Automotive Blogger

It’s becoming more necessary than innovative or trendy for car makers to release hybrid vehicles of their top sellers, and in the next few years, it’s likely that even more hybrid models will be available. Even BMW uses some hybrid technology, though they don’t call it that, or market it as such.

So what are the top five hybrids currently available?

Here’s our list:

1. Toyota Prius - it accounts for half of all hybrids sold, even though it wasn’t first on the market (Honda has that honor). It’s also the most aerodynamic of all the hybrids, with only a 0.26 drag co-efficient. Fuel efficiency: 55 mpg (combined).
2. Honda Civic Hybrid - the Prius’s closest runner up, the Honda is smaller, and not as comfortable inside, or as aerodynamically designed. Still, it averages 50 mpg.
3. Nissan Altima Hybrid - its only available in eight states right now, which is too bad because not only does it get a respectable 39 mpg, it’s also got a 20-gallon gas tank, making it possible to go about 700 miles between fuel stops.
4. Toyota Camry Hybrid - it’s ironic that the Camry ranks below the Altima in terms of emissions control, because they both use a Toyota engine, but it’s true. What’s also true is that, like the Altima it gets about 39 mpg, and unlike the Prius it’s shaped like a normal car, and not a compact car either.
5. Ford Escape Hybrid - yes, it’s an SUV. Yes, it’s a hybrid as well. The FWD version gets 34 mpg, while the 4WD model gets a still-impressive (for an SUV) 31 mpg. It’s also been re-designed for the 2008 model year, to be quieter inside. Never a bad thing.

Those are my top five. What are yours? Would you buy a hybrid? Why or why not?

Question of the moment: What do Subaru, Mercedes and BMW have in common? Well, for one thing, they all use LoJack as their anti-theft device of choice. My other half drives a Forester, and reminded me that we haven’t updated our address with Lo-Jack since moving out of California three years ago, which got me wondering exactly how it works.

I’ve always thought of LoJack as the automotive equivalent of micro-chipping a pet, and I knew it involved a transceiver signal that could be activated if a theft was reported, but it wasn’t until that conversation the other night that I began to wonder where this chip was.

I discovered that I’m not allowed to know. There are 20 possible locations for the transceiver to be located, in any given vehicle, but car owners are not told where they are. This is in case they’re ever in the car when it’s stolen. If you don’t know where the chip is, you can’t tell a thief the location, and they can’t disable it.

I also learned that the transceiver is tied to each car’s VIN. Specifically, here’s what it says on the LoJack website:

Each LoJack System has a unique code that is tied into the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). When a theft is reported to the police, a routine entry into the state police crime computer results in a match of the LoJack System’s unique code against the state VIN database. This automatically activates the LoJack System in your car, which emits an inaudible signal. Law enforcement authorities who are equipped with LoJack vehicle tracking units - in their police cruisers and aviation units - are always listening for a LoJack signal. Police use the LoJack vehicle tracking units to track and recover your LoJack equipped vehicle.

Having a better idea of how LoJack works has made me more confident in the system, but you know what really impressed me? They have a 90% recovery rate of equipped cars. When you consider that there’s a car stolen somewhere in the USA every 25 or 26 seconds, that’s seriously cool.

It doesn’t have the same warm, friendly feel as Ask Patty, but eleven-year-old WomanMotorist.com has the slick appeal of a print mag, despite its availability exclusively online.

According to the site, they are the “oldest and largest consumer automotive magazine for women,” and while they are pretty loaded with ads, they also have many articles, and a good bank of reviews of cars and trucks. As well, there are forums which allow for interaction, and a chat interface as well.

The site also has special sections for information on car shopping, travel safety, and racing.

Whether you’re buying a used car from someone who put an ad in the local paper, or heading to the dealer to test drive shiny new cars, there are a few things you should know before you drive away in any vehicle other than one you brought with you.

1. What’s your budget? Figure out what you can afford before you even go looking, and don’t torture yourself by test driving things that are beyond your price range. Planning to finance or lease your car? Get approved before you go to the lot, and remember that you are not required to use the dealer’s financing. Also, don’t forget to factor insurance costs into your budget.
2. Know what you want. Are you looking for a racy sport coupe for weekend trips to the beach, or a family sized SUV with room for three kids and all their stuff? Figure out what you want before you leave home. It will save you time, later.
3. Trade or sell? Have an old car you need to get rid of? A trade-in isn’t always the way to get the most money. Consider selling it outright, or, if money isn’t an object, even consider donating it to charity.
4. Research, research, research. Arm yourself with knowledge about the makes and models you’re considering, either the old fashioned way (books and magazines) or by reading information on the ‘net. If you’re buying a used car, make sure you research any known issues or recalls, and make sure any applicable issues were resolved. Also, don’t forget to ask for an accident report.
5. Test drive in real world circumstances. If your normal commute involves idling at long lights, make sure you let the car idle. If you usually have kids or computers to contend with, bring them with you when you test drive. (Sadly, you can’t test drive with pets, but you can bring a crate to make sure it will fit).

