Behind The Wheel
15 Agonizing Automotive Atrocities
Chuckles says...
Have a look at some of these horrid cars:http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/05/15-agonizing-automotive-atrocities/all/1
My grandmother owned one of them, a Renault Dauphine. She drove it from Calgary to Halifax and back. It had a 3 speed stick on the floor and it is one of the cars I learned to drive on. Just think that a car that took 37 seconds to reach 60 MPH required premium gas. At the time it was considered a serious competitor to the VW Beetle as the Dauphine had a liquid cooled engine, making it far quieter than the Beetle.
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Don’t you hate…....?
Chuckles says...
I am really getting to be annoyed by these people who still insist on driving a car with a manual transmission. Today I almost missed lights twice because some kid in a Civic could not find first when the light turned green. And eventually they found third and stalled. Then by the time they found first and got the car started again, only 2 cars get through the light. There is no valid reason these days to change gears yourself.I am surprised this comes up as an issue any more. It is about time that an obsolete technology from the 1890s is put to rest. A technology that was never meant to have been more than a stopgap until something better came along. I am referring to the manual transmission. Something some people still refer to as a “standard” transmission. Yes, standard. In 1955.
I have heard of many young women car buyers being pressured into buying a car with a manual transmission. A case is the sister of one of my best friends. Her husband persuaded her, when buying a new Saturn a few years ago, to get a manual transmission. After all her husband was a car buff and knew this stuff, didn’t he. She lives in West Los Angeles and right from the start she hated it. She felt so guilty being actually happy when someone ran a red light and totaled it a few months later. Well at least a little guilty. After enduring rowing through the gears in LA traffic, she made sure the replacement had an automatic.
I know a car with a manual transmission can be a load of fun to drive under the right conditions. Like driving west on the Ortega highway out of Lake Elsinore, heading to San Juan Capistrano. But what we use our cars for 98% of the time are not those conditions. I strongly suggest that you, the young female car buyer, that unless you already love driving a car with a manual transmission, that you resist all pressure from anyone to buy a car with a manual transmission. Buy what your feelings tell you is right for you.
Note that the writer knows perfectly well how to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission and is rather good at it. Preference for an automatic is not based on a lack of skill.
There are two main parts of driving. There is the maneuvering of a vehicle through traffic and there is the actual operation of the vehicle.
The writer’s opinion that the first function is what driving is all about. After all, doing it badly can get you killed. The second is a chore to be avoided as much as possible as it distracts you from the other function, the one that can get you killed. Driving a car with a manual transmission is about three times as much work as driving a car with an automatic. We have machines to shift gears for us. Let them do it.
However, you may need arguments to make your case. After all, sometimes the female prerogative of “Because I said so” does not cut it and there can be pressure. A few points a manual transmission die hard may make in trying to convince you to get a manual transmission are:
A manual transmission gets better gas mileage - This is true with one big IF! You have to drive the manual transmission car exactly as if you had an automatic transmission, the way the driver doing the EPA test drives it. You have to shift at 2000 or so RPM and accelerate gently up shifting each time when an automatic would. But no one does this because it is no fun! With a manual transmission, the driver generally accelerates harder, not shifting until 4000 RPM or higher. Why? Because it feels good being pushed back in the seat. But you end up blowing more gas out the tail pipe than a car with an automatic would. Automatic transmissions are calibrated by professionals to maximize fuel economy and to go all out only when you floor it. In real world driving people with automatics generally get slightly better gas mileage. In my case, because I know exactly how these things work, I get a fair bit better, always better than EPA ratings even for the manual transmission versions of the car. And even under the old pe-2008 EPA rating system.
A manual transmission gives you more control. - This is true. You get control over things a machine can do just as well, if not better. And with a lot more work to do it. The few cases where it is claimed a manual transmission is superior usually involve rocking the car to get unstuck in the winter. Yet I have never had any more doing this with an automatic. When I used to live in a place with real winter. Edmonton, Alberta if you really need to know.
A manual transmission can be used to slow down the car saving your brakes - This is also true but by down shifting to stop, you are saving the brakes by using up the clutch. Just remember that clutches cost a lot more to fix than brakes when they wear out. Besides when going down a long steep hill you can do the same trick with an automatic by downshifting to those “2” and “1” positions on the gear selector that no one seems to use. A rule of thumb is to not down shift the automatic to 2 over 30 MPH (50KPH) or to 1 over 20 MPH (30KPH). Or if you have one, by turning the overdrive off.
