Best practices, top tips for buying car insurance

Reed begins the article with the statement: When it comes to auto insurance, you want to be adequately covered if you get in an accident but you don’t want to pay any more than you have to. So how can you navigate your way through this murky subject?” Reed offers step-by-step guidelines from how much coverage is needed to soliciting competitive quotes and researching online insurance companies for discounts to canceling your old policy. The author also offers a succinct, comprehensive checklist: * Determine your state’s insurance requirements. * Consider your own financial situation in relation to the required car

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Sixty years of Vespa Girls: Cast your vote for the best of the bombshells

The LX has four different engines, all high-tech and Euro 2 compatible, ranging from a powerful 50cc two-stroke and a 50cc four-stroke to a 125 and 150cc four-stroke. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars Roman Mica, a contributing editor to the Weekly Driver.com, ikes one tradition of Vespa more than its cool scooters. It’s the  tradition of the Vespa Girls, a wonderful collection of beautiful women who have served as Vespa Girls through the years. Mica has Vespa Girls polls, selecting the most attractive representative for the

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Toyota recalls 600,000 Sienna minivans with corrosion problem

Toyota is recalling about 600,000 certain Sienna minivans from 1998 to 2010 models years sold in the United States to address potential corrosion on spare tire cables. The Japanese manufacturer reported “prolonged exposure” to road salts may lead to corrosion of the carrier cable in these vehicles. As a result, the spare tire to fall from the car. “In the worst case, the carrier cable may fail and the spare tire could become separated from the vehicle, a road hazard for following vehicles that increases the likelihood of a crash,” Toyota said. Toyota, plagued by several recalls in the past

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Honda tops most stolen car list, but Ford has three models on dubious top-10 list

Here are the top-10 most stolen cars in the U.S. in 2008, the most recently available list: 1. 1994 Honda Accord; 2. 1995 Honda Civic; 3. 1989 Toyota Camry; 4. 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup; 5. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup; 6. 2000 Dodge Caravan; 7. 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee; 8. 1994 Acura Integra; 9. 1999 Ford Taurus; 10. 2002 Ford Explorer. Esurance.com has suggested tips for avoiding auto theft. 1. Don’t be a dummy— simple common sense will go a long way towards protecting you against theft. Always lock your doors (even in your own driveway), try to avoid parking in

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Toyota halts worldwide sales of Lexus GX 460 SUV after Consumer Reports warning

Toyota spokeswoman Mieko Iwasaki said the company is expanding the suspension to the Middle East and Russia, the only other markets where it was sold. “We have no specific target in mind when to resume the sales,” said another Toyota spokesman Ririki Takeuchi. “We are now investigating the case by trying to replicate the situation that Consumer Reports pointed out.” Consumer Reports said it judged the 2010 model to be a safety risk because of a problem that cropped up during standard emergency-handling tests. “When pushed to its limits on our track’s handling course, the rear of the GX we

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Audi A5, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

But other than a much-needed catchy acronym (how about A5?), nothing else should be forgotten about the new Audi. It’s proven so popular, it’s now available in 14 configurations, with a vast range of prices. My test drive for the week, for example, had a base price of more than $15,000 less than the out-the-door price. The major culprit was the $8,300 “Prestige Model” that adds 13 features to the car — a Bang & Olufsen sound system to keyless start and Xenon headlights and a navigation system with a rear detection camera. Six other options catapulted the price into

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Lexus GX 460 stung with Consumer Report's 'don't buy' warning

Consumer Reports magazine has further tarnished the reputation of Toyota after giving its luxury brand Lexus GX 460 SUV a rare “Don’t Buy” warning. The publication’s editors report a problem that occurred during routine handling tests could lead to a rollover accident in real-world driving. Specifically, during unusual turns during testing, the rear of the vehicle slid until it was nearly sideways before the electronic stability control system engaged. The magazine reported in real-world driving, a similar scenario could cause a rollover accident. As a result, the magazine has given the seven-seat SUV a “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk” label until

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Toyota fined maximum $16.4 million by NTHSA, largest in auto history

According to documents obtained from Toyota, NHTSA detailed in a press release the automaker knew some of its cars had sticky accelerator pedals since September 2009 and failed to notify the agency for more than four months. Under federal regulations, automakers are required to inform the agency within five days of determining a safety defect exists in one of its products. “We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations,” said Secretary LaHood. “Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from U.S. officials and did not take action to protect millions of

