Change your oil every three months or 3000 miles!

Sound familiar? More than likely your parents ground it into your memory, so every time the little sticker in the corner of our windshield matches our odometer we immediately head for the nearest Jiffy Lube.

When was the last time you went 10,000 miles without changing your oil? If your like most of us, probably never, however, some cars are made to run that long or longer on a single oil change thanks to tighter engine tolerances, better materials, and synthetic oils.

According to a recent government survey only 33% of people had ever driven their cars 4000 miles or more on a single oil change.

The truth is, changing your oil every 3000 miles is just too often, todays engines are made to run 5, 8, 10, and even 20,000 miles between oil changes. The average oil change costs around $30, and lets say we drive the standard 12,000 miles a year, that’s $120 a year in oil changes when really you should only be spending half that, it’s not a big savings, but over time really can help line your pocketbook.

Every year we throw away millions of gallons of half used oil, one analyst from Edmonds.com said “you wouldent change your bath water halfway through, why would you change your oil” and he’s right. If you want to find out how often you should change your oil you can either check your service manual, or go to http://www.checkyournumber.org put in your year make and model, and it will tell you how often you really need to stop in to the service station.

What wiper blades should I buy?

You’re driving down the road, it’s raining & you can’t see out of your windshield due to the fact that your wipers have gone bad.  The next question you’re asking yourself is what brand should you get & what is going to be reasonably priced?  Well according to Consumer Reports the best windshield wiper blades are Valeo 600 Series & they cost only $11.  That’s 38% cheaper than PIAA Super Silicone & Bosch Icon blades.  Other brands they tested left streaks, smeared water around & missed areas of wiping after only 6 months of use.  So the best way to go when picking out wiper blades is to purchase the top-Rated inexpensive wipers. Don’t forget to replace them every 6-12 months for best results.

2012 Chevy Cruze at Rapid Chevrolet

Every time a vehicle manufacture releases a new model of car their always thinking of how to make the next year’s model bigger & better in order to wow customers & give them features that continue to update just as humans continue to evolve.  The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze is the perfect example of this.  Since the 2011 was released Chevy has made updates to improve the 2012 model & continue to think of how they can improve the 2013 model as well.  So what are the updates that have been made to the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze?  Well read on & you will see that the changes might interest you.

One of the updates for the 2012 Chevy Cruze is better fuel economy.  Chevrolet says gas mileage with the Cruze’s 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder & six speed automatic the Cruze’s most popular engine & transmission combination improves slightly, going from 37 mpg on to the highway to 39mpg.  The reason behind this improvement is made possible by a lower axle ratio.

The 2012 Cruze also receives more standard equipment then the 2011, so for those of us who like our cars to be as technology savvy as we are the 2012 doesn’t disappoint.  The Cruze now offers Bluetooth phone connectivity, a USB port, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, cruise control, a leather wrapped steering wheel & a shift knob are all standard.  These upgrades were only available with the $525 Connectivity Plus Cruise package on the 2011 models.  90% of American consumers ordered the option package which made the decision to make this standard fare.

The 2012 Cruze also received several new features.  Keyless start is now optional for the Cruze 2LT & standard on the upscale LTZ model.  The Cruze Eco gains an available navigation system that was previously limited to the 2LT & LTZ trims.  Another new feature is 17-inch alloy wheels which replaced the 16-inch version that came on the 2011 2LT.  Lastly, the 2012 Cruze LTZ now boasts standard fog lamps which were optional on the 2011 Cruze model.

With the new bells & whistles the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze offers as well as the improved gas millage how could you not be curious?  There is even talk of a diesel Cruze being released in 2013 but no for sure word as of now.  So hurry on down to your nearest Chevrolet dealer to take the 2012 Chevy Cruze for a test drive.

 

Is the Chevy Volt Safe?

I’m sure in the last few months you have seen pictures of the Volts catching on fire in Wisconsin, weeks after they were put through side impact crash tests.

Recently the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) closed its safety defect investigation into the risk of the Volts spontaneously combusting, after not finding any discernible defect with the vehicle. General Motors will now send out a team to drain the charge from the battery’s after a crash is reported, just to stay on the safe side.

