New Corvette - The Amazing Sixth Generation Continues

The Existing Corvette is a 2-door, 2-goer sports car, or convertible sports car, close by in 10 trims, ranging from the Coupe LT1 to the Z06 LZ3.�The immediate base engine for the 2008 Corvette is the LS3 V8.�The company says that the prevalent Corvette is riding at anchor in the extreme drivable in day-to-day commutes thanks to Leading-Intensity Discharge lighting, fog lamps, leather seating, dual-zone air conditioning, cabin air filtration and head-upturn display (HUD) with track mode and g-meter (all standard).�In flare to the Corvette Coupe and Z06, the 2008 Corvette is besides disengaged as a convertible.�2008 Chevrolet Corvette with empty formality that rivals $200,000 exotics, the up-to-the-minute Corvette is -- at wedded-fourth to guy-third the cost -- the buy of a lifetime for distinguished sports car enthusiasts.

2008 Corvette:

When a premium-philharmonic car boasts so much capacity, it is governing that the handling match its capabilities, and that�s what the yet again Corvette does clobber.�There are too a host of exterior and interior refinements that grow the Chevy Corvette happiness status and enhance the feeling of craftsmanship.�The changes involve all from an all-new-fashioned, larger and then nervous V-8 engine to refinements in driving characteristics that solidify the Corvettes position as the duly constituted American sports car and further the argument that it is identical of the world�s outstrip.�

The current Chevrolet Corvette has to be the maximum troubling car to have narrow the gap off the General Motors production lines in the company�s rota and the 2008 example is all set to make a commanding entrance at the 9th Middle East International Motor Show.�The LS3 with the six-speed paddle-shift automatic is the fastest automatic-equipped prevalent Corvette ever, with 0-60 mph capability of 4 seconds.�As a sprout from, the standard Corvette is true super car, equal to of 190 mph.�

And back again for 08 is the 505-horsepower Corvette Z06, an American super car that has won over enthusiasts, journalists and racers around the world for its retain of racetrack-bred step, daily-driving civility and value.�Options on the present-time Corvette Z06 are the same as that of the coupe and convertible minus the roof option.�The Z06 version is aerosol the fastest and a outrance valid production Corvette ever, thanks to its 7 liter 505 horsepower engine.

Corvette Engine:

A trendy 6 liter engine with intake valves that commodity lightweight hollow stems, which enable the engines 6,600-rpm capability.�To change the engines large valves and enable additional direct intake port flow, the intake-side rocker arms are offset 6 mm between the valve tip and the push rod.�If connect gets the engine with a handling exhaust altogether the boundlessness increases to 436 horsepower.�A considerable selection of 430- and 505-horsepower V8 engines which are well-suited of mind-blowing speed allows it to compete with yet valuable exotics. Versatile handling dynamics afford daily driving comfort an redoubtable 22.

Corvette Coupe:

Wheels on the current Corvette Coupe and Convertible models relate to with a immanent split-spoke wheel design for 2008.�The coupe and convertible models of the yet again Corvette are powered by a 6 liter 430 horsepower engine.�Optional on the 2008 coupe and convertible models is a navigation system, a transparent roof, a memory driver�s seat, and a Bose music system with seven speakers.�The six-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission on Coupe and Convertible is enriched with contemporary appliances and a trendy controller calibration that deliver quicker shifts.

Corvette Z06:

To further set it apart from the standard newfangled Corvette, the Z06 uses all-novel wheels, tires, brakes, as well as its plead guilty rear spring and roll stabilizer and the six-speed transmission that the engine is mated to has a limited slip differential.�Some options that customers will declare versatile on the Z06 include polished, gray or chrome wheels, a telescoping steering wheel, heated seats, side-impact air bags, a navigation system with GPS and universal deeply remote.�The Z06 has a wider tire semifluid, and composite vaporish body.�The Z06 is powered by a 7 liter 505 horsepower engine.

Corvette Price:

The untapped Corvette for 2008 impresses with its exotic, yet lavishness-priced sports car execution abilities.�The cabin is appointed with leather-led expendable that, along by with the untouched Corvettes observation, belies the affordable price tag. .�The 2008, with a base price of $45,170, is arguably man of the establishment fruition-per-dollars.

