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.

The best safety features you can get!

Safety features are starting to grow and multiply every year. The automotive industry is starting to implement artificial intelligence into your future vehicles and doing everything possible to avoid crashes and increase safety. We have compiled the Top 5 of our favorite safety features.

1. Blind Spot Detector
That has been such a serious issue for years, especially for new drivers. Checking your blind spot can really be a life-saver, well now, you don’t REALLY have to anymore. Most manufacturers offer this awesome feature. Even better, if you don’t know you have a car in your blind spot and you still put on your blinker, the car will beep to let you know it’s not safe to switch lanes at the moment.

2. Lane departure warning
It happens to everyone, you take your eye off the road for two seconds, you’re talking to someone, and guess what? Your car starts drifting and you don’t notice it. The beauty in the Lane Departure is that it will tell you when you’re leaving your lane.

3. Back up Camera
Everyone know what that is, but it’s quite genius! No need to break your neck and check all the way around now. Some cars will even notify you if it notices a shape (objects or humans) in the eye of the backup camera!

4. Smart Cruise Control
Some cars will automatically slow you down when you approach another vehicle while you’re using Cruise Control. This is the ideal feature for the long road trips!

5. Crash preventing braking
Last but not least, some vehicles will actually be able to brake for you! The front eyes of the car will detect an object in its pathway, and it will be able to react accordingly as needed. A true life saver!

Lease vs. Buy dilemma, coming to an end!

We often get asked what is the best option for me? Should I lease or should I buy? So we’ve decided to write a blog post about what the different options mean, and how they differ. If you’re interested in having a most up-to-date vehicle, and will be driving clients in it, you will probably be opting for the leasing option for examples. Don’t forget you could also get a tax write off on that! If you prefer to think long-term with your car, and want to keep it for more than 4-5 years, you’re better off purchasing it. Here are the pro’s and con’s of each of the options.






Upsides of Car Leasing

• Lower monthly payments
  
• Lower down payment
  
• You can drive a better car for less money each month.
  
• Lower repair costs (With a three-year lease, the factory warranty covers most repairs.)
  
• You can more easily drive a new car every two or three years.
  
• No trade-in hassles at the end of the lease
  
• You pay sales tax only on the portion of the car you finance.

Downsides of Car Leasing

• The car is not yours at the end of the lease.
  
• Your mileage is limited to a set amount, typically 12,000-15,000 miles a year (excess miles are paid for at the lease termination), depending on how much you negotiate.
  
• Lease contracts are confusing.
  
• Leasing is more expensive in the long run (as opposed to buying and driving until the wheels fall off).
  
• Wear-and-tear charges can add up (paid at lease termination).
  
• It's costly to terminate a lease early if your driving needs change.

We hope this has helped you in your decision making. If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to us. Thank you for reading!

Check out the best bridges in the world!

Bridges have been known to be functional for years, but fortunately for mankind, they have also been used to leave a beautiful man-made mark on this beautiful planet of ours. Different cultures have been able to mix functionality with aesthetics, and really well! Take a minute to look at our personal selection of our favorite bridges, worldwide!

Hardanger Bridge, Norway
Recently finished construction this is really the Norwegian equivalent to the Golden Gate Bridge in California.

Confederation Bridge in Nova Scotia, Canada
8 miles of goodness between Prince Edward's Island and New Brunswick. It has a great vintage look, and 8 miles, well, that's something on its own.

Forth Rail Bridge in Scotland, UK. 
Opened in 1890, the Forth Rail Bridge had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world until 1917, and it still has the world's second-longest single span. As the first major structure in Britain to be made of steel, it remains an engineering marvel even today.

Salginatobel Bridge, Switzerland
Designed by the brilliant Robert Maillart and opened in 1930, the Salginatobel Bridge feels so fresh like it was built yesterday, and remains the best thing that could happen to concrete.

Millau Viaduct, FranceThis masterpiece is known for two things. Its price, and its record. €394,000,000 and the tallest (but not highest) bridge in the world.

Tower Bridge, London, UK
British design straight from the 19th century. It's smart, it's beautiful, and you can get it as a fridge magnet.