The Dangers of Texting and Driving (2013 Edition)

You’ve heard it all before.  Texting and driving should not mix.  We’ve all been ridiculed and yelled at for checking our phones in the HOV lane, dashing passed a red light while flicking our phone and having full blown conversations via MMS.  Texting and driving is DEADLY.  This isn’t a filtered blog with soft-spoken words, it’s a PSA for those who drive while browsing and texting on their phones.  We’re providing some scary facts on WHY LOL can lead to RIP.  Please be safe out there, fans! We care about ‘ya!

·      In 2011, at least 23% of auto collisions involved cellphones.  That’s 1.3 million crashes.

• Five seconds is the average amount of time your attention is taken away from the road.  So, if you’re traveling at 55 mph, this equals driving the length of a football field without looking at the road.
• 77% of young adults are very or somewhat confident that they can safely text while driving.
•  55% of young adults claim it’s easy to text while they drive.
•  Teens who text while driving spend 10% of their driving time outside of their lane
•  48% of young drivers have seen their parents drive while talking on a cell phone.
• 1 in 5 drivers of all ages confess to surfing the web while driving.
• Texting while driving increases the risk of accident 23.2 times over unimpaired driving.
•   Texting while driving results in longer response times than even drunken driving. While an unimpaired driver can respond quickly to changes in traffic and begin braking within half a second, a legally drunk driver needs four additional feet to begin braking—and a driver who’s texting needs 70.

Drive safely!

How to Read a New Car Window Sticker

It’s happened to everyone.  Yes, even you.  You’re perusing the inside of our dealership, checking out the coolest new vehicles and you’re bogged down by the infamous New Car Window Sticker that has TONS of new information on it.  In today’s blog, we’ll provide some details courtesy of Edmunds.com.  Check it out below:

1. Model Information

This is where you will find the basic model information for the vehicle. The section is usually located in the top left or right corner. It tells you the engine and transmission combination, exterior and interior color, the year and trim level of the vehicle. Checking this part of the sticker is the best way to quickly ensure that the car in front of you has the engine and color configuration you're looking for.

2. Standard Equipment

This section of the window sticker lists all items and features that are included in the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). Items listed here should be consistent with any other vehicle in this trim level. These items are grouped into such categories as: Exterior, Interior, Safety/Security, Comfort/Convenience and Mechanical/Performance.

3. Warranty Information

This section lists the length of the new car's bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranties and notes any roadside assistance package that the manufacturer offers. Some new cars also come with free maintenance programs, and that coverage is also listed here. If you want to compare coverage among automakers, Edmunds keeps a comprehensive list on the warranty and roadside assistance page.

4. Optional Equipment

In this section, you'll find information on the car's factory-installed options. Some carmakers bundle them into packages. Others offer them à la carte. Knowing a vehicle's options can help you price it correctly and make apples-to-apples comparisons with other cars on the lot.

5. Pricing Information

This is where you'll find the base price of the vehicle and a breakdown of options and fees. Other items that would appear here are the destination charge (cost of transporting the vehicle to dealer) and any gas-guzzler tax (levied on cars with a combined MPG of 22.5 or less). The total price of the vehicle is sometimes located here, but it often occupies its own space.

More Gas Less Cash! What Type of Gas is For You?

In the good old days you had countless choices: Ethel, Leaded, Unleaded, and more… Now that option is diminished, with Unleaded becoming the victor.  Now, when you head to the gas station, your alternatives come in different form: octane, special additives, and ethanol content, derivatives of unleaded. Sometimes, I find myself thinking of which type of gas would be beneficial for my specific vehicle.  In today’s blog, we discuss the best options for you, check it out!

Octane

Octane has three options: 87, 89, and 92.  Large engines perform well on 87 octane, smaller cars do well with 89, and high performance cars run perfect on 92 octane.  The higher the octane rating the more compression the fuel can handle before it ignites.  If your engine begins to knock, then fuel is igniting from the compression, not from the spark.  Thus, damaging your engine.  If this continues to occur, it’s time to buy higher-octane gas.

Special Additives

Special Additives are beneficial because their utilized by fuel companies to keep the inside of the engine clean.  For example, Exxon uses high amounts of additives in their gas to keep your system clean.  All the major gas companies use detergent additives to help keep the engine clean, so this should not really be a consideration. 

Ethanol content

The final option is ethanol content.  The lower the ethanol content, the better the fuel will burn in your engine, providing a longer life for your engine.  Ethanol is also good because it improves fuel economy, sometimes giving up to a 20% boost. 

