped and your windshield has started fogging up.

If you start skidding, keep your feet on the gas pedal. And make sure that you do not panic. Always keep your head clear and let your mind show you where you want to go. More likely than not, you’ll be back on the road in no time at all.

Driving In Winter

If you have ever dealt with black ice, you would know that it would seem as if there was no ice at all. All you experience is when your car starts to skid off the road.

Did you know that black ice is one of the main causes of accidents during the months when the temperature is low? However, it is not the only reason for accidents during the said wintery months. Here are some:

Your vehicle is using old tires or is using tires not made for snow.

You lack a gauge that checks out the outside temperature.

You never thought that you would be driving in such road conditions.

Well, it still is best to be safe and sure. So when the temperature starts dropping, be on the alert. You would never know when black ice would hit.

You Need Good Tires In Winter

Why do you need good tires during winter driving? Well, tire manufacturers made winter tires to have a different tread design so much so that they get a good grip of the road. Plus, these winter tires also have been created with some rubber compounds so much so that you would not be skidding through the road during driving in the cold.

Normand Latremouille is the expert of winter tires from Michelin and he shares, “Changing, mounting and balancing tires every six months ends up costing a lot more over three to five years than having a separate winter driving set.”

“With four-wheel drive, it comes down to adhesion,” expresses Steve Erlichman of Mercedes Benz. “With four-wheel drive, it comes down to adhesion. The more power you have to all four wheels and double the grip, the safer and better handling you have in both wet and dry conditions.” Erlichman even shares his philosophy on this, “A smoothness to your driving in bad weather also helps. Go as smooth on the throttle and brakes as posisble. Also, don’t make any quick movements that will cause you to break traction. You can’t defy the laws of physics and when you lose too much grip, sometimes there is nothing that will help.”

AutoWeek Releases Best List Of 2007 NAIAS

AutoWeek’s editorial staff annually does their share of judgments during the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) and just recently, the magazine has already informed the public of their top choices among the lots of vehicles set on display at the car show.

Most Fun: Dodge Viper

Bob Gritzinger (senior news ed for AutoWeek): 600 hp, 8.4 liter V10, breathing so heavy the Dodge boys had to add half a dozen new hood vents just to bleed off the excess heat. The car goes 0-60 mph in less than four seconds, and goes 0-100-0 mph in 12 seconds flat. What could be more fun than that?

Best Concept: Ford Interceptor

Mandel (senior editor at AutoWeek): No matter what you call it, this Ford sports sedan based on a stretched Mustang chassis is one hot concept. We can only hope Ford takes the next step to put this pony car for the family man into production as soon as possible.

Most Significant: Chevrolet Volt

Gritzinger: The idea behind the car – a pure electric powertrain that gets its energy from plugging in at home or work, or from an on-board generator powered by a small gasoline engine – is surprisingly simple. GM says they’ll be ready to build this car by 2010 or 2012, and unless battery companies can’t come through, Volt and GM’s E-flex System could spell the beginning of the end of America’s addiction to foreign oil.

Best In Show: Jaguar C-XF

Mandel: C-XF, the concept version of the coming S-Type replacement, is the sexiest four-door we’ve seen from Jaguar in years. This car draws a line from past Jaguar sedans to Jaguar sedans of the future.

Best Sports Car: Chevrolet Corvette


Best Exotic: Bugatti Veyron


Best Sedan: BMW 3-Series


Best People Mover/SUV: Honda Odyssey


Best Economy Car: Audi A3


Best Luxury Car: Audi A8L


Best Coupe/Convertible: BMW 6-Series


Best Truck: Ford F-Series


Best First New Car: Honda Civic

Star-Studded 2007 NAIAS

Have you been to the 2007 NAIAS?

If you’re a car lover, you would surely not want to be left behind. In fact, many people have already been there.

Which celebrities have been there?

* Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke (Dancing With The Stars)

* Bobby Flay (chef and restaurateur)

* Seal, Kelis, Tamia, and Sisqo (R & B singers)

* Bill Gates (Microsoft)

* Bobbie Thomas (Fashion Police)

* Deborah Norville (Inside Edition)

* Tommy Davidson (comedian)

* Marvin Winans, Jr. (songwriter)

And the list is still continuing to grow! Join up and rub elbows with the stars and the cars.