It’s summer!  For many families, that means making the yearly pilgrimage to the beach or hot vacation spot.  However, record high gas prices are putting a damper on many people’s vacation plans.  But, don’t throw in the beach towel just yet.  Here are ten ways you can improve fuel efficiency and save valuable vacation money at the pump.

1.  Don’t Skimp on the Octane - Some people try to save money by putting regular gas into a vehicle that actually requires premium fuel.  This skimping may save you a few bucks today, but it will cost you much more in the long run.  High-performance vehicles need higher-octane fuel because the combustion chamber environment is much hotter in a performance engine. Using a lower octane fuel reduces fuel efficiency and can damage valves and pistons, which can cost you thousands of dollars in repair costs down the road. 

2.  Take Care of Your Ride – Proper maintenance is crucial to your vehicle’s fuel economy.  Be sure to adhere to the maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual.   Dirty air and fuel filters, old spark plugs and low fluid levels can affect engine performance and significantly reduce fuel efficiency. Have these items checked by your mechanic before you go on vacation.  Not only will you get better gas mileage, but you will reduce the chance of a breakdown on the way to the beach. 

3.  Keep Those Tires Inflated - Under-inflated tires increase the amount of friction between your car and the pavement.  This makes it harder for your car to move down the road, which means your engine uses more fuel to maintain speed.  In fact, just one under-inflated tire can increase fuel consumption by one percent or more. Check your owner’s manual for correct inflation levels, and ensure all four tires are properly inflated before setting off on your trip.

4.  Leave the Kitchen Sink at Home – We all like to pack everything we own when we go to the beach.  We load up our with pillows, beach chairs, toys, charcoal grills, coolers, and enough food for the Chinese army until every square millimeter of trunk and cabin space is filled.  However, this pack rat behavior weighs down your vehicle, and heavier vehicles use more fuel.  Roof racks (which I have affectionately termed “hamburger boxes”) on the top of the car make it even worse.  So, put some careful thought into your packing, and only take what you absolutely need for the trip.  Remember – they probably have stores where you are going, and it may be cheaper to buy some items (especially food) once you get to your destination.

5.  Fuel Up in Advance – Statistics have shown that gas prices cheapest on Wednesdays because most people fuel up on the weekends for trips or Monday mornings before work.  So, plan ahead and fuel up for that vacation on Wednesday instead of waiting until Saturday before you leave.  Even if you have to “top off” on Saturday, you will still save a buck or two.

6.  Slow Down – As your speed increases, the aerodynamic drag on your vehicle increases exponentially.  This means that your engine has to work harder, and use more fuel, to maintain your speed.   Adhering to a speed of 55 mph (the most common highway speed limit) will yield 21% better mileage than driving 65 mph.  Driving 62 mph instead of 75 mph can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 15%.  Furthermore, maintaining a consistent speed over long distances saves gas, so use the cruise control as much as possible.   It might also save you from a speeding ticket!

7.  Accelerate and Decelerate Gently - A car uses more fuel under hard acceleration (another bad habit of mine).   Resist the urge to floor it “off the line”, just because you can.  Don’t race up to red lights or stop signs and then slam on the breaks.  Instead, anticipate the need to stop and lift your foot off of the accelerator early, allowing the engine to slow the vehicle before gently applying the break.  This requires patience, but it also saves on gas.

8.  Avoid Idling - Unless you are fortunate enough to own a hybrid, idling wastes fuel.   If you anticipate being stopped for more than one minute, turn off the ignition. Restarting the car actually uses less fuel than letting it idle.  Go into restaurants to purchase food instead of using the drive through when it’s time to refuel the family.  If possible, plan your route to minimize traffic lights and left hand turns, which increase idling time.  Don’t’ laugh – making only right hand turns saves UPS nearly $600 million per year!

9.  Don’t Blast the A/C - The air conditioner puts extra load on a vehicle’s engine, requiring an average of 20% more fuel to be used.   Since cruisin’ without A/C is not really an option in the South, try to keep it set at around 75 degrees.  Don’t blast the air when you first get into your car, even if it is stifling hot.   Instead, open the windows initially to release the stale, hot air.  Once you get moving, close the windows and set the A/C at 75 degrees. Your car will cool down quickly.

