Quick Cash Auto Blog

When a consumer begins a search for the perfect alternate energy vehicle, the biggest thought is probably how much money can be saved when compared to a gas vehicle. The drive to stop shelling out cash at the gas pump is likely the most cited reason for looking for an electric or hybrid vehicle, but are all alternative energy vehicles equal? It turns out that some save drivers much more than others.

One problem with buying more fuel efficient vehicles, or those that do not require gas at all, is that the sticker price for the car itself tends to be much higher than vehicles only running on gasoline. This means that the driver needs to sit down and manually calculate how much would likely be spent on gas throughout the life of the vehicle and compare that figure to the difference in the price of the car as compared to an alternative energy vehicle. It can be a tedious task, and, in the end, the surprising result is that some “green” cars are much more costly in the long run than gasoline powered vehicles.

On average, green vehicles using alternative fuel sources cost approximately $18,000 more than their all-gasoline counterparts. Whether or not that much money can be recouped in gas savings really depends on the technology being used. Is the car a hybrid, or is it all electric? Hybrids still use some fuel, and therefore are often not as financially practical as gas-powered vehicles.

The make and model of the car is also a factor. There are hybrid and electric vehicles geared towards the average consumer making an average wage that run a few thousand more than the typical gasoline vehicle. However, Lexus makes a hybrid, the LS600, which runs about $36,000 more than a similarly featured gasoline Lexus. It goes without saying that the Lexus owner is not going to recoup that extra money spent in gas savings.

Of course, not all hybrid and electric vehicle owners are concerned with the cost savings that can be earned from owning such a vehicle; some of these drivers simply want to own a vehicle that has less of an impact on the environment.

Many of the government programs and manufacturer incentives available to consumers in the market for a new vehicle are expiring, but that has not kept consumers from purchasing a new vehicle: early projections estimate that August sales may be up as much as 8 percent this year compared to August 2010.

Car sales in August matched sales in July, with both months seeing sales of 12.2 million new vehicles in the United States. One fifth of all of the August sales could be attributed to businesses buying vehicles for company use, including vehicles for employees and vehicles to be rented to customers.

Although government programs prompting consumers to purchase new vehicles and manufacturer incentive programs have been on the decline, there is still an average incentive of $2,663 available to consumers purchasing a new vehicle in August 2011. This represents a 3.9 percent decrease from the incentive available a year ago, but is a 3 percent increase from the average July 2011 incentive.

Used car sales are also up from August 2010, with a 4.7 percent increase. However, sales were down 8.2 percent compared to July figures.

Despite the increase in sales, industry experts are disappointed with the sales figures. Expectations had been much higher, but a still-struggling economy has dragged down sales potential.

American car manufacturers are estimated to see the biggest increase in August 2011 sales compared to August 2010, with Chrysler leading the pack with an estimated 22.2 percent increase. Ford and GM are also expected to see double digit increases, along with the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan and the South Korean Hyundai Kia Automotive Group.

Two Japanese car manufacturers, Honda and Toyota, are expected to report large decreases in sales as compared to August 2010, with Honda having an estimated 24.8 percent decrease and Toyota having an estimated 13.7 percent decrease in new car sales.

Auto industry experts note that car sales tend to follow market trends illustrated in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Should the Dow continue to move as it has throughout the month of August, September car sales are expected to decrease.

All major car manufacturers have lessened the availability of purchase incentives compared to last year.

A study recently released has found that, based on auto insurance claims involving theft, General Motors’ Cadillac Escalade is the most commonly targeted vehicle.

It may come as no surprise that the Escalade is regularly in the sights of car thieves, as it comes with a hefty MSRP of more than $63,000. The sticker price combined with the tendency of Escalade owners to have pricey items in their luxury vehicle makes the theft of the car likely to involve a loss of over ten times as much as that of the average car theft.

Owners of the status vehicle are interested in more involved security measures, prompting General Motors to develop new lines of security for the 2012 Escalade. The current model does have some added security features including a wheel lock and hotwire prevention, but the newer model will also offer alarm sensors related to the vehicle being lifted or towed and the windows being broken.

Although some thefts of the Escalade involved the entire vehicle being stolen, many losses were related to personal items inside the vehicle, parts, and sound systems.

Besides the luxury Escalade, pickup trucks are the most commonly stolen type of vehicle. The Ford F-250, F-350, F-450, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra, and Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 were all pickup trucks that made it on the top ten list of the most stolen vehicles, although instances of pickup truck theft have decreased dramatically due to increased security features.

The reason that pickup trucks are often the target of theft? Many drivers use their trucks to store work equipment, which is what thieves are often after.

One of the biggest issues for owners of the most stolen cars is the increase in insurance premiums. If you own a commonly stolen vehicle and are trying to keep your insurance costs to a minimum, the best way to cut costs is by using any available security features for your vehicle. Use of alarm systems and other security features can decrease your car insurance rates to a more manageable cost, even if you decide to purchase one of the most stolen vehicles in the United States.

The Nissan Leaf is the latest in gasoline-free vehicle technology, and is one of the first commercially available vehicles that are completely electric. While the one hundred mile charge isn’t going to make it a popular choice for road trips, the Leaf is perfect for daily commutes requiring no gas, and can be fully charged overnight.

Many consumers are concerned with the size and handling of an electric vehicle, but the Leaf is a full sized vehicle allowing seating for up to five passengers and reaching maximum speeds of ninety miles per hour. Many hybrids and electric vehicles have been out of the reach of consumers based on pricing, but the Leaf is comparably priced with other new vehicles, with an MSRP starting at $27,700. There are also tax rebates available to those purchasing an all-electric vehicle such as the Leaf.

While the one hundred percent electric vehicle appeals to the environmentally and budget inclined alike, there’s another demographic for the car: families. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the vehicle the best safety score possible, five stars overall. It is the first vehicle of its kind to be tested by the NHTSA, and consumers can be assured the vehicle is safe as it has passed increasingly stringent standards set by the NHTSA.

Extensive crash testing is completed to come up with the safety rating, and the risk of personal injury is weighed against the average risk in other vehicles to determine if a vehicle is more or less safe than others. The Leaf has achieved surprisingly high safety scores, with five stars overall and four stars attributed to both its front crash test and its rollover testing.

Based on the results of testing, the vehicle is ideal for families that are highly concerned about vehicle safety who would also like to make the switch to a car that does not need any gasoline.

Currently, the Leaf is being released on a test run basis and will be available to the public sometime next year. A waiting list has been established for those wishing to reserve a Nissan Leaf.