Tag Archives: low-income

Chrysler Design Chief Teases Future Minivan

Chrysler has yet to announce the future for their minivan and whether it will be released as a Chrysler Town & Country or a Dodge Caravan for the 2015 model, but Chrysler design chief Ralph Gilles has made it clear that this will be a car for the new-age mom.

“I think the new generation is ‘supermom,’” Giles said in a recent interview. “I think consumers see minivans as a tool to be the ultimate mother, so we’re designing it for that.” Giles also pointed out that Chrysler has a large number of female engineers and designers working on the new minivan and says that their own “real-life experiences” have influenced the vehicle’s features and design.

The 2013 Chrysler Town & Country starts at around $30,000 and comes with standard DVD player and leather trim as well as Stow ‘n Go seating. By comparison, Dodge can boast that the Caravan is the best-selling and most awarded minivan ever with a starting price around $19,990.

Readers, what do you think? Would you rather Chrysler picks the Chrysler Town & Country or the Dodge Caravan? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Chevrolet Spark Upgrades With New DC Chargers

Ever since electric cars hit the market, they have had a tough time taking off. At first, it was the price hindering sales, but recent discounts and tax incentives have made them more affordable. When they became affordable, people started questioning their safety, and rumors still persist that electric cars are significantly more dangerous than gas-driven cars despite automakers’ steps to make them safer. Yet another real problem plagues the electric car, however, and that is how long it takes an electric car to charge.

Right now, alternating current (AC) energy has to be converted to direct current (DC) before the energy can be stored in car batteries. The conversion process slows down battery charging, and it takes longer to charge up electric cars. If a car could power up with a DC charger, it would speed up the charging process.

With that in mind, General Motors announced this week that the new Chevrolet Spark will have the standard AC port as well as two DC ports. Since DC chargers are not as readily available, a number of companies are stepping up to make them more available, though Eaton and Fuji Electric do have DC chargers available on the market at this time.

Readers, we want to hear from you! Does GM’s announcement make you more likely to test-drive the Spark? Would a faster charging time make you consider checking out other electric cars? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used car? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to find a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

WardsAuto Announces 10 Best Interiors of 2013

Yesterday, WardsAuto announced the winners of their 10 Best Interiors of 2013, one of the year’s most highly anticipated awards, and surprisingly no single automaker walked away with a majority of the list.

Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors Co took home the most awards with 2 spots each, and the rest of the spots went to vehicles from Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, and Chrysler.

In a press release from WardsAuto, WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter spoke about the importance of a vehicle’s interior and how they are “vital” in winning over drivers’ “hearts and minds.”

“It wasn’t uncommon all that long ago for auto makers to view interiors as the best place to take cost out of a vehicle program,” explained Winter. “They eventually figured out that’s a big mistake because people spend a lot more time looking at the inside of their vehicle than outside.

The winners are as follows, in alphabetical order:

Acura RDX (Honda Motor Co. Ltd.)
Cadillac XTS (General Motors Co.)
Chevrolet Spark (General Motors Co.)
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.)
Kia Forte (Kia Motors Corp.)
Lexus GS 450h (Toyota Motor Corp.)
Mazda6 (Mazda Motor Corp.)
Nissan Pathfinder (Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.)
Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn (Chrysler Group LLC)
Toyota Avalon (Toyota Motor Corp)

Winners will be honored at a ceremony during the WardsAuto Interiors Conference on May 22 in Dearborn, MI.

Readers, we want to hear from you! What do you think of the 2013 winners? Are you happy with the list, or did you notice any snubs? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used vehicle today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

New 1.5-Liter EcoBoost Engine for 2014 Ford Fusion

Changes are coming for the 2014 Ford Fusion including a new engine and six powertrain options.

Currently, the Ford Fusion is equipped with a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine, but soon the engine will be replaced with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine. This might not seem like a major change, but it has two big advantages. First, Ford will side-step a tax which affects Fusion sales in China, improving their bottom line. Second, it will improve fuel efficiency in the Ford Fusion. As an added bonus, Ford can also use the 1.6-liter engines in the Escape and other vehicles.

Last year, Ford announced other changes to engines in some of its more popular models. The 2014 Ford Fiesta will be getting a 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine, Ford’s smallest EcoBoost engine yet, and this trend towards higher fuel efficiency is expected to continue.

Are you looking to get into a new or used car? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get the car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Survey: Americans Spending Tax Refund on New Cars, Auto Repairs

A new survey shows that Americans are already planning how to spend their tax refund, and the results point to a very happy spring for car dealerships across the country.

Out of the surveyed consumers, 68 percent expected to get a tax refund, and out of those consumers, a third will either spend the refund on a new or used car or spend it on car repairs. While the average tax refund amount is $2,900, the average amount they will put towards purchasing a new car or repairing their car is over $1,000.

During this time of the year, auto dealerships have the opportunity to close a lot of deals and move a significant amount of inventory. The survey showed that car buyers are just as interested in used cars as new cars, so if dealerships take the right marketing approach, they could see a spike in both new and used car sales.

For car buyers, this is also great news. Dealerships will be ready for a surge of customers, and many will offer seasonal incentives and deals in preparation of tax time. Besides that, having a tax refund ready as a down payment will give car buyers more options as far as available vehicles and flexible financing.

Is your tax refund burning a hole in your pocket? Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image courtesy of Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Major Recall Affects Over 3 Million Vehicles Worldwide

Toyota, Honda, and Nissan announced this morning that they would be recalling over 3 million vehicles worldwide due to faulty passenger-side air bags.

According to the Associated Press, the inflator on the air bags could potentially burst and send loose plastic pieces flying at passengers. So far, Toyota has had five reports of air bag problems, but fortunately none of the automakers have received reports of injuries.