Based on NHTSA’s research on the Chevrolet Volt, they found that electric vehicle does not pose a greater risk of fire then gasoline-powered vehicles. They concluded that in a serious crash all vehicles pose some risk of fire.

Chevy Sonic

Often when you are looking for a car, there’s what you want to buy, and what you need to buy. These two different worlds don’t often jive together; often you’re stuck with a bare bones subcompact that is not really much to brag about.

Turbo charged engine, Leather heated seats, alloy wheels, remote start. What comes to mind when you think of these things?

I bet you didn’t say the new 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, built in the heart of Michigan the youthful Sonic is trying to reinvent the subcompact market, muttled in an arena with competitors like the Fiesta, Mazda2, and the Honda Fit. The Sonic features a sporty 1.8L ecotech engine as well as a 1.4L turbocharged engine paired with either a 6 speed manual or automatic transmission that is capable of getting well over 35 mpg on the highway.

Available in both Hatchback and Sedan versions, in three different trim models there is plenty to choose from, all feature a sporty double mouth grill, OnStar, halogen lights, and a digital speedometer. Other than the Chevrolet bowtie the old Aveo and new Sonic are really light years apart. Lets take a look at all the features available.

• ·         1.4L turbocharged engine
• ·         OnStar
• ·         Leather Heated Seats
• ·         Digital Speedometer
• ·         1 free year of XM satilite radio
• ·         Bluetooth hands free talking
• ·         Remote start
• ·         Build in the USA
• ·         30.7 cubic feet with the seats down
• ·         Alloy wheels standard in all models and trims

If you plan on tuning in like the other 110 million people this weekend to watch the Giants play the Patriots, be sure to watch the Sonic in action, since it has been made the sonic has been busy doing high speed kick flips, skydiving, bungee jumping, and being revealed at the Super Bowl, playing music?

The Sonic LS is starting at $14,495 in the USA and the fully equipped LTZ will be available for around $18,000 either way, an amazing deal!

Chevy Sonic Superbowl Commerical

AWD 2012 CTS Performance Coupe by Rapid Chevrolet Cadillac

by Peter Kottwitz

Welcome to the new world of sports cars. In today’s age people want a track ready race car, as well as a car you can cart your grandmother to church in. Introducing the Cadillac CTS All-Wheel-Drive Performance edition, this car is a more subtle version of the modern CTS-V released in early 2009, with 318 horsepower, and 273 pound feet of torque, paired with a 6 speed automatic or manual transmission the performance does 0-60 in a blistering 6.8 seconds, and with a price tag for a fully equipped model just under fifty two grand, and getting 18 city and 27 highway miles to the gallon, it’s also good for your wallet!

With the CTS, its specialty is not American strait line muscle, the magic really starts happening in the corners! Between its Nürburgring sport tuned suspension, larger brake calipers and more “hands on” feeling in the steering wheel this car will absolutely come alive!

The sports car feeling starts as soon as you go to open the door, it features poplock handles recessed behind the door frame for the best in aerodynamics, as well as push button door handles on the inside taken directly from a page in the Corvettes hand book. There is a cool modern touch from the LED lights at night that make you feel like you’re driving a spaceship. The interior offers very comfortable power heated seats for both the driver and passenger, as well as memory seats for the driver, so switching drivers is a breeze. The inside of the CTS also features a 7 inch touch screen navigation system that retracts into the dash with the push of a button, and with the new 40 gigabyte hard drive you can store all your music right in the car and not have to worry about unsightly cords from your IPod or mp3 player.

The cargo room in the CTS is class leading, beating out the reigning champ BMW 3 series. It features 13.6 cubic feet of trunk space, plenty for carrying your golf clubs to and from the green on Sunday afternoon.

All in all, we love the new CTS Performance Coupe, it has a distinct shape we have never seen before in any other cars, as well as features that you wouldn’t get anywhere else but in a $100,000 Mercedes S class, and with the maintenance being covered for 4 years or 50,000 miles and a powertrain warranty going all the way out to 5 years 100,000 this is without a doubt a big bang for your buck.

