Using Your Brain in the Rain: 5 Driving Tips

Tweet

Ask anyone who lives in your home town about people and driving in the rain. They'll give you the same response- traffic slows down like crazy whenever there's a few drops on the road.

Do we really need to be driving that slow? Probably not in a situation like that. Now, if you can't see a thing because it's raining so hard, that's a different story entirely! I thought about how driving in the rain compares to that of snow or ice, and while both are similar, there is one key way in which they differ. You're likely to have less control in the winter, whereas with rain, you'll have less visibility (depending on how hard it is raining). This means as the intensity of the rain grows, you'll want to slow down more.

That being said, here are some safety tips you can be aware of to prepare you and your car for stormy weather.

1. Try to stay in the center lane if there's a lot of rain already on the ground.

Rain accumulates on the sides of the road, and you'll want to minimize your chances of hitting a large puddle of water. Since water reduces friction and causes hydroplaning (where one or all of the tires loses traction), it is best to stay in the center lane if you're driving down a long stretch of highway or road at higher speeds.

2. Consider replacing your windshield wipers.

Just like any other part on your car, your wiper blades can go bad, and if they go bad, your visibility in any sort of storm is going to be awful. How long do they last? It depends entirely on where you live, and the intensity of the weather your car endures. As a general rule of thumb though, it's a good idea to consider changing them at least every few years, especially if you notice the wipers causing streaks on your windshield more often than not.

3. Distance yourself.

Tailgating is never a great idea, and it only becomes more dangerous in the rain. You'll want to give yourself plenty of room between you and the other car in front of you, more so if it's a larger vehicle such as a bus or truck. That way, when you need to hit the brakes, you've got a buffer of both space and time, so that your brakes can do their job. Remember, wet brake pads aren't nearly as powerful as dry ones! Be sure to have them inspected as well, if you suspect they aren't performing as good as they should be.

4. But align yourself, too.

Besides keeping a buffer of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, you should also align your car and tires with theirs. What does this accomplish? The car in front of you is displacing the water on the road, pushing it away from the point where the tires hit. This in turn makes the surface of the ground better for your car, as you drive through the spot where the water was displaced. Gotta love science!

5. Turn all the lights on!

Whether it's raining or just really foggy, having your headlights on will improve your visibility and help other drivers on the road see you better. 

Do you have any other suggestions or tips for driving in the rain? Tell us below!

Prius: We Put a Key in Your Key [VIDEO]

Tweet

If you're familiar with internet memes or MTV, you probably remember Xzibit, host of "Pimp My Ride". He's gained eternal notoriety for adding a crazy amount of customization to people's cars.

What you might not know is that the Toyota Prius borrowed from Xzibit's style of doing things (or maybe it was Xzibit that copied Toyota?) and put an extra key inside the Prius Smartkey. So if the battery ever dies out on your Smartkey, you can still remove the hidden one and use that to get inside your vehicle.

I recently shot a video of our own Mike Hecht talking to some Prius owners about the Smartkey, how to remove it, and when to replace it. If you're a Prius owner, or simply interested in how the Smartkey works, you'll definitely want to check it out.

Got a question on something car related Mike should offer advice about? Leave a comment with your suggestion and we may make a future video on it!

3 frequently asked questions at a car dealership

Tweet

The purchase of a new or used car requires a lot of research and planning. Very few people actually buy on a whim or sign a contract without doing their homework beforehand! In fact, the majority of car buyers start their search after finishing off payments on an old vehicle, seeing a change in their financial lifestyle, or experiencing a large event that changes their automotive needs (such as having a child). After doing their research online, a customer will often call or visit a dealership to get more information, and ask certain questions.

Knowing this, I decided to go around the Lou Fusz Toyota showroom and tap into the brains of several employees in different departments, to see what they thought were some of the most frequently asked questions by their potential customers.

Here are 3 questions that get asked on a consistent basis, along with answers and advice from some of our team members:


1. Is the vehicle I want available in a certain color or trim?
According to John Sanchez, one of our sales associates: "I get asked this question often. A customer may want a blue Highlander when we have every other color except blue. One of the things to remember is that while we may not have the exact vehicle you want today, there's a good chance we can get it or have something similar to it. We have one of the largest Toyota inventories in St. Louis, and stock at any dealership changes daily, meaning that a premium XLE Camry could show up tomorrow, even if we only currently have base models on our lot right this moment."


2. How much is my trade worth?
Pat, one of our Business Development Center specialists, tells me customers on the phone tend to ask this question the majority of the time. "The challenge with this question is that it is hard to estimate the value of a vehicle over the phone, even when trying to give a ballpark figure. Many little details can factor into the overall worth of a car, such as how many miles it has been driven, how many owners it has had, and if the car has had any damage or needed significant repairs in the past. It's also difficult to use estimates given by Kelley Blue Book. This is due to onesimple reason: Kelley Blue Book is giving an approximate value on a vehicle that is like yours, but not actually yours. Your trade could be worth more or less than what KBB suggests!"
His advice for asking about trade-ins? Bringing your vehicle in to the dealership will get you the best estimate on the worth of your car. Otherwise, try using the Auto-Trader trade in marketplace if you really need an online estimate.


