Do you have enough car insurance?

What could make a bad car deal worse? A wreck that leaves you owing thousands on a car you don’t own anymore.

If you did everything wrong while acquiring your last vehicle, you may still be able to do at least one thing right. And that’s buying so-called “gap insurance.”

Gap insurance kicks in when the amount your insurer would pay for your totaled or stolen car falls short of what you still owe on the loan or lease.

Chances are good you need gap insurance if:

You purchased a new car and didn’t have a down payment of at least 20%.
You’re leasing a car.
You’re financing for more than four years.
You rolled debt from your last car into your current auto loan.
I outlined why these car-buying practices are usually bad ideas in “The real reason you’re broke.” They are, unfortunately, fairly common scenarios that typically leave people “upside down,” or owing more on their cars than the vehicles are worth.

Yet gap insurance remains a relatively unknown product, said Patrick Olsen, managing editor of Cars.com.

“As soon as you drive off the lot, depreciation kicks in,” Olsen said. “I don’t think people are aware of the danger they could be in.”

If you don’t make a 20% down payment, for example, you’ll be upside-down on the car from the minute you drive off the lot, and you’ll typically stay that way for two to three years, depending on the length of your loan. If you get in an accident or the car is stolen during that time, you may be in trouble.

Video: Should you buy or lease?
“The insurance company will pay you what the vehicle is (currently) worth, and that’s not necessary the same as what you owe,” said Mike Meredith, financial editor for MSN Autos. “It could be a lot less.”

You could be pushed over the edge
Here’s an example. You buy or lease a car for around $25,000. Several months down the road, it’s totaled, but your insurance check covers only the car’s current value, which is about $20,000. Not only do you have to find new wheels, but you’re on the hook to the finance or lease company for that $5,000 gap. It’s not uncommon for cars to lose two-thirds of their value in just three years. (See MSN Autos’ list of vehicles that hold their value best.)

If you rolled debt from your old loan into your new one, that amount you owe could be even larger. One out of four vehicles that are financed includes debt rolled over from a previous vehicle, according to vehicle research site Edmunds.com, and the average amount of so-called “negative equity” is more than $4,000.

If your finances are already shaky, the gap between what you owe and what you’re paid could be enough to push you right over the edge.

“It could be the difference between staying afloat and having to declare bankruptcy,” said Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com and co-author of the book “Strategies for Smart Car Buyers.” At a minimum, you could be saddled with expensive and unwelcome debt.

If you’re not sure where you stand, you can use the Kelley Blue Book tool on MSN Autos to see how much your car is really worth and compare that to what you owe. Insurers typically pay an amount somewhere between the car’s trade-in value and what you’d get in a private sale.

Not to worry
Now, there are two scenarios where underwater drivers don’t have to worry about gap insurance:

If it’s already included in your lease. In some states, including New York, leases by law must include gap coverage, Olsen said.
If your auto policy is written to cover the gap. This isn’t the norm, but some auto policies promise to pay off a loan regardless of what the car’s worth. You can try reading your policy to see if you’re covered for any gaps, or simply call your insurer and ask.
If you don’t have coverage already, the solution fortunately doesn’t have to be that expensive. A premium of a few hundred dollars should cover you for the life of the loan or lease. You typically can buy the coverage:

From the dealershipor auto finance company. It’s probably the most expensive choice, especially if you roll the cost into your monthly note. You’ll be paying interest on it, plus paying for coverage even after you’re no longer upside-down on your loan.
From your current auto insurer. It’s usually the best choice, if your insurer offers the coverage. Farmers Insurance, for example, offers gap coverage at a flat rate of $25 every six months to Washington drivers. You can drop it once you’re sure you’re in the black.
From another insurance carrier. You can look for gap insurance providers; make sure they have top marks from one of the rating services such as A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s or TheStreet.com Ratings (formerly Weiss Ratings).
The best time to shop for coverage is before you even set foot on the dealer’s lot, Reed said. He advises calling your insurer to get a quote for coverage as soon as you decide what car you’re going to buy. But all isn’t lost if you fail to plan that far ahead.

“It’ll be cheaper through your agent than through a dealership,” Reed said, “but you can always buy it (at the dealership) and cancel it later” once you’ve got coverage with your insurer.

Video: Should you buy or lease?
If you’re a savvy enough negotiator, you may be able to get the dealership to lower its premium, Meredith said, particularly if you already know what coverage would cost through your insurer.Some dealerships and insurers require you to get the coverage when you buy the car, but others let you add it later. If you don’t have gap coverage and need it, it’s worth the effort to search for a company that will sell it to you.

