Mercedes has been in the SUV business since 1997 and now 12 years later they are introducing the GLK350, the 5th Mercedes SUV/Crossover.  This all new SUV is a slightly tuned down version of the GL SUV and priced respectably at $35,000.  I'm surprised any Mercedes vehicle, let alone a large SUV, can drop below $40k, so color me impressed.

Green drivers will be pleased to hear that the large SUV is capable of 21 miles per gallon on the highway.  That figure becomes even more impressive when you consider that the GLK350 is pushing close to 270 horsepower.  It goes to show that Mercedes has a long running commitment to efficiency and engineering to produce that kind of power in an SUV out of 3.5 small liters and 6 cylinders.

My concern is that bringing an albeit well priced Mercedes SUV this late to the market may not be a smart move.  It's happening all over the US, families are trading in a Mercedes in the drive way for a paid off house.  We'll see how sales place the GLK350 in the SUV market and whether or not Mercedes plans on trimming back some of it's oversized line ups.

Mercedes GLK350

Ferrari is in the process of developing an all new supercar, the Ferrari 599xx.  Like any other Ferrari it oozes sex appeal, smells like wet panties, and makes every man in the room's pants a little bit tighter.  Yes, mine included.

The Ferrari 599xx is being developed within Ferrari's own customer ranks, meaning with a small buy-in you could be testing this street demon.  According to industry analysts, for a few million dollars you could be playing with prototypes of the 599xx and contribute to it's development.

The track inspired Ferrari 599xx is lethal at a red line of 9000 rpms and over 700 horsepower courtesy of a v12.  This will be the fastest
Ferrari ever built and as it stands now IS the fastest.  Until final production we will hold judgement...and records.

Anytime you mix fast, mass service with anything mechanical you are sure to have issues.  Walmart Automotive Center is one such example where problems can arise, simply from mechanics being in too big a hurry, or inproperly trained.  It's quick and easy to find a Walmart when all you need is an oil change, but it could end up costing you in the long run.  Let's look at some of the complaints about the Walmart Automotive Center.

Two Gaskets Don't Make A Right

A recent complaint from earlier this month states that the individual took his car to the local Walmart Automotive Center for a basic oil change.  Besides the employees being extremely rude, there was also an issue with the oil change itself.  Reportedly when the old oil filter was removed, the mechanic failed to remove the old gasket.  When the new oil filter was installed it leaked badly, after only a few days the owner reported losing all oil in his drive way.  Obviously running an engine without oil will damage the engine, so the owner went back to the Walmart where the oil change was performed.

The manager of the automotive department agreed to file an insurance claim and get it taken care of.  Positive recovery is great, but unfortunately the insurance company doesn't agree and because the owner of the car didn't take it back to Walmart before fixing the issue, they are denying the claim.  This Walmart Automotive Center complaint is still in process.

Tire Rotation Confrontation

Earlier this year a complaint came in from a customer in West, Florida that purchased a slightly more expensive tire replacement and rotation package.  The package will supposedly cover tire rotations for the life of the tires.  When the customer returned back to Walmart to have her tires rotated, she was denied the free rotation she purchased, because Walmart no longer carries that brand tire.

What Oil Cap

At the end of last year a customer from Springfield, MO alleges that she had her oil changed at her Super Walmart Automotive Center.  After five days she started smell a strong burning smell, so she dropped by a local dealership.  According to reports the oil cap had been left off of the car, which caused oil to spray all over the underside of her hood and over the engine.  This caused a major fire hazard and a somewhat pricely fix, considering the extent of the mess.

When the customer brought the issue up with management at the Walmart Automotive Center there seemed to be hope.  However, after an initial inspection of her car(at the dealership) by a Walmart employee and further investigation, they claim they have video proof that a cap was put on the car when she left.  She was not allowed to see the video and this accusation is still under litigation.

Thoughts

I understand that no one is perfect and just going by the numbers Walmart should have more issues than other mechanics.  Consider the sheer amount of people that come through the Walmart automotive center, Murphy dictates that at least a small percentage will have faults.  But don't think just because the automotive center wears that all too familiar Walmart title that you will be protected from any issues and that every job will be perfect.  You get what you pay for.

Predictions

Every car manufacturers goal is to release a vehicle with zero recalls, but unfortunatley bugs make it through the system.  No doubt the upcoming release of the new Camaro will expose some problems, which will lead to a recall.  I decided to look back at the Camaro, to see if I can guess what kind of recall we might expect for the buyers of the all new hyped Camaro.

The very last year the Camaro was manufacturered it only had 3 recalls.  There were two exterior lighting problem and a structure frame issue.  The frame member recall with the Camaro was fixed by placing a few extra rivets into the frame, supposedly to conform to a specific safey requirement.  The exterior lighting recall on the 02 Camaro was simply an issue with not containing Amber reflectors, which failed to meet code of certain states.

The final hoo-ra for the Camaro was a good one, in terms of insignificant recalls.  Although safety is always important, the recall on the Camaro was not as serious as tire issues, combustible problems, which seem to plague other manufacturers.  And the exterior lighting problem has been an ongoing problem for the Camaro since 1997.  You'd think these guys would learn by now.

So, I predict that the first recall for the 2010 Camaro will be for an exterior lighting issue.  I'd also like to add that I suspect there will be more than 3 recalls on the newest release of the Camaro, considering it's 'all new'.  The last time we saw the Camaro it had already been through the gauntlet, so most bugs were worked out.  The end of this year, when the 2010's start showing up on our roads, will be a whole new ball game.

