Automobile Retailers

Have you ever been the victim of one of those cameras that take your picture when you run a red light? In major metropolitan cities like Los Angeles, those cameras are becoming more and more common. But are they fair? Do they actually make people drive safer?

In some places in southern California, the cameras have been a great benefit for the local economy. Culver City, for instance, has generated more than $2 million in the last eight months from catching people going through the light. But other cities aren’t faring so well.

Paramount, a city in the same county as Culver City, decided to shut down its red light cameras because they were causing a deficit instead of an income.

But if these cameras are all about public safety rather than making money, why would cities shut down the cameras simply because they’re not making money from them? The argument that they are for safety simply loses credibility when you hear stories about cities shortening yellow light intervals and changing traffic laws at certain intersections to catch more drivers. I’ve even heard that one city wasn’t making enough from catching people going through red lights so they made it illegal to turn on a red light so they could make up the difference. Is that for safety’s sake? I don’t think so.

So just take this as a warning. You might leave your local Pontiac dealer full of excitement and enthusiasm because you just bought a new car, but don’t forget to drive with caution. Protecting yourself and others really is about being safe.

I know everybody wants to save gas. Where I live, the prices are inching toward $5 a gallon. I’d do just about anything to save a few bucks on gas right about now, especially since I want to travel this summer. But if you’re like me, beware of some schemes and scams going around that prey on your desire to save gas.

One scam that I read about is an e-mail scam. The subject line of the e-mail reads, “Tired of getting ripped off at the gas pump?” Once you open the e-mail, the sender claims you can save up to 80 cents per gallon. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, my mom always told me, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” If there was really a way to save almost a dollar for each gallon of gas you buy, don’t you think it would be all over the news?

The only surefire way to save money on gas is to change your driving habits. Start driving slower. When you’re on the highway, try to go 55 mph instead of 75 or 80. Combine all of your errands into one day and make sure you route them strategically. Purchase a new fuel-efficient car from a local Pontiac dealer . Don’t carry any unnecessary weight around in your car. But don’t fall for any “snake oil” schemes that will only take more money out of your pocket. Be smart and you’ll come out ahead.

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.

Wherever you live, you probably think the drivers in your state are the worst drivers in the country. But according to statistics, New Jersey drivers are the only one that can rightfully claim that distinction.

According to the 2008 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test, about 33 million drivers simply don’t know the rules of the road. That’s more than 16 percent of the drivers on the road each day! The survey asked more than 5,500 drivers from all over the country a series of questions that included the same ones on the official DMV test.

Afterwards, GMAC issued a press release saying that New Jersey finished 51st in the rankings (Washington, D.C. was also included). The average score throughout the state was less than 70 percent. The last time I was in school, that’s either a C minus or a D plus. Either way, it’s not that great. In addition to the low average, more than 36 percent of the New Jersey drivers failed the test.

If you’re curious about the best drivers in the nation, Kansas was ranked the highest with an average score of 84. Less than six percent of the drivers in that state failed the test.

There is some more good news, too. CNN noted that the national average score is beginning to rise for drivers passing the test. In fact, it grew by one percentage point since last year’s test.

And for you guys who want something more to hold onto, the test showed that 20 percent of women drivers tested failed the test while only 13 percent of male drivers failed.

Whichever state you’re in, look out for other drivers to help ensure your safety. Besides, if you just bought a new vehicle from your local Pontiac dealer , who wants to risk getting a dent, ding or something worse?

Did you ever think gas would inch toward $5 a gallon? In 1992, it averaged less than $1.50 a gallon. But with the recent increases and record prices, consumers are hurting every time they visit the pump.

That’s why some companies are trying to ease the blow by offering free gas deals to some lucky motorists. The incentives aren’t much, but they might put a few gallons in your tank when you need it the most. Here are some of the more popular free gas deals you can find throughout the country:

• Sears is helping you celebrate Father’s Day by giving shoppers a $75 gas card for every purchase over $100 in Docker’s men’s apparel. In addition to that, you are also entered into a contest to win a new car.
• By participating in a new official carpooling program in New Jersey, you have a chance of receiving $100 in free gas. If you live in California and you participate in a similar program with a hybrid, the state wants to give your up to $80 in free gas.
• Are you a golfer? If so, purchase select drivers from Callaway Golf Clubs and receive an American Express Gas Card with up to a $100 value.
• Do you plan on traveling this summer? Stay at Comfort Inn, Sleep Inn or Clarion hotels for three nights before August 14 and receive a $50 gas card.

With all of these deals and the new fuel-efficient vehicles available at your local Pontiac dealer , you can get through the summer and spend only a minimum amount of money on gas. Who doesn’t like the sound of that?

The green movement is afoot. It’s touching every aspect of our lives lately and there’s no getting around it. But did you know that engineers are working on a greener blacktop now, too?

I don’t mean the roads and parking lots are going to look like grass. Rather, researchers and scientists at the Asphalt Research Consortium are looking for ways to cut manufacturing costs by reducing or getting rid of the five percent of oil byproducts used in today’s asphalt. Did you even know they used oil byproducts in the roads on which we drive? It’s like gas prices are affecting every single thing in our everyday lives.

But oil isn’t the only thing that has a negative effect on the environment. When creating asphalt, workers must heat the mixture up to 300 degrees, a process that uses a large amount of energy.

The consortium is considering several alternatives to the current way engineers create asphalt. One way is to develop the mixture by using cold mixes. This uses one-seventh the amount of energy as the 300-degree mixes. But that won’t only use less energy, it will also make the asphalt more durable and quieter for driving.

The researchers are also looking at using recycled materials and other products to make the asphalt less oil-dependent and more durable and sustainable.

If these changes take effect, you’ll be able to drive your new car home from your local Pontiac dealer on cleaner, more sustainable and quieter roads. How does that sound?

