Here is a list of many very popular Used Car Dealers in Utah as well as new car dealers, and what car makes they provide.

Larry H. Miller Auto Group - Jeep, Buick, Honda, Hyundai, Dodge, Subaru, Cadillac, Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Lexus, Ford, Pontiac, Toyota, Chevrolet, Volkswagon, Kia, GMC, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Scion, Lincoln, Mercury & Mazda. They have 40 dealerships in Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado & New Mexico.

Ken Garff Automotive Group - Audi, Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Porsche, Saab, Volkswagon & Volvo. They hold a dominant position as one of the leading new and Used Car Dealers in Utah.

Barber Brothers Auto Group - Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, & Mitsubishi. They are not as big of a company as the others but have great service! They also sell Vespa Scooters in addition to their new and Used Car Sales in Utah.

Doug Smith Autoplex - Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Subaru & Suzuki. They are located in American Fork and have a wonderful selection. I personally know a few people that only buy their cars from this dealer because of the selection and quality service.

Low Book Sales - Probably the most popular Used Car Dealer in Utah is Low Book Sales. They have 3 large locations; Lindon, Salt Lake City & Layton. They sell and service all cars so when you are looking for a Used Car in Utah, consider this dealership.

CarMax - Similar to Low Book Sales only on a national level. This company has got numerous locations across the United States and offers a very large selection of Used Cars. This Used Car Dealership is located in South Jordan.

Good luck with purchasing your new or used car in Utah. To help with your search, here is a Used Car Checklist to help you filter out the cars that have issues.

In 2007, nearly 13,000 people died in alcohol related auto accidents. That is one person, dead, every 40 minutes because of somebody’s negligence. That is an improvement however from 2001 when there were nearly half a million drunk driving deaths.

People that live in such places as Los Angeles, Boston, Austin, Phoenix and San Fransisco are having to resort to finding themselves a DUI/DWI lawyer to defend themselves from something that is totally preventable. I think its absolutely ridiculous that people hire DUI Attorney’s in Orange County or any other city to defend themselves against something that was clearly their fault.

The city with the highest alcohol related auto accidents goes to: The District of Columbia with an astounding 52%. Second goes to Hawaii. I’m surprised California isn’t the highest. If you are going to drink, do not drive. Do not be so careless to put yourself and others into harms way. If you do, make sure you have a dang good San Fransisco DUI Attorney to back you up when it comes time to face the judge.

It seems as America’s citizens get bigger and bigger, so do their cars. Each year the newest car claims that it has more interior room than its competitor. Why when America is at it’s worst, are we making the normal family sedan or van, EVEN bigger? This just causes lower MPG’s and more congestion on today’s highways. Didn’t the standards in the past get us to point A and point B the same as they do now? Here are some examples.

Lets take the typical family van for instance. Ideal for transporting parents with four kids to the store or across the country. Lets go back all the way to 1985 when the “funbus” had a 3-speed transmission and an engine size of only 2.2 Liters. That’s small, but lets get bigger Chrysler said and redesign it. 1990 rolls around and so does their newer van. This one has a 3.0 Liter V6 and a 4 speed transmission. You see what I’m getting at? They keep getting bigger and bigger!

There are many others to be mentioned. Almost every car model has gotten much larger from it’s original debut. Here are some other mentionable past to present cars to add to the list.

Honda Accord                                                           Toyota Tundra

Ford F-350                                                               Mazda6 (626)

Here is a list of the top 5 most fuel efficient production vehicles. It’s quick and to the point with the facts and pictures that you want, nothing else. These cars have top of the line technology and the styling to match it. I don’t think I’d mind driving a couple of these cars regularly.

1. Toyota Prius

MSRP: $22,000
46 MPG
Type: Sedan
Unique Features: #1 selling Hybrid

2. Honda Civic Hybrid

MSRP: $22,600
42 MPG
Type: Sedan
Unique Features: Runs off electric motor when idling

3. Smart ForTwo

MSRP: $15,000
36 MPG
Type: Coupe
Unique Features: Very small/compact, fun to drive.

(more…)

Mazda has made the great Mazda3, even better. The all-new sedan has been redesigned from the ground up sporting sleek, modern looks while improving fuel economy and performance. Mazda’s new car is sure to impress because not only have they completely changed the exterior, but they have upgraded the engines. Two engines are available from the base 2.0L Inline 4 that will be getting an expected 10-15 horsepower increase from its previous years, and a brand new 2.5L. The new, larger motor will be given a 20-30 horsepower increase from the current 156 horsepower rating. This sophisticated Japanese princess will be premiering at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November and from there we will get the full experience. From the pictures you can see that new features include duel exhaust, modern looking taillights and headlights, as well has a sports car look for the front end. I’m sure the upgrades don’t end there, however we don’t have interior pictures yet. At Auto Performance Blog, we are impressed with the redesign of this car and are looking forward to seeing this hit the roads. Even more exciting will be the new Mazdaspeed3, but at this point in time, is just a racers dream.

Forget everything you think about a sedan because because Porsche, Aston Martin and Lamborghini just came out with a 4-door that is changing the way millionaires commute with their friends and family.