Toyota will be recalling approximately 1.7 million vehicles including Corollas, Tundras, and other models produced between November 2000 and March 2004, and Honda and Nissan will recall 1.1 million and 480,000 vehicles respectively. Of the vehicles recalled, approximately 1.26 million of those vehicles are in North America.

To find out if your car has been affected by the recall, Toyota owners can find out more information here, Honda owners can find out more here, and Nissan owners can find out more here.

Ford Focus Top Nameplate of 2012

This week, the 2012 Polk global market registration data was finally completed, and the worldwide top-selling vehicles of 2012 were announced. There were a few surprises in the top 10, but Ford walked away with the top spot and the most representation on the list.

The Ford Focus was the top-selling nameplate in 2012 with over a million units. To be exact, it was 1,020,410 units, a 16 percent increase from 2011. Toyota Corolla came in second place with 872,774, followed by the Ford F-Series. Ford’s third model in the top 10 was the Ford Fiesta at number 6 with 723,130 units.

Here is the full list:

Ford Focus – 1,020,410
Toyota Corolla – 872,774
Ford F-Series – 785,630
Wuling Zhiguang – 768,870
Toyota Camry – 729,793
Ford Fiesta =- 723,130
VW Golf – 699,148
Chevrolet Cruze – 661,325
Honda Civic – 651,159
Honda CR-V – 624,982

In a press release, Ford was clearly celebrating their rankings. Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, stated, “Focus and Fiesta represent the culmination of our One Ford global product strategy. Our global products are resonating with customers…With additional manufacturing capacity added last year, we now have a tremendous opportunity to further strengthen our global small car sales in 2013, with sales already off to a very strong start already.”

Readers, we want to hear from you! What do you think of last year’s top 10 bestsellers? Have you taken any of them for a test drive? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

U.S. News & World Report Rank Top Family Vehicles for 2013

If you’re looking for a new family car in 2013, you might be surprised at the sheer variety that automakers are offering.

Last month, U.S. News & World Report named 19 vehicles as their 2013 Best Cars for Families in a variety of categories ranging from Best Compact Car to Best Luxury Full-Size SUV. Winners were judged based on safety, reliability, interior space, seating capacity, and the inclusion of “family-friendly” features like keyless entry and back seat entertainment systems.

GM dominated the list with six winners. The Chevrolet brand took home two awards with the Chevrolet Suburban winning Best Full-Size SUV and the Chevrolet Cruze winning Best Compact Car. Buick also took home two award with the Buick Verano taking Best Upscale Small Car and the Buick Lacrosse taking Best Full-Size Car, and the Cadillac Escalade rounded out GM’s wins with Best Luxury Full-Size SUV.

Here is the full list of winners:

Compact Car – 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
Upscale Small Car – 2013 Buick Verano
Hatchback – 2013 Toyota Prius
Midsize Car – 2013 Ford Fusion
Upscale Midsize Car – 2013 Acura TL
Full-Size Car – 2013 Buick LaCrosse
Luxury Full-Size Car – 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Hybrid Car – 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid
Wagon – 2013 Subaru Outback
Compact SUV – 2013 Honda CR-V
Luxury Compact SUV – 2013 Audi Q5
2-Row Midsize SUV – 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee
3-Row Midsize SUV – 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
Luxury 2-Row Midsize SUV – 2013 Lexus RX350
Luxury 3-Row SUV – 2013 Lincoln MKT
Full-Size SUV – 2013 Chevrolet Suburban
Luxury Full-Size SUV – 2013 Cadillac Escalade
Hybrid SUV – 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Minivan – 2013 Honda Odyssey

No matter what kind of car you are looking for, Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Volvo’s New Fuel Injection Puts Other Engines to Shame

This week, Volvo made a bold statement about their new upcoming engine, claiming that it will make V8s look like “dinosaurs.”

The Volvo Engine Architecture engine family won’t be available until later this year, but Derek Crabb, the VP of powertrain engineering at Volvo Car Group, is already talking it up to the press. When their new fuel injection technology is integrated, Crabb claims, “Our four-cylinder engines will offer higher performance than today’s six-cylinder units and lower fuel consumption than the current four-cylinder generation.” Crabb also stated that the new engines will be “smaller” and “more intelligent”

How does this new fuel injection work? According to Volvo, the new engines will have individual pressure feedback sensors on each cylinder. The pressure in each cylinder will be monitored separately, and fuel injection will be adjusted accordingly. Right now, engines have a common sensor on the cylinders, so they cannot adjust the fuel injection for each individual cylinder.

There hasn’t been an official launch date announced for the new engines yet, but they will be available sometime in autumn 2013. Stay tuned to Approved Loan Store, and we will let you know if the new engines live up to this early praise.

Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get the car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Electric Vehicles Outsell Plug-In Hybrids in March

March was a fantastic month for car sales in the U.S., but more notably, it was the best month for electric vehicles ever recorded.

Last month, there were 4,553 battery electric vehicles sold, outselling electric hybrids for the first time ever. There were 3,079 electric hybrid vehicles sold that month and an additional 46,327 hybrid units, bringing the total of electric and hybrid vehicles to 53,959 units.

By comparison, there were 2,616 battery electric vehicles sold in February and 2,022 vehicles sold in January. According to EV World News, the Nissan Leaf did quite well in March selling 2,236 units, and they outsold the Chevy Volt which sold 1,478 units in March. Nissan and Chevy both dropped their prices on the Leaf and Volt considerably last year after sales for both models were lagging, and March might be a sign of those discounts really paying off.

Whatever kind of car you are looking for, Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU get it for the best rates possible! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work to get you into a new or used car at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image courtesy of Victor Habbick / FreeDigitalPhotos.net