Autocar: Snow tires vs AWD in the snow…… what’s better?
Posted: February 4, 2013 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: All-Wheel Drive, Autocar, Cars 101, driving in snow, Mind over motor, Safety, Snow tires, Winter driving 2 Comments »Ok, the obvious answer for the best snow setup is to have an all wheel drive car that is equipped with snow tires. That’s what I personally have, and it is flawless in winter driving. This is still quite relevant though, if you can only have either snow tires or all wheel drive, then which is better?
Spoiler alert: the snow tires win. Truth be told, all wheel drive is far superior in snow for getting moving and for controlling your car in a skid. However, when it comes to braking and avoiding a skid by having grip snow tires are what you need. Too many people think all wheel drive does far more than it actually does in bad weather. It only helps you get traction when using the accelerator, other than that your car is just like any other car.
So the moral of the story is this: No matter what type of car you drive, if you drive it in snow, get some snow tires for the winter months. Safety first.
-Nick Walker
Cars 101: The Do’s and Don’ts of Servicing
Posted: July 18, 2012 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: advice, Cars 101, Do's and Don'ts, Liars, Maintenance, Mind over motor, problems, Repair, Service, Tips, Wasting Time Leave a comment »
Recently, I had to take a car in to get serviced, and learned a few hard, fast lessons on how to go about dealing with service desks and waiting for something for too long. There are plenty of ways to deal with having a car serviced at the dealer, and plenty of ways still to do it wrong. Read the rest of this entry »
Cars 101: The Awful Dangers in Automobiles
Posted: February 15, 2012 Filed under: CARS 101, USER SUBMITTED | Tags: 101, Asbestos, Automobiles, brakes, Cars, clutch, danger, In, Mind, motor, Over, toxin, warning Leave a comment »
It’s no surprise that a car can be a dangerous device. If the speed and momentum isn’t killing somebody swiftly, then the very substances that go in and out of it will do the job slowly from the inside. Many toxic chemicals can be found in the vehicles we use and depend on everyday; if we want to be safe and responsible automobile owners, then it is absolutely vital that we take the proper amount of time to understand them. Read the rest of this entry »
Cars 101: Video games and real driving
Posted: January 16, 2012 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: 2, 3, 360, a, aids, and, Best, child, Drive, Driver, driving, F1, Forza, Games, gaming, generation, Gran, How, kid, Learning, Mind, motor, Motorsport, new, Nick, Over, permit, person, Playstation, racing, real, reality, Road, Safety, school, simulation, student, teach, to, translate, Truth, Turismo, video, Walker, way, What, Xbox, young Leave a comment »
Forza's Kinect feature allows casual players to simply steer, and the game takes care of the rest. More hardcore players should stick with a controller though.
My generation was the first to grow up with video games that could really simulate reality to a high degree. There are titles out there now that can simulate the likes of ruthless combat, dog fighting a fighter jet, and of course racing a car. Every generation after us will continue to grow up with these simulating games, and will wind up trying to use the experience they have gained in these games when it comes time to get behind the wheel for real. Many people out there do not believe such games hold any real merit in such skills as driving a car, but they would be hugely mistaken. Much can be learned from experience in realistic video games, but it is important to understand what translates into reality and what does not. Read the rest of this entry »
Cars 101: “Certified Pre-Owned”
Posted: January 5, 2012 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: advice, Buying, Careful, Cars, Cars 101, Certified, Dirtbag, Fix, Mind over motor, Pre-Owned, Sale, Selling, Shady, Used Leave a comment »
We got a cah for every-body! Note: These are the guys you don't go to.
