New styles, heightened safety and loads of choices make back-to-school cars fun and affordable, according to Kelley Blue Book’s www.kbb.com.
Here’s its Top 10:
(All 2008s, priced $14,000-$17,000): Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Fit, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda3, Scion xB, Subaru Impreza, Suzuki SX4, Toyota Matrix Volkswagen Rabbit.
6 Sippin' Hybrid Alternatives -by Mike Allen - Provided by:
Check out these not-too-thirsty vehicles that give you fuel economy without giving up style and value.
The Cool Carryall - Scion xB
Courtesy: Toyota Motor Co.
Year: 2008
Sells for: $17,220
Fuel Economy: 22 mpg city/28 mpg highway
Engine: 158-hp 2.4-liter DOHC I4
Transmission: 5-speed auto
More .... Scion Launches 'United' Campaign -By Steve Miller, Brandweek
Since its inception in 2003, Scion has gained many fans that are now starring in an expansive, multiplatform campaign for the auto brand. The work breaks Monday with a cinema spot, "Declaration," set to appear in 13,200 theaters.
The "United by individuality" campaign, via Attik, San Francisco, uses creative that was shot in the Nevada desert. The first round of print ads in the September issues of Vice, Tokion and Revolver magazines will be a spread with the phrase: "Individuality runs in the family." An aerial shot of 200 Scion owners' vehicles is on one page, and 100 more are shown in profile on the facing page.
There is, for example, what is rudely called "butt-ugly" -- essentially dysfunctional styling that is an affront to aesthetics and ergonomics; ugliness bordering on insult.
There is "boring" -- ugliness absent imagination and spirit, the kind of styling that tries neither to please nor offend. It is careless design.
And there is Scion xD ugliness, which is ugliness with a purpose. It demands notice. It dares you to object. It has the ambitious audacity of seduction. More ....
'08 xB and '08 xD: For Scion, change is good
After four model years, it's time to replace the xA and xB with...cars that look similar to the xA and xB, albeit less JDM, according to a report
by Motor Trend. The xA gets a new name,
xD. It's based on the Toyota Yaris, and looks ready to take on the Honda Fit, which was imported here mainly to compete with the Scion xA and xB. The xB is much larger and on a
new platform
2-Hour Charge Gets 150 Miles In Electric Scion xB
Imagine driving 150 miles without ever using a drop of gas and your power company might even give you cash back, as well.
A graduate student at the University of Delaware created an electric car of the hopefully not-so-distant future. You get in it like a normal car, you turn the key like a normal car, you put it into gear like a normal car and drive it like a normal car.
Scion United Ad Campaign '09 Scion tC Sport Coupe Reliability Ratings
The initial ratings on the 2009 Scion tC Sport Coupe by J.D. Power and associates are out.
More .... Car Rankings: Affordable Small Cars ('08 tC is 4th)
Ranking of compact cars and subcompact cars, generally priced under $20,000. Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, MINI Cooper and more. Rankings based on an in-depth analysis by U.S. News editors of all published auto ratings, reviews and test drives.
TOYOTA likes to think of its quirky, boxy Scion as a 21st-century chariot of the soul — not just an affordable car, but also a unique expression of the young, hip person who Toyota hopes is driving it.
Now Toyota’s Scion enthusiasts will have even more “me time”: a marketing campaign with an underground vibe that is intended to show just how much their chosen transportation reflects their personality.
With an eye to the social networking ethos that has made Facebook and MySpace wildly popular, Toyota will let Scion owners design their own personal “coat of arms” online, a piece of owner-generated art that is meant to reflect their job, hobbies and — um, O.K. — karma.
In making their personalized crests, Scion owners can choose from among hundreds of symbols, all designed by a professional graffiti artist. The symbols range from an eagle, a jester, a king’s crown and a worker’s fist to Japanese anime-style flowers, a three-person family and a yin-yang circle. Customers can download their designs and have them made into window decals or take them to an auto airbrushing shop to have them professionally painted onto their cars.
