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Friday, December 28, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Freeport Sawicki Helping Hands Event
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| Pearlene Chattic |
Pearlene Chattic is leaving in her new Van thanks to the Freeport Sawicki Helping Hands Event which donated this van and repaired 9 other vehicles to those who were in need. Thanks to everyone who pitched in and helped!
www.sawickimotors.com
Black Friday Sale TV Winner
Congratulations to Rod and Becky Waltrip who won our TV during our Black Friday Sale! Congratulations from Sawicki Motors.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Video: Silverado Towing Tips: Passing | Chevy Silverado | Chevrolet
Ever wonder how to properly use the towing features in your Chevy Truck? Tony Truelove, Marketing Manager for the Chevrolet Silverado, walks you through the proper steps of passing a slow moving vehicle while towing in the first episode of "Towing Tips."
Video: Chrysler Backseat Driver and Drive for the Kids Event in Mather, CA
Since its inception in 1993, the Chrysler-sponsored Drive for the Kids program has helped raise nearly $4.5 million for worthy school programs all across the country.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Video: Hurdy Gurdy | Chevy Spark | Chevrolet
We have passed the point of no return. It seems we’ll never go back to wholesale rejection of tiny cars. And this Korean-built Chevy is the very definition of tiny. It’s just 144.7 inches long, or about two inches shorter than a Mini Cooper.
It is, however, fairly roomy inside, thanks to its upright profile. Our six-foot-seven driver fit comfortably up front, with enough space left over for a real human in the seat behind him. Fold the rear bench, and the Spark will haul 31 cubic feet of Habitrail tubes, elbows, and accessories.
That’s about all the Spark will haul. Loading it up with other things is not advised because other things are less air by volume than Habitrail componentry. With 84 horsepower and 83 pound-feet of torque, the little 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine gets the 2350-pound Spark through first gear reasonably quickly. It slows beyond that but never sounds strained, and it’s sufficient for urban commuting. People who need affordable transportation and nothing more won’t notice or care. Hopefully they will notice how well controlled the Spark’s ride is, although the car does suffer from the sway inherent in vehicles whose proportions approximate those of other cars tipped onto their sides.
www.sawickimotors.comIt is, however, fairly roomy inside, thanks to its upright profile. Our six-foot-seven driver fit comfortably up front, with enough space left over for a real human in the seat behind him. Fold the rear bench, and the Spark will haul 31 cubic feet of Habitrail tubes, elbows, and accessories.
That’s about all the Spark will haul. Loading it up with other things is not advised because other things are less air by volume than Habitrail componentry. With 84 horsepower and 83 pound-feet of torque, the little 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine gets the 2350-pound Spark through first gear reasonably quickly. It slows beyond that but never sounds strained, and it’s sufficient for urban commuting. People who need affordable transportation and nothing more won’t notice or care. Hopefully they will notice how well controlled the Spark’s ride is, although the car does suffer from the sway inherent in vehicles whose proportions approximate those of other cars tipped onto their sides.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
0% for up to 84 months
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| [click to enlarge] |
The 2012 Ram 1500 ranks 2 out of 10 Full Size Pickup Trucks. This ranking is based on our analysis of 36 published reviews and test drives of the Ram 1500, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
Reviewers love the 2012 Ram 1500’s best-in-class ride, convenient cargo storage options and well-made interior, calling it one of the best full size pickups in the class.
Test drivers say the 2012 Ram 1500 drives like a car, which is unheard-of for a full-size pickup truck. Though it’s by no means nimble, it’s one of the smoothest-driving trucks around, thanks to its advanced suspension. Not only is its top-of-the-line Laramie Longhorn trim nearly as upscale as that of a luxury car, but even its lower trims’ interiors are well-made and comfortable. Reviewers also say that most of its engine options are more than capable for most tasks.
www.sawickimotors.com
Friday, September 7, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS
But it isn’t just enthusiasts who will benefit from components like Brembo brakes and segment-exclusive Magnetic Ride Control suspension. Each has its own practical, real-world benefits.
“When we talk about the ATS having quick, nimble, fun-to-drive dynamics, we’re talking about qualities that contribute to better safety and efficiency as well,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing. “And thanks to Cadillac’s advanced technologies, the ATS is a vehicle that’s as comfortable as it is quick. It’s a no-compromise luxury sport sedan.”
