Tweaking Your Truck

May 12th, 2008 DavidH. Posted in Automotive No Comments »

Trucks have two ways of being customized. One way is for the looks; the other is for the performance. There are different types of accessories for these kinds of upgrades.

Truck owners and enthusiasts have been known to modify their vehicles to get what they want for their driving experience. There are two paths to upgrading and personalizing their trucks. One path is to improve the look and features of the body and the interior, making changes to personalize the appearance of the truck. The other path to take is to improve the power and performance of the truck, to get the most out of the engine. Whatever choice of improvement is made, the way to get the modification wanted for the owner’s truck is through the use of truck accessories.

When it comes to improving the look and features of the truck, one normally starts with the exterior. One major upgrade to the truck’s looks is to change up or add a tonneau or bed cover. There are three types of cover for your truck’s bed. There is the cloth or vinyl type of cover, which is just tied to the bed’s sides with a rope that is sewn into the edges of the tonneau and strapped to clips or snaps along the bed’s body. Next is the roll-up type, which is a plastic or fabric cover rolled into a container near the cab and stretched out over and secured to the end of the bed. The last and most popular type of tonneau is the hard plastic or fiberglass kind. It is a solid cover that stretches the length of the bed, and is securely locked at the edge. This is considered to be the favorite choice of truckers upgrading their truck’s looks since the fiberglass tonneau looks best compared to the other types of tonneau.

The other accessories to upgrade the looks of the truck are grill guards, which protect the front end of the truck. Nerf bars, which run alongside and under the truck’s body, thus serving as a small step between the doors of the cab and the ground and also serves as protection from rocks underneath which the truck may pass. Running boards, which are small boards that run under and alongside the cab. These serve as a step where additional passengers may stand on while the truck is running. These accessories plus roof racks, toolboxes, winches among other things are the accessories needed to upgrade the look of one’s truck.

To upgrade the performance of trucks, on the other hand, needs a different set of accessories. To begin, custom mufflers and pipes to increase the horsepower of the engine is a good way to start. Then performance chips and programmers is a good upgrade to tell your engine’s computer that you need more power. This is because the chip will be able to modify your engine to provide better performance be it with more power, cleaner emissions or lower fuel consumption.

With customizing your truck, there is really no limit to what you can choose to do. It depends on the life you lead and the needs you have from your vehicle. After all, you accessorize your truck to give it the features you want. Tweak the look, and tweak the performance. Tweak your truck.

For more information on Truck Accessories please visit our website.

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Make Sure That Your Car Is Ready For A Summer Getaway

May 12th, 2008 LeviQuinn Posted in Automotive No Comments »

Summer is the best time to plan an out of town trip. There are loads of activities to do and there is plenty of time to prepare. A checklist of all the needed items in the trip will help you have a smooth journey. But before you hit the road, make sure that you did the summer car maintenance list as well. This will help ensure that you are going to have a hassle free trip.

Weather change has a great impact on your car. If you haven’t notice any obvious problem that needs to be attended to, changes in the environment might allow this to surface. It may be too late to deal with it then. So the best thing to do to have your car checked every time there’s a major climate change especially during the summer season. Here are some of the things you need to check.

Make sure that your tires are in good shape. Tires should be able to take the toughness of the trip. Replace the tire that needs to be replaced. And regardless if it is new or not, make sure that it has the right inflation level. This will prevent blowouts caused by heat build up in tires that do not have enough air.

Your car’s brake is also one of the biggest concerns. It is a significant aspect of a safe trip. Make sure that it is working before you head on. Test if your car has enough stop power. Observe for any strange noise once you hit the brake because this entails that something is wrong with it. If you are having doubts about your brakes, have it checked to ensure that it is in good shape.

Check the seatbelts as well. Make sure that the straps are firmly attached to the seat. Try to adjust and reel it. It should smoothly glide through as you direct it around. When fastened, it should fit in just right after you fasten the latch.

Check your windshield wipers. Most of the time, it needs to be replaced after going through the winter season. Replace it as necessary

Check your headlights. Check all the bulbs and make sure that none of it is busted. It is not safe to drive with a busted bulb. So check your headlights and replace the bulb that is not working.

It is also best to replace your air filter during this time of your year. If you are planning a long trip, make sure that it is not clogged, not only will it use up more energy but it will also reduce your car’s mileage.

Check its radiator as well. Radiators are accumulates solid deposits. Check if yours need a radiator flush. It has to be clean in order to perform better. You need it to be cooling your engine the best way it can during a summer trip.

