Many drivers think that an all-wheel drive (AWD) system is better but few can say why or how. Manufacturers have often emphasized when their vehicles are AWD while front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive rarely gets mentioned. Subaru, long known for its AWD system, was a niche in the industry when AWD wasn’t common with other manufacturers. Nowadays, most manufacturers have some vehicles in their fleet with AWD technology.
I’m not really anti-outdoors, so much as I just happen to like climate controlled environments very much. I also enjoy concrete and structures, my ideal vacation is being somewhere that has great architecture or a place that is rich in history. Having married someone who is from small town Ontario, well let’s say I’ve had to make a few compromises. Getting outdoors is not my first choice, but where there’s engines and combustion happening – ok, that makes it a bit better for me.
Modern vehicles’ emissions are quite low and vehicles are designed today to be quite ‘clean,’ environmentally-speaking. In fact, the main reason why vehicles become a concern for the environment is due to lack of maintenance by owners! Not only that, the footprint to build a new vehicle is quite large – so for those of you switching into new cars every few years, you’re not exactly helping the environment.
I have no real issue with Uber’s business idea. I find it progressive, innovative, and as an entrepreneur I admire the Uber movement. This company is essentially a technology company and it’s good at what it does – connect riders with drivers, and build community. But sadly, that’s about all they’re good at.
I hate to admit it but mid-life is coming up eerily fast for me and the warm winter start has got me looking at cars that would traditionally have been put away in storage at this time. As much as my SUV does the job of lugging kids and cargo around, sometimes I just want a small car for me. Something to zip around in, fun to drive, and easy to maintain.
It’s that time of year again! The time of year when it gets dark earlier and the temperature drops. Because of these things, we also begin to encounter challenging driving situations. Many think that as long as they have winter tires, they'll be fine. But safe winter driving goes well beyond just having winter tires—it also has a lot to do with visibility.
Ever had a shopping cart where one wheel isn’t spinning properly? It’s binding every now and then. Imagine it being the one closest to your right hand as you push the shopping cart. What’s going to happen? As you fight with the cart, you’ll notice that it tends to veer right. That right wheel closest to you almost feels like it’s clamped down, causing the other wheels to go around it.
Ah… This is exactly what happens with some of the modern vehicle safety controls.
You’ve got a nail or screw in your tire – what are your options? There are a few things you need to know when it comes to repairing a tire. First, is the tire repairable? The punctured area cannot overlap with a previous repair. The punctured area also has to be within the tread of the tire and not on the shoulder or sidewall of the tire (photo courtesy of Rubber Manufacturers Association).
The thought of having my kids on a dirt bike hadn’t even crossed my mind. I have two boys, ages 7 and 9, and they can ride bicycles pretty well. When I told my boys about the Honda Junior Red Riders program… well, it went more like this:
“Boys, do you want to ride a dirt bike? We can go on Thursday, so you’ll be missing school. Do you want to go?”
I barely finished the question – my boys were already excitedly jumping up and down!
Not to date myself, but I still remember when the Acura brand was first introduced in Canada. For the longest time it was just Honda, and Acura was introduced as their luxury brand.
The Honda Civic is such a popular car – it’s almost a rite of passage! During my time, almost everyone’s first car was either a Honda Civic or Chevrolet Cavalier. In fact, the Honda Civic has been Canada’s best-selling vehicle for 17 years.
I admit I don’t usually go to "touristy" things in my own city unless I have out-of-town guests. In fact, most of the time my guests will know more factual things about my city than I do – though I usually know the best route to get there and where to find parking!
I came across a commercial from New Zealand’s Transport Agency recently. They released early 2014, with the intention of it running for the next couple of years.
I’m not shy about being a fan of GM’s OnStar system. When they launched their 4G LTE connectivity, I was really interested in learning more about how this service would benefit users. Essentially, the connectivity turns your vehicle into a mobile hotspot, allowing you to stay connected wherever you go.
I'm never one to be like Chicken Little – the sky is falling, etc. I'm also not the type to fear the worst in every situation, preparing for doomsday. We are not the kind of auto repair shop to use scare tactics, or the typical “would you put your wife/kids in that car” line. But we do come across clients every now and again who leave our shop, fully acknowledging that they are driving an unsafe vehicle and not wanting any repairs done.
Everyone loves personalizing their vehicles; we spend so much time in our cars commuting, running errands... stuck in traffic! Why wouldn’t we want to make our vehicles represent ourselves as much as possible? Unless you take it too far! We’ve found some of the craziest, weirdest, and just plain awful accessories you could find for your vehicle. My service advisor and I looked into some accessories - these are definitely ones that we don't approve of!
The short of the long: warm up your car at idle for about 30 seconds. ONE minute if you’re feeling guilty. Now, read on to find out how to do that properly.
