Let’s face it guys; we’re not all going to be able to pay for a Ferrari or a Porsche. Despite this may be a sad fact to have to face up to, yet its there nonetheless. At times exotic cars are out of reach for all except for those who are affluent and even they occasionally have trouble keeping up with the payments and maintenance of a Bentley or a Lotus. Sure the allure is strong; simply imagine slipping into the leather cockpit of your Lamborghini and cruising around curves at hundred miles per hour with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face.

Sure you may have everything from your driving gloves to your sunglasses and your driver’s license, though the one thing you wish for is to have enough money for a Lamborghini. And then there’s the Camry or Taurus, which in spite everything just don’t have enough horsepower to take mountain roads at 100, and even though you could get it going that fast it would in all probability fly off the road due to its lousy suspension.

Nevertheless what if you didn’t have the chance to own a Lamborghini or Lotus to be able to drive it around those hairpin turns? Well, nowadays we do have a great way to try out a luxury or high-powered sports car of our dreams, with exotic car rental we don’t have to sell our house or steal one from one of your yuppie friends. There are a number of can rental companies, mainly in wealthier areas, starting to specialize in exotic car rental. In fact even the regular airport car rental companies like Enterprise and Hertz are starting to rent out exotics or perhaps luxury cars along with the standard economy and touring cars.

For those who would like to try one out, you don’t need to fly out of town or go on a holiday, almost any special occasion will do. Maybe you want to knock the socks off your date or perhaps impress your wife on your anniversary. Yes, you can either show up at the door behind the wheel of a Lotus Espirit or a Porsche 911. And for those who feel like making their son or daughter’s prom a night to remember then forget about the limo; a sleek black Bentley will get them there in style.

Despite the fact that the exotic car rental is generally a little more expensive than renting a Camry at the airport, it’s at all times a lot more memorable. Besides exotic car rentals also make great gifts; as some rental agencies which rent exotics also rent classic cars, so you could give your dad or uncle the ride of his dreams in a vintage Corvette or brand new Ferrari. Sure, it will make a great gift instead of the usual set of gold clubs or tie clip that you were considering as an alternative!

Accidents can happen anytime, even if you are an extremely cautious and defensive driver! Most accidents actually occur within a 25 miles of the home, according to a Florida highway spokesman. Sometimes, they happen right in your own driveway. Just ask my sister-in-law who hit her friend’s car in her driveway while backing up! No matter where they occur there are a series of steps that should be followed after an accident.

The Consumer Protection Association of America continually develops a list of recommendations for drivers so that they’ll actually know what they need when a traffic accident occurs. This fine organization takes major steps to increase public awareness regarding traffic safety. Some of the steps are preventative and should be followed now before you’re involved in an accident.

One, have an emergency kit in your glove compartment or storage area. The kit should include a cell phone, pen, pad of paper, and a disposable camera (this is very important). With today most of us carry a cell phone, which takes pictures. As long as you insure that your cell phone is with you and carries a charge this should suffice for the cell phone and disposable camera in the kit. These items are for recording the key information regarding the accident and the scene. You should also have a card with information concerning any medical allergies or conditions you have that require special attention, as well as emergency contact information. It is also recommended by other agencies that you have a number list ed on your cell phone under ICE (in case of emergency), where the attending policeman or EMT can simply hit speed dial on your cell phone to reach your emergency contact. You should also have traffic cones, warning triangles and emergency flares in your trunk.

Two, you need to insure that safety is first! When you are involved in a minor accident and there are no serious injuries, make sure that the vehicles are moved to the side of the road. Do not stay on the road and become an obstacle to oncoming traffic. If you do this, it may result in the occurrence of more and more serious traffic accidents because of your vehicles creating an obstruction in the road. My wife was rear-ended by another woman on an exit ramp and they both left their vehicles on the ramp believing it to be safe and that it was important for the police to see the exact position of the vehicles. In spite of the fact that both vehicles were clearly visible for a minimum of 300 yards and they both had their flashers on, another drive came up and rear-ended the SUV that had originally struck my wife! My wife called me on the cell phone and told me what was going on and I told her to get those vehicles off of the road right away! If the car or cars is not movable, make sure that the other motorists are warned by turning on the hazard lights and setting out flares, traffic cones or orange triangles to divert traffic. If you cannot move the vehicle, do what you can to alert the traffic and then move away a safe distance in case of any further accidents.

When you are involved in an accident with serious injuries make sure that no one is in immediate danger (from fires, falling tress or telephone poles, etc). After you have made sure of this, attend to those hurt. It is important that you not move anyone that has been seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger. Further injury can occur from movement. It is always a good idea to let the emergency response teams attend to and moved the injured whenever possible to help prevent this.