2012 Cadillac CTS

2012 Chevrolet Suburban at Rapid Chevrolet Cadillac

by Holly Johnson

For over seventy-five years the Chevrolet Suburban has gone through many changes from 1936 when it was a 2 Door panel truck to current day with a smoother body frame and 4 doors with all the upgrades of the 21^st Century.  The Chevy Suburban has come a long way from an inline six cylinder engine with 90 horsepower to the current day engine choices of a 5.3L V8 with 320 horsepower or 6.0L V8 with 325 horsepower both are coupled with a 6 speed automatic transmission.  This makes hauling that boat to the lake for the weekend a piece of cake or even driving the family around town, a comfortable enjoyable ride.  With an SUV that can work just as hard as any full size truck why would you look at anything else?  With new changes to the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban isn’t it worth a look to see what it can offer you?  Even if you purchase a new or used Suburban you will be making yourself a great investment in the long run.

The 2012 Chevy Suburban holds up to nine people, some full size vans don’t even hold that many or you can easily convert the cargo space to provide 137.4 cubic feet of room for whatever you need to haul.  When it comes to fuel economy, space, and amenities, the 2012 Suburban has a leg up on the competition be it the Dodge Durango, Buick Enclave, Ford Expedition and Toyota Sequoia.  The 2012 Suburban also offers over 8,100lbs. of towing power when properly equipped.  Kelly Blue Book named the 2010 Suburban “Top 10 Family Car”.  In 2011 the Chevy Suburban was “U.S. News and World Reports” top two pick as being an affordable large SUV.  With the beginning of 2012 there is no doubt that the award winning Suburban will continue to top the “best of” charts.  With a low MSRP of $41,335, the 2012 Chevy Suburban is a truck based SUV that offers supreme value to buyers.

In spite of the 2012 Chevy Suburban’s truck based platform and being a workhorse functional SUV it has a modern sophisticated interior that outshines the bland design of other utilitarian vehicles.  The refined cabin is loaded with plush features giving the Suburban’s interior a contemporary look that sets it apart from its other large SUV competitors.  With each of the different trims available each one has different features such as Bluetooth, full power accessories, satellite radio, rear seat audio controls, heated outside mirrors rear parking sensors, tri-zone manual climate and remote vehicle start just to name a few.

No matter the changes the Chevy Suburban has endured it has still managed to last through history as being one of the longest made SUV vehicles on the market.  With the ability to haul anything from a boat the size of a small studio apartment to the kids Soccer team wouldn’t the 2012 Chevy Suburban be the ideal fit for you?  If you can’t afford to purchase a new Suburban even a used model will be a good investment for your present and future.

2012 Traverse Break Down from Rapid Chevy

by Holly Johnson

Americans are always ready for change be it a job, a new place to live or starting a family so the fact that the average American family has 2.6 kids shouldn’t be surprising but what if you have the Brady Bunch as a family?  Well you’re in luck then because the 2012 Chevy Traverse can hold a family of eight comfortably and still has room to bring the groceries home too.  Edmunds ranks the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse 3 out of 23 Affordable Midsize SUVs which they based on analysis of 26 published reviews and test drives of the Chevrolet Traverse as well as analysis of reliability and safety data.  Why not go down to your Chevrolet dealer and check out the Traverse and take the family for a spin?

If you’re constantly on the move and your mobile device is your best friend the Traverse has features you’ll love.  OnStar Remote link mobile app lets you start your engine and lock or unlock your doors remotely from your IPhone or Android operating system.  You can check your fuel range, tank level, as well as remaining oil life or connect remotely to OnStar.  You can even schedule service making it easier to get that oil change scheduled using MYCHEVROLET to find the nearest Chevy dealer to book your appointment.  You can even use the app to call for roadside assistance, check what the warning lights and indicators mean or for some of those who lose their vehicle at a busy shopping center you can set a reminder of where you parked.

