Category Archives: Technology

A stock photo of a person plugging in an electric vehicle to charge its battery.

Electric vehicles are coming, but they might not be ready for prime time — yet

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Posted in Technology

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.  Read the rest of this entry >>

A stock photo of a person checking the oil in their vehicle.

Is outdated information preventing your vehicle from being at its best?

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Posted in FAQs, Technology, Tips and Tricks

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 One of the biggest challenges to this goal is outdated thinking. If you’re wondering, ‘Does synthetic oil still cause engine leaks,’ this is the kind of outdated information we’re talking about.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.  Read the rest of this entry >>

A being savors the activation of remote start in a wintry clime while a concerned bird flies overhead.

Is remote start bad?

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Posted in FAQs, Technology

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?

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A close up of the Earth

Are Electric Cars Really More Energy Efficient?

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Posted in FAQs, Technology

Electric Cars: Environmentally Friendly or Unfriendly?

You may have heard conflicting statements about whether electric cars are more fuel-efficient than conventional cars. Adherents like to tout the obvious marketing qualities of these machines: the fact that they don’t burn limited, expensive fossil fuels and don’t emit lung-clenching smog into the atmosphere, burning out the ozone and frying our poor planet. Read this blog by Third Coast Auto Group in Austin, TX, to learn about electric cars and whether they are environmentally friendly or not.

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Ford Co-Pilot360 To Be Standard By 2020

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Posted in Ford, Technology, Tips and Tricks

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? Read the rest of this entry >>

Customer and salesman in a car

Honda Sensing vs Toyota Safety Sense

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Posted in Honda, Technology, Tips and Tricks, Toyota

Does Honda or Toyota Offer Better Standard Safety Features?

Many car manufacturers are offering ever better driver assistance features in their new vehicles. This technology can do everything from notifying a driver that there is someone in their blind spot while they are driving on the highway, to automatically stopping 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 will compare two heavy-hitters in the driver assistance market: Honda Sensing vs Toyota Safety Sense. So, does Honda or Toyota offer better standard safety features? While individual vehicles will offer different sets of features, we can share some general information about these two systems.

Read the rest of this entry >>
a key and keyfob hanging in front of a car door handle

Ways to stop a car alarm without a keyfob

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Posted in Technology, Tips and Tricks

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 key fob. Hopefully, one will work!

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car infotainment systems

Tips for finding the right infotainment system

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Posted in Technology, Tips and Tricks

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. Read the rest of this entry >>

young man with a broken car calling someone

What is electronic stability control and how does it prevent accidents?

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Posted in Technology, Used Cars

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? Read the rest of this entry >>