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Forbes Releases List of Cars Expected to Reach 200,000 Miles

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

Fusion Forbes Releases List of Cars Expected to Reach 200,000 Miles
Photo Credit: planetc1 via Flickr

Forbes has released a list of car models that can be expected to last past 200,000 miles, a helpful resource for people looking to invest in a new car in the New Year.  Based on reliability reports released by Consumer Reports in October, Forbes’ list is composed of each of the top 2011 models in each of the 10 automotive segments (family sedan, SUV, pickup truck, etc).

Ford, Acura and Lexus all make appearances on the list, with annual frontrunners Toyota and Honda filling the majority of  spots. Toyota rebounded with the 2011 Yaris, Sienna, Cruiser and Tundra models, capping off a year that was full of struggles for the Japanese automaker. Ford makes an exciting move onto the list, as the Fusion hybrid beat out strong contenders such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Accord to be named the best Family Sedan. With a 53% above average rating, this small victory for American automakers will hopefully be a starting point for sustainable, environmentally-friendly car manufacturing.

Not everyone needs a brand new 2011 car to reach 200,000 miles! CarCheckup can help break bad driving habits that can put strain on an engine over a long period of time. CarCheckup will record driving tendencies such as sudden acceleration and pumping the gas while accelerating, which can cause undue strain over a long period of time and prevent your car from reaching the 200,000 mile mark!

Do you think Forbes got it right this year? Any more useful tips for making your car last past the 200,000 mile mark? Let us know in your comments below!


buy it now Forbes Releases List of Cars Expected to Reach 200,000 Miles TeenWithSign Forbes Releases List of Cars Expected to Reach 200,000 Miles ManWithSign Forbes Releases List of Cars Expected to Reach 200,000 Miles

Don’t forget CarCheckup has your solutions to your automotive information needs!

RedSmallArrow Forbes Releases List of Cars Expected to Reach 200,000 Miles Need an Automotive Diagnostic Tool because your Check Engine Light on?

RedSmallArrow Forbes Releases List of Cars Expected to Reach 200,000 Miles Need a Vehicle Tracking System to monitor your companies fleet vehicles or fleet drivers?

RedSmallArrow Forbes Releases List of Cars Expected to Reach 200,000 Miles Tired of tracking business mileage manually and want and easier way to record mileage

RedSmallArrow Forbes Releases List of Cars Expected to Reach 200,000 Miles Looking for peace of mind for your teen aged driver – Check out our solution to monitor teen driving

RedSmallArrow Forbes Releases List of Cars Expected to Reach 200,000 Miles Want Fleet Management Software without costly GPS vehicle tracking?




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EIA Releases Average Gas Prices for First Week of New Year

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

EIA GAS PRICES 824x1024 EIA Releases Average Gas Prices for First Week of New Year

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Jan 2011)

On Monday, the U.S. Energy Information Association released the average gasoline prices for the first week of the year. The report shows an upward trend in gas prices for last week while also comparing it to the price trend at this time last year. This week, the West Coast saw the largest increase at 0.025. Gas prices on the Gulf Coast remained the most consistent, seeing an increase of only 0.012 in the first week of the new year.

While the West Coast has seen the most increase in the past week, over the past year, the region has seen one of the smallest increases in gas prices at only 0.295. The New England area has seen the most an almost 0.40 jump since last year, the highest in the nation.

The EIA is an independent and impartial reporting agency that is committed to collecting, analyzing and disseminating information to assist in sound policymaking. The report comes out on a weekly basis and constitutes both unleaded and diesel fuel prices around the country.

How much of an increase has your area seen in the last year? What do you think about the EIA’s breakdown of where the gasoline prices come from? Let us know in the comments below!


bp11 EIA Releases Average Gas Prices for First Week of New Year

bp3 EIA Releases Average Gas Prices for First Week of New Year
bp2 EIA Releases Average Gas Prices for First Week of New Year

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2011 CES shows push in advanced control systems

Monday, January 10th, 2011

Many auto manufactures introduced new and/or improved infotainment systems at this years CES show.

We wanted to save you the airfare and recap them for you so you didn’t feel left out wlEmoticon winkingsmile 2011 CES shows push in advanced control systems

Toyota EnTune Infotainment System, Hyundai Blue Link, Ford won’t be left out with their MyFord, and even OnStar made news by expanding to offer after market OnStar gear for non-GM cars.  As an added bonus for the hard core geeks we’ll also touch on the Parrot Android based car stereo.

videob053f68f865b 2011 CES shows push in advanced control systems
Entune Video Overview

Toyota EnTune

Toyota EnTune Infotainment system allows user to install applications like Bing, OpenTable, and Pandora on their phone and sync it with their car. 

