Stand And Deliver, Virginia?
One definition of injustice is grossly disproportionate punishment. You don't put people into prison for a year because they jay-walked. So what do we make of Virginia's new "civil remedial fines" that slam ordinary motorists with thousand-dollar fines (payable in "three easy installments") for relatively minor traffic violations?Beginning July 1, a driver caught doing 20 mph over the posted limit is subject to just such a fine. That means 76 mph in a 55 zone - and a rude awakening for hapless motorists pinched in a radar trap. You may feel a driver doing 20 over the limit deserves punishment. But $1,000 - plus another few hundred for the charge itself, plus court costs? When all is said and done, expect to be relieved of around $1,500 - before the insurance company jackals get to you.
Extended Warranties - Good Idea Or Not?
Should you buy an extended warranty along with your next new car? The answer is, maybe. Before you come to any decision, you should consider the following points:* Be sure you're clear about the different types of new car warranties.
All new vehicles come with a so-called "basic" or comprehensive warranty that covers pretty much everything from the cigarette lighter to the sunroof - plus a secondary "powertrain" warranty that often lasts longer, but which typically only covers a few major components such as the engine, transmission and axle/transaxle. An extended warranty typically picks up after the basic or powertrain coverage runs out, extending the coverage by an additional period of months/total mileage.
Put Together A Personal Tool Kit For Your Car
New motorcycles usually come with a pretty decent set of basic/emergency tools with which you can handle almost any minor breakdown - and even a few not-so-minor ones.But with cars, it's different.
Only a few come with anything more than a jack and lug nut wrench to change a tire. Apparently, motorcyclists, as a group, are deemed by the motorcycle manufacturers to be more self-sufficient; it's assumed they'll want to have the basic necessities on hand in the event of a problem. With cars, not so much. But that doesn't mean you have to be helpless - just that you need to exercise some initiative.
New Car Review: 2007 Suzuki SX4
Let's say you want a compact, AWD-equipped crossover sport wagon like the Subaru Impreza - but don't have the $18k Subaru wants for this model.Enter the Suzuki SX4.
It's a new model for Suzuki and like the Impreza comes standard with all-wheel-drive and similarly snarky exterior and interior styling. But its base price of $14,999 means it's exactly $3,000 less than the base model '07 Impreza and also one of the least expensive new vehicles with standard AWD you can buy right now. That ought to be a strong inducement to at least give it a look-see if you're in the market for a vehicle of this type.
