Tips for Winter Driving

Safey Tips for Winter Driving

This article was contributed by The Trotwood Chamber of Commerce

The potential for bad weather this time of year brings with it an increased threat of vehicle accidents. This is the most dangerous time of the year. Inclement weather is a major factor in many of the serious accidents that occur each year.

It is important to be alert at all times when driving, but it is even more important during this time of the year. The days are shorter reducing the amount of sunlight. There is an increase in the amount of rain. Snow storms can come up suddenly and cold weather can cause icy conditions. The possibility of fog and sun glare also increases, making driving much more difficult and dangerous. We have little control over the weather, but we can adjust the way we drive, be alert and apply good driving sense.

The following is a list of safe driving tips that we can follow. Read through each area carefully and incorporate these into your winter driving behavior:

DRIVE DEFENSIVELY

 Be Alert and focused

 Be prepared for possible hazards like potholes and animals

 Obey all traffic laws

 Error on the side of caution

 Anticipate the action of other drivers and pedestrians

 Always be alert at stop signs and traffic lights

 Stay informed on the weather conditions

 Maintain a wide distance behind the vehicle in front of you

 Avoid distractions

 Never drive if suffering from a lack of sleep

 Keep the windows cracked to allow fresh air to enter the vehicle

 Leave yourself a way out at all times

 Keep your vehicle in good repair at all times

 Do not drive while impaired in any way

 Eliminate distractions as much as possible

USE COMMON SENSE

 Adjust your time schedule for bad weather

 Slow down

 Anticipate increased stopping distance on cold, icy, snow covered and wet roads

 Pump the brakes if a sudden stop is required

 Remember the bridges and shaded areas will maintain ice and frost longer and also freeze quicker

 Use your low headlight beams when driving in snow to reduce the amount of reflected light

 Keep the inside windows clean and free of fog

 Try to avoid skids, however, if you do skid remember to:

 Take your foot off of the accelerator

 Do not apply the brakes

 Keep the wheels turned in the direction of the skid

 Straighten your wheels slowly as you come out of the skid

 Gently slow down

 Inspect your vehicle regularly

 Make sure the tires are in good condition with adequate tread

 Use headlights in inclement weather in the daytime

 Check battery on a periodic basis

 If necessary pull over in severe weather conditions until the weather conditions improve

BE READY FOR ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS

SUB-FREEZING WEATHER

 Wear a complete set of outdoor winter clothing, including good boots and face mask

 Check the vehicle’s heater

 Use freeze resistant wiper blades

 Maintain proper tire pressure

 Get an engine block heater if your vehicle will set outside

 Have a set of good gloves, face mask, hat, ear muffs and wool blanket available

 Have a cellular phone available in case of an emergency

 Have other safety supplies available such as: 

• Warning devices
• Small snow shovel
• Ice scraper
• Flashlight
• Booster cables
• Small bag of sand
• Towing chain or cable
• Traction mats
• First Aid kit
• Jack 
• Lug wrench

RAIN

 Always use your windshield wipers

 Coat your windshield with a rain clearing solution

 Slow down especially on curves and keep an extra space between the vehicle in front of you

 Avoid sudden moves and emergency stops if possible

 Be aware of the possibility of hydroplaning in heavy rain

 Drive slowly through puddles with gentle pressure on brakes to keep brake lines from getting wet

SNOW AND ICE

 Always accelerate slowly and smoothly

 Avoid sudden turns that might cause a skid

 Be alert to black ice that forms on bridges and in shaded areas

 Drive on fresh snow where possible if you suspect ice in the tracks left by vehicles before you

 Pay attention to road warning signs

 Drive slowly

 When braking start early, let off accelerator slowly and apply the brakes gently

 Never brake and try to steer at the same time

 When going down a hill gently apply the brakes to maintain a slower more controlled descent

 When climbing a hill keep plenty of distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. Do not accelerate on the incline if possible.

SUN GLARE

 Keep the windshield free of dirt and grime

 Use the sun visor

 Have a good pair of sunglasses available to reduce the glare

 Reduce speed

 Try to avoid looking directly into the glare

FOG

 Gradually reduce your speed if you can not see in front of you

 Turn on your low beams

 Turn off the radio and listen carefully. Roll down the windows a crack.

 If necessary use your horn to let drivers know of your presence

 Don’t stop unless absolutely necessary

 Pull over to the side of the road if necessary and turn out lights and turn on flashers

WHAT TO DRIVE

In the past, driving a rear wheel drive vehicle would be a bad idea, but with Electronic Stability Control, rear wheel drive vehicles are much safer. When a tire starts to slide, the other tire moves to stabilize the car. So even the Chrysler 300, the Dodge Challenger and the Dodge Charger can be driven safely in cold and wet weather.

Many Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles are either standard 4-Wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Check out the Durango or the Journey in the Dodge Line-up or the Liberty, Patriot, Compass, or Grand Cherokee in the Jeep Line-up...all solid choices for cold and wet weather travel.

The Ram 1500 was built with Winter in mind. The transmission is equipped with a "Thermal Management System" that allows it to reach efficient operating temperature faster in cold weather than other trucks. Not to mention, Electric Power Steering for superior road handling.

The Dodge Dart is a front wheel drive vehicle and handles well in difficult road conditions. 

13 factors that go into the selling price of a new car

Why can't a dealer give a price for a car without having to visit the dealership?

What goes into pricing a vehicle?

Did you know that in the state of Ohio, there are laws restricting what car dealerships can advertise? There are many discounts you will never know about because NOT everyone is entitled to them. The best way to know for which incentives YOU qualify is to sit with a knowledgeable salesperson or finance manager. It's definitely worth your time. You don't want to pay more than you need to for your next new car.
 
1. MSRP stands for Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. The manufacturer selects the MSRP for each vehicle. Features and accessories that have been added at the factory will increase the MSRP.

2. The Car might look exactly the same and seem to have identical features as a different car, for a different price, but there are so many models, features, add-ons, and options that make prices very different even in the same model.  The first car I owned did not have cruise control. If I would have compared it to a car that had exactly the same features that did have cruise, the price would have been higher. There are hundreds of features on every car. The combinations are endless and can definitely effect MSRP.

3. Incentives are from the factory. They don't show on the buyer order but reduce the MSRP of a vehicle. Some dealers call incentives “dealer cash.”

4. Rebates/Cash Allowances – Are also from the factory; they reduce the MSRP of  a vehicle, are listed on the buyer's order and are taxable.

5. Your Credit/ your payment/your interest rate – take a look at our financing blog for more info. This won't change the actual price of the car, but over time, as interest is charged for a loan, depending on your interest rate, you are going to “pay” the bank for loaning you the money. This will definitely effect your monthly payment and your interest rate.

6. Active Military or those retired from the military with 20 years of service receive a discount.

7. Employees of Chrysler and those who have access to a “friends & family” discount are eligible for additional savings. 

8. Chrysler Supplier employees enjoy another 1% discount on top of other discounts for which they are eligible.

9. Loyal customers are often eligible for trade-in bonuses.  Right now, certain pre-owned Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram models are in demand so we are giving more trade-in value for those models.

10. Target Direct Mailing Lists increase interest in certain markets, if you live in one of these targeted areas, you are eligible for even more savings.

11.Tax varies in each county, but it's the same as any other sales tax, so if you know how much your sales tax is where you live, you can calculate it. It's 7% in Montgomery County, Ohio.


12.Title fees are generally about $50. They include 30 day tags, lien fees and title processing.

13. Fees for most dealerships are about $250. These fees are controlled by the state. They are documentary fees charged for processing paperwork.

When you add it all up, every dealer is going to have a similar system. Take time to find the car you want and the deal that works best for you.
 
A good deal = the price/payment the buyer can comfortably afford + the price the dealer can offer.

Now what do you think about visiting the dealer? We would love to help you find your best deal.

Chrysler 300 Mopar 12 Special Edition

Happy 75th Anniversary to Mopar!

Very frequently, Chrysler sends experts to help us with operations. This week our Parts and Service Area Manager was here. He drove a special edition Chrysler 300 Mopar 12. He brought #432 of 500. I got to take it for a spin. This car goes so fast...SO fast! You don't even feel like you are speeding. We shot a short video from outside.

 

Here is another video describing the features and showing some of the cool bonus accessories. Oh yeah, I didn't forget...it does have a HEMI!

 

Should I take it to the Dealer?

There are many stores that sell compatible parts for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles. I'm sure the idea behind these stores was to save the owner some money and make a little at the same time. I purchased a floor mat at AutoZone the other day because my OEM floor mat had gotten soiled and was making my car smell bad (it was pretty embarrassing). I appreciated being able to go right in and purchase the floor mat on a Friday evening. While I was there I purchased an air freshener (to seal the deal). When it comes to regular maintenance, the only place I trust is the dealer. My car is less than 2 years old; taking it to the dealer is something I do to make sure my car has the longest life possible.

