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Elderly Drivers Wanted Off The Road

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:25:42 +0000

A poll was conducted in Great Britain. It asked respondents if they thought that the streets and roads in the country were getting congested. And according to the survey, many Britons thought that this was true.

The poll was created and conducted by one of the Britains online insurance brokers and they did the survey through their website. The survey also asked if these who thought that the streets were congested had any solutions or answers to such a problem. Almost half of the respondents answered by saying that elderly drivers should be taken off the roads during the peak hours of driving. Some 49% of the whole lot gave such a solution to the congestion problem. It did not even make a difference if you used quality Pontiac performance parts for your well maintained vehicle. If you are old, then you should also be off the streets.

Of course, this has been quite a surprise for everybody. Even Paul Cosh, who is the managing director of the organization which conducted the research, could not help but comment about such an outcome of their survey. He says, The impact of congestion on the UK economy in terms of lost time, fuel costs and general stress runs to billions, yet we continue to drive our cars more and drive further than the rest of Europe. However, I do not think that picking on this nations most careful and experienced drivers is really the answer. To be honest, the views shown by this poll are quite shocking and simply do not stand up against the facts.

Analysis of the survey conducted that aside more than half of the drivers who answered the survey said that these elderly drivers should be banned because they believe that the elderly drivers are quite slow when it comes to coping with the new conditions of traffic and of the roads.

Car Keys Locked Inside

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:58:09 +0000

While backing out of your garage or even just your driveway this morning, you surely managed to leave some scratches on your car. Not only that but after a couple of miles, you seemed to have ran out of gas. Luckily, you were near a gasoline station and were able to fill up your fuel tank.

However, it seems luck has fled from your side for the day. After filling up, you were able to drive for some distance when a tire of your car went flat. Of course, you had to change the tire yourself. And while you were at it, you noticed that the hubcap you purchased along with some Pontiac auto parts seemed to have fallen somewhere between your current location and your garage. Because you were already late for your work, you hurriedly grabbed your things and rushed out to catch the elevator.

Tough luck. Now that you need to use your car to drive back home, you just realized that in your hurry, you forgot to take your car keys with you. And they are just where you left them inside your car. You may not be a locksmith, but if you own a car that has been created before the 1980s or if you may have left a window of your car slightly open, you may have just the slightest chance of opening the car yourself.

You do need a wire hanger to do this challenge. Straighten the hanger out and then bend an end. Make sure you form a hook or even a triangular handle. This would serve as the extension of your hand in breaking into your own car. You can also try opening a window through prying. Just use a putty knife and slip it between the window and the door.

When you have part of the window open, slip the wire hanger you bent through it. Your task would be to actually move the hanger through your car and try to pull the door lock open. This may be quite difficult but it can be achieved.

Now, if you own a newer car model, well, the best move for you would be to actually call a locksmith and let him do the work.

2006 Toyota Matrix: Value Meets Fun

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:32:39 +0000

During the early part of this decade Toyota was examining its vehicle line up and the decision was made to build a car to entice young people who were looking for something that was small, fun to drive, and affordable. While the Corolla served faithfully in this capacity, Toyota needed something that spoke excitement. The Corolla just wasnt that kind of a car and something radically different was needed. Enter the Matrix. Based on the Corolla platform, the Matrix does what no Corolla can do: turn heads. Lets take a look at this sporty compact and see how the 2006 model stacks up.

In 2003, the Matrix was introduced to the North American market. Built in California as a joint venture with General Motors the Pontiac Vibe is its twin the Matrix is aimed toward budget conscious young people who want a car that makes a statement. To save money, the Corolla frame was used, but the Matrix stands some 3 inches taller and is 8 inches shorter than its Toyota sibling. The roof line on the Matrix is completely different too as it slopes from front to back and ends in a wedge, giving the car somewhat of a wagon look to it. This rakish appearance is what gives the Matrix its unique look as well as an extra bit of room for people and their stuff. Indeed, both driver and front passenger sit higher up, much like in a small SUV or as in a car like Chryslers PT Cruiser. With four doors and a rear lift gate, the Matrix acts more like a wagon, but its sleek exterior easily refutes that fact.

