Automobile Retailers

Replace with first Buick article.

We’re nearing the end of our Drive Smart series and the next two entries will attempt to draw all of this into perspective.

Driving smarter means learning more about your vehicle, gas prices, oil companies, and the economics that make driving from point A to point B a serious fiscal headache for the majority of North Americans. While a small minority of us might be having discussions about air conditioning or sports cars, the majority of North Americans are struggling at the gas pumps and want to spend as little time behind the wheel as possible. Going broke in traffic and watching pennies spew out in the car exhaust is not a fun prospect.

Can we put the fun back in driving or are things simply too far gone? The reality is that gas prices are only going to go up for the next little while. Ideas of $6 or even $8 a gallon prices are probably not all that unreasonable when one looks at the current prices and how the markets are changing. Commodities traders and oil company barons will continue to get richer, while the rest of us will continue to struggle.

Times are changing in America.

The housing crisis is forcing people out on the street and out of homes they’ve lived in for years and out of homes they’ve possibly even built with their bare hands. Car companies are closing their factory doors and are laying off thousands of workers, breaking contracts and longstanding trusts. Debates rage on about every kind of social issue imaginable, making America even more divided. Weather impacts things, as 52 tornados ripped across the Mid-West yesterday.

While it may appear as though Armageddon is indeed arriving in the United States, it’s important to remember to hold on during times of crisis. A simple trip to the gas station may inspire families to commit felonies and drive away from the pumps and a trip to the grocery store may have people stealing bread (but not tomatoes!).

Solutions seem like a long way off, but some car companies and individuals are doing something about all of this now. Toyota’s Scion has produced a car, for instance, that is getting tremendous gas mileage and can help ease some of the pressure and pain in these trying times.

All is not lost, America! With a little effort and a lot of hope (and maybe a trip to a Scion dealer), everyday Americans will once again be able to afford a tank of gas or a trip to the store for milk.

Imagine you just drove off the lot of a Pontiac dealer with a brand new or certified pre-owned vehicle. It’s a blistering hot day and you’re tempted to reach for that A/C control, knowing it’s going to give you a refreshing blast of cold air. But you also want to be fuel-conscious and environmentally-aware. Do you choose the A/C or do you simply roll down the windows?

The answer isn’t that simple .

The air conditioner uses more engine power. As a result, the A/C could decrease your fuel economy by up to 20 percent if you’re driving through the city. But if you’re traveling down the highway, is the A/C really the worst idea?

In vehicles that are more aerodynamic than others, the A/C can be a great option. Rolling down the windows will simply create a large amount of drag on your vehicle. That makes your car work harder to maintain or even gain speed.

But if you’re driving through the city, rolling your windows down is often the best option. Stop-and-go driving and lower speeds cause your engine to work hard. Using the air conditioning at slower speeds only makes the engine work even harder to create cool air.

So now you know. And though the debate will continue to rage on, sometimes the comfort of air conditioning is worth the decreased fuel economy…at least for me anyways.