In the press release below you can see that middle aged WOMEN driving Mercedes Benz SL-Class were the biggest violators… by over 400%!

Also, interestingly enough, you don’t see BMW on the list anywhere. Which is odd, because I almost always see a BMW driver going way over the limit when I’m out and about… does this mean they just never get caught?

Also, the fact that all of the top three “Spirited” driven vehicles were mostly driven by women. I guess the movies were wrong when I learned that mostly men are the speeders on the roads.

The stats on the slowest drivers are pretty obvious. Buick SUVs and minivans round out the bottom 10 with safety ratings going through the roof. After all it only makes sense that the drivers who buy super safe vehicles would drive the same way.

What can we learn from this study?

Well, mainly it would seem that the drivers with “Baby on board” in their back window actually do drive more cautiously… and that annoying driver in that annoyingly bright yellow hummer is probably going to be paying through the nose with higher insurance, higher gas bills, and of course a regular ticket to pay off every 6 months.

What do you think about this study? Let us know in the comments below.

Auto Insurance Analysis: Does What We Drive Affect How We Drive?

In its second annual study of vehicle types, their driver profiles, and the frequency of traffic violations, auto insurance analytics firm Quality Planning debunks conventional wisdom that high-performance cars attract the most tickets.

SAN FRANCISCO, October 12, 2010: Quality Planning (QPC), a Verisk Analytics company that validates policyholder information for auto insurers, has released updated findings from its original study, published in 2009, that explored the relationship between the cars people drive and how people drive them. Newly expanded to include available statistics, the study examines various vehicle makes and models and quantifies the propensity of each to be ticketed by law enforcement based on the number of moving violations per 100,000 miles driven.

Quality Planning found that the origins of vehicles in the “Spirited Vehicles” category were predominantly those of foreign manufacturers but not necessarily of German or Italian heritage. Drivers of the Mercedes- Benz SL-Class roadster topped the list, with four times the number of violations compared with the average.

But, not surprisingly, the car Toyota designed expressly for Gen ‘Y’ers, the Scion, had not one but two entries in the top ten. The big Hummers and the Pontiac Grand Prix rounded out this category. Consistent with the findings of last year’s study, SUVs and hatchbacks showed lower violations on average than traditional two- and four-door vehicles.

Table 1: “Spirited Vehicles” (vehicles with highest percentage of violations)

Make Model, Body Style, Violations*, Average Age, % Male
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, Convertible, 404%, 53, 41%
Toyota Camry-Solara, Coupe, 349%, 50, 39%
Scion TC, Coupe, 343%, 30, 39%,
Hummer H2/H3, SUV, 292%, 46, 73%
Scion XB, Hatchback, 270%, 37, 40%
Mercedes-Benz CLS-63 AMG, Sedan, 264%, 46, 58%
Acura Integra, Coupe, 185%, 33, 60%
Pontiac Grand Prix, Sedan, 182%, 40, 41%
Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG, Sedan, 179%, 47, 44%
Volkswagen GTI, Hatchback, 178%, 40, 44%

Violations/100,000 miles driven, expressed as percentage of average.

For a complete list, see below.

Looking at the gender breakdown, 73 percent of Hummers tended to be driven by men, generally between 30 and 60 years old. Also of interest, only the Mercedes CLS sedan and the Acura Integra coupe were more likely to be driven by men than women. Conversely, Camry-Solara drivers were 61 percent female, with only 26 percent younger than 30.

Those vehicles that Quality Planning classified as “Cautious Vehicles” offered an interesting contrast. With respect to body type, eight of the top ten were either an SUV or minivan. This suggests that carrying passengers, and possibly younger passengers in car seats, makes a noticeable difference in how one drives.

Interestingly, 60 percent of SUV drivers in this category were women, whereas for minivans, 51 percent of these drivers were women. In two instances – the Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan and the Buick LaCrosse SUV – the drivers were split 50/50 across gender but differed dramatically in age, with Buick showing 81 percent of ticketed drivers over 60 years old compared with just 8 percent of Silhouette drivers.

