Monday Maintenance Tip: Fuel Economy

Drive Sensably

Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.

Observe the Speed Limit

While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.

Remove Excess Weight

Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2 percent. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.

Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling can use a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour, depending on engine size and air conditioner (AC) use. Turn off your engine when your vehicle is parked. It only takes a few seconds worth of fuel to restart your vehicle. Turning your engine on and off excessively, however, may increase starter wear.

Use Cruise Control

Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.

Use Overdrive Gears

When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.

Courtesy of FuelEconomy.gov

Buick Sheds its Image as a Brand for the Elderly

New products help automaker reduce average buyer age by 6 years

General Motors Co.'s Buick brand did something over the past five years that no other automaker did in the U.S.: It lowered the average age of its customer.

In an industry that from 2007 to 2011 saw its average customer age grow by three years to 51, Buick's average customer's age fell from 62 to 59, according to market researcher R.L. Polk. & Co.

"They've changed their product portfolio, they're discounting the Lucerne — and the Regal has done quite well and they're targeting it toward a younger customer," said Tom Libby, a senior automotive analyst for Polk. Still, Buick has the second-highest average customer age, behind Lincoln. "Also the Verano was just introduced and is targeted toward a younger customer," Libby noted.

Buick no longer wants to be known for gray-haired drivers in mundane sedans. The brand's own marketing research shows an even more dramatic fall than Polk's numbers — from age 65 to 59 over five years. And that age continues to fall.

Buick executives and analysts say the brand is reaching younger and new-to-GM customers through the compact Verano sedan that launched in December (the average customer age is 57, but is trending down) and the Regal, including its GS performance model. A Regal GS customer on average is 43 years old, according to Buick.

More new products are on the way that could help drive that average age even lower. A turbo Verano with an optional manual transmission will be available for the 2013 model year, and Buick's all-new 2013 Encore crossover hits dealer lots early next year. Libby said Buick will win customers with the Encore, as the compact crossover segment "tends to appeal to a younger demographic in general."

But more importantly, some at Buick and GM say, is that 41 percent of Buick buyers are new to the brand.

Chris Dawkins, 31, of Southfield is young and new to Buick.

"I don't look at Buick as an older person's brand any longer," said Dawkins, who last week leased a white-diamond 2012 Regal GS for four years, trading in a 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T.

Dawkins, a human resources manager, husband and father of two, said he loves the Regal GS for its European looks and its manual transmission. "The Regal just caught my attention," he said. "The regular version Regal is pretty nice, but when I saw the GS, it really drew me in."

But it was actually the Verano and its commercial featuring alternative rock band the Neon Trees that caught his eye. Initially, he and his wife, Amber Dawkins, 31, went to a Buick dealership shopping for a new car for her. Instead, he got one and she's still debating options.

Fleet retooled for appeal

Buick sales were up 14.3 percent in 2011, though sales remain down from pre-recession levels.

The brand's first-quarter sales were off by 16.5 percent from the same period in 2011. But Buick is without the Lucerne, which ended production with the 2011 model year; it is reducing fleet sales; and its incentives are lower than a year ago, Buick spokesman Nick Richards said. Buick retail sales for March were up 6 percent.

Dealers such as Sam Slaughter, owner of Sellers Buick GMC Inc. in Farmington Hills, where Dawkins leased his new Buick, said they are seeing different Buick customers today.

"In the past, Buicks were pretty much for older people and people who didn't really care about performance," Slaughter said. "We see people trading in BMWs and Acuras, which we've never seen before."

Buick also is working to reach new customers through culinary Discovery Tours, including one that wrapped in February. During the tour, Buick visited 10 cities, inviting 1,000 people in each to test-drive Buicks, participate in a wine-pairing lesson and watch a cooking demonstration led by a celebrity chef. The average age attending the tour was 45 with an average household income of $100,000-plus.

Those surveyed after the tours said their favorable opinion of Buick more than doubled and their consideration of Buick products nearly doubled, said Nick Richards, a Buick spokesman.

Bringing in new buyers

Lowering the customer age for Buick, and for Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln brand, is critical, said Jesse Toprak, vice president of market intelligence for TrueCar.com

"The buyers are pretty loyal; however, they're aging and they're not going to be around forever," he said. "So you've got to figure out at some point how to bring in new customers."

Toprak said Buick began attracting a younger crowd with the now out-of-production Rendezvous crossover, which at one point had a waiting list of buyers in Los Angeles.