Three, exchange all of the important information with the parties involved. You’ll need to obtain the other driver’s name, addresses, phone numbers (home and work), insurance company, car insurance policy number, driver’s license number, license’s plate number, and make sure to write down a description of each car, the year, make, model, color and any apparent damage. Also, write down what occurred during the accident as soon as possible. Pay special attention to the position of the vehicles, sequence of events and the cause of the damage.

I recommend that you write down all information readily available to you without the cooperation of the other driver such as the license plate number, make, model and color of the car, driver description and brief description of other occupants. Also, obtain any witness information at this time. As long as no one is hurt, most witnesses will soon depart the accident scene, and you want to make sure that you have their information. After obtaining this info, then approach the driver about their information like driver’s license number, insurance information and contact information. This makes sure that the other driver cannot bolt from the scene while you are distracted without obtaining information and it lets them know that you are all business.

Four, take photos of the accident scene and the cars involved. Use your disposable camera or cell phone to document the damage to all the vehicles and the scene of the accident. If there are important points to demonstrate such as long skid marks, hidden entrance/exit, etc. make sure to document these as well. Make sure that the vehicle photos illustrate the total context of the accident so that they will back up your claims. If there are witnesses, make sure to ask them for their name and phone number, and ask if they’ll help you in case of problems with the other driver disputing what actually happened.

Five, file an accident report as soon as possible and obtain a copy of it as soon as it is made available. In some areas law enforcement officials do not respond to traffic accidents unless injuries are present. You should always call the police and request that an officer come to the scene to right up the police report. They will obtain the information from the other drive, if they are uncooperative with sharing the information with you, and they will write down their observations of the scene of the accident, which will further support your claims. If you cannot get a policeman to the scene where your accident occurs, find out how you go about filing an accident report and do so right away. You may have to go to the local police station or you may be able to download accident report forms on-line depending on your locale. A police report usually helps speed up the claims process.

Six, understand your insurance coverage before an accident. The more you know about your insurance coverage the easier the claims process and procedure will go. Does your policy cover towing or a replacement rental car fee? If yours does not and the accident was the other driver’s fault immediately make a claim for this with their insurance company.

The question everyone is typically concerned with is “Who is going to pay for this?” If it is the other driver’s fault you should insist that they pay for the damage. If they agree, get them to acknowledge this in writing if possible. The other drive may be agreeable to pay for the damage now, but after a little time goes by and they are not in your immediate presence they may have a change of heart and decide to try and stiff you (this is why you need witnesses, documentation, etc.).

I recommend calling someone if available to assist you in the accident management process. They will be much calmer and more objective in seeing that everything is carried out. I arrived prior to the police at my wife’s previously mentioned accident when our van was rear-ended. I checked and made sure that everyone was okay. Then I made sure that the vehicles were a safe distance from the road. Next, I obtained all of the vehicle information (make, model, color, license plate number), photographed the vehicles and the accident scene. I then obtained the driver information from the other two drivers involved. After I obtained the car insurance information, I immediately contacted the other driver’s car insurance company and had them open a claim for the damage that had been done to our van. I did all of this before the policeman completed writing his report. I then talked to the police officer and obtained his name and learned the content of his report. When I determined that I was satisfied the content accurately portrayed what my wife indicated had happened, I asked him for the report number so I could obtain a copy as soon as possible. My doing this streamlined the whole process for our claim and it moved through like clockwork.

If you drive a Jeep and you need some replacement parts, you can get them for low prices at Xtreme Terrain Concepts, which specializes in Jeep items. They can be found at www.xtremeterrain.com

When you next go on vacation the best way to explore a new country is by car. Renting a car allows you to sightsee at your own pace to tourist spots of your own choice. You can easily rent cars from car rental services, but there are certain things you should keep in mind when you are renting a car abroad.

* It is a good idea to make all arrangements from the USA itself before you embark on your vacation. If you rent directly in a foreign land the language and cultural barriers, the foreign currency conversion rates, unfamiliar rental rules and other differences may utterly confuse you. Instead if you rent right from your home country, you are more likely to catch the hidden costs such as late penalties, gas charges and others.

* Make sure your billing starts right from the time of the drop-off. Remember, there are agencies that charge on a full 24-hour basis, even if you use the car for lesser hours per day. Avoid these types of car rental agencies.

* There are various types of discounts that are available on car rentals internationally. For example, the frequent flyer discount, credit card discount, AAA discount or senior citizen discount etc. are the most common type of car rental discounts. Insist on getting the discounts if you qualify for them.

* When you are booking in advance, consider the prospective size of your luggage and the number of people traveling with you. In case the luggage and the size of your group are small you can consider a smaller car. But if you feel you are going to travel with a big group or have big or quite a few luggages, then book a roomier car.

