vs.

Lock up your GMs! Seem as if criminals have it out for you this year. Between Cadillacs and Hummers, GM hold 4 of the top 8 spots on this list. In fact, if you have any large American car, you might want to think about building a small shed to house it.

Car: Claims Per 1,000/Average Loss Payment Per Claim

10. Honda S2000 Convertible: 8.1/$13,624
9. 2005-2007 Dodge Durango: 8.1/$9,682
8. 2005-2007 Hummer H2: 8.7/$18,791
7. 2005-2007 Dodge Magnum: 9.9/$8,926
6. 2005-2007 Hummer H2 SUT: 10.0/$23,771
5. 2005-2007 Ford F-350 SuperCrew: 10.7/$20,138
4. 2006-2007 Dodge Charger: 11/$7,047
3. 2007 Cadillac Escalade: 11.3/$14,657
2. 2005-2007 Ford F-250 SuperCrew: 13.1/$19,250
1. 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV: 15.0/$13,060

For the same reason American car makers love to sell large SUVs and truck, thieves are seeking these behemoths out. They are large, cheap ways to get a nice car that will allow you to put expensive stereos, large rims and other accessories on that are easy to steal and resell without too much worry. Dropping 24s on your Hummer may say, “You’re ballin’” to your friends, but it says, “Come steal me” to every car criminal out there.

On the other hand, should be you be looking for the most inconspicuous (boring) cars on the road to protect your insurance premiums and pimped car stereos, you might want to check out the list below. To be honest, not all of them are boring or lame. Some of them just have excellent security systems and car-jackers know that it’s not worth the time to steal the car or there will be no way to re-sell the expensive parts off the car. As you can see, most of the cars are people carriers though with a preponderance of SUVs. The interesting thing is that whereas some of the cars are rather popular (Ford Focus, VW Beetle, Toyota Prius) some of the cars are the most obscure models available (Buick Terraza, Saturn Relay).

10. 2005-2007 Ford Freestyle
9. 2005-2007 Saturn Relay
8. 2005-2007 Toyota Prius
7. 2005-2007 Volvo V70
6. 2005-2007 Ford Focus
5. 2005-2007 Volkswagen (New) Beetle
4. 2005-2007 Buick Terraza
3. 2005-2007 Subaru Forrester
2. 2005-2007 Buick Rainier
1. 2005-2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Source: Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute

December means time for joy and giving. Be it a local Toys-For-Tots or Salvation Army, American’s take this time of year to give joy to others through donations and gifts. So, why not give something to you car this holiday and make everyone who sees you driving smile a little in the process. WhatOnEarth has released a set of reindeer antlers and a nose that can be affixed to your car, making your everyday sled into a petrol powered Rudoph. More information here and click below to buy a set of your own:

Dash through the snow in pure holiday style as you haul that sleigh-load around in your red-nosed vehicle. Oversized 16″ jingle-bell plush antlers clip over your closed windows, while the bright red 6″ nose attaches with sturdy wire. All pieces weatherproof and ready to roll. Spot clean.

Source: WhatOnEarth

I think I’ve fallen in love all over again…

I have one of these sitting in my garage awaiting a new engine, so I know I shouldn’t be looking at another one, but I can’t help it. It’s like sitting in a hospital with your loved one next to you while checking Match.com for her replacement. But here I sit; looking at this beautiful silver 1991 318is.

The racy little 4 cylinder engine makes a spectacular induction sound of a much larger engine. None of that screaming that comes from a Honda VTEC motor. This engine is refined, almost as much as the chassis. Poised as a Ms. America on four wheels. At 2500lbs, the car is a lightweight too and with 136HP under your right foot, you’re not exactly going to win any races. But with the right tires and suspension you can flat foot yourself around turns like a pro, with composure, and look like a drift hero.

So, despite the fact that the old, clunky black car that sits in my garage, broken with over 212k miles on the clock, I yearn once again to take it out and race it around the block. There’s nothing like the feeling of really thrashing a car to get it to move at any significant speeds. So, though I’ll have to pass on this one and wait until I can swap my new engine to the ICU-laden love that sits in my garage, however, it’s beautiful enough for someone else to come along and pickup this great looking car. Perfect paint. Super engine. It’s such a sweet deal that it really is hard to pass up, however whoever does pickup this silver-haired beauty will be in for a treat! Good luck to that lucky person!