Table 2: “Cautious Vehicles” (vehicles with lowest percentage of violations)
Make Model, Body Style, Violations*, Average Age, % Male
Buick Rainier, SUV, 23%, 61, 71%
Mazda Tribute, SUV, 26%, 36, 29%
Chevrolet C/K- 3500/2500, Pickup, 26%, 40, 86%
Kia Spectra, Sedan, 27%, 40, 44%
Buick Lacrosse, SUV, 32%, 65, 50%
Saturn Aura Hybrid, Sedan, 37%, 59, 14%
Oldsmobile Silhouette, Minivan, 37%, 41, 50%
Chevrolet Uplander, Minivan, 38%, 40, 54%
Hyundai Tucson, SUV, 38%, 47, 40%
Pontiac Vibe, SUV, 39%, 41, 32%

*Violations/100,000 miles driven, expressed as percentage of average.

For a complete list, see below.

“These findings and the corresponding trends they reveal are very interesting,” said Bob U’Ren, senior vice president of Quality Planning. “Besides the sociological aspect of ‘who drives what,’ the manner in which private passenger cars and trucks are driven has a meaningful bearing on how much individuals and families pay for auto insurance.”

Study Methodology

Traffic code violations data for a one-year period from February 2009 through February 2010 were used for the study. Vehicles that were discontinued for more than ten years were not included in the analysis.

Violations were then standardized based on the number of violations per 100,000 miles driven for each model. That standardization accounts for the differences in average annual miles driven by different models. Then, each vehicle model’s violation count per 100,000 miles was compared with the average across all the models to identify the 25 models with the highest and lowest violations.

The jeep brand was established in 2002 and has ever since dominated the mid-sized SUV world. There have been improvements along the way, which has brought us to the new 2011 Jeep Liberty.

Scope
The 2011 Jeep Liberty is a 176.9 inch long and 72.4 inches wide vehicle with a 106.1 inch wheel base. It has a curb weight of 3985 lbs with the gross weight reaching 5600 lbs. The luggage capacity is 31.5 cu. Ft. and a maximum cargo capacity of 64 cu. ft. The maximum seating comfortable seating capacity is five.

Performance
Beneath the hood of the 2011 Jeep Liberty is a V6, 3.7 liter engine with 6 cylinders and a 210 Horsepower. The engine has a maximum rpm of 5200 and a 235 ft-lbs torque. The maximum payload that the jeep can handle without strain is 1150 lbs and a towing max capacity of 3500 lbs.

Fuel consumption
The 2011 Liberty has a fuel tank that holds 19.5 gallons. The fuel consumption approximation is: 16 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway and an average of 18 mpg for the city and the highway combined. The Jeep liberty is petrol driven machine though there was a short-lived diesel version. With a full tank you can drive the Jeep for 312 miles in the city, 429 miles on the highway and 351 miles for the combination on average.

Features
Mechanical features that make the 2011 Jeep Liberty outstanding include; a 3.7 displacement V6 single overhead cam engine. The gas engine has 12 valves that manage to give it a 210 horsepower at 5200 rpm. The Jeep also has a fuel cut-off when decelerating to economize on the fuel.

The sport utility is a 4 x 2 rear wheel drive with a brake hill holder. It is fitted with a tachometer, a clock and a low fuel indicator to complete its instrumentation.
The 2011 Jeep Liberty sports 16 x 7.0 alloy wheels fitted with all season tires. It has  a temporary spare tire, a steel spare wheel and an underbody mounted full size spare tire. The windscreen is fitted with intermittent wipers and the rear window with a defogger and a wiper.

Safety and comfort
Safety features that stand out in the 2011 Jeep Liberty are the ABS brake system with electronic brake force distribution, emergency braking assist, traction and stability control, fitted head air bags in the front and rear, occupant-sensing passenger airbags, front and rear seatbelts, tire pressure monitors, engine immobilizer, dusk sensing head lamp, 2 rear and front headrests passenger’s and driver’s whiplash protection, child seat anchors and safety door lock.

To travel comfortably the Jeep Liberty can hold 4 passengers and the driver. The front seats are made in a bucket design to enhance comfort. Rear seats have a folding and reclining ability. It is easy to operate doors band windows as they are powered with the windows being heated. The 2011 Jeep has cruise control on a power tilt-adjustable steering wheel. The accessory power was retained as from the 2010 version. There are cup holders at the front and door pockets. The Jeep is air conditioned with interior air filtration. There are both rear and front reading lights.  Another feature is duel illuminating vanity mirrors.

