In today’s world the cost of gas fluctuates from what we now considerable affordable and what is highway robbery. In doing research on my own to figure out how I could conserve on gas I found roughly 5 solid driving tips to help save gas, and these are tips that could help everyone. They way I look at is is, regardless if you’re driving a new car or a used car, saving gas is saving money.
Drive Sensibly – This one is a no-brainer. Rapid acceleration, quick excessive braking, speeding, and aggressive driving wastes gas. Driving conservatively and sensibly can even lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent when driving in town.
Observe The Speed Limit – Each vehicle new, or old reaches their optimal fuel economy at different speeds. It is said that gas mileage can decrease rapidly at speeds over 60 mph. At that pace you can assume that for each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph its like paying .24 cents more per gallon. That can add up really quickly if you’re blazing the roads all over town.
Avoid Excessive Idling – When you’re idling you are getting 0 miles per gallon. Cars waste gas when they idle, cars with larger engines typically will waste even more gas than cars with smaller engines. Why take the risk? When you’re not driving you should just turn your engine off. Not only will it save on gas but its good for the environment too and we should all be thinking about the environment.
Use Cruise Control – Now obviously this is not something you can do when sitting in traffic but using cruise control on the highway can help reduce your gas waste by maintaining a constant speed and not overworking your engine.
Remove Excess Weight – If you’re like me you’ve got junk in your trunk. I’ve got lawn chairs, blankets and the like just sitting back there. Partly because I’m too lazy to take it up stairs and partly because you never know when you might need to use them. Once I found out I could save gas by taking that stuff out, I quickly moved them back to the garage. According to an independent study by the US government, “An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car’s fuel economy by 1-2%.” As you can see it’s time to dump that junk in your trunk and start saving gas.
As gas prices keep rising, and the money in your wallet keeps dwindling. There are ways you can save on gas and reduce your overall fuel consumption. I hope these tips will help you in your quest to saving gas and if nothing else gets you thinking about other ways we can help the environment.
So Nitrogen in your tires….That sounds odd. Cincinnati car dealerships are seeing a lot of requests for nitrogen filling options for their tires. Not sure what the fuss is about? Are you wondering what it can do for your tires? Well nitrogen filled tires are not necessarily the latest, but the could be greatest craze right now. Did you know that nitrogen is all around us? Of course you did, you passed 8th grade science. Technically speaking, the air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and small amounts of other gasses. Science class over.
So what’s this big hubbub about nitrogen? Well, actually, nitrogen is said to have many advantages over oxygen when it comes to tire inflation. Nitrogen enhances handling, improves fuel efficiency, extends tire life, provides cooler running tire temperatures and can keep you safer on the roads….. Overall, filling up with nitrogen won’t hurt and may provide benefits. It’s really up to you to decide what you’d rather have. It is important to note that nitrogen is more expensive than ai (as air typically costs nothing)r, so be prepared for tha added expenset. But here’s the deal on that too. the added expense. You see, nitrogen particles are bigger than those of oxygen so they don’t pass through the tire wall as easily. Check out the diagram.
Here are a few stats on Nitrogen.
Maintain proper tire pressure with nitrogen, and you’ll see these three primary benefits:
• Increased Fuel Efficiency – Correct tire pressure keeps the manufacturer’s recommended “contact patch” on the road. This lessens the rolling resistance and maximizes fuel efficiency.
• Longer Tire Life – When it comes in contact with other materials, oxygen causes oxidation. Oxidation can make rubber brittle and cause it to lose tensile strength. In addition, at high temperatures and pressures, oxygen reacts and damages inner tire liners and belt packages; nitrogen does not.
• Increased Safety – Under-inflated tires cause 90% of blowouts. Nitrogen provides more reliable pressure for reduced blowout potential. Go to getnitrogen.org for more info.
Check out this video with Jay Leno on Nitrogen filled tires. Yes. Jay Leno.
Looking for a shot of nitrogen? Give your Cincinnati car dealer a shout and we can probably help out.
If you’ve ever been stuck with a dead battery, you know how miserable it is. But don’t worry, help is on the way…and no, it’s not the tow truck. It’s a battery charger! The best way to avoid any unforeseen problems is to avoid them altogether right? So, keeping your battery in good condition is one way to “avoid” one such “unforeseen problem”. Got it?
