Best Cars For College Graduates

When you are a college student, one of the things you are focused on is how to get through college on a tight budget. You have to try and save on just about everything, which means that you are not likely to go out to dinner too often, and you can't afford to buy expensive furniture or cool gadgets and appliances in efforts to make your dorm room look beautiful and feel as comfortable as possible in it. This applies to transportation, as well. When choosing what type of car to buy while you are in college, the most important thing is that it's not too expensive, regardless of its performances. You want a car with good fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs. While these attributes should be important to you after college, as well, you can start thinking about getting a better, pricier car, since you have already found a job or at least there are a few job prospects on the horizon.

Volkswagen GTI

This hatchback is powered by a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine, and has a turbo 6-speed manual transmission. It's a sporty vehicle, that has a very comfortable interior, with some pretty high-quality materials used for the seats and the dashboard, and it has navigation system, Bluetooth, and iPod input as standard features. You can get the Volkswagen GTI for around $23,000.

Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 is a car that has a very good fuel efficiency, and on top of that, it has great performances. It's rated at 40 mpg on the highway, and even though it doesn't have a top-notch interior, it makes up for it with the incredibly good handling and steering, and the fact that it's quite eco-friendly, thanks to the Sky-G engine. The asking price for a Mazda 3 is about $15,000.

Suzuki Kizashi

This sedan with a sporty exterior design should attract college grads with its affordable price and the roomy interior that has a lot of convenience features. It has a remote keyless entry, tilt steering wheel, front and rear beverage holders, sport seats, air conditioning and automatic temperature control. It does have a relatively poor fuel efficiency, though, with 21 mpg/city and 30 mpg/city. But, it's a pretty safe car and it's not too expensive, costing about $19,000.

All in all, after you've graduated, and hopefully the days when every dollar counts ended the moment you moved out of the dorm room, you can afford to buy a car that you won't be embarrassed to drive, which is a pretty common thing among college students.

If you are a parent and your kids went to college, you wanted to make sure they stay safe and sound in all respects. After the graduation, you feel that its time for them to get a vehicle with much better performances.

Mazda Tribute Named Cheapest Car to Insure For 2010

Insure.com has come out with its annual ranking of average auto insurance premiums for new car models. Surprisingly, an sport-utility vehicle ("SUV") received the highest ranking on the list. The Mazda Tribute I, a two-wheel drive 4-cylinder model, was found to be the least expensive model to insure for 2010 with an average annual premium of $1,070.25. The Insure.com ranking included a variety of makes and models including compact cars, SUVs, and sports cars.

A variety of factors influence auto insurance costs. Vehicle make, model, place of residence, and driving record are the primary basis for calculation insurance rates. Vehicles that are highly appealing, have a lot of horsepower, and driven during peak hours or late at night tend to have higher insurance costs.

The 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera GT2 two-door coupe, a car that costs nearly $200,000, was found to be the most expensive vehicle to insure. A 40 year-old male with a good driving record would pay an average of nearly $3,000 a year to insure this 530 horsepower vehicle.

From an insurance perspective, a "soccer" mom who owns a Mazda Tribute I, poses a significantly lower risk to insure than a driver of a Porsche. She is much less likely to make a claim and is probably not an aggressive driver. Mazda Tribute's are also much cheaper to repair after a collision than a Porsche.

Other SUV models making the lists top 20 cheapest to insure were the four-wheel drive Jeep Wrangler X, and the two-wheel drive Jeep Patriot Sport, Honda CR-V LX, Hyundai Tucson GLS, Kia Sportage LX, Hyundai Santa Fe GLS, Dodge Journey SE, and four-wheel drive Ford Escape XLS. No SUVs were in the rankings for top 20 vehicles to insure, which was dominated by high performance European cars.

The Features and Options of the Mazda RX 8

The North American International Auto Show back in the year 2001 served as the avenue and channel for the Mazda Motor Corporation to show off and introduce to the public one of the vehicles that showed much potential and delivered greatly. This vehicle is the Mazda RX 8. During its introduction that year, it held a 250 PS JIS RENESIS engine that could produce some 247 units of horsepower at 8500 rpm. This engine won the International Engine of the Year award and the Best New Engine award in 2003.

