This is the time of the year when the April car buying guide of Consumer Report comes out. I highly advise reading this if you are going to buy a car, either new or used. It is the packed with valuable information. Newer vehicles are packed with great safety equipment. The “must haves” are antilock brakes (ABS), Electronic stability control (ESC) and air bags including curtain air bags. ABS brakes reduce stopping distance and helps keep the vehicle in control by not allowing the wheels to lock up, ESC helps keep the vehicle from skidding or sliding. Air bags and curtains help save lives in case of an accident. One of the newest safety equipment is cameras on each side of the rear view mirror that scans the road ahead for hazards, vehicles and reads the painted lines on the road. The camera’s inform ... read more

Just about every day, we get asked if the “check engine” light or the ABS (anti-lock brake light) is really important. We have customers that come in and are not concerned about those lights. The “check engine” light tells so much, it just amazes me. Where else can you have something so complex as a vehicle tell you that something is malfunctioning or about to breakdown. We had a customer who came in this week for other repairs and said not to worry about the check engine light, he knew that he needed an oxygen sensor but didn’t feel it was important. I spent the time to point out many concerns that I had about this. First, the “check engine” light comes on when something is malfunctioning or about to breakdown. I could be one of about 100-200 different problems, not to be known until a scanner is hooked up. If more than one problem is present, the light doesn’t light brighter or ... read more

5 “Wanna haves” according to George 1. Heated seat. This is one item that I was sure I could live without until I had them for the first time. Really great for those aching joints. 2. Cruise control. This lets you arrive at your destination more refreshed. 3. Power windows and power mirrors. To be able to adjust your passenger outside mirror by yourself when sitting in the driver’s seat is just a must. 4. Good tunes. 70% of 2007 vehicles will have a MP3 connection, read as an ipod connection 5. Air conditioning.  Keeps you comfortable in warm weather, helps keep the windshield from fogging up when cold. At freeway speeds, it increases fuel mileage over having the windows open by reducing drag