Across the industry, buyers 40 and younger are less loyal than generations before, which means it may be easier to get them to try a brand, Toprak said. "It's also harder to keep them in the brand, which means the product really needs to live up to the expectations, and you've got to follow up."

Buick expects the Encore, for example, to fare especially well with two groups of buyers: 25- to 30-year-olds and empty-nesters, perhaps in their early 50s, said Lloyd Biermann, a Buick marketing manager.

General Motors Co. North American President Mark Reuss said he's not as concerned about demographics, as long as he's getting new people into vehicles through programs such as Experience Buick, a new 24-month lease program. The zero-down lease program with extras launched in mid-March.

"That's a huge deal for us," Reuss said during an interview at the New York International Auto Show this month. "So it's service, it's OnStar, it's all that, and so we're going to bring in some people that may have not tried the car before."

Buick will continue to tout the new lease program through a new television ad featuring actor Ving Rhames, which is set to debut today. It also hired 7-foot-1 basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal as a pitchman for an ad showing the space in the LaCrosse — plus its 36 miles per gallon highway fuel economy with eAssist technology

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120423/AUTO0103/204230342#ixzz1tHolpsSe

Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.

Beck & Masten is selling fater than a Justin Verlander Fastball!

Pardon Our Mess

Our construction is coming along nicely. Thank you for being understanding.We have some excellent pictures of our progress. Check them out or stop in this week!

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GMC : Higher Standard

"There are good ideas, there are great ideas, then, there are ideas that meet a higher standard, and those are the only ideas that make in into our trucks and SUVs."

 

Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Coolant Flush

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Coolant Flush – How Often is Needed?

Real coolant flush entails removing all the fluid that is in the cooling system and replacing it with fresh one. The best method of removing all the fluid is hooking the car to the machine that will remove it while at the same time, it puts in fresh fluid. The coolant flush machine puts in the right amount of fluid.

 The machines circulate the fluid in the vehicle cooling system for a number of times. This removes any kind of debris that could have accumulated for a long time. This is the only way that one can consider to have received the service that has been done in the right way.

Refills and Drainage

Coolant flush is usually confusing to many people as many think that it involves just draining and then refilling cooling system. There are others who assume that it is done by hooking it up to the flush machine and back flushing the system.

The difference between refill or drain and engine coolant flush is big. Draining and refilling is straight forward and has no difficulties while a flush needs one to have a coolant flush kit, draining and refilling just includes the drainage of a radiator and the reservoir.

It is then refilled with the some new fluid.  Before draining and refilling it is important to make arrangements on how the fluid should be drained as the old fluid cannot be poured down a drain or on the street.

Coolant Flushes and Solvents

Clearing contamination in the engine coolant system might be necessary  but  using a flush solvent  or any element  that  is used to clean  the cooling  system  will do more damage than  good. Getting the cooling system flushed using the flushing machine might be the right way but it is important to first ask is coolant flush necessary?

This depends on the reasons that have prompted the car owner to consider it but at times it might not be necessary and the cost can be saved. However there could be reasons why someone feels that it is necessary to have a it done and not just because there is coolant flush coupon that would cater for part of the cost.

 

If the PH of the cooling fluid is not the right one, there is a need to for flushing. It is also important to do a flush if it is noted that the coolant has been discolored. When carrying out such service the BMW and Toyota coolant flush cost might be different depending on where it is done but it is necessary to use a flush machine.

 

The advantage of using the flush machine is that there is an assurance that almost all the old coolant will be flushed out. Draining and refilling just removes only 50 to 60 percent of old fluid.

Frequency of Coolant Flushes

When it comes to maintenance of the cooling system that involves coolant flush how often should it be done? This is something that does not need to carry out frequently. There are mechanics who advise their clients to do it every year but it is not necessary and will only increase servicing cost for nothing.

Most of the cars that were built after the early year of 1990s have coolant that can last for at least five years or even longer. For all this period, no maintenance is required. Although this is a good service when there is a necessity to have it done, coolant flushing can be imposed on the customers who do not understand about the time when it should be done by mechanics who want to make extra cash.

 The best thing to do after being informed by mechanic that there is a need for coolant flushing is to find out the exact reason why it should be done. Check your car manual; it is about 50,000 miles interval before it is needed for such thorough cleaning service.

Coolant Test Strips

It is possible to establish if there is a need for coolant flush even without the help of a mechanic. This is done by using by using testing strips that can be bought from most of the stores that sell auto spares. These strips make it possible to determine whether the coolant has the right PH.

