About a week ago (6/18/09) we talked about the new “Cash For Clunkers” bill that was passed (see Government Tax Incentives). It seems like there has been a lot of confusion as to what cars will qualify both for the trade in and the car that can be purchased. Reading the act that was linked to in our story gives a good idea on how this may benefit the average consumer helps some, but as expected this leaves a lot of questions.

The “Cash for Clunkers” program was renamed “Car Allowance Rebate System” or “CARS” by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after President Obama signed the bill into law. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) set up a website Cars.Gov to help inform the car buying public of the new program.

Some of the manufacturers are trying to help out with sections of their site dedicated to helping consumers figure out how this will affect them. One of the first to address this has been Ford. As of today (6/25/09) they will have a new section of their sites dedicated to helping you figure out if you “clunker” qualifies for the program, how much you can get as a credit $3500 or $4500, and what new car qualifies for the deal. You will find this section at www.ford.com

In addition to the vehicles that qualify to be traded in and the ones that can be purchased under the program, there are several limitations including (more…)

2009 Toyota Venza

The 2009 Toyota Venza brings about a whole lot of changes, apart from the array of standard features such auto dual zone air conditioning, AM/FM six-disc CD changer, satellite radio capability, rear seat entertainment system, and Bluetooth. It also comes with loads of extra goodies such as a back-up camera, Smart Key System, and a power rear door.

Let us take a look at the other noticeable improvements in the revived 2009 Toyota Venza!
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Tesla Roadster Electric sports car*

If a new hybrid car is in your future you will no doubt be interested in checking out what Government Incentives are available for new Hybrid cars purchases. There are many 2009 hybrid cars that qualify for a government tax credit as well as a list for 2010.

IRS tax credits can go as high as $3,400 for a 2010 Ford Fusion or a 2010 Mercury Milan hybrid. Credits go down to $1,550 for vehicles like the 2009 Saturn Vue, 2009 Saturn Aura and 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. It’s also important to check the phase out period. These credits start phasing out after the manufacturer has sold over 60,000 eligible cars dropping to 50%, 25% and finally no credit.

You can find vehicles that qualify for IRS tax credits from a number of manufacturers including Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, and Toyota.

While not related directly to hybrid cars, the Senate passed a new bill today (H.R. 2346) to give incentives to get rid of your old car in favor of a more fuel efficient car even if the new car is not a hybrid. The “cash for clunkers” program will reward car buyers for choosing a new car that gets at least 4 miles per gallon better than their old car. For trucks, sport utility vehicles, and minivans a 2 mpg increase will get an incentive of $3500, if you get something that gets 5 or more mpg higher the incentive increases to $4,500. This program is outlined as part of the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act

Now, if your standard hybrid car is a little too tame for you, perhaps you would like to go with a pure electric sports car like the Tesla Model S from Tesla Motors. (more…)

No matter where you really wish to travel, the Hummer vehicles are the best bets, especially for the off-road terrain. So, let us take a deeper look at the Hummer H3 series and see what this masterpiece has got to offer for the tourists.

The 2009 HUMMER H3 SUV offers a wide range of features as well as impressive things that are hard to be seen on the other top-end luxury cars. Few years back, the Hummer H2 also offered majority of these features but at a much higher cost. So, the Hummer H3 not only provides latest features, but also renders them at an affordable price tag too.
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Nissan Cube

Reading the name “Nissan Cube” for some reason gave me flashbacks of the Nintendo Game Cube, and with my first glance of this futuristic looking car I could see that my initial impression was not far from the mark. This vehicle truly looks like the product of an animator with the overall boxy look of the car, rounded windows and rather unique interior design.

No surprise that Nissan is primarily marketing the Cube to a younger generation of car buyers. Nissan is taking full advantage of the Internet to deliver its marketing pitch with a downloadable “Mobile Hub” where potential buyers can get information, music, wallpapers of their favorite model and even a multi-player application to play on their iPhone, allowing you to test drive your new Cube with up to 8 friends picking up items like ice, music, and friends on your way to a party.

Well, the Nissan Cubes marketing is innovative but is it worth the hype. (more…)

The Toyota Prius happens to be one of the most happening mid size hybrid electric cars from the house of Toyota. Its production started in the year 1997, and the car has been produced in two generation till date. The latest third generation of Toyota Prius is now on the cards. Despite being produced in 1997, the sales of the car were limited to Japan for almost 4years and the car had hit the international market only in the new millennium.

3rd generation Toyota Prius

But, it soon picked up and currently Prius happens to be a best-seller in the American market, though the car is acclaimed worldwide in almost 40 different nations too. Whether you consider the cleanliness or the mileage efficiency of the Prius, it has always been on the top. Prius 2008 was rated as America’s most fuel efficient car by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the cleanest one in terms of low carbon-dioxide emissions by the EPA and California Air Resources Board.

The class of Toyota and the power of hybrid engines

Now, it’s time to look at the 3rd Generation of Toyota Prius, which will feature integrated fog lamps, LED tail lamps, Projector-beam halogen headlamps with auto-off functionality, auto-off and headlamp washers, and uber-cool LED headlamps with auto leveling. (more…)