• Cars for Clunkers program runs until November 1st, 2009 – or until funds run out
• Car must to be less than 25 years old
• Cars must average 18MPG or less (exceptions exist for very large vehicles)
• Car must be owned, registered and insured for 12 months in owner’s name before trade in. Must provide Proof of Insurance and Registration to dealership
• Car must have a clear title, without any liens or encumbrances.
• Car must be in drivable condition
• Cars traded-in must be scrapped, meaning the car will be turned into scrap metal (worth a few hundred at most)
• Depending on trade-in, a $3,500 or $4,500 credit is applied toward purchase of new vehicle
• Cannot participate in CARS program more than once

The program has these requirements to prevent explicit abuse of the Cash For Clunkers program. Otherwise, owners could simply drive to the junkyard in Renton or Everett, buy a junk pickup truck for a hundred dollars and tow it to the dealership for a essentially a free rebate.

Having a scrapping requirement is also interesting, as it limits newer cars from participating in the program due to the immediate trade in loss. This means that the owner of a 2003 Toyota Corolla would not be inclined to participate in Cars for Clunkers as their vehicle still has a $7000 trade in value. By participating in the program, they would only receive a $3,500 to $4,500 credit plus scrap value toward the purchase of a new car.

How Much Cash Credit Do I Get for my Trade In?

If your vehicle qualifies for the Cash For Clunkers program, dealerships that participate are required to offer you an instant credit/rebate toward the purchase of a new, fuel efficient vehicle. The rebate differs depending on the type of vehicle you are purchasing and the difference in fuel economy between your trade-in and newer vehicle.

Trading in old passenger car for new passenger car:
Fuel economy improvement from 4 to 10 MPG: $3,500 credit
Fuel economy improvement over 10 MPG: $4,500 credit

Trading in old passenger car for new truck:
Fuel economy improvement from 2 to 5 MPG: $3,500 credit
Fuel economy improvement over 5 MPG: $4,500 credit

Trading in old truck to new truck:
Fuel economy improvement from 1 to 2 MPG: $3,500 credit
Fuel economy improvement over 2 MPG: $4,500 credit

While Seattle is primarily a city of passenger vehicles, the Cash for Clunkers program is a huge (some would say ridiculous) incentive for owners of old trucks or SUVs. The short of it is that if your car has a trade-in value less than $4,500, the program is an incredibly incentive to purchase a new car.

How does the Cash For Clunkers Trade Process Work with the Dealership

Though many sources mention that a voucher is required to participate, that is not true. You need no paperwork and during the trade in, the dealer handles all of the paperwork between them and the NHTSA. Provided that your trade in meets the qualifications for the Cash for Clunkers program, the $3,500 or $4,500 credit is immediately applied toward your new car.

There have been some reports coming out about dealerships (though none we’ve heard about in Seattle) telling customers that they will receive a rebate check from the NHTSA directly, the trade in needs to be held until cleared, or that there are fees or contracts to participate in the program. All of these practices are against the terms of the program and the NHTSA even asks that you report dealerships who tell you this. To repeat, the program takes no filing of paper work on the consumer side – only proof of meeting the requirements of the trade in.

However, some dealerships are wary of the Cash for Clunkers program because of the potential financial risk. It takes ten days after submitting the paperwork to the NHTSA for the dealership to know whether or not they will be credited for the trade-in. In the event they are not credited, the dealer will be out of $3,500 or $4,500 credit. This puts the onus on the dealer to correctly inspect and file the paperwork.

Most dealerships, especially those in the Seattle area, that we have talked to, are thrilled about the program – and rightly so. The Cash for Clunkers program may well be a financial stimulus program for the auto industry and a much needed rescue for domestic automakers like GM.

So, if you were thinking about trading in your old vehicle, seriously consider the Cash for Clunkers program, as it may be the best financial incentive in history to trade up for a new car. The program ran out of money within the first two weeks when it first rolled around earlier this year, so even though the program expires on the first of November, there is a good chance the program will be out of cash far before then.

