How to Keep Your Children Entertained on a Road Trip

The summer: a perfect opportunity to plan a road trip with the family, enjoy the great outdoors and cultivate an ever-lasting bond with your loved ones.  It’s also a time of no school, longer days and the constant attention of your little ones.  Yup, it’s about time to take a road trip!  In today’s blog, we’re here to help.  We’re providing a comprehensive list of how to keep your kids busy during the long road ahead.  We’re providing some cool tools, tips and tricks to keep them occupied on your way around the United States.

1.     Depending on if you have 2,3 or even four little ones, let them all bring one or two items in a backpack or small bag.  Let them fill it with their favorite toys or games to keep occupied.

2.     Your smartphone is your friend.  Download some cool, FREE iphone app games to occupy your kiddies for an allotted time.  Also, make sure to bring your car charger so you’re not killing your battery while they’re playing with Angry Little Birds.

3.     A DVD Player is a parent’s best friend.  Allow your kiddies to watch ONE movie on the trip.  You’ll be able to take this quiet time to regain your “Chi.”

4.     Well-timed treats.  If the kiddies play well for an hour, reward them with a healthy snack!

5.     Your digital camera is great for looking at shots of the trip so far (kids never seem to tire of this) and adding their own strangely-angled photos of the open road.

6.     Books on CD (or on your iPhone) make great entertainment, and you can pick them up at the local library. Try something a step more complex than you would normally read at home, and you might be surprised at how well your kids quiet down and focus.

7.     If those fail, you can also check out this list of travel toys my own kids (age 3 and 5) have enjoyed.

Do you have any to add?

How Radar Detectors Work

Picture this scenario:  You’re cruising down the highway with your family, enjoying the lush greenery surrounding the open road.  A game of eye-spy is heating up as you look around the landscape, trying to find a spot of yellow your daughter has found on the road trip.  Before you know it, you spot a state trooper, his badge reflecting off the afternoon sun, and a radar gun pointed directly at your vehicle.  You panic, looking down at your speedometer; that’s when you realize you’re doing a couple miles over the speed limit.  Your hands clam up and before you know it, POOF! You’re being pulled over. 

So, how exactly do these radar guns work? Well, “Radar” is an abbreviation for Radio Detection and Ranging.  Speed Trak Police Radar can be found in almost every police vehicle.  It’s estimated that 20 million speeding citations are issued annually and that police radars are used in 13 million of these cases. 

Radar Guns send out a signal of radio waves at specific frequencies in a specific direction.  Then, those waves bounce off objects, including vehicles, and return to the radar gun’s receiving station.  When the waves reflect off a moving vehicle, a measurable frequency shift, called Doppler Shift, occurs.

So, police radar guns perceive a vehicle by transmitting a pulse that reaches the target and then comes back to the observer.  What ensues is the Doppler Effect, in which the frequency of the pulse is compared to the frequency of the reflection and speed is calculated using the difference.

And…that’s how it’s done!  Had any crazy radar gun experiences?  Feel free to comment

A Surefire Way to Save at the Pump

Gas is the last thing on your mind on December 21^st.  We’re one day into Hanukkah and only four days until Christmas and you NEED to finish your holiday shopping.  Online outlets have made it easier for us to make buying decisions on the net, but you can’t purchase EVERYTHING online.  You’ll need to drive…that’s where we come in.  If you’re trying to pinch pennies this season to get that new tablet for your favorite nephew, then here’s a suggestion:  when buying gas at the pump, stop buying premium.  

A lot of drivers ask themselves if they can switch.  The answer is yes.  Today’s automobiles have made strides in engine technology.  Even if the manual says premium, its performance will only suffer slightly.  For example, it might be a half a second slower when accelerating from 0-60.  Drivers should know if premium is recommended or required.  Still in doubt?  Here's a deeper explanation of why this is a benefit to your commute and your pockets. 

A long time ago, engines were unable to adjust to fuels with differing octane ratings.  If you used the wrong fuel, the engine would knock audibly as the fuel combustion became uncontrolled.  Engine knock can damage internal engine components over time.  Today advances in engine control systems can compensate for low octane by monitoring knock activity and adjusting ignition in advance to quell the knock.  According to Edmunds: “This sophisticated electronic capability effectively gives drivers more flexibility in the grade of fuels that they can safely use.  Compared to premium gasoline, lower-octane fuels don't allow the engine to run as much ignition advance during situations where lots of throttle might be used. Since the engine doesn't make quite as much power with lower-octane fuels, this translates into slower acceleration in cars for which premium fuel is recommended. The performance loss is especially noticeable in turbocharged gasoline engines.” In other words, this is only something you’ll notice if you have a heavy throttle foot.  Otherwise, it’s smooth sailing.  So take a sec at the pump and save!

How to Efficiently Test-Drive A Vehicle

We have to admit, we love the test drive.  Seeing a potential driver leave our lot, smile intact, back poised, and prepared for the road ahead, makes us feel like an integral part of their life.  Test-driving a car is important because it solidifies your buying decision.  There’s a series of questions potential buyers ask themselves.  At our dealership, we’re here to help.  In today’s blog we’re going to discuss the best ways to test-drive your car and the questions you should ask yourself when you’re driving. 

Most purchasers start their research online.  By checking out our automotive dealership website, you can consider what features you would like your new vehicle to have.  The options are endless, including: color choice, specs, and features.  Also, keep in mind that these are based on your individual preferences and you should never settle for a vehicle you’re not “sold” on.  Once you come into the dealership, it’s time to “feel the wheel.”  You saw what you liked online, and now you want to see if that translates into your true experience.  These are some questions you should ask as you step behind the wheel of your dream car:

Is it easy for me to enter and exit the vehicle without banging my head?

Is the driving position comfortable?  Is my seat positioned too high or low when I’m in the passenger seat?

Are all of the controls easily accessible when I’m in a driving position?

Are the controls easy to use?

Do the gas and brake pedals match my body type and are they adjustable?

Some other tips include checking out the vehicle from a spectator point-of-view.  Listen for the noise level inside the car, as well as the acceleration, braking, cornering, suspension, seat comfort and cargo space.  These are all major factors that can help your buying decision.  Your test-drive is meaningful to us and we want you to enjoy your experience as much as possible.  Happy Shopping!

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