I like Subaru in general because they have a reputation for marketing directly to women and gay people, and I think that’s important. (I also like them because of their standard AWD, and excellent mileage, and the fact that the Forester is one of the few compact SUV’s that really does fit in a compact parking space.)

For this week’s Media Monday, we give you a look at the 2008 Subaru Impreza ad.

With the Transformers movie having come out earlier this summer, fictional cars are very much on my brain. But what fictional cars would you include in the top five? And should you limit them to cars that have appeared in movies, or are cars from books okay? For this week’s Friday Five, I offer Fictional Cars.

1. The Batmobile: It’s evolved over the years, of course, from the comic books through the television series to the current version - did you know the first one in the comics was actually RED? - which has been described as a Lamborghini crossed with Hummer. Still, with its introduction in 1940, it’s probably the longest-lived fictional car.
2. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: This car was featured in a children’s book written by none other than Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, before it made it to the big screen as a cheesy musical. If you have kids, and haven’t introduced them to this story, you should, because it’s a timeless combination of gadgets and good times.
3. Christine: Leave it to Stephen King to give us a 1958 Plymouth Fury with a soul and a taste for murder. But then, it shouldn’t be surprising - after all, this is the same man who turned a clown into a representation of evil, incarnate.
4. The General Lee: With it’s horn rigged to play Dixie and its drivers two of the best known “good ol’ boys” ever to grace the airwaves, who can forget this car from The Dukes of Hazzard, a Dodge Charger with a controversial Confederate flag painted on it? I’m betting as many boys tuned in just to see the car scenes as they did to catch a glimpse of Daisy Duke.
5. KITT: Let’s be honest, it is not David Hasselhoff’s performance that got anyone hooked on Knight Rider; it was KITT, the sleek black Pontiac Trans Am that could navigate around any obstacle, help capture the bad guys, and then pause to steal the show with a snappy punchline or snarky retort.

Your turn: These are five of my favorite fictional cars. What are yours? Are you a fan of Herbie, or should the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo, have been in this list? Would Optimus Prime or the Bumblebee, or even Lightning McQueen from Cars make your list? Tell me in comments.

If you’re like me, you know that your car has overdrive, because there’s a button for it, and you have a general idea of what it does, but you’re not really sure you could explain it to someone else. For this week’s Technology Thursday, I offer a quick-and-dirty explanation of overdrive, as it’s commonly used.

Basically, overdrive (aka OD) is the highest gear in your transmission. Automatic transmissions have three speeds plus overdrive, which allows the engine to use a lower rpm than “normal�? for any given road speed, which in turn offers better fuel efficiency, and sometimes quieter driving on highways.

When overdrive is switched on, it allows the engine to move into OD mode after a specific speed threshold is met (usually around 45 mph), and when it is off, the lower gears are the only options available. Generally speaking, it should only be used in normal driving conditions when you’re driving faster than 45 mph.

While overdrive is on, the transmission will automatically move into third gear when there is more load, and back to OD when there is less. For this reason, driving up steep grades, or towing a trailer can cause the transmission to shift back and forth between third and OD, as if “hunting�? for the right place. In these cases, and if you need to use the brakes frequently (like when you’re driving downhill), it’s best to turn overdrive off.

That’s not a double headline, really. This week’s Women on Wheels is actually the organization Women on Wheels, a group devoted to female motorcycle enthusiasts.

Their mission statement is:

To unite all women motorcycle enthusiasts for recreation, education, mutual support, recognition, and to promote a positive image of motorcycling.

I have to admit that I’m not a particular fan of motorcycles, having seen too many friends with serious leg injuries because of bike accidents, but if you are going to ride, being a well informed rider is the way to go.

WOW, as the organization is sometimes known, was started in 1982, in California, but it now has members and chapters all over North America, with over 3500 members ranging in age from their teens to their eighties.

Their website has information on how to join, as well as section on memorials, event listings, and information about their bimonthly magazine, “The Wheeler.”

It goes without saying that a tool kit should be in the trunk of every car, especially if you’re going on a long trip, or frequently find yourself on back roads where service stations - or other drivers - are few and far between. Here are our suggestions for five essential elements of your in-car tool kit:

1. Flashlight: because roadside emergencies don’t always happen when the sun is shining.
2. Jack: and not just the free one that came with your car. If you spend about $50 you can get a sturdy jack that doesn’t rely on a perfectly flat surface to work correctly.
3. Lug Wrench: make sure it’s one that fits the lug nuts on your car.
4. Screw Drivers: you’d be surprised at how useful a set of screw drivers can be.
5. Socket Wrench: no auto tool kit should be without one. Ever.
6. Bonus (because we couldn’t stop at just five): Pliers. For grabbing almost anything, pliers are essential.

Your turn: What would you add? What would you remove?