* You should carry an international driving permit with you. It is recognized by some 150 countries. However you must be at least 18 years old to obtain an international driving permit. In the USA, two agencies are authorized to issue the document: the American Automobile Association and the American Automobile Touring Alliance.

* Do not expect to rent a luxurious or automatic car in other countries as you would expect to rent back home. For example, if you rent a car of European make, there is a high possibly that you have to drive a manual stick shift car. However, since you are not familiar with your way around in a foreign city it is better that you insist on renting an automatic car even though it comes at a higher price tag.

So you see, driving in the foreign land is much more than laughing about driving on the wrong side of the road! Be prepared and carry the right documents for safe and happy driving abroad.

While on vacation, you and your family are eager to explore and to get to know the people and the culture at your own pace and leisure, but you may find the organized tours too boring and hectic, and the public transport system too confusing and challenging. To get the most out of your vacation the best solution for you may be to rent a car.

The quickest way for you to find a car rental service is to search on the internet or just to leaf through the yellow pages of your local directory or to look at the classified pages of the local newspapers. You should easily be able to find plenty of advertisements for the local rent-a-cars.

If you are unfamiliar with what car rental services are, they are services that engage in the business of renting out cars for short periods of time, most often to visitors or travelers. And the length of this rental period may vary from just a few hours to even a few weeks. Obviously this kind of car rental service does require a fee, but the rental car rates are usually quite reasonable depending on the type of rental car you want to drive, ranging from small compact cars to family-sized minivans or SUVs.

If you need to locate a car rental service, networks and branches of numerous rental car agencies can be found spread out across the entire country and sometimes abroad as well. These car rental agencies are generally located near airports or in central locations of cities. So even if you are unfamiliar with a new city, it is not at all hard to locate a car rental agency.

Not only do rental car services cater to travelers; they also cater to those people whose cars are temporarily out of service, damaged or destroyed, and also to those who may be waiting for an insurance renewal. Other than renting out passenger cars, car rental agencies also rent out heavy duty vehicles such as vans or trucks for industrial transportation purposes.

If you decide to use a car rental service you have to keep the following points in mind:

* You have to return the car exactly in the same condition as it was at the time of renting.

* You have to pay extra charges if you exceed the distance that was stipulated in the contract.

* You must be over a specific age in order to be able to rent a car. In some state this age can be as high as 25.

* Many of the agencies take advantage of GPS technology to ensure that the car is not driven above a certain speed limit or does not go beyond a specified territorial limit.

If you’re in the planning stages of your next vacation and they include a rental car, you may want to talk with your insurance agent about the rental car insurance options that you may have.

When it comes to traveling and more specifically rental car insurance, the market is extremely competitive for your dollar. This is because not only do the insurance companies compete for your dollar, but so too do the rental car agencies, and your credit card companies as well. And while all this competition may sound as though it works to your advantage as a consumer, all the marketing hype may change if you have an accident.

Start by contacting your insurance agent and see if your policy includes rental car insurance. Most auto insurance policies do including covering you in a rental car as well. Of course, verify this with your agent. Make sure it includes collision and liability insurance (damage to your car and to the other vehicle). Make sure your current coverage doesn’t fall short of the type of car you may be planning on renting. For instance, if you drive an older car with minimal coverage, you may be putting yourself at risk if you’re going to rent a top level newer car. So, check on any limitations that your policy may have. Find out what the conditionals are ahead of time so you don’t get caught short.

If you are considering getting your rental car insurance through one of your credits cards, then you should shop carefully. Call your credit car company and ask them to fax or mail the details to you. Either way get their coverage in writing. Again, ask specifically about collision and liability coverage and if there are any limitations or stipulations or complete exclusions. Don’t assume that just because they offer you ‘insurance’ that you will have the coverage completely protects you.

Thinking about getting your coverage directly from the rental car company? You’ve got some more investigating to do. Insurance coverages from rental car companies are all over the place and generally can be fraught with all kinds of stipulations and exclusions and certainly not all rental car companies are not on equal ground.

Don’t base parts of your decision to go with insurance from the rental car company thinking that if you are at fault in an accident that you can avoid a potential rate hike from your home insurance company. Your regular insurance company can raise your rates no matter who cuts the check. If you are involved in an accident make sure that you report this to your insurance company back home because if the credit card insurance or the rental car company insurance doesn’t pay… and you haven’t reported it to your insurance company, you could paying out of your own pocket.

Make sure you ask a lot of questions and get them answered well before you go on vacation. And as a side note, you may want ask your agent with whom you have your homeowner’s policy about what is the coverage in the event you have personal belongings stolen from a rental car. It may sound like a bunch to get done before you go on vacation, but getting yourself the proper insurance can literally save you financially.

