The College Driver News

Changes to Buick Regal Drivetrains

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:42:07 -0500

The performance-oriented Regal GS has a new automatic transmission this year, and is available at dealerships now. The 270 horses of the Regal GS’ turbocharged 2.0L Ecotec engine can now be controlled through a six-speed automatic with Driver Shift Control, and Buick says it will be a no-cost option instead of the existing six-speed manual.

“With the Regal GS, we made a conscious decision to go against the current trend and give enthusiasts the manual transmission they desire as standard equipment” said Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of Buick Marketing. “Adding an automatic simply makes the performance of the GS even more accessible.”

The new Aisin AF40 automatic is calibrated specifically for Buick’s most athletic sedan. With the car’s Interactive Drive Control System set to “GS” mode, the transmission delivers firmer shifts, aiding performance. Acceleration matches the manual with an estimated 0-60 mph time of 6.7 seconds.

EPA-estimated fuel economy of 19 mpg city and 27 on the highway, standard performance components like Buick’s innovative HiPer Strut front suspension and Brembo front brake calipers, and optional features are identical regardless of the transmission.

Starting with 2013 models, eAssist will be standard on the Regal with the discontinuation of the 2.4L base model. eAssist uses a compact lithium-ion battery pack and a small electric motor to "assist" the gas engine. The system provides an electrical boost to the engine at low speeds and on inclines where fuel efficiency can suffer most. Estimates pin the Regal eAssist at 36 MPG for the highway.

“Buick is committed to increasing innovation across the lineup,” said DiSalle “By making the advanced eAssist powertrain standard on a second vehicle, we are putting the spotlight on smart technology.” Buick also began offering eAssist on the 2012 LaCrosse as the standard powertrain.

Pricing and an on-sale date for the 2013 Regal with eAssist will be announced later this year.

theCD's take: We're glad to see Buick offer such a variety of powertrains for one vehicle, from the eco-conscious driver with eAssist to the performance-minded with GS. If you're in between, look at the Regal Turbo.

Auto Financing: How to Save Money on Your Car

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:37:51 -0500

Saving money on your car can be tricky, especially if you are locked into an auto loan. Paying every month on a car that is now too expensive can be difficult after one’s financial circumstances have changed. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the burden of a car loan that has become too difficult to pay.

Many people use auto loans to finance a car purchase, and many of these loans take years to pay off. Oftentimes, a loan is taken out for a car when someone has a good job and few financial obligations, but over the years the loan becomes more difficult to make payments on. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce this payment.

Refinancing a car loan is a good option for anyone who needs to save money on their monthly car payment. Auto refinance rates are currently at historic lows, and many people have found that the rates they can get today are lower than the auto refinance rates that were available as little as six months ago. In general, auto loan refinancing can save a consumers money in two ways. Refinancing an auto loan will usually not only give a consumer a lower interest rate (which lowers the amount of interest that they have to pay each month), but it can also stretch out the period of time over which a person will make payments on the vehicle.

For example, a person with a nine percent interest rate on a five year auto loan may have made their payments on time for two years. With three years left on the loan, however, that person may have their hours cut at work, making it necessary to cut back on their monthly expenses. By refinancing their auto loan, they could not only get a rate closer to five percent, but their payments could be stretched out over five years instead of the remaining three. A person could theoretically save hundreds of dollars a month by refinancing their auto loan.

Of course, this will mean that a person will probably hold on to the car longer, making it necessary to take good care of the vehicle in order to insure that maintenance problems will be minimized. Make sure to keep up with regular maintenance on the vehicle, but save money by reading your owner’s manual and looking for deals and specials on the maintenance that your vehicle requires. There are frequent specials on new tires, belts, and oil changes; making it easier to plan and budget for maintenance expenses.

Finally, you should carefully research finance options and the reliability of available cars before purchasing your next vehicle. The decision to purchase a vehicle involves thousands of dollars, and can affect a person’s life for years. As such, it is necessary to really research the options available. Choosing a car based on looks or a salesman’s pitch is one of the quickest ways to waste thousands of dollars on this area of your budget. Consider the features that are most important to you, the average maintenance and fuel expenses of the vehicle, and the total cost of the car before deciding to buy.

