finance
West Virginia – Factors that Affect Auto Insurance Rates
When insurance companies decide on the rates that they are going to charge their customers, there are many factors that they take into account. Many of the things they take into consideration you really have little to no control over, but there are some things that are factored in that just might surprise you.
One of the key factors in determining car insurance rates is your driving record. Rates will be higher if you have been the cause of one or more accidents. The same holds true if you have a number of moving violations against you or you have submitted too many claims to your current insurance company. All of these things are factored into the price you will pay for car your insurance.
Why You Need Instant Car Insurance Quotes
:: Have you ever wondered why a neighbor or a co-worker always seems to get more out of his car insurance deals? He may be looking at several quotes before choosing the best deals. The benefits of being able to get instant car insurance quote comparisons online are many and varied, and here are some of them…
1. Know Your Options
It is not unusual for someone to be sold on one quote after a moment of persuasion from a sales representative. If this happens, you do not have the privilege of choosing between many possible deals. The best thing to do before getting insurance for your car is to look for comparison sites that will show you more options for car insurance than you can imagine.
2. Discounts
You may be eligible to receive discounts for other services that involve your car. For example, availing of a particular car insurance deal may give you a discount for the installation of a car alarm or other anti-theft device in your vehicle. Not only anti-theft devices, but safety features like anti-lock brakes and air bags. The insurance company may also offer you special privileges and discounts for having taken driver education classes and keeping a clean driving record.
3. Convenience
If you visit the websites of individual companies, you have to fill out several forms, one for each company you visit. Sites that offer instant car insurance quotes help you get quotes from many companies while filling out only one form.
Online browsing is also very convenient. Moreover, you don’t have to go to the phone to contact all the car insurance companies in the area.
4. Pay Less
It may shock you that your insurance company is not giving more discounts than its counterparts. Some insurance companies know that most of their customers don’t take time to contrast and compare between car insurance deals.
It is a fact that people are paying hundreds of dollars for car insurance more than they should. It’s even sadder that these people don’t know that better deals exist. If you want to save big bucks on your car insurance, take time to browse online for regularly updated comparison sites.
Comparing quotes from top car insurance companies can also get you the highest deductible possible. The deductible is the amount of cash you need to pay a car insurance claim before the insurer will have to pay. Increasing this amount can help you save hundreds of dollars every year on the premium.
Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Mike-Lancas-19691/cars-191278.php
Instant Auto Insurance Quote
David Beckham’s first supercar up for sale
David Beckham’s first supercar, bought by the 22-year-old rising football star in 1997, is up for sale.
The tastefully appointed Porsche 911 993 Carrera 2S is possibly Beckham’s most famous car, and has seen him through some historic moments.
This was the car that Beckham wooed Posh Spice Victoria Addams in – indeed, it was inside this 911 that they were photographed kissing for the first time and Victoria was photographed pregnant for the first time getting into the car in 1998, although we are assured it has been valeted since then.
The 911 has also taken Beckham through the ups of winning the treble with Manchester United in 1999 and the lows of getting sent off during the 1998 World Cup.
Independent Porsche specialist Paul Stephens, of Essex, is selling the car and says “Thankfully, as well as being a famous and important car, it is a rather nice one.
Mr Beckham successfully avoided the over-exuberant bling that blights many footballers’ cars choosing with no small amount of taste and style.”
The car comes with Beckham’s now-signature ‘VDB’ number plate, a full service history and a little photo album of pictures where it has featured in the press. How sweet.
Potential new owners are invited to make offers, although given that the BMW M3 owned by Beckham before this car sold in 2005 for f90,000, it probably won’t go cheap.
Source:
David Beckham First Goal for LA Galaxy vs United 08/15/2007
2007 Volvo S80 – First Drive Review – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
Funny how things turn out. The bigger sedans from Ford of North America are based on the Volvo P2 platform that dates back to the 850 model of the early 1990s. Now the biggest Volvo sedan, the S80, has been replaced by a model that could be said to be based on a Ford. It uses Ford’s global shared architecture, referred to internally as EUCD, a set of building blocks that also generate various European mid-size Fords and the upcoming Land Rover LR2.
Which explains why Volvo can claim that this is a completely new car when, at a glance, it looks like a face-lifted version of the old S80. Summarized simply, the new Swedish flagship has taken the best parts of the smaller S40/V50/C70 (and the Euro Ford Focus and Mazda 3) and incorporated them, enlarged and strengthened where appropriate, in a body shell the size of a BMW 5-series. As with the smaller relatives, Volvo played the lead role in safety engineering and electronics for the EUCD cars.
When it comes to the U.S. early in 2007, the S80 will be offered with two engines, both new to the model. One is familiar, from the Swedish automaker’s XC90 — the 4.4-liter V-8 made in Japan by Yamaha. The other is a new Ford 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder, designed by Volvo but produced alongside the Jaguar V-8s at Ford’s engine plant in Wales. These engines are mounted transversely and matched to an Aisin-Warner six-speed automatic transmission that Volvo calls Geartronic.
Volvo calls the new engine a "short inline-six" because of the clever way its length has been reduced. (The ancillary drives are arranged at the gearbox end, and the air-conditioning compressor and power-steering pump are housed above the transmission.) This version of the S80 is front-wheel drive; the V-8 model is all-wheel drive, engaging the rear wheels by a Haldex clutch system — again, like the XC90.
Volvo expects 70 percent of ’07 S80 buyers to go for the six-cylinder. It’s a classic straight-six: smooth and quiet, with progressive delivery of its adequate 235 horsepower. It has variable valve timing and two-position profile switching for the inlet camshaft. A turbocharged version will come later.
The 311-hp V-8 is quicker, of course — Volvo promises a 0-to-62-mph blast in 6.5 seconds versus 8.0 for the six — and has a more aggressive voice. Although it is good to have four-wheel drive, we can imagine that most Volvo owners will be satisfied with the less-expensive six-cylinder model.
Given the origin of its suspension design and components, it’s not surprising that the S80 has crisp handling and excellent roadholding. There is the option of three-position automatic damping, but the standard setup is relatively stiff, in response to the German sports sedans with which the S80 seeks to compete. The steering, however, lacks the brilliant accuracy and communication of some of the Ford counterparts.
Several of the more interesting developments for the S80 are only available as extra-cost options, including, to Volvo’s chagrin, some of its advanced safety features. These include a radar-based active cruise control that produces audible and visual warnings of a possible collision and works with brake assist when the driver takes evasive action; BLIS, a blind-spot warning system using tiny cameras built into the side mirrors; and PCC, an electronic key fob that can monitor the car’s locking and alarm status and even detect the heartbeat of an intruder inside the car.
Volvo prides itself on being a sensible Swede, and there is a logical neatness to the S80′s cabin and controls. The main instruments are similar to those of the Mercedes E-class: analog, with needles pointing to the perimeter and digital messages at the center. Most functions are controlled via buttons, a four-way switch pad, and a small screen on the Volvo’s unique "floating" center console. The screen for the optional navigation system pops up at eye level from the top of the dash.
Existing Volvo owners will love the ’07 S80, but will it attract newcomers to the marque? It should, because it is a definite step forward, but we wonder if it is different enough in looks and character to succeed.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/06q3/2007_volvo_s80-first_drive_review