Every year, our roads and highways are becoming more crowded with millions of vehicles. Many people are choosing to travel long distances by car.  We no longer travel close to home, and work often involves road travel at all hours of the day and night.

Our mobile lifestyle has resulted in road travel problems such as vehicles breaking down on the side of the road and an increased risk of a vehicle accident. Fortunately, there has been a solution created to ease anxieties about vehicle problems when driving along our highways and byways.

An auto membership offers many benefits that will ease daily living.

During your daily routine, whether it is work or family activities, an auto membership will help ensure that you do not get in a stressful situation with no one to help.

One of the biggest concerns about driving is having an accident or having a car break down in an isolated area with no one available to provide assistance. One of the major advantages of an auto membership is emergency roadside service.

The last thing you want is to be hurrying to a meeting or work, or taking your kids to school and have a car break down.

If you have a car problem that requires a flat tire change, a tow service or a battery jump, with one phone call, someone will be dispatched to your location to help you get back on the road. Many times, a person can find them in such situations as lost or stolen keys, keys left in a locked vehicle, running out of essential vehicle fluids, or the gas tank runs empty.

In these types of situations a person from roadside assistance will come to your location to replace a lost key, and add such fluids as anti freeze, brake fluids, motor oil…etc.

If you are a person who loves to vacation by car, an auto membership can be very helpful. If you are in an accident while traveling, some auto memberships will provide compensation for such expenses as transportation home, hotel, and food expenses.

An auto membership can also provide such assistance as trip routing, discounts on recreational activities such as water parks, and discounts on cruises, hotels, restaurants, local attractions, theme parks, car rentals, and much more.

They can even offer road maps and travel guides. As well, there are essential traveling products that one can acquire for their trip such as no-fee traveler’s checks, travel insurance, medical insurance, emergency check-cashing services, and much more.

There are auto club memberships where customer service representatives will help you find a new car. They will provide helpful information such as the history of maintenance and repairs, retail sticker prices, options, safety features, mileage, and more. There even auto clubs that can provide such insurance policies as auto, flood, medical, and life. They can also provide driver training programs.

Depending on the features you are looking for with an auto club membership, there is a plan that can meet each individual’s needs. By purchasing an auto club membership, your daily living routine and vacations will be much more relaxing and you will be reassured knowing that you are protected.

Auto club provides travel insurance and CAA travel packages. Make sure you have CAA insurance for your next exclusive getaway. CAA ensures you are protected while you travel with worldwide health assistance and extensive coverage.

Your car has broken down, and now you need to pay for towing, and repairs. Sometimes these repairs cost unexpected hundreds or thousands of dollars. What are your options?

1. Be Prepared

The best way to avoid an emergency is to be prepared for an emergency. If you can set aside a little bit of money each month in case of any emergency (be it medical, automotive, or accident), then you will be able to manage any unexpected situations. However, if the time has come and you haven’t planned ahead, there are still some ways that you can get money.

2. Stay Calm

One of the most common mistakes that is made during emergencies is to lose your cool. If you lose your cool, you might forget to use common sense. Use your common sense to shop around. Even if you need a tow right now, consider calling a few places for quotes before having them send someone over. The ten minutes that it takes you to make some comparisons might save you twenty dollars or more. That makes the use of time well worth your money. Remember, you will be late anyway, so take your time in getting there.

When the tow truck driver arrives, be sure that you know where you want to have your car towed. You should also do some comparison shopping for this. You can even call a friend and have them make some of your phone calls for you. If you don’t know what is wrong with your car, have it taken to a mechanic or dealership that you trust. They will tell you what’s wrong, and you then be able to decide how much (it might be all) of the work you want to have done.

3. Review your Options

When you buy a car, you often get a warranty. You might be signed up for AAA or CAA. Your insurance company might cover some of the repairs needed for your car. Before you go about paying for all of the repairs out of pocket, find out what repairs are covered. Then get approval from the institution that will help you pay. It is easier to get them to pay upfront than to get them to reimburse you.

Consider keeping a membership for CAA or AAA. This means that you will have free towing if you are ever in an accident or if you ever have a breakdown. There is an annual fee, so you would have to weigh the pros and cons of membership. I, personally, find that I have gotten a lot back from my membership, including a peace of mind knowing that I am covered while I travel.

