Third Coast Auto Group Official Blog
Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
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Is outdated information preventing your vehicle from being at its best?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 One of the biggest challenges to this goal is outdated thinking. If you’re wondering, ‘Does synthetic oil still cause engine leaks,’ this is the kind of outdated information we’re talking about.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…)
Does Honda or Toyota Offer Better Standard Safety Features?
Wednesday, October 10th, 2018
Many car manufacturers are offering ever better driver assistance features in their new vehicles. This technology can do everything from notify a driver that there is someone in their blind spot while they are driving on the highway, to stopping automatically if a pedestrian is detected in a crosswalk. Even better, more and more of these safety suites are coming standard on new vehicles. In this blog we are going to check out two heavy-hitters in the driver assistance market and pit Honda Sensing vs Toyota Safety Sense. While individual vehicles will offer different sets of features, we can share some general information about these two systems. (more…)
Ways to stop a car alarm without a keyfob
Monday, July 30th, 2018
Many cars come with what are called “nuisance alarms”. As the name implies, these are loud, obnoxious shrieking sounds that are meant to frighten off car thieves (though they are often more useful for scaring car owners and irritating neighbors). The easiest way to shut off your vehicle’s alarm is to hit the lock or alarm button on your keyfob. However, what do you do if your keyfob is broken, low on battery, or you are unfortunate enough to have a car with an alarm but not a keyfob? Here are a few ways to stop a car alarm without a keyfob. Hopefully one will work! (more…)
Tips for finding the right infotainment system
Friday, July 20th, 2018
What are the best infotainment systems on used cars?
One of the things that you may be looking for in your next pre-owned vehicle is an advanced technology system. What are the best infotainment systems on used cars? Honestly, the best technology systems are those that work the best for you. But what should you be looking for when you shop? Whether you are moving into a vehicle with a tape deck or the latest streaming radio technology, here are some things to keep in mind on the test drive. (more…)
What is electronic stability control and how does it prevent accidents?
Thursday, June 14th, 2018
While many new cars are available with flashy safety features like automatic emergency braking and autonomous cruise control (which will independently adjust your cruise control speed so you don’t ram into a slow car in front of you on the highway) there are some simpler technology options that have made a big difference. One of these is electronic stability control. What is electronic stability control and how does it prevent accidents? (more…)