UPDATED "Cash For Clunkers": Check If Your Car Qualifies

Updated: I re-did the table with the new data from Edmunds, after NHTSA updated some of their mileage numbers.

Use my handy applet below to look up your car to see if it might qualify for the CARS "cash for clunkers" voucher from the Uncle Sam. This is a list of cars from Edmunds that gets 18 MPG or less and has an expected fair market value of less than about $4,500. Edmunds was kind enough to post the raw data (here) and I massaged it a little and stuffed it into a Google Docs spreadsheet.

You may need to wait a little while for the data to load.

To use the applet, pick your car's age and make from the drop down list.

Update: Edmund's data only goes back to 1990, that's why that 1984 Saab isn't on there. Only cars younger than 25 years old are eligible, so the oldest model year that would qualify would be a 1984.

The 2010 Toyota Camry

The Toyota group revealed the 2010 Toyota Camry model at the North American International Auto Show in the year 2009. The visual changes to the vehicle include front fascia, LED tail lamps, larger head lamps and the new wheel cover designs.

Looking at the luxurious features, Sound system with the USB connectivity and a backup camera is incorporated to the navigation device as well. The newly designed engine 2.5 liter 2AR FE I4 replaces the 4-cylinder models in the non hybrid vehicles, which are now available as either 6-speed automatic transmission or the 6-speed manual transmission.

The powerful 133 kilo watts model and also the Smart key System are available to the Camry SE edition. The vehicle Stability Control is standard on all the Camry grade models. The production of the new 2010 Camry began in the month of January, 2009 and sales started from the month of March. The model was sold in the month of March, 2009 as the model vehicle for the year 2010.

As far as the safety features of the vehicle are concerned, the Camry is equipped with the dual frontal air bags, driver's knee air bag, rear and the front row side curtain air bags and the side torso air bags mounted at the front side. The other safety features in the vehicle include anti lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, a system to monitor tire pressure and the brake assistance system.

The traction control system and the vehicle stability control are made common in all the 2010 Camry models. The safety of the Toyota Camry is improved by using the ultra high strength steel, which whould be hot stamped to the Camry's center and the front pillars, rocker structures and the roof. The Camry has also gained good rating in the overall impact crash test and the frontal offset safety tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Check out the latest Toyota Camry Pictures and take a tour of the other Toyota Car Pictures here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geof_Ryan

Hybrid the Environmentally Friendly Car

Not everyone is comfortable with a fuel efficient vehicle that only has two wheels like a moped or a motorcycle. There shouldn't be a push for a person who isn't confident in their ability to operate one to have to do so. This can result in a accident occurring and that isn't worth saving money on fuel costs.

For other people, those types of vehicles just aren't practical. You may have a family so you need to drop the baby at daycare and another child off at school. You can't do that without a regular vehicle.

You may live in an area where it is too cold for most of the year to get any real use out of those two wheeled options even though they are fuel efficient. There is no need to worry though as you do have some really good options.

One of them you have likely heard a great deal about: the hybrid car. This is a type of vehicle that operates using two different fuel sources. One of them is gasoline and the other is either solar power or electricity. With the solar power, there are cells that charge during the day. With the electricity there are batteries that have to be recharged on a regular basis.

Regardless of which one you choose, gasoline will be the back up fuel source. This means when you don't have any more solar power in the cells or any more electricity in the batteries you will switch over to the gasoline that is in your vehicle.

Once you have the opportunity to recharge the main energy source, it will switch back over. You don't have to do anything to get the vehicle to go from one power source to the next. It will be an automatic switch over and it can happen in the middle of your commute to work. You won't lose power in the vehicle so don't worry about the speed limit that you are driving.

A hybrid vehicle is designed to be able to save energy in ways that ordinary vehicles can't. Pushing on the brakes of your vehicle is a common practice. It helps you to slow down when you need to as well as to completely stop your vehicle. In a regular vehicle the braking process results in more fuel being used. This is because they car has to get back to a certain speed and it takes fuel to do so. Hybrids rely on a process known as regenerative braking. Instead of using more fuel you will actually create more energy each time you step on the brakes.

All hybrids also have an automatic shut off sensor. This means when you roll up to a stop sign the engine will completely stop. As soon as you step on the accelerator pedal, it will restart. As a result, the excess idling that adds up and wastes fuel is completely eliminated.

A smaller motor is used in hybrid vehicles so it takes less fuel to give them the necessary power. However, you don't have to worry about not having enough power to go the proper speed limit or anything like that. Some people have a fear that a hybrid car will be slow and that it will just leave them stranded due to not enough energy. This isn't a scenario that will ever become a reality for anyone with a hybrid vehicle.

They are very well made and for years they were researched before offered to the general public. In fact, hybrids were tested by companies all over the world including the various branches of the United States military.

For those individuals who want to continue driving larger sized vehicles, a hybrid can be the perfect solution. There are small vehicles but also the large ones including the Yukon by GMC and the Tahoe by Chevrolet. Both of these were added in 2008 to meet consumer demands. These hybrid vehicles are expensive though and that is what often prevents consumers from buying them.

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Ready to learn more about Hybrid Cars? Visit The Hybrid Car Website.