What makes Toyota’s system intriguing is that to install new apps, you simply load them to your phone and then sync the phone. This makes it as easy to install applications to your Toyota as it is to install an App on your iphone. 

The downside of Toyota’s system is that it will require an custom Toyota version of the app you want to install.  So you’ll have you’re standard iPhone version of Pandora and your Toyota version of Pandora installed.   EnTune relies on Bluetooth connectivity to your smartphone to handle the magic of live updating and internet connectivity.  This makes a double edge sword…The good is that the car itself doesn’t require it’s own cell phone contract, but it also means that it is of limited functionality without your phone.

 

Hyundai Blue LinkHyundai Blue Link connecting screen CES thumb 2011 CES shows push in advanced control systems
Hyundai’s Blue Link is really more of a OnStar competitor than a true infotainment system.  The focus is mostly on the “info” part. Offering a trio of service tiers ranging from  the “Assurance Package” that provides for crash notifications and the ability for the driver to call “SOS” in an emergency to the “Essentials Package” the provides vehicle theft recovery, maintenance notifications, and geolocation among other features.  Finally their top tier of service also provides for turn by turn based navigation.  No hardware or service pricing has been released yet, but Hyundai is saying that it will be substantially less expensive than OnStar’s offerings.

Ford MyFord Mobile

myfordmobile thumb 2011 CES shows push in advanced control systemsFord MyFord Mobile app that allows the Focus Electric driver to remain engaged and in control even when away from the vehicle. It’s part of a strategic approach to make Ford electric car ownership a real experience MyFord Mobile works via a smartphone app or secure website to give owners the ability to monitor and control selected vehicle functions anywhere they and the car have connectivity A value charging feature, powered by Microsoft, allows Ford customers to reduce their electricity costs by taking advantage of off-peak or reduced rates from their utility without a complicated set-up process

 

OnStarOnStar RetailMirror 01 thumb 2011 CES shows push in advanced control systems
OnStar is taking the plunge into the automotive aftermarket by selling to owners of non-GM vehicles. The $299 + install replacement rearview mirror will provide accident alerts, stolen-vehicle tracking, and navigation services and can be installed permanently on any vehicle through a partnership with BestBuy.

Parrot Asteroid Radiovue1 thumb 2011 CES shows push in advanced control systems
The Parrot Asteroid Radio is proof that Android is moving from the smartphone to other aspects of our technology lives.  It provides for multimedia and hands free applications right from your car radio.  Details are a bit thin at this point, but it appears that it will provide for internet streaming radio, point of interest search, and navigation in addition to “standard” radio functionality.  

 

What is your favorite piece of auto technology from CES this year? Sound off in the comments below

Links for further reading:

Toyota Entune homepage
EnGadget review of the EnTune System
Hyundai Blue Link Home Page
Ford MyFord
OnStar Homepage
Parrot USA Homepage

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2011 IRS Standard Mileage Deduction

Saturday, December 4th, 2010

 ButtonFreeBizTips 2011 IRS Standard Mileage Deduction

 

The IRS released their updated mileage rates for 2011.

Standard mileage rates are used to determine how much of a deduction you get for miles driven for business, charity, moving, or medical reasons.  These miles can really add up for the average business person, and shouldn’t be neglected for the average Joe either.  No one wants to pay Uncle Sam more than they need to!

Each year the IRS computes a value for standard mileage based on the costs they expect a driver to incur during the average mile driven.

These new rates take effect on January 1, 2011 for all cars, light trucks, and vans.

  • Deduction

    Classification

    14 cents per mileCharity
    19 cents per mileMoving
    19 cents per mileMedical
    51 cents per mileBusiness mileage

As a taxpayers you can choose between calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle or using the standard mileage rates.

>>>Download our FREE special report on “Tips to Maximize Your Mileage Deduction”  to learn more ways to maximize your deduction for tax time.

 

Additional Handy Resources For IRS Business Mileage Tracking
IRS Press Release for 2011 Standard Mileage Rate
Revenue Procedure 2010-51 contains additional details regarding the standard mileage rates.
Analysis of How Much Money Are You Loosing Not Keeping Track of Your Business Mileage 

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2010 Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Increase by 16 Percent

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

 

traffic thumb 2010 Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Increase by 16 PercentAAA has released their travel forecast for Thanksgiving 2010 and it looks like the roads are going to be busy this year.  They are projecting an 11.4 percent increase over last years Thanksgiving holiday (which they define at Wednesday November 24th to Sunday November 28th).  That means that around 42 million of us are traveling at least 50 miles from home to be with family and friends for the holidays.

