Japanese Car Guide

Lexus F line is presently Toyota’s luxury division. A hard-edged performance car, the 2008 Lexus IS-F is Toyota’s match to popular luxury vehicles such as the BMW M3, Audi RS4 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

One can easily notice that the car has a sporty and handsome appeal. It also has an amazingly good sound at high RPM. It’s powered by a 5.0-liter V8 that produces 416 horsepower, a guarantee that it has strong engine performance. The only disadvantage I see is the rock-hard suspension that matches pretty well with fast and furious drivers but not with plain motorists. It could have been better if the suspension has sport and regular modes for a more efficient handling.

But don’t get easily disheartened friends, overall I think it’s still an awesome car that’s worth a serious look.

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If there is a component of a car that is not in good condition, the risk of accident is high. It is therefore a must for people who buy a car to double-check each car part for possible damage or defect. Just like what happened to Honda’s Accord model units that have been recalled recently.

LeftlaneNews.com reports that Honda has announced a recall of 353,000 units of Accord due to a possible corrosion threat in the windshield wiper system. If undiscovered, the defect could result in water entering the area of the windshield wiper motor that could cause corrosion and failure of the motor.

Honda dealers were tasked to inspect the vehicle for the presence of such a defect. If corrosion is found, the car will be replaced automatically.

For more juicy details, click here.

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This is good news to Japanese car fans in Europe. Autoweek.com reports
that Nissan’s latest Qashqai model, the seven-seater kind, will be unveiled at the London Motor Show slated in July.

Nissan’s seven-seater Qashqai has the same powertrain with the other Qashqai models. Adjustments were made to the suspension and steering to accommodate the excess weight. It also comes with standard equipment such as roof rails and tinted rear windows, among others.

Sale of Qashqai in Europe starts in October while it is not sure when it will be coming to the United States. Customers will have two diesel and two gasoline engine choices for the car. Of course, expect to pay more since this is bigger and longer than the conventional five-seater Qashqai available in the market.

Image Source: http://www.allworldcars.com

Autoblog.com reports that Honda has won the 51st International ‘Red Dot’ Award. The award ceremony will take place on June 23 at Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Germany.

The ‘Red Dot’ is one of the most prestigious and highly-coveted awards for cars. It is impressive to know that among the over 3,000 entries, Honda Accord Tourer has emerged the victor after wowing the international jury with its overall high quality designs.

Congratulations to Honda for winning yet another ‘Red Dot’ award, it’s third actually after bagging the same for its Honda 2000 in 2001 and Honda Civic in 2006. Having won the ‘Red Do’t three times is simply remarkable of Honda. This will surely add another feather to its glittering cap.

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All in all, Suzuki has three Kizashi car concepts. The first Kizashi concept was shown at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. The second Kizashi concept, which was hipper than the first, was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last year. Now comes the final Kizashi concept that is more luxurious than its predecessors. Or so the exteriors show.

The Kizashi 3 concept was developed at Suzuki’s Advanced Design Studio in Japan. CarDesignNews.com shares that it measures 4,650mm long, 1,900mm wide and 1,450mm high. It has imposing grille and nice headlamps and taillamps.

The production target for the Kizashi3 concept has not been announced yet, but I bet it will get a huge following. I personally like its exteriors. If reinforced by a good set of engines and some high-tech features, this is going to be a top performer.

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It seems like the automotive industry is weakening over time. Reports of sales drops are usual nowadays, especially in the United States where the economy has slowed down. Autoweek.com reports that March auto sales have gone down by 12.0 percent to 1.36 million vehicles.

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. is among the decliners in this unfavorable situation with a 10.3 percent drop in sales last month. The plunge has prompted Toyota officials to revise its 2008 sales forecast. While Toyota performed poorly with its trucks and SUVs, it did well with its cars such as Camry and Prius that registered good sales.

If we’ll try to look at the bright side of things, we could see that Toyota is just slightly affected here. First, its cars are selling. Second, its truck and SUV problems are also problems of the rest of automakers. So I guess there’s really not much to worry about. They could always make up for the lost with a new marketing approach, anyway.

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Nissan Quest is one of the trademark vehicles of Nissan. The car company started producing it in 1993. Fast forward to this day, the third generation 2008 Nissan Quest has finally been brought to the market.

The 2008 Nissan Quest comes from the mini-van segment, alongside with Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona and Toyota Sienna. It runs on a powerful V6, has bold exterior styling and an impressive driving dynamics.

In terms of versatility and value, the car is on the losing trail with the other mini-vans in the market. But when it comes to safety and driving performance, the 2008 Nissan Quest is a winner with its safety features and improved steering. I think it still deserves a second look. Be your own judge, people.

You can find more information about the 2008 Nissan Quest here.

When we say executive sedans, images of luxurious cars come into perspective. But here’s another car from the executive sedan segment that is not so luxurious and a delight in its own right – the all-new 2008 Mazda6.

The first Mazda6 was produced in 2002 and has already sold over a million units. This time, the new Mazda6 is sporty yet family friendly. It is larger (spacious front and rear seats) and performs better than the previous ones with its improved handling and steering. It is powered by a 2.5-liter, 16-valve, Double Overhead Camshaft four-cylinder engine that can produce 168 horsepower at 6,000 rpm.

With its reputation as a driving machine and a host of high-tech features that guarantees comfort and fun driving, I bet it will fare way above its competitors.

Know more about the car by visiting MazdaUSA.com.

Toyota is undoubtedly one of the most profitable companies in Japan. This year, it celebrates its 50 years in America and is following closely to rival General Motors (GM) in vehicle production.

NYTimes.com reports that Toyota is eyeing to be the world�s largest automaker in 2008, a record GM has enjoyed in previous years. The ambitious goal revolves around producing nearly 10 million vehicles next year, a move that could possibly surpass GM�s output plan.

As a Japanese car fan, I fully support Toyota�s goal. It is high time that the Japanese car company gets the bragging rights for the prestigious title. After all, Toyota deserves the glory given its hard work and dedication to produce quality vehicles.

For the link to the New York Times article, click here.

While Japanese cars have been proven to be dependable and reliable, it is still an important question to ask if what you are planning to get is a brand new or a used car.

These are some of the things that you should do before signing your car deal:

� Measure the Pros and Cons � think about the different cost of maintenance, insurance and other related services for brand new and used cars

� Know your Dealer � dealers always give promises, make sure you can trust them by asking a lot of questions

� Decide Based on Your Finances � as what is always the case, determining your budget will give you a clear idea as to what to buy

If you think all has been done, then proceed with the buying. May it be a brand new or a used car, a Japanese car is always worth the money.