Super Bowl XLVI: Volkswagen Dog Strikes Back

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:50:54 -0500

In Volkswagens's 2012 Super Bowl commercial, the sporty, 2012 Volkswagen Beetle inspires Bolt the dog to get in shape, and an intergalactic superstar makes a surprise appearance.

2012 Super Bowl: Suzuki "Sled" Commercial with 50 Cent

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:31:25 -0500

Suzuki's “Sled” television spot for Super Bowl XLVI is set in an isolated mountain location. The commercial opens with an early morning scene where an Eskimo and his dog sled team ride off into the horizon. As the landscape changes from morning to evening, the quiet still of the frozen tundra gives way to vibrations and a hint of something new in the distance. A Kizashi – accompanied by 50 Cent's "Movin On Up" – comes driving into view with one of the Huskies' heads sticking out of the front passenger window enjoying its owner’s new mode of transport.

The spot then cuts to the interior of the vehicle, revealing the other sled dogs buckled into the back seat and the Eskimo behind the wheel of the Kizashi – all of whom are digging the lavish accommodations and warm interior of the car, while bumping their heads and tapping their paws to the song's beat. The Eskimo pulls up to his igloo and his wife comes out to greet him. With a puzzled look on her face, and in her native Inuit tongue, she asks, “Where’s the sled?” The man replies, “I traded it in,” (the conversation is subtitled in English).

Suzuki's 2012 Super Bowl spot will air both in 60-second and 30-second formats in the company's top retail locations across the U.S. "Sled" will continue to run following the Super Bowl in conjunction with a new Suzuki advertising campaign scheduled to debut in March.

2012 Super Bowl: 2013 Cadillac ATS at Green Hell

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:41:48 -0500

The all-new ATS is Cadillac’s entry into the world’s most significant luxury car category, and what better way to introduce it than Super Bowl XLVI. The straight pitch is a contrast to many Super Bowl ads, which use humor and other devices unrelated to the product being pitched.

2012 Super Bowl: Shazam Toyota’s Commercial to Win a Camry

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:28:31 -0500

Catch Toyota's commercial today during the Super Bowl and be prepared to Shazam it to enter into the contest to win a new Camry for you and a friend! The commercial is below, and you can Shazam it right now to try to win.

What to do After a DUI Case

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:09:39 -0500

Maintaining car insurance following a drunk driving conviction can be difficult or nearly impossible. At the minimum, it will cause your insurance company to steeply increase your rates. On one hand, this is understandable because drunk drivers can cause a great amount of bodily harm and property damage from their actions. However, it is also true that most states require their citizens to hold automobile insurance; so ability to make use of your car at all may be jeopardized by a lack of necessary DUI insurance.

After being convicted of drunk driving or have received a license suspension, it's impossible to conceal this fact from your insurance company - most states mandate that SR-22 auto insurance be acquired out of your company to prove to the automobile department that you simply really do have liability insurance. Once this is applied for, you're sure to face an rate hike or cancellation of your policy.

It is important that your lawyer works to minimize the charges against you. A Chandler dui lawyer for example has to deal with penalties that could vary quite differently from what a dui lawyer in Phoenix has to cope with. The actual offenses you're found guilty of will directly relate to just how much you will pay for automobile insurance now and in the near future. Getting some from the charges dismissed or reduced may have a positive effect on how your auto insurer views your policy.

The DUI conviction will remain in your driving record for a number of years, depending on your resident state. For as long as a state law requires that your conviction remain publicly accessible, your DUI record will impact your auto insurance policy and also the premium too. If there aren't any further incidents, after the required length of time, your DUI conviction is going to be erased from your records and it will once again be easier to obtain DUI insurance at a more modest cost. Insurance providers work on a basis of risk assessment. The larger they perceive the danger to become, the larger the premium rates, when they even decide to grant a policy.

