Car Professional

by Valerie Mills

Nothing (well, almost nothing) can compare to the thrill of driving a road-hugging high performance sports car. Instant steering response. Power at the exact nanosecond you ask for it.

Then, if you have one of the sexier models, you’ll attract attention on the road, filling up, and in the shopping mall parking lot.

Yes, you can pretend you’re driving the Autobahn with the wind blowing your hair. But beware of state troopers just waiting for an "arrest me red" entry on their ticket issuing track record.

Before You Fall In Love . . .

Before you step into that showroom and fall in love, consider the following practicalities:

1) How much do you want to spend? $20,000? $30,000? Or more?

2) What’s the tradeoff between performance (power) and gas mileage? Higher performance usually equals less gas mileage.

Does the vehicle use premium gas? Right now, the difference between premium and regular is 20 cents per gallon. At 20 miles per gallon and 15,000 miles per year, the cost differential is $150.
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by Charles Kassotis

Do you love your car just the way it is, or are you looking to fix ‘er up the way you really want it to be? If you’re the creative type who wants to do things your way, why not take advantage of the great car body kits that are available from reputable parts dealers? You can stop in at the local neighborhood store to check out and select the parts that will bring your vehicle up to speed, so to speak. Or you can virtually browse online websites to find the parts you want to make your car everything you need.

A well-stocked auto supply kit knows your car better than you do. The associates can give you a quick rundown on what you can do to make your car better, faster, and more efficient in no time flat. They can give you detailed instructions and precise parts for any make, model, and year of vehicle, truck, or SUV you have in mind. For example, check out the wing spoiler and ground spoiler kits for your Mercury Cougar. Easy to install with solid, durable materials, you will love the way your car cruises after adding features like these.
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by Matthew C. Keegan

The Buick Motor Division of the General Motors Corporation is in transition, much like the rest of the venerable auto company. Old models have been canceled, new models added, and the current line up is radically different from just three years earlier. Now down to five models, the remaining vehicles in the Buick line up are all winners. Let’s take a look at each model and what they have to offer to you, the consumer.

Lucerne - Buick’s Roadmaster and LeSabre are both gone, but the full size Lucerne have taken their place. Featuring V8 power sexs and luxurious appointments such as heated and cooled seats, liquid heated windshield fluid, and leather appointments, the big Lucerne is based on the Cadillac DTS, but the car sells for more than $10,000 less than its up market Caddy cousin.

Lacrosse - This five seat sedan is sleek, aerodynamic, and quiet. With starting prices in the low 20 thousand dollar range, the car competes against the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
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by Tony Robinson

The sales of recreational vehicles have really been on fire lately, as more and more people discover the high level of freedom, and low level of cost, that an RV vacation can provide. As air travel becomes more of a hassle, and the cost of hotel stays continues to rise, many people are discovering the convenience of taking their hotel room with them wherever they go.

The attraction of a recreational vehicle, of course, is that it provides the budget traveler with the freedom to go where he or she wants, whenever they want to go there. An RV frees the traveler on a budget from rigid schedules, lines at airport security, restrictions on luggage, and so much more. And with over 15,000 RV parks and campgrounds dotting the country, there is bound to be one wherever you want to go.

And many RV’s have all the amenities of home, including living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms. Many RV’s also have rooms that slide out to provide even more living space when the vehicle is parked.

There are some important tips for first time RV’ers to follow to get the biggest bang for their travel buck. Some of our favorite tips for a low cost and hassle free RV trip include:

? Hit the web for tons of free information on living the RV lifestyle and keeping costs under control. There are a great many web sites and newsgroups dedicated to recreational vehicles, and they can provide valuable tips for those newcomers.
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by Terry Edwards

BF Goodrich tires has manufactured tires that have been some of the finest and most well known for decades. The Goodrich Corp has certainly had a storied history in the world of passenger tires.

The company dates back to 1870 when a man by the name of Benjamin Franklin Goodrich opened up a tire manufacturing plant in Akron, OH. It quickly became the leader in the tire industry, providing tires for all types of vehicles.

BF Goodrich tires supply tires not only for just passenger cars and trucks, but many other markets as well.

The Goodrich Company invented several firsts in the tire market including the first tubeless tire in 1946.

Perhaps what the company is most known for has been their line of BF Goodrich Radial T/A brand of tires.
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by Christine Harrell

Perhaps one of the most advantageous aspects of buying a used luxury vehicle aside from price is the fact that others have already discovered the best makes and models of the year for you. Not all models offer equal satisfaction of ownership. Some highly anticipated vehicles flop after they are put to every day use and some are regarded as the best in their class. Buying a used luxury car allows you to conduct online reviews of crash data, performance, and overall owner satisfaction. Here we’ll take a look at some of the best loved used luxury car models from the last six years.
2000: Audi TT The Audi TT topped the charts as the best overall luxury vehicle. According to owners, the biggest selling point of the Audi TT is the gas mileage. If gas mileage is a major consideration for you as it is for many today, consider a used Audi for sale. Not only will a used Audi for sale come with an attractive price tag, you’ll save money at the pump with the 2000 Audi TT.