Before purchasing any vehicle you want to know it’s going to offer safety that will protect you and your family with whatever Mother Nature wants to dish out.  The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse will put your mind at ease.  Antilock disc brakes, traction & stability control, front seat side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags for all three rows is standard on all 2012 Chevrolet Traverses as well as OnStar.  In Edmunds brake testing a Traverse LTZ was able to stop from 60mph in 130 ft, a Traverse LT with smaller tires was able to do it in 135 ft.  In government crash tests, the Traverse earned a top five-star rating for overall performance, with four out of five stars being given for overall front-impact protection & five stars for overall side impact protection.  The Traverse also aced the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests, where it received the highest rating of “Good” in all frontal-offset, side-impact & roof-strength tests.  

So not matter if you have a Brady Bunch sized family or a smaller family the 2012 Chevy Traverse will be able to accommodate you all.  With safety features, plenty of room, & accessories that make managing everything a piece of cake isn’t it worth it to check out the 2012 Chevy Traverse to see what it can offer you & your family?

Chevy wins two Edmunds.com True Cost To Own Awards®

To choose the winners of its 2011 True Cost to Own^® Awards², the team at Edmunds.com gathered data on every 2011 vehicle on the market and estimated the five-year cost of owning each. After comparing every vehicle, Chevrolet came out on top twice: The 2011 Equinox and the 2011 Silverado 2500HD Regular Cab pickup.

“The 2011 Chevy Equinox is a stylish and comfortable entry in the highly competitive small-crossover segment,” Edmunds.com says. “RAV4 and CR-V shoppers should take notice.” They also note Equinox’s “premium look inside and out,” quiet cabin with tons of storage, and highly fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine³.

For the Silverado, Edmunds.com says: “Notably improved with added capability, the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD is an excellent choice for a heavy-duty truck.” Some of the highlighted features are “impressive hauling and towing capabilities; refined and quiet ride; solid build quality; responsive steering; comfortable seats.”

The True Cost to Own^® takes multiple factors into account. The Total Cash Price includes MSRP, typically equipped options, and other standard charges, taxes and fees. Depreciation is the amount by which the value of a vehicle declines from its purchase price to the estimated resale value. Insurance and financing are based on a well-qualified purchaser.

Importantly, the calculation also includes fuel, based on revised EPA ratings, assuming 45% highway and 55% city driving, and maintenance and repairs. Maintenance is the estimated expense of both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, including replacing tires and other parts.

So what do the numbers on the motor oil mean?

1. The API service rating – this is a two letter rating that basically tells you the type of engine the oil is for ie gas or diesel and the quality level

2. The  next is viscosity grade for example 5W-30. This is the thickness of the oil. Water has a low viscosity and something like molasses would have a very high viscosity.

3. The last bit of information may be there or not bus basically tell you whether or not it’s “energy conserving”

Viscosity is ordinarily expressed in terms of the time required for a st­andard quantity of the fluid at a certain temperature to flow through a standard orifice. The higher the value, the more viscous the fluid. Since viscosity varies inversely with temperature, its value is meaningless unless accompanied by the temperature at which it is determined. With petroleum oils, viscosity is now commonly reported in centistokes (cSt), measured at either 40°C or 100 °C (ASTM Method D445 – Kinematic Viscosity).

a SAE 30 motor oil is the same viscosity as a 10w-30 or 5W-30 at 210° (100° C). The difference is when the viscosity is tested at a much colder temperature. For example, a 5W-30 motor oil performs like a SAE 5 motor oil would perform at the cold temperature specified, but still has the SAE 30 viscosity at 210° F (100° C) which is engine operating temperature. This allows the engine to get quick oil flow when it is started cold verses dry running until lubricant either warms up sufficiently or is finally forced through the engine oil system. The advantages of a low W viscosity number is obvious. The quicker the oil flows cold, the less dry running. Less dry running means much less engine wear.

Multi-weight oils (such as 10W-30) are  made possible by adding polymers to oil. The polymers allow the oil to have different weights at different temperatures. The first number indicates the viscosity of the oil at a cold temperature, while the second number indicates the viscosity at operating temperature. Another way of looking at multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20 weight oil that will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot.

You may hear people say that they wouldn’t use a 5W-30 motor oil because it is, “Too thin.” Then they may use a 10W-30 or SAE 30 motor oil. At engine operating temperatures these oils are the same. The only time the 5W-30 oil is “thin” is at cold start up conditions where you need it to be “thin.”