Uncommon Car Facts: 2013 Edition

Hey, Fans! A new year means new beginnings for us.  We’re rearing up for another great year in the Automotive world, and wanted to have some fun with our blog.  Every year, we showcase the coolest car facts (not to be confused with Car Fax) this side of the Northern Hemisphere.  If you have facts that you would like to add, feel free!  We welcome any and all feedback from our readers. 

• Rear view mirrors were first attached to cars in the year 1916.
• The world’s longest skid marks are 950 feet long.
• The Carburetor and the clutch mechanism were invented by women in the year 1923.
• The world’s first license plates were issued by the French police in the year 1893. They were called number plates then.
• The Tata Nano is the cheapest car in the world. ($2500 US)
• The world’s first car accident took place in 1769. The car is still preserved at a museum in Paris.
• The average length of electrical wires in every car is about 3000 feet.
• A driver spends about an average of two weeks of his life waiting for the traffic light to change color.
• Japan produces the most number of cars in the world.
• Airbags take only 40 milliseconds to open in case of an accident.
• The first cars had levers instead of a steering wheel!

We’re looking for more facts to expand our list!!!

In 2012, we're revamping our Facts sheet for the New Year, check out our newest unknown car facts here:

5 Ways to Devalue Your Vehicle

So, you’ve got a reliable vehicle that’s great on gas, looks great, and gets you from point A to B in style.  You want to keep it for a long time, bu you also want to maintain a lot of the value associated with it so you can trade or sell it when you’re ready to update.  In today’s blog, we’re describing 5 ways to devalue your car quicker than you can say “junk it”  So, hold on and be prepared, it’s going to e a bumpy ride (pun intended).

1. Lack of Maintenance and Servicing

Every buyer wants piece of mind.  A feeling of tranquility when they purchase their car AND verification that the vehicle is in a good state of reliability.  Each car comes with a service book, which will be marked and stamped by the dealer, so keep ALL of your records to show prospective buyers (dealerships, too) that your car has a great history.

2. Lackluster Paint Care

DO NOT neglect your paint job.  In most cases, vehicles these days maintain their paint jobs due to the detailed precision of application during the car’s inception.  Don’t buy discount car care products.  The best wax kits include: washes, waxes, polishes, and extra protective layers.  Don’t use brushes to wash your car, but rather soft clothes.

3. No Friggin Insurance

Always get insurance for your vehicle.  Why?  Because it’s the single most important remedy for accidents that can happen when you’re driving.  It also means any damage will be fixed properly, usually by us or a reputable bodyshop. 

4.  Smoking Cigarettes

If you EVER want to resell your vehicle., don’t smoke in it.  Smoking seeps into fabric surfaces, seats, headlining and carpets and is virtually impossible to extract.  This will depreciate any potential buyers who are repulsed by smoke, or potential buyers with children

5. Not Cleaning Vehicle Interior

For some parts of the day, your vehicle is your home.  Treat it well.   Make sure you keep your car clean and vacuumed. 

The Ford Fusion: More Than a Pretty Face

It gets 47 mpg. It has class-exclusive safety and technology features. But the most important feature of the 2013 Ford Fusion is something you already know: it's got a pretty face.

 

Cool Automotive Apps

When you’re driving from Metro Ford of Madison in your new car , all of your attention should be focused on the open road. The emergence of smartphones has changed a lot regarding car safety.  Picking up the phone and taking a quick second call?  Not a good idea, but tolerable if short lived.  Seeing a person update their Facebook status on a smartphone in the middle of traffic?  That’s insanity!  Our smartphones have become an extension of us; here are some great iPhone apps that can keep you driving safely, while making your life easier in the process. 

Car Finder Plus is an app that records your position when you leave your car, tracking your location in the process.  The GPS stores this location and when you’re looking for your vehicle after running your errands, it provides a display of where to locate your car.   

Another great (free) app is Trapster.  Trapster allows drivers to scan the area for known speed traps, police hangouts, speed cameras or even stop-light cameras.  Using the GPS capabilities in your smart phone it uses reported speed traps in Trapster’s network database to give voice alerts of approaching traps.  This technology is due to a network of over 5 million Trapster users that constantly contribute trap locations.    

There are countless smartphone applications available for your phone that helps make life a tad easier.  Check out your smartphone application store for details and continue to drive safely!

Feel free to add your favorite app here: