2010 Cadillac CTS

One of the newest cars hitting the vehicle classifieds is the 2010 Cadillac CTS. This vehicle is the newest offering from Cadillac and is considered to be a new leader in the mid size cars. It has a wagon exterior complete with a luxury interior that has been praised in several vehicle reviews. The vehicle is relatively well crafted and certainly easy on the budget as well. Before buying any vehicle there are some things you need to consider otherwise you may be spending too much for a car that doesn’t warrant the price.

When you go through the vehicle classifieds looking for this particular model, you will want to focus on mid size cars or luxury cars. On occasion, there will be specific periodicals that list cars by their brand, and you will want to find the section for Cadillac’s. Keep in mind that browsing these sections can help you to save money if you are looking to purchase a new vehicle. Other areas you can look around are the internet or contacting a dealer directly to see if they are running any promotions at the moment.

Another thing to consider before buying any model is to review the vehicle reviews on it. Something interesting on this is that the fuel economy of this vehicle ranks higher than similar items in its class. On average the rating for most mid size cars only get a 4.7 rating for fuel economy. The CTS actually gets a rating of 6. This would certainly help when it comes to filling the gas tank as many people are aware that gas prices are going up. Knowing a more detailed account of any vehicle is going to help you in the decision making process, so be sure to do all the research needed to avoid buying something that has serious concerns.

Vehicle safety is another area that a person needs to consider whenever they buy a new car. For example the CTS has a high level of safety attached to it. At the moment it is rated at an 8.8 rating which means it is a very safe vehicle. The higher the score on a 10 point scale means the safer the car is if there is an accident involved. Many factors are taken into consideration during this process, and only a few vehicles ever reach the 10 point mark because of the requirements that entails.

But even going past the reviews, you can still learn a lot about a car in the classified sections. Many times there are features or experiences listed along with the car you are looking at. Some people will mention prior performance of the vehicle and additional features they found interested when they first purchased their vehicle. The Cadillac CTS has many upgrades that can be found in models listed, and some of the prior drivers can let you know which ones made sense when they bought one, or which ones were unnecessary. By taking the time and fully exploring everything you can, it gives you a better sense of what you are looking for in a vehicle before you go out and buy it.

Some websites also host vehicle classifieds as well; you can browse these websites and review what other people have said about the vehicle you are looking at. Sometimes the vehicle reviews from actual owners can differ completely from those of the major reviewers because they spend more than just a few minutes driving a vehicle. There might be service issues that weren’t disclosed initially or other problems you want to know before you move forward in making your decision. A vehicle purchase is something that isn’t done often and a lot of thought should be put into it.

Ultimately, if you are looking at the 2010 Cadillac CTS you do need to spend some time looking around for the best deal available. That is going to take place by browsing all the different vehicle classifieds and learning from the various reviews you can find about it. This is a remarkable luxury vehicle you will want to learn about and explore in detail. You’ll find that there is nothing quite like it, and when you get it for the best possible price it will be something you appreciate a little bit more.

Auto Tune Up or Drivers Tune Up

While any responsible driver will have regular tune-ups performed on the car, there aren't too many who feel that their driving skills may be in need of a tune-up as well. We aren't talking about going to your everyday driving school for a safe driving course using one of your own vehicles. We are talking about driving one of what may possibly be on your dream cars list. Learning to fine tune your own skills in a car that you would love to drive every day.

The opportunity to brush up on skills that may potentially save your life probably can't be done on a vacant lot in the neighborhood. By joining one of the clubs that cater to sports car drivers, the best skills you will probably learn are social and not driving skills. If you want the best schools to be at your service to teach you how to handle high performance vehicles, there are some available. The best, according to reviews, is in North America near Atlanta, Georgia. The name of the school is "Porsche Driving Experience". This is not a school to teach you how to drive a racecar, although many of the instructors are in fact racecar drivers. The school is designed to teach the enthusiasts how to safely control their vehicles and perform with safety, awareness and smoothness.