There are insurance providers that will provide DUI insurance to those who've a DUI conviction and also at more reasonable rates than can be expected. For those who have had their policy cancelled, and are unable to get an car insurance policy anywhere, now there is an insurance policy that will help in every state. Contacting your state's insurance bureau will help you obtain the DUI insurance you need. With the Automobile Insurance Assigned Risk Plan, you'll be guaranteed an insurance policy, even though rates can nonetheless be extremely high."

2012 Super Bowl: Acura NSX Ad #JerrysNSX

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:30:16 -0500

Jerry Seinfeld is so excited about the new Acura NSX that he will stop at nothing to acquire the very first one. Check out the extended version of Acura's big game commercial. The NSX is project to debut in three years.

Super Bowl XLVI: Kia Optima Commercial features Adriana Lima

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:57:17 -0500

Created by David&Goliath, "Drive the Dream" is Kia's Super Bowl XLVI commercial and opens with the familiar notes of The Chordettes' "Mr. Sandman" as a real-life Mr. Sandman enters the bedroom of an unsuspecting young couple who are asleep. After being sprinkled with "Sweet Dreams" dust, the woman smiles and envisions herself on a horse with a romance novel-like hunk in a beautiful green meadow. Meanwhile, Mr. Sandman accidentally stumbles and spills his entire night's dust supply on the man, launching an extreme dream sequence that begins with the roaring guitars of Mötley Crüe's "Kickstart My Heart" and Adriana Lima waving a checkered flag as he blasts around a race track at night in a Snow White Pearl Optima Limited with thousands of bikini-clad fans cheering him on from the stands.

As he circles the track with Lima looking on adoringly, the dreaming driver receives nods of approval from the band as bursts of flames and fireworks surround their stage as well as Chuck Liddell, champion bull rider Judd Leffew, and a pair of lumberjacks sawing a massive submarine sandwich. "Mötley Crüe had a blast doing the Kia commercial," said bassist Nikki Sixx. "A hot model, a fast car, a pro fighter, pyrotechnics and rock n' roll...What's not to love?"

Much to the disbelief of Lima and drummer Tommy Lee, the high-octane dream turns into a fairy tale when the husband makes a conscious decision to drive the Optima Limited off the race track and into his wife's fantasy to win her back from Prince Charming.

2012 Super Bowl: Chevrolet Sonic and Volt Ads

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:02:55 -0500

Chevrolet is going big on Super Bowl Sunday with five new ads, including a first-of-its-kind music video with the new Sonic subcompact and the band OK Go. Check out the awesome ads below. My personal favorite is the "Stunt Anthem."

2012 Super Bowl: Chevrolet Silverado Survives the End of the World

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:43:44 -0500

Chevy is going big this year with five different advertisements for the Super Bowl XLVI. The ad, called “2012”, shows the Silverado navigating the devastation and destruction predicted to occur this year by the Mayan calendar. A group of friends, who are Silverado owners, makes their way to the designated meeting spot but notice one of their buddies is missing. The missing friend, unfortunately, drives a Ford truck and doesn’t appear to have made it to the meeting point.

Super Bowl XLVI: Play to Win Chevy App

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:32:48 -0500

Chevy is going big for Supoer Bowl XLVI. They've released an app in the App Store, Android Market, and online which will allow viewers of Super Bowl XLVI to play trivia, interact with each other via Twitter, participate in polls and possibly win one of 20 Chevrolets or thousands of other prizes.

As you watch the Super Bowl, you can play along to win prizes from Chevrolet, Bridgestone, Motorola, the NFL and NFLShop.com, Papa John’s Pizza and Sirius XM Radio. Anyone who signs up automatically gets a 25% off coupon at Papa John's Pizza!

Chances to win begin as soon as you download the Chevy Game Time app with instant win opportunities. In addition, you'll also receive a unique license plate number. If your plate appears during a Chevrolet advertisement during the game or online, you win a vehicle!

While watching the Super Bowl, players can answer trivia questions or polls relating to the football game, teams, commercials and other related events. By selecting the correct or most common answer, you will be entered into drawings to win one of thousands of prizes.