Do you dread high pressure salesmen? Are you being scammed by the financing manager? Consumers all say that buying a car is worse than a visit to the dentist. Don’t have a bad experience – contact us at today sales@seattleauto.net to get you in touch with our professional auto broker who will treat you with the utmost care. Sign the papers in your own living room and have the car delivered to your door at dealer prices!

Here’s the press release from the Washington State Department of Transportation

WSDOT: Gas prices and the recession can’t take all the credit for reduced congestion
OLYMPIA – Washington drivers are spending less time stuck in traffic despite growing vehicle volumes during peak commute periods in urban areas, according to a national study released to news media today. WSDOT’s own data crunchers attribute the trend to the declining economy, but contend that smart transportation investments and operational strategies are what will keep travel times reasonable well after the economy recovers.  
The 2009 Urban Mobility Report, a national study released today by the Texas Transportation Institute, announces that congestion is declining or leveling off across the country, and attributes the cause to rising gas prices and the declining economy. WSDOT agrees that commutes are improving, but draws other conclusions as to the cause.
Puget Sound region travel trends are somewhat different than those found nationally. The TTI report draws from 2007 data. For this period, Washington’s economy was still very robust and added jobs. Our own congestion data shows continued increases in travel times for key Puget Sound corridors in 2007, although the increase is at a lesser rate than in previous years.
The data supports that congestion is improving in part because of Moving Washington, WSDOT’s program for addressing congestion. Moving Washington is a three-part strategy comprised of adding highway capacity strategically, operating the system efficiently and managing demand.
 
“We’re fighting congestion with safety improvements, construction projects, advanced freeway operations and providing transportation options,” said State Traffic Engineer Ted Trepanier. “While it is clear that many factors influence congestion, there is no question that our strategies are making a positive impact.” he said.
WSDOT analyzed on seven major Seattle-area commuting corridors in the first six months of 2008, as gas prices surged above $4 per gallon. While it’s true that Washington drivers used 63 million fewer gallons of fuel in the first six months of 2008, peak period volumes still continued to grow on these key commuter routes. The most notable changes in traffic volumes were observed on weekends and evenings as drivers reduced discretionary trips, changed destinations or cut trips to save money.
Although congestion remains heavy on several corridors, travel times on six of seven key Puget Sound corridors either improved or remained level for the first half of 2008, compared to 2007.
Four of seven major corridors saw increased traffic volumes during peak periods, yet six corridors experienced better travel times as traffic flow improved and disruptions declined. Improved travel times through some of the region’s busiest corridors suggest that WSDOT’s congestion relief strategies and their associated projects, combined with higher gas prices and rising transit ridership, had a positive effect on the performance of these corridors in the first six months of 2008.
WSDOT is currently delivering the largest capital construction program in our state’s history, including hundreds of safety and congestion relief projects funded by the 2003 and 2005 gas tax, worth $6.5 billion. As of June 30, WSDOT has completed 192 of 391 projects with an additional 83 projects currently under construction. Combined, these projects represent 70% of the total number of projects for both the Nickel and TPA programs.
WSDOT publishes an annual congestion report that provides detailed travel time and traffic delay analysis and highlights “Before and After” case studies of its safety and congestion relief projects. It measures the results from the driver’s perspective for each completed project.
In King County, WSDOT widened the freeway and improved interchanges on I-405 between Kirkland and Bothell.  This $82 million project, the first of the multi-stage Kirkland Nickel project, was completed in October 2007. Based on travel speeds before and after the project was completed, drivers’ speeds have increased by 16%, from 37 mph to 43 mph. The Tukwila to Bellevue morning commute improved by 12 minutes in part due to new WSDOT auxiliary lane on I-405, opened in early 2009.
WSDOT recently completed one of the largest construction projects ever delivered in Snohomish County, the $263.4 million I-5 Everett HOV and Freeway Expansion project. This project combined added capacity, safety and operational improvements by adding HOV lanes to demonstrate that our Moving Washington strategy can reap big benefits. Before the project began in 2005, afternoon commuters headed northbound on I-5 between 128th Street and Marine View Drive spent up to 18 minutes moving through this eight mile stretch of highway.  After crews opened the new lanes in May 2008, commuters shaved their commute to 10 minutes. Without congestion, travelers can drive through this section of I-5 in eight minutes.
In Clark County, WSDOT widened two miles of I-5 between Salmon Creek and the I-205 interchange. This $44 million project was one of several aimed at improving traffic flow in the I-5 corridor between the Main Street interchange in Vancouver and the I-205 junction.
Result: Drivers’ travel speeds have improved 19% from 42 mph to 50 mph.
For more information about Moving Washington, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/movingwashington. For our detailed annual congestion report and the most recent six-month, incremental traffic trend analysis folio go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/.

