Favorite Tech Features for Safety and Comfort!

Something that we absolutely love about the cars from Santa Ana Volvo Dealers is that most of them come standard with leather seats. It truly is the little things in life that make it worth living, and there are tons of features that you can put on your vehicles these days to make them the best thing since sliced bread. When you visit Palm Bay Lincoln Mercury to check out the great deals on the remaining Mercury merchandise, pay special attention to the options that your car comes with. Chances are that over time, you have figured out what you really can’t live without when it comes to owning a vehicle. Keep that list in mind when you find yourself choosing a vehicle at Pohanka Honda Of Salisbury, because a vehicle is probably the second most expensive item most of us will buy in our lifetime.

While it is not the most fun topic to talk about in the world, safety is a huge concern when purchasing a vehicle. Technology has come a long ways, and by 2012 all vehicles will come standard with electronic stability control. Until that happens, be choosy and make sure your vehicle has ESC. Also, if you are going to be driving in inclement weather, really think about getting all-wheel drive. Two heads are better than one, and four wheels spinning are better than two wheels spinning out of control. The last safety technology that will really make your life easier is having a back-up camera or even rearview camera in-dash. A lot of cameras are only active while you are in reverse, but sometimes you want to know what is behind you and the newer technologies also scan around your vehicle to make sure you won’t hit anything to your side.

For the better things in life, consider getting in-dash GPS navigation. This usually also includes a built-in hard-drive so that you can load and store all of your music right in your car. Now you don’t have to worry about suction cups falling off your windshield and breaking your portable navigation device, and you also don’t have to worry about forgetting your MP3 player when you are stuck in traffic. Another feature you might want to consider splurging for is back-seat entertainment. Yes, you can always get them installed later, but the dealerships do a great job and the whole system is seamless and streamlined.

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Soul and Gadgets!

When you go furniture shopping, one of the key points the sales people always make is how many hours per day you spend using that furniture.  Think of how many hours of your life are spent in your bed or on the couch?  When you look at it that way, you want to make sure you make a solid investment on something that will last and be comfortable.  The same kind of thing goes for cars.  You want to spend your money wisely on a vehicle, perhaps from New York Dodge Dealers, that will last you more than a few years.  But, as the technology inside the cars at Worcester Nissan Dealers and other auto brands continues to increase, cars are becoming quickly outdated. 

The goal of the car game now is to stay ahead of the competition so that way your product will last longer than others.  Cars are changing technologically as fast as cell phones, but cars cost a lot more!  Sure, you could get the versatile Honda Fit from New Orleans Honda Dealers, but is it going to meet all of your technology needs?  Well, you could always go with the funky cool Kia Soul!  This boxy little car can't decide if it is a hatchback or a crossover compact SUV.  Like your mother always said, don't judge a book by its cover and it really is what is on the inside that counts!

The Kia Soul comes stocked with loads of gadgets that other cars just don't have.  There are pulsating lights on the speakers that correlate with the current song you are listening to.  All the models come Bluetooth ready, so your cell phone will be welcomed by the new car.  There is an auxiliary jack as well as integration for the iPod so you can control your iPod from the car's audio controls.  That makes it far safer than scrolling through music while you are driving. 

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Ambient Lights: More than Looking Cool.

Imagine it is a cold, stormy, rainy night and you need to get into your Ford Escape to drive home.  You might wish at that moment that you had opted for the Flex, Fusion, Focus, or Mustang instead.  These four models from Ford come equipped with ambient lighting, a nice feature that is simple enough for auto makers to install.  Plus, drivers love how it makes the inside of your car almost feel more like a home, and it makes you feel more safe even.  The Acura line up at Honda Cleveland has been using ambient lighting for some time to set themselves apart from their Honda counterpart, so that Acura seems even more of a luxury and high quality vehicle.  Some of the cars from your any Volkswagen Dealer also feature the calming technology.  So why is ambient lighting becoming more and more popular?

