Gas Buddy

Nobody likes overpaying for gas, but sometimes you just need to get to a pump pronto. Gas Buddy can help. This app for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices displays gas stations in your vicinity along with the gas prices offered by each station. The Gas Buddy app serves as the mobile version of the full-featured Gas Buddy website. A community of contributing users provides the information, which may mean you’ll get more accurate price data in bustling urban areas than you will in less-traveled rural locations.

FuelLog

FuelLog does more than simply monitor fuel consumption. This Android app does that, certainly, but it also gives you tons of information on your particular model’s fuel economy, maintenance and other operational costs, fuel volumes used and more. It presents this information in a clear, logical graphic interface. It even works for electric cars by displaying electricity usage per hour, and it can also track costs for multiple vehicles.

Car Locator

The free Car Locator app for Android devices can help you figure out whether you’ve simply forgot where you parked, or you’ve fallen prey to auto theft (which occurs every 44 seconds in this country, according to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association). It gives you the option of a radar-like proximity visualization or a wallpaper displaying the distance to your vehicle, complete with a helpful arrow to point the way. Bear in mind, though, that you have to save your location to the app before leaving your car. You can also send the location data to someone else’s phone or email.

Trapster

If you frequently drive along unfamiliar stretches of road, you can easily get slapped with a speeding ticket in the most unlikely places. Trapster, a free app available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices, levels the playing field by alerting you when you are near a known enforcement camera, road hazard or speed trap. CNN describes it as a “cell phone social network” powered by crowdsourced reports from thousands of users who want to warn their fellow motorists when they need to slow down.

State Farm Pocket Agent

If you have auto insurance with State Farm, check out the State Farm Pocket Agent iPhone app. This software allows you to access your policy instantly, search for a State Farm agent near you, take accident witnesses’ contact information, create graphic reconstructions of an accident scene and other valuable tricks for dealing with a collision or other mishap. To learn more, visit the State Farm website.

greenMeter

Everyone wants to drive more efficiently. This app lets you know how much your driving habits are costing you and the environment. The greenMeter app gives real-time readouts from your style of driving, so you can see what you need to change to optimize your fuel economy. It will break down your energy usage and display your cost in dollars, oil consumption and CO₂ output.

AccuFuel

Speaking of fuel economy, keep track of what you are spending on gas with AccuFuel. You can use this app to record fuel consumption and cost on multiple vehicles. It will compile the data in a graph and give you instant feedback. This app also includes a resettable odometer.

Speedometer Speed Box

Ever wonder just how accurate your speedometer is? The Speedometer Speed Box for iPhone and iPod works as a compass, average-speed calculator and an altimeter. It gives a digital read out of your speed and average it out. You can compare with the accuracy of your car’s speedometer. This app will give you up to three hours of data and comes with customizable display options.

Waze

Everyone knows Google Maps, but Waze takes it a step further. This app gives you GPS directions enhanced by user-generated information such as speed traps, traffic, hazards and re-routing advice. It’s a navigational tool with community-based information. Thousands of drivers work together to make everyone’s commute a little easier.

Spotify

Last but not least, you need a reliable music source when you’re on the road. With a premium subscription, the Spotify app provides users with playlists and music suggestions based on their preferences. You can download your customized playlists to listen to in the car without worrying about cell coverage or waiting for a list to load. You can also follow friends and other users with similar music tastes and listen to their playlists.

The Yaris has been hailed in the past for its economical qualities and has won several awards. The Yaris has the Lowest Fuel Costs in its class according to IntelliChoice and is praised for being handy and versatile. The nippy little car has just been re-launched and the reviews for the new model seem promising. The Yaris has a roomy and versatile interior, the fuel economy is good and the five-star crash-test rating makes it a good choice for families.

Similar cars in the same class include the Kia Picanto. Similar to the Yaris, the Kia Picanto is a small car praised for its fuel economy. The city car is praised for having a quiet and characterful engine. The car has also just been re-launched and small car makers seem to be cashing in on the current market. First launched in 2004 the South Korean car has won several awards including awards for the design of the car.

The modern day car market is definitely on the move, with more small economical cars coming out all the time. The 21^st century consumer is more aware of fuel consumption and is more likely to ask either the car manufacturer or the seller of the car about fuel consumption.

The economical cars of today are designed to be swift, small and stylish. The lightweight nature of the car allows for the fuel efficiency and manoeuvrability. So when looking to save money when buying a car, make sure that you ask about fuel efficiency. Not only are the small cars cheaper, they are also less expensive in the long run, so in the end they will save you money. Join the nation and keep a look out for the small zippy cars that will save you money.

You couldn’t possibly stay home the whole of winter and not go to work although in the coldest of days, you just want to spend your time lazing about in bed. For these times that you must and have to go out, you can winterize your car to ensure that you’re on the road safe, you ensure that you’re keeping your car in a good condition and you keep yourself away from expensive repair costs.

