On the left — dull, cloudy headlight lens. On the right — a lens after the cleaning procedure with sandpaper and finish polish. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

I had, in recent days, been pondering getting a new or late-model used car. There are many nice ones to choose from, but in the end, my wife and I decided to keep our old car and instead spend our money on travel. We have a “bucket list” of places we wish to travel to, and it’s an either/or situation based on cost. New car OR travel. Travel won.

To keep our old cars looking good, and consequently in condition that makes them proud to own and serviceable, I’ll offer a couple of tips that are very inexpensive but very beneficial to the life of your car or truck in future columns — beginning with repairing cloudy headlights

Except on a few much older vehicles with “sealed beam” headlights where you replace the whole light assembly when they burn out — modern vehicles have a headlight assembly with replaceable halogen light bulbs. This is usually an easy do-it-yourself job if you do have a light burn out. Just be sure not to handle the glass on the bulb, as the high temperature and the oil on your fingers can shorten the life of the bulb. The problem that really arises is that over time, some of the lenses become very dull and cloud up. They look bad, all yellow and opaque — and the light does not shine through very well. This reduces the distance one can illuminate the road at night — a safety issue.

Fortunately, there is a fix that does not involve replacement of the expensive headlight assembly. The lenses can be polished back to their original clear state. There are two ways to go about it. One way is to use an electric buffing machine and various degrees of polishing compounds. This works fast, but one needs a good buffer to do this. Body and detail shops have this equipment, and will, of course, charge appropriately for their time.

The second way involves a little of your money and some of your time. This is to use several different grades of WET OR DRY sandpaper and some polish. You will need a bucket of water, something to sit on, sandpaper, polish and some clean cloth towels or good soft paper towels. Auto parts stores sell kits for polishing headlights — but I’ve noted that these kits are quite expensive considering what little they contain. You can assemble the same stuff for much less with a trip to a hardware store or auto paint supply store.

You will need: 1 sheet of 120 grit WET OR DRY sandpaper, 1 sheet of 320 grit WET OR DRY sandpaper, and 1 sheet of 600 grit WET OR DRY sandpaper and a bottle of finishing polishing compound such as 3M’s One Step Cleaner and Wax or Maguire’s Mirror Glaze. You can also buy the “plastic cleaner” products both manufacturers sell. 3M sells a Lens Polish and Protector, too, but it may be harder to find. Both claim the use of the cleaner and polish together will clear your headlight lenses — but at the same time sell the kits with all the sandpaper needed, too. Sandpaper may come in five-packs — try to find some place to buy just one sheet, because that’s all you’ll need. Do not use ordinary dry sandpaper on plastic lenses.

I’ll assume your headlights are in really sad shape. If not, you can skip right to using the polish. First, with a bucket half-filled with water (warm makes it more pleasant to do). Fold and tear the sandpaper into quarter sheets to make a manageable size. Fold the quarter again. Now, dip the 120-grit paper in the water and begin to sand on the surface of the lenses. As the sandpaper fills with plastic grit, swish it around in the bucket to remove the grit. Keep the paper wet. Each time you completely sand the surface of the lens, wipe with a damp towel to remove the grit. It will take a lot of sanding with the 120-grit to get down to the good plastic. Repeat with the 320-grit paper, then the 600-grit paper. It will look like you are making things worse at first, but as you work your way up through the finer grades of sandpaper, the lenses will begin to clear up as you make finer and finer scratches.

After thoroughly washing the lenses with fresh water and drying them with a clean towel, it is time for the polish. Using a soft towel or applicator, polish, polish, polish the surface. Wipe and buff off the haze with a soft towel each time you have finished a small area (old diapers work great). It will take several repeats to get a crystal clear lens. Step back and admire your work. Your car or truck will look like new! Now, don’t let them get so bad that it takes all that work (about an hour). Clean the lenses regularly with plastic cleaner and polishing a bit, and it will be much easier to keep them looking great.

From the May 16-22, 2012, issue

Distracted driving is receiving lots of attention — in the media and in the legislature. One cause of distracted driving is use of electronic devices, and since January, new federal regulations prevent commercial drivers from holding mobile phones while driving. In many states and communities, local laws extend this restriction of talking or texting on mobile phones to include private citizens.

Thirty-five states have banned texting while driving, and about a third of those also require phone usage to be hands-free.

These laws are coming to light for good reason. More than 18 percent of fatalities in distraction-related crashes involved a mobile phone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And two-thirds of Americans report they support restricting the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving, according to a survey by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

For businessmen and women, smartphones are a lifeline to getting business done — while on the road. The smartphone has become their entire office — handling phone calls, e-mails and viewing documents.

Because of quickly advancing technology, people are more reliant on mobile phones for both personal and business use. Hands-free devices are allowing people to keep both hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, while still being able to take calls and handle e-mail using their voice.

The Plantronics Marque M155 Bluetooth headset is discreet and lightweight — a hands-free device design to fit a smartphone user’s communication style. If a call were to come in while you’re behind the wheel, just say “answer” to hold the conversation. Texting, tweeting and managing e-mails also can be done using your voice so you can enjoy your ride and keep your eyes on the road.

If you’re always on the go — whether it’s on the road or moving from one meeting to another — the Plantronics Voyager PRO HD offers maximum performance with crystal clear audio quality and extended battery life. The over-the-ear design is perfect for all-day wear so you can spend your day on the road without missing any of your work.

Legislation is getting tougher on mobile phone use, and the penalties are pretty steep. For example, the federal law preventing commercial drivers from holding mobile phones can result in a $2,750 fine, along with the risk of license revocation. Various states have various laws restricting mobile phone use. Since last July, New York — which restricts drivers from texting and driving — has issued 119,000 tickets to texting drivers.

From the May 16-22, 2012, issue

The average driver today estimates a vehicle should go for more than 200,000 miles before sending it into retirement, according to a new national survey conducted by Kelton Research. With nearly nine in 10 vehicle owners more concerned with engine upkeep than their vehicle’s aesthetics on the inside or outside, car owners are looking for as much longevity out of their vehicle as possible.

The survey also finds 85 percent of drivers are more concerned about the longevity of their vehicles as compared to their homes. With engine health top-of-mind with consumers in today’s economic climate, the time to pay extra attention to your vehicle to help keep it running healthy is now.

Even though some cars might not run as well as they used to once they reach 75,000 miles, car owners do not begin to consider their vehicle “old” until it hits the 147,000-mile mark. The reality: it’s never too early to take the extra steps to promote long vehicle life.

One of the most effective ways to help keep your high-mileage car “running young” is using a high-quality motor oil formulated for that purpose. Quaker State Defy, the motor oil designed to more effectively meet the changing needs of higher mileage engines and help these engines defy time, is formulated to help higher mileage engines fight wear. The technology in new Quaker State Defy motor oil makes it so durable that independent tests prove it can virtually stop future wear in the engine. For more information, visit www.quakerstate.com.

Following are a few additional tips:

Change engine oil frequently — Sticking with the topic of motor oil, proper lubrication is tantamount to an engine’s health, so you need to regularly replace your engine oil and oil filter. Frequent oil changes can prevent the buildup of harmful deposits that rob fuel economy and power, as well as make internal components work harder. Keeping your vehicle’s fluids new and clean is priority No. 1 when it comes to making sure your car hangs around for a long while.

Follow your vehicle owner’s manual for your recommended service intervals.

Check your tires — You can improve your gas mileage by up to 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by three-tenths of a percent for every 1 pound per square inch drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer. The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is usually found on a sticker in the driver’s side door jamb or the glove box and in your owner’s manual. Do not use the maximum pressure printed on the tire’s sidewall.

Tune it up — Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent, though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done.

Check your air filter — Replacing a clogged air filter on cars with fuel-injected, computer-controlled gasoline engines does not improve fuel economy, but it can improve acceleration time by around 6 to 11 percent, according to a study prepared for the Department of Energy. This kind of engine is prevalent on most gasoline cars manufactured from the early 1980s onward.

From the May 16-22, 2012, issue

Byron Dragway kicks off its season Sunday, May 6, with its ninth annual Spring Nationals, featuring a high-powered Nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars showdown.

Track record holder Anthony Bronge heads the current seven Funny Car field. He shattered Byron Dragway’s record in 2010 in the Punisher, a 1969 Camaro, which covered the quarter-mile in an amazing 5.92 seconds at 239.74 mph. He’ll be matched up with Troy Martin in the Chi-Town Hustler.

Other Funny Cars slated to compete are the Flashback Firebird, driven by Mark White; Sin City Corvette, Randy Baker; Down Under Thunder Camaro, Barry Young; Bear Town Shaker Mustang, Brian Stewart; and Man O War Mustang, Paul Romines, a former NHRA touring pro.

“This is the largest Funny Car race gathering at Byron since the 1970s,” said B.J. Vangsness, track owner.

The day’s action also will include the Chicago Wise Guys, which are six-second Pro Mods; Midwest Top Sportsmen, six- and seven-second Door Slammers; Victory Nostalgia Super Stockers; Midwest Super Stock Door Slammers; and the Short Track Bracket Nationals, which will feature local racers.

The drivers will test and qualify Saturday, May 5. Admission is $10 Saturday. Sunday’s adult pit passes are $25, and children ages 6-12 are $5. No admission for children younger than 6.

Gates open at 9 a.m. Sunday with qualifying and eliminations starting at 1 p.m. For more information, check byrondragway.com or call (815) 234-8405.

From the May 2-8, 2012, issue

EPA mileage estimates for the 2012 Chevy Sonic give the top ratings to the 1.4 turbo version with 29 city/40 highway mpg, while the 1.8 with automatic transmission is 25 city/35 highway mpg. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

On a recent trip, I rented a Chevy Avio. It was an OK small car. I found it to be a bit cheap and had an issue with my leg being in conflict with the center console, but in general, it got us where we needed to go on the cheap. Fortunately, the Avio has been retired from the Chevy lineup and replaced by the new Sonic.

Chuck Hays, sales manager at Bocker Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC in Freeport, Ill., was quick to send me out in a white Sonic when I requested one for a test drive. The test car would turn out to have the 1LT option package — which is the 1.8-liter engine with a five-speed manual transmission (price as tested $17,231). This was a fun car to test — as a drive around the area would soon prove.

While an automatic transmission certainly makes life simpler in day-to-day driving, there is something about a manually shifted transmission that adds an element of sport to driving. Driving a manual transmission causes you to be more aware of the road and conditions as well — as you must do the thinking, not a computer. It would be interesting to compare what sort of accidents manual transmission cars get into versus automatic transmissions. I did not use the hill-holding feature that’s included (most manufacturers are providing this with manual transmissions now).

I found this four-cylinder engine had plenty of pep, ran smoothly and fit well with the smooth-shifting transmission. There was nothing I needed to get used to. Handling was excellent, as were the brakes. Someone at the Chevrolet design group must have actually driven an Avio in the past — as that annoying center console interference with my knee was gone.

The instrument pod of the Chevy Sonic has a large, easy-to-read digital display, while the tachometer has an analog display. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

In fact, neither interior nor body retained anything of the Avio, except the overall size and weight. The interior is much better in style and function, with the very noticeable difference in the motorcycle-inspired instrument pod. The instrument pod has a large, easy-to-read digital display, while the tachometer has an analog display (which I personally thought looked a bit tacky/cheap). The rest was very stylish and fitted with comfortable seats.

The doors of the hatchback body open very wide for easy access to the roomy split-back rear seats that have two sets of anchors for child seats. The power door locks engage as soon as you are under way and feature a switch the driver can engage the child safety locks with.