A manual transmission costs less to repair – True as well. But a modern automatic will generally last 200,000 miles with one major repair needed. In that same mileage, most people go through three clutches costing about the same amount. Sure each incident costs less but total cost of ownership is the same.
With a manual transmission you can downshift easier for passing on the highway or climbing steep hills – Many modern cars with an automatic have a button on the side of the gear shift. This turns off the overdrive and makes a light on the instrument panel come on saying something like “O/D OFF”. Pressing this button will downshift the transmission and give you more power. Just don’t forget to press it again when you don’t need it anymore to turn the overdrive back on as the car uses about 1/3 more gas when the overdrive is off. And if you don’t have an overdrive button just flooring the gas pedal quickly will also do the same thing.
A car with an automatic costs more – This is true. About $1000 more on a new car. But consider that this works out to less than 1 cent for each time you won’t have to shift gears over the life of the car, it is worth it. Also consider that except for true sports cars like the Miata and Honda S2000, a car with a manual transmission generally has lower resale value. When you trade it in, you will get much of your money back for the automatic.
As an engineer, the writer considers the manual transmission to be an anachronism that has little place in modern motoring. Perhaps two seat sports cars. But then, the writer drives exactly such a car, a Mazda Miata, and is quite happy it has an automatic transmission and went out of the way to get one with an automatic. A manual transmission was never considered.
Which is another tip for you. If you want a really sexy sports car, the perfect English sports car but reliable, its hard to beat the Miata. Since most buyers want them with manual transmissions, ones with automatics seem to sell for less. I bought mine for 40% off the blue book value.
In conclusion, a manual transmission AKA a stick shift, can be fun to drive now and then. But not going too and from school/work, at the mall or stuck in traffic jams. If you really want one and have driven one before, great, get one. But if you are not sure, stay away from them and get a car with an automatic transmission. Don’t give into pressure to get a car with a manual transmission.
Have any of you been pressured to buy a stick shift you are unsure you want? If you did buy a car with a manual transmission, did you come to love it or do you hate it and can’t wait to be able to afford to trade it in? Please write with your comments.
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Toyota Owners - Know what to do if your car accelerates out of control
If you own a Toyota you are likely aware of the massive recall and sales stop Toyota has had to do because of runaway acceleration in several of their cars. There have been at least 19 deaths caused by this. Here is some guidance on what to do if you drive a Toyota and this happens to you.
Be prepared
Be sure you know how shift car into neutral while it is moving. Al it requires is moving the gear shift lever to the "N" mark. This can be safely be done on any car while it is moving. Practice this. People with a manual transmission need only push the clutch pedal and shift to neutral.
People may be tempted to turn off the engine, but shifting into neutral is a better option. If you turn off the engine you will no longer have power steering or power brakes. Turn the key only one click because if you turn the key one click too far, the steering wheel may lock on you and you will not be able to steer the car. You should practice this while the car is parked.
Still, if you can't get it into neutral, don't fool around. Shut the engine off.
If your car accelerates out of control, the steps to take are:
1. Stomp on the brakes with both feet. If you have a manual transmission, depress the clutch pedal all the way.
2. Shift the car into NEUTRAL. That is, the "N" position on the gear shift. Only if you cannot get it into neutral, turn the key one click to turn off the engine. If there is a START button, push the button and hold it down until the engine stops. DO NOT jab the button multiple times.
3. Try to coast off the road into a safe place and then shut off the engine.
4. Call 911 and report that you have had this happen.
Do not worry about damaging the car. The out of control engine will likely be destroyed anyway. The brakes are cheap in comparison. Just worry about saving your own life.
An early warning sign may be that accelerator pedal is getting harder to depress over time or is sluggish when you ease off the gas. Some drivers might notice a rough or "chatter"-like feeling depressing the accelerator, according to Toyota. If you are getting these early warning symptoms Toyota is telling owners to drive the vehicle to the nearest safe location, shut off the engine and contact a Toyota dealer for assistance. You may want to call the police instead.
What's wrong with the vehicles?
Toyota said the accelerator pedal on the affected models can stick in a partially depressed position. It also can be slow to rise back up when you ease off the gas. In addition, Toyota said, in some cases, vehicle floor mats can become entangled with the accelerator pedal, trapping it down.