4. What NOT to do

If you need to pay for your emergency repairs, do not get a pay day loan. Pay day loans have exorbitant interest rates and will make it hard for you to get back on top of your debt.

5. Get the best interest

Find out where you will be able to get the best interest rates for the money that you will have to spend. If you take out a loan, then you will be able to pay it back in small pieces throughout the year, rather than taking an upfront loss. This also works if you cannot pay for your car.

If you put the car repairs on your credit card, remember that you will probably be paying a higher interest rate than if you got a car repair loan, or if you went to a bank or credit union. Check the interest rates that varying places offer, including at the dealership if you are having your car repaired there.

6. In the meantime

While your car is in the shop, be smart about how you get around. Don’t take taxis everywhere if you can’t afford them! Ask friends for lifts; they will understand if you are in need because of unexpected car repairs for a few days. Take the bus for a few days. Walk or bike, if possible. Set up a temporary carpool with a co-worker (this could even work for you when you get your car back!). Don’t let the expense of car repairs get larger because you don’t have your car.

Hyundai’s claim that it offers “America’s Best Warranty™” is going to be tested in an Orange County, California Superior Court. On March 22, 2006, Green Welling LLP, a San Francisco class action law firm, filed suit against Hyundai for refusing to cover repairs under its warranty to correct defective clutch parts in 2003 Hyundai Tiburon GTs with six-speed manual transmissions. The action is filed under Case no. 06CC00052.

According to class action lawyer Robert Green, “We noticed an unusual amount of 2003 Tiburon drivers complaining about their clutches failing within the first 30,000 miles they drove the car. Not only was the clutch failing prematurely, but owners were complaining that Hyundai refused warranty coverage for the repairs needed to fix the problem.” [PRWEB]

Vincentric’s Best Value in America™ awards were announced today, with hybrid vehicles leading the way. The Toyota Prius, along with the hybrid versions of the Ford Escape, the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Highlander each won the Best Value in America™ award in their segment. In addition, Vincentric assigned Excellent Value ratings to the Mercury Mariner hybrid, the Lexus RX400h hybrid, and the Honda Insight.

To determine Vincentric’s Best Value in America™, Vincentric analyzed over 1,800 different vehicle configurations and computed the cost to own and operate each vehicle. Eight different cost factors were calculated to determine overall Cost of Ownership: depreciation, fuel, insurance, opportunity cost, financing, maintenance, taxes and state fees, and repairs.

Using a statistical model, the company identified the Best Value in Americaâ„¢ by measuring which vehicles have a lower than expected ownership cost given their market segment and price. The strong value of hybrids was clear when both a hybrid and non-hybrid version of the same vehicle were compared to other vehicles in the same segments. In those instances, the hybrid version had ownership costs that averaged 16.2% lower than a similarly priced competitor, while the non-hybrid version had ownership costs 7.9% lower.

“Hybrids benefited from three main factors”, stated David Wurster, President of Vincentric. “First was their strong fuel economy ratings, resulting in lower fuel costs for these vehicles. Second was their strong residual values due to high demand, resulting in lower depreciation costs. And third was the federal tax credit that went into effect this year. This combination of factors creates extremely strong value for consumers.”

Including the Prius and Highlander hybrid, Toyota had eleven Best Value in Americaâ„¢ awards, with Honda also faring well with six winners. [PRWEB]

tagTRAX: hybrid vehicles | hybrid version | highlander hybrid | toyota prius | lexus rx400h

A carryover from the previous year, 2005, the 2006 Toyota Corolla is a four-door, 5-passenger family sedan, or sports sedan. It is made available in four trims, which ranges from the CE to the XRS.

When this vehicle was introduced, the CE has been equipped with a standard 1.8 liter, I4, 126-horsepower engine that has the capability to achieve 32-mpg when in the city, and 41-mpg if driving on the highway. Standard for the line is a 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive, however, a 4-speed automatic transmission with drive is optional.

For the XRS, this trim has been equipped with a standard 1.8 liter, I4, 164-horsepower engine that is able to attain 26-mpg during city driving and 34-mpg while on the highway. Standard for this trim is the 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive.

