10 Smart Tactics to Keep Your Car from Getting Nicked and Dinged

10 Smart Tactics to Keep Your Car from Getting Nicked and Dinged
By Brian Vaszily

The holiday shopping season is here, and while you're bumping arms with other shoppers while reaching for the perfect gift, your car may be getting a few bumps of its own out in the parking lot.

Nicks, dings and scratches are common casualties to cars caused primarily in parking lots; beyond just looking unsightly, when it comes time to sell your vehicle or trade it in, those little nicks and dings can significantly reduce the value. The good news is, with just a little foresight on your part, they can largely be avoided.

Parking lots are actually quite risky, and for more than just the little dings. People know to be concerned about safety on highways and neighborhood streets, but they forget to be on alert in parking lots, said Bella Dinh-Zarr, Ph.D., AAA's Director of Traffic Safety Policy. Crashes happen frequently in parking lots and have the potential to be quite dangerous, particularly for pedestrians.

They can be so risky, in fact, that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that 20 percent of all collisions resulting in damage claims occur in parking lots. To prevent the crashes, bumps, thuds, nicks and dings, follow these top ten parking lot driving tactics:

Don't park too close to the shopping cart bin. Though you may be tempted (after all, then only one car can park next to you), don't give in. Many people launch shopping carts at the bin with one hand behind their back, without stopping to look where the cart ends up (or what it ricochets off of). Also, if it's windy, carts can easily blow out of the bin and into your car.

If the spot's small, keep going. You know the spot. It's the first in the lane or the closest one by half a block. You hesitate for a moment, then forge ahead, determined to wedge your car into it, no matter how tight a squeeze. This is a surefire way for your car to get bruised as the people parked next to you try to squeeze into their cars. You'll probably get a few bruises yourself when you try squeezing in and out. Remember, just because you can fit in the yellow lines doesn't mean you should take the spot.

Park as far out as (safely) possible. As long as it's safe to do so, parking at the far end of the parking lot means lighter traffic, less congestion and lower risk of collision. Plus, a little extra walking could do most all of us some good, particularly during the holidays when you'll be sipping cocoa and savoring sweets more often than usual.

Use side entrances. The main entryways of stores are the most crowded. Look for doors on the sides of the building; there will be fewer cars in the parking lot and more accessible parking spaces.

Look behind you. When backing out of a parking spot, we're used to looking left and right, but don't forget to look directly behind you. A vehicle across the way may be backing out at the same time, or shoppers may be rushing by.

Don't get sandwiched. Going back to the tight spot, avoid parking between two large SUVs, truck or minivans. If you are driving a large car, the space will be too tight. If you are driving a small car, you won't be able to see around the other vehicles while you're backing out.

Use your headlights. Studies show that having your headlights on--even during the day--reduces your risk of a collision. And in certain regions, during the holidays many days are gray and cloudy, so turning on your lights will make your car easier to see for other drivers.

Head to the top. If you're in a parking garage, many cars will be circling, looking for the premium close spots. You can avoid this frustration, and reduce your risk of collision, by simply heading directly to the top floors. There's likely to be much more space and less traffic, so even if you end up walking a bit farther, you'll be able to park quickly and safely.

Slow down and be choosy. If you're finding that the holidays have you trying to travel at the speed of light, slow down; avoid risky driving just to get to a parking spot first. Just as with your shopping, you should be choosy about where you park: Is there enough space between your vehicle and the ones nearby? Could shopping carts or other debris blow into your vehicle? Is it well-lit and safe? Will you be able to back out of the spot without difficulty? In general, don't allow the holiday rush to affect your driving, drive slowly, use your turn signal, park in safe areas and practice defensive driving skills at all times, said Sebastian Giordano, chief operating officer of the Top Driver driver education company. By anticipating the actions of other drivers and pedestrians, you may avoid senseless accidents.

Take public transportation ... or walk. By far, the best way to ensure that your car remains dent- and fender-bender-free is to not drive it at all! If it's available in your area, public transportation is a great choice. If you can, walking is the best choice, as you will also get excersie. Alternatively, some larger shopping areas offer shuttles between stores. This way, you can park your car in an outlying (safe) area, then shuttle between stores without having to worry about finding another parking spot.

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Why You Should Buy a Jeep Compass?

Why You Should Buy a Jeep Compass?
By Lisa Ziegler

Despite the Jeep Compass signature features such as the seven-slot grille, round lights and four wheel drive, this Jeep is also making quite a noise at the lower end of the SUV market. Designed to attract young car buyers with age ranging from mid 20s to late 30s, the Compass is quite smaller in size compared to the other existing model in the line-up and is made to compete with the likes of Toyotas RAV4 and Honda CR-V.

At close inspection one can tell that the Compass styling is a mixture of slinky curves and chiseled angles that need to be seen in order to be appreciated. Although the Jeep Compass may be considered quite eccentric as compared to other SUVs but there is something endearing about the Compass styling.

Jeep by the way preferred to call their Jeep Compass URV short for urban recreational vehicle. The Compass is more like its cousin the Dodges Caliber in the sense that the two share the same foundation plus some other parts and accessories like Jeep door handle cover taken from the DaimlerChrysler parts bin. But despite the similarities the Caliber and the Compass have ended distinct from each other.

The Compass interior is also a maze of hard plastics which includes the aluminum-look surround used for the centre console. The cabin was also made tolerable with the use of the nifty two-toned leather seats that has made the dark interior more subtle. The seats were very comfortable except for the steering column beating down on your knee caps whenever any footwork is required.

