Monday

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=LisaZiegler
http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-You-Should-Buy-a-Jeep-Compass?&id=499663

Sunday

10 Rules That Make Renting a Car Online Simple

10 Rules That Make Renting a Car Online Simple
By Aaron Brooks

Computers and the World Wide Web are turning people into mouse clickers. One can do just about anything on the net: file for divorce, hire a car, and search for a husband or date, and shop. If you ever need to rent a car you need no longer go to a hire agency, the whole process can be done online.

To make renting a car online safe and easy, just follow these 10 rules:

1.Do a thorough search on the net and short list a few rent-a-car companies. Determine their rates, when they were established, and their business module. Find out whether they have a good reputation. A few examples of excellent companies are www.avis.com and www.hertz.com.

2.Locate a company that offers you a good deal and is located close to where you live. If you collect and return the car quite close to the companys location you will save money.

3.Before you approach a company online and fill in your needs, make up your mind on what kind of car you want, for how many days, what features are essential for you and so on. Consider where you are going and find out whether you will need anti-freeze or snow chains.

4.Before you fill in your needs and pay for a car you must read through the contract and the terms and conditions in fine print. List any questions you may have and ring up the companys toll free number for clarifications.

5.Use as ready reference the list of essential documents required for renting a car and get all your papers in order. While some companies accept scans of documents others may ask you to courier the documents or drop them off.

6.Make sure the package you choose is beneficial and determine if you are entitled to any discount. Before making an online payment check to see whether the company has a safe gateway.

7.And be sure to ensure that the car is insured , its papers are in order, and that the company has a few travel insurance schemes.

8.Many companies top the tank before you get the car while others require you to fill the gas. Find out as much as you can about the company policy regarding gas, free drop off and pick up, and who is responsible if the car needs any repair.

9.Check whether you have the car rental companys 24/7 contact numbers and e-mail addresses in case of emergency.

10.Check whether your drivers license is valid for where you are planning to drive and whether the car rental company has any rules about only the person renting the car being allowed to drive.

Many rent-a-car companies have great marketing schemes in place they offer discounts, coupons, reward points, and more. Visit car rental directories to find out what is new and what is beneficial.

Aaron Brooks is a freelance writer for http://www.1888seoservices.com/, the premier website to find Seo consulting, link buildings and professionals seo training, online marketing tips, seo tools and more. He also freelances for the premier Airport Parking site http://www.1888airportparking.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=AaronBrooks
http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Rules-That-Make-Renting-a-Car-Online-Simple&id=462411

Saturday

'Brand Watch' Finds Best Exteriors For New Truck And Suv Shoppers

'Brand Watch' Finds Best Exteriors For New Truck And Suv Shoppers
By Benjamin Hudson

When buying something, most people intently look at the outer surface of a thing because it oftentimes says the quality and performance.

Kelley Blue Book and Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research announced the results of the Exterior Styling segment of its newest automotive research study, Brand Watch.

Kelley Blue Book Vice President for Marketing and Market Research Rick Wainschel said exterior styling is one of the top decision factors among vehicle shoppers, and consumers' perceptions can add or eliminate a brand from someone's consideration list. He added that the real-time reporting of the Brand Watch data and the ability to see these brand perceptions can be extremely helpful in tracking shifts in new vehicle shopper attitudes and developing responses to those shifts.

The Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch Study on Exterior Styling was further categorized into seven segments. These are the convertibles/Sports cars, Trucks, Minivans, Luxury SUVs, Non Luxury SUVs, Luxury Sedan, and Non Luxury Sedan.

The results gave some surprises. Porsche bested other convertibles or sports cars by ranking number one in the category. It was followed by Mercedes-Benz at rank 2, then by Jaguar at rank 3.

For new trucks, according to auto shoppers, Ford has the best exterior, and then followed by GMC and then Chevrolet. Dodge, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda almost got a spot in the category where it placed fourth, fifth, eight, and eleventh, respectively. In the Minivans category, however, Dodge ranked 1; Toyota ranked 2; and Honda ranked 3.

Consumers find BMW as the luxury SUV with the best exterior, Lexus as the second best and Mercedes-Benz as the third. Meanwhile, on the Non Luxury SUVs, the top three in rank in descending order- is composed of Ford, Toyota and GMC.

BMW indeed proved its luxury when it ranked 1 again in the luxury category, this time, for the Sedan. Mercedes-Benz immediately followed at rank two and Infiniti at rank 3. Meanwhile, on the Non Luxury Sedan, Nissan, Honda and Toyota bagged the first, second, and third place, respectively.

Volkswagen, with its newly enhanced VW valve covers for its new vehicles was not found in the top list of the results. Some said this is because the study was only based on the exterior of the car and not on the engine, which is one of the priority parts of a car.

Jack R. Nerad, the Executive Editorial Director and at the same time the Executive Market Analyst of Kelley Blue Book said that as vehicle reliability reaches near-parity in the market, they predict that exterior styling will play an even bigger role in building new-vehicle sales and brand equity. He further said the results of the Brand Watch study demonstrate that the industry is, and should be, placing great emphasis on what their vehicles look like.

Brand Watch taps into active shoppers to determine their perceptions of automotive brands within specific automotive segments and is available to vehicle manufacturers and auto industry professionals. Brand Watch further deals into how each manufacturer's brand equity differs across vehicle segments, compares the relative standing of each make versus competitive makes, and reveals the decision factors of car-buyers within each make and segment. Also, detailed demographic and psychographic information is collected, reported and detailed throughout Brand Watch's comprehensive study which is available quarterly from Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research.

For more about your VW parts needs like VW valve covers, visit your trusted online source.

Benjamin Hudson works as a supervisor at one of the top engineering firms in the business district of Louisiana. He is also a freelance journalist and has passion for anything automotive.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=BenjaminHudson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Brand-Watch-Finds-Best-Exteriors-For-New-Truck-And-Suv-Shoppers&id=549962