AC Dealers

Right now, Tijuana, Mexico is famous for more than just its interesting sideshows. Many people who in southern California are making the trek to this border town to get cheap gas.

When you pull into a gas station in Tijuana, you can get a liter of gas for only six pesos. That’s about $2.50 a gallon, nearly half of what the same driver would pay a few miles away in California. Truck drivers benefit even more since diesel prices are typically less than $2.20 a gallon over there.

For some businesses, this is a great thing. James Blue owns an auto shop – Express Performance Center – in nearby San Diego. His shop specializes in installing extra-large fuel tanks in work vehicles and larger trucks. More and more people in the area are getting these tanks installed so they can fill up in Tijuana and use it in The States. In June alone, he installed 12 tanks. That’s more than the combined total he installed in 2007! His best customers are farmers, construction workers and other business people in and near San Diego. Some of his customers even bring gas back to sell to family and friends.

These tanks don’t come cheap, though. If you have a big truck, it could cost you between $1,300 and $1,800 just for parts and installation. It could take awhile to recoup those costs regardless of how cheap the prices are for gas.

We’ll have more about this new trend in tomorrow’s post. Until then, why not get a fuel-efficient car from your local Nissan dealer. With the new technologies on the market, you don’t have to resort to unconventional methods to save money on gas. Simply increase your fuel economy with a new Nissan and go about living your life.

In a world where automakers are trying to think of ways to make their vehicles more fuel-efficient and eco-friendly, Mercedes-Benz is actually trying to do something about it. Instead of just talking about making better cars, the engineers actually have plans and are implementing those plans right now.

Mercedes-Benz is going to increase the fuel efficiency of its entire lineup by about 12 percent in the next few years. The company has even given the operation a name: BlueEfficiency. Mercedes-Benz uses this term to refer to the upgrades in aerodynamics, new lightweight design, direct injection and other features that are going to make vehicles better for the environment. Other eco-friendly features include a more efficient energy management system, forced induction and smaller displacement engines.

Mercedes-Benz is also working on ideas that include hybrid drivetrains, battery-powered vehicles and other engine designs that combine the best of diesel with the best of petrol-powered engines for a combustion engine that will blow your mind!

The main idea behind these improvements is environmental sustainability. Whenever engineers are working on a new technology, they always have those two words in mind.

These developments are probably closer than you think, too. When you visit your local Mercedes-Benz dealer next year, you’ll see the S400 BlueHybrid luxury sedan that has some of these ideas implanted into it. The future of the auto industry is here and its name is Mercedes-Benz.

Have you ever gone to a mechanic and tried to explain what’s wrong with your car? You’ve probably tried to make the noises your car is making and the mechanics probably look at you like something’s wrong with you instead of the car. So how do you explain what’s wrong? Here are some tips to help you the next time you need to report a car problem.

Compare the Sound
One way to explain a strange sound your car is making is to compare it to a more familiar sound. Did it sound like glass breaking? Or does it sound more like a knocking sound? You might not make sense of the sound, but it will make more sense to the mechanic.

Write It Down
Keep a pad of paper handy so you can write a description of the sound immediately. If you wait for a few hours or a couple days, you might imagine a totally different sound than what it actually made. Also write down when it happens, such as when you speed up, slow down or make a turn. All of that information will help the mechanic know what’s wrong.

Take Your Car to the Dealer Soon
The sooner you take your car to the dealership, the more you can mitigate your repair costs. Even a simple sound could mean a major problem. You might even be doing more damage the longer you wait.

Of course, you can always get a great deal on a new or certified pre-owned vehicle at your local Buick dealer. With extensive warranties and quality cars, you simply can’t go wrong. If your car does happen to have something go wrong, it’s all covered so you can simply enjoy the ride.

Here we go again. You’ve probably read article after article about how to save gas. But if you haven’t gotten your fill (no pun intended), here are some tips you may or may not have come across until now. And even if you have, it never hurts to look over them again in case you forget a couple.

1. Plan Your Routes
One of the biggest gas-guzzling activities is just driving from one side of town to another and back again simply because you didn’t think of your route before leaving. If it helps, make a written list of your errands and then separate them by where they are. Then try to map it out so you don’t do any unnecessary driving.

