The Nissan Leaf pure electric vehicle has recently been awarded the coveted Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, highlighting the vehicle's exemplary performance in four passenger safety tests.
The IIHS rates a vehicle's performance on various crash tests as good, acceptable, marginal or poor. To qualify for the 2013 Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the all the tests, which include moderate overlap frontal test, side impact, rollover and rear tests.
"Driver and passenger safety are top priorities for Nissan and the 'Top Safety Pick' designation by IIHS reflects the design and innovation that have gone into this car to make it a practical, no-compromise electric vehicle," said Erik Gottfried, Nissan's director of electric vehicle sales and marketing. "The new, U.S.-assembled 2013 Nissan Leaf provides customers with a remarkable level of value, comfort and security at prices competitive with gas-powered cars in a fun-to-drive package."
Every Leaf comes standard with the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt sensors and occupant classification sensor, front seat-mounted side impact supplemental air bags and roof-mounted curtain side impact supplemental air bags for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection. In addition, it features the Vehicle Dynamic Control and the Traction Control System.
Those looking to add to any new car should look into Husky Liners® car floor mats. These floor mats will ensure for years to come that a vehicle's interior looks as clean as the day it pulled out of the dealership.
Not only are they safe, but they're inexpensive
The Nissan Leaf recently topped the Chevrolet Volt with more sales once again in April, as the automaker recently lowered the price of the all electric car.
The Detroit Free Press reported that Leaf outsold the Volt in April for the second consecutive month, as Volt sales slipped 11 percent on a year-over-over comparison. In addition, Nissan dropped the sales price of the Leaf by $6,000. Now, it only costs $28,800 to own the car, well below the sales price for a Volt, which is sitting at $40,000.
"Nissan has been so aggressive that they're almost giving them away," Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book, told the news source. "That's certainly had some effect on Volt sales, although General Motors has certainly been pretty aggressive with Volt over time. I think the larger factor might be fuel prices being stable or going down."
Patterson Racing has had its name in drag racing for more than 30 years, and it looks like that will continue indefinitely, as Todd Patterson and the Husky Liners® sponsored Chevy Cobalt won the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 5 race and reset a national record at SRCA Raceway in Great Bend, Kansas (May 4, 2013).
In honor of Great Bend's contributions to hot rodding and drag racing history, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback recently issued a proclamation naming April 27-May 5 as KANSAS SPEEDWEEK. The SRCA Dragstrip in Great Bend, Kansas has a rich history within the hot rodding culture, as the host of the first ever National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) sanctioned racing event in 1955.
Patterson and the Chevy Cobalt qualified 3rd in Competition Eliminator in the A/SMA class, won the event and reset the National Record to 7.89ET! The Patterson Racing/Husky Liner® Sponsored Cobalt was also the only car at the event to set a National Record!
Todd also qualified in Stock Eliminator with the Husky Liners® sponsored COPO Camaro in the No. 2 position in BB/SA at -1.07 under the index.
Over the past 30 years, the Patterson family has built a family owned and operated business based in Augusta, KS. Patterson Racing not only manufactures top quality racing engines but also specializes in high performance products and machining services. Todd, Allan, and their knowledgeable sales staff, have a combined knowledge and experience of over 100 years, which enables them to keep busy servicing the hardcore racing customers they have attracted through the years. This includes World, National and Division Champions to name a few all with Patterson record setting engines. Visit www.pattersonracing.com for more information.
Husky Liners® sponsors both the COPO Camaro and Chevrolet Cobalt.
Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Winfield, Kansas, Husky Liners®, a division of Winfield Consumer Products is a leading manufacturer of automotive aftermarket products designed to protect the interior, and exterior of your vehicle. At the core of its diverse product line up is the Husky Liners® brand of custom fit floor liners, including front seat, rear seat, cargo area. The company also manufactures heavy duty floor mats, custom molded mud guards and a wide assortment of quality products designed to help extend the life of your car, truck or SUV. All products are manufactured in the USA and most come with a lifetime guarantee. For more information, visit: www.huskyliners.com.
