Canada Auto Sales for September 2009

Here is the new auto sales statistics in Canada for September, 2009 compared to same period last year.

Acura: -45% to 1,127
Audi: +17.1% to 1,111
BMW: +50.1% to 2,402
Chrysler: -7.1% to 15,804
Ford: +24.4% to 16,140
General Motors: -23.4% to 23,568
Honda: -12.2% to 11,272
Hyundai: +30.8% to 9,282
Infiniti: -14.3% to 639
Jaguar: -24.4% to 62
Kia: +19.7% to 4,515
Land Rover: -8.2% to 179
Lexus: +11.3% to 1,504
Mazda: -3.6% to 6,520
Mercedes-Benz: +24.9% to 2,248
Mini: -16.9% to 340
Mitsubishi: +18.5% to 1,735
Nissan: -0.9% to 6,594
Porsche: +14% to 114
Saab: -48.2% to 59
smart: +3.7% to 312
Subaru: +68.4% to 2,544
Suzuki: +3.6% to 1,351
Toyota: -11.1% to 16,065
Volkswagen: -4.2% to 3,508
Volvo: -6.4% to 508

Canada Auto Sales for August 2009

Here is the new auto sales statistics in Canada for August, 2009 compared to same period last year.

Acura: +26.4% to 1,644
Audi: +89.6% to 1,058
BMW: +20.5% to 2,292
Chrysler: -6.8% to 14,393
Ford: +7% to 22,166
General Motors: -27.5% to 23,018
Honda: -21.8% to 10,574
Hyundai: +38.4% to 10,418
Infiniti: -13.6% to 604
Jaguar: -18.1% to 68
Kia: +20.6% to 4,672
Land Rover: -27.2% to 134
Lexus: +31.3% to 1,532
Mazda: -10.7% to 6,880
Mercedes-Benz: +20.5% to 1,992
Mini: -9.5% to 457
Mitsubishi: +24.9% to 1,860
Nissan: +4.2% to 7,071
Porsche: +7.1% to 120
Saab: -79.8% to 36
smart: -30.4% to 268
Subaru: +4.2% to 1,940
Suzuki: +1.3% to 1,315
Toyota: -24.2% to 16,707
Volkswagen: -5% to 3,605
Volvo: +16.3% to 527

Safety vs. Fuel Economy

I am big money saver when it comes to cars, but I am concerning how much money that people can save compared their life safety.

Let's admit it that accident happens, and sometimes it's not you being a bad drive, but it cannot be prevented from others running into your car. The recent study done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has shown that the 2007 death rate for minicars was substantially higher than those for larger cars – from nearly twice as high to more than three times greater, depending on the type of crack-up.

As their test results, minicars – small, fuel efficient and thus by definition relatively “green” -- did poorly in car-to-car frontal crash tests with midsize sedans at 56 km/hour. No surprise here. This is all about the laws of physics. When an object of greater mass meets an object of lesser mass, the smaller one loses. In fact, the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Smart fortwo all collapsed into the space around where a driver would be. In this test the driver wasn't breathing; crash test dummies don't do that. But a real person would not have fared well in such a mash-up. Head and leg injuries would likely have resulted even though air bags deployed in all three cars.

Unless everyone else is going to drive sub-compact cars like Yaris, Fit, Versa, Smart, Aveo, Rio, and Accent., I will personally avoid those car for my own safety. After all, I am the MOST important part of the car while I am driving.

Gas Saving Tips in Winter

With the cold weather upon us once again and there are ways to save gas and money even when the weather turns cold.

• During cold weather watch for icicles frozen to car frame. Up to 100 lbs. can be quickly accumulated! Unremoved snow and ice cause tremendous wind resistance. Warm water thrown on (or hosed on) will eliminate it fast.
• Same idea as above, empty the trunk and remove the excess weight from the vehicle. By doing so, you will gain more kilometers per liter. More kilometers per liter means more gas saving.
• Cold weather will cause the air pressure in tires to drop, so check your tires regularly. Having tires that under inflated or not alligned will force your engine to work hard which consumes more gas.
• Warming up your engine for longer than 1 minute is wasting gas/money. 45 to 60 seconds is plenty of time.
• When planning trips, try to stay away from areas with excess traffic, such as busy shopping centres during holiday season, to avoid stop-and-go driving.

Taking care of your vehicle, especially in the winter time, is one of the best things you can do for you, and your family. Togetherness is great, but not when your stranded and freezing. :)

Your feedback is always appreciated.