I particularly liked that they made the interior door latches chrome so they are easy to find. I have cars with black plastic handles on black upholstered doors and find them very hard to find, particularly at night. I think this is a safety issue that more manufacturers need to look at. Kudos to Chevy for this inexpensive upgrade to their little car.

Speaking of safety, all the Sonics have 10 air bags, which earn it a Top Safety Pick of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Other standard safety features are electronic stability control/traction control/rollover sensor. Visibility out of the hatchback version was quite good.

The Sonic is also available with a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission. I briefly tested a red Sonic with this option and noted that it also has manual select-shift capability, which is nice. There are ostensibly six trim packages, but really only three, as there is a split in the options to have a manual transmission or automatic transmission. There is yet another powertrain option for those who really want to sport up the Sonic — it is available with a 1.4-liter turbo-charged engine connected to a six-speed manual or the six-speed automatic. It is also available in a popular four-door sedan body style.

The sedan has a base MSRP of $13,865, while the five-door hatchback base MSRP is $14,765. Air conditioning is standard in all trim levels. I believe the base cars will meet most drivers’ needs if you are looking for a practical, fun, efficient car that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Officially, EPA mileage estimates give the top ratings to the 1.4 turbo version with 29 city/40 highway mpg, while the 1.8 with automatic transmission is 25 city/35 highway mpg. Still, most versions should see 40 mpg highway.

The Sonic is 47 percent domestically sourced parts, 20 percent Korean (engine) and is assembled in the U.S. at Lake Orion, Mich. Proof the great domestic giant, General Motors, can build a small car here that can be competitive in today’s automotive market.

From the May 2-8, 2012, issue

The Kia Soul is rated the ninth least expensive car in America with an MSRP of $13,900. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

While I’ve long been a proponent of keeping a car forever, because, overall, it is less expensive to repair a car or truck than it is to pay for a new one, there are good reasons why a new car may be the right thing for some people.

I have too often seen people of lower income driving some vehicle that is so worn out, ratty, rusted and grossly inefficient that it is no wonder they spend far too much of their income trying to repair and drive it — causing them to get behind on rent and utility payments — their life is a mess. Often, these vehicles are barely safe. The suspension may fail at some inopportune time, the transmission may break — which is a very expensive repair that often leads to the vehicle being scrapped. The brakes and tires may be quite marginal — something that can lead to an accident.

I’ll make the case herein that one should let these tired, polluting, gas hogs go to the great scrapyard, and those people of struggling income might consider instead a small, inexpensive new car. Below is a list of the 10 least expensive cars in America. All the prices are the manufacturers’ suggested retail price (MSRP).

The MSRP is a reference point, as all these cars will likely sell for more than MSRP because of optional equipment, “transportation” and taxes at the very least. It is difficult to buy one actually, as these inexpensive models are not really all that popular. You may need to order one to get the minimal equipment or the base model — in which case you probably won’t get much of a discount. However, all the dealerships have at their disposal some flexibility in price, discounts and financing. Often, the manufacturer will offer very low interest for financing through their loan service.

Those with poor credit history can often still get financing. According to Matt Jensen, sales manager at Rock River Kia, even those with credit scores in the 400s may be able to obtain financing. The catch is you will pay more in interest. This can run from 6 percent to 14 percent. Over the course of a long payment period of perhaps six years, this will add up to a lot of money going to the bank — but there are advantages.

Advantage one — you will have a NEW car, one that should not break or let you down. It won’t be costing you thousands of dollars in unexpected repair costs — you have your monthly payment — and you budget that into your lifestyle. Now you can get to work on time — every time. You’ll get a long warranty that should last you quite a while. Kia, for example, has a 10-year/100,000-mile power-train warranty (engine/transmission), five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and five-year/60,000-mile free roadside assistance. Other manufacturers are also upping their warranties to attract new buyers. Not only are most new cars reliable, but you now have a lot of peace of mind in knowing you’re not going to be stuck with huge repair bills.

A common thread among the least expensive new cars — they are all fuel efficient. Most will honestly see 40 mpg on the highway and low 30s in the city. With gas at $4 per gallon, moving from an old mini-van getting 20 mpg to a small sedan getting 40 mpg will exactly cut your monthly fuel cost in half * — savings enough to nearly pay for the car if you commute a lot. You will also cut way down on air pollution — something your children may appreciate.

Most new cars are much safer than anything now 10 to 20 years old. A Chevy Sonic has no less than 10 air bags. The Sonic, Soul and several small cars have earned the “Top Safety Pick” of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This brings the cost of full coverage insurance down into the realm of liability-only insurance — and more peace of mind in knowing you’re not stuck with a junk car if an accident occurs.

There is considerable pride in driving something new around instead of an old beater. Making your payments on time will go a long way to restoring bad credit — before you know it, you may be buying your own home with a much-improved credit rating. With elevated self-esteem, you’ll have fewer problems in your life.

The trick is to keep the cost very, very low on the purchase. The average loan for people with a 500 to 600 credit score is $22,700 with monthly payments of $470. This means they’ve bought a larger or more highly optioned vehicle — twice the lowest MSRP. Many well-equipped small cars realistically can be had for about $15,000. A lease option may bring the monthly payment down into your budget range as well. In the case of a lease, you make a down payment, a monthly payment and then pay for the car for a couple of years. At the end of the lease, you turn the car back in, pay extra if you put too many miles on it, or refinance it to buy and keep it (and get to pay sales tax twice in Illinois). The downside is the car is often not worth what you still owe on it at the end of the lease — but if you roll over into a new lease, life continues on pretty much as it was before, and you have another new car not to worry too much about.

Below is the list of 10 least expensive cars for 2012, according to Autoguide.com (which has a nice, short summary of each car on their website). For suspense, I will, as they did, list the least expensive car last. Most are listed with the base manual transmission — a few have a base automatic. As with the one 2011 Kia Rio listed, you may find a new last year’s model at a heavily discounted price without the mileage of or uncertain history of a used car.

10 least expensive cars in America

10. Yaris 3 door, $14,115

9. Kia Soul, $13,900

8. Chevy Sonic, $13,737

7. Suzuki SX4, $13,699

6. Kia Rio sedan, $13,600

5. Ford Fiesta, $13,200

4. SmartForTwo Pure, $12,490

3. Hyundai Accent, $12,445

2. Kia Rio (2011), $12,295

1. Nissan Versa, $10,990

Finally, I’d like to thank Chuck Hays, sales manager at the Bocker Automotive Group in Freeport, Ill., for his input on this report, too.

*15,000 miles per year/20 mpg = 750 gallons per year. 750 gallons/12 months = 62.5 gallons per month. 62.5 gallons x $4 = $250 per month. Half of $250 = $125, or roughly a small car payment/lease.

On an unrelated note, check out this funny link when you get a chance: http://www.wimp.com/drivingcar/.

From the April 18-24, 2012, issue

April is National Car Care Month. Before you get behind the wheel, remember car maintenance isn’t just under the hood.

A cracked windshield is a safety risk. It can impair the driver’s vision and put passengers at risk. Not to mention, most automotive safety experts rank the windshield as the third most important safety component in today’s vehicles, behind seatbelts and airbags.

Laws require seatbelt use and prevent tampering with airbags, but there are no laws about windshield replacements.

Consumers should ask these four questions before a replacement windshield installation:

1. Will the old adhesive be removed from the vehicle frame? If the adhesive isn’t removed down to the adhesive manufacturer’s recommended level, the fit may not be tight and the new adhesive won’t bond correctly.

2. Will the technician wear gloves to keep from contaminating the glass? If oil and dirt get on the edges, the new adhesive (called urethane) may not bond correctly.

3. Will the new urethane adhesive stand up to the high deployment pressure of airbags? The best available manufacturer equivalent urethane adhesive should be used, not butyl tape. Ask for adhesive made by Dow, Sika or the original car maker’s adhesive supplier.

4. How long does the urethane adhesive need to set until the vehicle can be driven? Every urethane has a “safe drive-away time.”

The Auto Glass Safety Council (AGSC), formerly AGRSS, promotes safe auto glass industry standards, which an auto glass technician should follow.

Glass Doctor voluntarily supports the standard glass replacement procedures approved by AGSC, and Glass Doctor shops offer original equipment manufactured (OEM) windshields. Only OEM glass can provide the quality necessary to ensure a proper fit, which greatly reduces the safety risks.

For more information, visit www.glassdoctor.com.

This month, and every month, be car care aware and stay safe. For more information about how to be Car Care Aware, visit www.carcare.org.

From the April 18-24, 2012, issue

A 1931 Duesenberg Model J, owned by Dr. John Klein of Indianapolis. Once owned by Ralph Pulitzer Jr., son of Joseph Pulitzer. (Photo provided)

By Gary Kohn

A 2008 Lamborghini Superleggera has a top speed of 202 mph. It can go 0 to 124 mph in 10 seconds. A 1951 Ferrari Testarossa goes 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and has a top speed of 187 mph. These are just two of more than 120 cars and motorcycles patrons will have a chance to see at the 2012 Classics and Chrome Car Show.

Scheduled for April 21-22 at the former Menards building in Machesney Park, 10253 N. Second St., and presented by State Farm Insurance, the Classics and Chrome Car Show is more than just the largest indoor show in northern Illinois, it’s a celebration for car enthusiasts.

It takes a certain type of person to modify or restore a hot rod, muscle car or classic car. It’s not just a car to them; it’s a lifetime commitment and a passion. Classics and Chrome 2012 will celebrate this passion by showcasing more than 100 years of automotive history. Expected classes to be on display include pre- and post-war classics, sports cars, muscle cars, hot-rod and custom cars, exotic and race cars, specialty cars and motorcycles.

“Classics and Chrome has grown into the premier car show in the Rockford region,” said Alan Gibby, head of Keith Country Day School. “We have cars coming from as far west as California and from as far east as New York.”

Organized as a benefit for Keith Country Day School, the two-day show will run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, April 21, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, April 22. Admission is $6 and children younger than 10 are free.

1932 Ford Coupe owned by Jorri and Laura Johnson of Beloit, Wis. (Photo provided)

Although the “heavy metal” is the main attraction, the Classics and Chrome raffle is one of the show’s most popular features. Attendees can buy raffle tickets for just $100 or buy five tickets and get the sixth one free. The grand prize of the raffle is $15,000 cash. Other prizes are $3,000 in cash for second prize and $2,000 in cash for third prize.

In addition to the rare vehicles on display, the event will also feature food provided by Der Rathskeller, guest appearances from the world-renowned Indianapolis 500 magician Bill Hunter, and free prize giveaways offered by some of the show vendor booths. In fact, patrons who stop by the State Farm booth will have a chance to win an iPad.

Tickets to the show can be purchased at the door, but raffle tickets are available for sale in advance of the show. Interested raffle buyers can call Keith Country Day School at (815) 399-8823, or raffle forms can be downloaded at classicsandchrome.com.

Some of this year’s featured cars include the following:

1931 Duesenberg Model J, owned by Dr. John Klein (Indianapolis) — This authentic Duesenberg was once owned by Ralph Pulitzer Jr., son of Joseph Pulitzer, the publisher who established the Pulitzer Prize. It is a Rollston convertible Victoria chassis No. 2460 with engine J472. It was used during World War II to power superchargers for airplane engines.

2008 Lamborghini Superleggera, owned by Randall McBain (Rockford) — In 2008, Lamborghini announced it would cease production on the Superleggera. Only 172 were produced. The Superleggera design pays tribute to the first Lamborghini production model, the famous 350 GT, designed and built by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan. This car has a top speed of 202 mph.

A different kind of wagon

There may not be a more unique car at this year’s show than the Western Flyer Rocket Wagon.

Built by Chuck Redding (St. Petersburg, Fla.), owner of Redding Autoshop in St. Petersburg, Fla., this “car” is a street-legal wagon, five times the size of the toy wagon it models.

