Auto Trends

Christmas Car, originally uploaded by See El Photo

The automotive experts have spoken again, and guess what they have said? Yup, this holiday season could be the very last of the really great car deals that have been floating around for the past few months. They have been saying this since the end of Cash For Clunkers, clear back at the end of August this year.

Well, this time they really mean it, and here is their reasoning. The surplus of 2009 vehicles is finally tapering down to manageable numbers. Nowhere more is this true than with the extinct Pontiac franchise, who has seen many of their popular vehicles dwindle to the hundreds over the past couple months.

With that said, there are some pretty good deals heading up the holiday season that would look awfully nice in your driveway come Christmas morning. Let’s take a look at these deals from manufacturer to manufacturer:

Audi
Scrooged.

BMW
Throughout the 2009 holiday season BMW will be offering holiday finance credit for those who qualify, up to $2,500. The deal will be covered by most models, offering a minimum of $1,500 credit, lasting through January 5th, 2010.

Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, HUMMER, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab
Nothing much has changed here. Still just the same old 0% APR financing we have come to expect. They just might have something else up their sleeve come December, as the current financing incentives are set to diminish at the end of November (11/30/90).

Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep
Chrysler is planning on a running start to their 5-year plan this month, ramping up deals just in time for Thanksgiving shoppers. They have increased consumer cashback, anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500, over top of existing incentives. This means if a vehicle was already $1,500 off the sticker price, you can go ahead and pull up to an additional $1,500, for a grand total of $3,000 off. They are also offering 0% financing (60 months), lease discounts on minivans (up to $1,000), and cut rate financing for all 2008 and 2009 Dodge Vipers. Deals are set to last through January 4^th, 2010.

Honda
Honda gets in the holiday spirit with 1.9% APR financing up to 36 months on select models through January 4^th, 2010.

Ford, Lincoln, Mercury
Ford continues to pull new customers through their doors despite the economy, and shows no signs of stopping with its current holiday incentives. Through January 4^th, they will be celebrating their “Year End Sales Event”, which translates to $1,000 cashback on most models, and 0% APR financing.

Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes is offering 2.9% APR financing for up to 36 months on select models through January 4^th, 2010.

Toyota
Toyota has scrooged out a bit, pulling back from its prior 0% APR financing, now only offering a 2.9% APR through the magical date of January 4^th, 2010. They do however redeem themselves slightly with cashback offers up to $2,000 on a very select few models, varying from region to region.

Mazda
Scrooged.

Volkswagen
Scrooged again!

You only have until the beginning of January for most of these deals, so its best to get out there… while the gettin’s still good!

Sources: Auto News and U.S. News

2009 Chevrolet Aveo 1LT, originally uploaded by JDPower.com Photography

Being on top of a list is usually a good thing, but here is a list that no car company would be proud to top. The most toxic list. Each year HealthyStuff.org scans over the interiors of several makes and models of vehicles, looking for levels of toxicity in the vehicles interior.

Interior toxicity can come in many forms, such as the chemicals that make up the dashboard plastics, leather seats, vinyl door panels, and cloth headliners. It could be said that most all manufacturing processes contain some amount of toxicity, but some are much less than others.

To understand the danger of these chemicals, you have to realize that the true danger is not so much in handling of these car parts, as breathing the chemicals once they are released into the air. All interiors are subject to releasing chemicals into the air as they breakdown over time.

Healthy Stuff organizes their findings into a list that ranges from 0.1 to 5.0. A vehicle with 0.1 would be primarily made of soybeans and coconut fibers, and a vehicle topping the list at 5.0, would have measurable amounts of lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, chlorine, bromine, tin, and/or chromium within the fiber.

The Worst Offenders for 2009
Out of all the vehicles tested for 2009, there were three within the range of 4.0 and up, which is considered moderately dangerous for passengers. The worst offender of the group was by far the Chevrolet Aveo. It would appear in this case, you get what you pay for when it comes to quality of interior materials, with a 4.8 on their rating scale.

The toxicity of the Aveo is surprising, considering that the Chevrolet Cobalt is only a 0.7 on the scale. The Aveo was found to have a surprising amount of lead in the carpet, door trim, front seats, and arm rests. There is also a notable amount of Chlorine found in the shift knob.

Down from the list is the 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible, which is not much better at a rating of 4.7. The offending chemical for the Eclipse is not lead, but rather excessive amounts of Chlorine and Bromine. The most excessive amounts were found in the carpet, seats, steering wheel, door trim, arm rests, and center console.

The 2009 Hyundai Tuscon rounds out the list with a rating of 4.1, which is mostly due to its high amounts of bromine found in the headliner, front seats, arm rests, and center console. The door trim was also noted as having large amounts of Chlorine.

Interestingly, on most of these vehicles the key offenders appear to be the seats and the center armrest. In some cases, a simple aftermarket replacement may make all the difference, such as a simple fiberglass shell covered in cloth.

Autowereld.com: Mitsubishi PX-MiEV, originally uploaded by iflavour

Continuing on with the Tokyo Motor Show, which opened to the public on October 21, 2009. Mitsubishi had a rather interesting plug-in hybrid concept to show, which got people thinking. What does my current vehicle smell like? Do those fragrance pine trees really do all that much good? Who thinks up this stuff anyway?

The Mitsubishi PX-MiEV is an electric hybrid vehicle that has taken some of its focus from performance and exterior appeal, and placed it on its smell. The entire interior package (called the “cocochi”) of the concept MiEV is dedicated to making the drivers experience in their vehicle, as pleasurable to the olfactory senses as possible.

Unlike the typical fragrance aids you can purchase for your vehicle, such as those pine trees, the MiEV does not try to cover over the chemical smell of your vehicle, but rather cancel it out from its source. To begin with, the interior is lined with a double layer of fabric, which serves two purposes:

Layer #1- An anti-allergy coating prevents the offensive odor and effects of pollens, organic compounds, and even those little bugs that live in our carpets and beds.

Layer #2- A second layer is designed to resist fragrant smells (chemicals) from being released into the cabin. The seats will also each feature internal air conditioning, which will help circulate the stagnant air around the passengers.

There are a lot of candle companies that claim they can change ones mood, simply by smelling a certain fragrance. The PX-MiEV is banking on this fact, as it introduces its new detection software, which is able to decipher the smell a driver most needs to remain comfortable, relaxed, and alert.

On a normal day, when the driver is detected as energetic and controlling the vehicle well, the MiEV will concentrate a very faint perfume and negative-ion oxygen, in order to keep them relaxed, while also helping to reduce any fatigue.

On a rough day, where the drivers concentration is off (wandering on the road), the MiEV will produce a slightly different fragrance meant to heighten driver alertness. For those really bad days, where the driver is actually nodding at the wheel, the MiEV will alert the driver with a series of visual, vibration, and audio warnings. Yes, having a back-up just in case the fragrance isn’t enough to do the job, is always a good thing!

To top it off, the glass will feature UV radiation blocking layers, to keep the dangerous rays of the sun off the skin during those really long days in rush hour. This vehicle is practically a mobile health-spa if you ask me, only without the masseuse.

But less we forget the true purpose of the PV-MiEV, which is to get its passengers from A to B. It also features a high tech, hybrid electric motor system, worth 118 miles to the gallon. Okay, now all that is left is a really good slogan:

At last, an automotive improvement that doesn’t stink!

Something smell a little fishy? Well it’s certainly ain’t your PV-MiEV!

Well, you get the idea…