 

By using the test strips one can establish the level of freeze protection and if there is a need for more additives. If it is necessary for such service the coolant flush kit instructions should be followed. Ensure that everything is needed and ready before starting the exercise.

 

Courtesy of CoolantFlush.net

For EVs, 'green' is a Matter of Location

Greenhouse footprint compares to gasoline cars in many areas

Apparently, location, location, location is the latest twist on electric vehicles and the environment: Whether an electric car such as the Nissan Leaf protects the atmosphere from greenhouse gases depends on where it's charged, according to a new study. Such a car is no better than a standard gasoline-powered subcompact such as a Hyundai Elantra in cities such as Detroit and Wichita, but far exceeds even the best hybrids in Southern California.

That's the findings of a study of electricity generation, greenhouse gas emissions and electric vehicles by the Union of Concerned Scientists. The variations in how beneficial an electric vehicle is for reducing pollution that causes global warming result from regional differences in how electricity is generated.

The scientific organization, which is a vocal proponent for federal requirements mandating increased fuel efficiency in vehicles, said in regions covering 45 percent of the nation's population, "electricity is generated with a larger share of cleaner energy resources — such as renewables and natural gas — meaning that EVs produce lower global warming emissions than even the most efficient gasoline hybrids."

But in regions where coal still makes up a large percentage of the electricity grid mix, including most of lower Michigan, the most efficient gasoline-powered hybrid vehicles will yield lower global warming emissions than an electric vehicle.

However, electric vehicles tend to reduce oil consumption in nearly all regions, the group said.

The Union of Concerned Scientists also said that electric vehicle drivers can save $750 to $1,200 a year compared with operating an average new compact gasoline vehicle with a fuel economy rating of 27 miles per gallon that is fueled with gasoline at $3.50 per gallon.

The savings depend on how much a local utility charges for electricity and that varies widely between regions. Regardless of location, that range of savings requires charging on the lowest-cost electricity plan and that may require a switch from their current rate plan to the most advantageous one — often limiting time of use to night hours — offered by their utility.

From The Detroit News

Thank-You Robert Wolf for ALWAYS going above and beyond for our valued guests.

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Beck and Masten                                                                                                                  

18 April 2012

C/o  Pete Trammell, General Manager

Re: Robert Wolf

Mr. Trammell,

While visiting family in Houston for the weekend, I commented about wanting to trade my Sierra 1500 in on a Yukon. My cousin had recently purchased a Denali from Robert Wolf and said we had to go see him.  On Saturday 15 April, I wandered into Beck and Masten with no intention of purchasing a new vehicle, but instead just to browse inventory.  After meeting Robert Wolf, a captivating and entertaining fellow, I found myself somehow working a deal on a new Yukon XL SLT. Robert was relaxed, confident, easy to do business with, open, and very perceptive. He asked those questions needed to uncover my needs, wants, and expectations. More importantly, he understood my initial objections and over came them.  Aggressive yet no overly so, Robert got me caught up in making a deal.  Needless to say, I drove off in a new Yukon this Saturday and felt terrific in doing so.

As a Sales Manager for a large capital goods manufacturer, I was evaluating Robert’s behaviors during the selling process. He quickly read my persona and adapted to it, ask open-ended and leading questions, uncovered my key buying decisions, understood and overcame obstacles, and CLOSED the DEAL!

You have a good salesman on your team as I am sure you well know. But it is always good to hear good news about one of your direct reports. This gentleman has made my first experience with Beck and Masten and enjoyable one.

Please give Robert Wolf an ATTABOY! And tell him to keep up the good work.

Regards,

Bill Bordelon

San Antonio, TX

HD Radio™ Technology Standard On The Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave

General Motors to be the First American Automaker to debut HD Radio "Artist Experience" feature

iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of digital HD Radio Technology for AM and FM audio and data broadcasting, announced that Chevrolet, GMC and Buick will be the first American automotive brands to offer the HD Radio "Artist Experience" feature standard on the new Traverse, Acadia and Enclave crossover utility vehicles.