The body is completely fiber glass, and the vehicle has all of the same features as your average car.

Redding built the wagon while recovering from prostate cancer. He said the project, which took eight months, took his mind off the recovery.

Redding is also bringing a very rare 1960 Nash Metropolitan to Classics and Chrome.

Movie cars

This year’s Classics and Chrome inventory has two cars with connections to Hollywood. Bob Haddad (Freeport) is bringing his 1949 Plymouth to the show. The car was driven by Robert Conrad (as G. Gordon Liddy) in the made-for-TV movie Will: G. Gordon Liddy. Rebecca Mueller (Rockton) is bringing her 1958 Plymouth Belvedere. Although this car has not been in an actual movie, the car is a clone of Stephen King’s Christine movie car.

A little muscle

Prior to press time, there were 12 muscle cars entered into the 2012 muscle class, including the 1967 Mercury Cougar XR7 owned by Ron Mahnke (Rockton) and the 1984 Chevy Monte Carlo SS owned by Rick Mueller.

The ’67 Mercury car has been restored to its original version. It was the Motor Trend magazine 1967 Car of the Year.

The ’84 Monte Carlo is an extremely rare car (only 250 ever made). It has won multiple awards, including the People’s Choice at the Monte Carlo Nationals and Best of Show at the Lena Fall Festival.

Key sponsors of the 2012 Classics and Chrome include State Farm Insurance, SwedishAmerican Hospital, Keith Country Day School, Pepsi, Rockford Linear Motion, Der Rathskeller, Alpine Bank, Mulford Dental, WIFR, Maverick Media and OReilly’s.

Proceeds from the 2012 Classics and Chrome Car Show will benefit Keith Country Day School.

Keith Country Day School is an independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory school. On a 15-acre campus overlooking the Rock River, Keith serves students from age 3 through grade 12 from the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin area. The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and fully-accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

More about Keith School is available at www.keithschool.com.

From the April 18-24, 2012, issue

The 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

In my last column (“Mr. Green Car: Shifting automatically,” March 21-27 issue) I reported on the driving experience in a rented Volkswagen Jetta as it concerned the manual use of the automatic transmission. This week, I’ll look a bit more at the car itself. In particular, I’ll explore some of the powertrain options and what efficiency they provide or don’t provide.

I found the new Jetta to be a pleasant car to drive. It fit me well, and after a time, I adapted to its very sensitive/quick steering. The cruise control operation was a bit different from most, but I soon found it was quite logical and easy to use. A neat feature I discovered one rainy day was that the windshield wipers will automatically go into intermittent mode from continuous mode when you are stopped. Again, that computer knows what you’re up to.

The Jetta’s ride was nice, and it seemed to be a very roomy car — literally within the definition of your “average” sedan these days. There were times when I could push it in corners hard and found the handling is what you’d expect from a sedan with a sporty image. The engine had good response, and acceleration was excellent — although, as reported previously, in traffic in “Drive,” normal acceleration could be sluggish because the transmission quickly reaches sixth gear at low speed. But, if you put your foot down, it would respond quickly and go. I found manually shifting the automatic to have many benefits.

So, like nearly all new cars, it handles nice and all. Where the Jetta may stand out from the pack is the variety of engines and transmissions offered. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, FuelEconomy.gov, there are no less than eight combinations for a 2012 Jetta. There are two basic engines — a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a 2.5-liter five-cylinder. The 2.0-liter engine can be had as a diesel as well as gas.

Both engines are available with a five-speed manual, six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Either engine with the automatic or five-speed manual uses regular unleaded gasoline, while those opting for the sporty versions will need to buy premium gas, as these will have turbocharged 2.0-liter engines for more power. Essentially, there are four engine variations in the line-up.

As far as fuel economy is concerned, the diesel with the manual transmission is the winner. VW calls their TDI diesels “clean diesel” — well, as clean as an ordinary diesel can be anyway. Their common rail fuel injectors and carbon traps do reduce pollution and provide reasonable economy, but it is not a technological breakthrough by any means. The diesel/manual attains 30 mpg city and 42 highway. Real-world users report highway mileage averages of 44.3 mpg. The EPA estimates the average annual fuel cost would be $1,850*.

By comparison, the 2.0-liter with five-speed manual is the best gas sipper, with 24 city and 34 highway mpg for an annual fuel cost of $2,100 burning regular gas. The 2.0-liter with an automatic is the least efficient of the lot with 23 city/29 hwy mpg for an annual fuel cost of $2,350. However, the 2.0-liter six-speed manual has the highest annual fuel cost of $2,400 because it uses premium fuel (22 city/33 hwy mpg). All the gas versions will attain highway mileage figures in the 30-34 mpg range.

Clearly, the diesel versions will save money despite the often high price of diesel fuel. Diesels also have a much longer range on a tank of fuel and are champs for saving long-distance commuters money. Driving a diesel is little different from driving a gas-fueled car; however, because of the fuel efficiency and technology, the VW Jetta diesel yields 299 grams of greenhouse gases per mile versus 317-355 grams per mile for the various gasoline fueled engine/drivetrain options. So, indeed their diesel is “cleaner.”

I’ve seen several times comments by auto magazine writers that if we switched over to driving with diesel, our oil resources would be conserved and dependence on foreign oil curtailed — and now we can see it has environmental benefits as well. Not included in the above is VW is coming out with a hybrid version of the Jetta for 2013 — I’ll look at that separately in the future. But for now, if you are in the market for an “average” sedan or wagon — a Jetta diesel may be a great car to move you about.

* EPA annual cost estimates are for comparison purposes. The website allows you to enter current local fuel prices and your annual mileage for a more accurate cost analysis.

From the April 4-10, 2012, issue

The economy is showing signs of recovery, even with the rising cost of gas. Many people who held on to their car during the recession are now looking to replace it with a more fuel-efficient one.

If you are one of those people, you have to figure out what to do with your car. If your vehicle does not get good gas mileage, has a lot of miles, is more than five years old or is not in good condition, the dealership won’t offer you much for it as a trade-in. They won’t want it because there is no demand for it. It will be difficult to sell it privately for the same reason.

One alternative is to sell it for a couple of hundred dollars to a junk yard. A better alternative is to donate your car to charity. Cars4Charities will gladly take your old car, no matter what shape it is in. In return for your generosity, you will get a tax deduction of $500 or more. They have hundreds of charities that can be helped by your car donation. For details, go to http://www.cars4charities.org/ or call 866-448-3487.

From the April 4-10, 2012, issue

The Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE features an automatic transmission with select shift. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

I recently made a trip to Florida to do some research for a sailing magazine I write for, Good Old Boat. In renting a car at the airport, I insisted I wanted the small, cheap car I had reserved.

I am accustomed to small cars, and no, I did not want to pay $10 per day more to upgrade to a Volkswagen Jetta.

Well, in typical rental car company fashion, when I got to the lot to pick up my car — lo and behold, I was assigned a VW Jetta anyway. Nice try … employees must be on a profit-sharing plan.

I soon discovered that the Jetta 2.5 SE had an automatic transmission with select shift. This is an increasingly common feature, often on upgrade packages of cars. While I’ve tested cars briefly with this feature in the past, this would be my first opportunity to do a long-term evaluation.

What I found was that in normal “Drive,” the computer-controlled six-speed transmission was responsive to demands for acceleration and did well enough. At lower speeds, the transmission shifts quickly through the gears at low rpm (the Jetta has a nice tachometer), then settles into sixth gear, even at relatively low speeds. This made for a bit of sluggishness in acceleration in city driving. Also, being in top gear at low speed had the effect that the engine would not provide much braking action. To maintain proper following distance in traffic, I had to touch the brakes quite often.

The instrument display on the Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

In Ft. Myers, where I was driving, there are a lot of 45 mph zones that are congested enough that there is a lot of speeding up and slowing down. I found that by moving into select shift, semi-manual mode, I could maintain my distance better by using fourth or fifth gear, keeping around 2,000 to 3,000 rpm. While there may be some loss of fuel efficiency for doing this, it probably is not much, and made driving much easier. I found up-shifts at 3,000 rpm produced good acceleration without getting carried away; in “Drive,” the shifts are much sooner.

Since you are in manual mode, the computer expects you to make the up-shifts. The Jetta has a very comfortable console-mounted knob for shifting. (Some cars have steering wheel-mounted “paddle shifters,” too.) Moving back and forth between “Drive” and select shift was seamless, and could be done at any time. Generally, I liked shifting, and tended to zoom a bit and feel the fahrvergnügen of the free revving, four-cylinder engine.

The Jetta is quite sporty when revved with spirit. In the case of merging onto Interstate 75, which has a 70 mph speed limit, I’d redline the shifts at 6,000 rpm, and acceleration was exciting and excellent. In “Drive,” the computer would shift at 5,000 rpm when full-throttle acceleration was called for.

Out on the highway, with the transmission in sixth gear, it is the same as being in Drive. If some traffic slowdowns occurred, I’d shift down to fifth or fourth, although the engine will pull you along fine in sixth down as low as 1,000 rpm. I noticed that the computer senses speed and will do automatic down-shifts at certain speeds if you have not done so yet, even while in manual mode.

Gear shift on the Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

When you come to a stop, the transmission automatically resets to first gear. While driving in town, I’d usually up-shift between stoplights, coast toward the next one, then let it reset to first automatically at the next stop, rather than bothering with downshifting. And, like a normal manual transmission, you can down-shift for quick acceleration, hill climbing and exuberant cornering.

Unlike a manual transmission with a clutch and moving the shifter into different positions that pretty much lets you know what gear you are in, with a select-shift automatic, you’ll need to keep an eye on the digital display in the instrument pod. The Jetta’s shift indicator was subtly blended into its nice info display between the tachometer and speedometer. There was a slight tendency to forget to shift sometimes as some of the routine that comes with a manual transmission shifting was missing.

Overall, I did enjoy the experience and flexibility to chose which mode I wanted to drive in. I definitely did not miss operating the clutch pedal or accidentally killing the engine when you get a bit clumsy letting out the clutch.

It used to be that you paid a penalty in gas mileage for having an automatic transmission. Some of that was because of the weight of the transmission. Some of it was because of the slippage and inherent loss of the torque converter. But now, lock-up torque converters and the new two-dry clutch automatic transmission have closed the gap — making computer-controlled shifting more fuel efficient than us old-timers who still like to do the shifting ourselves.

While the select-shift technology is hardly new, recent involvement of computers in the driving process have brought us to the point where the manual transmission will be a thing of the past. We are nearly there now. Only a few select car models offer the manual transmission (usually as a base model) or as a sporty option. For driving enthusiasts, there is no shame in opting for the select-shift automatic — you can have the best of both worlds for a reasonable price.

From the March 21-27, 2012, issue

Jim Heim and Danette Maynard, franchisees of the Loves Park Tuffy Auto Service Center, have been Tuffy franchisees since August 2010 and have already proven a commitment to excellence in customer service. Recently, their store in Loves Park received the New Dealer of the Year Award at Tuffy’s National Dealer Convention in Orlando, Fla., for excellence in customer service, quality control and staff management.

“Our philosophy is to educate each and every guest about their vehicle in order to prolong the life and safety of their vehicle,” said Maynard. “Our customers are our guests, and we are truly fortunate to have such amazing guests. It is such a great honor to be recognized for our achievements and commitment to our customers.”

Roger Hill, president and CEO of Tuffy Associates Corp., said: “It is obvious that Jim, Danette and their crew are aware of Tuffy’s Mission Statement, which is to provide the best automotive repair service in the industry through a continuous commitment to quality and customer service.”

