car tech
Wyoming Auto Insurance Basics
Auto insurance coverage is the same in every state. What is different is what each state considers mandatory coverage for its drivers. The levels also vary and while the state sets the levels for the coverage that it requires, you can choose any level of coverage you wish as long as you meet the minimum for your state.
This mandatory coverage is only a part of the automobile insurance that is available to protect you and your family as well as others on the road. Your deductibles and the level of coverage you choose will all have a bearing on the premiums you will pay for your automobile insurance.
Automobile insurance consists of six major areas of liability: Bodily Injury, Property Damage, Personal Injury Protection, Collision, Comprehensive, Uninsured Motorist, and Underinsured Motorist coverage.
It is usually the insurance commissioner of each state who decides what coverage you must have to drive in that state as well as the levels of coverage you must carry. Some states allow you to ensure your financial responsibility through other means other than through automobile insurance and Wyoming is one of them. Instead of purchasing car insurance you can secure a bond with a surety company or deposit money or securities with the state treasurer.
As these levels are usually at the low end, you may want to consider additional coverage as well as higher levels of automobile insurance. The minimum levels that are mandated by each state represent the highest amount of money that your insurance carrier will pay for medical and property damages per accident.
Bodily injury liability will cover medical bills and loss of wages for the person whose car you hit. It does not cover your injuries. That is where Personal Injury coverage comes in. It will cover your medical bills as well as any family members who were in the accident with you. Your Property Damage coverage will pay for the repair or replacement of property that was damaged or destroyed because of an accident where you were at fault.
You must carry collision insurance on your automobile if you financed the vehicle and still owe money on it. The lender will not let you cancel this coverage as it is a protection of their investment. If your lender finds out that you let the collision coverage lapse they will find a carrier for you and will add the price of the extra coverage to your car payment every month. And you can be sure they will not shop around for the best rate.
Comprehensive coverage is there to protect the value of your vehicle and pay for damages that have been caused by anything other than an accident- weather damage such as flooding, if someone were to break into your car, and also if it were stolen.
Some states have no-fault laws in place but in most cases Uninsured Motorist coverage and Underinsured Motorist coverage is not mandatory. In fact in some states you must check and initial that you are rejecting either of those forms of coverage.
The Uninsured Motorist liability will cover you if your vehicle is hit by someone who has no insurance coverage at all while Underinsured coverage will protect you if you were hit by a driver who didn’t have enough coverage to pay for your expenses. It will also cover you if you were subject to a hit and run accident.
If you aren’t sure exactly what you need to properly cover yourself and your family members, talk to an insurance professional and he or she will guide you through it.
Mercedes plots radical new direction for next A-Class
One of the more welcome surprises at this week’s Shanghai show was the radically different direction Mercedes seems to be intent on taking the humble A-Class.
The manufacturer revealed its new Concept A in China – a sculpted, flowing design which is hotly tipped to form the basis of the forthcoming production version.
An A-Class built along such distinctive lines would finally offer Mercedes a genuine competitor to the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series.
While some of the more extravagant show model touches will inevitably disappear, the sporty profile and an all-new platform will distinguish the new A-Class from its more modest predecessor.
The Concept A’s interior is also predictably flamboyant – with dials and air vents inspired by a fighter jet’s afterburner – but the retail model is expected to receive the high-grade switchgear currently seen in the C-Class.
The Shanghai version comes with a 204bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine which will form the core of the engine choices (albeit in lower-powered spec) but Mercedes’ compact saloon will also share its four-cylinder engines with the A-Class.
Expect an AMG version to arrive later with a 300+bhp output to compete with the RS3 and 1-Series M Coupe.
Source:
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee – First Drive Review – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
The rocks and desert surrounding Moab, Utah, have seen a lot of things. Dinosaurs hatching, dying, and turning into tar. Mormons fleeing persecution, flourishing, and inspiring a hit HBO show. And Jeeps. Lots and lots and
lots of Jeeps. But this is Moab’s first look at the
. Ours, too, at least from behind the wheel.