HD Radio Technology is the digital evolution of AM and FM radio and delivers significant benefits for Chevrolet, GMC and Buick drivers: crystal-clear sound quality; additional local FM channels known as HD2/HD3 Channels; PSD - Program Service Data, which displays song title and artist name on the radio screen; the popular iTunes® Tagging feature which allows listeners to tag their favorite songs for later preview and purchase on iTunes.  In addition, the Traverse, Acadia and Enclave also includes the new Artist Experience feature that enables images related to the broadcast to be displayed on the radio screen, such as album cover art and station logos.  HD Radio Technology is subscription free broadcast radio.

Jeff Jury, Chief Operating Officer of iBiquity Digital said, "It's an exciting time for us with General Motors launching HD Radio Technology with our latest features like iTunes Tagging and Artist Experience.  We believe that digital radio, with new visual and interactive capabilities, is an integral feature in the digital dashboard.  And, GM is leading the standardization of these features in vehicles."

"Our customers are becoming increasingly familiar with the advantages of HD Radio Technology," said Kathleen McMahon, engineering program manager for Chevrolet, Buick and GMC infotainment solutions.  "It makes AM radio sound as sharp as an FM broadcast and it takes FM programming to a level of clarity we've never heard before.  HD Radio broadcasts also introduces fans to multiple formats and new music not offered by traditional radio stations.  For music fans, HD Radio Technology is a must."

HD Radio Technology is available nationwide, with more than 2,100 digital stations on-air, and over 1,350 HD2/HD3 digital only channels that broadcast fresh new content that can only be heard with an HD Radio receiver. A sampling of the formats on these extra channels, which vary in different markets around the country, include Dance/Electronica, Bluegrass Country, Comedy, Local Music, Chill/Coffee Shop Music, South Asian, Talk, News, and Sports, to name just a few.

HD Radio Technology will be standard on the 2013 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave later this year.

Ariel at Beck & Masten gets a thumbs-up from Lynn

"This was by far the easiest new car purchase I've ever made. Everyone was extremely pleasant to deal with through the entire process and Ariel make it painless! I will recommend Ariel and the team at Beck & Masten to all my friends when shopping for a new car." - Lynn

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Check out part-2 of 'Behind the scenes with Shaq'

Take a look behind-the-scenes with Shaq on his new Buick commercials.

Beck & Masten Buick GMC is offering $100 mail-in rebate on a set of 4 select tires!

This offer is valid on, BF Goodrich, Bridgestone, Continental, Firestone, Goodyear, Michelin, Pirelli, and many more brands.Stop by or give us a call today!

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Thanks for the nice words Tristan!

"It was a very pleasant and no pressure adventure. Thank you so much. Our sales consultant Melynda was just terrific." -Tristan

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Buick forges a compact with China. General Motors returns to segment with well-priced and well-appointed small sedan positioned in the uncrowded luxury compact category .

It's been nearly a decade-and-a-half since Buick offered a compact sedan to Canadian car buyers, so it's a bit of a stretch to call the 1997 Skylark the predecessor of the 2012 Verano.

But in terms of model continuity, that's a fact as the General Motors subsidiary jumps back into the com-pact segment, though this time with a luxury model rather than the more standard fare that was the Skylark.

Verano is the Spanish word for summer, but only North American and Chinese consumers will be able to get their hands on the 2012 Verano, which has just arrived in Buick showrooms in British Columbia.

Built on the same GM Delta II plat-form as the award-winning Chevrolet Cruze, and co-developed with Buick in China, the Verano has very few competitors in the compact luxury sedan segment. Not because it is a well-built, well-priced and well-appointed vehicle - all true -but because there are very few vehicles in this category priced under $30,000. By my count, one, and that sedan, the 2013 Acura ILX, won't be in B.C. showrooms until later this year.

And while pricing on the new Acura is expected to start under $30K, it's unlikely to start in the sub-$25K neighbourhood that the Verano base model begins at ($22,500 to be exact).

Starting on the outside, the new Verano doesn't exactly scream luxury car, though liberal use of chrome accents does give it added sparkle over your run-of-the-mill compact sedan. The signature Buick black grille also provides some dazzle, but what impresses me most is the shape of the sedan. The flow from that front grille over the hood to the steeply raked windshield and through the arching roofline to the short-deck trunk gives the Verano a far-from-compact silhouette, and one that is pleasing to the eye from all angles. Outfitted with the optional 18-inch alloy wheels as my tester was, the Verano strikes a sleek and somewhat aggressive poise (when was the last time you read that about a Buick?).