Regardless of the type of vehicle you drive, you’ll have a few tips to use when you’re driving in cold winter days. You can find these tips and recommendations on your vehicles manual. Keep this manual in your car and if you have time, read thoroughly on it. Take note of things like fuel consumption, maintenance and how to keep your car in tune even in the coldest of temperature. The more you know about winter car maintenance, the better you and your family will be when you’re riding out in winter.

Here are some tips for ensuring your car is in perfect running order in winter:

1. When you go out for routine maintenance, put a little extra effort for your battery and charging system in the winter season. Make sure they’re working efficiently. You see in the wintertime, the cranking power your battery gives out is greatly reduced. You’re going to have problems with starting your car if you don’t check on this in routine maintenance in winter. Make sure you bring a portable power pack or quality jumper cables in the trunk of your car when you’re driving in the cold.
2. Other parts to check into are your heater and your defrosters. Make sure they’re in good operating condition. Also, check your wiper blades.If they’re brittle or worn, replace them. If they’re smeary, replace them. It will be hard for you to see if your wipers don’t work well.
3. Winter driving will be easier for you if you check your filters, hoses and coolant. Filters for gas, air and oil have to be in good condition and your coolant level as well as your hermostat has to be fully functional so you can guarantee proper engine warmup. After every two years, your coolant has to be changed. Don’t forget your coolant tank pressure cap or your radiator cap. Hoses with leaks on it or feel soft need to be replaced.
4. One of the important things to remember before driving out in winter is lubrication. Use something like a multiviscosity oil like Mobil 1 0W30 or the 5W30. This will help you with engine startup. When temperature goes below zero, you need to have lubrication like fully synthetic oils to protect your engine. A tip to note is that when you use low viscosity oil, you have more speed with startup and you also reduce wear and tear on your car engine parts when the oil flows quickly in startup.
5. With regard to the condition of your tires, tread and pressure matter when you’re driving in cold weather. Check your tires for wear. Just like in normal temperatures, your tire air pressure has to be exact, anything over or under the recommended pressure is undesirable. You’ll be wearing your tire out more and using up more fuel if your tires are low in pressure. Overinflation and you reduce traction for your tires which can be very dangerous for you when you’re driving on icy roads. Tread matters so if you live in a place where there’s heavy snowfall, think about getting snow tires.
6. Vehicle warmup is another way to ensure the upkeep of your car in winter. When you start your car, run it idly for a few seconds. This will ensure that lubrication has already gone through the engine and this provides you with protection. Again, it’s only for a few seconds. If you keep your car running idly for a long time, you’re will be wasting fuel and it will do nothing for your car. After a few idle moments, drive extra slowly.
7. This next tip for winter car maintenance relates to number six. You have to drive slowly. Keep yourself within bounds of speed limits and if possible drive a notch or two slower than that. Drive a distance away from other cars. Pace yourself while your drive so you don’t need to make sudden stops. Remember, you’ll have mostly icy or wet road conditions to deal with and your car will have the tendency to slip before stopping entirely.
8. If you live in a place where snow comes in spades, have a few tools with you when you drive like de-icers, window ice scrapers, and a small shovel. Keep these tools in your trunk. You’ll use the de-icers for your locks just in case and if you have to dig out of snow, you can do it with ease using your shovel. It’s also good for your car if you keep a bag of sand in the trunk. This will provide you with traction if you have a rear wheel drive vehicle. Sprinkle the sand on the snow or ice if you need traction. Pack a blanket along in your car. That’s just in case you get stuck in a snow storm.
9. Drive in the snow fully equipped and this means, your rear window defroster has to be in good working order. Keep your window washer reservoir full. In your attempt to see clearly in inclement weather, these two thing will guarantee that. Don’t forget to check your fuel levels before you set out. You don’t want to get stranded in heavy snowfall.
10. Lastly, clean your car out of ice and snow and we mean your whole car.

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.

Ford offers three types of Mustang to choose from; you can go with the standard or base V-6, the GT V-8 or the spectacular Shelby GT supercharged V-8. You should not waste your money trying to acquire the older 2010 version as the 2011 renders it inferior and you should definitely not have much expectation in the 2012 version as they will not have major differences. The engineers working on this new version have really brought out the muscle car aspect of the Mustang and incorporated advanced technology to make one awesome super car.

The Ford engineers have souped-up the engine and increased the horsepower to a staggering 305 in just the V6 model. The engine block is now made of aluminum thus lighter than the normal cast blocks. The smooth touches on its exterior are more defined than ever but it still retains the signature grille, emblem and the side stripe. The 2011 Mustang is user-friendly because even though there is an increase in horsepower, speed in general and the installation of a 6 speed gearbox, fuel consumption is an outstanding 30 miles per gallon.

