September 2, 2010

Get Better Performance And Miles Per Gallon With A Diesel Engine

Regardless of whether you are looking for a vehicle of your own or a heavy duty truck for commercial purposes, getting a car or truck with a diesel engine has some great benefits and of course some draw backs.

Let’s get the drawbacks out of the way.

Engine noise: Yes diesel engines are ‘louder’ than gasoline engines but the modern diesel engines in today’s automobiles and trucks are a lot quieter than the engines from 15 or 20 years ago. In fact today’s modern diesel engine runs almost as quietly as a gasoline engine.

Emissions: It’s not a good idea to have a vehicle that emits a great deal of pollutants into the air and environment. Diesel engines are not ‘low emission’ or ‘green’ and they do put out more particulate matter (the soot) and they have higher levels of the gases that contribute to local smog. The smell is stronger when a diesel engine is running plus it produces more smoke.

Fuel: If you are out on a trip and need to refuel your diesel you will have a much more difficult time finding service stations that sell fuel needed for these type of engines. Make sure your local neighborhood or a station on your commute or near your place of employment sells diesel. Do some research to see how many, if any, gas stations in your neighborhood or town sell the necessary fuel. It’s a pain to run out of gas.

Selection: You will be limited in your selection. At one time there were about 119 different diesel models to choose from in the United States. It’s easier to find Diesel cars in Europe but due to stricter emission limits in many parts of the country the number of available diesel models is now in the dozens. Diesel trucks are very popular but again they also have limited models available.

Let’s see the benefits of purchasing a diesel vehicle.

Fuel economy: Diesel engines are anywhere from 20 – 30% more efficient than gasoline engines. Obviously that will lead to fewer trips to the station to fill up and will leave more money in your pocket. Some are approaching the 50-mile per gallon mark on fuel economy. Obviously you can expect to see significant savings over the long run.

McManus compared price a Jetta with a gasoline engine to a Jetta with a turbo diesel. The turbo diesel car was about $1,000 more, however, the gasoline engine only had an EPA estimate of 31 MPG and the turbo diesel had a 46-MPG rating. The savings on fuel over a time period of three years would even out the cost of the diesel engine purchase.

Longevity: With proper maintenance it is not unusual for diesel engines to last 250,000 miles and more. Some big rig diesel engines have reportedly hit over seven hundred thousand and even up to the one million mile mark!

Performance: Do you like driving fast? Diesel engines have better get up and go than gasoline engines. It will be easier to accelerate plus you will save on gas.

The Capacity To Tow More: Diesel engines are workhorses. If you plan to haul heavy loads, tow a boat, a trailer or a 5th wheel a diesel engine will provide the extra power needed. This is the reason why many heavy duty trucks utilize a diesel engine.

A diesel engine might be right for you if are looking to use your vehicle for heavy towing, are looking for better gas mileage and superior performance

Written by Jacqueline Star: Used Cars Dallas, Fort Worth Ford

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Carbuyers Guide To The HSV GTS-R

Clever marketing pack based on HSV GTS took big advantage of Holden’s production run of yellow taxi bodies for unrivalled, in your face presentation. As bigger and better new models arrive, the GTS-R’s hoped-for collector status is on hold indefinitely for now Investors who mothballed new examples now face stiff competition from today’s cheaper, faster and more refined HSV and FPV muscle for outstanding used car buying.

Its 215 kW of stroked Holden V8 engine delivers a welcome wall of torque from low speeds without the deep breathing top end of the latest models.HRT carbon-fibre fillets at front, rear and sides discolored very badly on exposure to sun. Plain grille is more like VR than VS GTS, and dates it more than it should.

Racing-style but non-adjustable HRT rear spoiler on square tube mount is crude — or duck’s guts — depending on how you look at it.Stroker 215 kW V8 pulls hard from tickover but can throw its drive belt under extreme conditions and suffer from bore-distortion. Power steering not to be trusted under track conditions.

Old style rear main rope seal will weep a tad but make sure it’s not a full blown leak.Unrefined early Borg Warner T56 6-speed had unique HSV linkages for crisp mechanical feel but close gate can make some changes a lucky dip. Internal clatter and other noises are standard.Combination mechanical-hydraulic clutch linkage locates master and slave cylinders out of sight on bell-housing and may have placed regular fluid changes and leakage checks in the too-hard basket.

Expensive Hydratrak diff and independent rear end gave the GTS-R better grip than most although missing Opel control links generates sharp rear breakaway at the limit and lack of adjustment. Check all structural members around rear suspension.

Yellow trim inserts, yellow stitching, extra black and carbon fibre cabin highlights may lift GTS-R further from fleet car origins but cabin finish is the main disappointment as quality has come a long way since then.Trick yellow-badged wheel inserts, dark finish and GTS-R identification mask one of HSV’s least appealing wheel designs

Used cars Ireland is offered by Used Cars, so for more information and resources on the topic, please check out these resources.

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September 1, 2010

The Alfa Romeo GT A Successful Formula

Alfa Romeo is a company renowned for turning out stunning coupes with breathtaking looks and performance to match.

The GT’s coupe styling hasn’t hindered cabin comfort, maintaining room for four passengers along with its sporty, compact dimensions.

The GT is impressively powerful — 176kW at 6200rpm — making the coupe-cum-clan-carrier a serious daily driver. The trip will be comfortable, too, with plenty of hand-crafted fine-grained Italian leather for the seats and interior.

The GT isn’t lacking in creature comforts, with dual-zone climate control, park sensors & heated leather seats as standard-fit inclusions, to name a few. Alfa Romeo’s multi-function, multi-lingual display allows access for driver information such as odometer readings, exterior temperature, radio and mobile phone.An eight-speaker Bose Hi-Fi system with subwoofer is coupled with a 10-stack CD player, all controlled via buttons on the leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The GT gets cruise control standard and central locking with remote control for access to doors and boot. Alfa Romeo states that the GT is one of “the safest motors in its segment”, getting front, side and window airbags and electronic stability control which Alfa calls VDC: Vehicle Dynamic Control, with an emergency brake assist device. VDC is permanently engaged, but will cut in when car stability is at risk, and works with the ABS, engine management unit and automatic transmission unit.

The GT also features telescopic steering column, strengthened passenger cell and a fire prevention system.The Alfa GT gets the same successful under-bonnet formula as the 156 and 147: the 3.2-litre V6 rated at 176kW of power and 300Nm torque for the GT, and mated to a six-speed manual transmission. There is no automatic equivalent available.The GT gets double-wishbone front suspension and MacPherson struts at the rear, complemented by Magneti Marelli’s suspension that includes a front system (right and left side and front crossmember assembly).

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