Mother's Day is just a couple days away. Many of you are probably scrambling for ways to show mom how much you really care, and nothing says I love you like a clean car.
As she is probably out running errands, picking the kids up from school, taking them to dance or football practice and feeding them in the car on a day-to-day basis, the best thing you could do to show her you care is clean out the family car. Not to mention, it will only make the rides more enjoyable and safer for her.
"Just about every mom knows what it feels like to have a water bottle rolling dangerously close to the brake or gas pedal," said Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. "Giving her car a thorough cleaning will go a long way toward eliminating hazards that can be a distraction, making for safer driving conditions."
While a one-time clean is nice for Mother's Day, you can show her you really care by making cleanup easy for her for Mother's Days to come. After you've cleaned the car, install Husky Liners® vehicle floor mats. This will give the car a sleek look and make cleanup even easier.
Underdog David Ragan was able to gain support from his teammate David Gilliland to help him take his second career Sprint Cup victory at Talladega Superspeedway. Ragan's first win came at Daytona International Speedway in 2011.
Ragan told the Associated Press that he owes his teammate a lot for the win and that he plans on treating him to a meal this week . Gilliland finished right behind Ragan in second and was content as his team took its first career victory.
"What a great day for Front Row Motorsports, an underfunded team coming in here and being able to finish 1-2 is awesome," Gilliland told the news source, adding he was proud of his teammate. "I know he would have done the same for me. I had a heck of a run, we were pushing, I was locked to his bumper and I wasn't going to let him go."
Matt Kenseth led the race for 142 of the 192 laps but found himself in eighth place when all was said and done. Kenseth told USA today that although he's frustrated with a loss, he is really happy for David and David {no first names. use last}, adding that it's always good to see underdogs win.
Race fans who are looking to drive like the pros are encouraged to equip their cars with Husky Liners® vehicle floor mats.
The Nissan Leaf beat out the Chevrolet Volt in sales during April, as many potential buyers were attracted to its lower price.
According to a report from the Detroit Free Press, Volt sales fell 11 percent in April on year-over-year comparison, as the Leaf outsold it for the second consecutive month. The Chevrolet Volt can travel 38 miles on its battery before the small gasoline engine takes over, while the Leaf can go 75 miles on one charge.
Whether a vehicle runs on gas or electricity, it's always a good idea to install Husky Liners® car floor mats to keep the interior clean
"Nissan has been so aggressive that they're almost giving them away," Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book, told the news source. "That's certainly had some effect on Volt sales, although General Motors has certainly been pretty aggressive with Volt over time. I think the larger factor might be fuel prices being stable or going down."
Nissan cut the price of the Leaf by $6,000 in January to $28,800. A Volt is priced at nearly $40,000.
That's not the only vehicle Nissan lowered the price for. According to the Detroit Free Press, Nissan has cut prices on six other models, and Jose Munoz, Nissan senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas, said the vehicles receiving the price cuts account for 65 percent of Nissan's sales across the country.
Automakers have come a long way since the recession and the latest reports are a testament to that.
During and since the recession, many Americans were forced to put off a new car purchase because they couldn't afford it. Since then, the average age of vehicles on the road has reached a historic high, and since the economy has gotten going again, consumers are finding that now is the time to make a purchase.
Hyundai recently announced that it sold 63,315 units in April, accounting for a 2 percent increase on a year-over-year comparison and reaching an all time sales record for the month.
"While we did a decent job matching production levels with strong demand for Azera, Elantra and Santa Fe, our U.S.-built Sonata inventories remain among the lowest in the segment, and we continue to work to meet demand for all variants of our fast-turning mid-size sedan," said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. "Our new Sonata Hybrid has been a focus model for us though, and here we've been able to support a 40 percent year-over-year sales increase with additional production and high consumer interest in our upgraded hybrid powertrain with its industry-leading Lifetime Hybrid Battery Warranty."
