Archive for the ‘2009’ Category

You might be able to swing quite a deal today on one of the most luxurious off-road-worthy barges, but be prepared to pay extra—over and over again—in your insurance premiums.

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, 2009 Hummer H2, and 2009 Range Rover rank as the most expensive SUVs to insure, according to the insurance shopping site Insure.com.

The G-Class has especially expensive parts, while the H2 is known to cause way more damage than average to other vehicles when in an accident; the Range Rover, on the other hand, is a theft target.

The list also includes several more of the biggest, priciest scene-stealing SUVs that tend to be popular in...

Mazda has announced equipment details for the Premacy, its Japan-market compact minivan that closely parallels the Mazda5.

Based on this, it's likely that the 2010 Mazda5 will return with just a few minor equipment changes.

In Japan, the Premacy gets a new fuel economy gauge and a newly redesigned glossy piano black center panel, plus new fabric and door trim for some models. Also for the first time rearview and sideview cameras are offered as a dealer-installed option, so we might also see this show up as an option in the 2010 Mazda5.

Several new colors have been added, including this attention-getting Dark Plum Mica.

In...

Suzuki has opened up the pumps—to ease the jitterbugs, of course. The automaker will offer free gas cards with purchase of any new 2009 SX4 small-car models in the U.S.

The promotion, called "Free Gas for Summer," includes a pre-paid debit card good for $270 on the 2009 Suzuki SX4 Sport (sedan) or $290 on the 2009 SX4 Crossover (hatchback). That's good for three months of driving, according to Suzuki, considering the EPA highway rating, today's gas pricing, and the U.S. norm of a thousand miles a month.

The offer stacks on top of the $2,000 customer cash offer that Suzuki is already offering on 2009 Suzuki SX4 models with manual...