It’s an eagerly anticipated one, with Chrysler hitting financial rock bottom last year and its new-product pipeline drying up like a desert riverbed under the sweltering summer sun. That makes this Grand Cherokee, the first Jeep product to emerge after the Fiat-Chrysler alliance, a hugely important barometer of vitality and competence for an organization that has displayed little of either for the better part of a decade. The latest
and pickups are good indicators of what Chrysler is still capable of—they’re very good. Hooray for Chrysler, then, that the 2011 Grand Cherokee is good, too.
Based on the same architecture as the Mercedes-Benz M-class, the Grand Cherokee has thoroughly modern running gear. The live axle of the previous generation was tossed in favor of an independent multilink suspension, and civility has taken a commensurate move upward. Even while losing the stick axle, Jeep calls this “the most capable Grand Cherokee ever.” Helping validate that claim is an optional Land Rover–style terrain-selection system, inventively called Selec-Terrain, as well as three different all-wheel-drive systems and an available air suspension.
We spent the better part of a day scrambling up, over, and around nature on Moab’s Hell’s Revenge and Fins and Things trails, which were thick with lifted Jeep CJs, Toyota FJs, and custom-built off-road beasts. The GC acquitted itself very well, a given considering the trails were custom-picked to showcase the SUV’s abilities. Still, we easily conquered super-steep rock faces, craggy stair climbs, and sandy washouts—all with ventilated seats whirring under our butts. The sweaty driver of the 1975 CJ we saw with no doors and a three-legged dog riding shotgun didn’t know what he was missing. We returned to the trailheads suitably impressed.
We drove a Limited model powered by Chrysler’s new Pentastar V-6 and a top-spec Overland with the thundering 5.7-liter Hemi under its hood. (There are also base Laredo and one-step-up Laredo X trims.) Both were equipped with the Off-Road Adventure II package, which adds the air suspension except on the Overland, where it’s standard. The ORA II package also includes a two-speed transfer case, off-road rubber, skid plates, a Trail Rated badge, and the top-dog Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system, although the last item is unavailable with the V-6. Eighteen-inch wheels replace the Overland’s standard and Jeep-first 20-inchers when an off-road pack is specified; 17s are fitted to entry-level Laredos.
So Many Configurations Before we go any further, let’s break down the various configurations. All trims come standard with the
, which makes 290 hp at 6400 rpm and 260 lb-ft at 4800 rpm, increases of 80 hp and 25 lb-ft over the ancient 90-degree V-6 fitted to the previous GC. The Laredo X, the Limited, and the Overland can then be upgraded to the 360-hp, 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with 390 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed automatic is the only transmission—we were told a box with more ratios won’t be available until at least the GC’s mid-cycle refresh—and all trims can be paired with rear- or four-wheel drive. Two towing packages allow up to 5000 pounds of towing capability with the V-6 and up to 7400 pounds with the Hemi.
The three four-by-four systems have the same names as before, but they’ve been tweaked. Quadra-Trac I is the basic setup and is only available on Laredo models. It incorporates a single-speed transfer case with a fixed 50/50 torque split front to rear and electronic brake-based torque shunting from side to side. Quadra-Trac II, available on the Laredo X and above, has a two-speed transfer case with a 2.72:1 low range. It can run up to 50 percent of the torque to the front wheels or 100 percent to the rear based on available traction. The Hemi-only Quadra-Drive II setup (there is no QD I), standard on Overlands and available on the Limited and Laredo X, adds an actual electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential.
QT II and QD II come with the Selec-Terrain knob, which sits on the center tunnel and allows the driver to choose among five programs for different conditions: sand/mud, snow, rock, sport, and auto. Depending on the position of the dial, the stability control, the torque transfer, and the transmission react differently, starting in second gear with a fixed 50/50 torque split in snow, for example. Stir in the four-wheel-drive-exclusive air suspension, which can be fitted to all but the base Laredo, and the Grand Cherokee adds five modes of height adjustment to its repertoire. There are 8.1 inches of ground clearance in normal; Off-Road I lifts the GC by 1.3 inches, and Off-Road II adds another 1.3 on top of that. Park mode drops the GC by 1.5 inches for easier loading of people and stuff, and aero mode shaves 0.6 inch from normal’s height to improve fuel economy when traveling above 60 mph. Twiddle the Selec-Terrain knob to sport, and your truck will be in aero mode all the time.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q2/2011_jeep_grand_cherokee_-first_drive_review