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Land Rover debuts new, intuitive, customer-oriented web site

The new web site includes a ‘Build and Price’ configurator for all models. Consumers can now customize and price a Land Rover, including its wheels, exterior and interior trim colors and other options. The web site’s features also include: 360-degree views of vehicles, detailed specification and a price calculator. The details can be sent to friends, printed as hard copies or sent to a local dealership to arrange a test drive. To view the new Land Rover site, visit: www.landrover.co.uk James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column

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Apple iPad, Hyundai Equus soon to travel technology highway together

The Hyundai Equus is being touted as competition for the Lexus LS 460 and the Mercedes Benz S550 sedans. The iPad, scheduled to debut April 3 as Apple’s sleek tablet computer. It will be included as part of the package for consumers who buy an Equus, which has Hyundai says will be priced between $50,000-$60,000. “They (Hyundai) are trying to position themselves as a modern, in-touch, technologically savvy brand, Mike Bloxham, director of insight and research at Ball State University’s Center for Media Design, told Hirsch. “It’s the sort of innovation you would expect from BMW or Mercedes, but not

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Chevrolet debuts 2011 Corvette Z06 carbon limited edition

“Designed to further incorporate technology developed through racing, the Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Corvette’s first race in the 24 Hours of LeMans,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet General Manager. “With a limited production of 500 units, this car is a must-have for the true Corvette collector and driving enthusiast.” AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, The Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition is another example of the expanded Corvette line-up. Five years ago, customers had the choice of a Corvette coupe or

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Daimler AG, manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, fined $185 million for bribery

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon ordered Daimler to pay $93.6 million in criminal fines and $91.4 million in civil penalties. According to court documents, Daimler AG and its subsidiaries in Germany, Russia, and China agreed to the filing of a single count of conspiracy to violate U.S. anti-bribery laws. The Justice Department said Daimler, whose stocks trade on multiple exchanges in the U.S., “engaged in a long-standing practice of paying bribes to foreign government officials.” Countries whose officials were bribed, according to the court documents: China, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Latvia, Nigeria, Russia, Serbia and

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Volkswagen Golf, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Thirty-seven years later, the sixth edition in 2010 continues the car’s legacy without missing an RPM. Through 2007, more than 25 million of the cars had been built. According to the manufacturer, it’s the best-selling Volkswagen in history and the third best-selling vehicle of all-time. The sixth generation Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit model features a more spacious interior and slight changes to the grille, headlights and air intake. It’s also now called the Golf again after four years as the Rabbit. Golf is the more global name for the car. Beyond the name switch and design changes, the Golf remains an easy-to-like,

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Subaru Forester, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Additionally, the Forester, like all Subaru models, features an all-wheel drive drivetrain. It’s the standard in the industry that nicely complements another keen Forester features. The Forester’s low center of gravity allows the vehicle to meet the U.S. federal standards for passenger vehicles, and thus it does not require a risk of rollover warning label. The name Forester was used to convey the vehicle is “of the forest.” The name has always worked. The Forester’s characters are shared with siblings Legacy and Outback and the manufacturer’s versatility was a primary reason why it was chosen by the U.S. ski team

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China's Geely finalizes deal to buy ailing Volvo from Ford

Volvo had been on the market since 2008 when Ford put several brands up for sale. Geely bought Volvo for $1.8 billion, the biggest overseas purchase by a Chinese car manufacturer. “Today represents a milestone for Geely,” the company’s chairman Li Shufu said of the deal first announced last December. Ford, which purchased Volvo in 1999 for $6.5 billion, hopes revenue from the sale will help pay off its debts. Volvo has not made a profit since 2005. Geely, China’s biggest independent car maker, has pledged to keep Volvo as a separate company with its headquarters remaining in Sweden. Geely,

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Dog rips off police cruiser fender; quarantine for beast, no recall for car

After almost two weeks in confinement, he was reunited with the Emerling family at McKamey Animal Shelter. “We think Chattanooga Police Department showed amazing restraint in not shooting the dog,” owner Michael Emerling said.  “I know that a lot of places close to here we’ve seen cases where dogs have done a lot less and been shot.  So we really are grateful to them for not doing that.” Emerling paid court-required fees of more than $200 and was required to enroll to dog obedience and canine good citizen classes. The dog attacked the vehicle after escaping from a fenced-in area

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