If you not used to lounging behind the steering wheel then youre in for a surprise with the Boston Acoustics sound system at full tilt lolling will somehow makes sense. There is also a set of speakers mounted on the tailgate and can be unclipped once you want to take the party out the car.

The Compass provides a load space of up to 170 cm3 of space with all the seats folded down. The luggage area is covered with a hardy nylon floor cover that can be removed and washed any time.

All of the Compass Limited models are equipped with heated leather seats, power windows, power heated side mirrors, six-disc MP3 compatible CD changer, adjustable steering and a hard sliding armrest located at the top of the center console.

In terms of safety equipment the Compass is equipped with dual front airbags and side curtain airbags, ABS complete with off-road calibration, ESP with yaw sensors, traction control with brake assist and electronic roll mitigation. All of the 18 inch alloys are connected to a standard tire pressure monitor. The Compass will also have the MacPherson strut and multi link arrangement that is a first for any Jeep vehicle.

Jeep Compass will also feature the Freedom Drive all-wheel drive system which cab be manually engaged at any speed by using a bright chrome lever placed just above the hand brake lever. Another first for Jeep is the 2.4 liter World Engine which was developed in partnership with Hyundai and Mitsubishi is also offered in the Compass. The 16-valve four cylinder delivers 125 kW at 6000 r/min and 220 Nm at 4500 r/min.

The prices for the Compass are as follows:

Compass 2.4 5-speed manual R224,900
Compass 2.4 CVT R254,900
Compass 2.0 CRD R279,900

All of Compass models are covered by the three-year/100,000 km warranty and maintenance plan of DaimlerChrysler.

For more about your Jeep parts needs like Jeep door handle cover, visit your trusted online source.

Lisa Ziegler is a 29-year old native of Waldport, Oregon and is currently working as a senior research analyst in a top Automotive Research Consultancy firm.

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'Results Give Us A Lot Of Confidence' Mulally

'Results Give Us A Lot Of Confidence' - Mulally
By Glady Reign

So far, so good. That was the message that the Ford Motor Co. is trying to convey in connection with its first quarter earnings. Ford CEO Alan Mulally said, 'We exceeded our expectations across the board.

Those expecting more bad news were astonished by Fords better-than-expected sales results with a net loss of $282 million that surpassed Wall Street's expectations and triggered a diffident rally in the automakers stock. This is the Fords way of saying that it is back to profitability. But the battle has just begun.

The automaker said that it lost $282 million in the first quarter of the year - a noteworthy improvement from its $1.4 billion loss a year ago. Ford's first quarter revenue totaled $43 billion and that amount is up from the $40.8 billion in the previous year.

In an interview Mulally intimated, We exceeded our expectations across the board, meaning across all of our brands and across all of Ford operations. Across-the-board improvement. Improvement on the revenue side and also improvement on the productivity and the cost side. And that's why we're very encouraged about this. Because our plan addresses the restructuring on the cost side and the quality side, but also with the acceleration of new product it addresses the revenue side. So to see these results gives us a lot of confidence that we have the right plan.

When asked about the areas the automakers did worse than expected, Mulally said they do not have an area that they did worse. He added, One kind of neat thing that came out - maybe we didn't share it as clearly as we could - creating a viable Ford Motor Co. and this transition is not just about the Blue Oval in North America. This is about all of our operations worldwide and all of our brands. And our plan is to improve our quality and our productivity and make cars and trucks that people want across the entire Ford operations. And part of what you saw today was that plan working. Not only did North America exceed their plan, everybody did. Which is a great story.

With the guidance that we have given - the reason that we went through that very carefully - it's a very good story that through 2007 year-end we believe that we are going to improve our automotive operations over last year. We have three quarters to go and the quarters are lumpy. There are lots of moving pieces through the quarters. Then year-over-year it can be a tough comparison because the plan is to go down in production - you know, to the lower demand and the changing model mix. But clearly even with all of the headwinds we are facing, our best estimate is that we will actually improve the automotive operations this year, the first year of our turnaround, Mulally noted.

Mullaly, formerly Boeings CEO, has been with Ford in the past six months. When asked about his biggest frustration, he answered: I don't have a frustration. It's hard work and you've got a lot of people involved. This is just such a positive indicator that the plan is working. Ford has been busy checking on the quality of the Volvo distributor rotor and other auto parts. This is to ensure outstanding customer feedback.

He added, This is a wonderful transformation of a great company and it didn't do anything wrong, it was focused on big SUVs and trucks. The world changed. People want a full product line, delightful cars, fuel-efficient, reliable, great quality across the entire family. And that's what we put in place, to aggressively restructure and (adapt) to the changing world and get back to profitability and to accelerate new product development. And to see - for everybody to see - that this plan is working gives a lot of encouragement to keep going.

When asked about his meeting with the Ford family, Mulally simply said, I had the pleasure to meet with them and I just gave them an update on the business. And their message I think was that they were very supportive.

In regard Mulallys meeting with the employees, the CEO said, It was a very gratifying meeting. I had a chance to share our story and the progress in each of the areas of the world and each of the brands. We had about 400 people here in Detroit and then we were netted with everybody else around the world. Of course it's a great story to be able to share because it represents all of their hard work. He concluded, And to see their smiles and hear their great questions about the business and going forward and the transformation. I thought it was a terrific meeting.

Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit, Mi. she is a native of the motor city and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field. Please visit Volvo distributor rotor for more information.

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