Car Art

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Most manufacturers hiring to strike gold with the new car-SUV hybrid and she could not see herself driving a minivan. So Dr. Melissa Sundermann ended up with a type of vehicle that most automakers are banking on for sales growth: a crossover. Built on car underpinnings but having many attributes of SUVs, crossover utility vehicles have seen explosive growth since Toyota Motor Corp. started the category with the RAV4 back in 1995. In 1996, the RAV4's first full year on sale, Toyota told 56,709 of the small crossovers when it had the market to itself, according to data collected by Ward's Automotive Group. But sales rose quickly as other automakers saw the growth potential, topping 2.4 million last year with more than 50 models for sale.

CARS WERE TOO SMALL, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES TOO INEFFICIENT

Now, with the 2008 car model year approaching, automakers are hoping to capture thousands of people like Sundermann who wants more space for kids and their junk, and the array of models and sales are almost certain to grow.

Last year, crossovers outsold truck-based SUVs for the first time, said George Pipas, Ford Motor Co.'s top sales analyst. "Next year, most likely, the category will climb over the 3 million mark, barring a sharp decline in total volume," Pipas said.

Sundermann, a physician and mother of two in Ann Arbor, Mich., Felt that her old vehicle, a Volvo station wagon, did not have enough room. "In driving the kids around and doing car pooling, I just could not fit enough kids in my car safely," she said.

Sundermann, 37, started looking at large SUVs such as the Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Tahoe, but wanted something smaller with better gas mileage. She also needed three rows of seats and enough space in the back for groceries and other items.

When her husband suggested looking at the Saturn Outlook, a new crossover vehicle, she thought it was odd because her image of the company was of one that made economy cars.

"With all the options, the price was right. We were impressed that the gas mileage was fairly decent for a bigger car," she said. "I can fit all my kids and their friends and all my stuff and still feel like I'm driving a luxury car."

The crossovers, which range in size from smaller four-passenger vehicles to ones seating up to eight, are key products for the Detroit Three as they try to regain market share lost mainly to Japanese competitors. Last month, Detroit's share of the market dropped below 50 percent for the first time in history.

Ford, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC lost a collective $ 15 billion last year as they were caught unprepared when high gasoline prices sent consumers away from trucks and sport utility vehicles to cars and crossovers.

A two-wheel-drive 2008 Ford Expedition large SUV, for instance, gets an estimated 12 miles per gallon in the city and 18 on the highway. Ford's Taurus X crossover, built on a Volvo car platform with three rows of seats, gets 16 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway.

Because they're built on car platforms, crossovers are more maneuverable and have smoother rides than the truck-based SUVs, said Lonnie Miller, director of industry analysis for RL Polk & Co.

"It provides kind of like the best of both worlds. It's a nice alternative to a minivan and as large in many cases as a gas-guzzling SUV," he said. As crossovers have grown, minivan sales have dropped, off about 22 percent from the first seven months of last year and down 12 percent in 2006 compared with 2005. Ford and GM, seeing little growth potential, got out of the business. But Chrysler, the minivan inventor and leader, sees growth and is coming out with a new version of its people hauler featuring a seat that swivels so passengers can sit on either side of a table.

For Suermann, though, a minivan did not feel right. "It would just define me," she said. "I lead a sporty, adventuresome lifestyle." I'm a mother and physician. But I was not ready to drive a minivan, "said Sundermann, who competes in triathlons.

"Some people do not want to be seen as kind of that traditional suburban mom driving a minivan," said Sarah Woolson, general sales manager at Saturn of Ann Arbor, the dealership that sold Sundermann her black in Outlook in April.

Crossover sales are up about 15 percent so far this year. At Ford, where crossover sales have risen 44 percent over last year due largely to the Edge, Pipas believes they will continue to pull in buyers from the minivan, SUV and other segments of the market.

Pipas predicted that in two more years, there will be 70 to 80 different crossover models from which buyers can choose.