For more about the Loves Park Tuffy, visit www.tuffyrockford.com. The Loves Park Tuffy is at 6574 E. Riverside Blvd., and is open from 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday. The store can be reached at (815) 639-1239.

Tuffy is one of the largest full-service automotive repair franchises in the country, specializing in brakes, alignments, oil changes, air conditioning and tires.

From the March 21-27, 2012, issue

The 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

While I personally like small cars, I admit they are not for everyone. Nor do “economy” cars appeal widely, either. Thus, there is a large segment of the automotive market that caters to larger people, and those who find value in luxury.

You can spend well more than $100,000 for a luxury hybrid car if you so desire. However, this review will be of the reasonably affordable ($36,700, as tested) 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist, which Buick defines as “Full-size luxury. 36 mpg highway.” I will focus on the LaCrosse’s eAssist technology rather than comment about its ride, comfort and appointments — all of which are excellent, in Buick tradition.

If you could reasonably stop the engine of your vehicle every time you came to a complete stop, you would save considerable fuel and pollution. The EPA estimates 17 percent of a vehicle’s fuel is wasted in sitting at idle. But the life of your starter, to say nothing of your nerves, would be short if you had to restart the vehicle every time you stopped. eAssist is General Motors’ name for their start-stop hybrid technology that automatically shuts down the engine when you come to a complete stop after a few seconds, then when the light turns green and you step on the accelerator — the big starter/electric motor gets you rolling while the engine is restarting. There is a brief moment when you are in “hybrid” mode, but it doesn’t last long.

Interior of the 2012 Buick LaCrosse. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

General Motors will be expanding this eAssist offering to the Chevy line soon as well, and most likely throughout much of their product line eventually — as are other manufacturers. This technology allows them to meet pollution and economy targets without the full-on expense of a true hybrid package.

As discussed in the last Mr. Green Car, batteries are an expensive upkeep item eventually. With these partial hybrids using start-stop technology, the traction batteries can be much smaller and less expensive, yet still provide much of the benefit of being a hybrid. In the case of the LaCrosse, that is a city fuel economy of 25 mpg.

Sales Manager Chuck Hayes of Bocker Buick in Freeport let me have a nice, new black LaCrosse to myself for testing recently. In driving the LaCrosse, I found the 2.4-liter four-cylinder 185-hp ECOTECH (everyone has a cute green name for their engines these days) engine a bit busy for a Buick, but not overly so. I found the acceleration was quite good for a car this size.

The jewel-like, mostly analog (needles/dials) instrument pod is relief from increasingly common digital readouts. In the lower left corner, there is a nice analog economy gauge — it would be a more encouraging feature than many I’ve seen.

When you let off the accelerator pedal to brake or coast, the fuel system stops injecting fuel, and the electric motor starts to generate electricity to recharge the lithium-ion traction battery. When you come to a full stop — keeping an eye on the analog tachometer — at first, it will drop to an idle. Then, if you are stopped more than a couple of seconds, the engine will shut down completely, and the tachometer will indicate you are in “auto-stop” mode. It then gets eerily quiet.

At the release of the brake, the system resets, and with the press of the accelerator, away you go. No notion of waiting or starting; the electric motor gets you rolling, and the center display will briefly indicate you are in hybrid mode — just a flash. Pausing stops, like when making a right turn at a traffic light, will not engage the auto-stop system. All this is seamless and invisible to the driver, except the quiet. Because of the technology, all the electrical gizmos in the car keep right on working like nothing ever happened. I would turn off the power flow display for everyday driving.

The 2012 LaCrosse can be optioned to the nines. Nearly every feature available to the luxury car buyer is available in one of the seven option levels — plus additional à la-carte features. I liked the standard six-speed automatic transmission, with a console-mounted shifter that was elegant to the hand and a delight to shift in select shift mode. In select shift (as in most cars with select-shift automatics), the transmission automatically resets to first gear when you come to a stop. No searching around for any one gear — click up or down to the next. Left in a lower gear, like second or third, the acceleration is sporty. Then, the tachometer is truly useful.

Powertrain options include a 303-hp 3.6L V-6 engine and all-wheel-drive (AWD), which mandates the V-6. Here, you can see what these options do to fuel economy. The EPA gas mileage ratings for the front-wheel-drive V-6 is 17 city/27 highway, while the AWD version is 16 city/26 highway. At $4 per gallon for gas once again, one would have to think long and hard at purchasing these power options. Based on 15,000 miles of highway driving and $4 gallon gas, the eAssist LaCrosse will save you about $640 per year in fuel cost.

The LaCrosse is 60 percent domestically sourced — assembled in Kansas City. So, if you’re in the market for a roomy, luxurious, American-made car that’s efficient, too — the LaCrosse eAssist should be on your list of candidates to consider.

From the March 7-13, 2012, issue

More and more vehicles are becoming dependent on batteries to boost their fuel economy. This will drive up costs, not only for the batteries themselves, but the electronics to control them and the electric motors that provide the mechanical force to transmit the stored electrical energy.

Now that about 3 million Toyota Priuses are on the road, people are thinking more about what it may cost to replace the drive battery pack. First, there are two batteries in the Prius, as there are in most other hybrids. One is a standard lead-acid 12-volt battery like that found in any other car. This powers all systems that are unrelated to the drive motor. You can replace this yourself for $200 or less. It will last about as long as most regular batteries. The other is the traction battery pack (in a Prius), which is a large Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery that Toyota presently lists for $2,588. Online forums indicate the whole cost, including labor, is about $3,700 — although a few brave souls have found batteries for less cost and replaced it themselves.

When will that battery need to be replaced? When performance drops off noticeably. Like all batteries, they lose storage capacity over time. The warranties on most hybrid and electric cars are eight years and 100,000 miles for the traction battery pack, though if you live in California, that is 10 years and 150,000 miles. There are many reports of early Priuses going 200,000-300,000 miles without replacing the traction battery. One story of a man driving six hours a day commuting (yikes) had put 500,000 miles on his Prius without doing anything to the engine or replacing the battery. However, online forums are indicating most are living about 150,000 miles before replacement — and some owners are irate at the cost, while others anticipated the cost from the day of purchase and have written off the cost as part of ownership of an efficient vehicle.

While the Prius has a NiMH battery (mostly for long life), most makers of electric vehicles (EV) are relying on Lithium-Ion (L-ion) batteries to provide electrical storage. Lithium itself is a fairly common element on Earth, and mining is not very expensive. But L-ion batteries are each full of fancy, delicate architecture and controlling electronics — thus driving up the price. The nature of these batteries allows a cell voltage of 3-4.2 volts that must strictly stay within those limits to avoid explosion from overcharging, or failure from low voltage. In an EV, there are hundreds of these cells linked together in a series to obtain a voltage high enough to be usable in the powerful drive motors.

You may see Lithium-Iron batteries advertised now. At first, I thought it was a misspelling. But it is correct, the latest in Lithium-ion battery technology uses a lithium iron phosphate cathode that yields a bit less energy density in favor of a far more stable (and safer) cell. I’ll still refer to them as L-ion here. L-ion batteries have some great advantages. Not only do they not have a “memory,” but they thrive on frequent small charges — although they are able to take a very fast charge, too. A sure way to kill a L-ion battery is to let it sit around until it slowly self discharges completely. Internal circuitry will not allow the cell to be recharged once it gets below 3 volts — so it is effectively dead. They don’t particularly like high heat, either, which could lead to decreased performance and even explosions. But don’t worry, your EV and hybrid car batteries have been tested in all conditions you are likely to encounter without a failure.

On the horizon are new “solid state” L-ion batteries. These are in development to eliminate much of the complex structure and chemistry in these batteries. The solid state batteries may be three times as energy dense while costing only half as much as present batteries. There is a cost hurdle right now in how the controlling electronics are fabricated. But as important as batteries are to transportation now, I expect a resolution soon.

Replacing the traction battery in a Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt will be very pricey. The bigger the battery — the more cells that are needed — the greater the cost. While I’ll still promote driving EVs, one should start a savings plan for the day the battery needs to be replaced — then it won’t be such a shock. I think the cost per mile with charging cost and battery replacement factored in will still be money ahead of driving purely on gasoline or combinations thereof (hybrid).

The conversion to electric driving is happening — I’ve encountered my first Leaf being driven on the highway now. Only a matter of time, and there will be thousands of them once Nissan begins building them in their new plant in Tennessee.

From the Feb. 22-28, 2012, issue

HELENA, Mont. — Buying a car can be a stressful experience. One thing buyers could depend upon was that the new vehicle they were about to purchase included a spare tire. That may not always be the case.

To meet new government fuel efficiency standards, some vehicle manufacturers are omitting heavy spare tires and equipping new vehicles with an emergency sealant and inflator kit, or tires that if damaged can run reasonable distances without air.

In 2010, the Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency established new corporate average fuel economy standards for vehicle model years 2012 to 2016. The new standards are set at a combined 29.7 mpg for the 2012 model year, increasing to 34.1 mpg by 2016.

Achieving these standards will require many changes to the vehicles we drive. One area of focus is to reduce the weight of vehicles without compromising occupant safety. A spare tire, related tools and a jack can weigh more than 40 pounds. That may seem like a small amount, but every little bit helps, and unlike other weight-saving changes, it doesn’t add cost to the vehicle.

“Unfortunately, many vehicle owners may be unaware that their vehicle has no spare tire until they experience a flat tire,” said Tara Hanley, AAA spokesman. “Consumers should review their owner’s manual and emergency maintenance supplies they have in the vehicle and be informed about alternatives to a spare to prevent panic or a delay when encountering a flat tire.”

AAA recommends the following to ensure you are informed and prepared:

• Inspect the car and consult your owner’s manual. If the vehicle has a spare, be sure it is properly inflated and stowed. If you cannot locate a spare tire, ensure your vehicle has an alternate solution. Options include the run-flat tires that allow the car to be driven to a safe location, or an emergency sealant and inflator kit.

• If you carry a sealant, AAA recommends you check the date and replace it every five years or after its use. Sealant can become less effective with age.

AAA members needing assistance with a flat tire can request roadside rescue at (800) AAA-HELP or by downloading the smartphone app, AAA Roadside. AAA members can also eliminate the stress of buying a new car by using the AAA Auto Buying Tools App. Build the car you want, including color and trim level, and the AAA app will give you information about available options, available incentives, crash safety ratings, AAA reviews, images and more. Visit www.AAA.com for more details.

From the Feb. 22-28, 2012, issue

The Fiat 500 has an EPA rating of 30/38 mpg (manual), 27/34 (auto). (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

For regular readers of this column, I’ve established a pattern that I’ll try to stick to. Alternating a technical investigation with a vehicle review. There is a lot of technology to report about, and a lot of new efficient vehicles to check out. This week, I’ll take a look at a little car that caught my eye — the Fiat 500.

It is no secret I am personally fond of small cars. In 1974, I traded a nearly-new Ford van in on a new Fiat 128 SL I purchased from Zimmerman’s in Freeport. Uncle Sam shipped it to South Korea for me, where I was stationed in the U.S. Army, and I drove it there two years — selling it there when reassigned back to the U.S. I loved that red Fiat. I’m still driving a 1992 Honda Civic VX I bought new 20 years ago this month. I like it so much I bought a second one last January. The Fiat 500 is appealing, just for its undeniable cuteness (well, in my eyes anyway). If cuteness sells small cars (and it does), then I’m all for anything that encourages people to drive more fuel-efficient vehicles.

A little history first, as many readers may be unfamiliar with the company that is Fiat, since Fiat dealerships in the U.S. faded out in the 1970s. The name is an acronym for Fabrication Italiana Automobilia Torino. I suppose it should be F.I.A.T., but it has been a single word nearly since its founding in 1889. The Italians were racing Fiats and other cars before Ford was founded in 1901. They still drive pretty fast.

