Third Coast Auto Group Official Blog
Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
Don’t let an old car cause you to miss out on the latest technology
Tuesday, April 27th, 2021
How can I add hands-free calling to my car?
Buying a used car can be a great financial move for a lot of buyers. Our team of product experts could talk all day about the advantages of buying a pre-owned vehicle over a new model. One small downside to taking a pre-owned vehicle home from the Third Coast Auto Group is that people might miss out on some of the latest technology. If you have a fear of missing out, our team is here to help answer the question, ‘How can I add hands-free calling to my car?’ There is a point, not all that long ago, when the federal government mandated Bluetooth connectivity be a standard feature to help people keep their hands on the wheel. There are some easy and affordable ways to add this capability after the fact. (more…)
Are you breaking out the air fryer for Thanksgiving? Watch this first!
Tuesday, November 10th, 2020
Thanksgiving Turkey Air Fryer Tips Videos
We are just a week away from Thanksgiving and you may have chosen to scale back your plans to keep yourself and your family safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. If it will just be you and your in-house family, you probably don’t need to cook a huge turkey in the oven, when there are other modern kitchen appliances at your disposal. Our team was talking about their modified Thanksgiving dinner plans and found these Thanksgiving turkey air fryer tips videos from the professionals at Consumer Reports. Regardless of what you choose to do with your holiday season, everyone at Third Coast Auto Group wants you to have a safe and happy time with your loved ones. If a new vehicle would make that easier, come talk to us when your schedule opens up again. (more…)
What do you know about all-wheel-drive? Is it for you?
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020
What are the pros and cons of having all-wheel-drive?
One of the many great reasons to choose a pre-owned vehicle is that a buyer’s dollar can go a lot further. With that intrinsic value on the rise in the secondary vehicle market, people will be able to choose models with features and equipment that they might not otherwise be able to afford. We’ve found that all-wheel-drive is something that interests a lot of Third Coast Auto Group customers. So, what are the pros and cons of having all-wheel-drive? There are a few things you should know about this technology and how it can affect the way you drive. Let’s take a closer look at what our team of product experts found in an effort to help our customers. (more…)
Your old car can use some new technology
Monday, October 26th, 2020
Options for Aftermarket Infotainment Systems
Modern automobiles are truly incredible. We (obviously) know that Third Coast Auto Group deals in pre-owned vehicles. However, the later model cars, trucks and SUV we’ve received at our various locations have some of the most advanced technology we’ve ever seen in the automotive space. The thought occurred to some of our product experts that our customers might want to know about some options for aftermarket infotainment systems. Just because the vehicle you take home from one of our dealership locations is a few years old, does it mean you can’t have the latest technology at your fingertips. Here are a few features you might want to consider adding to your car or truck today. (more…)
Electric vehicles are coming, but they might not be ready for prime time — yet
Tuesday, October 20th, 2020
Are electric vehicles going to take over?
Third Coast Auto Group might deal in pre-owned cars, trucks and SUVs, but we still need to keep our eyes on what is going on in the new vehicle marketplace. The coming trend seems to put a lot of focus on electrified powertrains. This got us asking the question, ‘Are electric vehicles going to take over?’ In the future, there will certainly be a place for electric vehicles but that isn’t the case right now. There are some challenges the technology needs to overcome, most notably range anxiety and charging infrastructure, although there are more. This video from the popular YouTube channel Engineering Explained shows you a few other issues with the current crop of electric vehicle technology. If you’re looking for something efficient and reliable, make an appointment with us today. (more…)
Is outdated information preventing your vehicle from being at its best?
Thursday, October 15th, 2020
Does synthetic oil still cause engine leaks?
The car, truck or SUV that is sitting in someone’s driveway is likely one of the biggest assets a person can own. It only makes sense that people will want to make sure they can wring every mile they can out of that investment, and the best way to do that is to make sure that the vehicle is well-maintained. Regular maintenance is the best way to keep any vehicle of almost any age running in peak condition. One of the biggest challenges to this goal is outdated thinking. If you’re wondering, ‘Does synthetic oil still cause engine leaks,’ this is the kind of outdated information we’re talking about. While Third Coast Auto Group doesn’t have a service department, it is still a question that comes up a few times a month while we’re helping customers. Let’s take a look at a few things. (more…)
Is remote start bad?
Tuesday, March 17th, 2020
Ramifications of Remote Start on the Engine and Environment
Remote start is a trendy amenity among modern drivers. Many individuals get great pleasure from the convenience of the feature, finding it can make a big difference in time and comfort, especially on cold, icy days. Getting into a chilly vehicle is, after all, a grating pain of the sort not often found elsewhere in the modern developed world.
However, some voices of dissent have come to ruin the remote start party by arguing that the feature hurts the vehicle engine and/or the environment. Is there truth to these arguments? Is remote start bad?
(more…)Can you use regular gas in a flex-fuel vehicle?
Thursday, January 30th, 2020
Flex-fuel vehicles, or FFVs, are optimized to be able to run on special ethanol- and methanol-based fuels. But what happens if you put regular gasoline in the tank? Can regular gas be used in a flex-fuel vehice?
(more…)Are electric cars really more energy efficient?
Thursday, August 1st, 2019
Electric Cars: Environmentally Friendly or Unfriendly?
You may have heard conflicting statements tossed around about whether electric cars are more fuel-efficient than conventional cars or not. Adherents like to tout the obvious marketed qualities of these machines: the fact that they don’t burn limited, expensive fossil fuel and emit lung-clenching smog into the atmosphere, burning out the ozone and frying our poor planet.
Critics like to hold the contrarian card and point out that manufacturing demands and the fossil fuels used to produce electricity itself both contribute a fair amount of carbon pollutants of their own to the skies, perhaps even more than that pushed out by a traditional piston-powered car.
So which is it- are electric cars more energy-efficient and better for the environment or not? (more…)
Ford Co-Pilot360 To Be Standard By 2020
Friday, December 7th, 2018
While Honda and Toyota have been offering fairly extensive driver assistance safety features on their vehicles for a few years, other brands are just getting into the game. Nissan is planning to make Nissan Safety Shield a standard feature on most new Nissan vehicles by 2021, while Ford introduced a new suite of safety systems for 2019 that it plans to make standard by 2020. But what features come standard with Ford Co-Pilot360? And what models are currently available with this feature? (more…)