Which models are affected by this latest warning and sales suspension?
Toyota said it stopped sales of the following models and years: 2009 and 2010 RAV4, 2009 and 2010 Corolla, 2009 and 2010 Matrix, 2005 to 2010 Avalon, 2010 Highlander, 2007 to 2010 Tundra and 2008 to 2010 Sequoia. It also stopped sales of certain 2007 to 2010 Camry sedans, depending on where those vehicles were manufactured; Camry owners should check with their dealer to determine whether their car is affected.
What causes the problem?
Toyota said the accelerator pedals become worn over time. They develop friction, which causes the pedals to stick or return slowly after a driver removes pressure from the gas pedal. My opinion is that these parts last for decades in other vehicles and if Toyota is getting enough wear on a 1-2 year old vehicle where it becomes dangerous, Toyota has some really serious internal issues.
Is there more to this?
This has been a troublesome issue for the auto company. Tuesday's move to stop production on eight vehicles follows two recent recalls aimed at preventing Toyota-made vehicles from surging out of control, a problem that has been blamed in at least 19 deaths and scores of injuries over the last decade -- more than for all other automakers combined. The sales freeze comes less than a week after the automaker said it would recall 2.3 million cars and trucks because of the same problem. And that recall followed the initial recall of 4.3 million vehicles, Toyota's largest ever, because floor mats could trap the gas pedal and cause sudden acceleration. Most of the vehicles targeted in last week's recall were also included in the previous one. Some auto experts believe a portion of the cases might be the result of problems in Toyota's electronic throttle control system. Toyota, however, believes it is a mechanical, rather than an electronic, issue. Myself, I have heard distrubing things about the engine control software in the car's Engine Control Module. Part of the floor mat recall included a software update to the vehicles.
What is Toyota doing to fix the pedal issue?
The automaker says it is working on a fix but hasn't disclosed the details or timing of the remedy.
And if you need some corporate runaround but no firm answer for who knows how long, call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at (800) 331-4331.
From what I have read in the Economist and other places, Toyota has lost sight of "The Toyota Way" when the previous CEO started the drive to make Toyota the world's largest car maker. Toyota does not have the cheapest, best looking, most exciting or fastest cars. All they had is a reputation for making a durable long lasting product. And if they lose that, they will be in the same position as GM was in a few years.
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Dodge Charger
Today was a great day here in Orange County, California. Low 70s and a nice gentle offshore wind. And all the air pollution work the authorities have done has worked wonders. Even with little wind today the skies were crystal clear without a trace of smog. I hated to come home after my bike ride but I was getting too tired for another go around.
Well on to business, I got back from Christmas holidays in Vancouver. This year I rented a larger car as I thought I would need to take five adults out at once. It turned out to only be four (thank goodness for the small mercies). I asked for a car like a Ford Fusion and they gave me a Dodge Charger with a 3.5 liter V6. The badge on the car said "High Output" This was an incredibly nice car inside and out. The seats were so comfortable I could barely believe this was a Dodge!
The interior showed far greater attention to detail than Chrysler has been traditionally been known for. The dash board reminded me a lot of the 2005 Mitsubishi Galant. Overall, they did an excellent job with this car.
The engine idled so smoothly at a traffic light I had to check the tachometer several times to make sure it had not stalled. And you have to remember that Dodge cars are not known for a smooth idle. I've driven Dodge and Plymouth cars most of my life and they have always idled rougher than many others. It seems that they have finally learned how to do this right. As for power I got the sense there was plenty of it though I never let it all the way out as I was trying to see what sort of gas mileage I could squeeze out of it. And the temperature was always between 0°C and +4°C (32°F and 39°F) which are the worst temperatures for forming black ice.
I found an icy patch on a side road and tested the ABS brakes. They worked fine. However, being a rear wheel drive car and knowing rear wheel drive is not the best for icy conditions, I never pushed the anti skid system enough for it to activate. After all this was not my car and it is so much of a pain to deal with the insurance company if you break a rental car, it is better to drive it gently.
For a big car, because the hood is relatively short as well as the trunk too, I was surprised that it was not really any harder to parallel park than any other car I have driven with the possible exception of my Miata. I squeezed it into and out of tight spots on Homer Street in Vancouver as well as in Granville Island. Local people will know how tough those are.