When I was a little kid, there were two different ways to buy a car. One would either buy new, or buy used. For the most part, the path of buying used was a spread of options, ranging from buying a used car at a new car dealership for a price that would often be too high for the market, buying from a shady dealer in an even shadier area (Big Paulie’s Used Car Barn! Everyone is approved! No credit? No problem! Right in Newark’s West Ward!), or buying from a private seller (which would often prove to be either the very best or very worst option, depending on the seller or the car). Now though, as has been the case for at least the past ten years, the “Certified Pre-Owned” programs are everywhere. So, what exactly are they? Read the rest of this entry »
A telling emissions test by Edmunds Inside Line
Posted: December 7, 2011 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: big, Blower, Car, Comparison, Edmunds, Emissions, engine, Inside, Leaf, Line, Mind, motor, Over, Small, Test, Truck, Truth, video, vs Leave a comment »For all of the eco conscious folks out there here is a test showing that you should not judge a book by it’s cover, or the “green-ness” of a car by it’s engine size. Knowledge is power.
-Nick
Cars 101: Overheating
Posted: September 26, 2011 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: Antifreeze, Cap, Car, Cars 101, Coolant, Mind over motor, Overflow Tank, Radiator, Temperature Gauge Leave a comment »
If the temperature gauge starts going over the halfway mark, you're in trouble.
Pretty much anyone with a driver’s license has seen someone standing at the side of the road staring at a stranded car with steam billowing out of the engine bay. Some of these people (myself included) have been forced to pull over due to overheating. So, how do you handle such a thing, and how do you avoid it happening in the first place? Read on. Read the rest of this entry »
Cars 101: How to prepare for a Hurricane
Posted: August 27, 2011 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: 101, 3, 4, Car, Cars, do, garage, How, Hurricane, Irene, Mind, motor, Over, packaging, Preparation, to, What Leave a comment »
My garage situation for the upcoming storm
As many of you are aware, Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the northeast right now. Everyone is preparing for a big hit from nature. My family has a situation where we have 5 cars and only a 3 car garage, so I took it upon myself to see what could be done. Read the rest of this entry »
Cars 101: Hydroplaning
Posted: August 26, 2011 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: Car, Cars 101, driving, Fast, Highway, Hydroplaning, Mind over motor, Rain, Skid, Slow Leave a comment »
With a fairly large hurricane barrelling towards the Northeast, it’s pretty clear that many will be evacuating the coasts, and others might also try to get to a shelter as well. While this is all a good idea, getting there is going to be tough, and if you’re one of the unfortunate number of people to get caught in either the storm itself, or in any storm in general, you might end up dealing with one of the most dangerous wet weather instances. I’m talking about hydroplaning–many have heard of it, but few know what to do or how to spot it.
Cars 101: Horsepower vs. Torque
Posted: August 19, 2011 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: 101, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0, acceleration, BMW, Cars, Diesel, force, Ford, Gasoline, Horsepower, M3, Mind, motor, Mustang, Over, rotational, speed, TDI, Time, Torque, Touareg, V10, V6, vs, VW Jetta, work Leave a comment »
These specifications found on all cars, but many people don’t really know what they mean, even if they know what sorts of numbers constitute a lot or a little. There is a very detailed answer for defining each of these terms but this is Cars 101 so we will keep it simple and applicable to what most people can recognize. Read the rest of this entry »
Cars 101: Cruise Control
Posted: August 17, 2011 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: Adaptive, Cars 101, Cruise Control, driving, Ice, Laser, Mind over motor, mpg, Radar-Guided, Rain, Snow, speed, Tips Leave a comment »
How often should you really be using this? Well, read on, folks.
Cruise control has been around since the Sixties, but it has evolved as the car around it has evolved. It’s useful for long, punishing drives, such as one I took just yesterday from northern New Jersey to Long Beach Island. That said, there are some times when it’s useful, and others when it should be avoided. Read the rest of this entry »
Cars 101: Hypermiling
Posted: August 12, 2011 Filed under: CARS 101 | Tags: Car, Cars 101, Diesel, driving, Gas, Gas Prices, Hybrid, mileage, Mind over motor, mpg, Saving Money Leave a comment »
Anyone knows that saving gas saves money. Of course, those of us who have hybrids are occasionally so obsessed with it that they will do whatever is necessary to keep their MPG up and their costs down. Here’s a couple of ways to bring up your gas mileage without a lot of extra work. Read the rest of this entry »
