Category: Automotive

It’s not like I am a nosy neighbor, but we do all look out for each other. We notice if there is something different, or out of the ordinary in our neighborhood.

We know when someone’s relative is visiting (Who owns that Ford Focus?), when there are plumbing problems (What’s with that GMC panel van?), and certainly when someone buys a brand new vehicle.

This is a newsworthy event that is fun and exciting for everyone on our street. Such was the case recently when my neighbor took delivery of their new Saturn Outlook.

Everyone knew it was coming. It had been ordered weeks before, but one day it just magically appeared in their driveway. A large, beautiful Midnight Blue profile suddenly dominated their landscape. Now I am going to be nosy! Just when I got up the nerve to move from tactfully peering through the curtain, to blatantly going out to explore, another neighbor beat me to it. Darn, missed my chance.

GM seems to have gotten it right. The Outlook is Saturn’s new crossover vehicle (along with its sisters, the GMC Acadia and the higher end Buick Enclave), auto manufacturers’ replacement for the frumpy van of yesteryear. A crossover is to be that perfect blend of SUV and van; functional for a family, but cool like an SUV, all with the ride comfort of a car.

The lines and components of the Outlook are striking both inside and out. As a result, sales have taken off and the reviews have been glowing. I knew that I had to dig deeper. I had to check out my neighbor’s new Outlook.

My first close-up was at a state soccer championship game. After a night of torrential rain, the parking lot by the fields was a sea of mud. My little Scion TC had to carefully jump from island to island, dancing around the sea of puddles.

Then the Outlook arrived taking a straight shot to its parking spot, demonstrating its confidence and comfort in any situation. The Outlook stands tall at nearly 6 feet, giving the driver a commanding view of the road, just like an SUV.

The exterior’s lines are stunning with angles and curves just where they should be. The interior is also attractive with a logical dash and comfort throughout, even way back in the traditionally throwaway third seat. Reports are that the access to the third seat is as easy as pulling a single lever on the second-row seat which slides it forward, and up, positioning the seat against the front backrests. GM calls the design Smart Glide.

While I shared my approval with my neighbor, I had to settle with admiring the Outlook from afar. However, a month later my son lucked into a ride. It was on a snowy night, but I knew that my son was safe.

I remembered that the Outlook has, “…dual-stage front airbags, front-seat-mounted side-impact airbags for torso protection and side curtain airbags that provide head protection for all three seat rows.” As envy set in, I could not wait to get home and debrief him about the ride. How about the 270-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6, the six-speed automatic transmission?

He said that he didn’t know, but he did get to ride shotgun and he thought sitting up that high was really cool. I dug for more details.

How did it handle the curves and the potholes?

How firm did it feel at speed??

How did the lumbar support feel in the seats???

He wasn’t sure about any of these probing questions, but he did say that the best thing about the Outlook is that it talked. My son had experienced On Star; GM’s navigation/diagnostic/hands-free calling service.

My neighbor has had the Saturn Outlook for several months now. Snow, kids and muddy parking lots behind it, the Outlook is now broken in. Even so, its profile is still impressive as it sets in their driveway, and it is still “new” to the neighborhood. GM and Saturn did get it right with the Outlook, and so did my neighbor. Maybe someday it will be my turn to ride shotgun.

There are so many great used vehicles on the market today that sometimes choosing the right one for you is a very daunting task.  However, if you are looking for a versatile used vehicle that can seat a family comfortably or is good for a work vehicle, consider purchasing a cheap Hiace Wagon or used Chariot Grandis.

Both of these vehicles are reliable and like most Japanese vehicles they are very fuel-efficient.  If you cannot find used ones in the United States, you can easily have one brought over from Japan using an exporter.

This can save you a great deal of money as well as provide you with a vehicle that is lower in mileage than many you will find in the United States since the Japanese do not run their vehicles the same way Americans do.

The Hiace Wagon was released by Toyota and it has been used as commercial vehicles since its launch.  The first generation of the Hiace was a pickup truck with a cab over the truck and some were released as campervans.

Most of the first and second generation releases are still operating in Africa, where the climate is more conducive to running it.  Hiace Wagons released anywhere else had issues with rusting due to the damp tes they were run in. Toyota is the best car forever and you can choose any kinds of variant this car

The Hiace was redesigned and then for the third generation release.  This third-generation release included a standard pickup style that the company produced until.  When the new style came out in the auto market, it was a Grand Cabin version with both long and standard wheelbases and both four and rear-wheel drive options.  The last Hiace Wagon was released.

A great family vehicle is a used Chariot Grandis which could seat seven people comfortably.  It was equipped with five doors and was released as a multi-purpose compact vehicle.  The Chariot Grandis was based on the SSW concept vehicle and was sold under various names throughout the world, including the American version that was known as the Dodge/Plymouth Colt Vista Wagon.

This will give you a good idea of what the Chariot Grandis looks like.  The entire design was changed when Mitsubishi made it larger and heavier.  The last Chariot Grandis was rolled out but was eventually dropped from Mitsubishi’s product line because of lagging sales throughout the international stage.

It does not matter if you are buying a used Honda or a used Mitsubishi, you need to make sure that the car you buy is reliable and not someone else’s headache.  Most people cannot afford a brand new car, and the only option they are left with is purchasing a used car.