10.  Keep the Windows Up - Wide-open windows, especially at highway speeds, significantly increase the aerodynamic drag on your vehicle.  This drag can decrease your fuel economy by as much as 10%.   Run the fan on “outside air” instead, and just crack the window or sunroof for additional ventilation.

The reality is that high gas prices will negatively impact vacation plans for many people this summer.  However, by following these suggestions, you may be able to save enough to pay for that all-you-can-eat seafood buffet!  Have a safe and fun summer vacation!

Is it a wagon?  Is it an SUV?  Is it a hearse?  Actually, it’s the 2009 Ford Flex, the newest crossover from the Blue Oval.  Although Ford classifies it as a crossover SUV, the Flex actually replaces the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans, which were discontinued in 2006 due to weak sales and low profit margins.  The unique design of the Flex offers a clever blend between the people-moving capacity of a minivan and the light cargo and trailer hauling capacity of an SUV (up to 4000 lbs).  Unlike a minivan, the Flex features conventional rear doors whose panels were inspired by vintage vacuum cleaners.  (Seriously.)

The Flex is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine that puts out 262 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque.  A 340-hp “EcoBoost” engine will be offered later this year.   The Flex is available with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive, both married to a six-speed automatic transmission.  Despite its name, the Flex is not a flexible-fuel vehicle.  However, it does have a “capless” fueling system that reduces evaporative emissions and prevents you from forgetting to put the gas cap back on after filling up.  Standard safety features on the Flex include antilock brakes, stability control, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags.

Unlike many seven-passenger vehicles, the 2009 Ford Flex features comfortably seats seven adults in its spacious, well appointed cabin.  Second row passengers enjoy adjustable / removable footrests and an optional mini fridge in the middle console.  The 60/40 split second row bench and 50/50 split third row seats that fold flat into the floor, providing adequate cargo space (but still less than a true minivan). 

Ford offers the 2009 Flex in three trim levels. The base SE starts at $28,995 and is available with front-wheel drive only and comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, rear park assist, rear climate controls, a power driver seat and a six-speaker CD stereo system with an auxiliary audio jack. The SEL trim is available with either front- or all-wheel drive and offers dual-zone automatic climate control, power heated front seats, leather upholstery (vinyl in the third row for the kids) and a 10-speaker stereo with satellite radio. The top level Limited, which starts at $37,255, is also available with either front- or all-wheel drive, wearing 19-inch wheels.  It includes xenon headlights, a power liftgate, power-adjustable pedals, a memory driver’s seat, perforated leather upholstery and the Microsoft Sync multimedia interface system. 

Additional options include second row captain’s chairs, a four-panel Vista sunroof, towing package, keyless ignition/entry and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system. Touchscreen navigation with voice recognition, backup camera and Sirius Travel Link are available on the Limited model, shooting the price tag to over $45,000.  The interior is even lit with programmable “mood lighting”, available in seven colors.  Lava lamp sold separately.

With everyone in a frenzy over fuel prices, all kinds of crazy devices are now flooding the market and promising to slash your gas bill by improving your mileage.  The most common claim is that for a couple hundred bucks, you can convert your existing car to burn a combination of water and gas, doubling your gas mileage! 

But are these things for real, or are they just a scam by a clever snake oil salesman?  Being a naturally skeptical person, I set out to find the truth – can you really run your car on water?   

When in doubt, I tend to turn to the laws of physics (and people who actually understand them).  These so called “hydrogen fuel cells” are actually nothing more than a simple electrolysis device that uses electricity to split water into its constituent components — two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen.   The gases generated by the electrolysis of water can be recombined by way of combustion to release energy.  This is not new technology – electrolysis has been around for decades. 

Sounds pretty good, huh?  Unfortunately, the first law of thermodynamics states unequivocally that the energy generated by recombining the hydrogen and oxygen through combustion can only ever be equal to the amount of energy it took to separate them.
Even worse, there are multiple energy losses involved in the generation of the electricity, the delivery of it to the electrolysis cell and then the combustion process.  We actually recover far less energy from burning the hydrogen than it took to create it!  Therefore, these magic “water-for-gas” devices actually cause your car to burn MORE fuel in order to heat the water in the electrolysis cell. 

Besides, don’t you think that if cars could easily run on water and gas that the auto manufacturers wouldn’t have jumped on it by now as a means of selling those slow-moving, large SUVs?  Just remember that old adage about things that sound too good to be true…

 (Special thanks to Bruce Simpson of the Aardvark Daily for explaining the physics.)