When it is night time, you don't want to be completely in the dark in your vehicle but at the same time you don't want bright lights because then you create a hazy glare.  Lights inside when it is dark outside can be really distracting to the driver and even cause accidents.  Hence came the development of ambient lighting.  For a long time, blue was the color of choice for ambient lighting.  However, according to surveys, drivers find the blue light still fairly bright and prefer reds or oranges. 

Plus, think of when you go to dinner with your loved ones.  Sitting in the bright light does not feel special at all.  But if you go to dinner with a spouse or romantic partner and you are sitting in an intimate restaurant by candlelight, everything has a more pristine glow about it.  Edges are softened and things seem so much better.  The ambient lighting will give drivers and consumers the impression that their vehicle is of great quality, which will also make them think that it is safer.  And, it just looks cool!

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Infotainment: Made to Last

When you go and take advantage of current Ford Incentives, chances are you plan on driving that vehicle for at least three years if not longer.  How long do you own your cell phone before upgrading it?  Most cell phone contracts are only two years, and many consumers are in the mindset that they have to have the best thing available, meaning they might change their phone every 6 months or so.  Well, consumers are not able to go out and buy a brand new vehicle every six months; it just doesn't make sense!  But auto makers are realizing that no one wants to have the technology in their new car from VW Peoria suddenly outdated and over priced.  We bet the people who first purchased Sync as an option on their new Focus from Saginaw Ford Lincoln Mercury dealer are frustrated because not only is Sync far more capable than it used to be but it also comes standard on the entire line up; no optional fee!

Ford is now offering MyFord Touch in their vehicles, which allows users to download applications similar to those you have on your smartphone.  Stitcher is one of the applications that will first be available, and it allows its users to manage a collection of talk-radio programs.  Currently, Ford is working with TeleNav Inc., a company that makes GPS systems for cell phones.  TeleNav is hoping to have their navigation system be used with Ford's Sync system.  San Francisco and Silicon Valley are going to become increasingly popular areas as it won't just be cell phone executives visiting the software firms, but now corporations like Ford, Chrysler, and Toyota are in the infotainment race and want to create partnerships with these smart firms like Pandora Media Inc.  Some people worry that all the technology available in the cars will increase driver distractions, but many auto brands have disabled several features while the car is in motion.  You have to program everything while the car is in park and Sync is fully voice activated.

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MyFord Touch Review

Kia has UVO, GM and Cincinnati Chevy has OnStar, the vehicles at VW Peoria Dealer come with Bluetooth hands free, and yet the reign of the kingdom still belongs to Ford and their Sync system.  Only now, it is going under a redesign and the new and improved model is known as MyTouch.  Currently, the Sync system is available on the entire line up of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles.  This great hands free voice activated system comes standard, while other auto brands will charge you a pretty penny for the upgrade.  It comes as no surprise that Los Angeles BMW vehicles have an equivalent of sorts, called iDrive, that connects drivers to their phones, music, and navigation simply by plugging their smartphones into the adapter provided. 

MyFord Touch will be available first on the 2011 Ford Edge, 2011 Ford Focus, and the 2011 Lincoln MKX.  Similar to the Sync controls, drivers will be able to access their smartphones via voice commands or there are the controls on the steering wheels if you prefer.  The controls on the steering wheel resemble that of the thumb controls many iPod users are familiar with.  With a goal of having 80% of the Ford Motor Company vehicle line up equipped with MyFord Touch by 2015, Ford is banking on the fact that the technology will be a success in the three guinea pig models. 

MyFord Touch will allow drivers to have access to the internet and keep you connected to your social networking media platforms.  The applications that users will first have access to include Pandora internet radio, Stitcher news, and social networking giant Twitter.  When the car is in park, the drivers can use the touch screen to access the internet.  Otherwise, passengers can simply convert their vehicle into a WiFi hotspot by using an air card in the appropriate USB port.  Plus, Ford is busy collaborating with several third-party developers so that the applications you download on your smartphones will be accessible from the MyFord Touch voice activated system!