Think about it like this:

If you take your car to the dealer for service, you can feel confident you are getting your car fixed the right way the first time AND if it doesn't get fixed right you can always talk to the manager, the general manager and a lot of other experts to assure you get the best service.

If you take your car to a third party and you have an issue with their work, you can take it as high up the chain as you want, but you won't get any more help...when that happens, where do you think you will go next? THE DEALER...

So if you start at the dealer you know you are going to get the best service (it might cost a little more, but it might not) and you are going to do it right the first time and save a lot of frustration and time.

The following invoice was given to me today. The owner of the vehicle, Marc went to a local auto parts store and purchased replacement windshield wipers for $11. The attendant volunteered to put the wipers on the car and consequently broke the arm of the windshield wiper. The auto parts store didn't carry the arm they broke so Marc had to stop by Golling's to purchase the part for $36.45. He decided to purchase the OEM blades for $16.75 so he could take the "third party" blades back and get his money back. One of our parts advisers installed the arm and the blades at no charge (because they are nice guys :) We were also able to order another part for him that he had to replace as a result of the attendant breaking the arm of the blade. It will be in next Tuesday.

If Marc would have come here first his total cost for his wiper blades would have been

$17.92

(including installation)

Because he tried to save a buck and go to the local parts store he paid:

$56.93 + $11.77 = $68.70

(for wiper blades)

*This total doesn't include the time and gas money spent on driving to two locations. Marc plans on going back to the parts store the get his money back and to request reimbursement for the part he had to buy after the arm was damaged. We will give you the update next week. Do you think he can get the total bill paid? Have you had a similar experience?

Here's the UPDATE: Marc went back to the local parts store to return the blade and ask for a reimbursement for the part. He had to argue with the manager for 45 minutes before they agreed to compensate him.

I'll bet he comes straight to us next time...

If you need Mopar parts or accessories, definitely check out the Parts Department  on the web or call (937) 276-8050.

New Car Financing - A Numbers Game

Prime, Sub-Prime, Mid-Prime...so what are you? What does it all mean?

Your status when it comes to getting a new or used car loan can help or hurt you, but what institution you chose can also be a factor in getting a good interest rate and/or term.

Prime customers usually have a beacon score over 700.
Mid-Prime customers usually have a beacon score from 600-700
Sub-Prime customers usually have a beacon score under 600

There are many variables that can effect which category you are likely to fit. The following criteria will help determine what kind of loan he/she will receive:

• Term - How long do you want to pay off the loan?
• Monthly Payment - How much can you pay per month (based on your debt-to-income ratio)
• Residency - How long have you lived at the same address?
• Employment - How long have you worked at the same company?
• Liquid Funds - How much do you have for down payment?
• Trade-In - The value of vehicle(s) he/she will trade-in?

Dealerships have a responsibility to you to find the best loan available for your circumstances, for example, a sub-prime customer who visits dealer to purchase a used car might get a better rate on a new car. A Prime customer might get a better interest rate from a credit union than a bank so every option must be applied.

The Sales and Finance managers at Golling's have years of experience and work very hard to find the best possible loan for each customer. Many of our customers visit the lot knowing which institution they want to administer their loan, but our finance team has success finding institutions with better terms and rates by knowing their risk management systems and asking the right questions about each customer's specific situation.

Although Chrysler does not have it's own Financing, they work closely with Ally Bank (previously GMAC). Chrysler Family Dealers are encouraged to work with many loan providers to give their customers the broadest range of loan options.

Contrary to popular belief inquiries from a car dealerships and real estate companies do not effect your credit score and multiple inquiries from lenders only count as one inquiry. The credit bureau will understand that you are trying to purchase one car and will count multiple lender actions as one action.

If you are concerned your beacon score might put you in the sub-prime category, but you are ready to start your car search, start putting some money aside for a solid down payment. This will help a lot when you find the car you want.

Golling's Arena Chysler Dodge Jeep Ram General Manager says, "Rates are very low right now. We have programs for customers in all three categories. Before you sign your loan contract, make sure you speak with an experienced finance manager. An excellent car dealer will take time to make sure you are getting the loan that works best for you."

Call us at 937-276-5056 and ask to speak with our new or pre-owned sales or finance manager to get started. You can also fill out a finance application on our website.