This pale green is a “traditional” color for the Fiat 500. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

The Fiat 500 is a legendary small car, well-suited for Europe’s small roads and tight cities. Production began in 1957 and ran through 1975. They had tiny motorcycle-sized, air-cooled, two-cylinder engines of 479 c.c. (13 hp ) to 595 c.c. (23 hp) located in the rear (a la VW Beetle). They only weighed 1,100 pounds — the new version weighs twice as much and has much bigger engines — therefore, much less efficient.

In 2007, 50 years after the launch of the first Fiat 500, the company debuted the new Fiat 500. The retro look speaks to its namesake heritage, but the mechanics are thoroughly modernized, and it is competing in class with the similarly retro BMW Mini Cooper and Volkswagen New Beetle. The basic chassis is based on the Ford Ka.

Fiat SpA now owns controlling interest in Chrysler Corporation. Their CEO, Sergio Marchionne, was recently in Belvidere, Ill., for the unveiling of the new Dodge Dart. So, the connection with Chrysler and Fiat is close now. The European Fiat 500 is built in Tychy, Poland, by the Fiat Group, while the car for the Americas is built in Toluca, Mexico, by Chrysler Group, LLC.

The nearest Fiat “studio” at this time is in Schaumburg, Ill., at Ziegler Chrysler/Fiat, where I took a snazzy, bright yellow one for a test drive. My wife, Ruth, rode shotgun, while the sales representative, Dustin Morton, bravely rode in the back seat. Morton had never ridden in the back of the Fiat, and was surprised at its roominess. The interior is quite modern and stylish — so Italian.

A short drive around Schaumburg found the acceleration was adequate, though not quite exhilarating (the 160 hp Abarth version will cure that). The clutch adjustment was a bit off, and I killed it three times. The five-speed manual shifting was smooth with the “ball” knob having a pleasant shape, but a not-so-pleasant feel of chrome on plastic. A leather or polished aluminum knob would be nice. The 500 is also available with a six-speed automatic with select shift. The three-door coupe demonstrated a very tight turning radius and excellent low-speed handling when tossing it around an empty parking lot. In all, it was a very likeable car.

Back at the dealership, we perused the plethora of different-colored 500s. Some have an opening soft-top roof (500C); some have designer identification (Gucci) or Breast Cancer Awareness trim. These days, when most cars seem to be painted silver, black or white, it is a thrill to see so many other choices on the lot. In particular, Ruth fell for the dark metallic brown with the vintage look brown-and-white leather interior (though I’m more inclined toward the sporty yellow). Prices are in the mid-teens to upper $20,000 range, depending on options. Do some research — the variations and options can create some very unique cars.

I suspect the Fiat 500, despite its EPA rating of 30/38 mpg (manual), 27/34 (auto) will do better on the street — 40 hwy mpg should be attainable. Economical fun. I expect a lot of 500s will end up in the hands of young women. We’ll keep our eye open for these fun cars — they are a delight to see on our streets.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

2013 Dodge Dart

Online Staff Report

As many as 1,600 additional workers are expected to be hired at the Chrysler Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Ill., as the plant prepares to start production of the Dodge Dart this spring.

With more than 2,700 employees, the plant is the Rockford area’s largest manufacturing employer.

Chrysler Group LLC CEO Sergio Marchionne and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) will be at the plant Feb. 2 to celebrate the production launch of the Dart.

Chrysler invested more than $600 million and built a more than 600,000-square-foot body shop in Belvidere in 2011 in preparation for the Dart production.

Introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit Jan. 9, the Dart will replace the Caliber on the production line in Belvidere. The Dart will be the company’s first compact sedan since the Neon was discontinued in 2005.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) just issued a statement that their recent investigation into battery fires in Chevy Volts finds that there is no fire risk problem with the Volt or any other electric car that is any more significant than a conventionally-fueled vehicle.

I have been giving Mr. Green Car talks lately about the state of green transportation. As the subject of electric vehicles is a major portion of these talks, the subject of the Chevy Volt battery fires always comes up — or I just dive in and explain it before the question is asked.

Before NHSTA released their report, I had already known the fires were crash test related and not on-the-road accidents. I’ve told folks that while lithium-ion batteries do have the potential to catch fire, that these high-tech cars have very effective liquid cooling systems for their battery packs — this includes hybrids like the Prius. Right now, you have a regular car driving around with a tank full of very flammable liquid — gasoline — and they do catch fire at times, crash or no crash, and that has not deterred anyone from buying one since the Pinto.

The Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid car that has just been put in the hands of the public in 2011. While undergoing crash testing with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, they did some severe side impacts. Apparently, it was the equivalent of smashing into a pole right in the middle of the side of the car. This deformed chassis structure distorted the tunnel that protects/houses the lithium-ion batteries and damaged the battery cooling system, causing a leak that led to overheating. The cars did not even catch fire right away, but sometime much later.

Chevrolet investigated and decided to do a voluntary recall of some of the early production Volts to reinforce the area in question, add a battery coolant level sensor and a tamper-resistant bracket to the coolant reservoir to prevent overfilling. They also created procedures to discharge the batteries completely in the event of an accident.

NHSTA’s press release states their investigation “concluded that no discernable defect trend exists and that the vehicle modifications recently developed by General Motors reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts.”

The fire incidents did wake some engineers up, though — they realized the need to spell out how to depower these high-voltage battery systems in the event of an accident. This knowledge needs to be in the hands of first responders and towing companies. It is not a job for amateurs, and is probably best not done at all if one does not know the proper procedure because these battery systems have enough voltage to kill if mishandled.

I consulted with my friend, who is trained to work on Volts, and he recommends that first responders be instructed/trained to assume the whole car is “hot” — that is voltage leaking to the body. They will need to test for this condition and wear appropriate protective gear. He says the power can be disconnected, but there is no ready way to drain the batteries quickly. I’d suggest that if there is a bad accident involving a Volt or other electric vehicle and you are a first responder, you find a factory-trained technician pronto. To mess with the power cables and do something wrong — which is highly likely — may destroy the vehicle or cause injury. Post-accident response training is something the auto industry will need to address as a whole.

So many new cars are coming out as hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars that it is quite difficult to keep up with them all. And this is just the beginning of the trend. Perhaps it is best that these few incidents came to light. It prompted the government safety engineers to evaluate the data on electric vehicles and determine their risks. They’ve done that now and come to the conclusion we’re good to go full steam ahead on electrifying our transportation.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

The 2012 Ford Focus hatchback. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

One night, I was passing through Oregon, Ill., on my way to Dixon with friends when the bright flash of blue caught my eye from the tiny two-car showroom of Bemis-Franklin Family Ford. I knew it was the stylish new Focus hatchback, and it was in a favorite color — dark metallic blue. I also knew I would need to come back and check it out.

And so, I made the journey to Oregon the next day. I’ve been in Oregon many times, but the tiny Ford dealer had never really lodged in my mind as a place to visit. A family Ford dealership since 1918, Franklin Family Ford may be the smallest “big three” dealership in the country. Not only is the showroom small, so is the corner lot with their cars packed in like sardines. After meeting sales consultant Amy Stark, I thoroughly inspected the bright blue Focus SE that had caught my attention. The car in the showroom had some upgrade options that included leather steering wheel and shifter, moon roof and aluminum wheels. All these were value priced and worth adding over the base car.

Rear view of the 2012 Ford Focus hatchback. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

Ford totally redesigned the Focus for 2012 — bringing its styling into the most modern of auto fashion. The interior is equally upgraded, and I found the sporty driver’s seat to be most comfortable and supportive. The leather steering wheel felt very comfortable, and visibility of the instruments was good. Climate and audio controls were simple and at hand on the wide center console.

After Amy pried a similar Focus out of the outdoor lot, we went for a little spin around town. I immediately noticed the wheel on this car felt quite plasticy. I definitely preferred the leather version. Heading up Route 2, the acceleration was good, but not earth-shattering. The engine revs freely while it solidly shifts through its six automatic gears. It did seem to buzz a bit during acceleration, but that is typical of a small four-cylinder engine. This was the first time I’ve driven a car with Ford’s new dual dry clutch six-speed transmission, and as one would expect, the shifts are more like a manual than one gets from a slipping fluid torque converter. This translates into manual-like fuel economy with the convenience of an automatic. The shifter only had drive and low for forward gear selection — with no option to manually shift through those six gears unless you’ve bought the SE edition (like the one in the showroom) that has button shifting on the leather knob (in which case you have drive and “select” as forward options). The base car has a five-speed manual transmission.

Assembled in Wayne, Mich., by an American company, the 2012 Ford Focus is about an American-made car as you can find. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

Playing with the Focus a bit in an empty parking lot found the handling sporty and steering precise. Otherwise, driving it around town was an ordinary experience. I did find that the console nudged my right knee. Would it be a bother? Only time would tell, and we did not drive it that long. I suspect you’d not notice after a day of driving the Focus, if ever at all. Visibility out was good. Adequate back seat and cargo area was provided.

The Focus is assembled with 40 percent U.S.-made parts and 15 percent Mexican parts — the 2.0-liter engine is U.S. built while the six-speed transmission is assembled in Mexico. Not said is where the other 45 percent are made — but it all is assembled in Wayne, Mich., by an American company, so it is about an American-made car as you can find these days. From an environmental standpoint, that saves transportation expense and carbon footprint in moving the parts about to be assembled.

The EPA ratings on the sticker for the SE were 27 city/37 hwy mpg. Some of this highway mileage comes from a grill shutter that closes at higher speeds. The base models get slightly lower mileage. Forty mpg should be easily attainable in all versions.

The Focus is a reasonably priced car. Bare bones base price is $18,300 for the five-door hatchback; $16,500 for the sedan. The SE version in the showroom with some options (the six-speed automatic is a $1,095 option, and the metallic blue paint $395) listed at $21,675 plus delivery and taxes. If you need power, there is a turbocharged ST version — and if you really want

Interior of the 2012 Ford Focus. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

to be different, later in the year there will be a 100 percent electric version. With decent fuel economy without being a hybrid, particularly if you drive a lot of highway miles, the new Focus could be the car for you.

From the Jan. 11-17, 2012, issue

CHICAGO — Driving demands quick reaction time and fast problem solving. As a result of the progressive nature of the disease, every person with Alzheimer’s will eventually become unable to drive. The Alzheimer’s Association recommends families discuss driving before a crisis, ideally while the person with Alzheimer’s is still able to participate in the conversation and the decision-making process.

“Driving is often associated with autonomy, so relinquishing car keys can be a very emotional and stressful process,” said Amanda Bogdanski, M.A., manager, information and referral and safety services for the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter. “Educating yourself on approaches and options prior to having this difficult conversation can help ease the transition for everyone involved.”

To assist with these conversations, the Alzheimer’s Association created four short videos depicting different scenarios for approaching driving and dementia. Watching the videos may give families an idea of how to start the conversation or how to respond to a particular objection. In one video, a woman in the early stages of Alzheimer’s drafts a contract saying she will reach a point when she can no longer drive and gives her children permission to step in. If the person with the disease is more resistant, another technique shown in the new videos is to secure a doctor’s “prescription” advising the person with Alzheimer’s to no longer drive.

Following each of the videos is a list of tips and techniques families can use when having the conversation about driving. The videos are housed within the Alzheimer’s Association online Dementia and Driving Resource Center, which contains helpful information about recognizing when driving is unsafe, finding alternate transportation and getting a driving evaluation. The project was supported by a grant from the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Talking to loved ones who have Alzheimer’s disease about handing over their car keys can be difficult — especially if the individual is unable or unwilling to recognize their declining abilities,” said Administrator David Strickland of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “We are proud to have partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association on the development of these important tools to help individuals with dementia transition away from driving with dignity.”

