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By Pete Ridgard

An excellent all rounder when it comes to driving, the Jaguar XJ Series has been designed to accommodate a more lightweight, yet stronger frame which gives a sense of ease and a greater natural feeling whilst driving. It’s attractively designed exterior and smooth handling attempts to appeal to younger buyers as Jaguar tries to move away from the image of large, expensive cars.

With an aluminium body that makes it lightweight and more natural to handle, the XJ Series drives excellently in all conditions, slow as well as fast. Its small engine packs a powerful punch, able to reach from 0-60 miles per hour in less than seven seconds. It is economic too depending on which size engine is chosen, with a mpg of 15 in built up areas and 25mpg on motorways.

However the XJ Series is an expensive car to purchase initially, even when buying second hand. Older models with more mileage are pretty expensive at approximately £15,000 – £20,000, but newer cars with less mileage can be from at least £20,000 to £30,000. Though it is an excellent performer with low fuel costs, the initial price is what deters people.

But the XJ Series has several extra gadgets that bring the value of the model right up, including the amount of space available within the car. Rear passengers have more room than before although the boot space is slightly sacrificed to do this. The boot space is still sufficient enough for luggage or shopping bags and there is a central compartment convenient for hand luggage which is easily accessible. The front seats can be adjusted for passenger comfort and all passengers are guaranteed more comfort in longer journeys.

In the age of modern technology, nothing can be missed. All models come with a standard stereo unit with a radio, CD and cassette player installed, with volume controls on the steering wheel. Optional extras include a TV tuner and DVD player with headrest monitors and a SATNAV system, which keeps tempers down and allows everyone to relax more whilst driving, especially on long and tedious journeys.

Safety and Security features include a comprehensive immobiliser system including an interior motion sensor. Twin front and side along airbags with brake assist and traction control increase safety in the XJ Series.

This would not be ideal for a new driver as the initial price for even a used XJ Series is too high for a new driver including the costs of insurance and fuel costs. The XJ Series is difficult to park due to blind spots and may also be too powerful for novice drivers to take out when buying their first car.

The Used Jaguar XJ Series would be more fitting for a family as it has ample space in all passenger seats with several safety features that ensures the children’s safety. However it might not be entirely suitable as it is an expensive car to buy and insure, and the leather upholstery might not last long underneath muddy booties and sticky fingers.

Pete J Ridgard is a writer and a car enthusiast. He currently writes for the automotive industry. Here he discusses Used Jaguar cars.

By Robert James Duvall

Toyota Motor Corporation just announced Wednesday Nov 25th, 2009 that it will replace the accelerator pedal in over 4 million vehicles that are affected by a recall, since these pedals get stuck in the mats and cause uncontrollable acceleration in the vehicles. The uncontrolled engine acceleration has already lead to several deaths over the past two years.

The measures being taken by Toyota, which will take effect in January 2010, is replacing the pedals with shorter pedals. However this is only a temporary measure until Toyota engineers figure out an adequate new pedal design to ultimately eliminate the problem.

The models affect the 2007-2010 Toyota Camry, the 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, the 2004-2009 Prius, the 2005-2010 Toyota Tacoma, the 2007-2010 Tundra, the 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and the 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and 350.

Irv Miller, who is Toyota’s official spokesman, stated publicly that the ITHSB has found that the pedal entrapment is a major issue, but they are pleased that Toyota has done an excellent job in quickly figuring out a solution. He also elaborated that the issue is not anything to do with the engine’s ECU, a computer which controls engine functions. Although additional accelerator controls may be installed on certain model vehicles to help control unwanted acceleration from these vehicles.

The recall only applies to United States vehicles, and not Japanese domestic market. This is one of the biggest recalls in history and Toyota is doing it’s part, and spending millions, correcting this dangerous problem. If you are a driver of one of these vehicles, keep yourself and your family safe by talking to your local dealership, and find out what needs to be done to ensure your safety.

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Akio Toyoda is nursing a huge headache. The chairman of Toyota Motors Corporation, the world’s largest automaker, is discovering that a problem attributed to faulty all weather floor mats may go much deeper than that, quite possibly pointing to an electrical malfunction that some are blaming for contributing to deadly accidents.

Faulty Mats?

More than one thousand Toyota and Lexus owners have reported sudden, spontaneous acceleration of their vehicles, causing numerous accidents and leading to as many as 19 deaths. The Los Angeles Times, ABC News, SayEducate.com and other sources have been investigating the problem which was initially attributed to driver side floor mats that got pushed up underneath the accelerator making it difficult, even impossible, for drivers to slow down.

At the heart of the investigation was news in August 2009 of a horrific, fiery crash involving a California Highway Patrol officer and his family. That family was driving a loaner Lexus ES350 while their own car was being serviced, a sedan which suddenly lurched forward and sped out of control. Reaching highway speeds in excess of 100 mph, the family soon hit another car, flipped over and crashed down an embankment before bursting into flames. All four people in the car were killed with Toyota insisting that floor mats were to blame.

Unfortunately for Toyota, not many people were buying its explanation. Certainly not others who had also experienced similar problems, but lived to tell about it.

Big Recall

In September 2009, Toyota announced that the automaker would recall some 3.8 million affected Toyota and Lexus vehicles equipped with thick, all weather floor mats. The company’s temporary fix was to install plastic ties to hold the mats in place, following that decision up by instructing dealers to install metal clips to hold mats secure.

The Los Angeles Times has learned that as many as nineteen people have died in accidents involving runaway Toyota and Lexus models, compared to eleven people from all other makes combined. That has led to some people calling for the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHTSA), which oversees recalls, to investigate.

