Where to Compare and Find MPG

Getting great MPG is a perfect way to save money on a weekly basis.  With gas prices going down steadily, it’s still an effective way to save at the pump, keeping your money for something a tad more…fun.  MPG is an important factor in car buying.  Many of you come into our dealership looking for a vehicle that gets great MPG, but is still comfortable and fun to drive.  We get that.  So, in today’s blog, we’re providing some ways to find out and compare MPG to find the best fit for your budget, and your pockets.

Window Sticker

When you come into the dealerships, check out the EPA label with three combined numbers:

• ·      City
• ·      Highway
• ·      Combined MPG

City MPG factors traffic, stop and go, and city streets.  Highway reflects an open road number, and a certain speed. The combined mpg rating is the most realistic whether than highway or city, because it’s a more realistic driving standard.   As of 2013, a new label that makes the combined MPG more prominent will be displayed with more information regarding annual fuel costs. 

Fuel Economy.gov

The U.S. Department of Energy has one of the best tools for looking up and comparing MPG, allowing consumers to search all the way back to 1984.  The website also allows you to make comparisons between vehicles, as well as customized driving data for more accurate results. According to Edmunds:

“Clicking on the "Personalize" button takes you to a screen where you can input your annual mileage, the price of fuel in your area and the percentage of miles you drive in stop-and-go traffic. The "Fuel Economics" section of the page then shows you a variety of results, such as how much it will cost to fill the tank, the cost to drive 25 miles, fuel used to drive 25 miles, the average miles on a tank, the size of the tank and estimated annual fuel costs.”

What MPG do you look for?

10 Shocking Facts About Distracted Driving

Distracted Driving is a HUGE problem.  With the emergence of smartphones, it’s become even more difficult to direct 100% of your attention toward your primary task: driving.  In an effort to show you how important it is to focus on driving, we’re providing some key facts and statistics to show you just how distracted the average driver is.  Those type of distractions include:

• Texting
• Smartphone usage
• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Grooming
• Reading maps and Navigation devices
• Adjusting a radio
• Important statistics (Courtesy of distraction.gov):

• In 2010, 3092 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver and an estimated additional 416,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.
• 18% of injury crashes in 2010 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.
• ·       In the month of June 2011, more than 196 billion text messages were sent or received in the US, up nearly 50% from June 2009. (CTIA)
• 11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
• 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger. (Pew)
• Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.(Monash University)
• Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. (VTTI)
• Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind. (VTTI)
• Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use. (VTTI)
• Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie Mellon)

For more info, visit http://www.texasmotorsford.com

High School Student Wins Ford Ranger at Texas Motors Ford

Car giveaways ALWAYS bring out the best in people.  In this case, it's attendance.  However, anecdotal evidence suggests that it helps improve unexcused absences.  At Brewer High School officials spend a considerable amount of time inputing attendance data for this year, according to Principal Lorimer Arendse.  

"Every year we've done this we've seen an increase in perfect attendance," Aredse said.  "Obviously, if a kid is not in school, they're not going to learn.  We try to get them to see the value of coming to school."

Brewer High School works with Texas Motors Ford to offer a 2002 Ford Ranger truck to one special student.  This year, that student is Jeffrey Osbourne, a junior at Brewer High School who won the Ford Ranger pickup from Texas Motors Ford.  He doesn't ming that the vehicle isn't new, because Texas Motors Ford detailed the truck so that it runs well and looks like new.  Osbourne said: "I just turned 18 a while a go and we're low on money.  If you ask me, it's a free car, so I don't really care."

Now all he needs is his drivers license.  :-)

Steps to Buying GREAT Auto Insurance

We’re car people.  From the accents and contours of a vehicle, to the drive and adrenaline of a fast car, we have a certain appreciation for the automotive machine.  As our passion, we’re great at finding a perfect fit for our customers.  When it comes to auto insurance, you want to be covered in the case you get into a fender bender.  So, in an effort to ease the burden, we’re providing 5 tips for finding the right coverage at the right price.  By doing some comparison shopping, you could save hundreds a year.   

Find the Right Coverage

Your first step should be to find a list of what is required in the state.  You can visit this link to find out: http://www.edmunds.com/auto-insurance/how-much-car-insurance-do-you-need.htmlthis will provide the minimum of what is required. Once you have that, you should decide what insurance premium you need.  Your decision depends on your degree of comfort and a certain level of risk.  According to Edmunds:

“Experts recommend that if you have a lot of assets, you should get enough liability coverage to protect them. Let's say you have $50,000 of bodily injury liability coverage but $100,000 in personal assets. If you're at fault in an accident, attorneys for the other party could go after you for the $50,000 in medical bills that aren't covered by your policy.”

Also, you don’t have to buy collision and comprehensive damage, especially if your vehicle is older than 2000.

