The Shopping Nazi

March seems to be truck month. Driving by local dealership, I see Ford and Chevy, both really pushing the sale of their truck. Since I did Auto Recon on the Ford, Dodge, and Chevy trucks. I thought it only fitting to recon on the Toyota Tacoma.

At first I wanted to stay away from Toyota because of the recent scandal around the recalls. After doing my recon, I am glad I did today’s recon. Read the rest of this entry »

The Chevy Truck along with the Ford, and Dodge have been around as long as  there has been trucks on roads in the United States.

Older Chevy Silverado 1500’s have had the reputation as a strong sound truck that lacked in style. The newer editions has definitely change in the area of style and comfort.  Grained upholstery, and softer materials new make is a more enjoyable ride for taking the ranchers daughter on a date. However, the half-ton Chevrolet Silverado remains a solid reputation and performance no matter what the intended use. Read the rest of this entry »

When I think of a tuff truck one of the first image that pops into my mind is the ram’s head from Dodge. I am talking about the Dodge Ram Truck. My question, today, does the Dodge truck hold up to the reputation of its’ logo, the ram’s head.

Dodge produced trucks since 1917. In 1981 model year was when the Ram first made its’ appearance as a hard working truck. The 21st century has seen the modern day Dodge Ram truck go through some interesting changes.

Edmund’s.com list all the changes the Dodge Ram 1500 has gone through in the past 8 years. After reading the reviews from U.S.News and World Report, I was impressed with hauling and towing package. Read the rest of this entry »

The Ford F-150 is one of those trucks that have been around for years. It is designed for hauling anything for camping gear to a to that dresser just bought at a yard sale. Heavier hauling jobs are for the beefier F-350 or as it is better known as the Super Duty.

About.com gives us a brief view of Ford truck’s almost 100 year history. In those 100 years we have seen quite an evolution. Today’s trucks are more powerful, more rugged, and a more comfortable ride. Read the rest of this entry »

The Chevy Traverse is another one of those crossover from SUV, mini van, station wagon combos. It hit the streets in 2009, as a family vacation day beach transportation vehicle.

Edmunds.com has a lot of good things to say about the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse. A full size crossover SUV that is a solid performer. The Traverse seats up to eight people plus two adults in the third row. It hauls lots of cargo while looking good. Read the rest of this entry »

This week we are going to look at a relative newcomer to the compact wagon model class. The Chevrolet HHR look like the Chrysler PT Cruiser. The HHR name stands for “Heritage High Roof.” The PT Cruiser and HHR are both referred to as tall roof retro-wagons.

A four door wagon has the same front-wheel-drive mechanics as does the Chevrolet Cobalt. Giving the Chevy HHR a stable control. Add a large 17 inch or 18 inch wheels to a quality suspensions system and top it off with a premium stereo, you have a cool ride.

Read the rest of this entry »

On the first day of February, I set down with James Stocker from Silver Key Insurance INC.  to discuss some basic questions around insurance. I chose James because he handles insurance for auto, home, along with other types insurance. He is not tied into just one or two insurance companies. James has an offering from quite a selection. Thus giving us the most objective look at the important facts about getting auto insurance.

Drivers, in Idaho are required to carry a minimum liability of $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $15,000 per accident in property damage coverage. This does vary from state as well as the penalties for not having auto insurance. That is why you need to go to auto insurance requirement, state by state to find out what you need.

Read the rest of this entry »

Back in the mid 1990’s a neighbor was in his driveway with the hood up on his Subaru Outback. I walked over to see what had got his attention. He stated his station wagon would not start. I saw how packed everything was in the engine compartment. Then I said, ‘Good Luck”, and walked over to my car and drove off.

Subaru is not exactly the biggest of all the automakers in the United States. The Subaru Outback has been around since the mid-1990s. The Outback has not been the most popular vehicles, but it has always had a solid reputation.

Read the rest of this entry »

This week we are going to look at the Dodge Journey. The Journey is a crossover from the classic station wagon and SUV. 2010 is the only the second production year for the Dodge Journey.

I would normally wait until a car has been on the street a couple of years before writing an Auto Recon. However, because of the requests I have had about the Journey and the reputation of Dodge’s minivan fleet, I thought I would at least introduce it here.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Honda Civic has been around since 1973. It has always been known for its’ fuel economy. Making it the Honda Civic has been one of the most popular compact cars sold in America.

I remember back in the early 1980’s a close friend had a fleet for four Honda Civic’s. They were used in his business of serving court papers all around the San Francisco Bay area. The cars were not very comfortable, but they were great on gas mileage and maneuvering in and out of traffic.

Read the rest of this entry »