NHTSA Responds

In November 2009, the NHTSA issued a press release to address “inaccurate and misleading information put out by Toyota concerning a safety recall involving 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles.” That release came just days after Toyota indicated that the government’s investigation was over, ineffectively attempting to short-circuit the NHTSA investigation.

For the federal government’s part, the NHTSA countered by saying, “A press release put out by Toyota earlier this week about their recall of 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles inaccurately stated NHTSA had reached a conclusion “that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver’s floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured.” NHTSA has told Toyota and consumers that removing the recalled floor mats is the most immediate way to address the safety risk and avoid the possibility of the accelerator becoming stuck. But it is simply an interim measure. This remedy does not correct the underlying defect in the vehicles involving the potential for entrapment of the accelerator by floor mats, which is related to accelerator and floor pan design. Safety is the number one priority for NHTSA and this is why officials are working with Toyota to find the right way to fix this very dangerous problem. This matter is not closed until Toyota has effectively addressed the defect by providing a suitable vehicle based solution.”

Toyota Defect

As of this writing, the NHTSA says that their officials are meeting with Toyota to hear their action plan for redesigning the vehicles and correcting what they recognize to be a very serious defect. Stay tuned…with consumer groups, blogs, major media and Toyota and Lexus owners getting involved, Mr. Toyoda may end up with much more on his mind than a huge headache.

Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in North Carolina. Matt is a contributing writer for Andy’s Auto Sport an aftermarket supplier of quality parts including Ford Mustang wheels and Honda rims.

By Karin Boode

Car leases and car loans are simply two different methods of automobile financing. A car lease finances the use of a vehicle; a car loan finances the purchase of a vehicle. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks.

With a car loan, you pay for the entire cost of a vehicle, regardless of how many miles you drive it. You typically make a down payment, pay sales taxes in cash or roll them into your car loan, and pay an interest rate determined by your loan company. You make your first payment a month after you sign your contract.

With a car lease, you pay for only a portion of the vehicle’s cost, which is the part that you “use up” during the time you’re driving it. You have the option of not making a down payment, you pay sales tax only on your monthly payments (in most states), and pay a money factor that is similar to the interest rate on a loan. With car leases, you may also pay extra fees and possibly a security deposit that you don’t pay when you buy. You make your first payment at the time you sign your contract.

Buy vs. lease example

As an example, if you lease a car that costs $25,000, that will have an estimated value of $15,000 after 24 months, you pay for the $10,000 difference (this is called depreciation), plus finance charges, plus fees. When you buy, you pay the entire $25,000, plus finance charges, plus fees. This is fundamentally why a car lease has significantly lower monthly payments than a car loan.

Car lease payments are made up of two parts: a depreciation charge and a finance charge. The depreciation part of each monthly payment compensates the leasing company for the portion of the vehicle’s value that is lost during your lease. The finance part is interest on the money the lease company has tied up in the car while you’re driving it. In effect, you are borrowing the money that the lease company used to buy the car from the dealer. You repay part of that money in monthly payments, and repay the remainder when you either buy or return the vehicle at the end of the car lease.

Car loan payments also have two parts: a principal charge and a finance charge, similar to lease payments. The principal pays off the vehicle purchase price, while the finance charge is loan interest.
However, since all vehicles depreciate in value by the same amount regardless of whether they are leased or purchased, part of the principal charge of each car loan payment can be considered as a depreciation charge, just like with a car lease — its money you never get back, even if you sell the vehicle in the future.
The remainder of each car loan principal payment goes toward equity. It’s what remains of your car’s original value at the end of the car loan after depreciation has taken its toll. Equity is resale value. It’s what you get back if you sell the vehicle. The longer you own and drive a vehicle, the less equity you have.

Car lease versus car loan? Let’s simplify the answers and summarize them here:

1. The short-term monthly cost of a car lease is always significantly less than the cost of buying.
For the same car, same price, same term, and same down payment, monthly lease payments will always be 30%-60% lower than loan payments. This is still true even when compared to 0% or low-interest loans.

2. The medium-term cost of a car lease is about the same as the cost of buying, assuming the buyer sells/trades their vehicle at the end of the car loan.
The overall cost of a car lease compared to a car loan, over the same lease/loan term, is approximately the same, more or less, assuming the buyer sells the vehicle at the end of the car loan. Comparisons sometimes show a car loan to cost a little less than a car lease due to fewer fees, lower finance costs, and the assumption that a purchased vehicle will return full market value if it is sold or traded at the end of the car loan (often a bad assumption, especially if traded). However, when the benefits of wisely investing monthly lease savings are considered, the net cost of leasing can easily be less than buying.

3. The long-term cost of a car lease is always more than the cost of a car loan, assuming the buyer keeps the vehicle.
If a buyer keeps his vehicle after the car loan has been paid off and drives it for many more years, the cost is spread over a longer term. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that the cost of buying one car and driving it for ten years is less expensive than leasing or buying five different cars over the same period. Therefore, short-term leasing is always more expensive than long-term buying. If long-term financial benefits were the most important objective in acquiring a new car, it would always be best to buy the car and drive it for as long as it survives — or until the cost of maintenance and repairs begins to exceed the cost of replacing it. However, many automotive consumers have other objectives that reduce the importance of long-term cost savings.

Karin Boode is the founder of the Loan Info Center, who strives to provide valuable information regarding any type of loan via the http://www.loan-infocenter.com website. She has a special website, dedicated to auto loans, http://auto.loan-infocenter.com.