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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, meanwhile, urged motorists not to wait for a fix. “This is an urgent matter,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “For everyone’s sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration.”

The impending U.S. recall, the largest in Toyota history, followed a horrific crash last month in San Diego in which a mat was suspected of snagging a gas pedal on a runaway Lexus, ending with a fiery crash that killed four family members.

A minute before the crash, the driver called police to say the car had no brakes and the accelerator was stuck. The runaway car was doing more than 120 mph when it hit a sport-utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames. The car, equipped with all-weather floor mats, was on loan from a dealership while the driver’s own vehicle was being repaired.

“The tragic accident in San Diego was certainly an eye opener for all of us,” said Senior Vice President Irving Miller, prompting the company to review previous allegations of unintended acceleration caused by floor mat interference.

Miller said the company could not quantify the number of complaints, nor could it estimate the cost of the safety campaign.

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1. The first thing that you should do is put together a monthly budget of your expenses so you can see the amount of money that you can afford for a car payment.

2. The second thing that you need to do is to put together some money for a down payment on the car. You can get a lower car payment and a lower interest rate if you put down a decent down payment. You should try to put down at least thirty percent so that you don’t have a hefty auto loan to deal with.

3. The third thing that you should do is select three types of cars that you might like to own; then go view them at a car dealership. It is important to weigh your pros and cons when selecting a car to buy because the loan is a huge responsibility.

4. The fourth thing that you need to do is serious discuss financing with a few car salesmen so that you can see what types of car financing that they offer so that you are prepared when you go to apply.

Getting a car loan is now very easy through Any Credit Auto Loans. This company helps consumers to find the best auto financing available; the company says that your prior credit history does not matter. They will help you get an auto loan no matter what your credit history looks like. This service is free and consumers can begin the process by filling out an application. The application is pretty short but it can be very beneficial to helping you find a great place to get your car financing. The whole process takes less than 24 hours and you will learn very fast if your application has been approved.  They will help you get the car that you want in no time!

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The 2009 NY Auto Show is the best place to get a look at the latest and greatest advancements in automobile technology. (Event Schedule) Whether you are interested in going fast or going green, there is something there for everyone. While you cannot actually purchase a car at the New York Car Show, take a look around and get some ideas for your next buy. Not only is there the opportunity to check out a display of antique cars, there is also vast information on the newest developments such as increased gas mileage, lowered emissions and brand new safety features developed to keep you and your family safe.

The winners of “Car of the Year” are all smaller cars which get great gas mileage:

• 2009 Ford Fiesta
• 2009 Toyota I!
• 2009 Volkswagon Golf

If you plan on checking out the NY Auto Show this weekend, be sure not to miss the raffle for the 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera, benefiting the Diabetes Foundation. Also, definitely check out the automotive career fair, which is a great opportunity for students soon to graduate. The exhibit of custom cars is sure to awe as well.

The New York Car Show will be running at the convention center from April 10th through April 19th, from 11am to 10:30pm (7pm on Sundays). It is open to the public and tickets can be purchased online or at the door. The NY Auto Show is an event that is sure to delight the whole family.

Most Commented Articles:

• Hybrid MPG: Toyota Prius vs. Nissan Altima vs. Honda Civic
• Lexus, Toyota Recall; Floor Mat Causes Crash
• How to Finance Your Next Car Purchase; Any Credit Auto Loans
• Advantages of Better Gas Mileage in the 2009 Chevy Aveo

They’ve got a whole list of really cool Green Technology Cars they’re going to be spotlighting over the course of the next week:

Cadillac — Escalade

Chevrolet — Tahoe

Chrysler — Aspen Hybrid

Ford — 2010 Fusion Hybrid

Lexus — RX 400h

Mercury — 2010 Milan Hybrid

Toyota — Camry

Toyota — Highlander

Volkswagen — Jetta TDI Sedan

Perhaps the most surpirsing on that list is the gigantic Cadillac Escalade SUV!  Who ever thought a huge SUV would be discussed in the same breath as fuel economy?  But Cadillac says the new Escalade Hybrid will deliver more than a 50-percent improvement in fuel economy in city driving with its new fuel-saving 2-Mode Hybrid system. It’s still only listing at 20 MPG, but hey, that’s alot better than the miles per gallon the regular version gets!  Since its pricetag is starting at over $70,000, though, you’re probably not worrying about saving a few bucks on gas if you buy it …

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The five-month slide in gasoline prices has come to an abrupt halt, with gasoline rising by several cents in recent days amid indicators that the national average could jump to $2 a gallon or higher this spring.

So we’re facing rising gas prices — how does that impact new car purchases, specifically hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles?

Automotive analysts expect consumers, who are still wary over the shaky state of the economy, to buy between 10 million and 12.4 million new cars and trucks in 2009.   That’s down substantially from the 16.7 million in annual sales the industry has averaged over the past decade. And it’s even lower than the dismal 13 million or so in sales expected for 2008.

