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One of the most popular dreams of teenagers is to get their own car while on college. But owning a car means purchasing car insurance. This is required for you to stay protected against great financial loss for the teenager’s parents.

Just like older car owners, there are requirements needed in filing for a student policy.  Both parents ands their teenagers can also find ways to avail discounts for their policy.

Companies will ask for the personal information of the teenager driver. Age and gender will be known.  They will also investigate the future client about his/her the driving history, driving frequency and distance. Even the location of the vehicle and its damage history are known. This essential information also applies to all other applicants.

Age is important because the younger the driver is, the higher the premium will be. Older drivers are perceived by car insurance companies to be more skilled and experienced in driving on the road.  Gender is also a great consideration for giving the teenagers their premiums.  Women pay lower premiums than men.

Parents should have guided their teenagers about traffic laws to avoid many violations.  Their teenager’s car should not be involved in accident for the previous years.  Several violations and accidents will be a serious factor that would increase the premiums.

The car of the teenager should be located in safe areas, especially the parking area. The car insurance rates for unsafe locations are expensive because it is prone to accidents.

Parents should also advice their teenager driver to limit their driving frequency and distance. Weekend vacations that require cars should be minimized to avoid high rate.

Maintaining a good grade can also lower the teenager’s rate. The GPA should be over 3.0 to avail for discounts up to 15 percent.

They can also get discounts buy buying a second hand car for their teenager. If their teenager is driving an older model car, it would only require cheaper repairs. The son or daughter is very likely to buy liability car insurance coverage only.  

Having an insurance while in college is an advantage, especially in the future. Companies offer discounts on the premiums if they will discovered that their clients have their policies when they were young. The teenager driver will also able to build a reputation of a responsible driver.

Another way parents can take in lowering the cost of their teen’s car insurance is to shop around. Comparing rates from company to company will likely help parents to find a better rate. The Internet is a great place for comparison shopping. Since most teenagers are fairly familiar with the internet, get them involved.

Looking for cheap car insurance for young drivers is not impossible for parents. Asides from discount packages, companies will also give free driving tips and car maintenance options.

On the other hands, parents should be good facilitators by working with their child and make them a better driver so they can save money in the long run.

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Audi’s Le Mans Quattro does more than celebrate the company’s domination of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race between 2000 and 2002. In fact, it marks the beginning of a new design language for the corporation. See that grille? It’s bigger and deeper than Audi grilles of yore, and according to Martin Ertl, Audi’s head of design management, it signals the direction in which Audi design will go.

It was probably inevitable. Mercedes and BMW grilles went from tall and thin to short and squat. Audi’s grille was always wide but short. So there was nowhere else to go. Otherwise, it seems to us, the contours of the Le Mans Quattro carry the suggestion of where Audi has recently been. The fastback rear deck is somewhat evocative of the TT coupe, although it’s certainly larger and more muscular. And the front wheel arches advertise a familiar Audi design cue with their beveled appearance.

But it’s a good-looking car if you can get used to the multi-LED headlights that stud the front end like the compound eyes of a 602-horsepower insect. On the car’s flanks, the silver metal panel that extends from the door’s rear shut-line to the side air-intake scoop is designed to emphasize the existence of an aluminum space frame under the sculpted carbon-fiber shell.

Initially, the designers responsible for the car’s exterior—Frank Lamberty and Julian Hoenig—intended that metal panel to go all the way beyond the car’s silhouette, where its upper edges would project like twin fins. But the idea was considered too fanciful, and it was dropped.

We think it’s a good thing. That panel now fits like a jigsaw-puzzle piece, simultaneously accentuating the C-pillar and shortening what would have been a very long greenhouse. That design theme of metal projecting through a composite skin is in evidence elsewhere, too. You see the skeleton of the alloy space frame as spines in the engine compartment and as ribs inside the car. Even on the car’s dashboard, there are elements that thrust through the surrounding high-tech-weave cabin cladding and jut provocatively into the occupants’ view.

In line with this aggressive design is a return to the driver-oriented cockpit. All the controls and instruments are focused on the driver, and a high center tunnel further separates the occupants. It fits with the race-car atmosphere the designers were trying to create; yet Martin Ertl insists the Le Mans Quattro had to be the kind of car that would function in all the situations of modern life. That is, it would need to be able to blast its way through a mountain pass and then arrive at the country club for a reception to dignify its owner.