And finally, check your car’s battery. Make sure that it is not corroded from the previous season. Check that the cables are properly connected. Checking the battery will eliminate your car’s starting problems.

Find the best deal on the auto insurance coverage you need. Visit us today for money-saving tips and receive free quotes for cheap second car insurance from respected insurance companies.

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The Differences In Gas Cards

May 11th, 2008 TomTessin Posted in Automotive No Comments »

If you don’t already know by now that you can save money on gas with a gas credit card then you should start looking into one. But before you start your journey and searching for the perfect card, you have to realize that all gas rebate credit cards are not created equal. I’m here today to show you differences between the cards and hopefully by the time you read this article, you’ll be able to understand which card will work best for you.

The APR

Like any credit card, all gas cards have different APRs. The APR is going to be the rate applied to your unpaid balance. This is why it’s generally important to pay off your bill in full each month so that you can avoid this. If you’re disciplined and you pay your bill off in full each month then the APR shouldn’t really matter to you.

The rewards

Even though you’re applying for a gas rewards card, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get the rebate back. Before you apply, you’re going to want to figure out how you’re going to get your rebates back. Some cards are going to give your rebates back in the form of points while other cards will give it back to you in cash form. This is all to your liking but most people generally want to get their rebates back in cash form.

Watch the caps

Caps are an essential part to your credit card especially if you fill up a lot. Some credit card companies only allow you to save on so much cash per year. If you plan on using your card a lot throughout the year, make sure you find out if the card is going to have a cap. Some cards have a cap and some don’t. Sometimes you may find that a card with a cap will have better rates compared to ones that don’t.

The amount you get back

This is probably the most important one in my opinion. When you’re on the lookout for your card, find out how much you’re going to get back and where you can use the card at. Some cards only allow you to use them at particular gas stations. You’ll usually be able to tell if a gas station logo is on the card itself. If there isn’t a logo, then you probably can use it at any station. Once you figure out where you can use it, find out how much you’re going to get back on each fill up. Rebates generally range anywhere from one percent to as much as five and beyond. It all depends on the card carrier.

Now that you know what to look out for when it applying, it’s important that you do your research and don’t apply for the first card that you see. Make sure that you always check out at least three to four cards before applying. If you do your research right, you can be saving a lot on gasoline in no time.

Find a gas card and more of Tom’s work at FINDgascards.

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Turn Your Dream Of A Car Into Reality By Using Car Wallpapers

May 10th, 2008 IshakIman Posted in Automotive No Comments »

Have you often dreamed of having a super car? I know I personally have it. There are many brands and types of the cars. You can choose one of them as you like. For example, I like Mercedes C Class. And which car is you like? But how do you can acquire it if the car price is too high? Major super cars are more than $80,000. I am going to show you one of ways about how to turn your dream of a super car into reality.

Free desktop wallpaper is background pattern that displayed in the computer operating system. The wallpapers usually be used in JPEG, BMP and GIF file formats. Those wallpaper can be used with Microsoft Windows, Linux and Macintosh Mac OS. Each monitor can be different requirements, even though wallpaper images designed for standard monitors can be scaled up or down to the fit size. Those are available on the internet for free. Some categories of wallpapers are available on the internet include skyscrapercity, car, nature, celebrity, art, animal and more. The wallpapers have positive influences on the spirits of a computer as he or she sees it several times in using the computer. Therefore, selection of an wallpaper is important.

You can use free wallpapers easily. You select a car wallpaper you intend to use on your operating system through downloading to a wallpaper provider site. Go to one of wallpaper provider sites and look for the car category. If you have a dream about BMW 5 series, so you need to look for BMW 5 series wallpaper. After you select a car wallpaper that you like, then you click on the link that applied to screen resolution of your computer. And download the wallpaper to your computer. Next step, you set up the new wallpaper to the current background. Upon doing this, the wallpaper you chosen appears in the background of your computer. And you often see the car on your computer, this way boost your spirit to do your job on the computer.

But why the car wallpaper? Can the wallpaper way help you to turn your dreams about the super car into reality? A wallpaper can make you to set a goal about the car to boost your self confidence. So this makes the perfect tool to remind you of what you really want. Let me show you exactly how it works. Firstly, what you need to do is find wallpapers of cars that are a good imaging of your dreams. The images should do a good task of reminding you of your goal of the car you want to be experiencing.