Inside the cabin is where the luxury part of the equation really comes to the fore, from the large and comfort-able front seats to the chunky sport steering wheel through to the uncluttered yet sophisticated dashboard. The gauge package is large and easy to read, and the brushed metal accents lend a hint of elegance to the spacious interior. There's still a little too much plastic for my tastes, and more liberal use of soft-touch materials would transform a good interior into a great one. Likewise, more side bolstering in the front seats would be welcome, particularly since the performance of this package is far from the land-yacht Buick's of yesteryear.

Indeed, on my day-long test drive of the Verano - from Burnaby to White Rock and back - I was impressed not only by the solid nature of the peppy 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but also by the sport=tuned suspension that had me hunting for off-ramps to throw the sedan into a tight turn. Can't wait to drive the 2.0-litre turbo-equipped Verano with 6-speed manual gearbox due out later this year.

Despite using the same platform as the Cruze, much of the Verano chassis is unique to the vehicle.

Highway travel is particularly impressive as the cabin noise is kept to a minimum, the result of a determined effort on the part of GM engineers to make this the quietest Buick ever - which they claim to have achieved thanks to laminated side glass, extra foam insulation and foam in the wheel wells.

One limiting factor of the Verano is its compact size, and as you'd expect back seat passengers are a little squeezed if six-footers are up front, though trunk space is surprisingly ample for a car in this segment.

2012 Buick LaCrosse with e-Assist mates 4-cylinder with electric motor

(General Motors/Associated Press) - This June 2011 photo made available by General Motors shows a 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist technology.

By Associated Press, Published: April 11

  Finally, there’s a Buick LaCrosse sedan that puts many of today’s most topical fuel economy features into its base model, at no extra charge.

The new, 2012 Buick LaCrosse lineup has a base model with four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor, with regenerative braking, wind-smoothing, aerodynamic touches and automatic engine stop at traffic lights, to deliver improved gasoline mileage. It’s called the LaCrosse with eAssist.

 

A LaCrosse with only four cylinders isn’t offered anymore, because who would want it?

The 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist delivers 6 more miles per gallon in both city and highway driving than a solitary four cylinder did in the 2011 LaCrosse, according to federal government estimates.

Specifically, the 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist is rated by the federal government at 25 miles per gallon in the city and 36 mpg on the highway.

This compares with 19/30 mpg for the 2011 LaCrosse with four cylinders and no eAssist.

Better yet, real-world, combined city and highway driving, as opposed to government laboratory testing that provides those government fuel rankings, can net between 31 mpg and 33 mpg in the LaCrosse with eAssist, based on the test car and federal government posting of real driver data.

Plus, the 2012 LaCrosse earned five out of five stars for driver and front-passenger protection in government front crash testing and five out of five stars for front-seat occupant protection in a side crash. Rear-seat occupant protection in a side crash garnered four out of five stars.

To be sure, the LaCrosse, which is Buick’s most expensive sedan in terms of base price, doesn’t come cheaply.

Starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $31,045 for a base, 2012 LaCrosse with front-wheel drive, 182-horsepower, Ecotec, four-cylinder engine mated to a 15-kilowatt electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission. This base car doesn’t have leather interior, navigation system, rearview camera, rear park assist, sunroof or power-adjustable front passenger seat.

Buyers must move up to models with options and packages to get these items. As an example, the test car had leather-trimmed seats, eight-way, power front passenger seat, navigation and rear park assist, among other items, and topped out at more than $37,000.

The 2012 LaCrosse is available with all-wheel drive, too. But it comes only with a 303-horsepower V-6. A V-6-powered, 2012 LaCrosse has a starting retail price of $35,745. The government fuel economy rating is 16/26 mpg.

LaCrosse competitors include the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, which has a 156-horsepower four cylinder mated to an electric motor. Starting retail price is $35,630, and the government fuel economy rating is 41/36 mpg. Because the MKZ Hybrid is tuned to tap its electric power frequently in slower-speed driving, its city mileage is higher than the highway mileage, where the engine is the primary power source.

Another competitor to the LaCrosse is the non-hybrid, 2012 Acura TL sedan, which starts at $35,705 and is rated at 20/29 mpg.

The All New Buick LaCrosse is even big enough to fit Shaq comfortably. Check it out!

Check out the 2013 SRT Viper, with a 600+ HP V-10.

David has a great experience at Beck & Masten Buick GMC

"I left Beck and Masten the same day as an extremely happy customer, and in the car I wanted. Thomas certainly earned our business, and we will definitely return for future purchases. Thanks!!" -David

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