How to Make Sure Your DIY Car Repair Isn’t a Disaster

```html Every day, you rely on your car to get from one place to another, whether it's commuting to work or running errands. Because of this heavy reliance, it's essential to ensure your vehicle is always in good working condition. If you've been driving for a while, you've probably encountered various car problems. Whether it's a minor or major issue, knowing how to fix it yourself can be incredibly beneficial in the long run. While you can take your car to a mechanic, Money Crashers suggests that you can handle some repairs on your own. For instance, you can easily replace your car's air filter without any tools. According to Money Crashers, this simple task should be done every 12 months or 12,000 miles and takes just a few minutes. Open the hood and locate the air filter, … [Read more...]

3 Ways to Drive Safe This Spring

We often think that winter is the most hazardous of driving seasons.  That may be true with the snow, ice and sleet mess that can muck up the roadways but spring runs a close second.  That old phrase, "April showers bring May flowers." can signal heavy rain or even hail.  Not to mention that springtime signals the end to hibernation for many animals.  That's why it is important to keep these tips and bits of advice in mind when hitting the road so you can drive safe this spring. First, keep in mind that while the warmer temps make us want to get outdoors that means others are out on there too.  More pedestrians and bikes are out and about.  Stay alert and utilize your extra car features like blind spot monitoring and make sure your wipers and lights are in good working order.  Ditto for … [Read more...]

3 Features to Look For In Your Next Mom-Mobile

If you're a mom, then you know how important it is to have the right vehicle to haul your kids around in. You need space and all the right features to make car rides as painless as possible. With that being said, it can be hard to choose just the right vehicle for you. SUVs are great options, but if you want to make a statement, so are pickup trucks. In fact, family trucks account for 40% to 50% of Ram sales, according to brand spokesman David Elshoff. Light duty truck sales have gone up from 57.9% to 61.9% of the total auto market in America, and increasingly it's mom behind the wheel. Women who Buy a Pickup Truck rose 67% from 2008 to 2016, and many of these new pickup truck drivers are moms. Whether you pick an SUV or a pickup truck like this New GMC truck for sale, make sure your … [Read more...]

3 Safety Features To Consider For Your Next Family Vehicle

Americans say they spend an average of 87 minutes a day in their cars, but a median of 60 minutes. A family with multiple children, however, often exceeds this time between the nonstop hustle and bustle of work schedules, school and extracurriculars, appointments, and other social events. Shuttling your kids around isn't always easy, but it's necessary, and it's a parent's responsibility to invest in a family vehicle that's as safe as possible. Here are just a few safety features you may want to consider for your next family vehicle. Advanced Seat Belts Obviously, seat belts themselves are considered a basic and necessary feature equipped in every vehicle. However, many newer seat belts are designed with increased safety in mind. A new energy management feature, for example, enables seat … [Read more...]

Teaching Your Teen To Drive In The Snow: Tips And Tricks

Handing the keys over to your teenager is always nerve-wracking. Your mind races as you imagine your child on the road and hope that you have taught them enough to drive safely. But this worry can be even worse during the winter, when teaching your teen to drive is especially risky. "Temperatures are dropping, and the chillier weather often brings freezing rain, ice and snow," writes Jessica Van Amburg in Family Circle. "While you may be a pro at handling icy roads, younger drivers can be caught off guard by the season's challenges." Fortunately, by teaching your child the right skills and emergency preparedness procedures, you can help ensure their safety on the road. Teaching The Basics Once you begin working with your teen on winter safety, it's important to start with the … [Read more...]

The Big Three: How to Buy Your Next Car, Truck or SUV

What's the big three? It is the three big question all car buyers should be asking themselves each time they begin their search for their next vehicle. Question 1: Be honest with yourself and your partner (if you have one).  Will you be leasing or buying this vehicle? Do you like to haggle and strike a deal?  Before you even begin to do your research you have to know how much money you can spend each month on a car payment.  Do you have money for a down payment or will you be trading in a vehicle?  These answers can all affect the price of your next car, truck or SUV. For us, we will be buying our next SUV and plan to own it for the about ten plus years. That's a long time to many people in the car world today.  While I know our budget has to be under a certain amount I do try to … [Read more...]

How the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata Re-Energized Me

Can you teach an old dog new tricks?  Last week the Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring RF answered that age old question for me. Source: Victoria Mason What's Old is New At this point in my life, I have been driving for 25 years.  Yikes! That's three years less than the age of the Mazda MX-5 Miata. But, I had a secret and it was really starting to get to me. I couldn't drive stick.  Nope, only automatics for me.  I had tried to learn years ago when I first got married but deployments got in the way and we never owned another manual car again after that desert stint.  I write about cars and I couldn't drive stick.  How sad is that? How embarrassing! When the 2017 Mazda MX-5 also known to most as the Miata drove up to my driveway I knew things had to change.  I was going to use this … [Read more...]

2 Ways the 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser Help Us Create a Summer to Remember

Sunrise on the beach with the 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser. Source: Victoria Mason Toyota loves to say, "Let's go places!" And that's exactly what we did with the 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser with its V8 engine and 4WD this summer. We did a lot of traveling and spent a great deal of time together as one big family unit, especially during the month of August.  It was as if we were really feeling the waning days of summer and wanted to chase after them, even if it meant we had to get in the car and drive for hours on end to do so. I'm talking to you eclipse traffic. The Land Cruiser is part of those memories because it gave us the ability to do exactly what we wanted without sacrificing comfort or safety at any point during our two trips.  First, when we were northbound to Bethany Beach, DE … [Read more...]

Cruising in a Five Passenger Crossover with the 2017 Mazda CX-5

It is not often that I get to review a car that I like multiple times over the years. It is fun to see the changes that occur in technology and design. It is, even more, fun to see a good car get better over time. That's what I see with the 2017 Mazda CX-5. 2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD in Soul Red. Source: Victoria Mason First Impressions I wasn't initially supposed to have the CX-5 but a small issue with my intended car brought this five-passenger crossover SUV back into my life and driveway.  I have always loved this car in years past and this time was no different. The 2017 model is redesigned.  That shows in the more upscale interior styling and with the Grand Touring (tested model) a few standard extras like, forward collision warning and mitigation, lane keeping … [Read more...]

Seeing the Possibilities in a Sedan Again with the 2017 Genesis G80

It's not often that I drive a sedan like the 2017 Genesis G80 and think, "I might own this. I can see this car in my future." It's even less often that my husband says the same thing even after I tell him the sticker price. That was totally the case with the 2017 Genesis G80 with AWD. Source: Victoria Mason Seeing Sedans Fresh off a road trip with 'Chloe' my crammed full SUV, I was ready to climb inside a brand new spacious sedan with leather interior.  The Genesis G80, formerly the Hyundai Genesis, doesn't scream "take me on a road trip with kids!". Instead, it indulges you with its soft leather interior and ticking dashboard clock that takes you back to another time.  The time before kids or maybe back to the future. A time when I'm not shuttling those cherubs around anymore and … [Read more...]