The Big Apple! Home of Broadway, the Empire State building, the New York Yankees, and the worst drivers in America.
According to a study conducted by GMAC Insurance for 2009, New Yorkers are bad at knowing the rules of the road. The study tested 5,000 drivers from all 50 states on their basic knowledge of driving laws. While New Yorkers get the distinction of being the worst, the entire Northeast region of the country gets all around bad grades. Last year’s champion of worst drivers was New Jersey, they’re just 2nd to worst now.

According to the GMAC press release
“20.1 percent of licensed Americans – amounting to roughly 41 million drivers on the road – would not pass a written drivers test exam if taken today.”

While the Northeast was bad, the Northwest came out looking great. Washington ranked 17th, Alaska 12th, Oregon8th, and Idahotied for #1. Something that area drivers can be proud of. But the big question is, will this help our daily insurance rates? Probably not. This would be a miniscule fraction of the overall complex insurance formula. Translation-You’re not getting a break on your auto insuarnce cause the insurance companies like your money.

Here’s the complete list
 

Here’s the complete list from best to worst
 
1 IDAHO
1 WISCONSIN
3 MONTANA
4 KANSAS
5 SOUTH DAKOTA
5 NEBRASKA
7 UTAH
8 WYOMING
8 IOWA
8 OREGON
8 MINNESOTA
12 ALASKA
12 NORTH DAKOTA
14 VERMONT
15 COLORADO
15 MISSOURI
17 OKLAHOMA
17 WASHINGTON
19 NEW MEXICO
20 NORTH CAROLINA
21 VIRGINIA
22 INDIANA
22 MICHIGAN
24 ARKANSAS
24 TEXAS
26 ALABAMA
26 NEVADA
28 WEST VIRGINIA
29 ILLINOIS
30 ARIZONA
31 MAINE
32 DELAWARE
33 NEW HAMPSHIRE
34 OHIO
35 KENTUCKY
36 PENNSYLVANIA
37 LOUISIANA
38 TENNESSEE
38 MISSISSIPPI
40 SOUTH CAROLINA
40 MARYLAND
42 CONNECTICUT
43 FLORIDA
44 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
45 MASSACHUSETTS
46 RHODE ISLAND
47 GEORGIA
48 CALIFORNIA
49 HAWAII
50 NEW JERSEY
51 NEW YORK

 

See the article on Yahoo

You don’t live in Southern California. You don’t live in Florida. You live in the state of Washington where it rains a good 200 plus days a year (give or take some crazy summer). So when it comes to looking at buying a convertible car in Seattle, you ARE taking a chance. Rag top or hard top? The answer is simple, considering the convertible will be closed most of time, better make it a hard top. The last thing you want is to have a slight rip and you find a puddle in your passenger seat in mid January.

So if you must have a convertible for the summer months, here’s a list of some stylish ones that will make you the envy of Seattle, for at least 2 and half months.