Nissan also shows strong gains
Hyundai was not the only automaker showing strong sales numbers in April. Nissan reported that sales in April reached 87,847 units, accounting for a 23.2 percent increase on a year-over-year comparison. Any new car owner looking to keep the inside of their vehicle as clean as possible should look into Husky Liners® vehicle floor mats
"April was a very good sales month for the Nissan division, not only from an overall volume standpoint where we were up more than 24 percent, but also in retail where our sales rose more than 32 percent," said Jose Munoz, senior vice president, sales and marketing at Nissan Americas. "In the first quarter of 2013, we improved our retail sales by more than 4 percent while reducing deliveries to fleet customers by more than 17 percent. We continued this trend in April with retail up 29 percent and fleet mix down over four percentage points from one year ago, which proves that our new products such as Altima, Sentra and Pathfinder are taking strong hold in the marketplace."
Nissan also noted that sales of its popular Altima increased 35.4 percent in April on a year-over-year comparison.
A recent survey by NADAGuides investigated the most important things people consider when shopping for a vehicle. The survey showed that fuel economy was the most important thing for shoppers, followed by vehicle design, ownership costs and brand perception.
Jonathan Banks, executive automotive analyst for the NADA Used Car Guide, said that vehicle design appearing as the second most important thing to vehicle buyers is a reflection of automakers' abilities to build quality, dependable and efficient designs that light a spark in consumers and burn for years to come.
Among truck buyers, however, fuel efficiency was still the most important factor when buying, while ownership costs were second and just one point behind fuel efficiency on a 100-point scale.
"The close proximity of these two factors resulted from the broad composition of SUV and truck respondents, which was comprised of consumers shopping for pickup trucks and SUVs of all sizes," said Banks. "Shoppers of small SUVs ranked Fuel Economy as their top concern and Ownership Costs as third, while shoppers for mid-size and large trucks ranked Ownership costs as their top concern and Fuel Economy third. Results indicate that larger truck shoppers want to maximize fuel economy, but they also understand that the added size required to support their household and recreational needs will result in higher gasoline costs.
Banks added that in order to compensate for this, buyers will look to reduce maintenance expenses and purchase a vehicle that will hold its value the longest.
Another good way to make sure a car or truck holds its value is by installing Husky Liners® custom fit floor mats. This will ensure the vehicle's interior is clean for years to come, and if you do decide to sell down the road, you will be in a better position to get more for your investment.
Car transaction prices up from last year
As the latest report from Kelley Blue Book shows, car prices are up $154 from last year and buyers should be looking high and low for ways to save as much of that money as possible.
"There is still strong pent-up demand from consumers looking to purchase a new vehicle who have been on the sidelines waiting for at least a few years," said Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst for Kelley Blue Book . "As gas prices continue to decrease, especially during the summer season, transaction prices should raise as consumers look to purchase larger vehicles."
The Inaugural NHRA Sunflower National Open was held this past weekend (April 27, 2013) at the Sunflower Rod and Custom Association (SRCA) Drag Strip in Great Bend, Kansas. The event kicked off the NHRA West Central Division 5 season.
Husky Liners® sponsored COPO Camaro set an NHRA National Record in the CC/SA class of 9.25 at 143 m.p.h driven by Todd Patterson of Patterson Racing, Inc.
The COPO is powered by a Patterson Racing 427ci electronic fuel injected Chevrolet LS series engine that produces well over the factory 425 horsepower rating.
“On behalf of the Chevrolet Performance Team, I'd like to congratulate Husky Liners® and Patterson Racing for setting the NHRA Elapsed Time record of 9.25 seconds in CC/SA,” said Roger Allen, NHRA/COPO Program Manager. “We are very excited to have Bob Tyler’s 427 COPO in the record book.”