As gas prices rapidly approach four bucks a gallon, Americans are feeling pain at the pump.  So are the automobile manufacturers and dealers.  Rising gas prices and their negative impact on the economy are causing consumers to put off vehicle purchases or to trade in their gas guzzlers for smaller, more fuel efficient cars.  As a result, automakers and dealers are experiencing a significant decrease in sales and profits.  Although small car sales rose over 7% the first four months of this year, SUV sales have dropped 28%, minivan sales fell 20% and pickup truck sales dropped nearly 18%.

This trend is especially hard on the American auto manufacturers whose profits depend heavily on sales of large trucks and SUVs.  Although the “Detroit Three” (GM, Ford and Chrysler) now offer dozens of smaller cars that get around 30 miles per gallon (with much improved quality), they still build far more trucks and SUVs than their Asian competitors.  While Detroit can shift its production to the more fuel-efficient vehicles to some extent, it can’t just turn on a dime.  The development cycle for new cars (from research to design to production) can run anywhere from three to ten years, severely hampering an automaker’s ability to adjust to sudden market changes.

Since the auto manufacturers can’t magically replace their inventory with more fuel-efficient vehicles, they have to develop more creative ways to market the vehicles they already have.  The traditional solution is to offer large cash rebates and zero-percent financing to make slow selling vehicles more attractive to consumers.  This year, that hasn’t been enough.  So, some automakers have created a new type of incentive – discounted gas!  This program is very clever, as it speaks to consumers’ greatest area of pain.  But, is it really a good deal?

To answer that question, we have to read the fine print, make some comparisons, and actually do the math.  (Yuck!)  Most programs limit the amount of gas that can be purchased at the discounted price to cover fuel for 12,000 miles per year for three years.  Most Americans drive closer to 15,000 miles per year, so the discount will not last the entire year.  The discounted gas program uses the combined city/highway fuel economy estimates for each vehicle to calculate how many gallons of gas add up to 12,000 miles.  For example, an SUV with a combined rating of 15 mpg will give you an allotment of 800 gallons of gas per year.  At the discounted price of $2.99, that comes to $2,392 per year.  If gas prices stabilize at $4.00 per gallon (which some economists say is likely – yeah, right), you would save $808 per year or $2,424 over three years. 

That sounds like a pretty good deal.  However, we must consider that the vehicles offering the special gas program tend to have lower fuel economy ratings than their competitors (which is why they aren’t selling in the first place).  Going back to our example above, if you instead purchase an SUV that gets 22 mpg, you would only need 545 gallons of gas to get you 12,000 miles.  At $4.00 per gallon, you would spend $2,180 – that’s $212 less per year (or $636 over three years) than what you would have spent with the discounted gas program.  If gas prices soar to over $4.50 per gallon, then it’s probably a push.   Of course, if you keep the gas program vehicle for more than three years, you will go back to paying the same high price for gas as everyone else, while driving a less fuel efficient vehicle.  Any amount of money you saved under the discounted gas program will be quickly lost. 
Furthermore, the gas deals typically reduce the amount of the cash-back incentives you can apply to the purchase of the vehicle.  Sometimes the gas savings makes up for the difference in the incentives, but sometimes it doesn’t—particularly for vehicles with large cash incentives.

Unfortunately, there is no magical solution to the gas price predicament.  If you have your heart set on one of the vehicles offering a discounted gas deal, and the gas savings is greater than the cash incentives, then take advantage of it.  However, if your goal is simply to save money at the pump, then you are better off purchasing a more fuel efficient vehicle.  Or maybe a bicycle.

The 2008 Tesla Roadster is a fully electric sports car developed by Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Martin Eberhard and electric motor inventor Nikola Tesla under the company name Tesla Motors. The car is assembled for Tesla Motors by Lotus at their plant in Hethel, England along side the Lotus Elise. The cars are then shipped back to Tesla’s plant in California for installation of the powertrain and other final components.

Despite being 100% electric, the Tesla Roadster is no wind-up toy! The little two-seater can travel 225 miles on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery back and requires only 3.5 hours to re-charge, very much like a cell phone. The car ships with a home charging station and costs only 2 cents per mile to drive. The 6,831 cell lithium-ion battery pack weighs about 1,000 pounds, more than a third of the weight of the 2,700 pound car, and gives off zero emissions. The battery is warranted for 100,000 miles or five years.