Overall, this was a great car to drive. The fit and finish were great, it drove well and overall this is a nice car for what it is.
The only issue I have with it is fuel consumption. I got about 300 km out of 44 liters of gas. This works out to 14.6L/100Km or 20.5 MPG with what was basically 85% city driving. Not really bad for a big heavy car like this but I am used to getting 30 MPG around LA in my Focus with about 50/50 city and highway driving.
My suggestion is that if you do need to haul around 3 or more adults all the time then the Charger could be for you. But really, for most people I cannot justify the fuel consumption. I recommend that people always buy the smallest car possible that can suit their everyday driving needs and then the few times you need a big vehicle rent one. Of course, I can say that as I am over 2 and have no trouble renting. But a younger person does not always have this option.
So if you do want a big car or if having a lot of weight around you makes you feel safer but you do not want an SUV, then the Charger may be the car for you. I was impressed by how the car was built. Overall a great driving experience except at the gas pump.
Tags: behind the wheel, dodge, charger, vancouver, dodge charger
A Nice Day for a Drive
Chuckles says...
Today was one of those nice December Sundays that makes you feel good to be alive. Last weekend was cold and rainy. I saw a Corvette spin out and crash right in front of me and slide sideways into a palm tree last Saturday. But today, when I came out of the laundromat I just could not go back home and start packing for my trip on Tuesday. It was maybe 75F with light clouds and I was feeling just great. A perfect day for a drive and a bike ride.I had to swing by the bank so I rolled down the windows and headed to a bank closer the the beach that the one I normally go to. On the way down Harbor I passed the big Ford dealership. I had noticed previously they had a special section of their lot devoted to used cars for $9999 or less. Looking at the cars there today I have to admit there were some really nice cars in that section. I guess they are feeling the recession and need to go a little down market to stay in business. But then I've never paid more that $10,000 for a car in my entire life. And that includes the one time I did buy a new car. I have been driving for 40 years now and that covers all of 8 cars. And one of these is the one my daughter drives now.
Going over on 17th and down to Mariners Mile on Pacific Coast Highway I noticed the recession has even hurt the wealthy in Newport Beach. The Bentley dealer, the one next to the Ferrari dealer, was closed. The Rolls-Royce/Lotus dealer in Costa Mesa near where I live closed a few months ago. I figured a stroll at the beach would be nice so I headed down the Balboa Peninsula and my attempt to park near the pier was frustrated. Even on a December day enough other people had the same idea, the parking lot at the Balboa Pier was full.
But not willing to let such a think bother me on such a great day, I headed back up Newport Blvd. I came across someone not having a great day. Where a fairly new Mercedes sports car was being winched onto a flatbed tow truck with the front end all caved in. I guess some people just can't enjoy a great day without stepping on it.
So I headed home. I stopped at a grocery store and I was surprised how few people were shopping this close to Christmas. At home I got my bike out of the garage and went for a ride in and among the beautiful suburbs of Orange County. Its a little strange to see Christmas decorations out when it is 75F and warm out but hey, its the weekend before Christmas. I rode by the closed Chrysler/Jeep dealership, now a motorsport shop, as well as the closed down Hyundai dealership.
I stopped at Starbucks for a nice Chai and a "Grandma's Turkey Sandwich" . Its my Christmas turkey as I am expecting a plate of really good perogies and cabbage rolls for Christmas dinner in Canada. I really enjoy sipping a nice cup of chai while reading a good book with the sun coming in through the window and making me nice and warm all over.
My ride back home, with maybe a half hour to go before sunset seemed to take no time at all on such a pleasant day.
I know that some others did not have so pleasant a day. Last Friday evening while I was in Irvine, and having filet mignon at the birthday party for the owner of the company where I work, my daughter and her boyfriend were stuck in traffic in the Appalachians during a snow storm. They didn't move for 4 hours. Doubly frustrating for them is that their GPS told them they were only 11 miles from their beds at a 5 star hotel in White Sulphur Springs WV. My daughter noted that the snow removal services seemed to dramatically improve once they left Virginia and crossed the state line into West Virginia. She also noted the Virginia snow removal crews were private contractors while the West Virginia ones were state employees. I guess the private contractors are a little cheaper for the state but that you get what you pay for. They finally got to their room at 3AM. At least they were able to stay in touch and his iPhone was able to keep them up to date on the weather conditions.
