Sunset Ford Dealer Blog

When I left on my road trip this past weekend, I was hoping the rental car company would’ve given me one of the Ford cars on the lot to drive. But alas, that didn’t happen. That’s probably what set me off in a bad mood and made me notice people’s annoying driving habits on the way to Georgia. I posted four of my pet peeves on Monday, but here’s four more.

1. Speeding in general – I already mentioned that people who speed through residential neighborhoods tick me off, but what about the ones who speed on the highways? We’re all trying to get somewhere as fast as we can, but we obey the laws. Everybody else should, too. Regardless of how slow you go, your destination will still be there. But if you go to fast, you may never make it there.

2. Oblivious drivers – These are the people that simply don’t know what’s going on around them. You run into these people everywhere, but it’s most dangerous on the roads. They’re the ones sitting there until you honk when the light turns green or the ones who turn in front of you without even seeing you.

3. No turn signals – Is it really that hard to turn your turn signal on? You don’t even have to take your hand off the steering wheel to do it. It’s such an easy maneuver that saves everybody around you the guesswork of what you’re going to do.

4. Giving the unconventional right-of-way – This might seem nitpicky, but I hate pulling up to a four-way stop seconds after the car perpendicular to me stops. He then gives me the wave to go before him. Just go already!

Now that I’ve vented, I feel much better. What do other drivers to you that annoy you the most?

I’m not a big fan of smoking. I don’t like the smell, the effect it has on your health or the cost of a pack of cigarettes. But I’m also not a fan of telling people when and where they can’t smoke. And I’m definitely against telling people that they can’t smoke in their cars.

But when they’re smoking in cars with their kids, it poses a dilemma. On the one hand, we’re talking about people’s own kids, and it’s their decision to smoke in the cars with them. I mean, you can’t really tell parents how to raise their children. And once you ban smoking in cars because of children, where do the bans stop?

But in Australia, they’re doing just that. The Tobacco Control Officers from the Health Department are fining people who smoke in cars that also have kids in them. Some fines can cost well over $100.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining about the message they’re trying to send. You really shouldn’t smoke in your vehicle if your kids are also in the car. But what’s next? Will they start issuing fines to parents who swear in front of their children? Or will they start imposing fines on parents who eat Twinkies in front of their children? After all, you could argue that both habits are just as bad for kids as secondhand smoke.

I’m assuming that new law will be coming to North America soon, too. That is, if it hasn’t already sneaked its way into some states. So if you drive your certified Ford around with your kids, be sure to put that cigarette out. Don’t do it out of fear of being fined.  Do it because it’s the right thing to do for your child’s health and your health.

Yesterday, we discussed three tips for saving money on car insurance for your certified Ford. As promised, here are three more tips to drive down those prices even further.

1. Don’t be rude.  Agents can pull some strings, make some phone calls and even do some extra work to get you a better price. But they won’t do that if you’re rude or unfriendly. Be polite and maybe crack a joke or two to get on their good sides. You might end up saving hundreds of dollars as a result.

2. Don’t appear eager to leave your current insurance provider.  If the new agent senses that you’re unhappy and want to leave your current insurance provider, you may get a higher quote. After all, if you’re very unhappy, you might be willing to pay more just to deal with a different company. Also, being hesitant about leaving your current company makes you appear loyal. And that’s an attribute that companies thrive on nowadays.

3. Don’t talk about your budget.  Simply try to get information on a quote without discussing how much you can afford. If agents know you can afford $150, some of them might charge you $149.99 for coverage that you don’t even need.

Tomorrow, we’ll have two more important tips you can use to save on your auto insurance. Come back and see how you can save even more money!

If we intrigued you with the lengths that some drivers will go to in order to save a few bucks in fuel, keep reading. I saved the most astounding tactics for today’s post.

4. Watching the real-time display: Some newer models, including many certified Ford vehicles, have a real-time display that shows exactly how many miles you’re getting to the gallon every few seconds. Some of the most hardcore hypermilers watch these displays and adjust their driving speeds and habits to ensure the maximum mpg at any given moment.

5. Evaluating the wind conditions: A favorable wind condition is having the wind at your back, pushing you along. But how often does this happen? To be a true hypermiler, don’t make unnecessary trips on windy days. The wind might be pushing at your back one way, but that means it’ll be pushing at your front when you go the other way.

6. Planning your route around stop signs and traffic lights: Starting and stopping can wreak havoc on your gas mileage. Therefore, the fewer stops you make while traveling, the better your fuel economy. If you simply can’t avoid stop lights, try to plan your approach to the lights so you encounter only green lights.