Tips for buying used car

When it comes time to make any major purchase, most buyers are interested in one core concept: getting the most for their money. This is especially true in the used vehicle market, where there is no set price for a particular vehicle. And when you add up the costs of vehicle ownership—mainly price, insurance, and depreciation—it becomes clear that there is no better value than buying used. On top of that, the selection is virtually endless, and all the extra options that you may not be able to splurge for on a new car suddenly become affordable. Cars are also now built to last longer than ever, and problems that were common two decades ago now occur with much less frequency.

But while used cars represent the peak of value, they can also represent the peak of risk. Everyone has heard stories of car buyers getting saddled with lemons, and having no recourse. Familiarizing yourself with all these potential risks is the best way to avoid them, and this is easier than you think. Your story can end happily if you stay informed from the start, and know what to expect every step of the way.

What's Right for You?

Only you can ultimately decide the type of vehicle you'd like to pursue, but you have all the help you'll need right at your fingertips. The internet is the most valuable tool for vehicle research, and it can help you get a very specific idea about what you're looking for, even down to the particular vehicle, well before you decide to start contacting vehicle sellers and taking test drives.

If your options are completely open, it's a good idea to start by determining your preferred vehicle body style. It should be in line with your personal taste, of course, but also consider what you'll need from your vehicle. How many passengers will you regularly need to accommodate? What about cargo room and towing capacity? Gas mileage and safety features? Examine your lifestyle, anticipate whether or not it will be changing in the near future, and be specific—the used vehicle spectrum is wide enough to have something for everybody. Once you have a body style in mind, you can use it to tailor your searches right here on AutoTrader.com, as well as read extensive model information and even compare models side-by-side. Consumer and expert reviews are also widely available for most models, and can factor heavily into your search.

Once you've chosen one or two models to focus on, you can further narrow your options by setting a strict budget and examining the mileage of a used vehicle. A vehicle's mileage only tells a small portion of the whole story of how it has been treated and whether routine maintenance has been performed—however, it will factor into the price of the vehicle quite a bit. A popular rule of thumb is to look for vehicles with not much more than 12,000 miles per year since they were built.

Find out as much as you can about a vehicle before you go see it. The wide selection of used vehicles on the market means you don't need to waste your time with a vehicle that doesn't meet your standards. In particular, finding out the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a must. The VIN is included in many online car listings; otherwise, getting it from the seller should be no hassle. It's all the information you need to receive comprehensive Vehicle History Reports from CARFAX. A one-time fee will allow you to get CARFAX Reports on an unlimited number of cars, as well as model-specific Safety and Reliability Reports. A Vehicle History Report tells you if a vehicle has ever been totaled, flooded or stolen, if its odometer has been tampered with, and plenty of other useful facts that must check out for you to proceed with a purchase.

Caution is also necessary when using the internet to shop. Further protect yourself by reading our Fraud Awareness Tips.

Money Matters

By now you should have a short list of vehicles to examine in person, but before you go, you should have a financial plan in place. This doesn't just mean setting a strict budget for the price of the car, but also considering other costs of ownership, such as insurance rates. Also, most used cars either have very little warranty left or none at all. Examine your extended warranty options and see if one would be right for you.

With LendingTree.com, you can choose the best loan for you within minutes from up to 4 lenders. Plus tips and advice on securing the best loan.

There is also, of course, the issue of price. It's important to keep in mind that value is in the eye of the beholder, and purchase price will be determined by how much the buyer or seller is willing to budge—but more on that later. At the start, a good indicator of a vehicle's worth is easy to find by searching for it on NADAGuides.com.

By now you have the makings of an ideal used vehicle shopping packet, which you can take with you for quick reference when you go out to shop. It should include:

* Any applicable CARFAX Vehicle History Reports
* Your credit report, if you're planning to finance through a dealership
* Several price quotes
* Car loan pre-approval information
* Insurance quotes
* Extended warranty quotes
* Pricing information for your current car, if you're considering a trade-in
* A notebook, to record everything you learn during the inspection and test drive

Time to Drive

Now, all that's left before you go is placing a phone call to set up a test drive. While you're on the phone, verify the information you've already learned from the Vehicle History Report. Ask if they have service records to back up their upkeep of the vehicle, and try to get a general feel for them and why they're selling the car. If sellers seem to waver in their answers, you'll know to tread carefully and be vigilant for other red flags.