When equipped with Brembo brakes, ATS’s estimated stopping distance from 60-0 mph of 129 feet is among the best in the class. On race tracks, that equates to less time spent in a slow corner; on public roads, shorter stopping distances can reduce the damage caused in a collision or prevent one altogether.
“Performance, safety and style are the trademarks of all Brembo high-performance brake systems, whether on the road or on the track” stated Dan Sandberg, president and CEO of Brembo North America. “With the Cadillac ATS, we see a perfect example of how Brembo’s advanced technology can be used to substantially improve the safety of what is already a great performance luxury sedan”.
The ATS’s Luxury, Performance, or Premium model packages will use front brakes from the industry’s most well-known supplier, with high-performance fixed calipers grabbing down on ventilated brake rotors measuring 12.6 inches in diameter.
Shorter braking distances are also aided by ATS’s low curb weight, made possible by advanced materials and engineering techniques. At less than 3,400 pounds, ATS is more than 100 pounds lighter than a Mercedes-Benz C250 or an Audi A4. Lower weight also equates to less work for the vehicle’s engine and fewer stops at the gas pump.
Magnetic Ride Control, a class-exclusive technology pioneered by Cadillac and adopted by automakers such as Ferrari brings on-demand suspension performance and comfort adjustments to any ATS equipped with the FE3 Sport Suspension package. With the push of a button, the car can transform from a sharp sports car to a comfortable luxury sedan.
This duality is made possible by electronically controlled shocks filled with a magneto-rheological fluid containing minute iron particles. Under the presence of a magnetic charge, the iron particles align to provide damping resistance almost instantly. Sensor input determines the amount of resistance required, varying the magnetic charge to optimize damping.
Magnetic Ride Control also uses sensors and processors to constantly study the road surface and make small adjustments in just one millisecond to fine-tune the suspension beyond the driver-selectable presets of “Tour,” “Sport” and “Snow/Ice,” ensuring an optimal ride-and-handling balance for any condition.
The 2013 Cadillac ATS goes on sale this summer at a base price of $33,990, including destination charges. It will be built at Cadillac’s Lansing Grand River assembly plant in Lansing, Mich.
Courtesy of GM Media
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
In Four Years, Most Cars Will Work With Smart Phones
By 2016 most cars will have smart phone integration, according to a new report from Juniper Research, a wireless technology research firm based in Hampshire, U.K. Aftermarket systems offered by companies like OnStar will help grow the sector to $14.4 billion in four years and give 92 million vehicles Internet connectivity.
This technology will not only allow satellite-based navigation and streaming music from the Web, for example, but it will also open up a whole new market to telematics services currently only offered through automaker-specific subscription plans like GM’s OnStar and BMW Assist. These sophisticated satellite-linked systems can automatically dispatch emergency services to the scene of an accident, help law enforcement agencies locate stolen vehicles, and even disable them in some cases.
Parts suppliers and consumer electronics companies are working together to create a standardized protocol called MirrorLink, being overseen by the Car Connectivity Consorutium, which was established in February 2011 expressly for this purpose. Currently, each automaker has its own proprietary protocol for in-vehicle electronics, making it impossible for electronics companies to produce a single smart-phone pairing device that would work with all vehicles.
The U.S. is ahead of other geographical areas in developing telematics technology for vehicles, Juniper says. Ford has lead the way with its Microsoft-based Sync system, one of the first to integrate advanced smart-phone functionality like voice recognition in non-luxury vehicles. Another American company, General Motors, already offers an aftermarket telematics system, called OnStar For My Vehicle or FMV, that brings its navigation, traffic, safety and other services to non-GM vehicles.
GM’s next step with smart-phone connectivity is to make it available on its least expensive models through an optional stereo system that relies entirely on a smart phone for its advanced functionality, rather than building all that into the system itself, which is how it’s usually done. So, for example, the Chevrolet Spark, a budget-priced micro-car coming out this summer, will offer a stereo upgrade with a large touchscreen that basically acts like an extension of the user’s paired smart phone. This means that when a user wants to stream music through Pandora, the system simply acts like a conduit and relays what the phone is doing, rather than actually processing the data stream itself.
A Chevy rep said it took lots of software development with the help of LG to make the system compatible with every smart phone available, but the end result is that consumers who typically couldn’t afford to have such features in their car, now can.
Courtesy of Forbes.com
www.sawickimotors.com
This technology will not only allow satellite-based navigation and streaming music from the Web, for example, but it will also open up a whole new market to telematics services currently only offered through automaker-specific subscription plans like GM’s OnStar and BMW Assist. These sophisticated satellite-linked systems can automatically dispatch emergency services to the scene of an accident, help law enforcement agencies locate stolen vehicles, and even disable them in some cases.
