The Cars Thieves Hate Most!

How safe is your vehicle from theft?  Find out which cars thieves hate tangling with the most: Having seen how car thieves have a special attraction for the Cadillac Escalade, what cars do they hate the most? Interestingly, it's a mix of cars and midsize SUVs, such as the Chevrolet Equinox, the Highway Loss Data Institute reports. It may not be because it isn't cool to be cruising around in an Audi A6 or an Equinox. Rather, it may be because these vehicles have really good anti-theft mechanisms. It's clearly not because these vehicles are undesirable. Looking over the list, they are all fairly popular, even if some are niche...

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Is Rustproofing Your Car Worth It?

Is rustproofing your car worth it? In short, yes! Rust is a car’s natural enemy. More than just a discoloration of metal, rust is the corrosive result of a chemical reaction between oxygen and iron. Though rust technically corrodes just the surface of iron or an iron-based alloy (such as steel), fresh iron is exposed during this process of corrosion, which in turn can become “infected” with rust. Given enough time, this cycle will repeat over and over to the point when the rust completely disintegrates the metal. Put simply: Rusted metal is not as structurally strong as rust-free metal. Since most cars are made of metal (especially...

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Tips for Driving In Rain

Check out the following tips for driving in the rain from Smart Motorist. First and foremost: slow down! It takes longer to stop or adjust in wet weather. Stay toward the middle lanes - water tends to pool in the outside lanes. Maintain proper following distance (3 Second Rule). This needs to be increased in wet weather. Drive in the tracks of a car ahead of you. Don't follow large trucks or busses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your vision. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely. Be more alert when driving in wet or slippery conditions....

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Chrysler Group Conquers Ideal Vehicle Awards

Great news for Chrysler! The Chrysler Group’s resurgence continued to gain steam recently, with Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler all scoring impressive honors in AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Awards. The annual measure of what vehicles best meet customers’ automotive ideals was based on feedback from more than 72,000 drivers across 15 key product attributes including power, acceleration, roominess and fuel efficiency. According to the study, “The cars or trucks that owners would change the least are the most ideal.” Taking home top ranking among all mainstream/popular brands was the Chrysler division, which also earned acclaim for offering...

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Paint-Care Fact and Fiction

Do you think you can tell myth from reality when it comes to your vehicle’s care?  Check out these myths and facts from Motortrend and test your know how! With so much misinformation out there surrounding car care, it's no wonder people get confused about what's truth and what's fiction. Paint care is definitely one area that can raise a lot of questions. To sort the myths from the reality, we talked to Mike Pennington, director of training for Meguiar's. Active with detailing professionals, show-car owners, and amateur enthusiasts, Pennington conducts regular paint-care classes and seminars and acts as technical consultant for many...

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Is texting while driving really worse than drunk driving?

Is texting while driving really worse than drunk driving? That’s the question that  Christopher Neiger from “How Stuff Works” asked. Read more to find out his conclusion.  Texting, or short message service(SMS), is a quick form of communication that allows users to send 160 characters or less to and from their cell phones and smartphones. A study by the Pew Research group in 2009 and 2010 reported that out of the number of Americans who have cell phones, 58 percent of adults and 66 percent of teens use them to text [source:Motavalli]. With these high percentages of Americans using text messaging every year, many are bringing...

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2012 Chrysler 300 Gets An Eight Speed Transmission

The 2012 Chrysler 300 gets an eight speed transmission. Chrysler will bring to market the first eight-speed automatic transmission in a domestically produced automobile on the Chrysler 300  for 2012. This new transmission, licensed through ZF, will be paired exclusively with the automaker’s award-wining 3.6-liter V6 Pentastar engine. The lower gear spread of new transmission ensures low engine operation for better fuel economy. The result is a four mile-per-gallon increase that pushes highway fuel economy to an EPA-rated 31 mpg for the 2012 Chrysler 300 and 2012 Dodge Charger — up from 27 mpg highway over last year’s model. ...

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Labor Day Weekend!

Labor Day is this weekend! Are you planning a road trip? Remember to plan ahead for one of the busiest highway holidays: Getting Your Car in Shape The last thing you want on Labor Day is a car that breaks on the road. A routine check of the engine, radiator and fluids will go a long way. Tires should be well inflated and wiper fluid should be replenished. Also, check that the steering wheel and brakes work properly. A car emergency kit should include, at a minimum, jumper wires, a tire gauge, a flashlight, a tool kit with wrenches and screwdrivers, duct tape, rags and an emergency stop sign. Add a first-aid kit, a bottle of water,...

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