Now that every time you look at your wallpaper, you see your future goal. And the reminder you can give yourself, the more motivated you become in your job! This way increase your spirit in job o achieve the goal of a car that you want. And just by putting a car wallpaper to your computer in order to achieve your goal about the car. And don’t forget to pray to God for your goal.

There are car wallpapers, please visit to Car Wallpapers, Audi Cars and Ford Cars.

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You Got The Dent, Now What?

May 10th, 2008 PaulFountain Posted in Automotive No Comments »

All the car owners are possessive about their cars, especially when it comes to a brand new car. When a vehicle is on the road, it can suffer from uncountable dents, scratches, hail damage and other damages throughout its lifetime. Imagine somebody has just bought a new car and it confronts with dings and dents, nothing can be so painful. It spoils mood as well as a feel of new car totally vanishes out. To get rid of these dings and dents there should be some technique which can easily remove dings and dents without painting the car body again; this technique is known as paintless dent repair.

New car dealers offers the insurance of these dings and dents like any other damage happens to your car at an affordable cost for a specific period of time. It is a very challenging job for a technician to give an original look to your car without painting it again. It requires proper training, experience and skills to provide a flawless dent repairing. This should not be noticed by any expert even when exposed to sunlight. Paintless dent repair activity includes especially high designed tools, long steel rods of different shapes and sizes and gadgets which can fit behind the damaged part of the car and provides a controllable massage to the damaged metallic part under proper lightning conditions to come back to its original position. Dents can also be pulled out with the usage of a glue system. It is a faster method to repair dents without re-spraying as compared to any other system which has been in practice for a long time.

Availability of special tools is not enough for the repairing of dents but it also needs the expertise for the usage of these tools. No doubt paintless dent repair is a not very expensive as well as less time consuming method. So, you don’t have to wait for long hours or two three days for drying up the re-painted car. It not only maintains the structural reliability of your car but also retains the value of your car. Many people get confused between a scratch and a ding, but there is a big difference between these two. Dings are small dents whereas scratches are breaks on painted surface which really needs touch up paint and highly skilled technician.

Paintless dent repair is cost effective just half of other conventional methods and providing the best quality. It has taken a speedy growth in the industry due to less time consumption and low cost. Efficient and effective repairing has won the trust of automobile industry, which in result has increased the demand of skilled technicians. It has increased the employment opportunities for the people who are interested in automobile industry and has also promoted the companies which are involved in the manufacturing of paintless dent repairing tools. A Major advancement of this method is paintless dent repair has also been covered by lots of automotive insurance companies. Even major automotive insurance companies have also started believing on the paintless dent repairing method.

Paul Fountain is a certified Paintless Dent Technician and a web advisor for http://www.PDQTools.com To learn more about Paintless Dent Repair please visit PDQ Tools.com

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Determining Your Miles Per Gallon

May 10th, 2008 TomTessin Posted in Automotive No Comments »

In today’s rough economy and high gas prices, some people often wonder how they can save in many areas especially when it comes to gas prices. A lot of people often don’t’ realize how important it is to drive a certain way to save on gas. Driving habits alone can save you a ton of money each year. Today, I’m going to show you how you can determine your miles per gallon or MPG and how you can analyze your driving habits.

Step #1 – Analyze your driving habits

If you tend to drive the same route each day to work, school, etc, try and pay attention to the roads your drive on. Do you drive on a lot of freeways or do you drive on a lot of rural roads? The reason this is so important is if you pay close attention your car’s mpg, it’s going to differentiate on the highway and rural roads. The reason this is different is because on a highway you tend to not stop as often as a rural road that contains stop signs and traffic lights.

Step #2 – Let’s look at the car

One of things you’re going to have to know when it comes to figuring out your MPG is how many gallons your gas tank is. In the future, this will give you a good idea on how far you can travel until you get close to empty. It isn’t a really important step but it’s always nice to know.

Figuring out the MPG

Now comes the fun part where we will determine the MPG. The next time you fill up at the pump; make sure that you reset one of your trip odometers so it’s reads 0. This is going to be important because we are going to want to know how long we have travelled until our next fill up. Regardless of how long you drive, it’s the mileage and the gallons you fill up with that are important. Below I’m going to show you the simple math in order to find out the MPG.

The next time you fill up, you’re going to want to write these two important numbers down –

The miles you drove and how many gallons you filled up with at the pump. This will be displayed on the pump. I wrote a simple exercise below to help you understand how that process works.

