I found an interesting article on detnews.com written by Scott Burgess about new safety testing being done.  Ford Motor Co. has set up a Paint and Body Technology Center that will help to lower costs of vehicle repairs.  According to Ford’s president of customer service division, Darryl Hazel, “out bottom line for this new initiative is simple:  If your vehicle costs less to repair, it’s going to cost less to insure.”  Less repairs costs also mean less money out of the pocket’s of the customers.  All automakers crash test vehicles, but Ford has brought its safety and repair designers and engineers into the fold during the vehicle’s development instead of afterward. 

The new 2010 Ford Focus underwent design changes to improve its safety and lower repair costs.  On a 6 mile per hour bumper crash test, the Ford Focus sustained $588 worth of damage.  On the same test, the Volkswagen Rabbit had $4078 worth of damage.  The development of the Ford’s vehicles are concerning themselves with more safety and hopefully less costly repairs if needed, and therefore saving the consumer money. 

The 2009 Ford F-150 has undergone design changes in the frame by building it in three parts, and this could save $2000 in frame repairs.  According to Ford, every 2010 vehicle will endure the testing and repair program and Ford hopes to develop even more in the near future. 

Nowadays, many people cannot live without their GPS navigation systems that come in their vehicles.  If you are like me, you don’t have a navigation system, you go out and buy a portable GPS navigation system.  The portable GPS systems cost anywhere between $200 to $650, compared to the in-dash GPS systems that cost about $2000.  I found a website (http://reviews.cnet.com/best-gps/) that gives you the best 5 portable GPS systems that I thought I would share and then some information on what to look for when buying a system. 

Best 5 portable GPS Navigation Systems

1.  Garmin Nuvi 880 - $599.75

2.  Navigon 7200T - $339.00-$449.99

3.  Magellan Maestro 4370 - $299.99

4.  Mio C520 Navigation Receiver - $254.99

5.  TomTom GO 930 GPS - $289.95-$499.99

When buying a portable GPS navigation system, you need to make sure that your system has what you need. Size can matter, if you travel a lot and plan on packing your GPS system, GPS systems that have traffic-information capability are important for large cities, some GPS systems speak the street names, which is important to some (instead of just saying turn right/left.)  There are many features that differ from GPS system to GPS system.  People want their systems for different reasons, so just make sure you study the different systems and get the right one for your needs. 

Bob Keefe of the Cox News Service wrote an article talking about how automakers and their suppliers “aren’t slowing down when it comes to tricking out tomorrow’s rides” says Keefe.  In-vehicle technology is “one of the few bright spots in the auto industry.”  Two years ago, Ford Motor Co. introduced Sync, which is an on-board computer developed by Microsoft Corp. that gives drivers hands-free access to their cell phone, stereo, and emergency 911 service.  Cars with the optional $400 system are outselling comparable models without it by a 2-1 margin, said CEO of Ford, Alan Mulally. 

At the International Consumer Electronics Showin Las Vegas and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this month, car gadgetry played a very important role.  Here are a few examples of the different high-tech stuff that is showing up in vehicles these days.

Hyundai and Kia showed their Wi-Fi systemsthat link cars to a wireless home network.  In a few years, Hyundai and Kia car owners will be able to wirelessly transfer movies from their home to their car.   That’s a fun technological advance for your car!

Ford has already introduced a new tool-tracking system for its pickup trucks.  You can stick radio-frequency identification tags on their tools, and antennas in the bed of the truck will sense where the tools are.  Ford also showed off a new dashboard touch-screen computer systems that can access the internet and spreadsheets and such.  That’s quite fun too!

LG Electronics, Delphi Corp., and others are developing auto receivers that will let car owners pick up local digital TV broadcasts while you are driving. This doesn’t sound very safe to me….. AT&T has unveiled their CruiseCast, which is a satellite TV network that will allow you to get 22 channels, but it costs about $1300 for the dish and $28/month.  Still sounds very unsafe…..

So, here are some of the high-tech toys available in your vehicles, but I guarantee that there are many more technological advances to come in the near future.

