Picture this: it’s the 1960’s or 70’s, and teenagers 15 years and older are driving, and all their middle school-aged siblings think they are so cool. Every person with a license is on a pedestal. They have adventures right in their cars, sometimes playing dangerous car games such as “tag.” It is the worst nightmare of every parent to get notified that their child was in an accident, due to either alcohol or a distracted driver. Making sure a teenager respects the wheel and the road is one of the top priorities of any parent with a licensed teen.
Have another responsible adult other than you, the parent, teach them how to drive a car. Make sure you know the teacher’s driving habits and you trust them completely to give your teen the advice sh/e needs. Track how many hours the teen is behind the wheel, and watch their driving habits closely. Also, hiring a professional driving teacher isn’t a bad idea, at least for some of the difficult driving maneuvers, such as parallel parking.
Teach your teen what it costs to own and operate a vehicle, even little things such as bridge tolls. As they get more and more practice behind the wheel, let them drive in the rain and at night, to give them sufficient practice for real world situations. Also, since the teen is driving now, be careful about your driving habits as well. If you honk your horn in frustration, or yell at other drivers, this is showing your teen to not respect other drivers. Remember, the more careful you are when driving, the more careful your teen will be in the long run. Click it or ticket!
Uncategorized July 12th 2011
There are some clever apps you can use that are great for things like finding a cheap gas station, or even locating your car. A clever app for Android is MyCar Locator (free). Tag your vehicle’s location, then using your smartphone’s GPS, it lets you know how to find your way back to your car. Never lose your vehicle in a parking lot ever again! DailyRoads Voyager (free) allows you to continuously record your trip, and you get to record video and photo.
If you sport an iphone, a great app is iGasUp, which gives up to the minute information on gas prices and gas station locations. CarCare, also for the iphone, gives you information on your maintenance schedule and fuel economy. The Parking Meter app lets you know how much time left you have on your meter, so you will never get a ticket again!
When finding a car application, make sure to always read reviews, especially when buying an app. If you have a need, there’s an app!
Ever wondered what your vehicle will be valued as in the next few years? How long do you plan to own your vehicle? What will maintenance costs be like? It seems there are hidden prices with everything nowadays, from insurance to fuel economy. Nowadays people are interested in getting the most bang for their buck. People want a safe vehicle that is also going to not depreciate in value over the next five years, and have low maintenance costs, which are always things to consider when buying a new or used vehicle.
At Edmunds.com, there is a True Cost to Own (TCO) tool to accurately calculate how much your vehicle will cost you over the next five years, based on interest on financing, taxes and fees, depreciation, fuel, maintenance, insurance, tax credit and repairs necessary. When choosing between two cars, an Edmunds.com analyst explains that, “You are choosing between two shirts and you finally decide to buy the one that is $20 less. But later, you discover that it has to be dry-cleaned using a special process. Each time you get it dry-cleaned, it costs $4, plus the hassle of taking it to the cleaners. After five washes, the savings on the shirt you bought have disappeared, and you probably wish you had bought the more expensive one in the first place.”
Go to http://www.edmunds.com/tco.html in order to research how much your vehicle really costs to own in five years.
Natural gas has been around forever, it seems like, and the ancient peoples of the earth found it in small pockets reaching to the surface. It was only until recently, in 500 BC, that the Chinese were able to use natural gas in a crude way, using bamboo sticks and poles, to heat seawater, separating the salt from the water to make it drinkable. The British were able to use natural gas in the 1700s to light their cities, even though it wasn’t necessarily environmentally friendly at the time. In the US, it was found around Lake Erie, and was used to light Baltimore, Maryland. It was only until recently that technology has advanced far enough to use it in an environmentally friendly, efficient way: in our vehicles.
Today, natural gas vehicles are competing with regular carbon emitting gas vehicles. Over 35 airports use natural gas vehicles, and transit buses account for 62% of all natural gas vehicles in the US. The 2011 Civic GX Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) takes the lead in creating a commercial market for natural gas vehicles for the public on the road. Using compressed natural gas (CNG), there is no carbon footprint for this vehicle! Visit the US Department of Energy’s website, http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/locator/stations/, for natural gas fueling stations across America. Fulfill Kermit the Frog’s dream, now it is “easy” to be green!
Folsom Lake Honda presents the *2011* Honda Element, and we’re excited since our pets love it, too! The Element Pet Package is shock full of accessories to make your pet’s car trip as comfortable and safe as possible. Since you want your pet to join you on those long family vacations, often including a long car ride, seeing your dog’s tongue and ears flapping in the wind is a sight you will always remember. Accessories of the Pet Package include a must-have spill-resistant water bowl, pet bed, and a rear car kennel to boot! Your pet will feel right as rain on those long car rides, without asking, with a tilt of his cute head, “Are we there yet?”
The 2011 Element has standard features such as wide-opening cargo doors, to 64 seating configurations. To top it all off, Cars.com named the 2011 Honda Element the “best car for weekend athletes.” With a functional, yet pleasing to the eye exterior, the 2011 Element can go wherever it is needed, keeping you and your family safe, including the four legged ones, too!
The Civic is known for providing a balance of ‘just-right’ packaging, fun-to-drive character and outstanding fuel economy, at a price that even first-time buyers can afford,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda, via 2012 Honda Civic press release.
