Five Honda’s Win 2011 “Lowest True Cost to Own” awards.

Five Honda’s Win 2011 “Lowest True Cost to Own” awards. Edmunds.com gives out the awards and it is based on a 5 year ownership period.

Among the winners were the Honda Accord Sedan, Accord Coupe, Civic, Ridgeline, and Pilot. Honda’s luxury arm, Acura, also made it onto the list of winners with the Acura MDX crossover.

“One of the key factors that pushed many of this year’s award winners over the top was their free maintenance plans, which can save car owners hundreds or even thousands of dollars over a five-year period,” said Danny Zhou, senior director of data products and operations at Edmunds.com. “The 2011 Volkswagen CC, for example, edged past its closest competitors in the Sedan $30K-$40K category in large part because it offers free maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles.”

Edmunds’ True Cost to Own data is based on a number of key factors including depreciation, interest on financing, taxes and fees, insurance premiums, fuel, maintenance, repairs and any federal tax credit that may be available. After taking these variables into consideration, Honda vehicles excelled in providing value over five-years.

Read more: http://www.hondainthenews.com/honda-wins-five-lost-cost-awards/#more-1938

Read more »

Rules of Defensive Driving

If you would like to prevent a car accident, read these tips!

In this collection, "70 Rules of Defensive Driving," by RoadTrip America's contributing expert Robert Schaller,  he shares wisdom gained from nearly fifteen years of teaching defensive driving and traffic law in his home state of Arizona.

1. Pay Attention                                                                                                                                                               
2. Don't Trust NOBODY!         

3. Yield Anyway!
4. Don't Speed!

5. Don't Drive Impaired
6. Wear Your Seat Belt!

7. Buy and Use Safety Devices
8. Motorcyclist, Protect Thyself!

9. Don't Run Red!
10. Drive Precisely

11. Chill Out!
12. Look Down the Road!

13. Create Space
14. Drive to Communicate

15. Drive Predictably
16. Always Signal Your Intentions

17. Know Your Blind Spots!
18. Avoid Distractions

19. Avoid Backing Up
20. Beware of Intersections

21. Be A Freeway Pro
22. Know How To Stop

23. Know When To Use Your Headlights
24. Slow Down in Rain or Snow

25. Maintain Your Tires
26. Take Care of Your Vehicle

27. Get Rid of Tailgaters
28. Maintain an Even, Measured Pace

29. Check for Hydroplaning
30. Know How To Recover From A Skid

31. Avoid Head-On Collisions
32. Be A Safe Passer

33. Avoid the Single-Vehicle Collision
34. Deal with Light Glare

35. Never Play Chicken With a Train
36. Beware of Stopped or Slow-Moving Vehicles

37. Practice Animal Avoidance!
38. Don't Prevent Others from Passing

39. Drive Your Van Safely
40. Practice Smart Bicycling

 

 

Read more: http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/content.php?9-Defensive-Driving-Tips-Drive-Safe-With-Uncle-Bob&s=a236f4732dda39d65691c38e196d7166

Read more »

10 Most Annoying Things Other Drivers Do

What driving habits annoy you the most?  Tell us!  Or just check out this Top Ten list created by Car Talk radio personalities Click and Clack:

It's a known fact that everyone reading this is an above-average driver — and that each of us always displays deep and abiding civility toward our fellow travelers. So we're sure you won't recognize yourself in any of the items listed below.

But what about all those other jerks on the road?

What things do other drivers do that annoy you most? Here's our list, with an invitation to share your pet peeves below.

Yours in Pounding the Steering Wheel,

Tom and Ray Magliozzi, Car Talk
Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers

1. Talking on a cell phone

When you're talking on your cell phone, you're as likely to cause an accident as when you're legally drunk. Now, what's your excuse? What's more annoying than a driver who's willing to riskyour life so he can pick up his General Tso's chicken without waiting? Even when distracted drivers don't cause a wreck, they weave from lane to lane, create confusion in intersections and generally drive slower than other drivers around them while they're trying to do two things at once, leaving a gang of irate drivers in their wake.

Don't Be a Jerk: Put the phone down while you drive. You know about voice mail, right?

2. Driving too fast for road conditions

Just because a speed limit is 65 mph doesn't mean that's always the right speed. Snow, ice or rain can dramatically reduce your car's braking and handling abilities, as well as limit visibility. The right top speed for those conditions is that at which you feel safe and in control and able to react in time to anything that happens up ahead. That could be 40 mph. Or zero mph.

Drivers who fly past you at 50 mph when conditions call for 15 mph are not just risking their own lives — they might take you with them. If they lose control, they could easily spin into you, knocking you off the road and down an embankment. Or, at the very least, they could cover your windshield with a thick film of slush or rain, leaving you temporarily blinded. Annoying? We'd say so.

Check out the full top ten at Cars.com

Read more »

Happy 4th of July!

 

I love to see the starry flag
That floats above my head.
I love to see its waving folds
With stripes of white and red.
“Be brave,” say the red stripes.
“Be pure,” say the white.
“Be true,” say the bright stars.
“And stand for the right.”

Author Unknown

Read more »