I had such a nice day here today, the weather being so nice, I just had to share.
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Getting the most from your gasoline money
In 2007 the EPA revised the method by which fuel consumption is measured for cars and light trucks in the USA. They did this because it appeared the numbers given prior to the 2008 model year seemed too optimistic and and most everyone got lower mileage than the published numbers. Your writer was quite surprised by this, as they always get as good if not better than the rated highway MPG for their cars for mixed city/highway driving, and has done so consistently since fuel consumption numbers for various car models started to be published. The writer has always driven cars with no modifications of any kind to alter engine or drivetrain performance in any way. It is all in the driving technique. Something anyone can learn. If I only get the rated highway MPG, like I got last Saturday, for mixed city/highway driving in LA, I had to think what went wrong. I realized there were two very messy and slow transitions between the 55 and 405 freeways that week along with a stop and go drive through visit to Wendy's which chewed up a lot of gas.
With apologies to those who live in the rest of the world using the metric system, where fuel consumption is generally rated in litres per 100 km, the author will be using mainly US terms in this article.
Some of the ways people kill their gas mileage and raise their fuel cost include:
Hard Acceleration
In observing other drivers, the first thing I see is that most people accelerate too hard when starting out. Sure, that being pushed back in the seat feeling is nice but really, unless there is an emergency, if you can feel being pushed back in the seat you are wasting gas. And generally you just end up hitting the brakes that much more at the next light. Habitual hard acceleration, often called a "jack rabbit" start, can reduce your mileage by 33% and doing it will wear out your car that much sooner. The writer learned easy acceleration by imagining a raw egg between their foot and the gas pedal. Yes there are times you need to floor it, but if you actually think about what you are doing, you will find you need to do it a lot less often than you do. The writer generally finds a need to floor it, maybe once or twice a month at most--and that's on the freeways of LA!
Bad Gear Shifting Habits
Theoretically a manual transmission can save gas but few realize those savings. If you up shift your manual transmission any higher than about 2400 RPM you are wasting gas. I know it feels good to wind it up to 4000 to 5000 RPM before shifting but if you do you are going to get poorer mileage than with an automatic. If you want to get the small amount of gas savings that a manual transmission can provide, you have to up shift at as low an RPM as you can manage without lugging the engine after the shift.
Failure to Coast
The writer observes that many drivers, when moving, are either under throttle or braking. That is, when approaching a red light they do not coast. They keep their foot on the gas until they must hit the brakes and then they have brake far harder then necessary. When you are approaching a red light, even if 5 to 10 blocks away, as long as you can see it, start to coast. Or at least ease off the gas. This slows the car through air resistance and friction, without braking. The engine is idling, consuming the minimum amount of fuel and you are still moving, thus the MPG goes way up. You will be amazed how often you slow down just enough that the light changes by the time you get to it and the amount you brake is reduced. Remember that braking is a 100% waste of energy in all non-hybrid, non-electric cars.
Speeding
Your car gets its best mileage when driving at a steady speed between about 30 to 60 miles per hour (50 to 100 km/h). When you go above 60 MPH, mileage drops again. This is because wind resistance increases as the square of your speed does. While cruising at 80 feels good, and doing less than that while driving from say Los Angeles to Las Vegas will brand you as a slow poke, and maybe make you a hazard to other traffic, be aware that driving at excessive speed when you don’t really have to will decrease your miles per gallon. And the faster you go, the more your MPG drops! A tip is that if your car has a cruise control, setting it to the speed limit takes away the temptation to be lead footed and you generally become content to drive at that speed.
Excessive Idling
Watch how much you leave the engine idling. All the time the writer sees people in the 7-11 parking lot, waiting for someone who has gone inside, sitting there with the engine running. Most people don’t realize that in a modern car that the amount of fuel needed to start the engine is only the equivalent of 10 seconds idling. Any more than that and you are wasting gas. Others are doing it to keep the heat or air conditioning running. Hey, suck it up and live in your environment a little. Then there are others who say they do it so they can listen to the radio. They don’t seem to realize the last car radio that drew so much power it could kill your battery in under an hour was sold around 1960. We have a technology now that will allow a car radio to play for two weeks without killing the battery: it is called the “transistor.” Then there are those who leave it running and unattended when they go into some place. Those people will eventually become car theft victims and always seem surprised when it happens. There are also those who live in a cold climate who think the car needs to be warmed up. Yes, for the first few seconds a car is started at 20 below may be a little rough. However, it is warm enough as soon as you can move it without stalling. This is usually about 15 seconds. If it needs any more warming up, it needs to be repaired. Any more warming up than the minimum and you are just wasting gas and wearing out the engine unnecessarily. And yes, the writer started driving in a very cold climate and has started a car in temperatures of -55 degrees F.