“While Americans remain cautious with household budgets and discretionary spending amidst high levels of unemployment, many are in a better financial position this Thanksgiving than a year ago,” said AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. “This improvement, along with a strong desire to spend time with friends and family, is expected to propel a significant increase in Thanksgiving travel.”

Source: AAA Travel Forecast

What they don’t touch on is the media frenzy surrounding air travel with the newly instituted backscatter scanners and/or “enhanced” pat down procedures.   There seems to be so much blowback on the TSA that one has to wonder if that is also increasing the amount of people traveling by car over the holiday.

Picture Credit: Burning Image via Flicker

 

Let us know what kind of traveling are you doing this holiday in the comments below:

 

       buy it now 2010 Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Increase by 16 Percent         TeenWithSign 2010 Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Increase by 16 Percent         ManWithSign 2010 Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Increase by 16 Percent

Don’t forget CarCheckup has your solutions to your automotive information needs!
RedSmallArrow 2010 Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Increase by 16 Percent    Need an Automotive Diagnostic Tool because your Check Engine Light on?
RedSmallArrow 2010 Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Increase by 16 Percent    Need a Vehicle Tracking System to monitor your companies fleet vehicles or fleet drivers?
RedSmallArrow 2010 Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Increase by 16 Percent    Tired of tracking business mileage manually and want and easier way to record mileage
RedSmallArrow 2010 Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Increase by 16 Percent    Looking for peace of mind for your teen aged driver – Check out our solution to monitor teen driving
RedSmallArrow 2010 Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Increase by 16 Percent    Want Fleet Management Software without costly GPS vehicle tracking?

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Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

 

Iphone4 thumb Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS? Steve Jobs announced the long awaited iPhone 4 Tuesday and it looks like a really great hardware and software update.

Here at CarCheckup we’ve asked ourselves if now is the time for the iPhone to overtake personal GPS devices like TomTom and Garmin as rulers of your dashboard navigation.

Here is our staff breakdown based upon the specs of the yet to be release phone:

 

The Good!
036 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    No additional device to carry – It’s nearly always with you when you need it.
036 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Extended battery life over the iPhone 3GS – You’ll still want to plug into a car power adapter.
036 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Higher Resolution Screen – Sharper screen = less eye strain and sharper graphics
036 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Multi-tasking – Run your Navigation application and other apps at the same time
036 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Better Antenna – Case integrated antenna with and glass front & back should help GPS accuracy

The Bad!

036 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Small-ish 3.5 inch screen - smaller than the typical Personal Navigation Device
036 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Longer trips will still need a power adapter – .
036 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Big name GPS apps cost nearly as much as a stand alone GPS
036 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Less speed/Accuracy than a stand-alone personal GPS – It’s yet to be seen if the iPhone will be able to hold it’s own vs. stand alone GPS in terms of update speed and accuracy.

The real question becomes…What will software developers do to maximize GPS applications abilities on the new iPhone 4 platform?  We’re as anxious as you are to find out!

Preorders for the Apple iPhone 4 start on June 15th.  iPhone 4 deliveries start on 24th.

Will you be ditching your GPS for an iPhone 4 based solution?  Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think!

 

Don’t forget CarCheckup has your solutions to your automotive information needs!
038 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Need an Automotive Diagnostic Tool because your Check Engine Light on?
038 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Need a Vehicle Tracking System to monitor your companies fleet vehicles or fleet drivers?
038 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Tired of tracking business mileage manually and want and easier way to record mileage
038 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Looking for peace of mind for your teen aged driver – Check out our solution to monitor teen driving
038 Apple iPhone 4: You’re next Car GPS?    Want Fleet Management Software with out costly GPS Vehicle tracking?

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Cool or Creepy? GM Announces NextGen Heads Up Display

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

The geek part of me thinks this is really neat…and a little creepy.

GM has produced a system comprised of cameras to monitor the driver, night vision, radar, ultraviolet lasers, and GPS that will display of ton of useful data to the driver without them taking their hands off the wheel.  The system collect data on your surroundings, combines it with things like maps, landmarks, and GPS data and projects it on the windshield using ultraviolet lasers.

No more missing a speed limit sign or not being able to see the edge of the road in foggy conditions.

Check out this video of the system in action:

Pretty impressive stuff, huh?

I really like the integrated GPS display.  They are spot on with the “last 100 yards” issue.  I know this would reduce a lot of travelers headaches.

What do you think?  Cool or Creepy?

Vote in the comments below!