As far as the shape, that is something that is a looker as well.  The shape of the new Mustang borrows a lot from the design on the Mustang from the 60s and 70s but with a few touches on the tail and the nose not only to make it look modern but also contribute towards the streamlined shape for more speed and road stability.

Changes and Upgrades
Though you cannot spot the major differences between the 2011 version and its predecessors by just looking at it, if you drive the car you will have an experience out of this world. It is only then that you will realize the effort put into this version by dedicated Ford engineers.

Major changes can be noticed beneath the hood as the 3.7-liter 2011 Mustang has 95 hp more than the 2010 version which is a 4.0-litre. This makes the 2011 version more economical but with a more powerful engine.

The newer version has been fitted with twin variable camshaft timing and a genuine dual exhaust which together work to increase the rpm to a staggering 7,000, which is 1000 rpm over the previous version.

Technology has advanced and Ford has not been left behind, a lot of electronic work has been done to improve the ease of driving a Mustang including:

• There is use of computerized operations including a Ford’s MyKey teen-driver-safety installation. With this you can limit the speed and the audio volume of your car. You can also keep the traction-control engaged and activate unbuckled seatbelt reminders.
• The side mirrors are now powered with blind spot reduction using convex inserts.
• The 2011 Mustang now sports halogen headlamps and three-lens tail lamps with sequential indicator illumination.
• The switch to a powered steering has reduced drag considerably and consequently reduced the fuel consumption.
• There is an introduction of a software; “Active Nibble Control” which monitors the condition of wheels and compensates for any road clowning and crosswind.
• You will also have cruise control with power adjustable seats, air conditioning and automatic climate control, power windows and door locks with a remote lock and unlock function, stability control and ABS brakes.
• The 17” standard wheels have been replaced by the 19”alloy wheels with performance tread. The suspension is more reinforced and firmer.
• There is an audio navigation system, an electric sunroof option and a convertible version for convertible lovers, heated seats with airbags designed to protect the head and torso.
• All the options have an MP3 fitted with a 1,000 watt output.
• There is also the use of an infotainment sync system developed by Microsoft for Ford. It has USB and iPod ports and a Bluetooth phone link and music streaming.
• There are 100 fancy shades available for the illumination of the dashboard.

2011 Mustang Performance

The 2011 Ford Mustang has been tested on all aspects regarding performance by subjecting it to extreme conditions.  For a 3.7 liter with a speed of up to 160mph, the 2011 Mustang has got it figured out. The combination of so much power with low fuel consumption of up to 31 miles per gallon will be in the interest of most drivers.

This car also offers world class stability with an aerodynamic shape which gives the car a sport look and allows top speeds. Front and rear anti-roll bars have been made thicker for safety precautions. With the new improvement in the breaking system, you will be sure to avoid those small accidents. With between 7,000 and 8,000 rpm the 2011 Ford Mustang is surely a speed vehicle and with all the improvements and upgrades its performance is better and more fulfilling.

The 2011 Mustang GT

Finally the return of the 5 Litre mustang! This brand new 5.0L powered Mustang will pump out 412 ponies and 390 lb-ft of torque. To get all of the power to the ground you get the option of either a 6 speed automatic or a 6 speed manual transmission. All of that and a estimated fuel economy of 25 miles to the gallon? That sounds pretty kick ass to us.

“This all-new 5.0-liter engine is the next chapter in the development of the world-class Mustang powertrain portfolio,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “It’s a thoroughly modern engine for the times, delivering the performance and fun-to-drive factor that enthusiasts want, while improving fuel economy.”

How much for the super car?

For the quality and features of a 2011 Ford Mustang you will have to part with between $22,000 for a base version and $54,000 for a Shelby GT500 convertible depending on your specifications. You can choose to drive the base Mustang version, The Mustang GT, or the Mustang Shelby depending on your wallet and needs.

This is not expensive for people looking for speed, power, style, comfort and high performance not forgetting the fuel economy attribute of the 2011 Ford Mustang. You should also budget for transport shipping charges when planning to make a purchase.

For every version there is premium trim that comes with an additional $2,500 price tag. These premium trims have added accessories that make them more expensive. For example they will have leather interiors, aluminum accent dashboards and dressed up gauge clusters with automatic color illuminations. For an automatic transmission you can add an extra $995 for a base or GT model. You can also have a navigation kit installed at a price of $2,340.

In simple words, whatever extra accessory or feature you want in your car will demand you to cough up some extra cash. Although this does not mean that the 2011 Mustang in its base version is not a wonder. All in all the 2011 Ford Mustang gives you a ton of bang for the buck, some raw muscle and classic lines, and even some modern comforts.

Final Thoughts from the editor

I owned a ’95 5.0L mustang back in the day and it was one of the most fun cars I’ve had the chance to drive. Sure it didn’t handle well, it over-steered all the time and had too much weight up front… but I loved that car and it peeled rubber with no problems at all. Had an old 5.0 Litre at some point? Let me know in the comments below.