Like most insurance, it’s something you may never need, Meredith said, but “it’s a really good thing to have if you need it.

Tag: auto insurance, car insurance, aa, aarp, admiral, american, antique car, arizona, home insurance, gap, agency

Passat Wolfsburg edition now available

volkswagen passat wolfsburg edition
The Wolfsburg edition of the Volkswagen Passat is now available at dealers, Volkswagen of America announced March 20.

VW would be selling only 6000 of the special edition Passat.

The Passat features a 2.0L, 200 hp turbo-charged engine with a standard six-speed automatic Tiptronic transmission.

The wolfsburg edition hosts a plethora of safety features, which includes six standard airbags, plus an optional two rear side airbags. It also has a four-wheel Antilock Braking System (ABS) with four-wheel disc brakes.

Luxury amenities include a 17-inch alloy wheels, a four-spoke leather wrapped multi-function steering wheel, letaher wrapped gearshift knob and boot, 12-way full power adjustable driver’s seat, six-disc in dash CD changer with MP3 capability, heated front seats, power sunroof, fog lights, heated windshiled washer nozzles and Sirius satellite radio.

World Premiere of the TT clubsport quattro

200,000 visitors and 50,000 vehicles anticipated Brand meet for Audi and VW fans The 26th Worthersee Tour from 16 to 20 May 2007 will celebrate two firsts this year. AUDI AG will be represented for the first time as a manufacturer at the …

Will Skoda Influence Future VW Offerings?

The automotive world is seeing some dramatic changes thanks to the opening up of markets in China and India and the development of plants producing models that can retail for much less than ten thousand dollars in North America. The lower end of the auto market is booming and cheaper priced cars will be soon heading to America to swell the ranks of vehicles selling for bottom dollar. Volkswagen will be doing its part to compete against all that the world has to offer, but not with models currently being built by the German automaker. However, Skoda, a car company owned by the Volkswagen Group is likely to start selling some of their cars in the U.S. once competition heats up. Read on and we’ll take a look at how Skoda may transform the basic Volkswagen offering for the lucrative, but competitive American market.

Ask the average American consumer if they ever heard of Skoda and more than ninety percent are likely to give you a “no” answer. Conversely, if you asked these same consumers if they ever heard of Volkswagen, the name recognition would be virtually one hundred percent. Such is the popularity of the car company that brought the Beetle and Rabbit to the American market.

Skoda is much less known globally, although they have been producing vehicles for more than one century. Indeed, the once Czech government run car company had a small following, mostly in the communist states of eastern Europe. During the early 1990s, the Czech government decided to sell its interest in Skoda and Volkswagen became the happy owner. Today, Skoda cars are made in five countries and sold in 21. New plants in Russia and China are being developed to join plants already operating in eastern Europe and India.

So, why would VW turn to Skoda in order to remain competitive in North America? For two reasons:

Even if VW sends their lowest price car to the American market, the Polo, it will still be priced at around $12,000 which will be several thousand dollars more expensive than the cars to be imported from Chinese automakers.

Already the Skoda is one of the best priced brands in the world. Instead of pouring millions of dollars into a new VW model and tapping a factory that produces more expensive vehicles, a base Skoda model will likely anchor the Volkswagen line up within the next five years. Perhaps the Roomster, Skoda’s tiny four passenger automobile will be the car that helps VW stay strong in the US. Powered by a tiny 3 cylinder 1.2L engine, the Roomster is uniquely designed and easier to tell apart from other cars in its class and the Roomster is likely to be popular in China once production begins late next year.

And what is the biggest advantage of the Skoda Roomster? It will retail for less than ten thousand dollars once imported versions of this car arrive from Chinese factories to American soil. Now for the remaining dilemma: will the car be rebadged as a VW or will America finally learn what Skoda is all about? Stay tuned!

Car Insurance

Insurance Policy covers risk of any unusual damage or loss in respect of the goods insured. All expensive capital goods should be insured. Your car is one such item. When insured, the Insurance Company takes on certain liabilities and will compensate you monetarily, in respect of unusual damage arising from an accident, theft, fire etc., to your car, during a specified time period, in return for a certain charge, known as the insurance premium.

The Insurance Policy does not cover damages on account of usual wear and tear in the vehicle. There are generally two schemes available for insurance of your car, the comprehensive and the third party insurance.

