Advance Auto Zone

I drive an SUV, and normally, I’m pretty happy with it.

Sure, if it got a few more miles per gallon, my satisfaction would be a lot higher, but there are tradeoffs. Compared to my monthly payments, the price of gas is a flea on an elephant, so I can’t really complain.

But I got sticker shock today when I heard how much the dealer wanted to charge me for some brakes, a couple of tires, and an oil change.

If I told you it is in the thousands, would you believe me?

Right now, sitting in my garage, is a 1984 Mercedes wagon that I’d be lucky to get a couple of thousand for, and it has new brake pads on it!

Anyway, and here’s the important thing, I told the dealer to do the oil change and the warranty stuff, but hold off on the brakes and tires.

I called around, and heard prices that were, maybe 20% cheaper from independents, when I got a brainstorm. Having seen something in an ad, or in their magazine, I called the auto club.

It took about ten minutes to get a human being, but the wait was worth it.

“Do you make recommendations to places that can service and repair my make and model, in my neighborhood?” I asked.

“We sure do!” the fellow responded, brightly.

He gave me two names, one is one block from my office and the other is three. The dealer is about seven miles away!

I called them both, and one sounded more stable, a little more sincere, as if he has been doing his work for decades. I asked him for a quote, and he slowly recited the numbers for brake pads, rotors, sensors, and the grand total came to almost exactly HALF of what the dealer charges!

He’ll be getting my business, just as soon as I can get a loan to get my car back from the dealer.

You should definitely shop around, and if you have a triple-A card in your wallet, it may be worth giving them a call, first!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: mailto:gary@customersatisfaction.com gary@customersatisfaction.com.

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Audi, luxury unit of Volkswagen and recipient of quality VW auto part like VW serpentine belt, has presented last week at the Shanghai Motor Show a study that defines a new segment in the field of crossover vehicles. The Audi Cross Coupe Quattro combines the design and dynamism of a compact premium sports car with the comfort and versatility of a four-seat sport utility vehicle or SUV.

The Cross Coupe Quattro will be used as the basis for models that will go into production and will arrive in 2010 to challenge dominating brands like BMW’s X3 and others. Audi also claimed that the new Cross Coupe will offer new ways of achieving efficiency, innovative technical solutions, driving comfort and pleasure and everything that is typical of an Audi. The visual appearance of the new Audi Cross Coupe clearly tells how capable this car is on all roads whatever the condition may be.

The silhouette is typically Audi including the design of the study which was painted in Liquid Silver is more of a reminiscent of the sporty models produced by the Ingolstadt brand. The proportions as well as the large 20” wheels point clearly show the off-road potentials of the Cross Coupe Quattro. There is a new element that can be found on the Coupe Quattro and it’s in the form of the fabric folding roof which when opened provides optimum levels of headroom and fresh air. In addition the hood is also electrically operated.

And speaking of new, the diagonally installed four-cylinder inline TDI engine is newly developed with common-rail fuel injection and piezo injectors. The TDI engine revs up 204 bhp and 400 Nm of torque, this power gives the vehicle a sporty performance and an amazing degree of efficiency. On the average the ultra-modern 2.0 TDI needs just 5.9 liters of diesel per 100 km.

The Cross Coupe’s diesel particulate filter and Bluetec system help reduce soot and controls the harmful nitric oxide emissions. If there’s one thing that the Cross Coupe can be proud of it’s the fact that it satisfies the emissions standards of the future.

The Cross Coupe is also equipped with what Audi refers to as numerous electronic systems to support the driver. The Audi drive select system enables the driver to select three highly individual configurations for the engine, steering, gearbox and adaptive shock absorbers resulting to the car’s flexibility.

Aside from the standard “dynamic” drive select mode and the “sport “setting, the Audi Cross Coupe is also equipped with the “efficiency” driving program. This program modifies the engine map and shift points to enhance driving efficiency resulting to a greater fuel economy. The system also deactivates the components that are considered as energy-hungry like for instance air conditioning compressor and others.

For more about your Volkswagen parts needs like vdubpartsdirect.com/vw_belts.html”title=”VW serpentine belt VW serpentine belt, visit your trusted online source.

Benjamin Hudson works as a supervisor at one of the top engineering firms in the business district of Louisiana. He is also a freelance journalist and has passion for anything automotive.

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With auto makers releasing one car after another and people being able to afford the latest models, the craze for buying new cars has reached an all time high. However, the car buyer often forgets that the car can wear out and before long he may have to spend a tidy sum for repairs and maintenance because most car parts are expensive.

People who own cars that are no longer manufactured face another problem - they are unable to easily procure parts for their cars. Finding reliable car parts is especially tough in the case of vintage or antique cars. It is almost impossible to find spare parts for a vintage car from a normal retailer.

However, it is not always a lost cause when looking for car parts. It is possible to not only get the car part in question, but get it at a reasonable price too. Exploring various avenues can save car owners a good amount of money and help them find genuine car parts for their prized possessions.

In the case of parts for old cars, there is a possibility that you might find what you need at a junkyard. However, the thing to remember here is that you cannot ascertain how good these parts are and whether they will function at all in the first place. Hence, one should go about buying car parts from junkyards only if the owner is willing to sell the same at the lowest possible rates.

Oftentimes, the dealer who sold you the car will know a place where you might be able to procure the parts. Or one could check at local retailers. Driving a hard bargain with them will ensure that the parts are obtained reasonably, though they may not budge on the price of certain parts.

There are many wholesalers of car parts online, and it can be a good option to check them out. However, the authenticity of the parts bought from the Net needs to be checked because of the large proliferation of counterfeit parts.

Buying genuine car parts at reasonable rates is an exercise that takes effort. Any effort towards this end is worth it, as saving money and repairing the car in question is always a good idea.

e-CarPrices.com Car Prices provides detailed information on Car Prices, New Car Prices, Used Car Prices, Blue Book Used Car Prices and more. Car Prices is affiliated with e-LadderRacks.com Ladder Rack Vans.

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