Let’s say you drove 300 miles and you filled up 10 gallons worth of gas. I’m making the numbers even so it’s easier to understand. When you fill up, you’ll probably have something along the lines of 10.223 gallons. It’s always best just to round off. Now we are going to take the miles driven which is 300 and divide this by the gallons which is 10. The result we get is 30. This number is the MPGs.

This number is going to change every time you fill up but it shouldn’t change much. You will only see a big difference if you drive 100% highway one fill up and all side streets the next fill up. Either way now you should know how to calculate the MPG and learn what streets work on saving you more money!

Save on money with gas cards and find more of Tom’s work at FINDgascards.

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Used And New Cars From Major Connecticut Audi Dealers

May 9th, 2008 JohnAsh Posted in Automotive No Comments »

There are at quite a few Audi dealers in Connecticut out of which, at least five are major dealers. The success and popularity of this Germany-based automobile giant in Connecticut is marked by the number of Audi automobiles that are sold at these dealerships of Audi automobiles.

Considering that Audi has been a stable and reliable globally acclaimed automobile giant for nearly a century now, there should be no doubt that it is indeed among the finest brands available in the market. Connecticut Audi dealers provide a plethora of models to choose from. The most popular models include sedans, trucks and SUVs.

Do these dealers provide any other services?

Major authorized Audi dealers in Connecticut also provide additional services for your Audi, including repairs and maintenance. These are not just dealers, but full-fledged service centers striving for the betterment of your experience as a member of the Audi family. Complimentary services like car washes are also provided at some of these dealerships.

Major Audi Dealers in Connecticut

Major Audi dealers in Connecticut include ones at Fairfield, Wallingford and New London as a few examples. Some of the most important Audi dealers in Connecticut are as follows:

New Country Audi of Greenwich: Based in Greenwich, this dealership also caters to consumers from Fairfield and Westchester.

Audi of Fairfield: Apart from Fairfield customers, this dealership aims to fulfil the needs of customers from other counties as well.

Danbury Audi: With both used and new cars, Danbury Audi has an exceptional employee profile. It provides round-the-clock tow service and even loaner cars.

Audi of Wallingford: Wallingford has some of the best deals for used models for prospective members of the Audi family.

Hoffman Audi: Hoffman Audi is situated at East Hartford and maintains a reputation for providing excellent service to its customers.

If you want to buy an Audi automobile in Connecticut, you can contact any of these Connecticut Audi dealers via the Internet to book your orders and also to get their contact information.

New or Old Model?

Most of these Connecticut Audi dealers sell not just new cars, but also old models of Audi automobiles. In case your financial condition does not permit you to buy a new model, it might be convenient for you to settle for a used model that is still in good condition.

Is it Risky to Buy Used Models?

It is quite safe to buy an Audi automobile from one of the Connecticut Audi dealers, as these models are well maintained, well tuned and perform almost as well as new models. Risks with new models exist generally with unauthorized used car dealers and car auctions, where the reason why the cars are being sold so inexpensively is a question to be considered.

Audi dealers in Connecticut provide top-notch service and maintenance for Audi automobiles. That purchasing a car (whether new or used) from any of the major Connecticut Audi dealers is an excellent decision, is undeniable.

There are at quite a few Audi dealers in Connecticut, and I’m sure you’ll find the right one.

John is a writer and contributor to Connecticut New and Used Car Dealer Directory and Articles About Cars.

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Tips On Shopping For A Used Car

May 9th, 2008 LeviQuinn Posted in Automotive No Comments »

When you go shopping for a used car it is best to get the help of a qualified car mechanic to assess the car’s condition so you can be sure that you are buying a car still in good running condition, and not something ready to be thrown to the scrap heap. Ensure that the car technician’s advice should focus on the condition of the engine and other parts of the vehicle related to its use as a running machine.

Do not make the mistake of looking just at the car’s appearance in the display room of the car dealer. It may look very nice and appears like new as if it just came from the factory. Maybe it was only newly repainted, and nothing more. Sometimes potential buyers go for the car’s looks, but the unit could just be a piece of junk. It can pass as a car museum souvenir, but it may not serve the purpose why you are buying it.

It is best that you will be present when the technician/mechanic does his inspection and checking of the car, to ensure that the procedure is meticulously done. If you still are not confident of the results, try to get a second opinion of another technician, preferably somebody whom you know personally and trust, and with whom you had some working relationship in the past.

As part of the car checks you are conducting, go on a test run of the unit with the car technician to see how it actually functions on the road. Try taking it to the rougher country-type roads. These could be better testing terrain on the functionality of the vehicle.