In order to register your car and apply for license plates, you must provide proof of insurance. This guarantees that your vehicle is covered in the event of an accident. You can select from many levels of auto insurance to suit your personal requirements, from basic coverage that only covers the other vehicle in an accident, up to full coverage, covering any vehicle involved and even providing medical benefits when necessary. Always discuss your coverage in depth with your agent.

Be careful not to over insure your vehicle. If you drive an older vehicle that has lost most of its resale value, opting for basic coverage, that only covers the other vehicle in an accident, can save you hundreds of dollars each year. Under insuring can be just as expensive. Be aware of the “blue book” value of your vehicle when your shopping for insurance.

Volkswagen forum

While searching out some information about all the new models I found this Volkswagen Forum which had plenty of information on the current models and some of the older ones.

My search for the ultimate car involves the quest for Formula One handling and the budget of a low end, second hand karting unit. So the Audi and BMers went out the window pretty fast. Didn’t even visit the dealer lots.

So it was time to look at the germans. For information about the Volkswagen Passat the article on the Volkswagen forum helped me find out about the new 2007 wagon. While the car seems to fit the bill its that price tag that is still killing my purchase plan. No matter what financing deal they throw my way it does not work out. I might as well have been looking for my Paris Dakar ready for action Touareg model. Its was working out to the same price but I was trying to get a lower price just because the Touareg is so ugly. Plus you can barely pronounce the name.

It does not matter whats under the hood in all situations, sometimes you have to look at the outside when you’re buying a car and the Volkswagen Touareg really needs some more work in that department. But than again I’m not some german Volks/Porsche car designer living the good life in the Black Forest. Yes I think its time to find an old Volks Fox wagen, that might fit in the budget. 

PRIMER 2007 – Hosted by Yarrowsport

What a difference a year makes. Last year we baked in nearly record temperatures at Yarrowsport in Providence, RI while attending the PRIMER. This year it was cold, overcast and windy. Fortunately, the less than optimal weather conditions …

Will Skoda Influence Future VW Offerings?

The automotive world is seeing some dramatic changes thanks to the opening up of markets in China and India and the development of plants producing models that can retail for much less than ten thousand dollars in North America. The lower end of the auto market is booming and cheaper priced cars will be soon heading to America to swell the ranks of vehicles selling for bottom dollar. Volkswagen will be doing its part to compete against all that the world has to offer, but not with models currently being built by the German automaker. However, Skoda, a car company owned by the Volkswagen Group is likely to start selling some of their cars in the U.S. once competition heats up. Read on and we’ll take a look at how Skoda may transform the basic Volkswagen offering for the lucrative, but competitive American market.

Ask the average American consumer if they ever heard of Skoda and more than ninety percent are likely to give you a “no” answer. Conversely, if you asked these same consumers if they ever heard of Volkswagen, the name recognition would be virtually one hundred percent. Such is the popularity of the car company that brought the Beetle and Rabbit to the American market.

Skoda is much less known globally, although they have been producing vehicles for more than one century. Indeed, the once Czech government run car company had a small following, mostly in the communist states of eastern Europe. During the early 1990s, the Czech government decided to sell its interest in Skoda and Volkswagen became the happy owner. Today, Skoda cars are made in five countries and sold in 21. New plants in Russia and China are being developed to join plants already operating in eastern Europe and India.

So, why would VW turn to Skoda in order to remain competitive in North America? For two reasons:

Even if VW sends their lowest price car to the American market, the Polo, it will still be priced at around $12,000 which will be several thousand dollars more expensive than the cars to be imported from Chinese automakers.

Already the Skoda is one of the best priced brands in the world. Instead of pouring millions of dollars into a new VW model and tapping a factory that produces more expensive vehicles, a base Skoda model will likely anchor the Volkswagen line up within the next five years. Perhaps the Roomster, Skoda’s tiny four passenger automobile will be the car that helps VW stay strong in the US. Powered by a tiny 3 cylinder 1.2L engine, the Roomster is uniquely designed and easier to tell apart from other cars in its class and the Roomster is likely to be popular in China once production begins late next year.

And what is the biggest advantage of the Skoda Roomster? It will retail for less than ten thousand dollars once imported versions of this car arrive from Chinese factories to American soil. Now for the remaining dilemma: will the car be rebadged as a VW or will America finally learn what Skoda is all about? Stay tuned!

