Mazda3 Included Most Researched Vehicles For 2006’s First Half

auto parts,Mazda,Mazda parts,Mazda MX-3 parts,Mazda body parts,Mazda accessories

Kelley Blue Book has just most recently revealed its list of the most researched vehicles for the first half of the year 2006. And the stylish Mazda Mazda3 has been included in the list.

Kelley Blue Book has just most recently revealed its list of the most researched vehicles for the first half of the year 2006. And the stylish Mazda Mazda3 has been included in the list.

The Mazda Mazda3 is also marketed under the name Mazda Axela. It has been produced since 2003 and its predecessor includes the Mazda Familia which is also known by other names like Mazda 323 and Mazda Protégé. The Mazda Mazda 3 is a compact vehicle and has been built in two body styles which comprise of the hatchback with five doors and the sedan that holds four. For its engine, owners and interested parties could choose from six choices – the 1.4 liter MZR I4, the 1.5 liter MZR I4, the 1.6 liter MZR I4, 2.0 liter MZR I4, 2.3 liter MZR I4, and the 1.6 liter MZ-CD I4 engines. Its competition in the automobile market include the Saturn Ion, Chevrolet Cobalt, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Scion tC, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Golf, and Ford Focus.

Anyhow, Kelley Blue Book is the most trusted source for information on vehicles old and new in the United States. They were able to come up with such a list through the information that they were able to collect from the various unique visitors to their site that totaled up to more than 60 million. The most researched vehicles for 2006’s first half includes a variety of vehicles.

Honda and Toyota vehicles took the most share. Honda vehicles Civic, Accord, Odyssey, Pilot, and CR-V are included. As per the Toyota share, the list includes the Camry, Corolla, RAV4, 4Runner, Sienna, Highlander, and Avalon. And aside from the Mazda3, other vehicles included in the list are the Ford Mustang, Nissan Altima, BMW 325, Acura TL, Ford Escape, Infiniti G35, and Chevrolet Tahoe.

Pssst: Wanna (not) Buy a Stolen Car?

sed cars, buy a car, sell my car, used trucks, scams

Would you buy a used car from a well-dressed, friendly, middle-aged man or woman, who placed a classified ad, and who meets you midday at a restaurant? Oops! You may be getting scammed. Here are tips to protect yourself.

Would you buy a used car--with cash--from someone you just met in the bar, and who walked you down a dark alley to show you the car? Not likely. How about from a well-dressed, friendly, middle-aged man or woman, who placed a classified ad in your local newspaper, and who meets you midday at a restaurant of your choice?

Oops! You may be more likely to be cheated by seller number two. That's the story of Jennifer Warwa, who bought a minivan and had her mechanic examine it. The mechanic later said how shocked he was that Jennifer had been scammed:

"Because I met the gentleman who was selling the vehicle. Very clean cut. In his fifties. Very soft spoken.... And he went with her to get it inspected. There was just no sign that was the kind of person he was" the mechanic told CBC's Marketplace.

A few months later, Jennifer got a phone call from the police. They said she had purchased a stolen minivan, and they were coming to seize it. She was so upset, she tried to hide the van from the police. Eventually they caught up with her and she ended up paying for a year and a half for a $5,000 bank loan on a van she could not drive. Ouch!

Jennifer was just one victim in the chain that included the original owner, the insurance company, other consumers whose insurance rates keep rising, and the police, who spend thousands of hours tracking thefts. According to the FBI, a vehicle is stolen about every 25 seconds in the USA, amounting to an $8 billion yearly problem.

Here's how these scams often work. Thieves target particular cars: for their value, their ease of resale as a whole or in parts, or because they are easier to steal. Years ago, most cars were stripped for parts, including unusual parts such as airbags. But today some thieves are so brash they sell cars through newspapers.

This newer scam is called "VIN cloning", because the Vehicle Identification Number is stolen from another car. Criminals obtain VINs by copying them from the dash of cars in parking lots--even at dealerships. Some even physically remove the VIN plate from vehicles in auto salvage yards that allow customers to "pick your own parts." (They do not mean that literally!) The number is used to falsely obtain new ownership documents, or documents are forged. Either way, a cloned VIN allows them to transform stolen cars into pseudo-legal vehicles that can be officially titled and sold. Many thieves work across state lines: cars may be stolen in the East, registered in the Mid-West, then sold in California. Scary!

Here's what you can do to avoid buying a stolen car:

** Check the VIN on the dash against the VIN in the driver's door jamb, under the hood, and on the paperwork

** Use the VIN to get the car's history at carfax.com for about $20

** Ensure title and registration documents match the name and address of the seller

** Is the car from out of state?

** Be suspicious if you must meet a private seller in a parking lot. Better to see that they live at the address where the car is registered

** Has the vehicle recently been transferred?

** Does the seller use a home or work phone number, or just a cell?

** Is the selling price oddly low?

** Be warned that some used car dealers are getting scammed, too

** Pay by certified cheque or money order, not cash.

Keep in mind that most private sellers are not thieves, but rather honest, regular folks like you. And prices do tend to be lower with private sales. So if you follow my advice, you can greatly improve your chances of driving away with a "genuine" used car.

Title:Drive a lot? Consider buying roadside assistance

Drive a lot? Consider buying roadside assistance

Defective automobile, vehicle defect. Lemon law, auto warranty, auto lemon, arbitration, car insurance

If you spend a lot of time driving, it may make good sense to purchase a roadside assistance plan. It's a lot cheaper than paying to get your car towed.
It can be frustrating to have your car break down on the highway. Few people will stop to offer help to disabled drivers. You may not have a cell phone with you, so you'll have to walk to find help. And even if you do have a phone with you, how likely are you to know the number of a nearby towing service? All of these things combine to make a bad situation worse. A good solution, particularly if you spend a lot of time driving, is to pay for a roadside assistance plan.

A roadside assistance plan is a form of insurance. You pay for the service from a variety of sources; you might even buy it from your car insurance company. The annual fee that generally costs less than the cost of a single tow can be quite a bargain should you be unlucky enough to have a breakdown as the cost of towing a car even a short distance can easily amount to $100 or more. If you live in a rural area where services are not readily available, roadside assistance could save you several hundred dollars on just a single breakdown.

Here are a few sources you might consider for buying a roadside assistance plan:

Your car insurance company - Most provide basic towing services for a small annual fee added to the cost of your regular premium. Rates vary from company to company, but towing service can often be had for as little as $10 per year.

AAA - The American Automobile Association includes roadside assistance as part of their basic annual membership. The cost varies, but typically runs between $40 and $80 per year. The services they offer are not limited to towing; gasoline, repair of flat tires and even locksmith services are available should you lock yourself out of your car or run out of gas.

AARP - The American Association of Retired Persons offers a roadside assistance plan for members. The cost is similar to that of an AAA membership, and you must be at least 50 years of age to join.

If you spend enough time driving, you will eventually have a breakdown while on the road. It isn't just the province of defective auto lemons; it eventually happens to all cars. It would be nice if everyone could plan when and where to have a breakdown, but that just isn't possible. It is, however, possible to be prepared for those types of emergencies. A roadside assistance plan is an inexpensive way to make sure that you and your car can be towed to safety in case of a roadside emergency.