Check also if it is not a gasoline guzzler. This factor might give you more headaches later when you will be the one footing the fuel bills. You could be paying a lesser amount now for the used car, compared to what you will pay if you instead opt for a brand-new machine. If you will be stuck later with an expensive machine in terms of gasoline and repair and maintenance costs, it might make better sense to go for a brand-new unit.

If the previous owner bought the car brand-new, get from him the records of the original purchase. You can then check if there was anything anomalous in the car’s history. If it had been a stolen car, you could just be falling into a problem you never expect to confront you after paying for the used car. It is also prudent to check with the appropriate police and other government agencies to see if there were any delinquencies connected with the car prior to its being placed on sale.

The tips suggested here might sound tedious. These are however necessary things that you should do, to have a better peace of mind afterward. Remember that what you will have will be an old machine. You could have many regrets later if your decision now is wrong and you end up with a machine with a multitude of problems.

Find the best deal on the auto insurance coverage you need. Visit us today for money-saving tips and receive free quotes for cheap car insurance for young drivers from respected insurance companies.

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Vauxhall Vivaro – The End Of The White Van Man Stereotype

May 9th, 2008 TomLondon Posted in Automotive No Comments »

I’m a pretty easy-going guy in the scheme of things. After all life’s too short to be moaning and groaning all the time about the weather or stressing over what to choose at a restaurant. However out on the road, there are two things that grate on me more than a lump of cheese: people driving whilst on mobile phones and white van men.

Now if you drive a white Vauxhall Van I’ll get to you presently, but firstly to the blood boiling spectacular. I find it incredible that people worry about terrorism to the extent they won’t travel abroad and turn their homes into fortresses to evade burglars to then use a phone whilst driving. To deliberately put yourself in mortal danger to find out that dinner will be the same time as it has been for the last five years befuddles me.

The introduction of points on the licence, a fine or prison sentence doesn’t seem to have changed matters much. When the sun popped out for two minutes the other day, some bloke in a convertible put the roof down faster than you can say “hairdresser” and drove up my backside whilst giggling on his poncy phone – a clear case of advertising you’re an idiot. Tell you this for free, had he been caught and jailed, he’d have lasted the same length of time in clink that the sun shone for.

In almost equal measure is the nations’ favourite stereotype – the white van man. Whether it’s overtaking at a snails pace on a blind bend, tailgating you from Land’s End to John O Groats or just driving into your stationary car, white van man rules the road. Give me the combination of a white van man and active mobile phone and the Incredible Hulk sequel will be tame in comparison.

Apologies for the rant, but you’ll now understand my reaction when I was asked to review the Vauxhall Vivaro, which appears to be a van and not a car. Depth and out of came to mind, however I’m willing to cross one of my two hatreds off the list and give Vauxhall’s light commercial van a sporting chance.

Having called upon my youth and love of the A-team, the idea of driving a van suddenly seemed much cooler and things started well with the Vivaro. For a kick-off although it doesn’t come in black with red stripes, the styling is, well, attractive. The Vivaro manages to keep its sense of identity with the Vauxhall range with a curvy front end and sweeping sides but there is no denying it’s built for one purpose.

With this intention in mind, I opened the giant rear doors and can report that the load space is…um big. The actual figures will probably inform you better, with the Vivaro’s maximum load length and width 2,415mm and 1,663mm respectively. A few clever features are to be found, in keeping with Vauxhall’s innovations throughout its range. The door catches can be easily released so they open a whopping 165 degrees and a non slip step is incorporated for extra safety when opening the sliding side door.

Inside the cabin it’s all really rather civilised with plenty of space for red top newspapers, lads mags and fast food. Cup holders abound and the obligatory three seats are also present. The driving position is good, with a fully adjustable steering wheel, although having the gear stick elevated off the ground may not be to everyone’s taste.

Out on the road, the 2.0 litre engine develops 115bhp which is an improvement on the previous model. Considering the last Vauxhall I drove was the Corsa VXR, the van was always going to be snail paced in comparison but once I was grounded back into reality it is actually a strong runner. Motorway driving is clearly the environment the van is most used to and it doesn’t disappoint. The engine happily rumbles along and the gear changes are swift and easy. In fact, despite me being a weakling I had no trouble manoeuvring the van in even the most confined spaces once off the motorway.

