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Archive for April, 2010

Looking for a Midsize SUV but want to stay on a budget? No problem! Who said SUVs have to be a drain on your pocketbook? We don’t think so. To prove our theory, we decided to look at available Sport Utility Vehicles that can hold their own against other top-selling SUVs, but can also be as easy on your finances as the payment for a mid-size car.

First, let’s consider what you should look for in a Midsize SUV. Most people prefer SUVs for cars for two reasons: more cargo space and better safety features. If you’re looking for an SUV at any price, you should make sure it meets your needs. Cargo space first. An SUV should provide you with enough space to haul the type of cargo you typically need to take with you, as well as seat the correct number of passengers. This is the reason, in and of itself, many people decide on a Midsize SUV over a Compact SUV. If it doesn’t meet your needs, it’s not a good value at any price.

Second, safety is important. An affordable SUV doesn’t mean that you should compromise on basic safety features. After all, what’s going to be more important in an accident – leather seats or well-designed airbags? Make sure your SUV offers what you need. Need a 2-wheel drive vehicle? Get one. Do you deal with snowy conditions several months out of the year? If so, then you’re better suited for a 4-wheel drive SUV. Do yourself a favor and get a 4-wheel drive. If you don’t, you’re sure to regret scrimping on the features that make handling the vehicle easier and safer.

So what are the options? We found three dependable Midsize SUVs that start at under $20,000. Each has impressive features, but we found the one we thought was the best value.

Dodge Nitro. A four-door wagon style SUV with a base price starting at $19,225. Although it’s smaller than the other two, its boxy design gives it a bit more accessible cargo space and seats four adults comfortably. The Nitro’s body style is trendy but functional – the scaled down exterior dimensions makes negotiating traffic and getting in and out of tight spaces easier than many compact SUVs.

Kia Sorrento. A four-door wagon style SUV with a base price starting at $19,995. Available with an impressive amount of features even on the base model, the Sorrento is more enjoyable to look at than to drive. On bumpy roads, the ride and handling can be frustrating and the resale value is nothing to write home about. The warranty, however, is generous meaning Kia stands by the quality of the parts they use. Always a plus.

Isuzu Ascender 5-Passenger. Our favorite Midsize SUV choice with a base price starting at $19,459. With room for five adult passengers and impressive amount of cargo space, you’ll feel like you’re driving a full-size SUV. Several standard features are worth mentioning: the hydraulically assisted rack-and-pinion power steering system, the anti-lock brake and traction control systems, and its efficient inline 6-cylinder engine. And of course, it comes with Isuzu’s famous warranty: 7-year/75,000 Mile Powertrain Limited Warranty and Isuzu’s 7-year/75,000 Mile Roadside Assistance Program. Nice.

Perhaps you have considered starting a mobile maintenance business in the automotive sector. If so you will have to deal with the waste in an environmentally friendly way. Whether you are changing oil or detailing cars with a mobile car wash unit you must consider this as a primary issue in running your new company.

How are hazardous waste or used Oil Waste issues handled?

Well, a mobile oil change business or a mobile automobile repair service has several ways in dealing with these eco-sensitive issues. It is best to have the local jobber who sells you the oil set that up for you and ask them about oil waste options. There are many companies in the phone book probably in your area that will pick-up waste oil or better you can deliver it once per week to an oil-waste reclaim facility.

If your volume is heavy, then you need a larger tank and thus if you will need a 1-ton truck or a 1-ton van mobile unit, but remember that some of the older buildings in your area have parking structure maximum heights, which will not allow for the ambulance suspension.

The amount of fresh oil stock you need will be determined by the volume of oil changes and how much of your business is repair and how much includes preventative maintenance such as oil changing. One must remember oil changes are not a high-profit or high-ticket item in auto-repair. What is the profit per car for oil changes? Typically none, you see, due to all the costs that most people forget about, unless your volume is very substantial. Indeed, 70% of mobile oil change companies we studied were out of business 3-years later. The ones that did well had fleet accounts. Without the volume you die.

It is important to have an environmental strategy if you decide to go into a mobile automotive business. It is best to make sure that you stay within the rules if you choose to go for it.

Most Americans rely on their cars for transportation to and from work and the businesses they frequent. It may not be ideal, but without an established, reliable mass transit system available consistently across the cities and states, owning your vehicle and the relative costs is often the reality.

While this can mean that the number of Car Sales and leases drastically diminish, it also means a great deal of experience for the confident and reliant do-it-yourself’ers, who have the mechanical and technical expertise to repair their vehicles, and a great deal of business for the Auto Repair Shops and Auto Body Shops across the nation. With the wild fluctuations in gasoline prices and the current job, tax and financial uncertainties, it makes a lot of sense for drivers to invest in their existing and even older cars.

Let me be clear. Ask any person on the street and he or she will probably admit to deep love for a new car – the new car smell, the crisp driving experience, the sheer thrill of all that shininess. It’s an undeniable thrill, but ask them again and you’ll soon find out that no one loves a new car payment. New cars are reported to lose as much as 25 percent of their value the minute the driver takes them off the lot and in four years, the depreciation consumes the remainder of its original value. After the initial excitement dies and boredom (think stability instead) sets in, some people can be lead to temptation and start sniffing around the new car lots again. In America, we live in a society that values new, young things and remaining faithful to our older, but often reliable, vehicle can seem a drag.

Take another look, however, and that older, faithful vehicle can easily start to look like a true and reliable friend. Fixing up or repairing your existing vehicle can save you loads of money over the long haul and after all, you already know this vehicle’s special quirks, how it handles in all kinds of conditions, and more. There’s history in that vehicle my friend! How can you abandon your old friend now? Whether you’re the self-reliant owner who repairs your own vehicles or the owner of an Auto Repair shop or Auto body Repair shop, it is very important to recognize some important advancements born of the economic crises and advances in online car parts purchasing.

With advances in the Internet, many companies are beginning to make replacement auto parts and auto body parts available directly to consumers and repair shops at significant discounts, often cutting out the markups that occur in the middle. Of course, it’s important for you or for your customers to shop around and many websites support advance search capabilities that ensure price comparisons on Replacement Auto Parts, Auto Body Parts even Automobile Accessories to improve the look of your vehicle and make it run better.

All of the work involved in locating, purchasing, and installing car parts … well, they take some time – it’s true, but improvements in online purchasing can make a difference in how much you pay for parts. Plus the ultimate reward is that you steered clear of a new car payment, found some new knowledge, and even rediscovered an old, reliable friend. What’s not to like about that?