6. Staying warm: The long-running dispute–over whether air conditioning or open windows use the most fuel–had no place with hypermilers. Because either method has a negative effect on fuel economy, true hypermilers use neither. That means leaving your windows up and your air conditioner off. If you decide to try this tactic, be sure to bring plenty of cold water with you so you don’t get dehydrated from the buckets of sweat you’ll lose on those hot summer days.

We’re not done yet! There are still more tactics that hardcore hypermilers use. We’ll cover several more hypermiling tactics over the next two days. By the end of the week, you can be a true hypermiler and show off your new skills to your friends!

To purchase a new, used or certified Ford vehicle please visit our Ford Dealer - MO or our Ford dealership - Waterloo, IL.

We’ve all been stuck behind a car that is moving too slowly for our approval. At first thought, you might think the driver’s an octogenarian coming home from his weekly trip to the supermarket. But then you get a closer look and find out the motorist is thirty-ish and perfectly able to go the speed limit and beyond. If this is the case, you’ve probably had an encounter with a “hypermiler.”

Hypermiling is the act of going to great lengths to save fuel. And when I say great lengths, I don’t just mean combining all of your errands into one day or any of those other basic fuel-saving techniques. Hypermilers are much more dedicated than that. By definition, these drivers try to get more gas mileage from their vehicles than the EPA’s estimated ratings.

This practice first gained prominence during World War II, when gas rationing went into effect. It gained even more popularity during the 1970 gas crisis when Reader’s Digest published a list of suggestions so drivers could become hypermilers themselves. But today, hypermiling is all the rage among drivers with fuel prices dangerously skirting four bucks a gallon.

You might think hypermilers are consumers who only drive regular cars. But that’s not true. Many hypermilers also drive hybrids. In fact, there is a competition each year in which hybrid owners compete on certain routes to see who can get the best average gas mileage. The contest is called Hybridfest MPG Challenge, and last year’s winner achieved an amazing average of 180 mpg!

Tomorrow, we’re going to take a look at some of the safe (and not-so-safe) techniques that hypermilers use to increase their gas mileage. This multi-part series might just make a hypermiler out of you, too, because you can try some of these tactics with your certified Ford and see how much longer you can make a gallon of fuel last.

For new, used, or certified Fords, please visit our Ford dealers in St. Louis or our Ford dealers in Waterloo, IL.

With spring approaching fast and thoughts of snow-free roads dancing in our minds, you might be wondering what to do with those bulky snow tires on your certified Ford. If you live in a cold climate where it snows a lot during the winter, this is probably an issue you deal with each year. If you’ve always wondered about the best way to store those tires when you’re not using them, here are some suggestions to take out all the guesswork.

1. Make sure you store the tires in a cool and dry place that is also well-ventilated. Basements are a great place if you have that as an option because they tend to be cooler than a garage during the warmer months.

2. Try to keep the tires away from devices that create ozone. Motors, generators and furnaces can cause harm to your tires after a while.

3. Don’t place your tires on the ground when storing them. Instead, place a flat piece of clean wood on the ground and lay the tires on top of it.

4. Most people think it’s best to store tires on their sides, but that’s wrong. It can cause the tires to become distorted and possibly to wear unevenly. Instead, stack them upright as if they were on the car.

5. Store the tires in a place where water can’t reach them. Water can damage tires if present for a while. It can also bring mosquitoes and other problems.

6. Make sure the white lettering on the tires isn’t rubbing against the black rubber of the tires. This can cause the letters to become faded or even unnoticeable.

If you have a quality certified Ford, you might not know that you can add many aftermarket accessories to it. By doing so, you can get a lot more enjoyment out of your vehicle for years to come. If your used vehicle doesn’t come with a factory-installed GPS, you can get one installed. In fact, many car owners prefer an aftermarket GPS for several reasons, including:

• An aftermarket GPS is typically less expensive than a factory-installed unit. Manufacturers often increase the price because it seems like such a small expense compared to the overall price of the vehicle.

• Aftermarket units have more feature options.  You can find ones that offer live traffic reports, weather reports, satellite radio, MP3 player integration and several other features.

• You can transfer add-ons to other vehicles. This comes in handy if you often rent vehicles or if you want to lend your GPS unit to somebody.

• Mapping updates are generally less expensive for aftermarket units than they are for factory-installed units.

• Aftermarket units are typically more intuitive because they reflect the latest technology.

Of course, there are some drawbacks to an aftermarket unit, but luckily the disadvantages are fewer than the advantages.  These factors might make you think twice about getting a GPS unit installed after you purchase the vehicle:

• Finding a place to mount the unit might be difficult because it can’t interfere with the airbag deployment.

• An aftermarket unit is easier to steal. You can hide it when you get out of your car, but the mounting bracket shows that you have a GPS unit somewhere in your vehicle.