Auto Parts Magazine 

2007 Nissan Altima hybrid limited to “environmentally-friendly” states

Inside Line reports that Nissan has announced Thursday that it will limit the sale of its 2007 Altima Hybrid to “environmentally-friendly states” California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine and New Jersey.

According to Nissan, these states are among the strongest markets for hybrid vehicles, noting their stringent adoption of California emissions requirements. The Smyrna, Tennessee-built Altima Hybrid will go on sale in early 2007.

The Altima Hybrid features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a CVT mated with an electric motor and a generator. It has the same interior and exterior styling as the conventional '07 Altima. Nissan introduced the Tino hybrid in Japan in 2000.

Sales of the 2007 Altima Hybrid may be limited, but rest assured you can that you can still find the best Nissan auto parts like door handles, bumpers, wheels, headlights, and Nissan engine parts at Auto Parts Deal.

What sports car are you?

Ever wondered what kind of sports car you are? I stumbled on this very interesting site after making a purchase of new headlights for my Toyota Camry from Auto Parts Deal. To find out if you’re a Ferrari 360 or Mazda RX-8 or any of the 14 other sports cars, you’ll have to answer basic inquiries like: 'Do you change directions quickly?' or 'Which tool would you be more comfortable wielding?'



I found out that I’m a Ferrari 360, how about that?

To find out what kind of sports car you are, click here.

Toyota continues to grow

Soon, Toyota is going to be as American as it can get.

The giant Japanese automaker has set up a new company that will combine its assembly and parts operations with its R&D facilities across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Headquartered in Erlanger, Kentucky, the new company is named Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, or TEMA.

According to Inside Line , Toyota is increasing North American production capacity to 2 million vehicles per year, and the new company will help streamline operations so new models can be brought out more quickly. Bloomberg News reports that some 28,000 employees at 15 assembly and parts plants and R&D facilities are now under the umbrella of the new company. Toyota is forecasting a 10 percent increase in sales in the United States this year after seeing an 8 percent rise in 2005.

In the meantime, quality Toyota parts can still be found at Auto Parts Deal.

Do Hybrids really save you gas money?

If you’re planning to buy a hybrid vehicle just to save gas money, don’t.

A recent analysis by Consumer Reports, plus others, point out that it would be difficult to justify purchasing a hybrid for economic reasons alone.

CNN/Money reported that according to Consumer Reports analysis, even if gasoline costs continue to rise, only the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius could be said to save money over a five year ownership period once all costs are factored in. And even in those cases, the savings involved are $80 a year or less. You could save more by simply accelerating and braking more gently in your current vehicle.

And why wouldn’t hybrids save you money? The two biggest reasons are that hybrids have higher initial cost and fast depreciation. New federal tax incentives help, but not enough. So the best way really, to save gas money is to drive sensibly, and of course, properly maintain your current vehicle. Make sure too that you use only the best replacement auto parts for your car. For the best Honda wheels, BMW lights, Mazda window regulator, Toyota engine parts and more, just visit trusted online auto parts stores like Auto Parts Deal.

VW to offer limited edition Touareg

As part of its commemoration of the 250,000th sale of its Touareg, Volkswagen will be offering an Exclusive Edition Touareg. The limited edition Touareg has already made its world debut in Geneva, but pricing information has not yet been announced. Only 999 Exclusive Edition Touaregs will be built worldwide.



The Exclusive Edition Touareg will be available with any of the standard Touareg engines, ranging from a 174 hp 5 cylinder diesel up to a 313 hp V10 diesel engine. The gas engines and V10 diesel are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The two smaller diesel engines have an optional automatic transmission. The commemorative vehicle will also feature silver roof rails, dual chrome exhaust pipes, a roof mounted spoiler, modified bumpers and special 19” wheels which will distinguish it from a standard Touareg. Inside, two-tone Napa leather is standard along with black piano lacquer trim on the center console and door panels. Aluminum door sills are marked with the vehicle's serial number.

Meanwhile, should you need a new radiator, A/C condenser, spoiler or other engine parts for your Volkswagen vehicle, just visit Auto Parts Deal, your trusted source of top-quality auto parts in the internet.

The best cars for senior citizens

If replacing the wheels, engine parts, headlights or mirrors of your grandparents’ car with new parts from Auto Parts Deal does not quite give you the peace of mind you want, maybe you should try and get them a new car. And if you’re considering getting them a new car, you might as well get the best.

Edmunds lists what it considers the top ten best vehicles for our granddads and grandmoms. Seniors, defined as those sixty-five and older, represent the fastest-growing segment of America's population. The article addresses the strengths and weaknesses of each vehicle as they relate to a senior’s perceived needs.

The list, in alphabetic order, includes:
• Audi A8
• BMW 7 Series
• Buick Lucerne
• Chrysler 300
• Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego
• Honda Civic
• Pontiac Montana SV6 (NOTE: The Montana is being retired by General Motors)
• Toyota Avalon (pictured)
• Toyota Prius
• Toyota Sienna

Mazda Tribute to take beauty rest

The Mazda Tribute will be taking a beauty rest after Ford decided to kill plans for a 2007 model.

