Leather vs. Cloth, explained!

One of many dilemmas is being unveiled today. Well, we all have different preferences when it comes to choosing between leather and cloth seats. One is more expensive than the other, yet has some pro’s compared to its respectable alternative. Let’s take a look at the differences and see which one best fits your needs.

Leather Pro’s:

• Luxury aspect and scent
• Soft and supple feel
• Excellent resale value
• Boost interior feel of the car
• Potentially easy maintenance

Cloth Pro’s

• More affordable than its alternative
• More comfortable (no sliding, no burning)

Ultimately, it all comes down to your lifestyle and where you live. If you live in a very hot and sunny states, you might want to avoid the leather. If you have kids and tend to have an active lifestyle, leather is actually good because of its easiness to be cleaned and ability to not retain odors.

Gas vs. Diesel engines!

The dilemma for Diesel vs Gas cars has been going on for quite some time. We will use this blog post to go over some of the advantages of one and the other. Also, we will see how technology has advanced and the effect it has on fuel efficiency.

During long drives, Diesel engines are hard to beat, the fuel efficiency is at its best at highway speeds, especially for a diesel motor. The only way to get anything close to that would be with a hybrid gas car.

The good news for gas engines is that the lead is shrinking, gas technology is advancing rapidly and is slowly catching up to the efficiency you can get out of a diesel engine, without spending the extra dollars on the engine. That’s right, diesel cars are always more expensive than regular engines, along with the fuel itself. Engineers say that Diesel will most likely always be ahead in fuel economy but the gap will increasingly close within the next ten years.

Engineers will continue to work on Diesel engines as well, but it is believed that the evolution process has started to reach its peak, but realistically there are still slight improvements to be made on the diesel technologies.

Take care of your car, it will take care of you!

We know you love your car, and you know what, we love them too. So this week, we’ve decided to show you how you can extend your car’s life with everyday things. Even if you don’t plan on keeping your car so long, keeping your car in great condition will help you get more out of your car trade-in for your next upgrade!

1. Drive with care everyday
Being car considerate shouldn't stop after the break-in. Drive with care every day and your car will reward you with longer intervals without repair. Do not race your car’s engine during start-up.This is a quick way to add years of wear to your engine, especially if it’s cold outside.

2. Don’t fill up if you see the tanker
If you happen to see a gasoline tanker filling the tanks at your local gas station, come back another day or go to a different station. As the station’s underground tanks are being filled, the turbulence can stir up sediment.

3. Go easy when you’re stuck
When stuck in mud or snow, don’t make the problem worse by damaging an expensive component. Gently rocking in an attempt to free the car is fine. But if it looks as though you’re really stuck, don’t keep at it.

4. Lighten up your key chain
Does your car key share a chain with a dozen or more other keys? That’s a pretty heavy load hanging off the car key when it’s in the ignition.The weight, combined with bouncing while you drive, can wear out the tumblers inside the ignition and eventually lead to ignition switch failure.

5. Park in the shade
Of course, a garage is always the ideal place to park your car. But if one isn’t available, minimize interior damage from UV sunlight and heat by always trying to park your car in the shade. If no shade is available or if you find parking under a tree results in bird droppings, use a car shade to minimize the sun’s impact.

It's time for Summer Check-Up!

Summer is around the corner, finally! I think we’ve all been waiting for the season to come through as it’s been a rather rough winter for most of us. We have a few tips to make sure your car is being well taken care of and ready for the sunny days.

1. Remove your winter tires

Winter tires are heavier than summer tires and will probably hurt your MPG’s. Also, since they are a bit softer than Summer tires, they will be melting away faster, as the road surface warms up. Of course, while you’re at it, you might want to check the tire pressure.

2. Check oil and filters

The winter can be tough on the car so make sure it’s in good health. Make sure you don’t need an oil change and that all of your filters are in good shape. If you’re not sure on how to do that, feel free to come by and see us, we’ll be glad to check on these for you.