The newest Toyota Corolla comes in one body style. This is a four-door sedan. The Toyota Corolla comes with the standard of 15-inch steel wheels, however, it still could make do with larger wheels and tires that would fill out the wheels well more than what it has now. Options for LE models are the aluminum 15-inch wheels. This sedan has a high trunk to be able to keep up with the vehicle’s high belt line.

According to Jim Lentz, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager, “Corolla has become the world’s favorite compact car by exceeding customers’ expectations for value, quality, and performance in this segment. With the XRS model introduced last year, Corolla is expanding its appeal to younger, performance-oriented buyers.”

The Toyota Corolla has taillights that perfectly match the shape of its headlights. Getting in and out of the automobile has been made easier with its door openings made reasonably wide. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) is available. An additional plus for this model is it has a sunroof.

Within its interior, a passenger would have the feeling that not of a small vehicle. The interior also does not feel cheap unlike many compacts. Large and/or tall people might find the accommodations somewhat cramped up, however shorter people would find the Toyota Corolla’s interior and space fitting them perfectly. For average-sized adults, there is plenty of front legroom and headroom, and a decent amount of space in the back. [PRWEB]

tagTRAX: toyota corolla | wheels and tires | corolla | toyota | horsepower

According to the new Luxury Customer Experience Index survey (LCEI) from the New York-based Luxury Institute, Lexus trounced the competition as the luxury automobile brand that delivers “the best customer experience“ as rated and ranked by their own wealthy customers. Porsche came in second while Acura was a close third. Notably absent from the top four were Mercedes and BMW which have previously ranked in the top three in the Luxury Institute’s Brand Status Index surveys.

Wealthy customers rated the top eleven luxury automobile brands based on their direct individual experiences. These included (in alphabetical order): Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes, Porsche and Volvo.

The Luxury Institute surveyed a nationally representative valid and reliable statistical sample of more than 2,100 households with a minimum of $200,000 in gross annual income and net worth of at least $750,000 (including home equity).

“Lexus won by a wide margin, achieving a top rating of 88 vs. 83 for Porsche and 82 for Acura,” said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. “Lexus customers rated it most worthy of a price premium by a 5-point margin above its nearest competitor. The brand also posted the highest ratings by a comfortable margin in the critical Customer Retention and Customer Referral indexes.“

Lexus also won every category of Customer Experience Drivers including brand effectiveness, and brand attitude, which included top scores in “most enthusiastic, most polite and most trustworthy representatives.” It also overwhelmed the competition, including Mercedes, on brand environment (dealerships). Acura had the lowest incidence of reported problems although its problem resolution scores were below most other competitors.

“The alarms should be going off very loudly in Germany”, said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. “In the recent Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) surveys, which measure brand reputations among the wealthy, Lexus was rated number four while Mercedes and BMW rated among the top three, along with Porsche. However, in our new Luxury Customer Experience Index surveys, Mercedes and BMW do not even make the top four in customer experience. These metrics, all among America’s wealthiest consumers, indicate significant discrepancies between target market perceptions and actual customer realities for Mercedes and BMW. One thing is to talk about it in the abstract; another is to measure it precisely. Interestingly, in our brand reputation surveys, Lexus was rated by far the up-and-comer, and now it is clear that, with its run-away customer experience rating among the wealthy, Lexus has arrived.”

This new survey, called the Luxury Customer Experience Index (LCEI), creates a set of measures and indices that capture the critical drivers for Customer Experience, as rated by each brand’s own customers, and goes far beyond traditional customer satisfaction measures. The LCEI delivers a critical set of metrics based on the four “pillars” of a Customer’s Experience including: Experience Drivers, Price Worthiness, Customer Retention and Customer Referral for each brand in a category. The Experience Drivers section includes the brand’s effectiveness, brand attitude, brand environment, and the brand’s problem resolution index.

As the trusted and respected Voice of America’s Wealthy, the Luxury Institute is the pioneer in developing objective and independent customer-centric performance metrics for the luxury goods and services industry. The new Luxury Customer Experience Index survey (LCEI) complements the Luxury Institute’s reputation survey (Luxury Brand Status Index survey, or LBSI). Together, these surveys measure the differences between a brand’s reputation among the target market and the actual experiences of customers. [PRWEB]

tagTRAX: luxury brand | brand attitude | brand | lexus