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WEDNESDAY » JULY 24, 2013 » The Gridley Herald
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Fast car fixes Make sure your car is in tip-top shape to withstand hot summer days and long road trips. Summer driving requires your car to run differently, and there are some adjustments and inspections that are important to ensure your vehicle lasts season to season. Follow these fast fixes and inspections to avoid roadside headaches and cruise through summer. n Tire care: Tires perform differently in different weather conditions, so as the weather changes, it’s important to check tire pressure and tire tread between seasons. To check tire tread, see if the built-in “wear bars” are visible; these are narrow strips of rubber across the tires that appear when the tread is worn down to one-sixteenth of an inch. n Be ready for summer heat: Ensuring your car is ready to withstand the summer heat is easy and affordable. First, check all of the fluid levels — coolant, transmission, differential, power steering and brake fluid — to make sure there aren’t any leaks. It’s also a good idea to change the oil between seasons, as oil gets thick and collects condensation if it sits in the engine too long. It’s also important to thoroughly clean the undercarriage of your car. n Paint protection: The bright summer sun will reveal every nick, chip and scratch in your vehicle’s paint. Restoring your ride’s original factory finish takes only minutes with touch-up paint.
did you know the most American vehicle is ... According to the annual America-Made Index by Cars.com, the most American-made vehicle of 2013 is the Ford F-150. From 2009-2012, it was the Toyota Camry.
Hyundai Santa Fe surprises M
ost stretched versions of cars are costly Euro sedans that bear an “L” designation — A8L, for example, from Audi, or BMW’s 750Li. Such cars are a few inches longer than standard, entirely for the comfort of the wellheeled passengers who are chauffeured around in the back seats. Hyundai now does the same trick with its Santa Fe crossover utility vehicle, but the extra 8.5 inches (plus slight bulges in width and height and some clever repackaging) are devoted to an entire new set of seats. No letter L, either; it’s not a limousine — the Santa Fe remains a family car, just for a larger family. The standard Santa Fe, called the Sport, is a 5-passenger wagon. The Santa Fe shown here, however, can pack seven people in three rows of seats with space for grocery bags behind. Our comfortably optioned-up Santa Fe LTD AWD stickered at just under $39,000. Real money, but real value, too. With a 6-cylinder engine good for 290 horsepower and 252 lb-ft of torque in three-row SUV that’s barely 4,000 pounds, the Santa Fe looks to be the most powerful yet also the lightest vehicle in its class. It is quiet at high speeds and accelerates without thrashing; it’s also rated to tow 5,000 pounds. Hyundai has tiptoed cunningly here between size, performance and fuel economy.
Four bars in the grille and longer windows indicate that this is the three-row version of Hyundai’s sharp-looking, strong-selling Santa Fe crossover sport-ute. Hyundai photo
Silvio Calabi
On a 165-mile run where the computer recorded an average speed of exactly 70 miles per hour in warm, dry weather, our Santa Fe went 22.9 miles on each gallon. As speed dropped, efficiency edged up to 23+ MPG. This is astonishingly close to the 24.4 overall MPG we got in the 5-place Santa Fe Sport with the 4-cylinder turbo engine. If you’re wondering how automakers squeeze ever more mileage out of cars that also are always larger,
more powerful and cushier, it’s because of new lighter, yet stronger materials (steels, mostly) and more sophisticated computerized systems that are interconnected. Here’s one example: Along with efficient, superhigh-pressure direct fuel injection and the usual stability and anti-skid nannies, the all-wheel-drive Santa Fe has Active Cornering Control. This uses sensors, software and electro-hydraulic actuators working through a multi-clutch plate to adjust the power and braking applied to each wheel all by itself. We don’t need to know how it works and we’re not even aware that it’s going on, but this makes the Santa Fe that much safer and more stable in fast cor-
How to avoid becoming a vehicle theft statistic Automobile theft is no laughing matter. It leaves people without a means of transportation, costs the public more money in insurance payments and taxes and can give anyone the feeling of being personally violated. The FBI estimates that around one million motor vehicles are stolen in the United States each year. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says that a car is stolen every three and a half minutes in Canada, an estimate that translates to approximately 420 cars per day. Auto theft costs everyone millions of dollars -- and can even cost some their lives. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the chances of a car being stolen are now significantly less than they were in 1989. That could be due to vehicle theft prevention systems that now come standard on many new cars. While not all vehicle thefts and break-ins can be prevented, there are many devices individuals can employ to help reduce the risk of vehicle theft. * Immobilizing devices: There are several types of immobilizing devices available to protect a car from theft. An immobilizing system works by preventing thieves from bypassing your ignition switch and hot-wiring your car. An immobilization device can involve a kill switch that needs to be turned on before the car will start and can be
ners, on slippery surfaces and on steep downhills ... and it also contributes incrementally to more efficient gasoline usage. One item is unique in this price range: DriverSelectable Steering Mode. The changes in steering response, from Normal to Sport to Comfort, are hard to detect — but the steering-wheel heater, part of the $2,900 Technology Package, isn’t. With a choice of three engines and front-wheel or all-wheel drive in two different sizes, at prices that start in the mid-20s and with uncountable features, the multi-mode Santa Fe has become an unusually versatile vehicle. This kind of flexible thinking — not to mention sharp improvements in reli-
Doing the
cleverly hidden. Most cars also come with specially encoded smart keys that are required to start the car. The key is unique to the make, model and VIN number of the car. * Car alarms: Car alarms work as a deterrent to theft, but they do not always prevent theft. The alarm sounds when the vehicle is tampered with or the door is opened, but many people have become desensitized to car alarms because of the frequency of “false alarms” from car owners setting the alarms off themselves. Therefore, they may no longer be as effective as they once were. In addition, many thieves can disarm an alarm in a matter of seconds. * Hood and tire locks: Locks that are installed on different parts of the car or truck can also deter thieves. A hood lock stops a potential thief from getting under the hood and gaining access to the en-
gine and wiring. Tire locks are special devices that require a unique tool to remove the tire. This can help prevent tire theft and may give thieves pause as to what other anti-theft devices are on the car. * Tracking devices: There are devices, like Lojack, that are designed to pinpoint the position of a car. It uses FM radio frequencies to help police recover the car. Some people also purchase after-market GPS devices that will show their vehicle’s location on a
There are other steps to take to prevent vehicle thefts and break-ins. * Whenever possible, park in well-illuminated areas. * Never leave your car unlocked. * Keep valuables, including money, out of site in your car. * Be mindful of where you keep your car keys. * When parking in unfamiliar neighborhoods, park in public pay-lots that have security present. * Give valet parkers your valet key, so they won’t have access to a trunk or glove compartment. * Know your car alarm sound and be aware of it.
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Silvio Calabi reviews the latest from Detroit, Munich, Yokohama, Gothenburg, Crewe, Seoul and wherever else interesting cars are born. Calabi is a member of the International Motor Press Association. He is the former publisher of Speedway Illustrated magazine and an author. Contact him at
[email protected].
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g Since 19
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1742 HIGHWAY 99 GRIDLEY
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computer or smartphone. * OnStar: This system was originally designed to be a crash-notification system, but it now offers other helpful services. Individuals can use OnStar for directions, to unlock their vehicles and now to slow down their cars and trucks if they have been stolen. OnStar comes preinstalled on many General Motors cars.
ability, drivability, comfort, looks and technology as well as those famous warranties (five years or 60,000 miles transferable on a new vehicle, seven years rust protection and 10 years or 100,000 miles on the powertrain) plus five years of complimentary roadside assistance — has doubled Hyundai sales in America in the past decade.
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