We love our pets. We love our cars. And we love to put our pets in our cars and take them with us to the park, to the beach, on vacation.
Pickup Sales Falling: There’s A Good Reason Why
Pickups, for years, have been the best-selling vehicle in the United States. But recently released year-to-date sales are showing that overall, pickup truck sales have fallen this year. Sales for the Nissan Titan have dropped more than 9% this year. In September of 2006, more than 6,000 Titans were sold. This past September, sales barely beat the 5,000 mark. Chevrolet’s Colorado and Ford’s Ranger are faring far worse. Sales for the Ford Ranger are down more than 20% over this…
Pickup Trucks And Safety
Recent news has the consumer population clamoring about whether or not the cars we drive are really safe. Forbes came out with an article on July 30, 2007 by Bengt Halvorson titled “Top 20 Most Dangerous Vehicles,” that uncovered some unnerving facts about pickup trucks in general. According to the article, “Pickups as a class have the highest rate of fatality and serious injury,” said Michael Dulberger, president of Informed for Life a safety advocacy group.
Pick Up Trucks: The Symbol Of Today’s Middle America
Middle America geographically refers to the area of land between the east coast states and the west coast states, but the term is more often used as a cultural label rather than a geographical one. It tends to suggest a suburb or small town where most of the residents are middle class (households earning approximately between $19,000 annually considered lower middle class and those earning up to about $55,000 per year upper middle class). The paradigm of “Middle America…
Playing It Safe: What You Should Know About Vehicle Safety
Car safety is much more than just airbags. Most people envision a safe vehicle as one that performs well in those ever-popular crash test dummy commercials. But in reality, it’s much more than that.
Preventing Corrosion: What Your Vehicle Can’t Tell You
If you live in a state where snow and ice covers the ground each winter, you’re probably well aware of just how necessary it is to de-ice the roads. Since the 1930s, when salt was originally realized to work for this purpose, agencies have been using this tried and true method to keep roads safe for driving. Salt works because of its natural ability to melt ice without adding too many harsh chemicals to the environment. But salt is, as we’ve all seen evidence of, quite corros…
Roadside Assistance: What Every Driver Should Know
It’s dark. The highway is deserted. You’re driving alone. Still miles from home, you stare at the illuminated patch of pavement ahead when suddenly an unrecognizable POP from under your hood and your vehicle quickly loses power. You pull to the shoulder, grab your cell phone, and start to rummage through your wallet looking for the 800 number to your auto club.
Safe Vehicles, Safer Passengers?
With all the upgrades to passenger vehicles in recent years you’d think the number of injury accidents would be on the decline. Most vehicle manufacturers have included both active and passive safety features to their cars in an effort to make them safer. For example, Nissan offers pipe-style steel side-door guard beams to absorb the impact of a side collision and Isuzu offers head-curtain side-impact air bags. Many vehicles also offer active safety features in an effort to h…
Grille Guards And Bull Bars Are Ready For Battle Or The Burbs
It’s true that a solid grille guard serves a number of functions and utilities for your truck or SUV. Still, most people get one for looks. Adding a grille guard to your ride unmistakably means that you and your truck or SUV mean business. This breaks down which types are available on the market, I was surprised with what I found.
How To Get The Best Fuel Economy
With gas prices still on the rise, getting the best possible fuel economy from your car is more important than ever. Over the long run, it can save you hundreds of dollars. Isuzu, the SUV and pickup truck specialist with the popular Ascender 5-Passenger SUV, offers several tips on its website on how to get the most out of filling up your tank.
Increased SUV Crime: How To Protect Yourself
Automobiles have always been a target for thieves as most vehicles are much easier to break into than houses and unattended vehicles parked in structures or side streets allow thieves to commit their crimes virtually undetected. Even if your SUV has an alarm system, don’t rely on it to keep your vehicle safe. Here are some tips to follow to deter thieves from choosing your SUV to break into:
Engine Know-how: Cylinders, Torque, And Pistons
Everyone knows that if you want to pack a punch, the 8-cylinder engine is the way to go. You know it, I know it, the car dealer knows it, and if you check with your insurance agent to see if your premiums will increase when you trade in that 4- for an 8-, you can be sure he/she knows it too. But it’s not quite that simple. Which engines really do perform the best? Well, to answer that, we need to look at a few engine basics.