Discuss 2010 Camaro Recalls and Your Predictions

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It's just like the brain slugs from Futurama, something has attached itself to the heads of our youth and sucked the smarts out.  It's forced normally sound inviduals to place ungodly looking stupid spoilers on their vehicles, content with the looks, and convinced others find it appealing.  After all, most spoilers are only for show and on these vehicles they look more like a tumor.

I'm sure once age sets in and wisdom shows these folks the error of their ways they will understand why everyone was laughing at them.  These car spoilers are just out of hand and go to show you just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

It happened to me, I got a chip in my windshield a  few days ago, thanks to some sloppy driving by dump trucks carrying a load of rocks.  The rock jumped up and placed a chip in my auto glass smaller than the size of a quarter, but right in my line of sight.  It's frustrating and even more blood boiling knowing I'm responsible for getting it fixed since I was unable to get information from the culprit dump truck.

After doing some checking around I found that a chipped windshield can be easily fixed and in some cases can even be done with a home kit available from Wal-Mart.  I read some reviews and decided that fixing the chip in my windshield myself was not the best idea, again considering the chips location.  Therefore, I turned my research to my insurance providers website, Progressive.

According to them, like most other auto insurers, you can get a chipped windshield repaired for free.  That means no deductible, no out of pocket expense, only time to take your car to the autotive shop.  As long as the repair is done by a reputable and accredited company, Progressive will pay for the entire cost of repair.  Also, typically they will only cover the cost, no deductible, if the crack or chip is less than the size of a dollar.

Great news!  I plan on getting my windshield repaired by a reputable glass repair shop.  And for others looking to get annoying chips and cracked glass fixed, most insurance companies will cover the repair for free without out of pocket expense for a deductible.

Used Car Loan

Buying a used car is a little bit more difficult if you've got bad credit, compared to those with options as a buyer with good credit.  The restrictions on buying a used car with a loan can vary from bank to bank, so hopefully these tips will help those with good credit score the best percentage rate.  In my experience, the bigger the bank, the higher the percentage rate on your used car loan, so let's look at some options.

Factors when getting a loan for a used car include the age of the vehicle, Blue Book value, and obviously your credit score.  Generally speaking, the older the vehicle the higher the interest rate will be on your loan.  At one point most banks won't even loan you money for a used car, generally the cut off is 6 years old.  So, getting a used car loan for a model year 2003 vehicle will difficult, depending on the bank you use.  Also, your interest rate will be higher on the 2003 vehicle than the 2008 used vehicle.

When you get a loan for a used car, the vehicle you purchase is used as colateral to secure the funds.  So, once you license your new vehicle the title is sent to the lien holder, the bank.  Once you pay the vehicle off, the title is then sent to you.  To protect it's loan a bank will make sure the vehicle is worth at least as much as the loan they give.  Therefore a bank will use Kelly Blue Book to decide a market value for the used car, sometimes you can get a loan for 100% of the used car value.  As mentioned previously, the older the vehicle the less the bank will be willing to loan you for the car.

At the beginning of this article I mentioned that in my experience the highest interest rates were at the largest banks.  Three weeks ago I purchased a 2004 F150 and I needed a small loan (under $5000) to complete the transaction.  Interest rates were all over the board on a 48 month term, the highest being from 5/3, a bank I've been using for years.  Their current interest rate on a vehicle older than 3 years was 9%, which is outrageous, especially for me, a person with a FICO score over 820.

After talking with the loan officer I found out a few of my options.  I am a member of a local credit union, which was much smaller than 5/3 Bank, but their interest rates matched their size.  They were both small, to the tune of only 6% for 48 months!  By doing a little searching around and going with a smaller bank I was able to secure a loan for a used car with a much lower interest rate, saving me hundreds of dollars.

It's not always this easy, especially if you have less than perfect credit.  Furthermore, different areas of the country have different interest rates for small loans, depending on what the market can bare.  Considering the state of the economy, finding a good interest rate for small loans can be difficult, but whatever you do, make sure you search around before committing and signing on the dotted line.

Henry Ford, the creator of Ford Motor Company and creator of the assembly line is known for more than just great manufacturing achievements.  Ford is also known for his philosophy and inspiring quotes that keep people moving forward even today.  Considering how much of an impact this man has had on the US and world, I think it's important to look back at what he had to say.

Below are a few quotes from Henry Ford that I use to keep me motivated, even in a down economy.

"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do"

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."

"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business."

"Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement."

It's motivational quotes like this that launched Ford Motor Company and allowed Henry Ford to become a successful business man.  Today, it's important to remember his contributions to the automotive industry, no matter the situation the domestic manufacturers find themselves in today.

Audi has released information on the upcoming update to their fresh faced Q7 SUV.  The Audi Q7 will be going under the scalp for 2010 and undergo some tweaks in the optional diesel power plant.  The newly designed Q7 will offer crazy luxury, high end technology, performance, and efficiency being demanded by the big spenders.

The Audi Q7 seems to answer the question,  'What can I buy that's BIG, shows I'm important, but maintain a green appeal as not to piss off my customer base?'

The 350 horsepower V8 will reportedly get just over 18 miles per gallon.  Not too shabby considering all the options you can cram into the large Q7.  Think interior bicycle mount, electric luggage cover, pivoting trailer hitch, and all sorts of combinations of roof carriers.  If James Bond ever aged, had a high maintenance wife, and 3 kids that had to get to soccer practice, the 2010 Audi Q7 is what he would drive.

2010 Audi Q7

It's thrilling and sad at the same time, but accidents are magnetic, and I can't help but look at them, especially if a car is on fire.  Here are the top 8 best cars on fire shots that I've found online.

In every case, I hope that the driver and passengers made it out safely.  And for the vehicles themselves, holy hell, what a hell of a way to go.  I hope you enjoy these cars on fire just as much as I have.