2010 Ford Shelby GT-2dr Convertible (5.4L 8cyl S/C 6M)-The quintessential muscle car

2009 VW Beattle-2.5L Blush Edition 2dr Convertible (2.5L 5cyl 6A)-Not REAL manly, but gets the job done in the “fun” department.

2009 Smart Fortwo-BRABUS cabriolet 2dr Convertible (1.0L 3cyl 5AM)-Could offer the best MPG of all convertibles.33/41 MPG

2009 Porche Boxster-S 2dr Convertible (3.4L 6cyl 6M)-A classic.

2009 Mazda Miata-Sport 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)-It’s small but feisty

2009 Mini Cooper-S 2dr Convertible (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)-You either love it or hate it

2010 Honda S2000-CR 2dr Convertible (2.2L 4cyl 6M)-Honda reliability in a convertible

2008 BMW Z4M-2dr Hatchback (3.2L 6cyl 6M)-Can’t go wrong with this one.

2009 Cadillac XLR-Platinum 2dr Convertible (4.6L 8cyl 6A)-A head turner.

2009 Maybach Landaulet-4dr Convertible (6.0L 12cyl Turbo 5A)-Had to have a ridiculously expensive one. At $1.3 million… it is.

Kelly, director of Seattle Art Cars, is inviting the Seattle car and art community to come out and experience the art cars! Held at the Fremont Fair from June 20th to 21st, the show is a unique and entertaining exhibit of decorated cars that are both wacky and amazing.

“I’m writing to invite everyone to come to the 11th annual ‘SEATTLE ARTCAR BLOWOUT’ at the Fremont Fair, June 20th and 21st. We’ll exhibit decorated vehicles from all over the U.S and B.C, on the Upper Burke Lot on 35th street. 

This is 60 or more painted cars, glued/assemblage/sculpted, cars welded and or modified in every conceivable manner, all guaranteed to induce awe as well as laughter. The Fremont Fair is free and family-friendly (although it’s now-famous-for-the-200-naked-bicyclists), while art cars are growing in popularity every year as more and more people start making personal artistic statements on their daily transportation.

When I started my first art car – a horse-themed Pinto – in ‘86, it was one of 2 or 3 in Seattle. Now there are presumably 50 or 75 of us [art car modders] and more showing up monthly. We welcome any and all ’skill levels’ of decoration, the only common denominator is an appreciation of public rolling art and a sense of humour. Cars are registering from Canada, Texas, California, Kansas, and more. Be sure to check out Dave Major’s tiny airplane BMW, and Rex Rosenberg’s ‘CHEWBARU’, a Subaru covered in dentures.

Go to www.seattleartcars.org for information or to donate (we do fund-raising, because most Artcar shows reimburse gas costs to participants, as well as house and feed them for 3 days. For example: a single van from Texas can be $1,200. So 20 or 30 out-of-town cars adds up in a hurry!).

Let the Good Times ROLL!”
kelly

When you think of concierge service, images of the helpful attendant at the Bellagio or the Four Seasons comes to mind. Did you need last minute tickets to Cirque Du Soleil? No problem, just call the concierge and he can hook it up!  

That may be true for hotel service, but when it comes to auto insurance it probably doesn’t happen very often. However, if you’re a Progessive Insurance customer, you can get concierge-like service, without having to tip. It’s the Progressive Service Center.

The Ohio based insurer goes the extra mile in making things easier for their customers after an accident. While most insurance companies make you call the agent, who then makes you call an 800 number, and after that it’s more calls for you to get quotes and such, for Progressive policy holders it can be as easy as one call. For customers in Seattle, it can be as easy just dropping the vehicle off in Lynnwood and letting someone else do the dirty work. 

 “The focus is prompt, quality service for our customers,” explains Colby Smith, Progressive Service Center Manager in Lynnwood. “We feel this type of service separates us from the competition. People really seem to enjoy it because they find it so easy.