"This whole category has a long way to go," he said

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When you are trying to repair your credit, it may be best to try to fix it yourself. If you suffer from bad credit you will find that numerous firms will contact you claiming to be able to assist you in rebuilding your credit for a fee and once you hire them they will take care of everything. However, the truth of the matter is that fixing your credit on your own may be the best thing you could possibly do.

Fixing your own credit can be a difficult process but many who opt to fix their own credit do not find it that difficult to do. More and more people are beginning to repair their own credit. If you want to go this route you need to first contact one or all of the three major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Ask them to send you a free credit report. The FACT act was passed in 2001 by Congress and the act lets every consumer obtain one free copy of their credit report annually.

Once you have obtained a copy of your credit report, you will need to take some time to check all the information for accuracy. You will most likely find some mistakes. These discrepancies may be due to the fact that an old account that you had been paid off but it is still being reflected on you current statement.

Once you have made a list of all of the errors on your credit report, mark them on the credit report or on a sheet of paper. Send a copy of the report to the agency you obtained your credit report from. You may want to contact them by telephone as well. When they receive your complaint they will ask for proof that what is on the report is indeed an error. This is why it is best to send a copy of your credit report to be on the safe side. When they check the error they will not say saying that they have fixed the mistake or that they do not have enough proof to take the mistake off of your credit report. If you want to successfully improve your credit you need to be stringent when it comes to making sure that all the information on the credit report is correct and reflected on your statement.

A big part of beginning any type of credit repair plan, whether you are repairing your credit yourself or using a debt-loan counselor, is making a long-term plan to keep control of your finances so that you will not make the same mistakes you made with your credit in the past. Credit repair counselors are there to assist you but what is the use of paying their fee if you later find out the firm is not reputable?

Repairing your credit is very time consuming and it will require that you take it very seriously. Over a period of time, you will see the positive and favorable results. You will soon know that these results came about through your own motivation and your own efforts. There is absolutely no better feeling.

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Infiniti has already secured an over the top reputation with the production of high quality, reliable wheelers that refuse to sacrifice performance excellence at any level for routine practicality. More than the steaming styles, the company is highly acclaimed for its durability, great heed paid to the level of comfort and definitely the turbocharged performance vehicles. The manufacturers at Nissan, has given this brand everything that a luxury car must car. For all such reasons, Infiniti is now one of the most desirable cars. But we cannot neglect the fact that not everyone can afford to buy an Infiniti and the solution for such people is Infiniti used

When you decide to buy an Infiniti used car, you must follow certain points that are essential for a satisfying deal. The first step is to find a reliable dealer, who is efficient in his task of providing best used cars. Numerous dealers earn business through the dealing of used cars, so finding a dealer is only a major task but not a problem. Choose the dealer who has seen years of experience in this field, so that he can offer you what exactly you want. Do not forget the fact that a luxury car is something you do not buy again and again. So make a deal that has no scope for any compromise. Except the fresh smell of a new car, you can probably demand for everything in an Infiniti used car. Always try for cars that are few months old. This ensures you a good performance and warranty facilities that you can use. However, the price of the car is fixed only after estimating its condition and status. Focus on all the features of the car with your dealer and check out the efficiency of the car by taking a test drive.

Nissan is the most trusted and one of the oldest names in the automobile industry. This Japanese manufacturer boasts of their amazing capability in the ostentatious range of Infiniti cars. Infiniti follows a different philosophy when it comes to take you on a ride. They do not only focus on the color, mechanism, space and look but pay equal heed to safety, environment and high technology. Infiniti works with the concept of providing a premium ride with perfect ambiance and safety to its buyers. The cars are made strive years of good service, so buying an Infiniti used is by no means a deal of loss. In addition, Infiniti claims to deliver unswerving value through its never ending range of new innovative designs and services.

You may not know about the mechanical details of a car. Therefore, ask your dealer to check for all connections, proper parts of the car you are going to buy and many other specific details that are important to give a good performance including air filter, seats and etc. Do not forget to note the mileage and pick up ability of the car. Even the Infiniti used car has the capability to provide you with years of comfort and luxury.

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