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Posts with tag automobile

Auto insurance industry takes the gas money savings from small car owners

by Gary E. Sattler Oct 27th 2008 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Insurance, Transportation

Many drivers of smaller automobiles may be smiling about their fuel cost savings, but their smiles may soon fade when they start to realize that the auto insurance industry is taking a share of the money that they aren't paying for gasoline. Let it not be said that smaller automobiles don't come with a cost trade off.

An examination of automobile insurance premiums from The Wall Street Journal reveals that the nature of smaller autos makes them justifiably more expensive to insure. For some smaller cars, such as some of the new hybrid models, replacement parts can be difficult to obtain, and labor costs are sometimes higher than for conventional autos. Additionally, hybrid cars can often take longer to repair.

Hybrids in the News

    The BMW Concept 7 Series active hybrid car is seen on the back of a camera display at the Paris Auto Show, in Paris, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)

    AP

    People are seen looking at the BMW Concept 7 Series active hybrid car at the Paris Auto Show, in Paris, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)

    AP

    SHENZHEN, CHINA - OCTOBER 14: (CHINA OUT) Visitors view a F3DM electric vehicle and its model at 2008 China High-tech Fair (CHTF) on October 14, 2008 in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, China. BYD F3DM, which has been claimed as China's first mass-produced electric vehicle by BYD Auto, is a gasoline-electric hybrid plug-in vehicle, using a small gasoline combustion engine to charge the car's battery. When fully charged, it can run as far as 100 to 110 kilometers by electricity. BYD planned to launch F3DM hybrid by the end of this year in Shenzhen. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    SHENZHEN, CHINA - OCTOBER 14: (CHINA OUT) Visitors view a F3DM electric vehicle and its model at 2008 China High-tech Fair (CHTF) on October 14, 2008 in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, China. BYD F3DM, which has been claimed as China's first mass-produced electric vehicle by BYD Auto, is a gasoline-electric hybrid plug-in vehicle, using a small gasoline combustion engine to charge the car's battery. When fully charged, it can run as far as 100 to 110 kilometers by electricity. BYD planned to launch F3DM hybrid by the end of this year in Shenzhen. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    SHENZHEN, CHINA - OCTOBER 14: (CHINA OUT) A model poses to promote a BYD F0 at 2008 China High-tech Fair (CHTF) on October 14, 2008 in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, China. F0, a traditional gasoline-fueled car, will be replaced by a Dual Mode (DM) plug-in hybrid in the future. BYD Auto unveiled on October 12 the F3DM, which has been claimed as China's first mass-produced electric vehicle by BYD. F3DM is a gasoline-electric hybrid plug-in vehicle, using a small gasoline combustion engine to charge the car's battery. When fully charged, it can run as far as 100 to 110 kilometers by electricity. BYD planned to launch F3DM hybrid by the end of this year in Shenzhen. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    SHENZHEN, CHINA - OCTOBER 14: (CHINA OUT) A model pets a child as she poses to promote the BYD autos at 2008 China High-tech Fair (CHTF) on October 14, 2008 in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, China. BYD Auto unveiled on October 12 the F3DM, which has been claimed as China's first mass-produced electric vehicle by BYD. F3DM is a gasoline-electric hybrid plug-in vehicle, using a small gasoline combustion engine to charge the car's battery. When fully charged, it can run as far as 100 to 110 kilometers by electricity. BYD planned to launch F3DM hybrid by the end of this year in Shenzhen. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    SHENZHEN, CHINA - OCTOBER 14: (CHINA OUT) Visitors view a F3DM electric vehicle at 2008 China High-tech Fair (CHTF) on October 14, 2008 in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, China. BYD F3DM, which has been claimed as China's first mass-produced electric vehicle by BYD Auto, is a gasoline-electric hybrid plug-in vehicle, using a small gasoline combustion engine to charge the car's battery. When fully charged, it can run as far as 100 to 110 kilometers by electricity. BYD planned to launch F3DM hybrid by the end of this year in Shenzhen. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    SHENZHEN, CHINA - OCTOBER 14: (CHINA OUT) Visitors view a car model depicting the structure of F3DM electric vehicle at 2008 China High-tech Fair (CHTF) on October 14, 2008 in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, China. BYD F3DM, which has been claimed as China's first mass-produced electric vehicle by BYD Auto, is a gasoline-electric hybrid plug-in vehicle, using a small gasoline combustion engine to charge the car's battery. When fully charged, it can run as far as 100 to 110 kilometers by electricity. BYD planned to launch F3DM hybrid by the end of this year in Shenzhen. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    SHENZHEN, CHINA - OCTOBER 14: (CHINA OUT) The Household Charge Port and Quick Charge Port are seen on a F3DM electric vehicle at 2008 China High-tech Fair (CHTF) on October 14, 2008 in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, China. BYD F3DM, which has been claimed as China's first mass-produced electric vehicle by BYD Auto, is a gasoline-electric hybrid plug-in vehicle, using a small gasoline combustion engine to charge the car's battery. When fully charged, it can run as far as 100 to 110 kilometers by electricity. BYD planned to launch F3DM hybrid by the end of this year in Shenzhen. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 09: The Toyota Hybrid Supra HV-R is unveiled during the Australian International Motorshow at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre October 9, 2008 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

    Getty Images



Karen Block, an independent insurance agent in Medford Wisconsin, indicates that the situation is quite basic and easy to understand. She stated: "Smaller cars have statistically higher repair costs." The Wall Street Journal article reports: "A recent study by the Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the IIHS, found that overall insurance costs for crash damage were higher for 11 of 12 hybrid cars and SUVs than for their gas-only counterparts."