Motorists have a choice between front wheel drive and a four wheel drive versions of the car, something not offered on the Corolla. The standard motor for the Matrix is a 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-I 4-cylinder engine. Mated to a five speed manual transmission, the engine turns out a respectable 126hp. For more power, there is also a higher tuned version of the same engine delivering 164hp. It gets paired with a six speed manual transmission. Four wheel drive versions of the Matrix come equipped with a 4-wheel anti-lock brake system [ABS] which is optional on 2WD models.

Gas mileage for the Matrix makes the car a motorists dream. At 30 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, the front wheel drive version of the car produces some of the best results of any non-hybrid car sold in North America. A 13 gallon fuel tank makes 400 mile trips a possibility on just one tank of gas; this is particularly good for the student who has to drive back and forth between college campus and home.

Unlike many cars of its size, the aftermarket crowd has produced a wide variety of products to help Matrix owners customize their vehicles. Hood protectors, tail light covers, polymer air dams, fog lights, hood scoops and vents, mud flaps, and paintable window covers are some of the Toyota parts and accessories pitched to youth, who are the primary owners of the Matrix.

MSRP starts at US$15,110 [CDN$17,200] with a top of the line Matrix topping out at just under US$20K to about CDN$25K.

For the entire North American market, Toyota sells nearly 100,000 Matrix per year. Not bad for a car whose origins are fairly simple but whose heart is truly sporty and youth minded.

8 GM Brands: 1 or 2 Too Many?

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:15:58 +0000

Lots of folks are speculating about GMs future. If you take all the press reports at heart, you would think that General Motors is on life support. Quite frankly, the opposite is true especially when you look at the global picture. In 2005, the General sold more than 9 million cars worldwide, the first time the automaker reached that figure since 1978. Yes, U.S. auto sales are down and some are calling for GM to reduce its many brands, currently numbering 8. Who should GM let go? Or, should General Motors stick with the game plan and maintain all 8 brands?

For the record, GMs 8 brands are: Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Saturn, GMC, Hummer, and Saab. You could take Saab out of that pack as the Swedish automaker (although fully owned by GM) builds few cars in North America. Still, GM includes Saab in its marketing schema so well keep them in for arguments sake.

Clearly, Cadillac is GMs luxury division; Chevrolet is its budget or All American division; while GMC is the truck division. Beyond that, there is much muddling of divisions, but Buick is a maker of near luxury vehicles (Cadillac lite) while Hummer is GMs specialty truck division. The Saab line is a bit confusing as it once was a true European division. Now, the make is chiefly featuring rebadged GM and Subaru vehicles with little original models to show for it. Finally, Pontiac and Saturn duplicate much of what the other divisions do, although the Saturn mystique of no haggle pricing gives the make a certain aura to it. That leaves Pontiac.

Pontiac, like the recently killed off Oldsmobile name, is probably one of the most vulnerable of the true American makes. Saturn will survive because its dealer network is tops and consumer satisfaction ranks up there with Lexus.

Ultimately, the Saab name will likely die first. Outside of the U.S., particularly in Europe, Opel is a known name and an important GM make. Word has it that some of Saabs production will shift to Germany and certain rebadged Opels will begin to sport the Saab name. Lets just say once that happens, there is little reason to continue making Saabs. Let the Saab name die with dignity. Why spoil it by selling rebadged Opels as Saabs?

Personally, I think GM should leave well enough alone with its remaining American brands. I wasnt in favor of Oldsmobiles demise and I am not in favor of killing off trusted brands. GM is retooling its operation as old models are killed off and as new or revived models step in. Look for the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Saturn Sky, and the Buick Enclave to help spark their respective divisions to renewed glory. Am I living a pipe dream? Maybe, but at least my imagination is going in a positive direction.

We care for cars. Read our articles to help care for yours » Pontiac

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