The Lamborghini Estoque

This amazing prototype was recently revealed at the Paris Motor Show. While engine specifications still aren’t confirmed, we assume this Camry-eating Lambo will be housing a V12 engine and AWD, much like their brothers. However, don’t be surprised if they throw in a V10 under the hood, similar to the Gallardo LP 560-4. Another alternative would be an 8-cylinder sporting turbo’s, I wouldn’t bet on it though. Their new car has brought something new to the table and will be placing this engine not in the rear, but rather the front of the car. Lamborghini hasn’t done this since the LM002 utility vehicle. Whatever the performance that this car will embrace, I’m confident that Lamborghini will make sure this car is worthy of it’s name.

The Porsche Panamera

This four seater beauty is planned to come out in 2009 with a modified version of the 4.5L V-8 under its front hood. A possible V12 Diesel engine is also rumored. Given the sizes of these engines and Porsche’s sportscar image, we are certain that this supercar/luxury sedan will be tearing up the streets. An average Mustang or 350Z won’t cut it either when you line it up to one of these. At this stage, details and official images have not been released unfortunately, but when they do, Auto Performance Blog will be sure to do a follow up. For the time being, here’s a glimpse of some spy shots that have been taken.

The Aston Martin Rapide

Premiering at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, the Aston Martin Rapide will be competing with the Lamborghini Estoque and the Porsche Panamera to name a few. This highly anticipated 4-door will be expected to amaze it’s passengers with the 500 horsepower V12 monster under the hood. Information on this prototype has been limited, however, we do have official photographs. Enjoy the pictures and a follow-up on this secret Aston Martin will be provided as soon as the specifications are released.

There are several other cars that have been planned to compete with these super-sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, Maserati Quattroporte and the BMW Gran Turismo. Specifications on some of these however is still unsure.

Since Auto Performance Blog is up and running, I feel like its appropriate to talk about our top 5 favorite cars. Not to many people are able to afford them but they are amazing nonetheless. Here we go…

5. Nissan GT-R

The much anticipated Nissan GT-R has finally hit the scene after it’s revealing in Japan, December of 2007. Nissan has perfected this car to compete with Lamborghini’s, without the austintatious price tag. If you can find one, the cost of this magnificent sportscar is just under $80k. The twin-turbocharged V6 puts out about 480 horsepower. This rocket has a special controlled launch setting that will allow it to go 0 to 60 as low as 3.2 seconds. The area that really stands out is it’s record setting lap time at the infamous Nurburgring track. The GT-R put on a show as it set a time of 7:29; 5 seconds faster than the Porsche GT2. There has been speculation however that Nissan is exaggerating the times. Nevertheless, the Nissan GT-R is one hell of a sportscar.

4. Aston Martin DBS

When you look at this car you either think of unparalleled performance, or James Bond. Whichever your attraction may be toward this Hollywood icon, you can be assured that it has the performance to keep up with its reputable name. The power plant under the hood is a 6.0L V12 producing 510 horsepower that will rocket you from 0-60 in 4.3 seconds. Need to slow down? This car has enormous 15.7 inch brakes that will stop you in 103 feet. With the retail price around $265,000, you might just need to be James Bond himself to afford it.

3. BMW M5

The BMW M5 may look like a sedan, but don’t be misled because the styling and performance that the M5 has, is all that of a sportscar. This 510 horsepower saloon hosts a 7-speed transmission that allows the monstrous V10 engine to catapult its passengers from 0-60 mph in a little more than 4 seconds. Not only does this sedan/racecar have impressive performance, BMW made sure to make it the most luxurious M-Series yet by providing such options like full heated seats and a premium sound system. We’re talking 16-speakers and over 800 watts of sound perfection. If you’re not a millionaire and want an incredibly fast car without compromising sedan features, the M5 is waiting at your nearest BMW dealer for around $84,000.

2. Lamborghini Reventon

The extremely rare Reventon is Lamborghini’s prized jewel. There were only a mere 20 units produced, priced at about $1.4 million. The “fighter-jet” styled supercar can reach 60 mph in a quick 3.4 seconds. At full speed your averaging about 4 mpg but if you’re laying out this kind of cash for this V12 beauty, I’m sure money isn’t an issue. Nearly all the mechanical components in this vehicle came straight from Lamborghini’s other masterpiece; the Murcielago LP640. The Reventon made it high on our list for it’s aggressive styling, and exclusivity; but there is still a car that is better in almost every way.

1. Bugatti Veyron

The Bugatti Veyron earned top spot on Auto Performance Blog for two very important reasons. Speed and style. This car is extreme in both with its unique styling and impressive 2.46 0-60 mph time and it’s 253 mph top speed. Production is limited to near 300 units, which may explain the heafty $1,172,000 price tag among many other reasons. The Veyron is sporting a 16-cylinder engine with quad turbo’s. It takes 10 radiators just to keep this 1,001 horsepower masterpeice operating properly. I’m going to finish this summery with a quote from somebody who has gotten the chance to experience this car first hand; James May from the popular TV show “Top Gear”. Once May had reached top speed in the Bugatti he states, “…the tires will only last for about fifteen minutes, but it’s okay because the fuel runs out in twelve minutes.”