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:

How to Keep Warm Quickly in Cold Weather (Car Edition)

When it’s cold, everything sucks.  Your main goal is to take precaution to ensure optimal warmth.  That means, shoveling the car out of snowy oblivion, making lunches on a cold tiled kitchen, bundling up the kids and warming up the car as quickly as possible.  We feel your pain, as a matter of fact, we share it, because there’s nothing worse than freezing your butt off in single digit degree weather.  In today’s blog, we’re providing tips on getting warm as quickly as possible with quick tips from the car gurus.  Enjoy!

First, winterize your car.  Use winter-weight oil and anti-freeze to perform better in the winter and maintain your battery.  Be sure your battery is in goof working order.

Start your car normally and be patient. Now, let your windows defrost by putting the setting on high, letting your car idle for ten minutes.  To help control humidity and dampness on your windows run the blower on the floor to keep your carpeting dry, when not needed to defrost your windows. This will prevent your windows from steaming up on the inside.

Today's engine and fluid technology is designed to start working as soon as you turn the key (or at lease once your windshield is defrosted). Not only does idling waste gas and cause pollution, it can actually cause damage to your vehicle.

If you're faced with severe winter conditions, you may want to consider a block heater, which warms the engine, or a battery warmer. A battery loses power as the temperature goes down, so warming it gives it that extra boost.

Cheers!

Uncommon Reasons For Getting a Ticket

You usually know WHY you got that traffic ticket.  “I was speeding, officer,” is the most common response, accompanied with a hanging head of shame and a defeated demeanor.  Tickets are a necessary evil for governing our roads, but the dread of receiving one always seems to deplete your mood…and your pockets.  In today’s blog, we discuss some uncommon reasons for being pulled over and given a citation from a traffic cop.

1.    Cruising in the left lane of a multilane highway – instead of using this lane to pass slower traffic on the right, you’ve grown accustomed to cruising for miles on end.  Stop it!

2.    Driving slower than normal traffic flow – if the speed limit is 65 mph and you’re traveling 38 mph, either something’s wrong or you’ve misjudged your vehicle’s speedometer.  Try and keep with the flow of traffic to avoid standing out.

3.    Peeling out at a stop sign – performing a peel out after a light turns green is a BAD idea.  It utilizes more fuel, damages your tires, and can warrant the attention of the police officer driving behind you.  Plus, squealing tires are just, well, annoying.

4.    Racking up unpaid parking or traffic citations – if you’re a magnet for attracting traffic tickets, you should always be willing to pay off these small fines as soon as you receive them.  Racking up a lot of these can lead to bigger and more expensive problems for your driving endeavors.

5.    Offensive bumper stickers – Plastering your vehicle with bumper stickers that are racist, include profanity, and are downright degrading, can lead to unwanted attention and a traffic stop. Keep your bumper stickers to a minimum (or at least within the safe range) and always make sure you’re abiding by the rules. 

6.    Acting like a “jerk” – Traffic stops have a moment where they can go either way.  Being belligerent during a stop can add extra violations on top of your primary citation.  When the officer asks: “Do you know why I stopped you?” take your time, asses the question and answer honestly.  This will keep your ticket to a minimum and de-escalate any quarrel that could have been created.

Hey Fans, do you have any weird or strange ticket citations?  Feel free to comment below!

Add Us to Your Circles on Google+

Have you logged into your Google+ Profile lately?  Well, if you have, you’ll realize there were a TON of new aesthetic changes!  Google+ recently released a new way to managing your profile content on Google+.  Now, you have access to a jumbo Google Cover Image at the top of your page and app integration.  We recently upgraded, so feel free to check us out right here:

https://plus.google.com/111321186523583174558/posts

See you on Google+!