While the owners of smaller cars may be paying higher costs to have their own cars repaired, it should be noted that their premiums for property damage liability may be lower. This is due to the fact that, when compared to larger vehicles in similar collisions, smaller cars tend to do less damage to the things they hit. There is concern however, that this condition may also mean that smaller cars offer their occupants a reduced level of crash protection, which is why I keep myself surrounded by a full sized Chevy pick-up truck, and keep my wife in her well built Jeep SUV.

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Tags: auto insurance, AutoInsurance, automobile, collision, crash, hybrid, premiums, repair, SUV

Workin' at the car wash - pondering the ins and outs of keeping your car clean

by Carol Vinzant Jun 25th 2008 at 4:30PM

Filed under: Budgets, Shopping, Transportation, Recession

If you're the kind of driver who has been spending more and more on car washes in the last few years, you may be thinking of cutting back on all that expensive detailing now that money is tight. I talked with a few car wash experts about what you really need and what really pays off in car washing.

The average car gets washed four times a year, says Mark Thorsby, executive director of the International Carwash Association, which, to no one's surprise, recommends a more frequent cleaning of once or twice a month. Car owners have always had a wide range of what they consider the acceptable level of cleanliness and care for their cars.

Many mix-up the at-home and professional cleaning, depending on the season and occasion. They may get the car cleaned after winter or before a wedding. And a few only begrudgingly go only as often as they take themselves to the dentist or doctor-once a year.

"On the other extreme, we have customers in the real estate business who are washing the car every day because they're picking clients up," says Bruce Milen, owner of Jax Kar Wash, a collection of Detroit area car washes that his family started in 1950, with a downtown car wash that was open 24-hours and cost $1. His operation offers a kind of frequent washer program for these obsessive cleaners: for a flat yearly fee they get unlimited washes.


Tags: automobile, car, car wash, CarWash, featured, maintenance, Rain-X, wash, wax

Continue reading Workin' at the car wash - pondering the ins and outs of keeping your car clean

Handgun and a car: The LA special, now available in Missouri!

by Bruce Watson May 25th 2008 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Extracurriculars, Transportation

Mark Muller, the owner of Max Motors in Butler, Missouri, blames Barack Obama: "He said all those people in the Midwest, you've got to have compassion for them because they're clinging to their guns and their Bibles. I found that quite offensive." Muller went on to admit, however, that "We all go to church on Sunday and we all carry guns."

The irony-impervious Muller decided to take Obama's words as a challenge, and began offering free handguns with every vehicle purchase. Sales have quadrupled in the three days since the promotion began, and the company has sold more than thirty vehicles. Most customers have taken the free gun, a Kel-Tec .380 pistol, although Muller is also offering a $125 gas card for those patrons who don't want to carry a firearm in the glove compartment.

The irony, of course, is that Muller is doing a fantastic job of proving Obama's point. While we wait for the irony to sink in, however, Muller will continue to sell his road-rage special until May 31, 2008. Get your gas-guzzler and lethal weapon while supplies last!

Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. He's holding out for a catapult and Hummer special.


Tags: automobile, automobiles, barack obama, BarackObama, car, Mark Muller, MarkMuller, max motors, MaxMotors, obama

How much does that new car really cost you?

by Josh Smith Apr 28th 2008 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Transportation

If you purchase a car like me, a large part of your decision making is based around how much you can afford to spend. The last time we bought a car we didn't take into account the total cost of ownership. The cost of ownership is represented by fuel costs, maintenance, depreciation, interest paid and other factors which impact the total cash you put out for your new vehicle over the first five years of ownership. The results are often surprising and reinforce the need to bunker down and research vehicle purchases.

Consumer Reports has compiled cost of ownership for over 300 cars in the April issue, which is also available online to subscribers. AOL autos took an in depth look at the report and pulled some interesting information about vehicle costs. Sometimes spending a few grand more on the initial purchase will add up to savings in the long run. If you plan to change vehicles every 3 years, this tool won't be much help for you, since it is based on five years of ownership, the length of most car loans.

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Tags: automobile, cars, cost of ownership, CostOfOwnership, depreciation, gas

Continue reading How much does that new car really cost you?

1970's AM stereo 8-track, $99,000, ClassicMuscleCars.com

by Gary E. Sattler Feb 17th 2008 at 1:01AM

Filed under: Extracurriculars, Transportation, Daily Deal

1970 Plymouth 440 Cuda

Okay, so my title is just a little bit misleading. The stereo 8-track player that I am bringing to your attention is housed within a 1970 Plymouth Cuda, with a 440, 6 barrel V-8 and a four speed manual transmission. They only manufactured 1,755 of these cars in 1970 and the fully restored beauty that I found for you is really priced to sell at ClassicMuscleCars.com.

Never mind the fact that cars like these averaged about 14 miles per gallon. Back when Detroit was cranking out the best of the muscle cars, a gallon of gasoline cost us less than a dollar. We played with cars like these the way today's kids play with their ipods and Xboxes. We kept city road crews busy repairing ripped asphalt and we kept Goodyear and Firestone in the black.

What makes this particular car such a meaningful bargain is that according to the National Auto Dealers Association guide it is priced well below it's quality standard. Cars of this model in a condition similar to this one can fetch as much as $190,000. The asking price of $99,000 on this car would generally reflect a specimen which is very well kept but not actually worthy of a show trophy. This particular gem happens to be fully and professionally restored. It's an auto collectors dream and if the economy was better, it would have been sold before I finished this blog post.

Okay now fellas, put your tongues back in you heads and get back to work. I'm going to go look at some Camaros.

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Tags: 1970, 4-speed, 440, 8-track, autoblog, automobile, cars, collectable, collectible, Cuda, muscle-car, NADA, National Auto Dealers Association, NationalAutoDealersAssociation, Plymouth

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