During your first inspection of the vehicle, be sure to examine every part of the interior and exterior and look for any flaws that could potentially affect your decision, or lower your asking price. It's often helpful to bring along a mechanically inclined friend to point out things you might have missed. If you're able, also examine the area where the car is normally parked; a stained driveway or parking lot may be a warning sign that the car has a potentially problematic fluid leak.

A car's VIN will also come in handy during your initial inspection. It's commonly displayed on the driver's side of the dash (viewable through the windshield), and it may also be located the front of the engine block, or in various other places depending on the particular model. Find out all the places where the VIN should be located and see if they match up—mismatched VINs are a telltale sign of major body work.

When you get behind the wheel, there are a number of things you can do to make the most out of your test drive. Here are some questions you should be asking yourself while test driving a used vehicle:

* Does the vehicle have enough head and leg room for everybody who will regularly ride in it?
* Does it have the acceleration you're looking for?
* Does it slow smoothly when you brake?
* How does it feel on bumpy roads?
* Are the interior controls and displays easily accessible and readable?

Listen carefully for any abnormal noises that may suggest problems. If you hear anything, or even if you don't, another important piece of advice still applies: your safest bet is always to get any vehicle checked out by a certified third-party mechanic.

Name Your Price

When you've decided on the car you want, it's time to get down to the numbers. The car's value on NADAGuides.com should be considered, but that number should always be matched up against what you discover during your inspections and test drives. Often times, your initial offer will have nothing to do with the seller's asking price, but you will have plenty of concrete information and research to back up your offer. Don't be afraid to make a low offer, and if you have to move up, do so in small increments. If you have a price ceiling set, don't budge from it. However, you also should be willing to make sacrifices for quality. The car with the lowest sticker price can often end up costing you much more in the long run, not to mention the headaches of having to make time for numerous trips to the service shop.

If at any point you don't have a good feeling about your negotiation, don't be afraid to walk out the door; hopefully you won't have to. Everybody negotiates in their own way, and bringing along your ample internet research is a huge first step to getting a great deal. Knowledge is power!

Close the Deal

Before you sign anything, make sure to get everything you've been promised in writing—especially anything that relates to a money-back guarantee or any other kind of warranty. Even then, only sign an "As Is" paper if you know you're getting a pristine vehicle, because that document overrides anything else you've been promised. By this point, you should know just as much about the vehicle as the seller does, but you should still leave nothing to chance. And after all the paperwork is in order, you can drive away smiling, knowing that you've maximized your value.

2009 Toyota Corolla Road Test Review

The ninth generation of Toyota Corolla was not so much old, though it definitely had outstayed its welcome, as it had become boring. If fact, say that bo-ring, with the emphasis on the first syllable, as in Beauregard. Not grammatically correct, perhaps, but more exciting to talk about than the Corolla was to drive.

Not that economy cars have any right to be exciting or even entertaining, but there’s no reason why frugal wheels must be Exhibit A in a mattress commercial. And that’s what the Corolla had become: a rolling snooze. Need any more proof? Scion is Toyota’s confession that its smaller offerings had induced enthusiasm comas among the young.

Of course, the team working on the tenth generation Toyota Corolla could have yielded the field to Scion, but that also would have left Corolla’s market share open to poaching by competitors and left themselves contemplating unemployment.

So instead of another generation of generic econoboxes, Toyota pulls the wrap from a 2009 Corolla that’s surprisingly striking for an economy sedan from the company whose logo is the man wearing a sombrero.

Indeed, the 2009 Corolla is no box, econo or otherwise. While not as daring as the Honda Civic, the Toyota has a few styling flourishes of its own including a chic drooping snout behind a wide grille. A neat feature is how the Toyota logo suspended from the leading edge of the hood is matched by an indent in the lower edge of the grille surround, certainly a result of some designer’s aha! moment.

Toyota breaks with boring design with organic crests growing atop the hood, leading not to the shoulder line but to the A-pillar. The clear-covered headlamp array contours back to the front fender and down along the side of the vehicle. Toyota kicked the base of the A-pillar forward for a “faster” windshield and gave the backlight a flatter angle as well. The shape of the trunk continues the shoulder line with a step along the rear flanks, similar to Volvo but with clear red taillamps that project from the body.

The 2009 Corolla has five trim levels: standard, LE and XLE, and the sporty accented S and the high performance—relatively speaking—XRS. The latter two have “ground effects” trim along the rocker panels and under the rear bumper, plus “sideburn” (our term) spoilers on both front corners.