To that end the interior design is possibly the most groundbreaking aspect of the car. The cabin and the seats are covered in expensive-looking synthetic materials that recall the jigsaw effect of the side body panel, forming symmetrical shapes and patterns that tuck and butt up to one another with seamless perfection. In contrast, the high-tech instrument panel is almost mundane.

There’s an analog tach on the left and a panel on the right that morphs (Ertl’s word) from a digital representation of an analog clock to one of many readouts. Among them is a bird’s-eye view of the Le Mans circuit (or any other that can be downloaded into the system), giving advance warning of which way the next curve goes. Ertl says the system could even provide advice as to what speed the driver could use for corner entries when properly programmed.

Audi’s MMI (Multi Media Interface) uses that right-side display, too, for its usual plethora of settings and selections. The system’s mouse ball has been integrated very adroitly, looking more high-tech than we’ve seen in other Audis. The flat-bottom steering wheel looks every bit like a race-car piece, especially with its buttons and gearshift paddles; and the sensation of moving one’s hand from a woven surface to a cool metal section is a tactile reminder, again, of that concept of a metal skeleton under a plastic cover. It kind of brings Arnold’s

Terminator to mind.

Which is appropriate, given the exotic metal components under the elegant carbon-fiber skin. Sitting amidships under a hydraulically operated engine cover (it’s shrouded beneath yet another plastic cover, where it can be seen through the backlight) is a direct-injected twin-turbocharged and intercooled version of the Lamborghini Gallardo V-10. The 5.0-liter, 40-valve, 90-degree engine is said to develop 602 horsepower in this incarnation, with a fairly impressive torque delivery of 553 pound-feet between 1750 rpm and 5800 rpm.

When asked whether this component shares any commonality within Audi’s multistable empire, Ertl insisted the Le Mans’s powertrain is more closely related to the R8 race car’s. We know he compares them because of the shared direct-injection technology, but look here, Ertl, the Le Mans-winning Audi R8 employed a purpose-built V-8 engine, whereas this Le Mans has a V-10 hooked to a six-speed robotized manual that is obviously derived from the Gallardo.

Were the Le Mans to make it into production, one could easily imagine it would be motivated by the 330-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 from the Audi A8. A bit more energy could be found by using the 450-hp twin-turbocharged version of this engine from the RS 6.

We trundled this priceless prototype around the Streets of Willow in Southern California, and any talk of 602 horsepower was rendered academic by an insistence on low speeds and not much more than 2000 rpm. Would we say there was more than 500 pound-feet of torque available at those revs? We would not. Indeed, the calibrations of a concept car built to a harrowing show deadline are usually well south of a fully developed vehicle’s.

But judging from the specifications—10 cylinders, two turbos, and five liters—and the sounds issuing from those dual tailpipes integrated into the rear fascia, we’d say the computer-estimated numbers are easily achievable. In the Le Mans concept, such power as there is is fed to the ground via big Goodyear F1 tires mounted to beautiful center-lock Ronal rims. The wheels hang from control arms at each corner. The front and upper rear arms are triangulated; the lower rear arms are trapezoidal in shape.

As in many cars of this type, the suspension comprises coil springs and shocks, but on the Le Mans, the shocks are filled with magnetorheological damping fluid, which changes its viscosity when a magnetic field is applied to it by an electromagnet in the shock piston. When sensors for speed, yaw, steering angle, et al., inform the chassis-control computer how the car is being driven, the damping force can be automatically varied according to driving conditions. Similar "magnetic ride" systems are already in production on various Cadillacs and Corvettes.

A Quattro all-wheel-drive system with a Torsen center differential apportions torque to the low-profile Goodyears—255/30ZR-20s in front, 295/ 30ZR-20s in back—in a 40/60-percent front-to-rear predisposition, but it’s able to adjust that all the way to 30/70 if conditions require it. Huge ceramic discs handle braking. The fronts are 15.0 inches in diameter and have eight-piston calipers; the rears are 14.0-inch units gripped by six-piston calipers. They don’t say Brembo anywhere, but then they don’t have to.

With conventional doors, access to the passenger compartment is relatively easy. There’s a fairly wide sill to cross, but there’s also plenty of room for tall drivers, in both the legroom and headroom departments. The footwell is roomy, and the pedals are oriented in a natural, straight-ahead manner. In this car, even the four-point harness looks luxurious. All-around visibility is good, although the side mirrors are fashionably slim and don’t reveal much area behind the car. We bet that would change in production.