With the plethora of new cars scheduled for release and currently on the market, it begs the question, what car would you actually spend your hard-earned money on? Sure, the economy is making it rough for people to purchase new cars with the severely reduced liquidity, but with the savings these cars could potentially produce each month, these cars might just be in the cards for some of you, assuming they meet production schedules. The options vary from entry level hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius (starting at $22,000) to the ultra chic Fisker Karma luxury sedan ($80,000). Let’s give a quick run-down of the cars before you vote (we want informed voters after-all):

1. Toyota Prius: It was the first mass produced hybrid on the market and thusly it’s become the defacto standard. It’s certainly reasonably priced, but does its boring looks and appliance-like feel turn off the average American driver (a very emotional group about what they drive) and push it towards one of it’s more conteporary compeditors? In the end, a solid and reliable car that’s moving on to it’s 3rd generation in 2010 which should drive sales further. The Japanese are known for their reliablilty and improvements to batteries and production should drive the cost down and the mileage up.

City: 48, Highway: 45, MSRP: $22,000 base price

2. Honda Clarity FCX: Shortly after Toyota released it’s Prius, Honda moved forward with it’s Insight project, released in 2000 and has been in production until 2006. At that time, Honda moved their fuel cell technology along enough to power Accord and Civics. However, some believe that though gas-electric hybrids are all good and well, the true future of electric cars is with the use of Hydrogen and electrolysis to create a purely electric car with ZERO emissions. Sure, Hydrogen fuel stations are few and far between, but by the picture, you can tell the Clarity FCX is aiming at a higher eschelon individual. Mass produced FCXes could be ready as soon as 2012, but right now you can lease if you live in California (where Hydrogen stations are available). This is the car for the true eco-heads with it’s complete lack of any greenhouse gasses, something not even the Prius can claim.

City/Highway: 68 MPG (equivalent), 280 Mile Range, $600 per month lease

3. Chevrolet Volt: Marketed as the next big thing in commuter cars, the Volt’s goal is to create a combination plug-in hybrid that should be able to take you to work and back home on a single charge and not needing to use any gas at all. With an expected range of 40 miles, should you go beyond that, there’s a small gasoline generator to power the car until you get to your destination. GM has put a lot of money into marketing the Volt as the next big thing and utilizing it for a push to create special tax credits for cars that get 100MPG+. While the concept cars GM has shown are certainly edgy, a full production version (scheduled for a possible release in 2010), we’ll see what the actual Volt turns out looking like.

City/Highway: 50MPG (no battery), 150MPG (with battery), 100MPG (average equivalent), MRSP: $30,000+

4. Tesla Roadster: Based on the Lotus Elise, the Tesla is the first electric car “Car Guys” wanted. Promising of a usable range (over 245 miles), awesome acceleration (less than 4 seconds to 60MPH) and a super sexy chassis based on 15+ years of development on the street and race track, the Tesla makes owning a electric car bearable. Though the small roadster isn’t the most practical car here, it’s certainly the one that involves the most user input to drive. It’s the one you’ll want to take to the local track or autocross. It’s the first car to break the stigma associated with driving a “green” car and for that, it’s made our list. Will it top yours?

City/Highway: 105MPG (equivalent), MSRP: $98,000

5. Fisker Karma: Built by the world renound car designer, Henrik Fisker, designer of the Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage and BMW Z8, the Fisker Karma is the car you buy as the President of your eco-friendly business. You’ll need 4-doors to fit your clients in, but you’ll need to not waste gas to protect your image. The Karma is another plug-in hybrid that utilizes solar cells on the roof as well as a tiny gas generator to keep your car going past the 50 mile electric only range (similar to the Volt). However, whereas most other makers design their cars to sell to the average consumer, the Fisker is for a more refined taste. It’s long, sleek body, premium interior and fully featured healm make this car the Mercedes S-Class of hybrid cars (though Mercedes is working on their hybrid S currently). With a Fisker Karma, you’re not only saving the environment, you’re looking like a million bucks doing so.

City/Highway: 150MPG (equivalent), MSRP: $80,000

6. None of the Above: Though the cars above come with various amounts of cache, none of them offer the sound, the thrill and the experience of a good old petrol engine with 8, 10, or 12 cylinders of octane combusting power. Be it the newest California from Ferrari, 10-cylinders of high-revving fun from a BMW M5 or the glory of a 12-cylinder AMG engine, there’s nothing that can compare to the goose-bumps you get when dropping the transmission down to 3rd gear and flooring it through a tunnel or letting loose at your local track or autocross. The petrol engines offers so much to us both in utility and emotional support. With new developments in fuel efficiency, even our supercars are getting over 25MPG on the highway (look at the new Corvette Z06). Celulosic ethanol promises cheaper, reproducable energy sources that are cleaner than ever before. Maybe during the week I’ll drive my Volt to and from work. However, on the weekend I just want to press the loud pedal and go for a ride down my country roads.

So, which is it for you?