Let’s say you accidentally left your interior lights on all night and you wake up to find that you have a dead battery, what do you do? Without a battery charger, you call into work and burn a personal day in hopes of getting a jump from a neighbor or a new battery. With a battery charger, well you get to save that personal day for a time when you really want to play hooky. Let me tell you, for around $50, it’s worth it and you’ll get a pretty decent charger to boot!
How does a charger work? Check out the video.
How easy is it to use? This easy.
Of course, there could also be other reasons why your battery is discharging faster than usual or not having enough juice to turn the starter, and that is a bigger issue. I’d advise you take your car to your mechanic if your battery issues become problematic.
Um…. I don’t even know what to say. I am astounded that some high school kids could put together an electric car. Kids are just so much smarter and learn so much more than we did back in my day. This is simply amazing. I found this story and video on Edmunds and I just had to share with you guys cause it is amazing. Talk about 1st place at the science fair!!
When we were in high school we built a birdhouse. It didn’t last the winter and almost certainly took the lives of a young family of Cardinals. The kids from DeLaSalle charter high school? Yeah, they took a 2000 Lola Indy chassis, put a lightweight plastic skin on it that would make the Mazda Furai blush and then made it electric. Oh, and then took it around Bridgestone’s proving grounds — using Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 low-rolling resistance tires– where they managed to get the equivalent of 300mpg. The Guinness Book of World Records is currently reviewing the claim.
Still think your game-winning touchdown junior year was cool? Right?
What do you guys think? Could you have made this when you were in high school? I’d like to see you try!!
Well, it’s the question that USA Today proposed. Is this the most beautiful car ever produced? It does look pretty shiny, pretty lines, and very interesting look but what do you guys think? Let’s weigh in. What is your favorite car? What is the most beautiful car in your opinion? If you could have any new or used car in the world what would you drive? Tell me! I want to know.
Here’s the story.
The more we look at this 1949 Delahaye 175 Roadster, the more we wonder: could this be the most beautiful car ever created?
Sure, the wheel skirts and perfect proportions help. But isn’t just a stunner from far. The tiny details are just as perfect as the outline. No wonder it is expected to fetch upwards of $4 million at the RM Auction in Monterey, Calif., next week during the weekend of cars.
The Delahaye stands apart for a number of reasons. As RM points out, it has “stunning one-off coachwork by Saoutchik.” It goes on to say, “this wildly extravagant, award-winning Delahaye is without question the most elegant, special and rare post-war coachbuilt motor car ever made. Built for the reemerging concours circuit following the war, it was shown in Paris, Monte Carlo, San Remo, and more recently, Pebble Beach.”
We take that to mean the auctioneers agree, this could be the single most amazing car ever.
I wanted to share this story with you because it pulled at my heart strings. Yes I do have a heart. Please understand that unintended acceleration of a vehicle can happen to any car you may be driving. I am not bad mouthing Toyota at all. I just thought you might like this story and it’s happy ending for a man wrongfully convicted. Thanks to USA Today for sharing it.
A Minnesota man imprisoned after an accident involving a ruaway 1996 Toyota Camry — a model recalled for speed control issues, although his was not one of the ones recalled — will go free.
Earlier today, after a judge ordered Koua Fong Lee free pending a new trial, prosecutors said they will not seek to try Lee again. So he’ll be freed.
Since the day of the accident, Lee has said his car sped out of control. Three people died in the 2006 crash.
ABC News said Lee rejected a plea agreement earlier today that would have set him free, but would have kept his conviction in tact and would have kept him from driving for 10 years. He rejected the plea agreement, maintaining he was innocent.
The four-day hearings to determine whether Lee should get a new trial attracted scores of demonstrators, who demanded he be released immediately.
Lee was convicted for a 2006 crash after his Camry sped up an exit ramp off the highway, and hit a Oldsmobile. The driver, Javis Adams, and his 10-year-old son died. Adams’ seven-year-old niece, Devyn Bolton, survived but died a year later from her injuries.
Lee told police at the time that he pressed the brakes repeatedly but the car would not stop.
His attorney, Brent Schafer, took up the case following Toyota’s sudden acceleration recalls this past fall and winter. An expert Schafer hired said the brake filaments in Lee’s car exploded during the accident, indicating the brake lights were on even though the car was accelerating.
I just had to share this video with you because in my head I can not wrap around how he does this every single day. That would drive me completely mad! I will never ever again for as long as I live complain about all the stuff in my garage because this man’s car is 58 inches wide and his garage is only a roomy 60 inches. An inch each side is enough, right?