The Scion is an economy car aimed at younger, stylish drivers, and the design Web site, scionspeak.com, is free. But Scion enthusiasts must pay for the auto shop renderings of their design, an indulgence that can cost thousands of dollars.
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Scion Launches All-New xB
Scion unveiled the all-new 2008 xB urban utility vehicle at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show. The xB was first introduced in early 2003 for the 2004 model year and its boxy shape
became iconic to the Scion brand..
as reported on February 23, 2007 in Truck Trend.
Toyota's t2B
Designed at Toyota's Calty Design Studio in Newport Beach, California, the t2b--for "Tall Two-Box"--concept takes everything Scion knows about being hip, cutting-edge, and cool and combines it in one smart-looking package.
TORRANCE, Calif., July 25, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., announced new manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) today for 13 select 2009 Toyota and Scion vehicles. The overall average MSRP for the 13 models increases by $181, or 0.81 percent.
After its introduction last year, the Scion xD carries over unchanged. The manual transmission xD will have an MSRP of $14,650, reflecting an increase of $100, or 0.7 percent. The automatic transmission model will be $15,450 representing an increase $100, or 0.7 percent.
For 2008, Kelley Blue Book says the five brands with the best overall predicted resale values are Volkswagen AG's Volkswagen, BMW AG's BMW, Honda Motor Co.'s Acura and Honda brands, then Porsche AG's Porsche. Rounding out the top 10 are Subaru, Lexus, Infiniti, Audi and Toyota. ... See the list..
Five Steps to Stand Up to the Office Bully by Hayli Morrison Media Job Market
About half the American workforce has experienced workplace bullying, either as a target or a witness, according to a 2007 Zogby poll organized by the Workplace Bullying Institute.
Whether it takes on forms such as mocking, unreasonable expectations, or outright disregard, workplace bullying is a serious issue that may be getting worse.
DON'T BE A VICTIM ! To protect yourself from identity theft, remember SCAM:
S - Be STINGY about giving out personal information
C - CHECK your financial and credit card statements as soon as they come in and make sure they are all accounted for.
A - ASK for your credit report and review it carefully. You are entitled to one free report a year from each of the 3 agencies.
M - MAINTAIN records of your financial, purchasing, and other official activities for at least one year - longer, if possible - and keep them in a safe place.
Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do: FIRST -
The worldwide Emergency Number is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area during an emergency, dial 112 and the cellphone will search for an existing network to establish the emergency number for you.
SECOND -
Free Directory Service for your cellphone ls (800)FREE411, or (800) 373-3411.
THIRD -
locked your keys in the car? Does your car have remote keyless entry? Call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button on their duplicate car key, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock.
If you are thinking about buying a home or refinance a mortgage, you may want to avail yourself of a forthcoming free service that could help you get a better mortgage rate.
Six Great Foods For Men By Joy Bauer
Published: June 15, 2008
Listen up, guys. If you’d like to improve your mood, memory, muscles, and more, forget expensive and potentially risky supplements.
Just head to your local supermarket.
You’ll find foods that help prevent age- related health conditions. As an added bonus, they all taste great and are easy to incorporate into your diet.
On February 17, 2009 all full-power broadcast television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and begin broadcasting only in digital.
Digital broadcasting will allow stations to offer improved picture and sound quality and additional channels.
Find out more about whether or not you will be impacted by the digital TV (DTV) transition.
According to the mileage book in my glovebox, I averaged about 21 miles per gallon in May. So far in June, I'm at 26.
New, more fuel-efficient, car?
Nope, I'm commuting in the same old Volvo S60 that has seen better days. Same dent in the right rear door. Same old Cheerios wedged under the child safety seat in back.
So how did I do it? I'm trying to learn to drive more efficiently, and little by little, it's working. With a few simple changes, you can easily squeeze more gas mileage out of the car you're already driving.