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Well, it’s finally that time - my family needs a new car!  Unlike the automotive writers that get to test drive shiny new exotic cars at Edmunds, Car and Driver and other cool magazines/blogs, my wife has been driving around in a baby blue 92 Taurus. Yes, it’s the same car that Conan O’Brien says he proudly owns in a number of his shows but honestly… 18 years later, this car resembles more of a FAIL WHALE than a performance family sedan.

I will say over the last few years this car has been reliable in that it has not given us too much reliability problems.  However, with only one headlight working, a broken side mirror and a non-working radio amongst several of its problems - I really think its time we  shop for a serious upgrade.

While a few cars have etched themselves on our radar, our latest flavor of the month is now the 2009 Honda Fit.  Living in a town where BMW’s and Land Rover’s outnumber Honda’s and Toyota’s, the choice isn’t exactly obvious but we do have our reasons.  From our research, the Fit provides SUV like storage in a neat, compact and gas efficient package - which is exactly what we need at a time like this.  With gas mileage close to 30 mpg for city and reportedly close to 40 mpg for highway, it’s close to being as good as a hybrid without the hybrid tax.

For the 2009 model, it seems like many improvements have also been introduced - which is awesome.  Among them, 10 cup holders, 5 to 6 of which are accessible to the driver.  I’m not sure if this car was made to drive in the desert but with 5 cup holders for the driver, part of me is hoping the 2012 model will have a built in toilet.

Regardless - I am hoping someone out there with one of these in stock, more specifically a 2009 Blue Honda Fit Sport (Automatic) with Navi will come forward and help my wife get rid of her baby Louie.  If you are open to part of the car payment being an amazing advertising package on EasyAutoSales.com for your dealership - that would be even better!

Could EasyAutoSales really offer the best used cars EVER? According to the new URL (http://best.usedcars.ever.com) over at The Ever Project, EasyAutoSales has the best used cars ever. Well, we of course created this page, and are decidedly biased, but there’s a section for you to weigh in on whether you think our used car selection is the best online…or not. So head on over and let us know what you think of our used car inventory. How do we stack up compared to our competitors? Who do you think has the best selection of used cars? If you are a car dealer and think our selection is lacking maybe you can help us by uploading your used car listings for free. While your checking out our Ever page you’ll also find a link to or Facebook Group, our Twitter Feed, and our Flickr photo stream.

Does EasyAutoSales have the best used cars EEEEEVVVVVVEEEERRRRR? Tell us what you think…

Thank you Squidoo and Seth Godin for this really cool platform.

Weighing just 660lbs (the current average car is around 3500lbs) and with a drag coefficient of .16 (current average of around .30), the VW One-Liter Concept Car takes just 1L of gasoline to move 100km. This converts into 235MPG.

The two passenger car has anti-lock brakes, stability control and airbags. According to the magazine Canadian Driver, “Volkswagen says the One-Liter Car is as safe as a GT sports car registered for racing. With the aid of computer crash simulations, the car was designed with built-in crash tubes, pressure sensors for airbag control and front crumple zones.”

The car will be sold in limited production as early as 2010. Originally slated for 2012, the dramatic cost drop of carbon fiber in the past few years has brought the car into economic feasibility (about $55,000) much sooner than anticipated. As a daily commuter car, I can’t think of something more reasonable and practical, yet still novel and pretty cool!

Source: Wired

ABC News wrote a nice article on the do’s and don’ts of buying a used car. While the advice is sound, it does appear the website favors major brands over smaller dealerships.

What are some of the things you look out for when shopping for used cars?

In April 2008 Consumer Reports released a list of the most fuel efficient used cars under $10,000. The results were based on real-world fuel-economy tests. The list is as follows:

Used Cars Under $10K / Overall Miles Per Gallon

1. 2000 Honda Insight (manual) / 51
2. 2001-02 Toyota Prius / 41
3. 200-05 Toyota Echo / 38
4. 1998-2002 Chevrolet Prizm / 32
5. 1998 Mazda Protege LX / 32
6. 1998-2000 Toyota Corolla CE/LE / 32/31
7. 1998-2001 Acura Integra LS (manual) / 32
8. 2004-05 Scion xA (manual/automatic / 31/30

We hope you can find what you are looking for here at EasyAutoSales. If not, check back soon. Our new and used car inventory is always growing.

EasyAutoSales.com now allows buyers, private sellers and dealers to upload avatars in their account. This feature while small - is the first of many improvements to our service that will help add a community feel to the website and help open up the communication for the buy/sell process for both parties.

Real estate agents have long been using their their faces in various marketing materials and websites for local marketing and we feel car sellers can also benefit from the same type of exposure. Assuming you have a trustworthy face, this feature should help you sell cars in the new, web 2.0 market.

Yes, we’ll admit it - we are a big sucker for photos here at EasyAutoSales.com. Head shots of users and unlimited photos for cars are definitely great features to help you sell cars.