Six gear cars

Archive for January, 2010

How Well Can Your Car Withstand Collision?

How safe is your car? Is it above average? Do you have any idea how well it can withstand collision? The answers to these queries are very important not just to car occupants but to automakers as well. Experts say showing consumers how a particular car performs in times of collision is an effective sales tactic.

At the muchconcluded New York Auto Show held last week one of the most controversial displays was a crumpled Ford Taurus. The display was the Dearborn automakers effort to show visitors how durable Ford parts are and how well Taurus withstands a collision.

Ford Motor Co.s display created an ambiance that made consumers think more about their car safety especially in a crash. For some buffs the automakers introduction of its innovative safety features is treated as a breath of fresh air.

Historically automakers avoid any suggestion that vehicles actually collide and occupants could die in their cars. However safety inside cars has become a hot issue in the past decades. This is why at present automakers are finding ways to offer the most effective auto features to ensure safety of car occupants.

Car safety has always been difficult to explain. It is also difficult to sell. And automakers have allowed unspoken white lies about safety to promote their cars. Wired News reported: Drivers who ride high in a vehicle for example report feeling safer because they can see out over traffic. Yet a vehicle with a high center of gravity is more likely to roll. Large and heavy cars cocoon passengers in copious steel protecting them in the event of a collision. Yet large and heavy vehicles are more likely to lose traction. They’re more likely to be involved in an accident in the first place.

But misconceptions are slowly jettisoning consumers mind. Last year Volkswagen AG ran the “Safe Happens campaign to promote the Jetta and the Passat. The campaign effectively tickled consumer interest in VW.

SmartCar moreover used videos of the crash tests on the Internet even before the ForTwo was offered for sale in America. At the automakers press events crumpled rolled and battered vehicles were displayed. The move has pulled consumers closer to SmartCar.

Big names in auto safety such as Volvo Cars have also introduced features that provide protection to occupants in collisions. Features include crumple zones seat belts airbags side impact protection strong occupant compartment and head rests. Whats more car features that help avoid crashing such as electronic stability control ESC antilock braking systems ABS intelligent speed adaptation ISA traction control and active braking systems were also installed in vehicles.

About the writer:  Anthony Fontanelle is a 35yearold automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.

Pricing For 2009 Aveo And Aveo5

The 2009 Aveo lineup pricing revealed by Chevrolet including the redesigned Aveo5 five door hatchback start at 12120 together with a 660 destination charge for Aveo LS and Aveo5 LS making it one of the most affordable cars on the market. With features such as sideimpact air bags and OnStar it will cost a hundreds less than many competitors.

One of the most efficient cars on the road is the Aveo with the rating of 27 in the city and 34 on the highway of the estimated fuel economy and with the standard manual transmission. Aveo sedan and Aveo5 LT models start at 14255 for 1LT trim and 15520 for 2LT trim including the destination charges. The standards air conditioning is available on LT models and an automatic transmission. Powered by a new and more powerful 1.6L Ecotec engine the all Alveo and Aveo5 models that uses variable valve timing and other technologies to deliver great fuel economy and responsive performance. Equipped with the available fourspeed automatic transmission the Aveo models and also deliver excellent highway mileage ratings of 34 mpg. City mileage ratings with the automatic are 25 mpg.

Chevrolet general manager Ed Peper says Aveos value story has never been stronger With great fuel economy from the new 1.6L Ecotec engine bold styling and a hardtomatch roster of features including standard OnStar the Aveo and Aveo5 deliver exceptional value for customers who dont want to sacrifice style and convenience for efficiency.

Not expected in the segment of the Aveo lineup offers a highvalue combination of great styling and auto parts features. Both the sedan and Aveo5 hatchback’s design confident stance defines as crisp sculpted lines and a wide. This broadshoulder appearance is highlighted by premium cues including threedimensional richly detailed headlamps that extend into the hood available front fog lamps and bold taillamps that are set within jeweled bezels. This all styling is all for new 2009 Aveo5 inside and out. Offered features auto parts include XM Radio leatherette seating trim steering wheel audio controls a poweroperated sunroof that retracts into the roof for improved aerodynamics poweradjustable and heated outside mirrors and more. With dual frontal and sideimpact air bags both the 2009 Aveo and Aveo5 models comes standard also as front safety belt pretensioners a tire pressure monitoring system oil life monitoring system and OnStar. Continue with strong ownership coverage the Aveo’s history of low ownership costs. Chevrolets fiveyear/100000mile powertrain warranty and roadside assistance and courtesy transportation have the best coverage in America.

About the writer:  Anthony Fontanelle is a 35yearold automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.

Route 66: The Main Street Of America

Route 66 first entered the general public conscience in 1939 when California writer John Steinbeck published his novel The Grapes of Wrath detailing the westward migration of Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl farmers to California’s San Joaquin Valley. During the story he refers to Route 66 as the Mother Road a nickname it still has today. When Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel the road became even more famous.

The highway also gave its name to a popular television show Route 66 broadcast during the early sixties in the United States. The show featured two young men looking for adventure along Americas highways and was clearly inspired by passages from On the Road by Jack Kerouac his book describing several cross country adventures undertaken in the 1940s. The book has since become a literary staple for any wouldbe road trippers and has inspired countless journeys down Route 66.

Starting in the 1950s and continuing gradually over the next 25 years old Route 66 was bypassed section by section as the highspeed Interstate highways were completed. Finally in 1984 when the last stretch of freeway was finished Route 66 was officially decommissioned; the old route is now designated Historic Route 66 and is firmly lodged with an almost mythical quality in modern popular culture

While much of the appeal of taking a trip down the legendary highway lies in the thought of being on the open road in the wilderness speeding past one great attraction to the next Route 66 also takes in some of the United States most archetypal roadside scenes including great displays of neon signs rusty middleofnowhere truck stops and kitschy Americana. These almost accidental tourist attractions detail a rich part of Americas history with many of the roadside cafes and motels being opened during the Great Depression when hundreds of thousands of farm families displaced from the Dust Bowl made their way west along Route 66 to California. Indeed many of the small roadside towns along the route only survive today due to shameless self promotion of attractions and nostalgic travellers eager to enjoy a small part of this increasingly endangered American experience.

Over the past 50 years more and more people have set their sights on a trip down Route 66 and with constant developments in the world of automobile travel particularly in the realm of car finance the experience is no longer exclusive to people with time on their hands and money to burn.

From the suburban idyll of Southern California past the Grand Canyon and the Native American communities of the desert southwest to the gritty streets of St. Louis and Chicago a trip down Route 66 is truly the pinnacle of road tripping for any traveller and offers an unforgettable journey down the Main Street of America.

About the writer:  Adam Singleton is an online freelance journalist and keen gardener. He lives in Scotland with his two dogs.