Keep Your Car’s Finish in Mint Condition

 

Keep your car looking new for as long as you own it!  Check out these tips for proper car care courtesy of CarCare.org:

Proper Washing And Waxing Add Value To Vehicle

More than one-third of car owners use damaging non-automotive products when washing their cars-products that could contain harmful detergents, abrasives and additives. And almost half of motorists don't ever wax their vehicles…

Motorists should avoid dish detergent, which contains harsh chemicals that, intended to cut through grease, will strip away the wax finish on your car. Some are hard to rinse off and leave streaks. For best results, a formulated automotive wash is recommended, one that gently lifts the dirt and grime while protecting the finish.

Washing an automobile on a regular basis protects it from the natural elements that harm the finish. The Car Care Council recommends the following dos and don'ts when it comes to a do-it-yourself car wash:

• Don't wash cars in direct sunlight. Do wash cars in shade or in cooler temperatures in the early morning or late afternoon.
• Don't use dish detergent. Do use a formulated car wash.
• Do fill your bucket with warm water.
• Do use a soft terrycloth towel or washing mitt.
• Do spray the car often with water.
• Don't scrub the car all at once. Do complete one section at a time, rinsing repeatedly to prevent the soap from drying on the paint.
• Do use soft terrycloth towels or scratch-free fabric to dry the vehicle.
• Don't neglect waxing the vehicle. Do prep the car for waxing using cleaner/polish to remove contaminants.

Is Lexus Considering a Signature Coupe?

Lexus is considering a coupe version of the 2013 GS 350 Sedan.  Are you as excited as we are?

Next month Lexus will reveal the production version of its all-new 2013 GS 350, but the automaker is already seriously considering a coupe version of the sport sedan…

Should the GS Coupe become reality, it would be the only two-door fixed-roof offering from Lexus not counting the $375,000 LFA. And it would be only the second two-door Lexus to offer more than two seats, the IS hardtop convertible being the first. It would also take a while to reach the marketplace. The GS Coupe probably wouldn't arrive before the spring of 2013.

The new coupe would also share its entire platform and rear-wheel-drive drivetrain with the GS 350 sedan. Power would therefore come from a 300-plus-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 and Lexus' tried-and-true six-speed automatic transmission.

Check out the full story, courtesy of Edmunds Inside Line, here. 

How to Save Money at the Pump

 

Everyone could use some tips on how to save money on gasoline.   Check out this article if you want to make visiting the pump less painful.  Can you think of any more fuel-saving ideas?

 

America may have to come to grips that sub-$2 per gallon gas prices are a thing of the past. Because of the recent spikes in gas prices, formerly low interest products such as alternative fuel sources andhybrid cars are getting a lot more attention than ever. When you take into consideration that national gas prices may climb in excess of $4 per gallon this summer, many Americans may have to find new an inventive ways to save money at the gas pump. Here are 10 ways that you can save money at the pump that you may not have considered in the past.

Use Proper Octane - Review your owner's manual for your vehicle and see what type of gas they recommend be used in your car. You'll be surprised to find out that you can actually save money at the pump by using the more expensive grade if recommended to do so by your vehicle manufacturer. The Federal Trade Commission released this report on gasoline.

Avoid Stop & Go Driving Habits - If you drive in hectic traffic everyday you might find this hard to do, but stopping your car and starting it repeatedly burns twice as much gas as just driving without the stops. It's been reported that you can improve your gas mileage by 5% by avoiding this habit.

Keep Your Car Tuned Up - Did you know that a poorly tuned up engine can burn up to 50% more gas than a perfectly tuned engine. Get your car tuned up on regular 30,000 mile intervals or when recommended by your owner's manual.

Make Sure Your Tires Are Inflated and Aligned - By making sure your tires are in perfect working order, you can improve 3% on your gas mileage. Make sure they are inflated and aligned. For more information click this link .

Don't Haul Unnecessary Items - Every 100 pounds of cargo you haul around reduces your gas mileage by 2%. So take out any unnecessary things out of your trunk or truck bed and you'll save a bunch.

 

View the complete list here. 

Defensive Driving Tips

 

Taking a road trip this Summer?  Drive safe!  The road can be a dangerous place so here are a few defensive driving tips to make sure you enjoy every minute of your trip without hazards.  Be careful out there. 

It's not something we happy-go-lucky roadtrippers like to dwell upon, but about 50,000 people die each year in collisions on the roadways of the United States. By most estimates, over twenty-two million are injured. The costs associated with such collisions are staggering -- often quoted at more than $80 billion. This carnage is unnecessary since nearly all collisions are preventable. How? Glad you asked! RoadTrip America's contributing expert Robert Schaller has the answers. In this collection, "70 Rules of Defensive Driving," he shares wisdom gained from nearly fifteen years of teaching defensive driving and traffic law in his home state of Arizona.

Check out all 70 tips here at RoadTripAmerica.com. 

Spy Shots of the 2012 Lexus!

 

Want to check out a sneak peak of a 2012 Lexus model?  Take a look at the spy shots MotorAuthority.com has gotten a hold of!