 Considering there are only 54 Progressive service centers across the nation, with the Lynnwood location being the only one in Washington, Progressive customers in the Seattle area are treated like VIP’s. While the service center people will do the majority of the hassle-work for you, the best thing about these service centers are the costs. There is none. There are no out of pocket costs.

 “There’s no extra charge for the service center,” says Smith. “It’s already built in. Anybody with a (Progressive) policy who’s been in an accident can use it. Customers will get a quality repair promptly, and we’ll ensure customer satisfaction.”

 But don’t think you can just drop in on any given Saturday to get the oil changed on the convertible you’ve had covered in the garage all winter. The Progressive service centers are strictly for accidents claims. And if these service centers are as popular with customers as they say they are, Progressive could start climbing the local auto insurance charts. They’re currently the 6^th largest auto insurer in Washington State.

Now they just need to find a way to get those Cirque Du Soleil tickets, that’d be real VIP! 

Locate a Progressive Service Center around the country

People here wash their cars in the rain.

Someone from Los Angeles might think that’s insane, but if you’re from Seattle you think nothing of seeing someone at the car wash during a winter drizzle. If it’s rained for two solid weeks and is going to rain for two more, sometimes you just have to wash off the gunk and start over.
A clean car not only makes you feel better, it protects your car’s resale value — something that might be of particular interest right now, as people might be holding onto cars a little longer. Particularly with older cars, clean vs. dirty can make a huge difference in sale price.

One local used car dealer estimated you can get up to 25 percent more for a car that looks and smells clean, and people can tell the difference between a car that was kept clean all along and one that got a hasty carpet shampoo before the “for sale” sign went up.
If you’re car shopping and you get into a car that smells like it’s been housing wet chinchillas, or notice a shady rectangle on the rear carpet from when a child left a Fudgesicle on it in 1996, does that attract you to the car? On the other hand, if a car feels like it’s been taken care of on the outside, you tend to assume the previous owner also took care of it mechanically.

The best choice for washing is generally a top-flight commercial car wash like Brown Bear. They take the extra step of recycling their water, which has a huge impact on the environment. Places like Brown Bear also have special brushes, wiping cloths, and cleansers. All are gentle products designed specifically for the exterior of most cars, because they have to be.

But it’s a financial commitment to have your car professionally cleaned often, so even though many major car manufacturers advise against hand washing, some people will choose the do-it-yourself option at least sometimes. Following a few guidelines can make the process more effective, easier and more environmentally friendly.
• Don’t wash your car in the driveway or on the street. Storm drains feed directly into rivers, lakes and the ocean — which means all the soapy byproducts of your washing end up there, too. Most people wouldn’t dream of dumping a bucket of soapy water into Puget Sound, but it’s literally the same thing to wash the car in the driveway. If you must wash at home, choose biodegradable car wash liquids or make your own using eco-friendly dish or laundry soaps. And it’s better to wash your car on your lawn than on the concrete — the waste water does less damage filtering down through your soil than flowing into the storm drain.

• Keep your wash mitts and rags clean. If grit and bits of debris build up on the implement you use to scrub the car, you may as well be polishing your car’s paint with sandpaper. It causes visible swirl marks and breaks down wax. Run those mitts and rags through the washing machine after every use.

• Wash early or wash late. Most people know not to apply wax in direct sunlight, but you shouldn’t wash under those conditions either, especially if the weather is warm. It causes spotting from the cleanser that can be damaging and permanent.

• Rinse, rinse, rinse. One of the cautions against home washing is that water pressure from your hose isn’t strong enough to adequately rinse off cleansers, which build up and hurt the finish. Put that sprayer on full blast and give it an extra once-over.