If you follow these tips, your mileage will improve. Just start and stop more gently and don’t run the engine when you don’t have to and you will get the advertised gas mileage numbers.
Tags: behind the wheel, saving gas, mpg, gas mileage
Paying for a Car
Chuckles says...
I see young people inquiring often about being able to get financing on a car. It is asked several times a day on Yahoo Answers in the Cars and Transportation section.The bad news right now is that financing is difficult to get unless you have a very good credit score. Even if you have a job. Generally you need a credit score over 700. People with a score between 620 and 700 might get financed but only at higher interest rates.
In the case of most young people, especially if you are a student or new to the workforce you cannot get financing unless you have a cosigner who does have good credit. The same applies to leasing a vehicle. Besides, the writer feels that leasing is not good for a young person as it is an easy way to get in over your head.
The credit crunch means that most young people have to pay cash, at a time when they have less earning power and little in savings. And these days most parents cannot afford to get you a car.
This means that for a teenager getting a car is more difficult than it has been for a long time. You have to seriously think about whether you really need one. In the case of my daughter, as a teenager she decided she did not. She did not even bother to her her license until she was 20 and did not have a car to drive regularly until she was 21 and going to graduate school in a small city in a predominantly rural area. At college, she used the subsidized bus passes her colleges in Vancouver and Pittsburgh included with her tuition. She either lived on campus or not that far away so this was an option.
The point I am trying to make here is that as a young person, in only a few rare cases do you actually NEED a car for college. You may WANT one but that is not important to the world around you. For a working teenager and young adult, a car becomes more of a necessity a lot of the time and under today's conditions, you may have to reduce your expectations.
It seems unfair that in the best part of your life it is so difficult to get a car. If you do manage to scrape together some money, that you have to have some old thing that needs repairs more often. Myself I started with a 1962 Valiant (in 1968) that needed an engine rebuild a year later. Though in those days you have to realize cars did not last as long as they do now, in spite of what old-timers tell you.
If you can find a cosigner, have generous parents or have money saved up, great. If not, please do not fall prey to the "Buy Here/Pay Here" lots. Those places have low quality cars and the prices they charge are very high. They may seem your only option but you really have to see whether you can make public transportation work for you first.
The other option is to see if a relative can sell you the car they were going to trade in for cheap. Yes it may be a gas hog. But a gas hog you can afford to buy is still a car. It may not be pretty but really, as long as it goes it what counts.
If you are working, many of you make $1,000 or less a month. If you can get financed, never spend more than 1/4 of your income on a car payment. Because you will need another 1/3 for gas, insurance and repairs.
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Are You Ready?
Are you ready to learn to drive?
Of course you feel you are. What teenager does not feel they are ready to get behind the wheel and enjoy the freedom of the open road? After all, you have ridden all your life in your parents car and never paid a dime to do it. And now, how much can it cost? A few cents a mile for gas and away you go, right?
So why does society make it so hard to get your license and why do you have to be so old to get it? You know that you are special and are perfectly capable at 14. Problem is, you're not. As you age, your ability to make good judgments, without getting angry or upset easily gets better. Some people never mature enough and others are sufficiently mature by age 13. Generally, for most people that judgment comes in the late teens or early twenties. That cool level-headedness that indicates a mature brain that will not equate aggressive driving comes with being an adult. But because most teens are physically near their adult size by 16, we allow 16 year olds to drive in spite that they are not emotionally ready in most cases. And even myself, I was an aggressive driver until my early 20s. Therefore, you have to wait until you are 16. Just be aware at that age you are not really ready for it but teens have successfully whined and annoyed the rest of society to letting them drive then. Besides, it can be helpful to have multiple drivers in a household!
