Category Archives: blog

HIRIKO Cars and the Future of City Driving

Earlier this week, we told you about a survey rating the worst cities in America when it came to time wasted in traffic. New York City came in second place, beating out Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. As bad as traffic is, though, parking in New York City might possibly be worse. Finding a parking spot can be a frustrating experience, and drivers wish their cars could fold in half and squeeze into those small spaces.

As it so happens, the HIRIKO Project wants to make the dream of a fold-able car into a reality. The HIRIKO is a fully electric car built for city driving. Based on MIT’s citycar concept, the vehicle comfortably seats 2 people. When the driver is ready to park, the front egg-like section slides back, and the car becomes half of its normal length and smaller than the tiny Smart Cars currently on the market now.

For anyone who has ever driven in a big city like New York, this is a game-changer. HIRIKO might not be practical for families or people who need trunk space, but it is perfect for a couple going out for a night on the town or someone who has to do a lot of city driving on a daily basis. Besides that, I get such a kick out of watching them fold up. It is like watching a sci-fi movie coming to life. I almost expect to see characters from Tron climbing out of the car with the black jumpsuits and neon stripes.

Check out the HIRIKO in action below.

The HIRIKO won’t be on the market for awhile yet, but Approved Loan Store can help you find the right car for your needs. City driving, country driving, couple, single, family, we can find the right car for you! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and we will set up an appointment with a Special Finance Representative. Also, keep up with the latest from Approved Loan Store by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube.

Car Repairs: Save Money and Don’t Do-It-Yourself!

Thanks to do-it-yourself TV shows and YouTube channels, everyone thinks they can become an expert in hair styling, cooking, or car repairs in no time at all. Unsurprisingly, that isn’t really true. Anyone can learn to change a tire or charge the oil, but for most car repairs, you need a certain level of training.

This week, The Car Connection compiled a list of repairs that should really be left to the experts, and after reviewing the list, we at Approved Loan Store have to agree. If you ever run into these problems with your car, don’t take a risk and try to save money by doing it yourself. Talk to friends or read reviews online, and find a trusted mechanic.

Timing-belt replacement – In one case, a DIY customer turned what would have been a $600 repair job for a mechanic into a $3,500 job for a mechanic.

Transmission maintenance or repair – Automatic transmissions are tricky for anyone, and it is too easy to mess up one of the intricate parts and ultimately destroy the transmission.

Overheating – An overheated engine needs a trained mechanic. End of story.

Drivability problems and error codes – When fixing an error code, DIYers sometimes make the mistake of replacing an entire part when there might not even be a problem with that part. Take it to the professionals and let them run tests on the check light.

Replacing suspension components – Labor costs on suspension repairs isn’t bad, and the chance of error is very high. Also, suspension repairs sometimes require specialty equipment that most DIYers won’t have. In the end, it makes much more sense to let a mechanic do it.

Are you looking for a new or used vehicle but your credit is holding you back? Approved Loan Store wants to help! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and we will set up an appointment with a Special Finance Representative. Also, keep up with the latest from Approved Loan Store by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube.

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Parents Magazine, Edmunds Find a Car for Every Family

The mini-van might be the classic family car, but new mom and dad drivers have more options open to them in 2012. There are vehicles on the market today that offer comfort, more space, and different styles than the typical “family car.”

Of course, not every car shopper knows what it available on the market to meet their needs, and as a result, they might miss the opportunity to find what they want and what they need all in the same car. For this reason, Parents magazine and Edmunds.com teamed up to make a list of the 15 most family-friendly cars.

Their list was based on numerous factors including safety, price, and the features offered in the vehicle. Additionally, they spoke with everyday parents who “drive these vehicles every day” and know all the advantages and disadvantages personally. Also, they broke the list down into High Mileage, Budget, Crossovers, Sedans, and Large Vehicles, 5 categories total, with 3 vehicles in each category. The least expensive car listed was the Chevrolet Sonic starting at $14,600, and the most expensive was the Dodge Durango starting at $29,990, so there is a car on the list for every budget.

Here is the complete list:

High Mileage

Toyota Prius V
Honda Civic Hybrid
Chevrolet Cruze Eco

Budget

Chevrolet Sonic
Ford Focus
Hyundai Elantra

Crossovers

Mazda 5
Kia Sorento
Honda CR-V

Sedans

Volkswagen Passat
Toyota Camry
Kia Optima

Large Vehicles

Dodge Durango
Toyota Sienna
Honda Odyssey

Are you looking for a new family car? Approved Loan Store wants to help! Good credit, bad credit, big family, Approved Loan Store will find the right car for you! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here. Also, keep up with the latest from Approved Loan Store by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube.

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

New York Drivers Waste 57 Hours Annually in Traffic

Living and driving in New York City, it can sometimes feel like you’re wasting your life away in traffic. Well, as it turns out, that feeling isn’t completely crazy.

