Car Blog

In a summer when much of the U.S. has endured record-breaking high temperatures with no reprieve in sight, Prestone, a leading producer of antifreeze/coolant, conducted a study representing more than 1,000 car owners that revealed while 50 percent of respondents said their biggest fear on the road was being stuck roadside with a smoking engine, only 16 percent said they planned to add engine coolant on a hot day to prevent their vehicle from overheating.*

“Simple car maintenance, such as topping off coolant and checking tire pressure, is vital for your vehicle to run at an optimal level, in particular when driving during extremely hot days,” said Jim Brown, Prestone brand marketing. “As heat waves continue across the country, we are reminding car owners to take some basic steps to help keep their cars on the road.”

Prestone certified technicians recommend five easy tips to keep your car running smoothly through the summer heat.

1. Check and top-off your fluids: transmission fluid, water, break fluid, and coolant
2. Monitor your tire-wear and pressure frequently (set to manufacturer’s specifications)
3. Check your oil every 1,000 miles – and change it every 3,000 to 7,000 miles
4. Inspect your brakes at least once a year
5. Scheduled maintenance: follow your vehicle’s recommended maintenance schedule

Additionally, the American Automobile Association (AAA) warns that many Americans could find themselves stranded this summer if they neglect proper auto maintenance, reporting that 8.7 million vehicles will break down between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

*Proprietary study surveyed more than 1,000 American car owners about their car maintenance habits; margin of error of +/-5%

Subaru of America, Inc. is offering the Facebook community an exclusive opportunity to select one of the charities to be a partner in this year’s fourth annual Subaru Share the Love event. To date, Subaru has donated almost $15 million to Share the Lovecharities and hopes to donate an additional $5 million this year.

The Share The Love event donates $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased from Nov. 19through Jan. 3. The new Facebook voting program allows consumers to vote for a charity that will be designated “People’s Choice.” Online voting will be available exclusively to Subaru’s Facebook community.  The eligible charities are:

Teach For America: Teach For America is the national corps of recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org. Read the rest of this entry »

Nissan Americas officials joined Gov. Pat Quinn and representatives from the City of Chicago to announce the Illinois rollout of the all-electric Nissan LEAF for this fall. Nissan has accelerated the launch of Nissan LEAF in Illinois in response to strong consumer demand and supported by plans that include an extensive electric car charging network in Chicago and surrounding suburbs in the coming year.

“Governor Quinn, Mayor Emmanuel and other visionary Chicago-area leaders have paved the way for mass market adoption of electric cars in their community,” said Scott Becker, senior vice president, Administration and Finance, Nissan Americas.  ”Chicagoland consumers want a transportation solution that uses no gas and produces no emissions, and the introduction of the Nissan LEAF to Illinois makes that a reality.”

In February, Gov. Quinn announced an investment of $1 million in capital funding to install state-of-the-art charging infrastructure for electric cars throughout the Chicagoland area, matching an additional $1 million in Clean Cities Grant funding secured by the City of Chicago.  In total, the project will result in a network of 280 electric vehicle charging stations. Illinois also offers up to $4,000 in rebates after the purchase of electric and alternative technology vehicles – in addition to the $7,500 federal tax credit – making Nissan LEAF even more affordable to Illinois residents. Read the rest of this entry »

Hyundai Motor America has announced pricing for the 2012 Veloster three-door coupe, starting at $17,300 for the six-speed manual and $18,550 for the six-speed EcoShift Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). Veloster is a playful front-wheel drive coupe targeting the likes of Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Beetle and Scion tC while delivering 28/40/32 mpg with the six speed manual and 29/38/32 mpg with the DCT.

Veloster delivers innovation to the compact coupe segment with standard features such as a unique third door for easy rear-seat access, Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system, Pandora internet radio, seven-inch touch-screen display, and a new 1.6-liter Gasoline-Direct-Injected (GDI) four-cylinder engine and six-speed transmission. Read the rest of this entry »

Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Corporation — the world’s two leading manufacturers of hybrid vehicles — today announced they will equally collaborate on the development of an advanced new hybrid system for light truck and SUV customers.

Ford and Toyota have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the product development collaboration, with the formal agreement expected by next year.

Both companies have been working independently on their own future-generation rear-wheel drive hybrid systems. The two now have committed to collaborate as equal partners on a new hybrid system for light trucks and SUVs. This new hybrid powertrain will bring the full hybrid experience of greater fuel efficiency to a new group of truck and SUV customers without compromising the capability they require in their vehicles.  Ford and Toyota believe that their collaboration will allow them to bring these hybrid technologies to customers sooner and more affordably than either company could have accomplished alone.

“This agreement brings together the capability of two global leaders in hybrid vehicles and hybrid technology to develop a better solution more quickly and affordably for our customers,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “Ford achieved a breakthrough with the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and we intend to do this again for a new group of truck and SUV buyers — customers we know very well.” Read the rest of this entry »

Subaru of America announced pricing for its much-anticipated 2012 Impreza. Starting at just $17,495 for the base model 4-door Impreza 2.0i with a five-speed manual transmission, the car’s starting price remains unchanged compared with last year’s. The automatic version, offered exclusively with Subaru’s newly designed continuously variable transmission (CVT) starts at $18,495. The base 5-door Impreza 2.0i starts at $17,995 when equipped with a five-speed transmission and $18,995 for the CVT-equipped model.

The 2012 Impreza is also offered in 2.0i Premium, Sport Premium and Limited models – the Limited a new addition for this year. The 4-door 2.0i Premium starts at $18,795, while the 5-door Premium starts at $19,295. For the 2.0i Limited, prices start at $21,595 for the 4-door and $22,095 for the 5-door version. Finally, the Impreza 2.0i Sport Premium starts at $20,295 and is only offered in the 5-door body style. A new Sport Limited model is also available. These prices all reflect MSRP before the $750.00 destination charge.

Changes for this year’s Impreza include the all-new 148 horsepower 2.0-liter SUBARU BOXER® engine with projected EPA fuel economy of 27 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. When equipped with the new Lineartronic® CVT transmission, the 2012 Impreza is the most fuel-efficient all-wheel drive car in America. All 2012 Imprezas feature Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. The 2012 Impreza will arrive in dealerships November 2011.