3. Clean the undercarriage

Take this opportunity to clean the undercarriage of your cat. If you’ve been driving in snow and salt, you will most likely need one of those. If you can’t do it yourself, feel free to stop by your dealership or carwash, they’ll be able to powerspray it down.

4. Check your hoses, belts, battery

The changes in temperature can cause the rubber pieces to crack and eventually fail. If your belts don’t work properly, you might overheating your engine during the summer months, so be on the safe side. The battery also takes quite a beating during winter, make sure the connectors are cleaned to ensure a clean connection.

5. Change your windshield wipers

Just like your engine belts, your windshield wipers might be getting  cracked over time, check them and if they don’t work properly, there’s only one remedy: replacement! 

Safety first! Buckle up!

Yes, wearing your seat belt can be restrictive and annoying. Sure, it requires work to put it on and make people in your car wear it. It is very important for your safety that you understand the benefits of wearing a seat belt. We just want to makes sure you’re keeping yourself, your friends and your family safe during your travels. 

Number 1: Simple and important one. It is the LAW (except in New Hampshire), you have to wear your seat belt.

Number 2: As intense as that sounds, it will prevent your face from hitting the windshield in a potential crash at approximately 60 mph. The seat belt will stop your inertia and will keep you safe.

Number 3: Your seat belt also keeps you in your vehicle, in some high-speed crashed, people have been seen thrown out of their cars. The seat belt will keep you in the seat which is the safest place during an accident.

Number 4: Similar to reason number 2 and 3, it will prevent you from banging against car parts like pillars, steering wheel and more.

Number 5: It also keeps you from bouncing against other passengers of the car. Head to head clashes can be quite painful in a car accident.

Number 6: Seat belts remain the safest technology to prevent injuries and/or death in a car accident.

Some of the Earth's Highest roads!

Some of the highest roads on earth. It takes some serious time, money and skill to locate the highest roads on the planet, so we did it for you. You can enjoy this list from the comfort of your home. Feel free to share which is your favorite!

5) Cime de la Bonette, France - Altitude: 9,192 ft
Who would have thought France was hiding one of the highest roads on Earth, well it is!

4) Mouna Loa, USA - Altitude: 11,145 ft
This is the largest of the five volcanoes known as Hawaii.

3) Khardung La, India - Altitude: 17,582 ft

What a sight, in the middle of India, you’d find this! You wouldn’t want to run out of gas there, “Next station: 60 miles”!

2) Marsimik La, India - Altitude: 18,640 ft
India is quite THE spot for high roads, it’s lucky enough to have two of the roads on this list.

1) Uturuncu, Bolivia - Altitude: 18,923 feet
South America is a famous land for its volcanoes, well now you can also add the highest road. Not only are you REALLY high, but also, you need to be careful as you might get hit with Volcanic eruptions.

Spring is here everybody!

Spring provides such wonderful weather in almost every location. It's a wonderful time for the family to head outdoors and soak up some sun whether it's at a picnic or at an outdoor athletic event.

Spring time is perfect for families to become even closer, here are some reasons why Spring is the best for family fun!

1. Ideal temperatures -- It's not too hot, it's not too cold. The kids can run around to their heart's content without getting all sweaty and dehydrated.
2. Fun sights and sounds -- Is there anything better than heading out the door and hearing the birds chirp, watching squirrels run by, and seeing your little ones squeal with delight upon spotting them? Nope.
3. Daily trips to the park -- On any given spring day, there's really no better place to hang out with a toddler than the playground. They get to let off some steam, play with other kids, and since the weather is nice (see number one), you don't have to worry about the equipment being too hot for them to touch.
4. Learning experiences -- Now that the snow has melted, you gotta get the yard and garden back in order. Kids love to feel like they're helping out mommy, so you can turn any outdoor project into an educational experience -- even though they'll only see it as fun.
5. Fresh air is great for sleep -- For whatever reason, the kiddos sleep so much better after they've had a good dose of fresh air. Even something as simple as a walk around the neighborhood in the stroller is guaranteed to give your child (and you) a few extra z's at night.