• Test your interior cleaners first. There are so many types of cleaners, and so many kinds of upholstery, leather and plastic, that you can’t assume a product won’t damage your surfaces. Test on an inconspicuous area first, and when using spray cleaners, spray on the rag to apply rather than spraying directly on the surface. Especially when it’s sunny, that can leave spots that are difficult or impossible to remove.

• Remove odors, don’t pile on more. We’ve all known the guy who has a dozen of those little air freshener trees hanging from the rear view mirror of a car that smells sickeningly of vanilla or pina colada. People often do this thinking (wrongly) that it will cover up that the occupants smoke in the car. Piling your car full of air fresheners, or spraying a blast of cherryscent in it at the self-serve car wash, doesn’t make it smell clean. Think of air fresheners like cologne — a little can be complimentary,but a lot just makes you stink.

In general, don’t add “good” scents, work on taking away bad ones.Have the upholstery steam cleaned. Use a small vacuum attachment to get debris, mold and grime out of the air vents. Regularly spray Febreze on cloth upholstery and headliners. If you can’t get floor mats sufficiently clean, consider replacing them. And each time you gas up the car, use the time while the pump is running to clean out any garbage that has accumulated. Moldering food wrappers and soda cans are a big source of bad car smells.

Also, don’t use your car to house wet chinchillas. That’s just common sense.

Dave Andriesen is a former Seattle P-I sports reporter. His stories can been seen on SeattleAuto.net as a contributing writer.

YOU BREAK, YOU BUY!
The saying “if you break it, you buy it” is just as true with a rental car as it is with an overpriced piece of porcelain at an antique store.  If you sideswipe a parking pylon, there’s a pretty decent chance the folks who run your rental facility will know about it… whether you elect to tell them at turn-in or not.  HOWEVER – I’m not here to talk about your own mistakes and/or karmic choices.
There is NOTHING worse in life than paying for something you are not at fault for –I’ve been burned, don’t let it happen to you!  Listen, I know your flight was late, the line at the counter was cued to infinity and beyond, and you needed to be somewhere an hour ago.  But I implore you:  TAKE FIVE MINUTES TO INSPECT YOUR VEHICLE ANYWAY.
Check both inside AND out and let someone know, before you leave the lot, if you’ve found anything out of sorts.  A quick walk around and writing down any significant dings in the shell or tears in the upholstery can save you both the money they’ll want for the repair and the valuable time you’d spend dealing with the issue when they try to blame you for returning a roughed-up ride.

CHECK TWICE BEFORE SIGNING ON THE DOTTED LINE
I’m not going to advise you on whether you need supplemental insurance for your rental vehicle.  You should already know if your personal auto policy covers damage to rental cars (if you don’t, call your insurance company right now – it’s a valuable piece of information!) 
What I want to warn you AGAINST is being charged an extra insurance fee you didn’t mean to approve in the first place.  A dear colleague of mine got robbed to the tune of over a thousand dollars (!!!) last year at spring training when he didn’t realize that he was being charged an extra $15/day for insurance he didn’t need nor request for a rental he used for about two months. 
Needless to say, his company was nonplussed when he submitted the expense invoice… at least it didn’t come out of his pocket, but don’t let it come out of yours!  

BELONGINGS BELONG OUT OF SIGHT
This is simple:  you wouldn’t leave a laptop sitting out on the passenger seat of your own car, begging someone to break your window and walk off with it, right?  Well, what is more inviting to someone who breaks into cars than a piece of luggage?  It’s like a veritable “mystery grab bag” of goodies that some thieves can’t resist, so YOU MUST place your items out of sight and out of harm’s way.
In the trunk, under a seat, in the glove box – storage spots are ample in newer model vehicles and it’s up to you to take advantage of them, so that you’re not taken advantage of by someone else.

Cara Capuano has worked in television, mainly in sports, for over a decade, spending the last four years covering the Northwest Sports Scene for Fox Sports NW and before that on ESPN News. A dedicated storyteller, from time to time she’ll be lending some “female perspective” to SeattleAuto.net.