The interior matches the exterior. Plain it’s not but it doesn’t have the sci-fi dash like the Civic. Instead, the instrument panel is topped by a double curved cowling matching the large, legible speedometer and tachometer. The steering wheel has tilt/telescoping as standard equipment on all trim levels, as are XM satellite radio ready audio, air conditioning, front seat side and side curtain airbags, intermittent wipers and 60/40 split folding rear seats. The price leader “standard” model has hand crank windows; to get central locking means moving up to the LE trim level. At the other end of the Corolla sedan spectrum, the XLE includes variable intermittent wipers, center console, wood grain trim and fancy “optitron” gauges, also used on the XRS. The latter is Toyota simply putting your money where your eyes are.

The S and XRS have front sport seats, cruise control and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. The XRS improves sport driving with 17-inch alloy wheels with P215/45R17 tires, rear disc brakes to replace drums, and a strut tower brace to stiffen the chassis for better handling. The XRS also has stability control standard, otherwise optional on all trim packages.

The exterior dimensions of the 2009 Toyota Corolla increased by less than a half inch in length and just short of 2.5 inches wide while decreasing about 1 inch in overall height while maintaining the same interior space. The greater width yields increased shoulder room and Toyota says there’s more room for an over-six footer to sit in comfort…which we can’t confirm because we aren’t over six foot, but folks, can half an inch more legroom make that much difference?

Toyota also says it gave special attention to wind noise around the A-pillar, plus a five-layer acoustic glass windshield, with two layers of glass sandwiching a layer of acoustic material. Side window vibration was also reduced and the carpeting was modified for better sound insulation.

A choice of two new engines comes with three different transmissions. An all-new 1.8-liter 16-valve four doesn’t skimp on technology with variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust sides. The result is an impressive-for-its-size 132 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard with a four-speed automatic optional. The automatic has hill sensing technology which, based on throttle position, vehicle speed and acceleration, determines whether the car is going up or downhill and selects gear ratios accordingly, including shifting down on downhills for moderate engine braking.

The other engine is Toyota’s 2.4-liter four, though completely redesigned for use in the Corolla. It’s rated at 158 horses, but it’s the gain in torque that makes the bigger engine worthwhile. At 162 lb-ft, the extra grunt improves acceleration and around-town drivability. It too comes with a 5-speed manual as standard equipment but the optional automatic is a five rather than four-speed.

We had the opportunity to drive two Corollas, one with the 1.8-liter and four-speed automatic, and the other with the 2.4-liter and the manual shift five-speed in an XRS. They were about as far apart on the Corolla spectrum as possible, as was the performance. Simply put, although the 1.8-liter was smooth and quiet, at full throttle it had a raspy exhaust note. Performance was more an accumulation of velocity rather than acceleration.

The automatic shifted smoothly but it gave the impression of soaking up torque like California absorbs rain…when it finally does, rain in California, that is. On the highway it feels like the transmission, although in drive, was left in an intermediate ratio. It sounds like the engine wants to be shifted up, except there’s nothing more up to shift up to.

Corolla drivers will find the handling comfortable and familiar. A soft ride compromises ultimate cornering but the Toyota is confident up to its limit, with plenty of warning before it’s reached. We do recommend the stability control, however, to keep things on the up and up...literally.

Performance of the XRS was pleasantly perky, and casual driving took a lot less throttle to accelerate away from traffic lights without feeling like a traffic cone with wheels. The five-speed manual was reasonably crisp and didn’t suffer from synchronizer lockup when revved to its redline. Not, of course, that the forces are that great to begin with. Still, it scoots entertainingly and with more security than lesser Corollas, thanks primarily to the lower profile tires with less sidewall squirm. What the XRS lacks is a true sport suspension with firmer springs and shocks and well-sorted anti-roll bars.

The Corolla XRS, to that extent, is sort of an odd bird. It is, according to a Toyota spokesman, not a car one seeks out for its own characteristics. Rather it’s something that someone who has already decided on a Corolla will spec up to as better than an ordinary Corolla. Perhaps. Still, Toyota expects about five percent of Corolla sales to be the XRS.

Whatever trim level, we see the tenth-generation Toyota Corolla as a significant improvement over its predecessors (though not so much in quality because there was less room for gains there). The 2009 Corolla rescues the model from the mundane just when its competitors are spicing up their mainstream econocoaches. Bo-ring? Not now. Not if you don’t want it to be.