All of the cars used are road ready vehicles. "Porsche 911 Carrera" coupes are the cars used and not racing cars. The skills learned are those that will easily be used and should be used in your regular driving. You do not have to own one of the high performance vehicles to attend the school. Basic requirements are that your age be at least eighteen and you do have some driving experience. One year of driving experience is the criteria set. The school offers a combination of track laps, initial teaching in the classroom and exercises to learn. The school will not only improve your driving skills but will make you a more skillful, confident driver. Classes are either one or two days. The one-day class focuses on skill-building exercises. If you choose the two-day class, you will have longer periods of laps on the road-course.

The proctors/instructors are drivers with whom you will associate the Porsche name. Drivers such as Dave Murray, Doc Bundy, Hurley Haywood and occasional guest drivers. Initially, you will learn how to adjust the seat in your vehicles. Being in the correct position behind the wheel is essential. Adjusting the seat forward or back is first. After extending your legs to be straight under the pedals, move the seat forward until they are slightly bent. Then you will place your wrists on the top of the steering wheel with your arm extended. From this position, your arms will be bent slightly and in the correct position to drive your vehicles.

After getting that part set, you will be guided through a series of classroom studies before you start with your driving practice. The practices include lane change exercises and skid-pad control. It also covers maintaining your speed and smoothness of operation by balanced application on the pedals. You will have your hands in the proper position on the steering wheel. By learning the smooth driving techniques, you will learn the safest and quickest way around the track. This is not as easy as it sounds. It will take practice and consistency.

Downshifting around corners is especially difficult if you aren't used to high performance cars. The vehicles will have a tendency to slip off the line or surge as you shift. By learning the heel/toe exercise, you will learn to simultaneously brake the car and hit the throttle to maintain the proper ratio of wheel speed and engine speed as you make your way around the corner. Learning simple techniques such as sliding your knee sideways and letting the side of the foot on the brake touch the gas pedal is something that most would not consider in their own vehicles.

Proper stopping is also taught at length. It familiarizes the driver with the ABS system and the finer points associated with them. These are some of the lessons you will learn on your first day. Also on your first day, you will have handling dynamics of the challenging course as well as the slolom and skid courses. While not an inexpensive venture, the money is well spent. You will be driving someone else's vehicles on an exciting course with championship drivers of many Porshe racing cars.

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Honda's Liquid Spare Tire Comes In Handy

It always seems that as soon as you are running late for something or that your job is on the line, you get a flat tire. While many people back in the day used to be able to change their own tire in no time at all, not many people do that now. This because we have grown used to calling a service like AAA to come out and change the tire for us. Some people are afraid to attempt to change their own tire because they have a fear that they will do it wrong and then the tire will fall off, causing them to wreck. Then there are those who simply do not always have a spare tire in the car to use. This could be because the car is a super sports car with no room for a spare or maybe because the spare got misplaced or flat.

Either way, you want to make sure that you have a way that you can fix your tire and get back on the road in no time at all. Vehicles do not always get their tires changed by services like AAA in time. If you are late for work, you do not have the time to wait. Depending on the day and how many other people have called into the service, you could actually find yourself sitting there for hours, watching the other cars fly by while you should be in your important business meeting. This is not want you want to have happen to you.

So, what is the solution for vehicles with flat tires? Generally, people will use a liquid tire sealant that has been around for a few years. The thing is though; there have been problems with those. They have become difficult to clean out because the liquid oftentimes becomes gummy or even hardens inside the tire, making the cars tires become unbalanced. This in itself can cause more problems. Because of this and the knowledge that not everyone can or wants to change their own tire, Honda came up with the liquid tire. This is a temporary kit that they have come standard in with an automatic transmission Honda Fit 2009.

The liquid tire kit for cars comes with a sealer container, a compressor with a pressure gauge that is a 12-volt, a hose for extraction, an extraction bottle and an easy to follow guidebook. When the sealant is used properly in cars, the sealant will flow to the sources of the leak and then it will seal it, solving the problem. The liquid will not affect the tire itself or the balance of the tire, unlike some of its older competitors. Even if you are stranded outside with a flat in the middle of winter, the sealant can work on cars tires in minus 30 degrees C. It may even be able to work in temperatures lower than that, but it is not guaranteed to work as well.

The thing to remember is that this repair for tires on vehicles is a temporary fix. You will want to get your vehicles to a repair shop or a tire center. They will then extract the sealant, using the extraction hose and container and then put a more long term fix on the tire.