Some people are able to continue driving in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, but it requires ongoing evaluation to ensure safety. Following are tips from the Alzheimer’s Association that could show it may be time for someone with Alzheimer’s disease to stop driving:

• Forgetting how to locate familiar places;

• Failing to observe traffic signs;

• Making slow or poor decisions in traffic;

• Driving at an inappropriate speed;

• Becoming angry or confused while driving;

• Hitting curbs;

• Using poor lane control;

• Making errors at intersections;

• Confusing the brake and gas pedals;

• Returning from a routine drive later than usual; or

• Forgetting the destination you are driving to during the trip.

The Alzheimer’s Association also provides example driving contracts and local evaluation specialists. For more about dementia and driving, visit www.alz.org/driving.

The Alzheimer’s Association, the world leader in Alzheimer research and support, is the largest voluntary health organization dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and a cure for Alzheimer’s. Since 1980, the donor-supported, nonprofit Alzheimer’s Association has provided reliable information and care consultation; created supportive services for families; increased funding for dementia research; and influenced public policy changes. The Greater Illinois Chapter serves 68 counties with offices in Bloomington, Carbondale, Chicago, Joliet, Rockford and Springfield.

For more details, call the Helpline at 800-272-3900 or visit www.alz.org/illinois.

From the Jan. 11-17, 2012, issue

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — New research from State Farm shows that although texting while driving remains a concern on the nation’s highways, drivers are accessing other mobile web services at much higher rates. These behaviors may pose equal or greater concerns in the battle against distracted driving.

In a new survey of nearly 900 motorists, the company found that use of mobile web services has increased dramatically over the last two years.

For drivers 18-29:

• Accessing the Internet while on a cell phone while driving increased from 29 percent in 2009 to 43 percent in 2011.

• Reading social media networks while driving increased from 21 percent in 2009 to 37 percent in 2011.

• Updating social networks while driving increased from 20 percent in 2009 to 33 percent in 2011.

“While calls from NTSB and others to ban cell phones have focused largely on texting, it would seem that a growing and potentially larger concern for safety advocates is the rapid increase in the use of mobile web services while driving,” said David Beigie, State Farm Public Affairs vice president. “Additionally, while the focus has been on young people, the data also indicates that motorists of all ages are increasing their use of the mobile web while driving.”

For all drivers, the data showed:

• Accessing the Internet while on a cell phone increased from 13 percent in 2009 to 18 percent in 2011.

• Reading social media networks while driving increased from 9 percent in 2009 to 14 percent in 2011.

• Updating social networks while driving increased from 9 percent in 2009 to 13 percent in 2011.

Ironically, the study showed that use of texting while driving was remaining flat or decreasing in some instances:

• For drivers 18-29, 71 percent said they engaged in texting while driving in 2009. That number dropped to 64 percent in 2011.

• For all drivers, this number stayed relatively flat coming in at 31 percent in 2009 compared to 32 percent in 2011.

About the survey

In August 2009 and 2010, and in July 2011, State Farm’s Strategic Resources Department used an outside panel vendor to conduct an online survey of U.S. consumers ages 18 and older. Survey responses were received from consumers who identified themselves as having some insurance and financial responsibility for their household. Only responses from consumers who had a valid driver’s license, owned a cell phone, and reported driving between 1 and 80 hours per week were used when reporting the findings of behavior-based questions. Driving was defined as any time the car was en route to a destination, including being stopped in traffic or at a stoplight.

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

This week, I’ll veer into a technical report, thanks to regular reader, Henry Tideman of Oregon, Ill. Henry sent me a link to an article in The Economist about the advancing state of flywheels in transportation that I found to be full of good information. I’ll share the basics with you here.

Flywheels are attached to every gasoline and diesel engine crankshaft. Usually, they serve to smooth out the pulses of the cylinders firing and vibrations by providing mass that keeps all those crankshafts, rods and pistons in motion. Heavy flywheels are slow to accelerate but can transmit a lot of power in the kinetic energy they carry — thus, heavier flywheels are found on large diesel engines, where lighter flywheels are found on small engines that need to rev up quickly (think sports cars or motorcycles). Most of the time, the flywheels also serve as gears for the starter system. But the future lies in freewheeling flywheels with a far different purpose.

Flywheels store kinetic energy. They will give back the energy that was put into making their mass spin. The energy can be stored in one of two ways or a combination. You can have a very heavy flywheel that spins relatively slowly — the large mass generates a lot of torque when the flywheel is no longer accelerating. You can also spin a smaller flywheel at a higher speed and derive the same amount of energy as the large, slow-turning flywheel. Think of it this way: a speeding little bullet can do more damage than a slow moving football that weighs many times more. Mass and velocity compound to equal force.

In the past, flywheels have been used on large trucks, such as garbage trucks and buses that start and stop frequently. They could carry the heavy weight of the flywheel and the mechanism to engage and disengage the flywheel. As the truck coasts/brakes, the flywheel spins up. Then, at the next stop, the flywheel has all its energy stored up ready to help the truck get moving again, thus saving on fuel by delivering free power. Large flywheels are also used on electric locomotives and trams to carry them past areas, such as intersections and switches where there is interrupted power.

But these big, heavy flywheels don’t work well in automobile and light truck applications. Standard steel or iron construction is too heavy and works against acceleration and fuel economy. With these materials, the fast-spinning flywheels can be a hazard, as they are prone to catastrophic failure. Those that are used in big trucks and locomotives have heavy protective cases around them.

Enter modern materials — carbon fiber composites. Stronger and lighter than steel, engineers are experimenting with making very small, lightweight flywheels that spin to incredible speeds. In use already are carbon fiber flywheels with the mass in their rims (where it has the most effect) spinning at 60,000 revolutions per minute. Computer studies have shown that flywheels with speeds of 145,000 rpm are feasible.

What this means is that simple, lightweight flywheel systems will be added to future automotive engines/transmissions. While coasting or braking, the flywheel will store energy; when you stop, it will sit there spinning with the energy waiting for you to press the accelerator — indicating it is time for it to engage and help the car move — quite likely without the engine even starting for quite a distance. This is exactly the same thing that is happening with hybrid systems, but with expensive electric motors and batteries doing the work. According to the The Economist article, a flywheel the size of a hockey puck could reduce fuel consumption by as much as 20 percent. This is because an electric hybrid with its complex chemical conversions can only recapture 35 percent of the kinetic energy, while a flywheel can store in excess of 70 percent of the energy in regenerative braking.

Flywheel systems could be so inexpensive that they may be standard equipment or low-cost options on most vehicles. Flywheel technology could spell the demise of the electric hybrids like the Prius, but probably not the plug-in hybrids like the Volt that are essentially electric cars with engines. Jaguar and Volvo have working prototypes, as well as some Formula 1 race cars. Because it holds a lot of promise, I look forward to seeing this technology reach down to the lower-priced consumer auto market. For more in-depth reading, visit http://www.economist.com/node/21540386.

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

NORTHBROOK, Ill. — Sixty percent of American parents whose teen-age children currently hold a license and nearly half of all parents (46 percent) say the economic downturn has led them to cut back on saving for or spending on their child’s driving, including the cost of a car and other related expenses, according to a survey from Allstate.

Not surprisingly, income is a factor in spending and saving decisions.

Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of parents in households earning less than $30,000 per year say they are saving or spending less on their children’s driving, while just one-third (32 percent) of those in households earning more than $75,000 say the same.

Interestingly, among parents who already have a child with a driver’s license, 73 percent say their child has their own car, while another 8 percent say their child shares a car with a sibling.

This rate of teen-age car ownership is considerably higher than what parents experienced when they were first driving (just 48 percent had their own car or shared with siblings), and also much higher than what is expected among parents whose children do not yet have a license (just 48 percent expect their children to have their own car).

No free ride

While most parents prefer their children make a meaningful contribution to the costs of driving, the survey shows the actions of parents with teen-age drivers demonstrates the contrary.

As parents get closer to having a teen-ager with a license to drive, they are more willing to pay for car expenses. While just 27 percent of all parents say they believe in fully paying for a car for their child, parents with a child licensed to drive are nearly twice as willing (46 percent). In contrast, only 10 percent of parents whose children are younger than 14 or whose children don’t have licenses say they plan on purchasing a car for their child.

Parents who say they paid for their own car when first driving are more likely to believe in higher financial contributions from their children.

Among all parents, when asked what they would spend on a car for their child, 57 percent say they would spend $5,000 or less, and 41 percent would spend more than $5,000.

Regarding other costs associated with their children driving, parents are most likely to say they’ll pay all or most of inspections and registration fees (51 percent), insurance (45 percent), and general car maintenance (44 percent).

Parents are least likely to believe in paying for gasoline (17 percent would pay for all or most of it), and expenses associated with damage caused by their child (17 percent would pay for all or most).

Safety before beauty

When thinking about the type of car they’d like their children to drive, 76 percent of parents say safety is their top priority, followed by reliability (18 percent), affordability (5 percent) and fuel efficiency (1 percent).

Not a single parent says that appearance is their top priority for their children’s car.

Of those parents whose children have cars, the overwhelming majority, 94 percent, say their child drives a used car with a mean age of 9.3 years. This is almost the same mean age of the cars that the teens’ parents remember driving as teen-agers, which was 9.2 years.

One-third of parents (33 percent) say they would not allow their children to drive the car that they drove when first driving.

Even one-quarter (24 percent) of parents who said they personally started out driving a good car would not let their children drive that car today.

On the road again

Parents believe getting to school (89 percent) and work (97 percent) are good reasons why teen-agers should be allowed to drive.

They also support having their teens drive to lessen the need for parents to chauffer (81 percent cite as a good reason), and so teen-agers can help run errands (88 percent).

Parents are less enthusiastic about allowing teen-agers to drive so they can meet up with their friends (56 percent not a good reason) and because almost every other teen-ager is driving (85 percent not good).

Parents are split on allowing teen-agers to drive because there’s no other way to get around (55 percent cite as a good reason, 43 percent not good).

About the survey

The national survey of 600 American parents with children younger than 18 was conducted Sept. 6-8, 2011, via landline telephone, and has a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percent. The survey was conducted by FTI Consulting, Inc. (FTI) for Allstate.

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

HELENA, Mont. — The annual societal cost of traffic crashes is $299.5 billion, more than three times the $97.7 billion cost of congestion, according to a report released by AAA.

AAA’s “Crashes vs. Congestion — What’s the Cost to Society?” report highlights the overwhelming and far-reaching economic impacts traffic safety crashes have on our nation and encourages policymakers at all levels of government to ensure safety is a top priority.

“At $300 billion annually, crashes cost our society more than three times the amount of congestion,” AAA Spokesman Tara Hanley said. “This report further supports the importance of a long-term, multi-year transportation bill that will provide the necessary and sustained investments that lead to better and safer roads for all Americans.”

According to the study conducted for AAA by Cambridge Systematics, the overall cost of crashes ($299.5 billion) equates to an annual per person cost of $1,522, compared to $590 per person annually for congestion ($97.7 billion overall). The cost of crashes are based on the Federal Highway Administration’s comprehensive costs for traffic fatalities and injuries that assign a dollar value to a variety of components, including medical and emergency services, lost earnings and household production, property damage, and lost quality of life, among other things.

The report calculates the costs of crashes for the same metropolitan areas covered by the annual Urban Mobility Report conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute. The results showed crash costs exceeded congestion in every metropolitan area studied, from very large to small. For very large urban areas (populations of more than 3 million), crash costs are nearly double those of congestion. Those costs rise to nearly six times congestion costs in small urban areas (populations less than 500,000) where motorists face less congested conditions.