2. Accelerate Smoothly
Taking off from a complete stop is hard on your fuel economy. That’s because it’s not easy getting a heavy object to start moving. And if you take off fast, it’s even worse. Instead, accelerate smoothly and slowly to give your gas mileage a boost.

3. Check Your Tires
Underinflated tires can greatly decrease your gas mileage. Overinflated tires are dangerous. Check your tires periodically to ensure they have the right amount of PSI in them. If you’re not sure how much air they should have, simply look around the sidewall of the tire. They usually tell you the recommended pressure for optimum safety and economy.

4. Take Care of Your Car
A well-maintained car runs smoother than a car with troubles. Get your car repaired at the first sign of trouble and keep up with the regularly scheduled procedures. A small amount of preventative maintenance can make your car go a long, long way.

5. Switch Cars
If you have a car that guzzles gas, visit your local Buick dealer and get a new, more efficient vehicle that you can be proud of.

If you’re an affluent African-American woman, Toyota wants you. In the automaker’s newest online advertisement, there is a series six videos in episodic form that targets African-American women between the ages of 25 and 40.

The new campaign’s tagline is “where espionage and high fashion collide.” It features a high-class fashion designer and Toyota Camry owner who get involved in an espionage plot. While you’re viewing the website, you can navigate within the various scenes and pick up clues. You can even help the lead character through her dilemma. As you go along, you can even register to win a number of valuable prizes, including digital cameras, gift cards, an iPod and even a Paris vacation. A 2009 Toyota Camry XLE is also available as a grand prize.

Toyota is promoting the website through venues like BET.com, Essence.com and other mediums that attract the automaker’s target audience.

If you want to take a look at the new website, click here.

In all, Toyota has spent about $900 million on advertisements since 2007 with $245 million of that in the first quarter of 2008. All of these ads are designed to get motorists to visit their local Toyota dealer and see the best of the best. Why not visit one today and take one for a test drive?

If you’re like me, you’re not going to let high gas prices stop you from taking a trip this summer. I’m willing to work some overtime and save up just to get the heck away from here for a couple weeks. But I want to make my gas dollars stretch as far as I can while I’m on the highway and I’m sure you want to do the same. So here are four tips for saving gas when you’re traveling this summer so you don’t come back home with empty pockets.

1. Travel Light
This means to leave everything at home that’s not necessary for your trip. If you really think about it, you’re probably packing stuff that you’ll never use while you’re gone. The less your vehicle weighs, the better your gas mileage is going to be. Also, try to leave behind any luggage that you’d put on top of the car. A luggage rack with luggage creates a drag that can decrease your gas mileage by up to 10 percent.

2. Take Your Time
Most highways have a speed limit of 55 mph. Unfortunately, most drivers don’t know what that means. Take a few extra hours and drive between 55 and 60 mph. That’s when your car is at its most efficient.

3. Pay in Cash
This doesn’t really save fuel economy, but many gas stations now put a hold on your credit or debit card of $75 or even more. That’s because the gas station needs to know it’s going to get paid for the transaction. Unfortunately, adding $75 to every gas transaction could max out your cards before you even reach your destination. Be prepared to pay in cash or prepay for your fuel so this doesn’t happen to you.

4. Get a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle
If you’re driving a gas-guzzler, consider going to your local Nissan dealer and getting a new or used vehicle before your trip. The difference in the amount of gas you use might just surprise you.

The diesel engine has a bad reputation. There are about as many misconceptions about this type of engine as there are about the electric car. But Nissan is trying to change that.

With the other major auto manufacturers racing to produce the next best diesel engine, Nissan has thrown its hat into the proverbial ring. And from the way it looks, it’s going to be a major contender. The Japanese automaker recently announced that it’s going to include the diesel engine in the new X-Trail SUV models. If this happens, it’s going to be Nissan’s “first domestically released diesel-powered passenger vehicle in five years.”

In the studies that Nissan engineers have already conducted, the X-Trail is about 20 percent more efficient than a typical gasoline-powered engine in similar models. But that’s not all. It also produces less CO2 emissions than a normal engine.