Volkswagen Rabbit 2007

volkswagen rabbit 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit 2007
Which VW is the best selling model of all time? Well, if you answered the Beetle you can’t be faulted as it was the company’s top selling model for several decades. Recently, however, the Golf supplanted the Beetle as more than 25 million Golf models have been sold since the car was introduced during the mid 1970s. Today, the Golf is still produced but its old name – the Rabbit – is once again in use for the North American market – New 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit. This curious change in strategy has some people scratching their heads, but it may yet prove to be a marketing coup for the German automaker.
Original post Pulling A Volkswagen Rabbit Out of the Hat

Porsche 911 Turbo 2007

 

The new Porsche 911 Turbo features a revolutionary 480-horsepower, twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter boxer engine with the world’s first gasoline-engine application of variable turbine geometry (VTG), a redesigned all-wheel-drive system, and evolutionary styling.

The new 911 Turbo’s engine produces 480 hp at 6,000 rpm, 60 bhp more than its predecessor, raising specific output of the 3.6-liter boxer-Six to an all-time high of 133 bhp per liter. More notable is the engine’s torque curve, which has been bolstered and broadened by the variable turbine geometry system. Peak torque rises to 457 lb-ft (previously 415 lb-ft), but that peak now spans an extended rpm range from 1,950 to 5,000 rpm, compared to 2,700–4,600 rpm in the previous 911 Turbo. Additionally, a function in the optional Sport Chrono Package allows a 10-second, mid-rpm-range ‘overboost’, temporarily increasing turbo boost under full throttle by 2.9 psi, and swelling peak torque to 502 lb-ft.

A 911 Turbo equipped with the optional 5-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission requires only 3.4 seconds to sprint from 0 to 60 mph. Equipped with the standard six-speed manual transmission, the new 911 Turbo reaches the same 60 mph mark in 3.7 seconds. With either gearbox, the top track speed of the new 911 Turbo is 193 mph.

Much of the 911 Turbo’s improved performance can be attributed to the variable turbine geometry system, the first such system available on a turbocharged gasoline engine. The heart of the technology is adjustable guide blades, which can vary in angle to most effectively guide engine exhaust flow onto the turbocharger’s impeller wheel. The result is a system that provides the advantages of both a small and large turbocharger, improving flexibility and acceleration, particularly at low engine speeds.

To transfer this power to the road, the new 911 Turbo features a redesigned all-wheel-drive system, with an electronically controlled multi-disc clutch replacing the previous model’s viscous clutch. Porsche Traction Management (PTM) allows variable power distribution fore and aft, and depending on conditions, the system’s electronics constantly determine optimal torque distribution to ensure ideal traction. In use, PTM provides exceptional agility on winding roads, outstanding traction in inclement conditions, and impressive active safety even at higher speeds. Though powerful, the 911 Turbo’s PTM setup is one of the lightest all-wheel-drive systems on the market.

The new 911 Turbo’s accelerative performance is duly tempered by its brake system, which is comprised of six-piston monobloc calipers up front, and four-piston monobloc calipers at the rear. Brake disc diameter at all four corners has been increased 20 mm, to 350 mm (13.78 in.). Optional is Porsche’s Ceramic Composite Brake system (PCCB). In addition to the exotic pad and rotor material, the PCCB option provides an increased front disc diameter (380 mm /14.96 in.), absolute corrosion resistance, improved fade stability, and a 37-pound unsprung-weight savings versus the standard brake system.

Styling changes made to the new 911 Turbo are evolutionary. The modified front end features tautly drawn cooling air inlets, widely spaced and deep-set fog lights, and new LED indicators situated in the lateral air inlets. From the rear, the Turbo takes on a more powerful stance thanks to a tail 22 mm (0.9-in.) wider than that of the previous model. The redesigned wing spoiler has been aligned to the wider profile, and slopes downward slightly at each end to nestle the rear fender’s contours. The lateral air inlets behind the doors have also been redrawn, and together with the new air ducts, afford a more efficient supply of cooling air to the intercoolers.

The 2007 911 Turbo goes on sale this summer in North America.

Tag: porsche, porsche los angeles, porsche 911, carrera gt, porsche dealer, boxster, part, 944, 356, 914, 928, carrera, turbo, 911 by design perfection porsche, racing, wheels

Full Schedule: Audi tv Goes on the Air

Brand TV channel brings traditional TV and internet together 24 hour schedule with own programming Culture, sport, lifestyle and technology topics at www.audi.com/tv Audi has started its own internet TV channel. With immediate effect, Audi …