That is, of course, if the reception this car meets warrants such a thing. We know from experience that Audi’s concept cars are built with future production in mind, using existing technologies wherever possible to keep costs realistic. Audi already owns an aluminum-space-frame plant or two and has access to six-speed transmissions. Were this car built using versions of Audi V-8s, it might sell for less than $100,000, maintaining proper marketing spacing from the Gallardo and providing strong competition for the likes of the Porsche 911.

If that thought appeals to you, now is the time to let Audi know.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/04q2/audi_le_mans_quattro_concept-first_drive_review

Audi Quattro Concept review – Auto Express

Alaska Lemon Law

Title 45, Chapter 45, Sections 300 – 360

AS 45.45.300. Repairs Required.

If a new motor vehicle does not conform to an express warranty that is applicable to it and the owner of the vehicle reports the defect or condition to the manufacturer of the vehicle or to the manufacturer’s or distributor’s dealer during the term of the warranty, the manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or a repairing agent shall make the necessary repairs to conform the vehicle to the express warranty.

AS 45.45.305. Replacement or Refund.

If during the term of the express warranty or within one year from the date of delivery of the motor vehicle to the original owner, whichever period terminates first, the manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or repairing agent is unable to conform the motor vehicle to an applicable express warranty after a reasonable number of attempts, the manufacturer or distributor shall accept the return of the nonconforming motor vehicle, and, at the owner’s option, shall replace the nonconforming vehicle with a new, comparable vehicle or shall refund the full purchase price to the owner less a reasonable allowance for the use of the motor vehicle from the time it was delivered to the original owner. A refund under this section shall be made to a lienholder of record, if any, and the owner, as their interests may appear.

AS 45.45.310. Notice By Owner.

In order to claim a refund or replacement under AS 45.45.305, the owner shall give written notice by certified mail to the manufacturer and its dealer or repairing agent at any time before 60 days have elapsed after the expiration of the express warranty or the one-year period after the date of delivery of the motor vehicle to the original owner, whichever period terminates first, (1) stating that the vehicle has a nonconformity; (2) providing a reasonable description of the nonconformity; (3) stating that the manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or repairing agent has made a reasonable number of attempts to conform the vehicle; and (4) stating that the owner demands a refund or replacement vehicle to be delivered on the 60th day after the mailing of the written notice. Within 30 days after receiving the notice required by this section the manufacturer may make a final attempt to conform the vehicle before a refund or replacement is made under AS 45.45.305.

AS 45.45.315. Exceptions.

An owner may not receive a refund or replacement under AS 45.45.300 – 45.45.360 if the manufacturer or distributor shows that the nonconformity complained of

(1) does not substantially impair either the use or the market value of the motor vehicle; or

(2) is the result of:

(A) alteration of the motor vehicle by the owner or a person other than a dealer or repairing agent that is not authorized by the manufacturer or distributor; or

(B) abuse or neglect by the owner or a person other than the dealer or repairing agent.

AS 45.45.320. Presumption.

A presumption that a reasonable number of attempts have been made to conform a motor vehicle under an applicable express warranty is established if:

(1) the same nonconformity has been subject to repair three or more times by the manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or repairing agent during the term of the express warranty or the one-year period after delivery of the motor vehicle to the original owner, whichever period terminates first, but the nonconformity continues to exist; or

(2) the vehicle is out of service for repair for a total of 30 or more business days during the express warranty term or the one-year period referred to in (1) of this section, whichever period terminates first; any period of time that repairs are not performed for reasons that are beyond the control of the manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or repairing agent is excluded from the 30-day time period referred to in this paragraph.

AS 45.45.325. Parts Availability.

A manufacturer whose vehicles are sold in the state through an authorized dealer shall provide its dealer or repairing agent with any part necessary to make a repair of a nonconformity covered under an express warranty, as soon as possible, without additional charge for freight or handling, if the part is not in the dealer’s or agent’s inventory when the nonconforming vehicle is brought to the dealer or repairing agent for repair.

AS 45.45.330. Failure to Replace or Refund.

A manufacturer or distributor who fails to refund the full purchase price of a motor vehicle or replace the motor vehicle when there is a requirement to do so under AS 45.45.300 – 45.45.360 is presumed to have committed an unfair trade practice under AS 45.50.471.

AS 45.45.335. Resale Without Disclosure Prohibited.