Parts suppliers and consumer electronics companies are working together to create a standardized protocol called MirrorLink, being overseen by the Car Connectivity Consorutium, which was established in February 2011 expressly for this purpose. Currently, each automaker has its own proprietary protocol for in-vehicle electronics, making it impossible for electronics companies to produce a single smart-phone pairing device that would work with all vehicles.
The U.S. is ahead of other geographical areas in developing telematics technology for vehicles, Juniper says. Ford has lead the way with its Microsoft-based Sync system, one of the first to integrate advanced smart-phone functionality like voice recognition in non-luxury vehicles. Another American company, General Motors, already offers an aftermarket telematics system, called OnStar For My Vehicle or FMV, that brings its navigation, traffic, safety and other services to non-GM vehicles.
GM’s next step with smart-phone connectivity is to make it available on its least expensive models through an optional stereo system that relies entirely on a smart phone for its advanced functionality, rather than building all that into the system itself, which is how it’s usually done. So, for example, the Chevrolet Spark, a budget-priced micro-car coming out this summer, will offer a stereo upgrade with a large touchscreen that basically acts like an extension of the user’s paired smart phone. This means that when a user wants to stream music through Pandora, the system simply acts like a conduit and relays what the phone is doing, rather than actually processing the data stream itself.
A Chevy rep said it took lots of software development with the help of LG to make the system compatible with every smart phone available, but the end result is that consumers who typically couldn’t afford to have such features in their car, now can.
Courtesy of Forbes.com
www.sawickimotors.com
Survey Says: Fuel economy is #1 factor when buying a car
With fuel prices at near record levels, consumers are driving less and contemplating a move to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, according to recent survey by Consumer Reports.
"These results make it clear that high fuel prices are continuing to impact driver behavior and influencing future purchase considerations," said Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports deputy auto editor. "While quality, safety and value are still important, this may be foreshadowing a market shift by folks seeking relief at the pump."
Some two-thirds of owners surveyed said they expected their next vehicle to get better fuel mileage than the one they're driving now. While gasoline costs (90 percent) were the number one reason cited for wanting a more fuel-efficient vehicle, more than half of respondents also had other reasons, including a desire to be more environmentally friendly (62 percent) and concern about dependence on foreign oil (56 percent).
Women disproportionately said they were motivated by the environmental benefit of better fuel economy (65 percent vs. 58 percent of men), more concerned about dependence on foreign oil (63 percent vs. 49 percent of men), and impacted by changes on the home front (38 percent vs. 31 percent).
The survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, found that car owners were open to different ways of saving at the pump, from downsizing to looking at hybrids, electric cars, or models with diesel engines. In all, nearly three quarters (73 percent) of participants said they would consider some type of alternatively fueled vehicle, with flex-fuel (which can run on E85 ethanol) and hybrid models leading the way. Younger buyers were more likely to consider an alternatively-fuel or purely electric vehicle than drivers over the age of 55.
Of those who said they plan to move to a different type, owners of large SUVs were the most open to downsizing, frequently planning to move to a smaller SUV. Small cars were the leading category targeted by survey respondents for their next vehicle, followed by larger sedans and midsized SUVs. Further illuminating a future market shift, larger sedans (18 percent) and minivans (7 percent) are on fewer participants' radar relative to their current model.
With the federal government expected to finalize new fuel efficiency standards later this year that would require manufacturer's average fuel economy to reach 54.5 miles-per-gallon by 2025, some 90 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statements "Auto manufacturers should offer a greater variety of cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles in the near future." Almost 80 percent felt the same about the statements "Fuel economy standards should require auto manufacturers to increase the overall fleet average to at least 55 miles per gallon," (79%) and "I am willing to pay extra for a more fuel efficient vehicle if I can recover the additional cost through lower fuel costs" (81%).
"When gas prices are high, it's always tempting to rush to trade-in for a more fuel-efficient car to save at the pump. But our research has shown that you're often better off financially to stick it out with the vehicle you have if it's less than three years old, because a new vehicle will cost you more in depreciation than you would save on gas" said Bartlett. The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted the random, nationwide telephone survey in two waves, April 5-7 and April 12-15, 2012, contacting 2,009 adults. The Center interviewed 1,702 adults in households that had at least one car.
Courtesy of AutoBlog.com
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
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