If you like a powerful engine on an impressive looking car, you’re going to love the Pontiac G8. With two available models — the Pontiac G8 GT and the Pontiac G8 Sedan — fast car enthusiasts will find a lot to love.

The 2008 Pontiac G8 sedan comes standard with a whopping 256 horse power and 248 lb-feet of torque in a 3.6 L V6 engine. You can count on getting around 17 miles per gallon in the city and 25 miles per gallon when you get onto the highway. The G8 GT has a striking 6.0 liter V8 engine that achieves a commanding 361 horse power and 385 lb-feet of torque. When it comes to fuel efficiency, G8 GT drivers can expect around 15 miles per gallon in the city and 24 miles per gallon on the highway.

Both the Pontiac G8 Sedan and G8 GT come with performance suspension and traction control and with the kind of power in these engines, you’re going to want both. The sedan comes with a 5-speed automatic transmission and the GT has a 6-speed automatic transmission. Both models come with Sport Mode and Driver Shift Control, and a dual outlet exhaust in stainless steel puts sporty icing on an already sporty cake.

The interior of both the G8 sedan and the G8 GT is where Pontiac really shows how well they’ve taken the get up and go of a sports car and combined it with the practical benefits of a family sedan. Five people can sit comfortably in the sedan, but the dashboard readouts for speed, fuel and rpms are sporty enough to make you know you’re driving a serious car. Your driver’s information center displays your oil life, volt meter, a trip odometer, your tire pressure, average speed, fuel used, average fuel, under speed and over speed warnings — the whole nine yards. Is it a car or is it a laptop?

When it comes to your sound experience, you really know you’re driving a sports car in the Pontiac G8. The Sedan comes standard with a 7–speaker sound system from Blaupunkt, the mandatory AM/FM radio, and a CD player with a 5” display. The GT comes with a 6.5” display and a phenomenal 11-speaker sound system, and both have inputs for your iPod or MP3 player with speed compensating volume capacities. To let everyone on the road know just how good your sound system is, both models have an optional sunroof.

The 2008 Pontiac G8 GT starts at $29,995 and the Pontiac G8 Sedan starts a little lower at $27,595.

Did you know that we’ve been drilling for oil in the Middle East for 100 years? Well, it’s actually 100 years and a few days as the actual discovery was on May 26, 1908. But you get what I mean.

On that historic day, William D’Arcy found a gushing well of oil in Iran. After drilling for seven years, he was about to give up. But he decided to try one more place. As it turns out, the last place that he tried was a huge success. Little did he know the impact he was going to have on the future of the region, the United States and the world in general.

But his plans almost failed. Only six years after this momentous discovery, his company and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company almost closed up shop. They had everything they needed – the oil, a way to pump it out and a way to distribute it. But they didn’t have customers. The auto industry was still in its infancy at the time and oil just wasn’t in demand like it is today. But World War I and Winston Churchill changed that. Churchill saw the benefits of using oil to run his navy during the war. As a result, oil turned to “black gold” and soon became one of the most precious resources in the world.

Interesting little fact, eh?

Knowing this, you might have a new appreciation for oil and how it came to be popular in our culture and all over the world. Keep this in mind when you visit your local Pontiac dealer and the next time you’re at a party. Since gas prices are the main topic of conversation everywhere, this could be a great icebreaker when there’s a lull in the conversation.

As you’d probably expect, people are looking for ways to avoid paying the high gas prices. In fact, you could probably find a direct correlation between the rising gas prices and the use of ethanol in the last year.

That’s exactly what’s happening in the United States. Ethanol sales are drastically increasing they will continue to increase as long as gas is around $4 a gallon or more. In 2006, drivers guzzled up about 5 billion gallons of ethanol for their vehicles. But that number increased to 6.5 billion gallons in 2007. That’s an increase of about 30 percent if my math is correct!

But that doesn’t mean everything is peachy in the world, either. The 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol used in 2007 accounts for nearly 25 percent of corn production. That causes the price of corn to increase, too. That’s one of the reasons that the prices of many foods have increased in recent months.

Many automotive websites like Kicking Tires have written about ethanol and whether it’s a viable source of alternative fuel. And now that food prices are going up, ethanol isn’t looking like the ideal option anymore. In addition to increased food prices, though, ethanol doesn’t really save drivers money either. You might be paying $3 a gallon for ethanol, but it burns less efficiently so you need to buy it more often. The lower efficiency can make ethanol cost just as much if not more than a regular gallon of gas right now.

But, of course, the choice is yours. You can get a car from your local Pontiac dealer and get a car that runs on straight gasoline or ethanol depending on your preferences. With today’s fuel-efficient standards and other technologies, a tank of gas lasts much longer than it ever did before.

One of the major contributors to greenhouse gases isn’t your vehicle…it’s the way you drive it. Poor driving habits can create more emissions and they can even cost your money in gasoline. But one Denver-based program wants to change that.

Supported by Mayor John W. Hickenlooper and other Denver city officials, the new initiative gives citizens the ability to measure their vehicle’s greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, drivers also see how their driving habits contribute to greenhouse emissions while being able to improve their behaviors behind the wheel. They monitor their own emissions through accelerometers attached to the internal systems of vehicles so drivers can see exactly what they’re doing and how they can cause a lower amount of emissions.

Driving Change is the first initiative of its kind in the entire world. You might not think that it’s going to make much of a difference if it’s just happening in Denver. But if the idea spreads to other parts of the country, it can have a major impact on the emissions we’re putting into the air.

If you’d like to make a positive difference for the environment, visit your local Pontiac dealer and get a great deal on a new or used fuel-efficient vehicle. With new technologies and other features, you can do your part for helping the environment while enjoying your favorite car.