The Mazda RX 8 was made available in two variants. These variants are the 197-horsepower base model that held an automatic transmission system, and the 238-horsepower performance model with a six speed manual transmission system. Of course, there are differences between these two trim levels. The Mazda RX 8 with the automatic transmission system holds standard features like air conditioning, sixteen inch wheels, power windows, power locks, and power mirrors. As per the trim level with the manual transmission system, this vehicle has the same features as per the other one however, it has added features like a limited slip differential, a sport tuned suspension, and 18 inch wheels and tires.

Mazda has designed and manufactured the Mazda RX 8 to be a vehicle that could be upgraded. And the company has made sure that there are packages available for those interested in sprucing up their Mazda RX 8 vehicles. One package is the Sport package. This gives the vehicle additional xenon headlights, a stability and traction control system, fog lights, a limited slip differential, larger brakes, a retuned suspension, and eighteen inch wheels and tires. There also is the Touring package that has features like the Sport package but adds several more features like a sunroof, a Bose audio system, a HomeLink system, and auto dimming mirrors. The last package is the Grand Touring package that is considered to be a combination of the previously mentioned two packages. This package is considered to be top of the line and has additional equipment and features for the Mazda RX 8 like a six way power adjustable and heated driver's seat, leather upholstery, heated side mirrors, a navigation system, and an in-dash six disc CD changer.

Midsize Surprise: 2014 Mazda Mazda6

When it comes to midsize sedans, every manufacturer has a presence in this "family car" segment. That is no surprise as the D-segment is both a sales leader and a money maker. The competition here is also very stiff with the Toyota Camry leading the market followed by the Honda Accord. The Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata also make a strong impression, but the big surprise just may come from one of the smallest manufacturers: Mazda. Indeed, the 2014 Mazda6 is all-new, a five passenger sedan that is packed with surprises and great value.

Background

First offered in the 2003 model year, the Mazda6 is now in its third generation. The first models shared a platform with various Ford vehicles including the Ford Fusion, but the current edition was built strictly in-house. The current edition is priced from $20,800 or toward the bottom end of the midsize sedan segment.

Engine and Transmissions

The Mazda6 is sold in Sport, Touring and Grand Touring editions. This vehicle is powered by a SKYACTIV four cylinder gasoline engine, displacing at 2.5 liters. This engine makes 184 horsepower and 185 foot-pounds of torque and is the sole engine offered with this vehicle.

Sport and Touring editions are equipped with a standard 6-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic transmission is optional, but standard with the Grand Touring edition.

Gas mileage is at the top of the midsize range with the standard models rated at 25 mpg in town and 37 mpg on the highway. When equipped with an automatic transmission, this vehicle gets 26 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway. That highway figure ties the Nissan Altima for segment leadership.

Exterior Highlights

Based on the Mazda Takeri concept, the 2014 Mazda6 espouses the brands' "soul in motion" design language to deliver a sporty sedan that is stylish and crisp. This model features a powerful fascia, strong shoulders, sweeping and sculpted body lines, and an overall modern look.

Mazda6 is outfitted with 17- or 19-inch alloy wheels and features color coordinated side mirror caps and door handles. This vehicle offers standard halogen headlamps, but can be had with Bi-Xenon HID headlights and LED tail lights. An adaptive front lighting system is also available.

Interior Highlights

Inside, the Mazda6 cabin is bright, spacious and offers numerous luxury touches. This vehicle features a sport steering wheel, a three-panel dashboard display, a center stack display and easy to understand knobs and switches to control audio and climate control systems.

Standard equipment includes air conditioning, a tilt and telescopic steering column, a six-speaker audio system, power windows and power door locks, steering wheel mounted controls and intermittent wipers. Touring editions bring in a six-way power driver's seat, leatherette seating surfaces, HD radio, Pandora Internet radio, Bluetooth connectivity and larger wheels. Choose the Grand Touring edition for a power sliding moonroof, a rear lip spoiler, upgraded lighting, paddle shifters, leather treatments, heated front seats and a Bose audio system.

Mazda6 Raves

The all-new Mazda6 should be considered if you're looking at buying a five passenger front-wheel-drive sedan. Perhaps the only thing that it lacks is an all-wheel-drive option, but then it will soon offer a diesel option, something very few of its competitors are able to claim.