An article from Kimberly Johnson of The Associated Press talks about how Ambient Lighting is a spotlighted feature at the Detroit Auto Show.  Many new vehicles have better lighting inside their vehicles.  Ambient lighting on “dashboards, roofs, consoles, and doors is growing in popularity as drivers demand more features” says Kimberly Johnson.  “It’s a way to make the interior of a car like a home, and not just functional,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford Motor Co.’s  group vice president of global product development. 

The new Buick LaCrosse is using blue lighting that runs around the “rim of the console to highlight the lines and curves of the vehicle” said Jeff Nasca, the interior design manager.  Market research done by Honda found that customers find soft blue and whit lighting to be the most calming colors to look at while driving. 

Ford has ambient lighting in their new Flex, Fucus, and Fusion vehicles, and in the Ford Mustang, the driver can customize the colors with up to 126 different colors and shades.      

The 2009 Chrysler Town & Country has a ring of soft blue light around the roof console.  “It’s an inexpensive way to set off the interior of the vehicle” said Aaron Bragman, an auto analyst with the IHS Global Insight.  So, when you aer hunting for a new car, check to see what, if any, ambient lighting the car has. It may make you more interested in the car. Who knows.

According to MSNBC.com, Ford is planning on debuting this self-parking technology on their 2010 Lincoln MXS sedan and the Lincoln MKT luxury crossover vehicle.  Ford plans to put this self-parking technology in 90% of its Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles with this electric power steering by 2012. 

This technology uses ultrasonic sensors on the front and rear of the car, combined with electric power steering to angle and guide the vehicle into snug parking spaces, all by just pushing a button.  Lexus has a a special parking technology too, but it is a video camera parking system that can tell you whether you have enough room to park in a certain spot.  According to Ford, their new self-parking technology is ”easier to use and works in downhill parking situations, unlike competing systems.” 

Here’s what you have to do as the driver of this new system.  You need to shift the transmission and operate the gas and brake pedals, as a person would do for you if they were standing outside of your vehicle.  The driver never touches the steering wheel.  Pretty neat!  I would love this, since my parallel parking has much to be desired! 

This self-parking technology also monitors blind spots, and it warns the driver with a indicator light that something is detected or traffic is approaching.  This new electric power steering can help to improve fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions, because it is powered by the battery in the car.  This self-parking technology will be featured at the Detroit Auto Show next week. 

As technology continues to get better and better, more gauges and such are wanted/needed on the instrument panels of vehicles. The problem is that there is only so much room available on the instrument panels.  An article was written on edmunds.com called “Technology Muscles In on the Instrument Panel.”  Many things on vehicles have changed such as styles, power sources, etc, but the instrument panels have stayed the same until recently when more and more manufacturers are trying to find different ways to set up the instrument panels with more technological advances. 

The new Subaru Tribeca is moving the fuel-level and engine-temperature levels to the far lower right and left of the instrument cluster.  This will take some getting used to by the owners, because it’s so different than what anyone is used to.  The new BMW 3 Series has done away with the coolant temperature gauge.  Something that has become standard equipment on vehicles 2008 and later is the tire-pressure gauge, that monitors your tire pressure.  Now, there needs to be room for this gauge, so something must go or move to another spot most likely. 

It’s kind of neat to see how different instrument clusters are.  Some are becoming quite technological and fancy, while others are just staying traditional and the same as they have been for many years.  It will be interesting to watch the instrument clusters continue to improve and show more technology and gauge more in your car. Who knows what kind of technology will be available in the years to come for instrument panels. 

Ford MyKey from Ford Motor Co./AP

Ford Motor Co. is introducing a new technology that will help parents feel a little more at ease when giving their teenage children their cars.  The new technology is called MyKey, and it will be standard on the 2010 Ford Focus as well as other models of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercuryas they become updated.  With MyKey, you will be able to limit the speed limit on the vehicle to 80 mph, limit the audio volume on the vehicle, as well as have continuous sound alerts if the driver and passenger does not put on their seat belts.  MyKey works with a computer chip that is in a specially designed key.  You give your teenager the MyKey key and then you can have a regular key that will have no restrictions.  You also have the option of having a chime sound every time the car exceeds 45, 55, or 65 mph.  I think this is a great option and I hope it’s standard on even more cars when my children turn 16!