Most of us realize that used cars are usually less expensive than new cars. But we often still shy away from that kind of bargain because we may be intimidated by just what we may be buying. Could it be a great deal, or a lemon? And how do you know? Well, there actually is a way to work through the process of buying a great used car if you follow a few simple steps and stick to your guns. Would it surprise you that your first stop should be your credit union? Well, it should be.

You need to know how much car you can afford, and what the terms will be before you go car shopping. When you talk to your credit union, make sure you understand the difference in rates, if any, between various car model years. Newer car loans are generally lower than the interest rates charged for older models. Why? The lender assumes more risk with an older vehicle, and they pass some of that risk on to you in the form of a slightly higher rate. Does that mean you should only buy newer models? Not necessarily. That newer car will probably cost more, so even at a lower interest rate your payments could be higher than the payments on a less expensive older model at a slightly higher interest rate. Of course, your individual credit-worthiness will impact the loan rate you are quoted, as with any other financial product. Be sure you ask, too, if the credit union is sponsoring a used car sale any time soon. These events can give you a great place to comparison shop for dozens and dozens of vehicles. The prices are usually marked on (or in) the cars, and may be purported to be “non-negotiable.” But ask anyway. You may be able to negotiate a lower price, so why not check it out?

One more thing to check about car models you may be interested in is car insurance. It may be worth a call to your insurance agent to get a sense of what differences you might see in car insurance rates for different types of vehicles and models. Should you buy that Mustang or Taurus? It’s not really a surprise that a very powerful engine might be more expensive to insure, is it? So check that out before you buy. You may also want to ask your agent what differences in rates you might see depending on who is driving the car. If your 17 year old son will be one of the drivers, find out what that means to your insurance costs on the vehicle models you are considering.

What’s next? You are ready to start your additional homework. Sounds a little boring? Think about this. The salesman you are buying a car from has sold hundreds of them—or even thousands. How many have you bought? It makes some sense for you to spend a little time in research to even the playing field a little. And if you buy from a private owner, you still need to do your homework to know what little problems to look for that the owner himself may not even be aware of.

Fortunately, there are some disclosure regulations on your side. Some states require safety inspections and require that the results of those inspections be made available to prospective purchasers. Check with your state’s transportation department web site or your state secretary of state’s office or justice department as places to start looking for what help your state’s regulations may provide you. The Federal Trade Commission also has a Used-Car regulation which says that dealers must disclose whether or not used cars have any unexpired warranty protection. These same agencies can provide you information about any lemon laws which may exist in your state.

When you are looking for your car, you will generally find that similar vehicles are more expensive from dealers than from private parties. There are several reasons for this. Dealers often recondition cars. Some offer warranties. And consumers may actually have more recourse if something does go wrong with a purchase from a dealer than from a private party. Consider, also, your own knowledge about cars. If you are a shade-tree mechanic in your own right, you may be able to evaluate a car with more confidence than someone without that knowledge. If that’s your situation, it may be quite logical for you to gravitate toward purchase from a private party.

Most of us have some idea of what kinds of vehicles appeal to us. Make your short list, and hit the computer. You have a better resource than ever before to do some basic research about the models you are considering. One of the most popular such sites is http://www.edmunds.com/, but there are many others including Consumer Reports.

Let’s assume you have identified the vehicle of your dreams, you know what it will cost to insure, and you have a good idea of how to check it out. These sites can also give you vehicle reports on specific individual vehicles when you input the vehicle’s VIN number. The VIN number (Vehicle Identification Number) is usually visible just at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side. A vehicle history report on each candidate is absolutely critical when you have narrowed your choice to 3 or 4 cars. You may also want to circle back to your credit union again to find the ideal vehicle. Many large credit unions have buying services where they will take the information you provide about what vehicle you want and they will search for it for you. Then you can input the VIN and make sure the car is worth pursuing before you even go look at it. Make sure you know what, if any, fees such buying services will cost you.

Another source for your vehicle could be from companies such as Hertz and Avis which sell “program cars,” or cars which have come out of their rental fleets. They often have low mileage and are far less expensive than new cars, but even these vehicles should be thoroughly researched if you are considering purchasing one.

Would you believe that you may want to make one more pass at your credit union once you’ve found the perfect car? Suppose you’ve identified one at a local dealer, you are convinced you have their best price, and you’ve checked out the VIN number and talked to your insurance agent. And you know how much your credit union will lend you at what terms. But you don’t know what they will lend you on THIS car. A great way to confirm that “the price is right” is to ask your credit union exactly what they will lend on the car you want to buy. If it’s considerably less than what the asking price is, you may not have such a good deal after all.

Sound like a lot of work? It’s really not when you consider that our vehicles are going to transport us and our loved ones at 65 miles per hour (or more!) for what we hope is a good long time. Do the work up front to find a safe, reliable, affordable vehicle for your family. It’s a great use of your time!