Best Audi Performance Parts

If you own an Audi vehicle you are already aware of how Audi performance parts will immediately improve the look and feel of your car. Audi's are some of the most fun cars to upgrade. They are favorite cars for car owners to upgrade and show off. There are many upgrades you can find online from many audi performance parts websites that will give you ideas of what you can purchase to increase the power of your car or simply change it's appearance.

It doesn't matter which Audi car you own, there are a wealth of performance features you can add. There are many auto parts websites on the internet that literally give customers the opportunity to browse through their catalog of performance parts. You may already have in mind the type of upgrade you want to make on your Audi but after viewing an entire online Audi performance parts catalog, I'm sure you will change your mind and buy something better because there are literally thousands of performance parts available for you to see.

It doesn't matter which year or make your Audi is, most online Audi performance parts will carry nearly any part that you're looking for. This is the major difference between online auto parts sites versus offline local parts stores. It is more convenient to find the exact part you need via the internet than visiting local stores in the neighborhood.

Many of these websites offer coupons and savings when you purchase parts from their website. Some websites include free shipping which is a benefit when ordering online. Waiting a few days for your favorite performance part to arrive is nothing when you are receiving a great deal. Many sites are always trying to satisfy customers by offering them the lowest pricing possible, especially compared to offline stores. The best places to purchase audi performance parts is definitely online, you will save time and money.

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Find Performance Parts For All Audi Models At Audi Performance Parts

The New Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Maruti Suzuki launched the new advanced variant of its SUV Grand Vitara in India. The new model is priced in the range of Rs. 16.67 lakh to Rs. 17.97 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The new model comes with 2.4L petrol engine with both manual and automatic transmission. The new model has 2.4L VVT petrol engine which stands for Variable Valve Timing and delivers a max power of 163.5 bhp at 6000 rpm and a torque of 225 NM at 4000 rpm. According the company, the new Vitara that stood for style, safety and off-capabilities will now be more fuel efficient and more powerful than its earlier versions.

"Highly popular the world over, the Grand Vitara is one of the global strategic models in Suzuki Range. For all those customers, who are increasingly looking at SUVs, the Grand Vitara 2.4 offers more power and the best in class 4X4 drive at a highly competitive price," Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Executive Officer (Marketing and Sales) Mayank Pareek said in a statement.

The new features of new Grand Vitara includes a new Multi Information Display (MID) which provides more easy to read and accurate vehicle information like cruising range, Average speed and instantaneous fuel consumption readings.

One of the most popular car questions about the Hyundai i20, is whether it comes in diesel.

The Peugeot 205 GTI

The French automobile producer Peugeot manufactured the 205 for fourteen years, between nineteen eighty three and nineteen ninety seven. The production of the car in the UK ceased a year earlier, in nineteen ninety six. The higher performing GTI hatchback was equipped with either one point six or one point nine litre engines, producing over one hundred and five break horse power for the smaller of the two engines. The 205 was awarded the "Car of the Decade" in CAR magazine in the nineties, and the 205 GTI is often cited as the hottest of the "hot hatches".

For the inexperienced driver the 205 GTI will likely be more difficult to drive than its modern day counterparts, with the lack of electronic driving aids and the oversteer experienced when cornering hard. The initial one point six litre engine produced just over one hundred and five break horse power, but the power was increased by around ten break horse power when the new XU5JA engine was fitted which had larger valves shared with the one point nine engine. The one point nine litre engine produced one hundred and twenty six break horse power, yet the power was decreased in the late models, down to one hundred and twenty. The decreased power was seen as an answer to the increased insurance premiums for the car which was badly affecting sales.

There were subtle differences between the one point six and one point nine litre models. The one point six model had clothed seats, smaller alloys, and disc / drum brakes. The larger engine variation had half leather seats, fifteen inch alloys, and all round disk brakes.

Classic Cars For Sale has Peugeot cars for sale. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Webbed

The 1.5L Petrol Engine Option Honda Jazz

Honda recently launched is premium hatchback model Jazz in India. The model received a lukewarm response from the Indian car buyers mainly owing to its hefty price tag. If the overall response is not extremely encouraging, it is not disappointing either. In spite of being a premium car, Jazz has managed to pull crowds to the showroom and the company booked 1000 Jazz in the first week itself. Deliveries of the new Jazz model have started from June 10 onwards.

"We are happy at the response received by Honda Jazz; we are sure that the customers of Honda Jazz will appreciate the product and help us win new customers," said Honda Jazz, Mr. Jnaneswar Sen, Vice President, Marketing, Honda Siel Cars India. Jazz will be manufactured at Honda's Greater Noida plant and sports a localization level of 77% from day one. The Jazz has also been certified to give 16.1 KMPL tested by ARAI.

Current model of Honda Jazz comes with a 1.2 Litre i-VTEC engine generating 90 bhp but Honda is ready to increase the power of the new Jazz already. It intends to launch the 1.5L petrol variant in 2010. Apart from the 1.5L engine, it will also have an optional automatic transmission but that would be at the cost of additional one lakh rupees.

What remains to be seen is that is the Indian customer ready to shell out a price for small car just for its luxury, Honda's reliability and its brand image.

One of the most popular car questions about the Hyundai i20, is whether it comes in diesel.