Although the Roadster’s body is made of light weight carbon fiber materials, the car has passed all of the required U.S. safety tests. The all-torque electric motor makes 248 hp and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds, topping out at 125 mph. The rear mounted engine redlines at 13,500 rpm with practically no noise at all. When did going green become so sexy!?!

The two-speed, rear wheel drive Roadster starts at $109,000 and comes in practically every color in the metallic rainbow. Air conditioning, heated leather seats, power windows and locks, cruise control, a single CD stereo with iPod interface, Homelink universal transmitter, and even a retractable cup holder are all standard. Safety features include four wheel anti-lock breaks, traction control, a tire pressure monitoring system, and dual front airbags. The Tesla sits on a set of high performance Yokohama tires mounted on 16” alloy wheels in the front and wider 17’s in the rear. A double insulated soft top is standard, but a removable, carbon fiber hard top is also available.   Other upgrades include a premium sound system, Bluetooth, satellite radio and touch screen navigation with voice guidance. You can even squeeze a set of golf clubs in the small, rear trunk.

If you’re thinking, “sign me up!” – get in line. All of the 600 cars that Tesla plans to produce for 2008 are spoken for, and they are now taking orders for the 1500 cars they plan to build for 2009. A mere $60,000 deposit is required to place an order. Tesla’s first dealership opened in the trendy L.A. neighborhood of Westwood, where Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Brentwood meet. Not surprisingly, Hollywood’s elite, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney and Jay Leno, were among the first to place their orders. The first Telsa Roadsters were delivered to their excited owners in late March. Lucky dogs!

Learn more about the Tesla Roadster at Jay Leno’s Garage!

The following 13 vehicles are rated the most fuel efficient in their class, according to EPA estimates and Forbes.com:

strong>Two-Seater:  Smart Fourtwo (33 mpg city / 41 mpg highway)
Subcompact:  Toyota Yaris (29 mpg city / 36 mpg highway)
Compact:  Mini Cooper (28 mpg city / 37 mpg highway)
Hybrid:  Honda Civic Hybrid (40 mpg city / 45 mpg highway)
Midsize:  Toyota Prius Hybrid (48 mpg city / 45 mpg highway)
Large Car:  Honda Accord (22 mpg city / 31 mpg highway)
Hatchback:  Honda Fit (28 mpg city / 34 mpg highway)
Wagon:  Volkswagen Passat (21 mpg city / 29 mpg highway)
SUV:  Ford Escape Hybrid (34 mpg city / 30 mpg highway)
Minivan:  Mazda 5 (22 mpg city / 28 mpg highway)
Truck:  Ford Ranger Pickup (21 mpg city / 26 mpg highway)
Sports Car:  Audi TT Coupe (23 mpg city / 31 mpg highway)
Luxury: Mercedes E320 Bluetec (23 mpg city / 32 mpg highway)

I recently received an email describing a new law that is supposedly going into effect on July 1, 2008 in North Carolina. The law would prohibit drivers from talking on a cell phone while driving, unless they use a hands-free device. (Drivers under age 18 would be prohibited from using any type of wireless device.) The email gives extensive details about the new law, including penalties for breaking it.

Unlike most emails of this nature that I receive, I believed it to be true because I had heard about the new law from other sources, including mainstream media and even a NC DMV employee. I have recently learned that THIS EMAIL IS A HOAX! According to the North Carolina General Assembly’s website, no such law is scheduled to take effect in North Carolina. The law described in the email is actually for the state of California. The content of the email was taken directly from the California Department of Motor Vehicles Code publication on their DMV website.

There are currently laws in North Carolina prohibiting cell phone use for some drivers. Drivers under the age of 18 may not use a cell phone behind the wheel, except to call their parents or law enforcement in an emergency situation. Bus Drivers are also not permitted to speak on cell phones while driving. A law outlawing cell phone use while driving (except with a hands-free phone or head set) has been introduced into the N.C. General Assembly several times over the past few years. The law was passed by the State Senate in 2007, but it was not ratified by the legislature.