Check Your Driving Record

How many tickets have you had recently? By checking your state’s department of motor vehicles, you can have a better idea of how you stack up.  For example, if points you earned on your license are about to disappear, this will improve your driving record.  So, we would recommend you wait until that happens before you receive quotes.

Solicit Competitive Quotes

You will need:

o   Current Policy

o   License Number

o   Vehicle Registration

Check out insurance company websites and receive a quote.  It’s easy to type in your information and build a list of companies for comparative quotes.  Each quote takes about 15 minutes to complete, but shopping around can save you hundreds.  Think about the annual and monthly rates for different types of coverage, note the 800 number so you can get more direct answers, and pay close attention to the insurance company payment policy. 

These are just a few tips to get you started.  For more info visit your favorite insurance company website for details.

New Technology: “If Cars Could Talk”…Literally

If your car could talk, besides “wash me”, what would it say? Would it ask you to ease on the brakes once in a while?  What about a nice new quart of oil?  Would traffic be smoother if cars could communicate with each other?  The Department of Transportation hopes to answer this question this summer.  In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to have 2,800 cars, trucks, and buses on the streets of Ann Arbor, all fitted with technologies that will alert drivers to road hazards, sudden stops, and blind spots.

“The reason why we are so excited about this is, is that this technology, when fully deployed, can address up to 80 percent of crash scenarios involving not-impaired drivers,” said, NHTSA administrator David Strickland.

Many cars use proximity sensors to alert motorists to nearby hazards, but in this case the augmented vehicles will use traditional GPS and a wireless broadcasting method similar to Wi-Fi to communicate.  The DOT has nicknamed the concept “Connected Vehicle Technology”, allowing cars to communicate directly with each other.

According to ABC News: “NHTSA drivers showed reporters how the system could detect an oncoming car around a blind corner. In another scenario the system notified its driver of a car that had suddenly stopped in their lane several vehicles ahead, beyond the motorist’s view.  NHTSA said the proximity sensors in many of today’s vehicles would likely have failed these tests without having direct line-of-sight contact.  NHTSA says Connected Vehicle Technology should also allow commuters and local governments to view traffic information in real time.”

The project will cost about $15 million, with funding split between the federal government and the state of Michigan.  

The WORST Days of the Year On the Road

You’re a daily commuter.  A seasoned expert at driving during rain, sleet, and snow to arrive at your destination safely.  We know you’re a road warrior because we share your same attributes.  Maintaining a good speed limit, obeying traffic laws and abiding by driving etiquette are just a few things we’re accustomed to.  Driving is an integral part of our lives and we perform well to keep our families safe.  However, there are certain times during the year where your skills are put to the test.  According to Safemotorist.com July 4^th is one day to exercise extreme caution.  In today’s blog, we're listing the most cautious days on the road.  Continue to utilize your driving skills to maintain a safe advantage against reckless motorists.  Here’s a list of the worst days to drive according to safemotorist.com

Worst Days of the Year To Drive

1.    July 4

2.    July 3

3.    December 23

4.    August 3

5.    January 1

6.    August 6

7.    August 4

8.    August 12

9.    July 2

10. September 2

Worst Month to Drive

1.    August

2.    October

3.    July

4.    November

5.    September

Worst Time of Day to Drive

1.    3:00 - 6:00pm

2.    6:00 - 9:00pm

3.    9:00 - Midnight

4.    Noon - 3:00pm

5.     Midnight - 3:00am

Google Tests a Self-Driving Car on Roadways

Google strikes again.  The digital juggernaut that is Google, responsible for the top search engine in the world, smartphones, translation technology, and a plethora of other projects, has taken another BIG step toward the world domination summit.  This is one step that makes them pioneers.  After word traveled that Google was working on a self-driving vehicle and countless tests in 2010, the Nevada State Department of Motor Vehicles announced Monday that they have issued a license to vehicle testing on freeways and neighborhoods around Carson City and even the Las Vegas strip. 

WOW.  Picture the neon lights of a city ablaze with life and music.  A night to remember (or not) in Vegas can be navigated with ease in a self-driving vehicle, lifting the weight of driving under the influence or when you’re fatigued.  The wave of the future isn’t that far off, according to Google.  The license that the Google Self-Driving vehicle will hold has a red background and an infinity symbol on the left side.  "I felt using the infinity symbol was the best way to represent the 'car of the future,' " DMV Director Bruce Breslow said in a statement Monday.

In June of last year, Nevada wrote rules governing autonomous vehicles after the state passed pioneering legislation to authorize the cars.  L.A. Times reporter Tiffany Hsu stated: 

"A driverless car is defined by the bill as using 'artificial intelligence, sensors and global positioning system coordinates to drive itself without the active intervention of a human operator.' That includes technology such as lasers, cameras and radar."

Self-driving cars logged more than 140,000 miles in California in Google testing, thus far.  The FUTURE IS NOW.  How do you feel about self-driving vehicles?