A partnership has been renewed.  What great information to hear and it involves Jaguar, Land Rover, and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL).  The car brands have been doing business with each other since the early 1980′s.  WWL is responsible for shipping Jaguars and Land Rovers overseas from Southampton in the UK to North America and other countries.  Thus, you can thank them for the beautiful XK or Land Rover Sport waiting for you at your Madison dealer.

In 2010 WWL will ship around 45,000 Jaguar and Land Rover models across the Atlantic to several ports.  These include Baltimore, Brunswick, Port Hueneme in the United States; Halifax in Canada and Fremantle, Melbourne and Port Kembla in Australia; and Auckland in New Zealand.  Both companies will be working together to make sure their policies are in tune with lessening any negative impact on the environment.

It’s kind of cool to see where your new and used cars Madison come from.  Now that we’ve moved across the ocean from port to port, let’s see what’s on tap at  your Madison dealer.

Currently, there are many new models for sale.  For example, you have the 2010 Jaguar XF Premium Luxury model.  It is a beautiful luxury car with many great amenities.  It features a 5.0 L, V8 engine and an automatic transmission.  Inside the car you will find a handy navigation system, rear cupholders (making those backseat drivers very happy!), and many great audio features.

If you’re in the market for something bigger, consider the 2010 Land Rover LR2.  It has a sportier design, along with some awesome off road capabilities if you’ve got that adventurous gene in you!   Powertrain wise, it offers 230 HP and four wheel drive.  The engine is a 3.2 L that gives 234 pound feet of torque.  Fuel economy wise, highway driving is around 22 mpg.  Obviously, it’s not as great as a used cars Madison sedan, but after all, SUV’s aren’t known for that!  Instead, it’ll offer a ton of passenger and cargo space that a smaller auto cannot.

Don’t forget to bring your Jaguar or LR in for their Madison oil change every 3,000 miles or so. Your auto will thank you!

Tata Motors, the company that makes Jaguar’s, has announced that for all future Jags sold at your Madison dealer, a lighter weight aluminum will be used in the manufacturing of all models.

There are several advantages to using aluminum versus other metals.  The size of a luxury car has increased about 22 lbs per year over the past 10 years or so, affecting fuel economy and overall performance.  A large car can mean a company having to install larger engines to allow the car to get the power a luxury car owner expects.  Using aluminum can help lessen the weight and improve fuel economy of future Jags sold at your Madison used car dealership.

The decision to use aluminum was not an easy one.  In 2008, Tata Motors, which makes Jaguar and Land Rover models, lost around $1 billion dollars.  They blamed the negative situation on increased cost of producing new cars and the lessened demand of luxury cars in a bad economy.  Using aluminum will actually cost more to produce, but the company is hoping that the improved efficiency from using this type of metal will outweigh the costs.  Let’s hope this logic works!

Right now, the XK and XJ models already use aluminum in their design.  This metal has helped improve these models’ performance, aerodynamics, and overall safety.  Using aluminum creates a more “stiff” auto, that could also be more protecting to passengers?  Definitely some changes coming in new Jags versus other used cars Madison.

Clearly, using aluminum has some advantages for auto makers and owners.  In the constantly changing auto industry, it is important for car companies to look for ways to improve their autos.  Future Jaguar models coming to your Madison dealer will have some new “heavy metal” to sport!

The new XJ holds true to many of the traditional Jaguar styling cues, such as a wire grille, but its sides come straight down, rather than the more torpedo-like shape of older models, giving off a younger feel. The roofline also extends back far over the trunk, with small triangular windows behind the main rear side windows. The fenders swell along curvaceous lines and the vertical taillamps are equipped with LED lighting. A standard glass top also has two sunroofs, both of which open, for front and rear seats.

And inside, the XJ maintains that British-luxury feel with bubbled-up air vents, a pop-up transmission controller and wide bands of wood on the doors and dash. It also boasts such tech details as Bowers & Wilkins audio with 1,200 watts of amplification, a media hub with two USB ports and Bluetooth audio streaming. And instead of traditional analog instruments, the XJ has a 12.3-inch high-resolution screen for its instrument cluster with virtual speedometer and tachometer. The center LCD is an 8-inch touch screen for controlling audio, navigation, and the phone system.

Even Jay-Z knows good car candy when he sees it – the 2011 Jaguar XJ is featured in his latest video. Detroit and hip-hop approved – beautiful indeed.

Stop by your Madison dealer today to test drive an XJ, or check out any of the used cars Madison dealership Fields Jaguar Land Rover has to offer. No matter what you find, you’re bound to go home happy.

It’s reported that this vehicle will follow many of the same guidelines  as the S 60 concept car, which was introduced in early 2009.  It will most likely have the same 5- and 6-cylinder gasoline engines that are found in the inventories of used cars Madison car buyers currently see.   Down the road, a 4-cylinder, fuel injected option and hybrid car will join the S60 lineup.

Also, Volvo is moving to make the S60 more slender.  The A and C pillars will be skinnier, resulting in more visibility.  In the past few years, many automakers have made these pillars a lot thicker for styling and structure needs.   At this time, Volvo has not released, or made a decision on what kind of material will be used.  I will be anxious to check this out when the 2011 model is on display at my Madison dealer.

Volvo has a tradition of making reliable cars for its loyal followers.  I’m sure the redesignd Volvo S60 will be a welcome addition to the great selection of Madison new cars next summer!

So what do you do? Here is a quick checklist of a few things to remember when purchasing a used vehicle from a Madison used car dealership:

1. Do research online – the more you know about the models that interest you, the easier time you will have deciding between two similar vehicles of the same model. Maybe you are dead set on heated seats but don’t mind a difference in mileage from 30,000 to 40,000. Knowing that before you reach the lot of a Madison dealer will take the pressure off of making such a big decision.
2. Decide on a monthly payment – This applies to new car purchasing as well, but I can’t reiterate enough how important shopping with a budget in mind is. Don’t sell yourself short and don’t overextend yourself. Take care in setting a narrow range of payment you are willing to make monthly.
3. Check the value of your trade-in – At our Madison used car dealership, we pride ourselves on offering you the best deal possible for your trade-in. But in the unfortunate decision you visit another dealer, you need to know exactly what your current car is worth. This is a good idea in general.
4. You have to test drive – This may sound silly, but there are a lot of Madison used car shoppers who try to buy pre-owned vehicles from our dealership without test driving them. It sounds silly because it is. Test driving your potential “new” used vehicle is the most important thing you can do before you make that final decision.

Those are just a few, but key, points to remember when searching for used cars in Madison. To check out our great inventory of pre-owned vehicles, visit us anytime or call us for a test drive today.