Even though it looks like North Carolina drivers will be permitted to talk freely for a while longer, it is only a matter of time before such a law is passed. Although many of us do it on a regular basis, talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous. Not only is it a significant distraction, but it takes one hand off the wheel that could be needed to help control the vehicle to avoid an accident. Talking on the phone also limits your ability to turn your head to see clearly while backing up or changing lanes.

Remember - being a good, safe driver requires paying constant attention to your surroundings, having quick reactions, and maintaining total control over your vehicle. You can’t do any of these things while holding a cell phone. You didn’t see Danika Patrick using a cell phone at the Japan 300 last week, did you?

Drive Safely!

Are you looking for a really special birthday or anniversary gift for your spouse?  Or, maybe, for yourself?  How about renting an exotic car! 

A woman called me a few weeks ago and asked if I could help her rent a car, instead of purchase one.  Her husband has always wanted to drive a high end sports car, so she decided to treat him for his birthday.  Since buying him a swanky ride was not quite in the budget, she looked into renting one for a week.  Exotic car rental companies are a dime a dozen in places like Miami and LA, but not so much in Charlotte.  So, she turned to the Car Chick for help. 

Although I was unable to find any exotic car rental companies (that are still in business) in the Carolinas, I did find a Porsche club that fit the bill.  Club Ferdinand, located near Ashville, North Carolina, is a car club that affords its members the opportunity to drive a fleet of ten beautiful Porsches.  This dream fleet includes Boxsters, Caymans, Cayennes, 911s, and even a classic 356 Carrera Speedster.  Memberships are based either on points or driving days, and start as low as $990. 

While Club Ferdinand does offer rentals, a driving days based membership is a more cost effective option.  For just under $1500, you can purchase a seven driving day membership.  You can use all seven days at one time, or you can spread them out over two years.  You can drive any Porsche in their fleet with unlimited mileage in North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.  Liability, collision and comprensive insurance are included. 

Want to combine the thrill of driving a Porsche with a romantic weekend?  Club Ferdinand has partnered with the historic Mast Farm Inn to provide driving tour packages of the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway.  To learn more about Club Ferdinand, their Porsche fleet, and available driving tours, please visit them on the web at www.ClubFerdinand.com or call Henri Deschamps at 828-963-2626.

The Car Chick (a.k.a. LeeAnn Shattuck) was a guest this past Tuesday night (April 15, 2008) on the nationally syndicated Cooper Lawrence Radio Show!  The segment aired at 9pm Tuesday evening and ran for about 20 minutes.  Cooper asked LeeAnn a few questions about women and car buying, and then LeeAnn took questions from listeners.  All the listeners who called in were women, and they asked what the Car Chick though about various makes and models, reliability issues and maintenance concerns.  It was a fun show! 

For those of you who don’t know, Cooper Lawrence is a relationship and psychology expert with a master’s degree in developmental psychology.  She is the host of her own nationally syndicated radio show airing weekdays M-F 7pm-10pm ET on Charlotte’s 107.9 The Link. Cooper has appeared in many media outlets, including radio, magazines and TV.  Cooper is the also the author of Been There, Done That, Kept The Jewelry, and she has two new books set for release in January 2008:   The Cult of Perfection: Making Peace With Your Inner Overachiever and The Fixer Upper Man: How to Turn Mr. Maybe Into Mr. Right. 

To learn more about Cooper and her radio show, go to www.CooperLawrenceShow.com.  If you missed hearing the Car Chick on her show Tuesday night, you can listen to the Podcast (Select 4/15, Tuesday, Hour 3) at http://www.podtrac.com/PodtracPlayer/podtracplayer.aspx?podcast=http://www.cooperlawrenceshow.com/podcast/cl.cfm

Do you hate having to make the time to take your car in for service or an inspection?  Do you hate standing in line at the DMV?  (Ok, who doesn’t?)  Women’s Automotive Solutions can take care of these pesky, but necessary, tasks for you through our affiliate partner “Top- Priority Concierge & Errand Service”.   Top-Priority is a woman-owned, professional errand service company serving the Charlotte, NC market.  VIP auto services include taking your car to be washed or detailed, taking it in for scheduled maintenance, inspection or repairs, handling DMV paperwork, even filling it up with gas!  Contact the Car Chick to learn more!

Top-Priority can also save you valuable time on a varity of other tasks and errands.  Visit them on the web to learn more, and tell them that Women’s Automotive Solutions sent you!