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Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near You

Friday, March 19th, 2010

image thumb1 Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near YouGoogle Android, the open source cell phone operating system from internet behemoth Google, has made the jump from phone to car.

The Rowe 350 has started production on March 18th and will be officially launch at the Beijing Auto Show on April 23rd and will feature Android 2.1 as the operating system for the GPS computer/DVD Player.

Android 2.1 image thumb2 Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near Youis the same software that powers the Google Nexus One and Motorola Droid.  It is being widely pushed by Google as the ultimate operating system for mobile devices…and apparently cars as well.

What makes this interesting is that the Android platform is built specifically to take advantage of wireless technologies like 3G cellular connections and other wireless technologies.  The Android platform also has application marketplace similar to the one available from Apple with it’s App Store.

It’s not hard to imagine that the system would be able to install new applications from the app marketplace to make it truly extendable.  If this system allows users to install any application from the app store, then the possibilities are almost endless.

For those not familiar with the Android platform, this will give you an idea of what type of applications are available:
036 Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near You Searchify – perform translations, calculations, unit conversions, wikipedia searches, calendar entry
036 Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near You Weatherbug – Allows you to get instant weather updates.
036 Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near You Meebo – Let you send/receive Instant Messages on pretty much any platform
036 Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near You Facebook – Access Facebook from Droid to keep you with your friends
036 Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near You Twidroid – Twitter client for Android
036 Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near You FourSquare – Find your friends and see what they are doing
036 Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near You Yelp – Find food and restaurant reviews.

Nearly anything is possible once you open an auto to a application marketplace like this.

Rowe is a luxury brand of SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation,) and has been partially built utilizing technology  licensed from MG Rover.  Rowe doesn’t currently sell in the US or UK, but according to multiple press sources the plan for US availability is “in the works”

Would you be anxious to have an Android powered car?  Or would you want to wait a few years until the “bugs” are worked out?  Let us know what you think in the comments below

image thumb3 Google Android Coming Soon to a Car Near You

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Check Out The Latest And Greatest Video from CarCheckup!

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

The CarCheckup graphics and video gurus have been at it again. The result of this caffeine driven marathon creative session?

A new CarCheckup masterpiece for your enjoyment!  Lights….Camera….Action.

CarCheckup Overview Video – Monitor Teen Driving, Track Business Mileage, See Why You’re Check Engine Light is On, and…really Help Save the Day.

Hope you enjoyed watching that as much as we enjoyed making it for you!  What did you think?  Should we give our creative team MORE caffeine or have they reached their frenzied capacity?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Nissan has announced the recall of 179,000 US vehicles today due to problems with the break pedal becoming lose.

Affected Models include:
036 Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge Some 2008 – 2010 Nissan Titan Pickups
036 Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge Some 2008 – 2010 Infinity QX56
036 Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge Some 2008 – 2010 Nissan Armada
036 Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge Some 2008 – 2009 Nissan Quest

Nissan has found that a pin that is used in the pedal assembly can come loose, causing a reduction in break force.  The more mileage on the car… the more likely it is to start showing signs of being loose.

The recall for this break problem officially begins on March 22, 2010.

As per usual, Nissan will be contacting owners who’s vehicles are affected by the recall and provide them with information on how the recall will be conducted, etc.

Nissan is also recalling 419,000 in the US due to faulty gas gauges.

According to Nissan:

“Vehicles at higher mileage levels may have fuel gauges which incorrectly indicate the amount of fuel in the tank. This may result in the vehicle running out of fuel while the gauge reads greater than empty,”

Nissan is saying that there is an issue that causes the fuel gauge on some Nissan vehicles to show 1/4 tank of gas when they are, in fact, empty.  Nissan is recommending that drivers of affected vehicles maintain at least 1/2 tank of gas to insure that they don’t get stranded.

Affected Models Include:
036 Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge Some 2005 – 2008 Nissan Titan Pickups
036 Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge Some 2005 – 2008 Infinity QX56
036 Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge Some 2005 – 2008 Nissan Armada
036 Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge Some 2006 – 2008 Nissan Frontier
036 Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge Some 2006 – 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
036 Nissan Recalls Almost 540,000 Vehicles for Break, Fuel Gauge Some 2006 – 2008 Nissan Xterra

The recall for this fuel gauge problem officially begins on March 22, 2010.  It’s being conducted in two batches, but the details on how it’s being broken up has yet to be released.  I would suspect that it’s being conducted in two batches due to parts availability.

Is anyone else getting tired of all of the recalls?

Are manufactures being hyper-proactive announcing recalls after seeing the aftermath of the Toyota recall?

Sound off in our comments below!

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