A motor vehicle returned under AS 45.45.305 may not be resold by the manufacturer or distributor in the state unless full disclosure of the reason for the return is made to the prospective buyer before the resale is concluded.

AS 45.45.340. Other rights and remedies.

The provisions of AS 45.45.300 – 45.45.360 do not limit other rights and remedies that may be available to the owner of a motor vehicle under other provisions of law. This section does not create a new cause of action against a dealer or repairing agent who sells or attempts to repair a motor vehicle found to be nonconforming under AS 45.45.300 – 45.45.360.

AS 45.45.345. Repair Facilities.

A manufacturer or distributor or motor vehicles who authorizes the sale of the manufacturer’s or distributor’s motor vehicles in the state shall maintain authorized dealership facilities within the state that are able to perform the service and make the repairs required by the manufacturer’s express warranty and by AS 45.45.300 – 45.45.360.

AS 45.45.350. Reimbursement of Shipping Costs.

A manufacturer or distributor who accepts the return of a nonconforming motor vehicle under AS 45.45.305 shall reimburse the owner for any reasonable cost incurred in shipping the vehicle to and from the nearest authorized facility for warranty service and repair of a nonconformity that causes the return of the vehicle.

AS 45.45.355. Arbitration or Mediation.

If a manufacturer or distributor has established an informal dispute settlement procedure that substantially complies with the requirements of 16 C.F.R. 703, as that section may be amended, or if the manufacturer or distributor, after receipt of notice required by AS 45.45.310, offers in writing to participate in an arbitration or mediation process with the owner and the arbitration or mediation decision is binding on the manufacturer or distributor but not on the owner, and if the informal dispute settlement or arbitration or mediation process is approved by the attorney general, the provisions of AS 45.45.305 concerning refund or replacement or AS 45.45.350 concerning shipping costs do not apply to an owner who has not first resorted to the informal dispute settlement procedure or arbitration or mediation process.

AS 45.45.360. Definitions.

Definitions in AS 45.45.300 – 45.45.360:

(1) “dealer” means a person who has obtained a franchise from, or is authorized by, a motor vehicle manufacturer to engage in the retail sale and warranty repair of the manufacturer’s new motor vehicles in the state;

(2) “distributor” means a person who is authorized by a manufacturer to engage in the wholesale distribution of the manufacturer’s new motor vehicles in the state;

(3) “express warranty” or “warranty” means an express written warranty provided by the manufacturer of a new motor vehicle;

(4) “full purchase price” means the total price paid for a motor vehicle by the original owner, including costs added to the retail price, such as original registration fees, transportation fees, dealer preparation, and dealer installed options;

(5) “manufacturer” means a person who by labor transforms raw materials and component parts into motor vehicles for wholesale or retail sale;

(6) “motor vehicle” or “vehicle” means a land vehicle having four or more wheels, that is self-propelled by a motor, is normally used for personal, family, or household purposes, and is required to be registered under AS 28.10; but does not include a tractor, farm vehicle, or a vehicle designed primarily for off-road use;

(7) “nonconformity” means a defect or condition in a motor vehicle caused by a manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or repairing agent that substantially impairs the use or market value of a vehicle;

(8) “owner” means a purchaser, other than for resale, of a new motor vehicle, and a person to whom ownership of the motor vehicle is transferred in conformity with AS 28;

(9) “reasonable allowance” means an amount attributable to an owner’s use of a motor vehicle; a “reasonable allowance” may not exceed an amount equal to the depreciation in value of the vehicle for the period during which the vehicle is available for use by the owner, calculated by a straight line depreciation method over seven years, plus an amount equal to the depreciation in value of the vehicle that is caused by:

(A) any neglect or abuse by the owner; or

(B) body damage not caused by a nonconformity;

(10) “repairing agent” means a person who has been specifically authorized by a motor vehicle manufacturer or distributor to perform warranty repairs in the state on one or more of the manufacturer’s or distributor’s motor vehicles;

(11) “substantially impairs the market value” means a nonconformity that substantially decreases the dollar value of a vehicle to the owner when compared to the dollar value of a similar vehicle that does not have the nonconformity;

(12) “substantially impairs the use” means a nonconformity that prevents a motor vehicle from being operated or makes the vehicle unsafe to operate.

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Volkswagen bills the Routan as a “stylish alternative to the minivan,” and we have it from no less an authority than actress Brooke Shields, who in

ads claims that its German engineering drives women to motherhood (to qualify for ownership).