Matt Keegan is a freelance automotive writer. He is also a contributing writer for Andy's Auto Sport and affiliated websites, an aftermarket supplier of quality auto parts including Toyota Tundra wheels and Ford F-150 wheels.

Cooling System: How It Affects Your Mazda Car's Performance

Just like human beings, the car needs to dissipate heat in order to avoid overheating and exhaustion. During combustion, the engine produces large amount of heat--about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This is too much for the engine to bear so a cooling system is needed to keep it at a normal temperature. Cars usually overheat due to a damaged part in the cooling system, especially the radiator, the heart of the cooling system. It is therefore necessary that all its auto parts must be in proper working condition to ensure that the whole system works efficiently.

Aside from the radiator, the cooling system is composed water pump, freeze plugs, head gasket, thermostat, hoses, heater core, fan clutch and radiator fan. All these auto parts have special roles to perform thus the absence of one could significantly affect the whole cooling process and of course, the engine's performance. Take for example the hose, this may seem to be just an ordinary part but once broken, the coolant can escape and so it's no longer possible for the system to cool the engine. Even just the cap of the radiator is important. It holds the pressure in the cooing system; thereby, affects its stability.

How does the cooling system of your Mazda work? The coolant, which is a mixture of anti-freeze and water, is the one that absorbs the heat from the engine. It is drawn by the water pump from the radiator and is pumped through engine block and the cylinder head to absorb the heat from the engine and its parts. It goes back to the receiving tank of the radiator through the radiator hose. The radiator has tubes that contain large amount of water and has fin area to allow outside air to pass through. As the coolant spreads over the top of the radiator tubes, it transfers heat to the air.

The performance of your Mazda car is greatly dependent on your cooling system. No matter how gutsy its engine is, it can't work normally without a cooling system. The engine can even be inutile in an instant if it overheats and all other auto parts under the hood can also be damaged. They could melt as the engine burns the fuel inside the combustion chamber and the pistons in the cylinder could expand extremely that they can no longer move to complete the whole process in the engine.

Your Mazda car can possibly overheat as well. Engine overheating is one of the most common problems auto users encounter. You can avoid this by adding water to your radiator. So if you notice a problem on a particular part in your cooling system, consult the best auto mechanic in town. But if you think the problem is worst, you may as well replace it right away.

Mazda Parts are everywhere to be found. Auto parts stores like Auto Parts Inner offers you Mazda parts like Mazda radiators, Mazda radiator support, Mazda Bumpers, Mazda radiator fan and Mazda coolant tank. This incredible auto parts site also offers other replacement Mazda parts such as Mazda Tail Lights, Mazda rear view mirror, Mazda euro headlight, Mazda headlight molding, Mazda Wheels, and many other auto parts. You can find here auto parts for Mazda 323, Mazda 626, Mazda Miata, Mazda MX6, Mazda Protégé and Mazda RX7.

Auto Parts Inner is also one of the recognized auto information resources on the net. As an expert in this field, they offer simply the best auto parts with very efficient service.

Terry Brown is a 32 year old from Houston Texas, and an enthusiast for anything auto related. He is currently employed as a market analyst by one of the top car parts company in the area. His automotive articles provide valuable source of information for auto enthusiasts like him as well as to those in need of automotive research.

Know the History of Mazda

Many motorists are familiar with the manufacturing brand of Mazda Cars. Australia represents a huge marketplace for this dynamic brand. However, many people are unaware of the history of Mazda and how long the company has actually been established.

The early roots of the Mazda Company can be traced to the 1920s. The company's original founder Jujiro Matsuda gathered a small investment group together who then acquired the company Toyo Cork Kogyo. The Toyo Cork Kogyo Company was a small operation that manufactured machining tools forthe domestic market. In 1927 the company became a limited company and over the intervening years their operations shifted from manufacturing machining tools to producing vehicles.

The first vehicle officially produced by the company was in 1931. It was a truck with three wheels branded as the Mazda-Go. This, in addition to manufacturing equipment for the Japanese military would form the basis of the modern-day master brand we are familiar with.

The company continued producing vehicles under their original name after the Second World War. They didn't actually officially rebrand as Mazda until 1984. The inspiration for this new name is still debated today. Some experts believe it is a derivation of Ahura Mazda, the Persian god, while others believe it is derived from the name of the original founder. There are also unanswered questions as to why many of the company's early vehicle designs carried the brand name of Mazda, despite the name change not being implemented until decades later.

