The continuing high level of job cuts in the United States and the peak unemployment rate at around 10% had resulted in huge financial burden on families in every state in US. Iowa is no exception. People had been forced to cut down on many expenses that were perceived normal previously. However, driving to work and back to home could not be avoided at all. Auto insurance costs are a substantial portion in the family budget of any home. Since auto insurance is a compulsory expense, you should know a few tips for saving on car insurance. 

Combining Other Insurance Policies with Car Insurance 

When you purchase all your insurance policies like life insurance, car insurance, home insurance, and health insurance from the same insurance company, you would be able to save up to 15% on your insurance premium amounts. In particular, when you combine your health insurance with your car insurance, the insurance company would be able to assess your health condition and offer you lower premium quote. You would also be able to dispense with certain other coverages like medical coverage, personal injury protection or PIP, etc. which would result in lower car insurance premium. Linking health insurance with car insurance is one of the best methods in saving on car insurance. 

Most of the car insurance agents would advise you to opt for roadside assistance. They would tell you that you could find yourself stranded on the road even if a minor fault occurs in the car and obtaining immediate help might not be possible. The cost of insuring for roadside assistance would cost between $60 and $90 normally. If you are able to store the phone numbers of various auto workshops in the areas that you would be driving generally, then this cost could be easily saved. 

Insurance companies give high priority to your credit rating. If you are prompt in your debt payments and maintain a low debt-to-income ratio, the insurance company would offer you lower premium quotes. Even if your credit rating is not that good at present, you should try to improve it by paying the insurance premium amounts and other monthly payments without delay or default. Your credit score would automatically improve and you would be able to get better car insurance rates when the policy comes up for renewal the next time. 

If you agree to pay higher deductibles, insurance companies would offer you lower car insurance premium rates. The saving on this count would generally offset the higher deductible amount that you had committed. In case you had not been involved in any accident during the policy period, the entire lower amount would be a complete saving. Similarly, if you provide the number of miles you would be driving every day, the insurance company would consider lower car insurance premiums, if it is convinced that you would not be driving too much. If you had to really drive a long distance to your work, you could consider public transport or car pooling.

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Iowa Car Accident Claims: What Insurance Corporations Don't Want You to Know

Nick Heidfeld’s return to Formula One with the Renault team was confirmed on Wednesday as the injured Robert Kubica underwent further surgery following his rally accident in Italy.

Heidfeld was the frontrunner for the job after impressing Renault bosses during trial runs at the Jerez test last weekend although it’s believed that Kubica wanted close friend Vitantonio Liuzzi to replace him.

Heidfeld said: “I would have liked to come back to Formula One in different circumstances, but I’m proud to have been given this chance.

“Everything has happened so quickly, but I’ve been very impressed by what I have seen so far in terms of the facilities and the dedication of the people at Enstone.

“I really enjoyed the test last week in Jerez and I’ve already settled in well with the guys at the track. I have a good feeling for the car, which is quite innovative. I’m extremely motivated and can’t wait for the season to begin.”

Kubica may be out for all of 2011 following his crash and Renault have moved quickly to fill the gap. Heidfeld, who was Kubica’s team-mate at BMW Sauber for three years between 2006-09, was a leading candidate because of his experience although with 172 F1 race starts in 11 years, he is still to record his first grand prix victory.

Source: http://uk.autoblog.com/2011/02/16/heidfeld-confirmed-as-kubica-replacement-at-renault/

The has been the automotive equivalent of Wonder Bread: satisfying, but also squishy and bland, a product purchased for the sake of the kids.

So we weren’t expecting much at the recent launch of the new model—that is, until we learned that Toyota put a former go-kart racer in charge of the 2011 Sienna. While Kazuo Mori, the project’s chief engineer, still dreams of designing sports cars, for the past 17 years he’s been all about Toyota vans. With the third-generation Sienna, he seized the moment to put style and performance above bland refinement.

First there was chassis tuning. The front strut suspension and rear torsion-beam axle remain, but a comprehensive retuning cuts out the flabby softness of the previous model. With roll dramatically reduced, firmer damping keeps the body under closer watch. A new electric power-steering system requires greater effort and now has some semblance of feel. Not enough? Toyota has a new SE trim level that offers an even firmer chassis, larger wheels, retuned power steering, and a body kit.

A body kit probably would have looked ridiculous on the last Sienna, a vehicle we have characterized as “rolling anonymity.” And although the new Sienna retains the mommy-knows-best one-box minivan shape, the design is more striking than before. Slab sides give way to a defined shoulder line and bulging front fenders. The front end seems to have been inspired by Toyota’s F3R minivan concept from 2006. We might go so far as to call the Sienna the best-looking minivan extant.

Inside, the interior is similarly modernized. The look is

-like, as are materials and textures that are perfectly acceptable as long as you don’t start touching them—then they feel a bit cheap. As one would expect of a minivan, storage space abounds: two glove boxes, massive door pockets, at least three more cup holders than there are seats, and even a place on the floor for your purse (or your wife’s). A 60/40 split third-row bench collapses easily into the floor, but the second row doesn’t do a disappearing act. Top-of-the-line Limited models and all-wheel-drive XLEs get manually adjustable “recliner-style” second-row seats with footrests.

A 266-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 remains available on all five trim levels (base, LE, SE, XLE, and Limited), but a six-speed automatic is new and improves fuel economy to 18 mpg city and 24 highway, an increase of 1 mpg on both cycles. For those willing to sacrifice some acceleration, Toyota now offers the segment’s only four-cylinder option, a 187-hp 2.7-liter that’s also mated to a six-speed automatic and delivers 19 mpg city and 26 highway. Prices are held to previous levels: Base models open at $25,060, and loaded AWD versions surge into the mid-$40,000s

We find it a bit odd that Toyota’s minivan is the one vehicle in the carmaker’s lineup that doesn’t trade athletic responses for refined sogginess. None of Toyota’s vehicles is the sportiest among its competitors, except the Sienna. Well, you’ve got to start somewhere.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q1/2011_toyota_sienna-second_drive