Once you have your license, you will find that was the easiest part of it. A license costs a couple hundred bucks for driving lessons and the like. The hard part comes in actually getting your hands on a car. Many teens start by borrowing the family car but this arrangement starts to feel really restrictive awfully fast. The typical teen wants their own car and it amazes me how many actually manage to scrape things together to get one. I did it at 17 and some how, some way I found insurance and gas money. I conned my parents that my mother who did not drive should take lessons with me. Then the family would buy a second car for her and I would drive it now and then. Son of a gun, it worked and my mother bought a car. I passed my license my second try, months before we bought the car, my mother went seven times and failed every time. So while I ended up driving her all over creation, at least I had a car when I was 17. Of course every dime I could dig up went into running the car: for insurance, gas and repairs. Though my folks covered some major engine work. Because of the lack of funds, I learned to do a lot of the work myself and I learned a lot about cars keeping that 1962 Valiant running from 1968 to 1976. But then it helped that my dad was an Air Force mechanic and we had plenty of tools around the house.
In your case, once you have acquired a car by some means, you need to get gas at 12 to 18 cents a mile, insurance for about $200 a month and still have $1000 available anytime for sudden repairs. And you have to allow $1000 a year just for routine maintenance as well. It all adds up. Are you able to dig up the approximate $3500 a year it takes for a teenager to keep even an old beater car on the road? If you are, then maybe you are mature enough to drive. But until you can dig up this sort of money, you are not ready. Still, get your license as early as you can even if you do not have a car as insurance companies generally counts your driving experience time from you get your license. So even if you do not have a car, just having it and having no accidents makes your rates go down every year!
Tags: cars, behind the wheel, driving maturity, teen drivers, car maintenance, paying for a car
Beyond 100K
Chuckles says...
According to the June 2009 issue of Westways Magazine, the official publication of the Auto Club in California, having your car or light truck go over the 100.000 mile (160,000km) mark is no longer that big a deal. Modern cars are a lot more reliable than they used to be and they are designed to go 150,000 miles or about 240,000 km. before needing major repairs . Just be aware that the manufacturer's warranty on emission components will end and the vehicle may need a major service such as new spark plugs and in many vehicles, a new timing belt.To keep a car with over 100,000 miles running, here are some tips:
Easy on the gas - Accelerate as if there were an egg between your foot and the throttle. This helps preserve the "U-joints" and saves gas.
Brake gently - Lift your foot off the throttle well before you actually need to stop. So you can come to a stop easily. While you may need to hot the brakes hard at times, doing it routinely can cause extra wear on the suspension parts as well as the brakes.
Stop completely - Before you put a vehicle in reverse come to a complete stop.
Fill it up - As time goes by, sediments will build up in the gas tank. Letting the amount of gas in the tank get below 1/4 ful too often will make it more likely these sediments will get into the fuel line and then clog up the fuel filter.
Assess your use - If you drive in heavy stop and go traffic like we have here in LA, this is "severe duty" and you have to make sure you get the oil changed every 3000 miles (6000 if you use full synthetic oil like Mobil One)
Pay attention - To fluid leaks. A fluid leak that is leaving drips on the ground are more cheaply fixed if caught early. DO note though in the summer, water dripping is normal as that is condensation from your A/C.
Check tire pressure - Makes your tires last longer.
Check tire wear - Check your tire tread to make sure they are wearing the same on both sides. If they are wearing unevenly the car needs a wheel alignment. If left undone, you will wear your tires out much faster than normal. If you get an alignment, get all four wheels done.
Look out for the Light - The check engine light. While this usually just means that something in your emission control system is malfunctioning and if ignored could eventually lead to poor performance and excessive fuel consumption. If you live in a place that requires an emissions check, they will not do the check if your check engine light is lit.
Keep your car clean and shiny - If for no other reason, you will feel better about driving it longer.
Happy Motoring
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Teens with own cars have more crashes, study finds
Click here to read about a study that shows that teens who have their own cars crash more.However, it appears this study says nothing about the likelihood that teens who have to share a car also drive a lot less. Because, lets face it, the first thing a teen does when they get a car all to themselves is they drive the wheels off it. At least I did when I was 17 and got my own car.
But you don't have that luxury when borrowing your parent's car.
Still it is something to think about. If you have to share a car, you are less likely to get hurt or killed, likely because you don't get to drive it as much.
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