Fuel Economy Cut By EPA On BMW 328I

By Ingrid Johnson

German car maker BMW is most likely not the most joyful camper right now. The mpg fuel-economy rating for its 328i automatic design has been reduced by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Drop not large

Last week, the 2012 BMW 328i automatic was reaching 24 mpg city and 36 mpg on the highway. Not, it only gets 23 and 33 after the EPA ordered BMW to change the miles per gallon.

Brand new tests show brand new results

Automakers are anticipated to run every brand new model through a battery of strictly prescribed tests and report the results to the EPA before receiving an official fuel-economy rating. The majority of the time, the bureau will accept the figures from the car maker without question. Occasionally, however, the EPA will conduct its own tests. The decreased numbers are a result of that second round of tests by the federal regulation bureau.

Not many tested

Only about 15 percent of all U.S. vehicle models really get a special test done by the EPA, according to Car and Driver magazine.

Large drop

BMW said it was "surprised" at how low the rating was after the EPA did its own test. Normally, the EPA will only drop a rating just a little bit. It is not typically as severe as BMW's drop was.

Information about BMW 328i

The 2012 BMW 328i packs a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder 240 horsepower engine that delivers 260 lb-ft of torque. It has an eight-speed transmission, which is operated by paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel.

Standards for the EPA

With an EPA fuel-economy test, an indoor track is used with controlled conditions and constant variables, such as the type of fuel used. The vehicle is put through tests in five different ways such as highway, aggressive highway, cold city, hot city and city. The original test was done in Munich by BMW.

Lower rating not going to change

BMW will not be able to re-test the car until its 2013 design is ready. Until then, the decreased rating will stick for the 328i automatic. The six-speed manual shift version, however, retained its 23/24 rating. There is still something to be said for the human touch.

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Ford Explorer Sport Driven By 350-Horsepower Plant

By Cornelius Nunev

The Ford Explorer used to be the poster child of the SUV trend of the mid-1990s into the 2000s. However, Ford thinks that its image is a bit too family-friendly and has punched up the variety with the Explorer Sport, a 350-horsepower turbo model of the family hauler.

Family car seen everywhere

The Ford Explorer became very popular in the 1990s as people started to pick up on the SUV trend instead of the minivan trend. Fuel did not cost a lot back then, so it did not matter if your car used to be a gas guzzler or not. The Explorer started to be something family-friendly homes always had, just like everyone seemed to have a golden retriever.

However, people started to shy away from gas-guzzling, truck-based SUVs and gravitated instead toward the crossover, SUV-like automobiles built on car frames. Ford, according to the New York Times, has had it with family friendliness and is releasing an Explorer with some real grunt under the hood, the Explorer Sport.

Beast of an engine

Right now, the Ford Explorer runs on an EcoBoost motor, which gets 240 horsepower. It is a 2.0-liter in-line four-cylinder. A V-6, 290-horwpoer 3.6 liter is already available as an option already. The Explorer Sport will have a 3.5-liter V-6 with 350 horsepower.

The motor is mated to a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters and should be good for 16 miles per gallon city, 22 mpg highway. The Explorer Sport will be available in four-wheel drive as well as a Terrain Management System, or traction control for different surfaces such as mud, snow or wet asphalt.

Explore your wallet

One issue with the Sport is the price tag reaching over $40,000. That should not be a problem for Explorer buyers anyway, as Explorers end up costing $39,505 with the Limited Trim. Over 40 percent of Explorer buyers choose the Limited Trim.

There are a lot of SUVs that are about the same size and cost less to buy, but they are all massive fuel guzzlers. With the Toyota Sequoia or Nissan Motors Armada, you will get less than 20 mpg highway. The Dodge Durango R/T gets three fewer miles per gallon and two fewer highway mpg than the Ford projected mileage and costs $35,795. The vehicle comes with a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. That same engine is also available in the Jeep Grand Cherokee that costs less than $40,000, dependent upon the style you choose. It gets 360 horsepower and gets 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway.

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Self-Driving Cars Are Coming

By Cornelius Nunev

Larry Burns, previous R&D chief of General Motors, is anxious about driverless automobiles. He thinks that they will fill entire U.S. fleets by 2020. By 2015, however, consumers should get a good look at the technology in easily available versions.

No more accidents from distracted driving

The emissions in urban cities will decrease quite a bit with driverless vehicles because there will be fewer vehicles on the road. People will not get distracted, which will mean fewer accidents on the road. Distracted driving will become obsolete; people will be able to do whatever they want in the car, such as taking care of business and phone calls.

Test drives at Google

Thousands of miles have been put into driverless test automobiles on California roads. The Toyota Prius and Audi TT designs were used in the experiment done by Google. Google has gotten a ton of attention for these versions. The automobiles do a very good job of watching for hazards, looking at stop lights and staying on the road. They appear to be very effective with radar and video cameras.

At any point during the driving, control could be taken back by the human. There has only been one accident reported by the driverless system, and it was due to a human driver, not the model.

GM attempted driverless cars in 2007

The "Boss," or a self-driving Chevrolet Tahoe, was partly launched in 2007 by GM. The car was entered into a 55 mile race supported by the U.S. DARPA (DARPA). The self-driving system won the race with its cameras and radars keeping it on the road, according to Automotive News.

Much better than cruise control

On the driverless vehicles, there will be adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance and lane-keeping technology. Although Burns thinks the driverless car will not come out until 2020, he does believe that these features will be seen on most consumer cars by 2015.

Determining liability

It will be harder to determine who is at fault in crashes with the new technology. That means a massive stumbling block for the driverless automobiles will be insurance companies.

Find out more about self-driving at Google

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What To Put In A Household First Aid Kit

By Eric Holm

A first aid cabinet is something that every household needs to have access to in case of an emergency. These cabinets should be stocked with some basic items that can be used to treat minor scrapes and cuts on the spot. Accidents are common in the average household and there are some people who seem to be involved in more than their fair share of incidents. No matter how careful you and your family are, the chances are good that an injury will occur at some time. Having a well stocked first aid kit in a convenient location and knowing what to do in an emergency can help you avoid a visit to a local medical station.

An assortment of band-aid strips in multiple sizes and shapes should be included in your medical cabinet. There are two types of strips and which you choose will depend on where the injury is located and how severe it is. A plastic strip is thin and flexible and allows freedom of movement when used on a wound over a joint like the knuckle, knee or elbow. This type of bandage will allow movement in the joint and can be left on the injury until it is healed up. Another type of strip is made out of woven fabric and is thicker. Woven strips are suitable for use anywhere on the body but can restrict movement in certain areas.

Gauze pads can be used for larger wounds that occur on the arm, knee or leg areas. Depending on the size of the wound or injury will determine what size gauze pads to use. Of course, before you put on the pad, you will need to put some antibiotic on the affected area. The antibiotic will help the affected area to heal.

Sometimes, an unknown substance can get into the eye and cause it to burn. You will need eye wash to flush it out in addition to water. This may have to be done several times until the person feels that their eye is OK. Even after that, it is probably advisable that they see a physician to make sure everything is fine with their eye. You definitely need to have a first aid book so that you can follow the instructions. There will be different things in the first aid kit that you may not know what to do with them. So this book will be able to help you use the right thing for the appropriate injury or minor illness.

Consider mounting an emergency cabinet somewhere in a high traffic area in your house. The garage, kitchen and bathroom are common locations for household injuries. Stock the cabinet with miscellaneous supplies and place it in a place that is easy to access and make sure everyone knows exactly where it is and how to use the various items. A portable kit will come in handy for road trips and family vacations.

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