Mazda experienced their first major growth in popularity in the 1960s, when they introduced their first conventional car design. The Mazda R360 was a two-door coupe with four seats. It had either a two speed automatic or a four speed manual transmission. It had a maximum of 16 horse power and could produce top speeds of approximately 52 mph. This represented a potential family vehicle with the Mazda reliability and quality.

Another aspect of Mazda cars, Australia buyers may be familiar with is the Wankel rotary engine. This was developed by Mazda as a means of distinguishing itself from the other car manufacturers of Japan. Mazda dedicated significant resources and efforts towards this development, with the first newly developed engine being sold in 1962. Although the engine has been developed further, the current RX8 engine is based on these early designs.

In the 1960s, Mazda experienced some financial difficulty, which resulted in a partnership with the Ford motor company in the 1970s. This relationship lasted for many decades until the American manufacturer struggled with the negative effects of the world recession in 2008. These financial issues forced Ford to sell their financial stake in Mazda, which has allowed the Japanese car manufacturer to regain their independence.

When considering Mazda cars, Australia actually has a wide selection of the product range available. Unlike some other markets around the world, Australian buyers actually have great access to the variety of vehicles produced in Japan. Many customers have also experienced the fantastic after-care and sales support offered through Mazda Australia, which has helped the brand to become one of the most popular in Australia today.

Wanneroo Mazda is one of the best Mazda dealers in Perth Australia, offering a great range of new and used Mazda cars. Experience our Mazda Dealership finest experience

What Is Best About The New Mazda 6

Many people consider the third generation new Mazda 6 to be the epitome of the dynamic and stylish car. The Mazda 6 continues the trend of its predecessors with a well-equipped and stylish package which set a high standard in the medium sized car niche.

The new Mazda 6 is the second range in the company line up to be adapted with the new design philosophy of KODO which was launched with the CX 5. This new family resemblance creates a bolder and sharper design which is far more dynamic than the aesthetic appearance of the previous model. The new styling creates more daring lines at the front and rear of the vehicle to create an overall striking appearance.

Within the Australian market, the new Mazda 6 is available in two different body types with a choice in engines. The option of a diesel automatic is available on the Mazda 6 for the very first time, with no manual variant provided due to the insignificant level of demand in the marketplace. The 2.5 litre petrol engine is a debut for the Skyactive within the Mazda 6. It offers 138 kW power and 250Nm torque. Official figures quote that its fuel efficiency is 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres using standard 91 RON.

The 2.2 litre diesel has its power output rated at 129 kW but this produces an amazing 420Nm torque. It has relatively modest fuel efficiency with 5.4 litres needed per 100 kilometres. Both the petrol and diesel engines are complemented with the six speed automatic option for transmission. The diesel is almost ranked as having the best fuel efficiency in its class. Official figures have the Camry Hybrid from Toyota consuming 5.2 litres per 100 kilometres. However, road tests may dispute these figures and cause great debate.

The new Mazda 6 is not only aesthetically pleasing and packing a power punch. They are also equipped with a great number of technologies and innovations to increase functionality and driver experience. The i-Activesense range offers a number of features, which boosts the safety of the vehicle. These include radar cruise control, warning systems for forward obstruction, lane departure and rear vehicle monitoring, high beam headlight control, smart braking and automatic transmission acceleration control. These features combine to increase the safety of the Mazda 6, making it not only a great ride but a safe family vehicle.

The new Mazda 6 made its debut at the Sydney Motor Show and has become instantly popular. The quality and ambience of the interior provides the perfect complement for the overall performance and dynamic attractive aesthetic appearance. This provides an almost universal appeal, making it a popular choice as an executive commuter care or practical family vehicle. Its spacious interior allows for plenty of room, whether you are looking to fit a pram in the boot or carry five adult passengers.

If you are looking for a mid-size vehicle, it is certainly worth taking the time to consider the new Mazda 6. Its attractive cosmetic appearance is shielding a fantastic performer, which offers all the quality and technology you would expect from a Mazda.

The new Mazda 6 is not only aesthetically pleasing and packing a power punch. They are also equipped with a great number of technologies and innovations to increase functionality and driver experience