Today’s news item involves the web-sales policy at Dodge and Chrysler. It seems that several of their dealers are up in arms because only those dealerships with a five-star rating are getting referrals from the corporate website. Translation: if you go to Dodge’s website and pop in your zip code, you may get listings for more than one Dodge dealership in your area, but clicking on them will only take you to the storefront for the actual dealership if that dealer has a five-star rating.

According to AutoNews, Dodge/Chrysler says that their website was created for those dealers who achieved five star status (based on sales numbers and customer service rankings), but that they’re re-evaluating.

Dealers who don’t have five-star status say the policy not only hurts them, because they don’t get referrals, but also has the potential to hurt Dodge and Chrysler, because there are potential customers who aren’t being directed to the dealer that may actually be closest to them, just the closest five-star dealer.

(Unsurprisingly, most of the five-star dealers have no problem with the current policy.)

Your thoughts: Is this policy fair? What do you think?

While researching an article about heated cup holders, I came across an interesting list that I thought I’d share here. Apparently, even though they’re not officially tracked by insurance companies, there are a significant number of accidents cause by eating while driving.

This week, then, I give you five of the most dangerous non-alcoholic foods (and beverages) that people consume while driving.

1. Coffee: This should surprise no one. It’s hot, it’s liquid, and even those sip-through lids don’t keep every drop inside the cup where it belongs.
2. Soup/Chili: Personally I’ve never eaten soup while driving, or chili for that matter, but, like coffee it can easily splash. Because chili and some soups can be greasy, there’s also the problem of permanent staining to the upholstery, as well as your clothing.
3. Hamburgers: Like chili, there’s a grease factor, like coffee, there’s a heat factor. Add to that the fact that you can’t set a burger in the cup holder, so you end up driving one-handed.
4. Filled doughnuts: Sticky jelly and cream coat your hands, and the steering wheel, as well as forcing one-handed driving.
5. Chocolate: See above. It not only melts, but it’s also got enough grease to leave permanent evidence behind.

Your turn: Have you ever been involved in a DWE (driving while eating) accident? What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten in a car?

It was 103 degrees with high humidity where I live yesterday, so you’ll have to forgive me for posting about Dodge’s “Chill Zone” technology, which is a standard feature of the 2008 Dodge Avenger, at all trim levels, among other models from that maker.

If you’ve missed the recent news about the survey Dodge conducted as part of the marketing campaign for this, the information you need is this: 26% of Americans don’t use their glove compartment at all, 72% do use it, but not for actual gloves, and most Americans keep things like insurance info, sunglasses, tissues and flashlights in the glove box.

Enter Dodge. They’ve added a compartment to the lower front of the glove box, and chilled it with dedicated a/c vents. It can hold up to four standard soda cans, and keep them cool for you.

Now, I’m all for having cold beverages during long, hot summer drives, but I have to wonder if anyone is ever going to make a chilled glove box that is capable of holding and cooling a standard 17.5 oz. bottle of water.

This week’s Woman on Wheels is Lorraine Schultz, founder of the Women’s Automotive Association, International (WAAI).

Ms. Schultz started the organization to help the development of women as leaders in the automotive industry, and is currently the “ambassador at large” of AskPatty.com, a website devoted to given women a safe place to ask questions about cars - everything from how to fix problems, to how to approach car dealers.

According to her bio at AskPatty.com, Schultz began her automotive industry career with the acquisition of an interest in the Detroit Model Bureau, which supplied talent for various auto shows. She next became the executive director for the AutoLeather Guild of America, where she spent 19 years, traveling all over the world as part of her job.

In 1999, Ms. Schultz was instrumental in the return of the Automotive Hall of Fame Distinguished Service awards being presented to women, for the first time since 1945.

In addition to working with AskPatty.com, Ms. Schultz is the executive director for the WAAI, and a member of the Board of Directors of both the Automotive Hall of Fame and Ferris State University.

A few years ago my other half and I were almost relocated from California to England. As part of the process, we investigated the cost of shipping our Subaru Forester across the pond. We learned that if you live near a major port, it’s not that expensive, and that you’re actually allowed to pack the vehicle full (since it’s going in a container, anyway).

For this week’s Top-Ten Tuesday, I’m referring you all to

CanuckAbroad’s Article on Shipping Cars Overseas because it covers pretty much every point I’d planned to discuss.

In the end, we declined the relocation, because we had pets we didn’t want to quarantine, and because we didn’t really want to be that far apart for six months to a year, but the information was still valuable.

Hand it in … hand it over … put your hands up … hands off … hands in your pocket … raise your hands … hands across the water … hand-y … cold hands, warm heart … many hands make light work … hand out … empty handed … off-hand … under-handed … put your hands together … gotta hand it to ya … left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing … hand-out … hands off … wash my hands of … hand over fist … left-handed compliment … play the hand you’re dealt … wringing her hands … hand-me-downs … one hand washes the other … helping hands … Cool Hand Luke … it’s in your hands … it’s out of my hands … a bird in the hand … the sound of one hand clapping … I wanna hold your hand …