The X-Trail isn’t Nissan’s first diesel engine vehicle. The automaker introduced a diesel-powered Accord in Europe earlier this month. Officials also plan on introducing three more diesel-powered Civic models next year.

Have you driven a diesel-powered car lately? They aren’t the old gas-guzzling, carbon dioxide emitting, louder than life engines that they once were. Today, they’re much quieter, cleaner and more efficient. Visit a local Nissan dealer to find out more.

Unless you’re an automotive engineer, chances are that you’ve never heard of the wedge-pin door lock. But it’s one of the most important safety features installed on any car in the last 50 years. If you’ve ever been in an accident, there’s a good chance that this little thing has saved your life.

The wedge-pin door lock was first created by Daimler-Benz 50 years ago. A year after it was patented, Mercedes-Benz began installing it on production vehicles.

The wedge-pin door lock was a small device that prevented the car doors from flying open or jamming shut when an accident occurred. That helped keep passengers from falling out and risking further injury while also preventing them from being trapped in the car in case it catches on fire.

The first car to get this much needed safety feature was the Mercedes-Benz 220. This and other features make this model a “milestone in the history of car safety” and it served as an example to future models.

Now it’s 50 years later and the German automaker continues to make history in the way of safety features and innovations. If you visit a local Mercedes-Benz dealer, you’ll undoubtedly see some of the best and safest cars on the road today. Don’t you owe it to yourself and your family to go with a company that has proven its safety record for several decades?

If you’re serious about saving a few cents on gas, one solution could be to move to another state. That might sound extreme, but did you know drivers in Missouri are paying about 20 cents less per gallon than the national average?

That just doesn’t seem fair, does it? But if you live in Missouri, you’re probably not complaining as much as people in, say, California. But why does the price of gas fluctuate so much across the nation?

One reason gas is so “cheap” in Missouri is because the state doesn’t produce any oil for itself. It is, however, close to many other oil-producing states, including Oklahoma and Texas which are two of the biggest oil producers in the country. In addition, many major oil pipelines run through the state and the two huge rivers – the Mississippi and the Missouri – are popular thoroughfares for oil barges.

On the other hand, states like California pay much more for gas because of the distance from major oil supplies. In addition to its location, the Golden State also has the toughest emissions standards in the nation. That requires oil companies to put the product through a more stringent refining method to meet the standards.

Other factors include state taxes. New Jersey, for instance, has the lowest state-imposed gas tax in the nation at 14.5 cents a gallon.

If you’re looking for the least expensive gasoline in your state, the price also tends to fluctuate between individual businesses. Convenience stores and “big box” retailers tend to have less expensive fuel because they have other income besides gas.

Wherever you live, you can make your gas dollars stretch farther by purchasing a new or used fuel-efficient vehicle from a local Buick dealer. With recent technologies, you can be assured that these luxurious cars will get you where you need to go without draining your budget. Test drive one today and see for yourself!

The Big Three aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch of rising gas prices. Toyota has noticed declining sales of its full-size Toyota Tundra and Sequoia models in the last few months. To combat the problem so far, Toyota offered huge incentives to customers who purchased one of these vehicles. But that can’t last forever.

As a result, Toyota has been looking at strategies that will make these larger vehicles run more efficiently without losing any power. The main strategy the engineers are working on right now is a clean-burning diesel engine. In fact, this new engine could be hitting the markets by as early as 2010.

The year 2010 is going to be huge for the auto industry. In addition to Toyota planning to unveil its cleaner, more efficient engine for full-size vehicles that year, the three domestic automakers – Ford, GM and Chrysler – are also releasing their own version of a better engine for their trucks and SUVs.

According to this report, Toyota’s new diesel engine is already in production. It offers more than 280 horsepower, which is comparable to many of the current engines on the market today. The only obstacle Toyota has in its way is making it fit the emissions standards in North America.

Don’t forget to visit your local Toyota dealer in 2010 to see their new diesel engine. While you’re at it, why not stop in today and see the new models they’ve added to their inventory this year? You won’t be disappointed!