So why has Honda gone through all of this trouble to provide their customers with a liquid tire instead of a regular, old fashioned spare tire? Simply put, it is more fuel efficient. Honda works hard to make sure that their vehicles are working towards a better planet. A spare tire weighs down a car, making it less fuel efficient. A liquid tire kit for cars weighs much less; therefore, less gasoline will be used.

Even if you are not driving a Honda for the time being, you should look into the liquid tire options instead of waiting around for an emergency road side assistance company or weighing your cars down with spare tires. There are better options out there and it is up to you to make sure that you are exploring all of them.

You might still get flats on your vehicles from time to time, but you never have to find yourself stuck or stranded somewhere because of it.

Vehicles and the Importance of Headlight Aiming

Since the bygone days of when electrically powered headlights replaced the primitive lamps fueled by either acetylene or kerosene on cars and vehicles, motorists have been able to travel much more safely and have far greater control over illuminating the darkened road ahead.

Electric headlights on cars first made their debut in the very late 1800s and then started to become more popular when Cadillac implemented them into their models in the year 1912. A short year later, other GM vehicles began following suit and from the years of 1920 to 1940, all cars manufactured featured replaceable bulbs made for each manufacturer's proprietary headlamp unit. Just after that, a brand new technology would become available that would help drivers make their way throughout the night with the greatest of ease.

Right before 1950, the introduction of round, standardized, sealed-beam units took the automotive industry by storm. Regulations all throughout Europe still allowed motorists there to use headlights with replaceable bulbs as they had in the past, but across the ocean in the United States, it was soon enacted that the round, sealed-beams were the standard. Shortly after that, rectangular sealed-beams made their debut and further improved the ability to better direct and aim headlights.

By the time the mid 1980s rolled around, U.S. made cars were a bit behind their European made counterparts where regulations were now in place allowing aerodynamic headlamps, also with replaceable bulbs for convenience and price concerns, to be used, taking the act of headlight aiming to a whole new level. These aerodynamic headlamps are still widely used today with the only recent improvement being the addition of high intensity discharge (HID) lights available on many makes and models of cars.

HID lights typically have a bluish cast to them, which is caused by two electrodes within the bulb and an arc of light bouncing between them. HID lights do illuminate a dark road better, but the risk of blinding other motorists is great if they aren't aligned and aimed properly. There are even regular bulbs with a blue hue to them to resemble HID headlights but these imitations don't provide the additional light.

In Europe, regulations mandate that high intensity discharge headlamps be used in cars with leveling systems in place to avoid dangerously impeding the view of other drivers. Many high end vehicles sold in the U.S. also come standard with a headlamp leveling system although it's not yet a requirement.

Whatever the type of headlamps used, in countries like Canada, headlight aiming on vehicles is regulated by Transport Canada, although each private manufacturer still holds their own lighting specifications to provide the ultimate in safe illumination. Wattage standards are also in place and high beams are allowed to emit no more than 70 watts while low beams should be no brighter than 60 watts. While there are bulbs with higher watts available, these are not allowed to be used on public roadways and must instead be reserved for off-road use.

Many motorists are unaware that factors such as vehicle load can have an effect on headlight aiming. When too much weight is in the back of the vehicle, the headlights will point more skyward. Some models of SUVs now have an automatic load-leveling suspension system that will take care of the problem for you. Other things like a fender-bender or minor collision can also cause the beam of headlights to be uneven.

To check the aim of your car's headlights yourself, park about twenty five feet, or seven and a half meters, away from a plain wall or garage door on a dark night and see where the aim of light is. For the low beams, the aim should be, of course, slightly lower than the aim of high beams and level with one another. When the headlamps are on the high beam setting, the aim should be bright in the center and evenly leveled.

If the aim is not even, have the lights adjusted and aligned for the best illumination and safest nighttime driving. The key is illuminating the widest part of the road ahead but without blinding any oncoming drivers. Check the car's headlamps yourself once a year or have your mechanic do it when you have the vehicle inspected.

Never forget the great importance of headlight aiming as not only does it allow you to see a portion of the upcoming road far better, but it also allows other oncoming motorists to see you in plenty of time to react if need be.