The advantages of a used car include lower property assessment taxes in states where this is applicable, and considerably lower insurance costs.  But, as we mentioned, you could also be investing in someone’s used Mitsubishi or used Honda headache.

So what can you do to lower the chance of buying a clunker?

Shop around for a used car that is a newer model year that could still have part of the original warranty coverage still in effect.  Some of them may still have a considerable amount of time on the power train and transmission warranty, and this could be something that gives you peace of mind.

Also, make sure that the warranty is fully transferable to you.  Just because the warranty is there, it may not do you any good if you cannot use it because you are not the original owner.

See if the car lot you are hoping to buy your used Mitsubishi Canter or used Honda from carries Certified Pre-Owned vehicles.  These are going to be older vehicles with less than 50,000 miles on them that have been inspected by the automaker and certified to be in excellent working condition.

Find Japanese cars to see if there have been any substantial recalls or safety defects on the make, model, and year of the car you are planning to buy.  Have the VIN number of the car handy as you can find out whether or not the problem was repaired or let go by the previous owner, as every recall and safety issue that is addressed is notated with the manufacturer.

Have a mechanic who will be working for your benefit give the vehicle a good inspection to make sure it is in tip-top shape.  Ask to see all of the car’s service records if the dealer has them. If you live in a state where an inspection is required, make sure the car can pass all aspects of it.

Finally, take the VIN number and request an automobile history report through a company like CARFAX to ensure the vehicle has not been in any serious accidents, had the odometer tampered with, was a lemon that was bought back, or was in a flood and shipped elsewhere after the claim was settled.

If you want a great used Japanese car then you should be buying Corolla cars from this Japanese manufacturer.  Corollas are some of the most reliable vehicles on the road today, and if you take care of your Corolla you will have it for a good long time.

Corollas have been known to run for more than 200,000 miles on the same engine when taken well care of.  As a matter of fact, Toyota Corollas that rolled off the production line 20 years ago are still on the road today.

The best way to get a hold of this Japanese car is to contact a Japanese used car exporter.  Corollas over in Japan are not run as hard as they are here in the United States and because of their longevity, it is equally as hard to find a used Corolla at a used car lot.

A Japanese used car exporter will easily be able to get you a newer Toyota Corolla for a fraction of the cost you will pay anywhere else.  The car will also come with many of the options that were added after the market already installed, saving you money in that you will not have to add things like a CD player or air conditioning to the car when you get it.

In 1966 the first used Toyota Corolla rolled off of the production line, and it is one of the longest selling and produced vehicles ever produced by Toyota.  The chassis of the car was used for other products, including its sister version.

The Sprinter, and the Terrell which was originally known as the Corolla Terrell until it was released as its own model.  It has exceeded all of the other car models in Toyota lineup in popularity, and even though the Corollas on the road today look nothing like it did in is still one of the company’s classic models.

Produced in other countries – the United States, the UK, China, Malaysia, and Canada to name a few – other than Japan, the Corolla that is sold in the United States is priced between the Toyota Camry and the Toyota Yaris.

The size, a compact sedan or hatchback, is also between these other two models.  Toyota is gearing up to rerelease the Corolla with some updates to its body and interior for the model last year after taking a short manufacturing hiatus to produce some of their new cars.

Just how popular are Toyota Corollas?  The company did a market study and discovered that one Corolla is sold every forty seconds throughout the world.

Japanese used car has simply become the premier automobiles of the last twenty years.  That is not to say their American made counterparts are lesser vehicles.  On the contrary, many Ford and Chevy products are made with Japanese parts.

Most Japanese vehicles from Japan, however, come with low to High mileage even if they are the latest model.  That is because the Japanese do not drive their vehicles as much as the residents in other countries do.  If you want to export a good, reliable car, then you can easily find a cheap Demio by Mazda to purchase.

Known by a few other names around the world – the Mazda2, the Mazda 121, the Mazda Metro, and the Ford Festival Mini Wagon, developed by Mazda for Ford – the Demio is a small minivan.  It was first released by the automaker and has gone through three generations of design upgrades with the last.

The Demio even won the World Car Design Award thanks to Mazda’s attention to design, functionality, and fuel economy.  Over 890,000 of these vehicles have been purchased since it was launched.

Many of the other variations of the Mazda Demio are no longer being manufactured by Mazda, and this is a great family minivan no matter how you look at it.  The last model year so far has been the last one to be released by Mazda, and as long as there are no necessary design changes to be made it will be manufactured as is with only cosmetic upgrades each model year.

You can find a used and cheap Demio minivan by looking through the many different car exporter sites.  You want to make sure you use one that is reliable, shows detailed pictures of the Demios they have for sale, and includes the shipping and any warranty on the Demio in the price that they quote you.

We recommend Pick They currently have Demios from through on their lot ready for purchase, with a wide variety of options already included in the vehicle and for an additional fee if it is not.

You can find cheap Demios there starting at $1550 remember, this includes the shipping and warranty in the price – and going up to $10,050.  Of course, the higher price here is the last model, and as you can see buying Demio from an exporter is still going to save you money over buying new.