At the New York Auto Show, Lexus revealed the LF-Gh concept, a thinly veiled disguise for the upcoming 2012 Lexus GS sedan. Today, we have the first spy shots of the car in testing at the Nurburgring.
Thick camouflage cladding hides the curves and undulations of the sheet metal, but there's enough detail visible to see that the dramatically shaped front end will translate largely untouched to the production version. The gaping, sharply defined lower intakes in particular stand out against the disguise.
One image, shot through the passenger window, gives us a glimpse at the interior, which appears to be more traditionally Lexus in style. Brushed metalaccents, what appears to be a central analog clock, an arching dash surrounding a navigation/infotainment screen, and--possibly-- steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters can also be spied.
As for what lies beneath the surface, the 2012 GS is expected to get Lexus' 5.0-liter4 V-8 engine, rated at up to 450 horsepower in GS-F trim. A hybrid version is coming, as well, as previewed by the LF-Gh concept.
The 2012 GS will do battle against the likes of the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, both of which are also relatively freshly revised or redesigned. While it's still too early to tell if the new GS will bring more fight to the Germans than the current model, it's certainly looking like it will.

The 2012 Lexus GS is expected to make its debut in production form later this year.

 

Check out all the pictures here. 

Dark Ride

 

 

Get into the passenger seat and strap in for a wild ride.  Dark Ride, a new short film courtesy of L Studio, follows one man's mission to deliver the Lexus CT 200h prototype from the Nevada desert to an L.A. safe house, while avoiding his adversaries.  You are his companion through all the dangerous twists and turns in this unique, quasi-interactive short film. 

Check out Dark Ride and other great short films at Lexus’ L Studio. 

Lexus Score High Marks Among Hybrid Cars

 

When compared to other hybrid cars on the market, the Lexus CT proved to one of the most fuel efficient! Check out the whole article courtesy of Green Car Reports, but here are some of the highlights:

 

Which Hybrids Improve Gas Mileage The Most? Lexus, Lincoln Win

The Union of Concerned Scientists thinks hybrid-electric vehicles are a good thing, because they use less gasoline.
But the savings in gas cost from that improved gas mileage varies enormously, and now the group has quantified the results.
In their annual Hybrid Scorecard this year, the UCS ranks hybrids on how much they reduce fuel consumption over comparable non-hybrid models…
In the luxury sector, both the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and the 2011 Lexus CT 200h won high marks.
And, it turns out, those two cars--because of what they compare to--deliver even higher gas-mileage improvements…
Similarly, the UCS compared the 2011 CT 200h to a 2011 Lexus IS 250 sportssedan, the nearest comparable model in the Lexus line. The CT's combined rating of 42 mpg was 75 percent higher than the IS's 24 mpg.

Top 10 Most Annoying Things Other Drivers Do

 

 

What driving habits annoy you the most?  Tell us!  Or just check out this Top Ten list created by Car Talk radio personalities Click and Clack:

It's a known fact that everyone reading this is an above-average driver — and that each of us always displays deep and abiding civility toward our fellow travelers. So we're sure you won't recognize yourself in any of the items listed below.

But what about all those other jerks on the road?

What things do other drivers do that annoy you most? Here's our list, with an invitation to share your pet peeves below.

Yours in Pounding the Steering Wheel,

Tom and Ray Magliozzi, Car Talk
Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers

1. Talking on a cell phone

When you're talking on your cell phone, you're as likely to cause an accident aswhen you're legally drunk.Now, what's your excuse? What's more annoying than a driver who's willing to riskyour life so he can pick up his General Tso's chicken without waiting? Even when distracted drivers don't cause a wreck, they weave from lane to lane, create confusion in intersections and generally drive slower than other drivers around them while they're trying to do two things at once, leaving a gang of irate drivers in their wake.

Don't Be a Jerk: Put the phone down while you drive. You know about voice mail, right?

2. Driving too fast for road conditions

Just because a speed limit is 65 mph doesn't mean that's always the right speed. Snow, ice or rain can dramatically reduce your car's braking and handling abilities, as well as limit visibility. The right top speed for those conditions is that at which you feel safe and in control and able to react in time to anything that happens up ahead. That could be 40 mph. Or zero mph.

Drivers who fly past you at 50 mph when conditions call for 15 mph are not just risking their own lives — they might take you with them. If they lose control, they could easily spin into you, knocking you off the road and down an embankment. Or, at the very least, they could cover your windshield with a thick film of slush or rain, leaving you temporarily blinded. Annoying? We'd say so.

Check out the full top ten at Cars.com

Tips for the Kid-Friendly Car

 

Taking a family road trip this summer?  Here are a few tips to keep the kids safe while you’re on the road:

 

Five Things Your Child Needs To Stay Safe In The Car

 

Protecting your child in the car should take precedence over anything else on your mind. With all the distractions and pressing responsibilities, parents need to get down to basics. Here are five things your child needs to stay safe in the car.

A child car seat or booster seat of proper size.  All children must be properly restrained whenever traveling in the car. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of children. In general, all children aged four and under must be in an approved car seat or booster seat that’s appropriate for their age and size. It’s also important to know state laws governing child restraint, as they aren’t all the same. A good place to start is SeatCheck.org.

A child car seat that's been properly installed and is used correctly. The statistics are pretty startling. Seven out of 10 children in child safety seats are not properly buckled in…

 

Read the entire list of tips here.