“Almost 33,000 people — 635 per week — die on U.S. roadways each year,” Hanley said. “That’s unacceptable. The decline in traffic fatalities in recent years signifies a positive trend, however our work is far from over.”

From the Dec. 21-27, 2011, issue

Nissan Leaf (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

OK, now I’m getting really confused. Which do I like better, the Chevy Volt or the Nissan Leaf?

I just drove the Leaf one evening recently — giving it a thorough test, as I was allowed by Anderson Nissan of Loves Park to drive it on my own. They have a demo Leaf they use to run service customers back to home or work, so they are saving on gas for these short runs, and it gives them a chance to demonstrate the pure electric Leaf to folks who may never otherwise consider asking about one.

Unlike the Volt, which has a gasoline engine to take over after the batteries run low after 35 to 40 miles, the Leaf depends entirely on its lithium-ion batteries to go everywhere. Fortunately, that everywhere includes a substantial 100-mile range.

The Leaf’s GPS navigation can be set up to show a distance ring on an area map from where you are now to the limit of your range. The same navigation system will be advising you of where you can get public plug-in power, too.

Speaking of plugging in, the sales representative, Bill Barr, first demonstrated where the plug needed to be pulled above the front bumper while commenting on the three blue lights on top of the dashboard that indicate charge status. This is handy so you can see what’s up without getting in the car, or checking your computer or smart phone, for that matter. It is designed so you cannot operate the vehicle with the cord plugged in — but you can operate the heater or air conditioner.

It was a cool evening, and the first thing I noticed was the warm seat and steering wheel. The electric heater was rapidly warming the cabin. Quietly, off I went.

After bouncing along Alpine Road and making a few turns, I was stopped at a light and noticed a whirring noise. Should be nothing — not moving. I was hearing the heater fan. Since things had warmed up nicely, I turned off the heated seats, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel and the heater. Now, it was QUIET, and the range-to-go indicator gave me 10 more miles for reducing the demand on the batteries.

The light turned green, and as I was at the head of the line — I punched it. Damn near spun the tires. The car in the adjacent lane was rapidly receding in the rear view mirror. Must watch that nice speedometer display — no sense of speed with so little noise — there is only a very faint whirring, particularly when accelerating.

A little farther down the road was a highway stretch. I broke the law briefly, zooming it up to 75 in a very short, intense acceleration (max speed is 90 mph). Impressive. Beware, hot cars — those quiet electric cars may blow your doors off, and you won’t know what hit you.

Some nice curves were on tap, too — where the handling was quite adequate, the torque of the motor easily controlling acceleration out of the curves. An empty parking lot let me really test the handling — I was throwing it around hard and found that the Leaf’s handling can honestly be described as a nimble, sports car-like feel. Fun!

I restrained myself from further demonstrations of power — it would be very easy to get in a bad habit of zapping around slightly slower traffic with the Leaf’s no-hesitation acceleration. Alas, I was soon back at the dealer, reluctant to give it back. Like the Volt, it is quite comfortable and in no way feels any different from driving a similar-sized gasoline-fueled car.

I took a few bad photos in the dark, contemplating the Leaf’s styling that is much like that of its sister crossover SUV, the Murano. As I studied the brochure and wrote down notes, I thought of how it would be nice if you did not have to plug in your electric car, but simply could drive over an induction plate to safely transfer power without wires. I mentioned this “idea” to Bill, who thought it reasonable. But reading online today, I discovered Nissan is already planning to incorporate this very feature in their 2013 Leaf. There is a power loss of 10 to 20 percent with this charging method, but oh, how sweet to not have to fuss with the plug. I predict this will become a standard feature of pure-electric and plug-in hybrids.

I also harp in every electric car article how it would be nice to charge with solar power. To that end, Ford will be offering a solar-charging package for their electric Focus that is due out next year. A bit pricey at $10,000 (you could probably have any solar contractor do it for less), but their heart is in the right place. The system has no batteries other than your car, so while you’re away at work, it will pump power into the grid. The theory is that you’ll get paid more for your daytime power than you’ll pay for your nighttime charging. Ford says the system will provide 1,000 miles of free driving per month.

The electric car I REALLY want is the Tesla S four-door sedan, which looks like a Jaguar — but I better start buying lottery tickets if I ever expect to own one of those 300-mile-range beauties. The high option (400-volt charge capable) Leaf will run you $36,000 — but less $11,500 in state and federal tax credits — get yours now.

From the Dec. 14-20, 2011, issue

A container of emergency supplies could mean the difference between life and death this winter. (Photo by Dom Castaldo)

By Dom Castaldo, Ph.D.

For many East Coast residents, this past season’s hurricanes and subsequent floods were not as devastating for them as they could have been because they were prepared. They stocked up on food, water and other supplies before the bad weather arrived.

With December upon us, the people in northern Illinois will face nature’s wrath in the form of ice and snow storms. (The blizzard that occurred in early February is still fresh in the minds of many northern Illinoisans.) Driving may become treacherous.

In anticipation of winter, people will replace their snow shovels, tune-up their snow blowers, refill their salt buckets, buy a few extra cans of fruits and vegetables, and maybe even cut a cord or two of firewood. But, what about the supplies in their cars and trucks? Emergency supplies in vehicles are often overlooked. A container of emergency supplies could mean the difference between life and death.

People spend a lot of time in their vehicles — driving to work and shopping, transporting children to school and sports events, and traveling to recreation activities. Therefore, they are likely to encounter an emergency.

If they have the proper supplies in their vehicles, they are more likely to survive the emergency — or at least be more comfortable during the crisis. Storing emergency supplies in a plastic container in their cars and trucks make it easier for people to access the supplies. A container will also allow people to restock their supplies after they are used or when their shelf lives expire.

A list of emergency supplies that should be carried in vehicles is presented below. Although people can customize the contents of their emergency supplies containers, there are a few “must-have” items. These are chemical body warmers, gloves, a blanket, a tarp, a sweatshirt and sweatpants, a first-aid kit, rope, water and snacks. If a person might be stranded for several hours or days in his or her vehicle or in an office or building, these supplies will be essential. The body warmers and dry clothes may prevent frost-bite and hypothermia. Water and food will keep a person mentally alert.

A person can place other items in his or her emergency supplies container that might make the crisis less stressful. A roll of paper towels makes cleaning spills easier. Bungee cords and duct tape can secure belongings in high-speed winds. A can of compressed-air tire sealer eliminates the need to change a flat tire in bad weather. However, these products may ruin a tire.

A pencil and notepad makes it possible to leave messages for rescuers. An orange vest — similar to the ones hunters wear — makes people visible in bad weather. An extra ice scraper comes in handy if the car’s primary ice scraper breaks or is lost. Ready-to-eat meals will provide hot food. Items that are damaged or otherwise affected by cold or hot temperatures should be avoided.

Maintaining a supply cache — both at home and in a vehicle — may save a life, or, at the very least, may make surviving a crisis less stressful.

What should be in your vehicle’s winter emergency supply container?

Following are items that should be in your vehicle’s winter emergency supply containter: chemical body/hand/foot warmers (Hot-Hands); compressed air tire sealer/inflator (Fix-a-Flat); first-aid kit; blanket; tarp; plastic trash bags; paper towels; rope; bungee cords; duct tape; emergency road signs; pencil; note pad; sweatshirt; sweatpants; poncho; gloves; cotton socks; boots; orange vest; water (two bottles); granola/chocolate bars; MREs; and an ice scraper.

Dom Castaldo lives in Mt. Morris, Ill. He can be reached at critterdoctor@hotmail.com.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

PECATONICA, Ill. — As the winter driving season approaches, Illinois State Police are advising motorists to take the necessary precautions before getting behind the wheel. A safe vehicle is equally important to safe driving while on the road.

Extreme weather can have a devastating impact on driving conditions, especially when ice and snow are involved. Freezing rain, icy roads and white-out snow conditions can result in roads hazardous for drivers of all ages. Illinois State Police officials urge motorists to drive with caution, and to allow extra travel time to get to final destinations.

Illinois State Police District 16 Commander, Lt. Martin Zamudio, explained: “Every year, Illinois motorists face weather conditions that have a significant impact on transportation and safety. Whether it’s a semi-truck or a passenger vehicle, every safety precaution should be taken to ensure that crashes are avoided. Reducing your speed, regardless of if your vehicle has four-wheel drive capabilities or not, allowing for extra travel time, increasing distances between vehicles, and avoiding unnecessary lane changes are just a few simple precautions drivers can take to make their travels safer.”

Zamudio also stressed that unless medical attention is required, when crashes occur and conditions are extreme, exchanging insurance and driver information is advised to keep motorists safe and the roads clear. Motorists can file crash reports at the nearest Illinois State Police headquarters within seven business days.

District 16 Safety Education Officer, Trooper Brent Massingill, provided the following safety tips drivers should keep in mind during the winter months:

• Plan ahead and check the forecast — Determine if the trip is truly necessary during inclement weather.

• Don’t crowd the plow — Remember, a snowplow operator’s field of vision is restricted. You may see them, but they may not see you.

• Watch out for black ice — Roads that appear clear may be treacherous. Take it slow when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges and shady areas — all are prone to black ice.

• Always keep your gas tank at least two-thirds full to prevent the vehicle’s fuel line from freezing.

• Dress warmly for the weather — Dress in layers of loose-fitting, lightweight clothing in anticipation of unexpected winter weather emergencies.

• Make sure someone is aware of your travel route.

• Always carry an emergency car care kit that contains jumper cables, flares or reflectors, windshield washer fluid, an ice scraper, traction material, blankets, non-perishable food and a first aid kit.

• Always carry a charged cell phone.

• Always wear a safety belt.

Motorists can check on interstate road conditions by contacting the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) at 1-800-452-IDOT (4368) or on the Internet at www.gettingaroundillinois.com.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

Gary Burgess and Patti Holquist of Rockford purchased a Westsail 43 in Trinidad and have spent the last three winters living aboard, off the grid, cruising in the Caribbean. Their solar panels and wind turbine provide plenty of power in the sunny, windy Caribbean anchorages. Gary said, “Sometimes, we have so much power available, we turn on everything just because we can.” (Photo courtesy of Gary Burgess)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

For those of you who have been reading my column for some time, you know I am nuts about boats, particularly sailboats. For a couple-three decades, I’ve dreamed of taking off in a sailboat to live and explore. In boating circles, this is called “cruising.”

Some folks cruise for short periods — vacations, throughout the Great Lakes, along our coasts or with rented boats in distant exotic locations. I’ve done some of these cruises. Others have done “The Great Circle” — which is a matter of leaving the Great Lakes at Chicago, down the Illinois River, into the Mississippi River, up the Ohio, up the Tennessee River and into the constantly snaking Tombigbee River that will deposit you into Mobile Bay. From there, you go around Florida or across Lake Okeechobee, up the East Coast, mostly in the channels of the Inter-coastal Waterway system, up the Hudson River, across New York in the Erie Canal, back to Lake Erie and on home via Lake Huron and Lake Michigan — thus becoming a cruiser who has done “the loop,” or as we call them “loopers.” You can start anywhere on the loop, and it still counts, as long as you go all the way around. Typically, it takes a year to make the loop.

For some cruisers, The Loop is not big enough. For them, oceans need crossing, or circling the planet is called for. Only a tiny fraction of cruisers, nearly all of whom have done so in sailboats, have done a circumnavigation. Hardy folks are these. Some have done several circumnavigations — some by themselves.