The 2012 Civic is everything that Honda could conceive of! It embodies choice, efficiency, and high performance. The Civic HF, a brand new model that offers 41 MPG on the highway, raises the bar from any past Civic. It doesn’t end there! The Civic Hybrid, with its lithium-ion battery, boasts 45 MPG on the highway. The 2012 Civic offers the standard sedan and coupe, one hybrid as well as a natural gas model, and two Si performance models. Rounding off the character lines of the new Civic line is its 19” machined alloy wheels.
Safety is the 2012 Civic Concept’s number one priority, passing with flying colors the evaluations given by the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).Vehicle Stability Assist is standard on all 2012 Civic vehicles. Along with the natural gas model as well as the hybrid model, the 2012 Honda Civic Concept gives much credit to past Civic models, while taking the Civic to a whole new level.
Honda Vehicles February 3rd 2011
Not sure if buying a new car is right for you? There are pros and cons to consider. Research needs to be involved on both sides of the coin. Things to consider are safety, maintenance costs, and mileage. Look at vehicle consumer reports, as well as its retail price and manufacturing price. A new car will have the excitement that a new car brings, as well as that new car smell! But remember, a new car will lose depreciation in as little as 3 years, but with a used car, there is no sales tax.
Check the title of the used car before you even make a test drive. That will tell you if it has been in an accident, was returned or repossessed, or even had its odometer rolled back. Before buying your used vehicle, take it to a reputable mechanic for a thorough diagnostic. After you take your time for proper research, you will know whether a new or used car is right for you!
Honda Vehicles January 27th 2011
The city of Torrence California will be given the Honda Fit EV prototype to be used as a test site. Since the Los Angeles Auto Show the car has created a LOT of buzz. The rumor now is that both Google and Stanford University will be given them soon as well. The Honda Fit EV will offer a 100-mile range from a lithium-ion battery pack. A test fleet of prototype Fit EVs will be built next year, to be used by Google, Stanford University, and other partners to gather early data about recharging behavior and range. This car is said to be the next real step in the race to build the perfect hybrid car.
Recharging time, Honda said, will be up to six hours using a 240-Volt charger, and up to 12 hours using 120-Volt current. The president and CEO of American Honda Motor Co., Tetsuo Iwamura, took part in a ceremony with Torrance mayor Frank Scotto to hand over a symbolic Honda key. demonstration program will give the company real-world data on how drivers use both electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.The all-electric Honda Fit EV will be launched in 2012 in the U.S. and Japan, probably as a 2013 model. Its lithium-ion battery pack gives it a range of up to 100 miles (70 miles when applying EPA’s adjustment factor), and Honda quotes a top speed of 90 miles per hour. A pocket-friendly interactive remote can link to the vehicle without the need for an Internet connection or mobile phone signal. Through this remote, drivers will be able to remotely view the vehicle’s state of charge, initiate charging and activate the air conditioning, even while connected to the grid, reducing the drain on battery at start-up. An application for smart phones and a website for personal computers offer the ability to set charging notifications and alerts to optimize utility rates and provide 24-hour roadside assistance along with a public charging locator.
Uncategorized December 20th 2010
Folsom Lake Honda is proud to invite you to the family event of the year- the 5th annual Folsom Family Expo and Wellness Festival 2010! This exciting event will be held at the Folsom Community Center at 52 Natoma St. on Saturday, October 2, 2010.
On Saturday, October 2, the doors to the Folsom Family Expo and Wellness Festival will open at 10 a.m. and close at 4 p.m- admission and parking is FREE. Countless activities and attractions will be featured throughout the day. Visitors will enjoy bounce houses, face painting, games, fitness classes, a fashion show, health screenings, wellness activities and much more. Attendees will also receive free admission to the Folsom Zoo for the day courtesy of Folsom Lake Honda!
A percentage of the proceeds from this event will go to Play For All to build the first universally accessible playground in Folsom. This playground will allow all of our community’s children – disabled and able-bodied alike – to play together. With the help of the community, we will be able to build an interactive and educational playground where all children can play together.
For more information about the Folsom Family Expo and Wellness Festival, please contact Aimee Carroll at (916) 988-9888 ext. 115 or visit http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=100553160008881.
Uncategorized September 16th 2010
Folsom Lake Honda is proud to announce the arrival of the new 2011 Honda Odyssey.
America’s most popular eight-passenger minivan is back and boasting big changes. The new Odyssey is sleeker and has improved aerodynamics for better fuel economy and extra interior width.
Fueled by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a three-mode variable cylinder management system, it’s the smooth ride and expanded interior features that have everyone talking.
A new center console between the first row seats is large enough to hold a purse and a “cool box” for storing six 12-ounce cans or four 20-ounce bottles are just some of the family-functional jewels the 2011 Odyssey has to offer.
Keeping with family-friendly, the 2011 Honda Odyssey features three seating configurations for the second row, a “wide mode” seating that allows seats to move sideways and a comfort slide feature so that an infant seat can be moved almost six inches closer to the front row.
Available for test drives, the Odyssey is now at Folsom Lake Honda. For more information on the 2011Honda Odyssey or to schedule a test drive, call (916) 458- 0100 or visit Folsom Lake Honda on the web at www.folsom lakehonda.com.
Uncategorized September 9th 2010