For people interested in music, the 2011 Jeep Liberty has got you covered as it has a CD Mp3 player with a total of six speakers. The Jeep comes with a 12 months subscription to satellite radio and an auxiliary MP3 output. The vehicle also has an AM/FM radio, a 6.5-inch touch screen, a 30 GB hard drive and a Garmin navigation system.

General car Info
The 2011 Jeep Liberty retains the SUV look but with better features. The new version has more cargo and storage space and improved seats for comfort. It comes with a sliding sunroof that allows an open air experience while driving. There are features fitted in the

new Jeep that makes it better than other Jeep versions like the remote start and memory seats. The 2011 Jeep Liberty lives up to its tough exterior look by being able to cruise rough terrain which is a trait not found in its SUV competitors. Steep approach and departure angles and exceptional suspension makes it easy for the Jeep to travel off-road. This is simply an all road sport utility vehicle.

Even with the improvements the Jeep may not be able to compete well with other SUVs because of its performance and fuel consumption. Apart from this the advantages and the
features of the new 2011 Jeep Liberty beats the down side by far.

The jeep is a good off-road vehicle for urban people with the desires of driving off the pavement. The safety of the Jeep has been proven through many test drives to come up with the current features that will ensure the safety of the drivers and their passengers.

The 2011 Jeep Liberty is available in either a six-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission. You can also choose to get the 4 x 2 sport trim or the 4 x 4 limited versions. When ordering for your 2011 Jeep Liberty you can specify the color you want or choose from the available four new exterior colors. The exterior can show some improvements as the curves are more defined and the body more aerodynamic. With more dashboard functions and added controls on the steering wheel, it is so comfortable and easy to manage a 2011 Jeep Liberty.

Prices
There is a difference in prices of the 2011 Jeep liberty depending on the trim you want to purchase. All the models have a 3.7 liter V6 engine with 210 horsepower. The prices range from $23, 250 for the Sport utility to $28,250 for the limited edition sport utility, the other one which is the Renegade comes in between for $27,250. You can be able to get Jeep accessories at a price.

Generally the 2011 Jeep Liberty’s prices did not change but the features were definitely upgraded. Whichever trim you choose to drive, just remember that Jeep is a machine that allows you to cruise in the city, on highways and in rugged terrain if you must.

Final thoughts from the editor

I love this little truck. For the price it’s one of the best ways to get off road out there. The fuel economy sucks, and it’s not going to win any speed records, but when it comes to the trails you get Jeep’s legendary track record and reputation for quality.

Had an experience with a Jeep Liberty? Thinking of buying a 2011 Jeep Liberty? Let us know in the comments below.

Approximately 250,000 people attended the event so I guess it will go down as a success. We probably would have checked it out had we been on the East coast at the time. It looks like fun, though a little forced, and you can check out more in the video below.

What do you think about the way that Honda Launched the new CR-Z in New York? Let us know in the comments below.

And staying always true to form, the British car maker is building a long nosed, sleek and downright amazing looking car.

It’s called the LIFEcar 2, it’s diesel-electric powered and will take you where you want to go in style (as long as you stay within 1000 miles).

It’ll be no slouch either. Although by no means will it keep up with it’s gas powered sports car friends, it will get you to 100 km/h in a nice tidy 7 seconds.

Here’s a gallery of this sultry beast:

Here are the specs from the press release:

LIFECar2 – The Next Generation of LIFECar
Following on from the rapturous response that LIFECar received, Morgan Motor Company has decided to take LIFECar from a prototype, to a fully fledged production vehicle. There have been some changes to the original brief, making the car more practical, while retaining the revolutionary features that made LIFECar unique.

In the place of the original hydrogen fuel cell is a super-efficient, series hybrid drivetrain, developed using some of the country’s best universities, making use of the wealth of knowledge in their research departments. The drivetrain will power a vehicle that epitomises Morgan core value of innovation. The use of sustainable lightweight materials will ensure that not only is the vehicle fuel efficient with a low carbon output, but that at the end of its very long life, it will be easily recyclable.

Some key figures for the LIFECar are:
* 1000 mile range
* Ultra lightweight (sub 800kg)
* 15 mile EV range
* 0-60mph in 7 seconds
* ~£40,000 Price
Universities involved with LIFECar2 are:
* Birmingham City University
* Oxford University
* Cranfield University