I can not even begin to explain how dangerous it is to leave your kids or pets in the car for any given amount of time. It’s just stupid and reckless. You have no idea what could happen in 60 seconds. Not only could your car be stolen with your child in it, but in these hot summer months you could kill your child or pet before you know it. I was really impressed with this story fromConsumer Reports and felt compared to share it with you as it is something that is very close to my heart. It just breaks my heart to watch the news and hear that a mother left their child in the car in this summer heat only to lose that child.
Summer can be a fun time of year with warm weather, school is out, and everyone heads outdoors. But it also means that parents need to be extra vigilant to keep tabs on their children and help keep them safe. The child safety group Kids and Cars have documented 100 non-traffic fatalities so far this year–35 frontovers, 32 backovers, and 18 related to heat. Sadly, we can expect more tragic accidents as injuries and deaths peak in the summer months. Just last week seven children died from heat stroke after being left in the car.
Here are some tips that everyone can do to help prevent such tragedies.
Never leave a kid alone in a car. In the summer, there are significant risks, with the interior temperature rising quickly, and children being particularly vulnerable to temperature changes. Beyond temperature, there are security concerns and risk that a child could disengage a parking brake or otherwise move the vehicle.
Check your car before you leave, especially if you have a change in your normal routine. To avoid accidentally leaving a child in the car, some people use a stuffed animal in the front seat as a reminder that a child is in the rear. You can also put an essential item like your purse or briefcase in the back seat, so you know you have to open the back door.
Before you pull in or out of a driveway, check all around to make sure no children are in the way and proceed slowly, with music off. A backup camera can help if you have a large vehicle.
Lock up your car. To avoid children playing in the car when it is unattended, keep it locked with the windows up when you are not using it.
Look around. If you are in a parking lot, casually look around to see if any children are left in their vehicles. If so, take action and call 911 immediately.
For more on child safety, see our kids and cars safety section.
—Liza Barth
Please please be safe out there parents, the loss of your child is not worth the time you save leaving them in the car.
Who’s excited about the new Honda Odyssey? Well I am!! And so is Superior Honda! We just read an article on USA Today and it gets us even more excited! The new Honda Odyssey will have an amazing MPG which could send everyone into a frenzy.
Check this out:
Honda says it recently got the good word from the feds that at least one version of its 2011 Odyssey minivan will be rated a remarkable 28 miles per gallon on the highway, just what Honda had predicted.
That makes the 2011 Odyssey, a major overhaul due in showrooms this fall, three mpg better than the current champ, Kia Sedona, and four mpg better than the four-cylinder version of the 2011 Toyota Sienna, a model Toyota launched to have a lower-price, higher-mpg model. – USA Today
Have you been over to your Cincinnati Honda dealer lately and seen the new cars? I know you want to test drive this new Odyssey, i’ve already shown you how awesome the interior is and all the new features. Well, what do you think? 28 MPG HWY is pretty great for a minivan!
Well it seems like we are getting closer and closer to manufacturer’s putting black boxes in our new vehicles. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it’s to big brotherish or do you think it’s for the better of the community? Well here’s the latest report from AutoBlog.
Intel is currently hard at work on the next generation of vehicle event data recorders, the infamous black boxes that Congress has clamored for since Toyota’s unintended acceleration problems dominated headlines earlier this year. According to The New York Times, these new black boxes may do a lot more than just record things like vehicle speed and whether you’re wearing your seatbelt. Intel’s prototype will incorporate GPS and all of a vehicle’s onboard cameras for real-time mapping of the road conditions.
As if that’s not intrusive enough, Intel proposes that the EDRs record up to 30 seconds of interior video as well. While this level of information would likely prove helpful in determining who’s at fault in an accident, there’s the prickly question of who owns that information once it’s stored in the vehicle. Does it belong to vehicle manufacturers as it does now? Should the government be able to lay claim to it without a warrant? Will insurance companies be able to use EDR data any way they see fit, or does it belong to the owner of the vehicle? This could get ugly, and it probably will before all’s said and done.
[Source: The New York Times]
Seriously what are your thoughts on this? I think this could be a very good discussion.
The Superior Automotive Group and Mike Albert Direct have been serving Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 1928. We care about you, your cars, your safety, and our community.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and any suggestions are always welcome at [email protected]
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