However, the Tribute will be back for the 2008 model year, to be built at Kansas City starting in January 2007. The Mazda SUV is a sibling to the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner, which are also built at the Kansas City facility.

The Kansas City plant is building gasoline-electric hybrid versions of the Escape and Mariner, and Ford has said it will vastly increase hybrid production to a quarter-million hybrids built per year by 2010.

Though your car may need to take a rest every now and then too, make sure that it is always in shape. Should you need to replace its engine parts, wheels, starter or lights, just visit your favorite online auto parts store, Auto Parts Deal.

Want a made-to-order car?

You’ve always wanted a car that truly represents who you are – something that comes with all the things you need, but isn’t run of the mill like the others. You want your own color of choice, a sunroof, a navigation system, a six-speed transmission, and a nice, old-fashioned stereo. You just can’t get this by buying a car straight off your local dealer. And even if there are reliable online auto parts stores such as Auto Parts Deal where you can get top of the line auto parts and accessories like grilles, hubcaps, bumpers and spoilers to customize your car – you just can’t trust yourself to dabble with a brand new car.

Well, there’s good news. Made to order cars are becoming increasingly popular, as the Detroit Free Press reports. Nowadays, more and more cars are being built to specification at the factory or the dock for buyers who ordered them in advance and are willing to wait. When before, this kind of customization was only exclusive to handcrafted cars like Rolls-Royce, Ferrari and Porsche – today brands such as BMW’s Mini and Toyota’s Scion are getting the special treatment too.

According to the Detroit Free Press, personalization is now good business for automakers. The average Mini buyer adds $5,000 in extras above the $17,500 base sticker on factory- and dealer-installed accessories. Another $25,000 worth of accessories can be typical for the purchaser of a $355,000 Rolls-Royce.

So what cars can be made to order? According to the DFP, these are:

* Mini. From 75% to 90% of Minis sold are custom-ordered from the factory.
* Scion. The youth-oriented brand limits customizing options but speeds up the time it takes to get a personalized version delivered. Most come in seven to 10 days.
* Porsche. About 41% of U.S. buyers order the 911 model customized to their whims.
* Rolls-Royce. With Rolls, almost anything goes.
* Ferrari. Every Ferrari is customized to some degree, whether it's adding a badge on the side of the car or lipstick-red seats.

So if you really want to stand out from the rest and have a car that is truly unlike any other, write down what you want and just take your pick form these cars. Just be ready to spend some.

U.S. addicted to Oil, says Bush

America is addicted to oil, and the President does not like it at all. President Bush already stated earlier that he has no plans of bailing out Detroit’s struggling automakers.

Bush encouraged an increase in federal research into alternative fuels, like ethanol made from sources other than corn. He also pushed for new nuclear power plants along with increases in wind, solar and clean-coal technologies.



Compared to its Japanese counterparts, American automakers do not exactly have stellar reputations when in comes to pursuing fuel-efficient vehicles. (Can anyone spell SUV?) Our friends in Detroit have some serious catching up to do in terms of fuel efficiency: while Toyota's domestic passenger cars averaged 34.3 miles per gallon and Honda's 36.7 mpg in 2005, GM's domestic passenger cars averaged only 28.8 mpg, with Ford's averaging 28.2 and DaimlerChrysler's 28.7 mpg.

With this “official notice” from the White House, we can clearly expect to see more efforts from our automakers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles sooner than later. The success of the Toyota Prius already has every automaker scurrying to offer their own hybrid vehicles. Aside from Toyota and Honda, Ford, Chevrolet and GM are now also offering their hybrid models. The latest should be GM which would be offering a hybrid Cadillac Escalade come 2007.

As ordinary citizens, we can also do our part in reducing our country's dependence on foreign oil by making sure that our own vehicles are properly maintained and that we drive them responsibly. Should you need to replace your tailgates, your fog lights, or your grills – just click on to trusted online auto parts stores like Auto Parts Deal.

Two More Hybrids on the Rise

General Motors will be highlighting two hybrid vehicles which are the Saturn Vue Green Line, and the Chevrolet TahoeTwo – Mode Hybrid. The first car, the Vue Green Line, is the first vehicle by the company that is powered by a new, more affordable hybrid system. This delivers a fuel economy improvement of around 20 per cent, however, this still depends on the driving conditions. This vehicle also uses sophisticated controls and a unique electric motor/generator. This is a good kind of hybrid for it allows increased fuel economy through engine shut-off when it is idle, fuel cut-off during deceleration, electric power assist during acceleration, and it also has the capability to capture electrical energy through regenerative braking. Just think of all the fuel you will be saving on this!

The Chevrolet Tahoe Two – Mode Hybrid, on the other hand, is powered by a V8. Predictions have it that it would be able to deliver around a quarter, or twenty-five per cent improvement in composite fuel economy.

Right now, I’m short on cash to be able to save up for these kinds of vehicles, although I want to have one. Revamping my vehicle would by style nowadays with spoilers and a new fender from Auto Parts Deal. At least, I still own a vehicle that looks unique and brand-new.