Other luxury vehicles to consider if you’re in the market for a used luxury car or used luxury SUV with great gas mileage are the 2001 used Volvo S40, the 2002 used Audi TT, the 2003 and 2004 used Audi S4, the 2005 used Audi A4, and the used Lexus SUV. The Audi has ranked among the top ten in overall vehicle satisfaction every year since 2000 and is consistently heralded for its outstanding gas mileage. If you’re looking for a used Audi for sale online, keep your eye on these select models.
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by Christine Harrell

As a result of improved vehicle technology and materials, used car buying has become increasingly popular in the past several years. This is especially the case in the used luxury car market. Luxury cars hold their value in terms of performance and styling even more today than they ever have in the past. Here we’ll take a look at some things to consider when buying a luxury car.

Value: Some people have the perception that buying a used car just means buying someone else’s troubles. While this might be true in some cases, it’s certainly not the norm of the 40 million used cars purchased every year. The majority of used luxury cars available are lease returns and those who simply enjoy buying a new luxury car every few years.

While used luxury cars retain their value much more than standard vehicles, a several-year-old used luxury vehicle can sell for 30% - 60% less than it did new. Buyers of new cars pay a steep premium just to enjoy first ownership but the moment the car is driven off the lot and becomes a "used car," the value decreases. In two years, the owner of that same vehicle will in essence be driving a used car but still making the payments of a new vehicle.

Buying a used luxury car also allows you to get more options for less money. For the same price as a new stripped down model, you can buy a used luxury vehicle with accessories like built in TV’s, surround sound stereo, or a GPS system.
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by Sharon Listner

More and more Americans are beginning to understand the critial role that credit scores play in their financial well-being. Your credit score is a calculated number that determines your "credit-health". The score is between 450 and 850, with 450 being the lowest score. People with credit scores below 620, often find it difficult to get loans of any kind, be it mortgage loans, car loans, personal loans, etc.

If you have bad credit and you need a personal loan, you have a few options. If you are a homeowner, consider yourself very lucky. You can use services such as www.kstreetloans.com to find lenders, who service home equity loans, HELOCs and mortgage refinance loans for consumers with problem credit.

If you are not a homeowner and you do not have any assets, you can use the services of a payday loan lender. Payday loans can be a great asset, when used wisely. Remember, that payday loans have high interest rates but you can avoid accruing additional fees by paying off your loan as soon as possible.
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by Heather Owens

Nowadays, if you’re about to have a baby, then you’re most likely familiar with baby car seats. When we were children ourselves, safety precautions were a lot less stringent in the car, and quite often there weren’t any precautions at all. Present day parents, though, really have very little choice in the matter. Many states now have laws governing the transport of children in cars, with specific regulations about the type of seat required at various stages of your baby or infant’s life. The simple practice of holding your baby in your arms in the car just isn’t an option any more.

Whether you’re very keen on adhering to the law or not, it’s still very obvious from all the statistics on road accidents over the years, that car seats are very definitely a lifesaver for little ones. There’s no reason at all to avoid using one - your baby’s safety is at risk if you don’t. Remember, too, that it’s not just babies - most laws cover children at least through the toddler years as well. Usually the type of car seat required is related to height and weight. Using a baby car seat is going to be a part of your child’s life for quite a while.

Before I had children of my own, I’d never paid a great deal of attention to baby car seats. Once I realised I was going to have a baby, though, it became very important for me to find out what was available, and even more importantly, what style of seat was going to be the safest. There was no way I was going to risk my child’s safety in a substandard car seat. However it was also important for my baby to be comfortable, and for the baby car seat to be easy to use.
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by John Stanley

The perception in the marketplace, according to research, is that customer service is declining. Whether consumer expectations have increased or services have declined over the last few years is debatable. The fact is, perception is truth, in the consumers’ eyes.

Having stated that, some businesses still seem to excel in customer service and get rave reviews from consumers, surely they have a different strategy.

Internal Customers Remain the Same

It is my view that everyone joins a business team to do their best. It is the culture of the business that affects their performance level. There is an African saying "the boss casts a long shadow" and this is especially true when it comes to the standard of customer service we experience in businesses. Everyone wants to excel at customer service, but starts from a different point and performs to the cultural expectation levels of the business.

The consumer experiences customer service based, in my view, on the different levels: Level One: Synthetic Service Level Two: Genuine Service Level Three: Super Service Is it the understanding of the team and the implementation process that make the difference.

Synthetic Customer Service

This is based on all team members being trained to provide a ‘customer service’ act. They are given a script, told to remember their lines and to repeat the same process with every customer.

This approach is common in the fast food industry and is often criticized by many business people, due to its artificial approach. But, in my opinion, it does have a role. Not every one has the experience and attitude to provide customer service at level two or three.
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