3. How can I get a better interest rate?
Micah, a manager in our F&I (finance and insurance) department, says this is his number one asked question. "The interest rate is going to be based on things like your credit score, your collateral (meaning how big your down payment is or how much your trade is worth), how long you are going to be borrowing money, and your credit history. We work with 20 different institutions, and while we can't guarantee credit for everyone, we have lenders that can help those with challenging or unique situations. Also keep in mind that if you purchase a new car, you'll get a better interest rate, and you can even get 0% in some situations."

What questions would you like to see answered by our staff? Let us know and they could appear in a future blog post!

Tuesday Tip - The Arrow

Tweet

Sometimes, answers to life's questions can be right in front of you. Literally.

Case in point? I was recently visiting some family out in California, and on the final day of my trip, my aunt decided to borrow my cousin's car to take me back to the airport, since it gets better mileage. As we're driving towards Sacramento International, she mentions how she'll need to stop and get gas soon because the tank was starting to inch towards empty. We're making great time, so I let her know that it's no problem. My aunt then comments on how it's always confusing when driving someone else's car because she can never tell which side of the car has the gas cap.

I tell her to glance at her fuel gauge, and point out (no pun intended!) the arrow, showing her which side of the car to pull up to when we get to the gas station. We laughed, and had one of those "The More You Know!" moments. I half expected a fake shooting star to come flying past us.

So, next time you're driving, glance at the fuel gauge and see if you can spot the arrow icon next to the little picture of the gas pump. It is not in every vehicle, so the older your car is, the less likely it will be to have this. However, if worse comes to worse, you can always check your owner's manual to verify!

Tuesday Tip: 5 Ways to Maximize Your Mileage

Tweet

Heard of hypermiling? It's the process of using every tip, trick, and technique available to maximize the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. There are enthusiasts out there who take it to the extreme, finding any way possible to see gains in their fuel MPG. Take for example, in 2008, when a driver hit 136 MPG in his Toyota Prius II, during the World Fuel Economy Championships in Elkhart, Indiana.

While the methods used to hit that number involve perfect road conditions and extreme modifications (such as over-inflating tires to potentially unsafe levels), there are still simple solutions you can take to get the best mileage out of your car, and save money on fuel costs each year. Check out our five tips below:

1. Coasting
Drivers hit the brakes 10 to 25% more of the time than they need to, when they could be coasting instead! Coasting is the process of lifting your foot off of the accelerator and allowing your vehicle to slow decelerate, without actually hitting your brakes. The best way to take advantage of this is to give yourself plenty of distance between the vehicle in front of you, approximately a two second buffer. When the vehicle in front starts to brake, you can coast to slow down, which will reduce the amount of energy required to start accelerating again.

2. Minimize idling
What kind of MPG do you get while idling? If you guessed zero, you'd be correct! The longer your car sits still doing nothing, the more fuel you'll burn. If you see a red light ahead, start coasting in advance so that you aren't just driving up to the light and then braking to a stop. You want to control the amount of braking that is used to regenerate energy to the batteries. Also, by going easy on the brakes, there is a chance the red light will simply turn green by the time you get to it!

3. Drive within 5 mph of the posted speed limit
Not only will this tip improve your gas mileage, it will also reduce the chance you'll have trouble with law enforcement! Generally, driving between 55-60 mph tends to be the sweet spot for the best highway gas mileage. Faster speeds (70+) increase aerodynamic drag, forcing your car to burn more gasoline in order to compensate for the added resistance. According to the Department of Energy, driving at 80 mph is equivalent to adding roughly .80/gallon to the price of your fuel versus driving at 60 mph!

4. Slowly accelerate from a complete stop
Driving a vehicle with an automatic transmission? When the light turns green, or you finish coming to a halt at a stop sign, give your car a second to start naturally accelerating (without you touching the gas pedal). It takes more energy for an object that is not in motion to gain energy, whereas an object already in motion will have an easier time gaining speed. Just remember to not try this tip if you're already stopped on a hill.

5. Don't overdo it on AC and defrost
The heater in your car works by redirecting heat produced by the engine that would have normally just been sent to your radiator. Using it won't have a noticeable affect on your mileage. However, when it's hot outside, running the air conditioner does require fuel, and can impact your mileage by 10-20% depending on the age and make of your car. Don't give up your air conditioning entirely, but just don't blast it on the "MAX" setting constantly, and you should be fine.
Keep in mind that during winter, the defrost on your car also requires energy. This is because the AC compressor runs simultaneously with your car's heater to remove moisture from the air. Use the defrost sparingly rather than leaving it on constantly, and you'll help improve your car's fuel efficiency.

What other tips and techniques do you utilize to get better MPG out of your car?