Patterson Racing has been a well-recognized name in drag racing for more than 30 years. Together Allan & Todd have built a family owned and operated business based in Augusta, KS. Patterson Racing not only manufactures top quality racing engines but also specializes in high performance products and machining services. Todd, Allan, and their knowledgeable sales staff, have a combined knowledge and experience of over 100 years, which enables them to keep busy servicing the hardcore racing customers they have attracted through the years. This includes World, National and Division Champions to name a few all with Patterson record setting engines. Visit www.pattersonracing.com for more information.
Any racing fans are reminded to equip their own vehicles like the pros and put Husky Liners® custom fit floor mats.
Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Winfield, Kansas, Husky Liners®, a division of Winfield Consumer Products is a leading manufacturer of automotive aftermarket products designed to protect the interior, and exterior of your vehicle. At the core of its diverse product line up is the Husky Liners® brand of custom fit floor liners, including front seat, rear seat, cargo area. The company also manufactures heavy duty floor mats, custom molded mud guards and a wide assortment of quality products designed to help extend the life of your car, truck or SUV. All products are manufactured in the USA and most come with a lifetime guarantee. For more information, visit: www.huskyliners.com.
AAA's recently released Your Driving costs study revealed that its costs 1.96 percent more to own and operate a sedan this year than it did last year.
"Many factors go into the cost calculation of owning and operating a vehicle," said John Nielsen, AAA Director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. "This year, changes in maintenance, fuel and insurance costs resulted in the increase to just over 60 cents a mile. Before you make any vehicle purchase, it is important to determine ownership and operational costs and compare them to your current and future financial situation."
The study also showed that maintenance costs are up. According to the data, in 2013 it cost 4.97 cents more per mile for the average sedan owner when compared to 2012.
While maintaining the resale value of vehicle is crucial to keeping more money in your pocket, car owners should look into Husky Liners® vehicle floor mats to protect their car's interior.
As a separate study, CarMD's 2013 Vehicle Health Index, showed that the cost of repairing cars increased 10 percent from 1996 to 2012 model vehicles to an average of $367.84 per repair, the need for preventative maintenance and floor mats is evident.
The 2013 Ram 1500 is the Official Truck of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, highlighting the impact the automaker has on the upcoming races.
The 139th Kentucky Derby will be held on May 4, and the event will be chalk full of Ram Truck paraphernalia, including vehicle displays, work trucks in and around the track, gate crew staff uniforms, posters as well as backside and trackside signage throughout the grounds.
The automaker say its slogan " Guts. Glory. Ram." is a good example of the tenacity and stamina seen over the years at the Kentucky Derby. This is the fourth year Ram has been an exclusive partner of the event.
The 1500 features a number of first-in-segment technologies including eight-speed automatic transmission, stop-start system, thermal management system, pulse-width modulation and active aerodynamics, including grille shutters and active air suspension.
"Efficient, dependable and powerful trucks are a must-have tool for Kentucky Derby owners, trainers, track crew members and racing fans alike," said Reid Bigland, president and CEO – Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "With best-in-class fuel economy and towing capability, Ram trucks are designed and engineered to meet customer needs throughout this world-class sport."
Ram also announced that it has launched a series of televisions, print and digital advertising to promote the automaker's sponsorship of the event.
2013 Ram 1500 named Truck of the Year
Earlier this year the 2013 Ram 1500 was named the Truck of the year by various sources including Ward's, Motor Trend and AOL Autos. Those with a new 1500 should look into equipping it even further with Husky Liners® mud guards.
Most recently the 1500 was named the North American Truck/Utility of the Year by 49 automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada at the North American International Auto Show.
"For the Ram Truck Brand, this ranks as one of the proudest days in our history," said Fred Diaz, president and CEO – Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico, Chrysler Group LLC. "Every truck-maker aspires to win the North American Truck/Utility of the Year. I tip my hat to the folks who worked behind the scenes to make the 2013 Ram 1500 a technological triumph. In no other truck will you find Ram's incredible combination of best-in-class fuel efficiency – 25 miles per gallon - Pentastar and HEMI engines matched to TorqueFlite 8-speed transmissions, air suspension."
The 2013 Ram 1500 is available in nine trim levels and pricing starts at $23,585.