In a recent study by INRIX, New York City is the second worst city in regards to time wasted in traffic. Annually, New York City drivers waste an average of 57 hours, or nearly 2.5 days, in rush-hour traffic. They calculated the time that drivers spent in traffic during rush hour and compared it to the time taken to drive that same distance during times of the day with low traffic. The study results showed that New York City beat out every other city in the United States except for Honolulu where drivers waste an average of 58 hours in traffic.

Now, there isn’t much that New Yorkers can do about rush-hour traffic, but here are a few simple tips to make the trip more comfortable.

  1. Stay entertained: If you have an iPod plug-in, download some podcasts to pass the time. There are podcasts on every subject from entertainment news to history lessons and sports commentary. You can even learn a new language by podcast, and best of all, they are free!
  2. Keep hydrated: Nobody wants to get caught in traffic with a full bladder, but try sipping on water periodically to keep hydrated. Studies have shown that drinking a full glass of water in the morning helps to wake up the body.
  3. Stock up on healthy snacks: Skip the drive-thru breakfast. Instead, leave a box of granola bars in the car, and bring some fresh fruit every morning. Snack on it on the way to work, and you will arrive much more alert than you will with that greasy breakfast sandwich.

Are you looking for a new car? Approved Loan Store can help! Good credit, bad credit, we want to get you into a new or used car! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and check out testimonials by real Approved Loan Store customers here! Also, keep up with the latest auto news by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Robert Kirkman, Hyundai Zombie-Proof the Hyundai Elantra Coupe

Zombies have taken over pop culture, and at the forefront of this trend of zombie stories is The Walking Dead comic book series and TV show. Zombie survival books and even this zombie-proof house have been popping up, and The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has gotten in on the fun by designing the must-have car for the zombie apocalypse.

The car is a tricked-out version of the Hyundai Elantra Coupe. Since Hyundai is sponsoring the car, Kirkman put in a few good words about the car’s safety, maneuverability, and spacious interior, but once he got past the obligatory plug, he showed off some of the features of his zombie-proof car.

First, he added a spiked battering ram to the front. Zombies’ strength is in numbers, and a battering ram “would deflect bodies away from you as you plow through large masses of zombies.” Second, he put blades on the wheels to keep zombies at bay as the car is moving. Thirdly, he designed the car to have metal plates welded on all the windows so that if zombies get too close, they will still have a hard time getting into the car. Finally, he added a guard rail fence around the sunroof and additional headlights mounted on top. With these features, someone could open the sunroof and take shots at zombies, and the lights will give them better visibility.

Putting aside Hyundai’s obvious self-promotion, the concept drawings of the zombie-proof car are pretty awesome. As Kirkman says, he might not know physics and car design, but he does know what you need in a zombie apocalypse. If it looks good on paper, though, it will look even better in real life. Kirkman’s zombie-proof car will actually get built by Hyundai and showcased at the San Diego Comic-Con International next month.

At Approved Loan Store, we have a car for every driver’s needs, from picking the kids up from soccer practice to escaping a zombie mob. Good or bad credit, we want to help you get in the car you need with terms you can afford. Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and check out testimonials by real-life Approved Loan Store customers here! Also, keep up with the latest from Approved Loan Store by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

New Battery Could Change Future of Electric Cars

Electric cars have yet to catch on with American car buyers, but a new battery coming out of Massachusetts could make electric cars better and cheaper.

The Nanophosphate EXT is a lithium ion battery that can handle a wide range of extreme temperatures. Most electric car batteries cannot handle these temperatures, so electric cars have to be equipped with heating or cooling systems. According to a press release from the battery’s producers A123 Systems, these batteries can “significantly reduce or eliminate the need for heating or cooling systems, which is expected to create sizable new opportunities within the transportation and telecommunications markets, among others.”

Additionally, the new battery lasts much longer than other batteries currently on the market. This chart shows how the A123 Nanophosphate EXT compares to competing batteries. After 1700 cycles at 45° C, all three competing brands have dropped to below 75 percent discharging capacity while the A123 Nanophosphate EXT hovers around 93 percent capacity.

With longer lasting batteries that can take the heat and cold, electric cars can be more affordable and more powerful with lower maintenance costs. Consumers that have written off the electric car could be convinced to give it a second look. At any rate, it is a huge leap forward in electric car technology and very promising for the future of automotive.

Low-cost electric cars are still a ways off, but Approved Loan Store can help you get into an affordable car today! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and keep up with the latest auto news by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook and following Approved Loan Store on Twitter.

Car Talk Hosts Announce Retirement After 25 Years on NPR

Car Talk fans were saddened to hear last week that hosts Tom Magliozzi and Ray Magliozzi will retire this September. The popular radio show, a mix of humor and car advice, has been running for 25 years on NPR and before that had a run on the Boston NPR affiliate WBUR.

Tom and Ray, also known as “Click and Clack,” have expressed their love for the show and appreciation for their fans and listeners. Since Tom’s 75th birthday, however, the brother duo started thinking about taking time to “smell the cappuccino.”