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Kearns' Intermittent Wipers

Have you ever looked at a simple item and wondered who invented it and how incredibly wealthy they must be?  It is rumored that the inventor of Post-It Notes is one of the wealthiest people and corporations to date.  Think about some of the amazing new technological features that come on your vehicles today; air conditioning, cruise control, navigation, dual zone climate control, and the list can go on and on.  Vehicles from a Volkswagen Dealer come either in standard gas engines, hybrid models, or the diesel TDI; those are impressive technologies, and VW is able to do all of them incredibly well.  What about something simple, like intermittent windshield wipers, that come standard on vehicles from Toyota Dealer Minneapolis and Bradenton Mazda Dealer, as well as every vehicle sold on the market today.  Such a simple piece of history makes all of our driving lives much easier and more enjoyable. 

Well, you have to give credit to Robert Kearns for the intermittent windshield wiper.  The feature first became available on automobiles in 1969 and the technology has only slightly been improved on with certain brands and models, like the Ford Focus offers increased levels of intermittent so that you can adjust the time between wiper intervals.  The more interesting thing about this useful piece of technology is that Kearns had to sue domestic auto names Ford and Chrysler for patent infringement.  Both of these were extremely drawn out litigation processes, with the Ford one beginning in 1978 and finally being settled in 1990.  The courts ruled in Kearns' favor, and Ford paid him $10.1 million and both parties agreed that that would be the end. 

Kearns sued Chrysler in 1982, and after spending approximately $10 million for legal fees, Kearns was awarded $30 million from Chrysler in 1995.  There were processes started by Kearns and his family to sue Mercedes-Benz, GM, and a few Japanese auto brands, but some filing deadlines were missed and the suits never were officially filed.  If you would like to learn more about this auto technology story, there was a movie made based on the true events called "Flash of Genius."

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Innovation Taking Higher Steps...

As technology moves forward, making it inevitable to have a vehicle that is not a safety conscious car. As the years go by, the better we are coming up with fuel efficiency to computers in cars with the usb ports. None the less, new technology is important to the automaker and consumer. Delphi Technologies has released the multimode Electronically Scanning Radar making safety in a new dimension. It enables the Adaptive cruise control with collision warning, brake support and collision mitigation with brake support. What does this all mean? Most dealers could assist you if you do not already know,Greensboro Nissan Dealer can make any technology questions easier on you. With some of the technology that come in vehicles even Peoria VW Dealer might have to assist twice in teaching you all the perks that come with these new space age vehicles. Bluetoothing, Navigation, hard drives and phone books that are now in vehicles Birmingham GMC Dealers almost want to make classes to inform all their customers all the features their vehicle can do.

Delphi Technologies is constantly revolving the technology, spinning out new features to better driving to hopefully prevent collisions. The Electronic Scanning Radar (ESR) provides two different measurement modes. While at the same time the Electronic Scanning Radar has long range coverage that provides accurate range and speed data that can detect object in the wide mode. The mid range coverage can alert you to vehicles to cutting in front of you and will alert you to pedestrians or any other vehicle that is across the width of the vehicle it is equipped in.

Where can you find this technology? What vehicles is it already in? What does it really mean? Well, while most of us are a little under radar when it comes to auto gurus, it doesn't take us long to catch on. This new Electronically Scanning Radar is featured on the new Ford C-Max and the Volvo S60. Then I'm sure it will fade into every automaker's vehicle because when technology is this good, it usually gets around. The Volvo S60 collision mitigation system features the full speed range of adaptive cruise control plus collision warning with full automatic braking power. This system uses both camera and radar indications to warn any driver of a potential collision with another vehicle or pedestrian and will brake if the driver is not capable to. Cars will soon not need people to drive, they will just need to be in the driver’s seat.

Cars will soon be of the "space age" with all the awesome programs and gadgets that will be on them. As for me, my new car doesn't even have a key, I do not have to even get the FOB out of my purse. Making getting in the car that much faster.