Running costs should be favourable too, with the Vivaro returning 39mpg and with service intervals of 18,000 miles you won’t spend all your time listening to lounge music at your local Vauxhall dealer. A sparkly new van also comes with a three year or 100,000 miles warranty and has certainly changed my opinion on what a van from Vauxhall can offer. Just please don’t tailgate me if you buy one.

One last piece of important information - the Vivaro is also available in red.

Tom London is an experienced car journalist who is currently working on behalf of Now Vauxhall a London based Vauxhall dealer. Tom is now for the first time in his career running the rule over Vauxhall Vans range. This is an exciting change from Toms usual work of reviewing cars.

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The Golden Jeep Compass

May 9th, 2008 IeuanKnox Posted in Automotive No Comments »

There’s nothing worse than a half-baked idea. The thought of combining two favourable ingredients to result in one super, all powerful outcome has never worked. One such example are super-groups, rock bands that combine to be ‘better’ than their original form. Audioslave are one such example, combining Chris Cornell from Soundgarden and all but the rapping bloke from Rage Against the Machine. The format worked so well that RATM are back together and Chris is writing jingles for James Bond flicks.

Take Coca Cola and lime. On their own they make a fair fist of making small children go loopy and adults go all sour-faced. Stick them together and you have a sour tasting drink aimed at those with a sweet tooth. Remember XFL? Xtreme Football League I believe it was called and this heady formula added a pinch of wrestling to the already bubbling pot of American Football. One season that multi-million pound idea lasted for.

Just because you like two different things is never reason enough to combine them and assume the best. All of which leads me neatly into the muddy and treacherous world of the 4 x 4. Designed to eat mountains for breakfast, the original premise of a 4 x 4 was to be an off-roader and before you knew it manufacturers were sticking large wheels and huge ground clearance beneath their cars. Then one day a boffin decided it’d be a good idea to combine the everyday drivability of a car with the go anywhere, no nonsense versatility of a 4 x 4.

Unfortunately this meant that the market was flooded with vehicles that were sufficiently altered and were therefore useless off road as they weren’t high enough, and rubbish on the road as they weren’t low enough. Even more unfortunately unlike Audioslave, Coke lime and XFL, no-one seems to have noticed the bad idea and the roads crawl with haphazard handling brutes.

Thankfully then Jeep have decided to break from the mould and set up camp firmly on the car side of the field. Ladies and gentleman please welcome the Jeep Compass. It’s the first time the company have stepped away from their roots with a two door convertible that looks almost identical to a Ferrari. Ok, it’s not a two door Italian supercar look-alike and yes it does look like a large, almost 4 x 4 type vehicle but it’s technically a hatchback, I promise.

Jeep are putting their faith in the Compass attracting a new buyer demographic and a look at the rear three quarters screams Mercedes. The Compass does in fact boast some impressive styling with sharp European lines embraced with Jeep’s trademark seven-slot front grill and round headlights. It is without doubt the bravest styled vehicle Jeep have produced in recent years but it works. It also clearly make the statement that time and money have been spent breaking the mould and sending the company down a different road.

I’m not so shallow that good looks will distract me from seeing how it drives and to be honest I sensed the worst. I mean Jeep supplies the US Army with its vehicles where armour easily out-muscles refinement on the must-have list. Despite this lack of pedigree the Compass really is refined. As you’d expect from a 4 x 4 manufacturer, the interior is spacious, well laid out and easy to use. Leg room in the back is so large that kids may get lost and boot space puts its hatchback rivals to shame. The build quality is also an improvement on past Jeep models – usually a sure fire sign that you’ve bought cheap. Yet the Jeep belies this fact, even if it is all a bit grey.

The driveability doesn’t let the side down either, with a torque-y 2.0 litre diesel ably propelling the Compass around town or quietly down the motorway. The independent suspension steals the show however, giving the car (yes car!) a smooth, quiet and undeniably comfortable ride.

Pricing at an initial glace a tad high, with UK models starting at £18,990, however compare the American hatchback to its rivals in terms of how it drives, comfort, standard kit and exclusivity and it suddenly seems like a steal. It must be stressed that if you do buy the Jeep Compass and you tackle much more than a stone on the road you’ll look like a beached whale. Use the Compass as intended though and you’ll find a hatchback that is a serious contender to the likes of its similarly priced rivals.

On this form the US Army will go for the leather seats option on their next bulk purchase.

Ieuan Knox is as a automotive writer currently promoting the Chrysler range for the Internet site http://www.cheapchryslerjeep.co.uk/ an online Jeep and Chrysler dealer.

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