Car Talk will stop recording new shows after October, but Tom and Ray want their fans to know that the show will continue thanks to hours of archived material. “The good news is that, despite our general incompetence, we actually remembered to hit the ‘record’ button every week for the last 25 years,” Tom joked. “So we have more than 1,200 programs we’re going to dig into starting this fall, and the series will continue.”

Tom and Ray first started working together on the do-it-yourself auto repair shop Hacker’s Haven, and they were invited to participate on an automotive panel hosted by WBUR. Not long after, they were given their own automotive advice show, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Episodes of the series are available to download free on iTunes under NPR: Car Talk Podcast or on the official Car Talk website.

If you are looking to get into a new or used car, Approved Loan Store can help! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and keep up with the latest auto news by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook and following Approved Loan Store on Twitter.

Good Driving Made Simple (And Hilarious!)

From the time teenagers turn 14 and apply for their learner’s permit, they are bombarded with driving advice. Turn down the music, pay attention to the road, always wear your seat-belt, and so on and so forth. According to a web comic that is making the rounds online, though, driving is not as complicated as it sounds.

Jalopnik was one of the first news sites to post up the comic/flow chart which is seen below. It seems that driving properly all comes down to one factor, using the passing lane in the correct fashion.

As a frequent driver, I got a kick out of the comic. Yes, driving properly is really more involved than this flow-chart would suggest, but if people used the passing lane correctly, it would go a long ways in improving the roads. I think everyone at some point has experienced the frustration of another driver using the passing lane but not actually passing anyone, so on behalf of all the drivers using the lane properly, we ask that everyone else read this chart and follow it, please. It’s not too much to ask.

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Former CEO Flees Bolivia, Leaves Exotic Car Collection Behind

In action movies, I love it when they show the super-villain’s secret lair with high-tech weapons, sharks with lasers attached to their heads, and riches beyond belief. Amongst the collection, every evil genius worth his salt has a collection of rare and beautiful sports cars, all in perfect condition. Of course, collections like that only exist in the movies, right?

Well…maybe those movies aren’t so far-fetched after all.

Humero Roca is not exactly a super-villain. He is the former president of the Bolivian airline AeroSur which has struggled to continue operations this year and briefly shut down flights completely back in March. Roca was accused of embezzling $37.2 million from the company by the current president of AeroSur, Roca’s half-brother Sergio Sanzetenea, and he recently fled Bolivia leaving behind his extensive collection of rare cars.

As if this story wasn’t strange enough, Roca’s son documented the collection on his YouTube channel up until his father (and presumably Roca’s son) left the country. Under the About description on his YouTube page, Roca’s son wrote, “My father owns an Airline called Aerosur and we are not a family that always had everything my father just had to work hard to have what u guys see and this consist on every car that has changed the automotive industry worldwide or maybe eras or maybe just some significant car in my country, so please guys don’t come around saying ‘AH!!! NO EXOTICS IS %$%&’ no that not how it works everything in this collects has passion, history and love. And please understand that all thes cars are thanks to my Dad and his hard work.”

Of course, whether those cars are the results of hard work or illegal activities has yet to be determined, but until then, I wonder what will happen to his car collection. Will his blue 2006 Dodge Viper sit idle? Will the 1979 Lincoln Continental ever see the light of day? Time will tell what will happen to these cars, but if you want to see them for yourself, Roca’s son’s YouTube channel is still online here.

At Approved Loan Store, we might not have access to Roca’s collection, but we do have a huge inventory of new and used vehicles with every make or model available. If you have bad credit, don’t worry! We want to help you get into the car you want with the terms you want! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and keep up with the latest auto news by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook and following Approved Loan Store on Twitter.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

New V2V Technology Changes Future of Auto Safety

There has been a lot of talk about the future of driving. Self-driving vehicles and pedestrian air bags are all changing the way we drive, and now, a stunning new technology promises to prevent crashes by letting cars “talk” to each other.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication, also known as V2V, will allow vehicles to communicate via wireless signals with nearby cars. Cars will share information like speed, location, and other necessary stats and use that information to prevent a crash. For example, when a car is on track for a collision, the car will warn the driver. Some systems will even bypass the driver and apply the brakes if the driver does not do so quickly enough.

Obviously it will be awhile until V2V is available in vehicles. There are many bugs that will have to be worked out such as setting up a secure wireless system that will not be susceptible to hackers, and once it is available, I’m sure that auto safety regulators will need to determine if every car should have V2V technology. The device requires that vehicles be capable of communicating with all other nearby vehicles on the road, so it does little good if only a few drivers opt to use V2V. Still, it is pretty amazing how far auto technology has come in the past few years, and I can only imagine how V2V technology will change driving as we know it in the years to come.

Are you looking for a great new or used car? Approved Loan Store can help whether you have good or bad credit! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and keep up with the latest from Approved Loan Store by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook and following Approved Loan Store on Twitter.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net