So the question is, at what point does fuel economy and better gas mileage become an issue again?  A lot of consumers have simply stopped purchasing new cars due to the poor economy. Once car sales begin to pick up, though, it will be a new market out there.  Consumers will want cars which get better gas mileage and more miles to the gallon.  Next years answer may come from Ford:

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, and its twin, the 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid, are mid-to-full-size sedans that seat five in surprising comfort and offer a full-size trunk measuring around 12 cubic feet. They measure 190.6 inches and weigh a goodly 3,720 pounds. The gas-electric output is 191 horsepower and 0-60 mph acceleration is under 9 seconds.

With the cost of gas increasing to $2 in the next few months, more and more consumers will take another look at hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles.

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What is news, however, is that Americans are driving less than they were when gas prices were high.  The Business Courier reported today that the U.S. Department of Transportation found Americans drove 100 billion fewer miles between November 2007 and October 2008, even after gas prices began to fall.

100 billion fewer miles.  That’s a lot of not driving, although it may shed even more light on the declining gas prices.  As oil prices by the barrel continue to drop, we have to consider the fact that less people driving means less demand, which always leads to lower prices.

Some of this has to do with a change in behavior for American drivers.  Perhaps they’re going Green and just don’t want to burn more fuel, maybe they’re unemployed, maybe they’re exercising more, or perhaps it simply is a fact that Americans don’t drive as much as they used to.

Whatever the reason, the result is clear: fuel prices dropping to below $1.50 in many parts of the country.  Which also means less fuel tax income for state highway departments, which means less money to fix roads and infrastructure.  So you may be paying for that cheap tank of gas next year when your state has to raise taxes to fix all the potholes.

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So why is everyone talking about the Mercedes Shark II right now?  Because Kim Kardashian (of Keeping Up With the Kardashians fame) and her boyfriend, Reggie Bush (of the New Orleans Saints, but not as famous), have decided to auction off some of their belongings for charity.  And somehow she talked him into auctioning off his Mercedes Shark II!  It seems they really needed the fame more than the money, however, because they actually submitted a press release to all the major marketing outlets to let everyone know just how “philanthropic” they were being.  I guess he didn’t like it that much anyway – in the past 2 years he only drove it about 7,100 miles.

You can follow the auction for the Shark II on Ebay – it’s up to $80,000 at the time of this writing, and doesn’t end until Dec. 3, 2008.  I tried to find some specs on the car, like how much gas mileage it gets, but it seems when you have that much to spend on a car you’re not so concerned with mpg.  The standard Mercedes CLS four door coupe gets about 12-14 mpg city, and 18-21 highway, and starts at about $65k.  But that’s before ASMA Design got to the car.

ASMA Design took a 2006 Mercedes AMG CLS 55 8-cylinder, chromed it out with a new front grill and chromed alloy rims, and gave it a new Bi-Color finish.  The changes are subtle, but that’s all it takes when you’ve got a brand new Mercedes to work with.  Some more info on the Mercedes Shark 2:

• Mercedes Shark II Photo Gallery
• More Info on ASMA’s Mercedes Shark II
• Other stuff Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush are auctioning on eBay.

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CBS News reports: Nationally, the AAA says 41 million Americans were expected to travel more than 50 miles for the holiday, down about 1.5 percent, or 600,000 people, from Thanksgiving last year. Of those, about 4.5 million are expected to fly, down about 7 percent from last year, while around 33.2 million will drive, a decrease of about 1 percent.

It is the first decrease in holiday travel nationally since 2002, and the largest since the Thanksgiving that followed the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

The real bad news is a 7% drop isn’t really enough to notice when you’re actually on the road, especially if you’re stuck in traffic this year.  That’s about a half a car every 5 not on the road from last year; and if you’re stuck in between 5 cars going 10 mph are you going to notice that half a car missing?  I guess it will be worth it, since you’ll know you’re spending about $1 less per gallon on gas than you were last year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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“The average price of self-serve, unleaded gasoline on Friday in the United States was $1.97,” said Trilby Lundberg, publisher of the Lundberg Survey. “The last time the price was below $2 was on March 4, 2005,” she said.

This is attributed mostly to the drop in crude oil prices.  Last summer, when gas prices were over $4 for most areas of the country, crude oil had risen to over $100 per barrel.  Friday oil futures dropped to just under $50, marking the lowest point in the dramatic drop in the past 4 months.  Of course, the decreased demand for gas, in part due to joblessness and the poor economy, also contribute to the falling prices.

This is all good news, except for the fact that the price drop is probably coming to an end, as the oil market is settling down.  Don’t get too excited about seeing gas drop below $1 gallon next month, it probably won’t happen.

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