The TV spots starring Ms. Shields, herself a mom, were clearly zunge in der wange (German for tongue in cheek), but we confess that this minivan alternative looks a lot like a real minivan (German for minivan) to us. If it weren’t for the VW fascia and big VW logo (six inches in diameter), you might even mistake it for, say, a Dodge Grand Caravan. Which, of course, it is. Mostly.

Chrysler builds Routans for VW at its plant in Windsor, Ontario. Canada. Not in Germany. And the hardware that makes it a Routan comes from Chrysler suppliers.

Still, there really is German engineering here, and at least some development in faraway Wolfsburg. The project produced positive results. The Routan’s moves are more decisive than those of the Chrysler versions, and its ride is more Euro firm than U.S. creamy. The interior preserves Chrysler’s clever Stow ’n Go third-row seats but adds more support to the front buckets and a distinctive look to the trim.

Demerits: Our test van was an SE model with Chrysler’s 197-hp, 3.8-liter pushrod V-6 and six-speed automatic. The transmission isn’t well matched to this engine, and it took 9.5 seconds—and three shifts—to drag our test van to 60 mph, 17.2 through a quarter-mile. What’s needed is the 4.0-liter V-6 (251 horses, 259 pound-feet). It’ll knock about 1.5 seconds off zero to 60, make you happier in all your driving, and deliver better mpg (17 city and 25 highway, according to the EPA).

To get the 4.0, you have to move up to the SEL ($34,350), $525 more than a mid-grade

EX-L. Routans are also pricier than their Dodge counterparts. This VW is a little noisy, and in cold weather, it took a lot of time for warmth to emerge from the heater. Still, as Chrysler minivans go, German engineering improves the breed.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/09q3/2009_volkswagen_routan_se-short_take_road_test

MotorWeek Road Test: 2009 Volkswagen Routan

Introduction The Dodge Avenger was all new for 2008 and is a twin to the Chrysler Sebring. Slightly smaller than some of the more popular choices in the segment, the Avenger lacks rear-seat and trunk space. The design of the interior looks good, but the execution is poor, with lots of cheap-feeling hard plastic. In a

, an Avenger SXT equipped with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine finished in last place behind a Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, and Toyota Camry.

Three engines and three trim levels (SE, SXT, R/T) are available on the Avenger. SE and SXT models come with a 173-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder and four-speed automatic transmission that boasts excellent fuel economy—21 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. The fuel economy may be impressive, but the four-cylinder is noisy; we’ve previously described it as sounding like “walnuts in a Cuisinart.” Acceleration in the 2.4-liter Avenger is tepid and among the slowest in the family-sedan class, with 0 to 60 mph taking 9.0 seconds.

The next step up is a 186-hp, 2.7-liter V-6 that’s far smoother than the four-cylinder. Equipped with a standard four-speed automatic, the 2.7-liter returns 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. At the top of the range is a 235-horse, 3.5-liter V-6 that comes with a six-speed automatic. The 3.5-liter endows the Avenger with serious acceleration, but the rest of the package is so uninspired that the car remains largely dull despite the added speed.

Verdict The Avenger competes in a highly contested class with aggressive pricing and offers decent value and good fuel economy in four-cylinder guise, but the rest of the package is so dull and the interior so grim that the whole car feels as if it had been cost-cut to death. The chassis has little life, and the Avenger trails most other mid-size sedans in refinement and fun factor.

What’s New for 2009 Avenger SXTs and R/Ts gain a rear spoiler, fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and anti-lock brakes. Inside, all Avengers get a sunglasses holder, a trunk mat, floor mats, a revised sound-deadening package, and cabin air filtration. All-wheel drive has been discontinued.

Highlights and Recommendations Unless you’re drawn to the fuel economy of the noisy and weak 2.4-liter engine, moving up to the slightly more powerful and far smoother 2.7-liter V-6 should prove to be a wise choice. The 3.5-liter V-6, although powerful, is overkill in the Avenger and doesn’t add much to the overall driving experience. If a good deal is your one and only deciding factor, consider the Avenger. Otherwise, we recommend you shop for a Malibu, Altima, or Accord instead.

Safety Dual front airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags, and curtain airbags are standard on all Avenger models. Anti-lock brakes are standard, and stability control is optional on the SXT and R/T, but neither is available on the SE.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/08q4/2009_dodge_avenger-review