More than any other kind of cruiser, the circumnavigators are set up for total independence. The food they carry or even grow aboard must last them for some time between stops (some racers go around without stopping). All need energy to get things done, so they make their own with solar, wind and generators. Nearly all moving along is done by wind power. The joy of sailing can’t be explained here — it must be experienced. The cruising life is so different from living on land that they are barely comparable. It’s addictive.

Cruising sailboats have large banks of batteries to store the energy needed to run lights, navigation equipment, stereos, watermakers (salt to fresh water machines) and refrigerators. Some cruisers get by without refrigerators, saving considerable energy and trouble in trying to keep things cold. Out on the oceans, the wind is nearly constant, so most have small wind turbines to keep the batteries topped off. When the wind does stop, solar panels take up the slack and provide the energy needed. Sometimes, when the auxiliary engine is running, the big alternator they have is used to charge the batteries — this is more common on coastal/lake/loop cruising where more motoring along under diesel power is often necessary.

All in all, the cruising life is one spent outdoors. Even large sailboats have small living spaces compared to even a small land-bound house or apartment, and a lot of the cruisers’ boats are not large. But out on deck is the whole world around you. Cruisers learn how to do without a lot of things — a few clothes, not a closet full. No washer or dryer — you can wash your few clothes by hand and hang things up to dry. Few are big on watching television — though many do watch movies on their laptop computers. Music is a big part of cruising life, and even that can be downsized to a personal iPod-type device. When people decide it’s time to go do a liveaboard cruise, they typically sell EVERYTHING. All report they are much happier without the burdens of stuff.

Often, cruisers will take to land again after a year or two. In nearly all cases, they do so in much smaller living quarters than they had previously. I know from personal experience of two weeks on a 26-foot boat that we were sad to return to “normal” life and this HUGE house. We ask ourselves, “Why do we need all this space?” Cruising tells us we could all live far more efficient, smaller-scale lives than we presently do while finding more joy in simple pleasures and a slower pace.

The problem is stuff. Getting rid of our substantial collection of vehicles, house, rental property and stuff in general takes a lot of work and courage. I have not found the energy or the courage yet — but it is always there in the back of my mind — get rid of it all and go cruising with a far simpler life off the grid.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

Discount Tire, America’s largest tire and wheel retailer, has announced the opening of its new store at 7101 N. Perryville Road, Machesney Park, Ill.

The Discount Tire facility is on North Perryville Road, north of Illinois Route 173. The Machesney Park store is operated by eight employees and is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. The store is closed on Sunday.

“Customers will likely be attracted by our low prices and selection of tires and wheels,” said Jose Contreras, store manager of the new Discount Tire in Machesney Park. “However, we believe that our customer service and satisfaction guarantee make the difference.”

Contreras has been with the company for nine years. Discount Tire is committed to promoting from within and is always looking for qualified individuals to join them in their exceptional growth. Additional career opportunities can be found by visiting Discount Tire’s website or a local Discount Tire store.

The Machesney Park store is equipped with the latest tools, including automatic inflation equipment that protects employees and was specially designed for Discount Tire. The no-touch mounting machines shield expensive wheels from damage and inflate tires to the precise air pressure.

Discount Tire offers the largest tire and custom wheel selection of any tire retailer. The company sells leading brands such as Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone, Yokohama, Kumho, BFGoodrich, Pirelli, Hankook, Falken, along with Discount Tire exclusive brands such as Silver Edition and Roadhugger. Discount Tire also offers wheels from Enkei, Konig, Liquidmetal, TSW, Akuza and exclusive brands including MB Wheels and G-games.

The new Machesney Park Discount Tire store can be reached at (779) 348-7112.

Discount Tire operates 32 stores in Illinois. Customers can purchase tires and wheels in the store, by mail order or online. At tires.com, customers can locate a store, purchase tires, schedule installation appointments, register for e-mail discounts, gain access to safety tips and other helpful information, and determine tire and wheel size by brand for their vehicle.

From the Nov. 16-22, 2011, issue

The 2012 Chevy Volt. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

In my last Mr. Green Car column (Oct. 19-25), I told you about my experience with a test drive of the new Chevy Volt. After my deadline had come and gone, and it was too late to revise the story, I recalled that I had a thought I needed to share with you.

That important message is this: the Volt drives like any other car. There is nothing about driving it that would be substantially different from driving a conventionally-powered vehicle. The “gas pedal” feels the same (although it should be called a “speed control pedal”), braking, turning, handling — all the same.

The Volt has an electric heater, “automatic” heated seats and electric air conditioner (more about these in a bit). Out on the highway, there is some wind and tire noise, so driving is not totally silent. It still hits bumps in the road. Distracted away from the flashy digital displays in front of you by the need to be paying attention to driving, you will forget you are driving an electric car.

This is a great success. In the past, electric cars required a lot of compromises — most were the domain of hobbyists willing to put up with their many quirks and limitations. Now, you get all the comforts, convenience and utility we’ve come to expect with our vehicles, with the bonus of clean driving. You can be good to the earth, to our health, and not give up anything.

The Volt is a rolling computer. Many new cars are. The Volt has taken this all to the current state of the art. You can sync your smart phone to it to have the Volt tell you what the status of its charge is — or to tell it to turn on the air conditioner or heater before you arrive to drive. Since these climate-control devices are electrically driven, you won’t be polluting while the vehicle warms up. Heck, you can even heat/cool the car while it sits in the garage with the door closed. The cost is reduced electric drive time, though.

Chevrolet even worked with Bose Corporation to design an audio system that was more energy efficient. It has a USB port, so you can take all your tunes along on a thumb drive, and the satellite radio has a DVR-like function to play back up to 20 minutes of live radio. And, of course, there is GPS navigation.

Like other new cars, you don’t have a key to start it. You show up at the car with a key fob in your pocket, and it unlocks the door and lets the car know it’s OK to go when you press the “on” button. For safety, it has eight air bags. The parking brake is engaged by the push of a button. Shifting is a familiar lever on the center console.

As an electric car driver, you will need to be contemplating the power you are using in running the heater, air conditioner and audio system — all these affect the miles you can drive on batteries only. But if you have a short drive or you can connect to what will be an expanding network of charging stations (and GM will help you set up your own if you agree to share it), then there may be little concern for using these features in your daily use — so it will be essentially “normal.” The difference will be you’ll plug in now and then.

The heart of all this are the 288 lithium-ion batteries that provide 16,000 watts at 360 volts. That’s a lot of power — equivalent to 30 12-volt batteries hooked up in series — and even then, they could not do the job of the light-weight lithium-ion batteries.

Charging on 110 volts takes 10 hours to recharge flat batteries, and four hours with 220 volts (basically an electric dryer connection). But I figure most drives will not deplete the battery, and whenever you come home, you’ll plug it in, even if you are heading out again shortly. It would become an easy habit: park, then plug in. This will hold true as other plug-in hybrids and electric cars appear on the market.

The Volt’s battery warranty is eight years/100,000 miles, including the electronic components. The rest of the car has a three-year/36,000-mile warranty.

All you need is a clean (not coal, natural gas or oil) electric power source, and you can count yourself as making a big impact on the environment — while giving up nothing in your driving experience. Actually, even if the power source is not “clean,” you are still making a significant contribution to clean air. Congratulations on making the right choice in transportation.

From the Nov. 2-8, 2011, issue

For the third consecutive year, the number of deer-vehicle collisions in the U.S. has dropped. And the downturn is accelerating. The percentage decline over the last year is nearly three times as large as during the previous two years combined.

Using its claims data, State Farm, the nation’s leading auto insurer, estimates 1.09 million collisions between deer and vehicles occurred in the U.S. between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011. That’s 9 percent less than three years ago and 7 percent fewer than one year ago.

Among those states that experienced the largest decline, Michigan (23 percent), West Virginia (22 percent), Connecticut (22 percent), Louisiana (19 percent) and Arkansas (18 percent), all states where at least 2,500 deer-vehicle collisions occur per year. There were 23,000 fewer deer-vehicle altercations in Michigan alone. Illinois is down 12 percent.

For the fifth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where an individual driver is most likely to run into a deer. Using its claims data, in conjunction with state licensed driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration, State Farm calculates the chances of a West Virginia motorist striking a deer over the next 12 months at 1 in 53, an improvement over a year ago when the odds were 1 in 42.

Iowa remains second on the list. The likelihood of a licensed driver in Iowa hitting a deer within the next year is 1 in 77. In third, South Dakota (1 in 81), Pennsylvania (1 in 86) is in fourth, and Michigan rounds out the top five (1 in 90).

Montana is sixth, followed by Wisconsin and Minnesota. North Dakota and Wyoming round out the top 10. In eight of the top 10 states (Minnesota and Wyoming are the exceptions), the rate of deer-vehicle collisions per driver went down from a year ago. Illinois (1 in 250) is in 32nd place.

The state in which deer-vehicle collisions are least likely is still Hawaii (1 in 6,267). The odds of a Hawaiian driver colliding with a deer between now and 12 months from now are approximately equal to the odds that you are a practicing nudist.

State Farm’s data shows November, the heart of the deer migration and mating season, is the month during which deer-vehicle encounters are most likely. More than 18 percent of all such mishaps take place during the 30 days of November. A confrontation between a deer and a vehicle will occur once every five seconds in the United States in November (roughly equivalent to the time it took you to read this sentence).

Deer-vehicle collisions are three times more likely to occur on a day in November than they are on any day between Feb. 1 and Aug. 31. October is the second most likely month for a crash involving a deer and a vehicle. December is third.

The average property damage cost of these incidents during the final half of 2010 and the first half of 2011 was $3,171, up 2.2 percent from the year before.

Avoiding deer-vehicle collisions

“State Farm has a long history of supporting auto safety,” said Laurette Stiles, State Farm vice president of Strategic Resources. “Calling attention to potential hazards like this one is part of our DNA. While we can’t put our finger directly on what’s causing a decline in deer-vehicle collisions, we’d like to think media attention to our annual report on this subject has had at least a little bit to do with it.”

Following are tips on how to reduce the odds of a deer-vehicle collision involving your vehicle:

• Be aware of posted deer crossing signs. These are placed in active deer crossing areas.

• Remember that deer are most active between 6 and 9 p.m.

• Use high-beam headlamps as much as possible at night to illuminate the areas from which deer will enter roadways.

• Keep in mind that deer generally travel in herds — if you see one, there is a strong possibility others are nearby.

• Do not rely on car-mounted deer whistles.

• If a deer collision seems inevitable, attempting to swerve out of the way could cause you to lose control of your vehicle or place you in the path of an oncoming vehicle.

From the Nov. 2-8, 2011, issue

2012 Chevy Volt (Photo by Allen Penticoff

By Allen Penticoff
Free-lance Writer

The future has arrived. We have waited for this moment for several years now. Chevrolet, and indeed the U.S. government, have touted this vehicle as the future of not only driving — but a new economy and a new way of life. It’s here, and you can go drive one.

A good friend of mine, Dan Medler, is a G.M. Mr. Goodwrench who works at Bocker Chevrolet in Freeport. Dan was recently trained to be their only Volt technician, so when the dealer had two new Volts arrive, he let me in on it. Ironically, he has yet to drive one. But I have.

With the assistance of sales representative Curt Baumann, I got a firsthand look at the new Volt — Chevrolet’s innovative electric car. He showed me all its bells and whistles, of which there are plenty. Then, we took it out for a brief test drive. First thing you notice is the utter quiet. It is so quiet that a special pedestrian-friendly horn honks at speeds under 40 mph, and the backup light is big and bright to let people know you’re moving in reverse.

2012 Chevy Volt (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

The ride is solid. I’d call it sporty, but not harsh. The electric power steering is light, but not too light, with good feedback. Delightful is how I would describe the steering. With all the battery weight down low, it should hug any curvy roads you come upon. The overall feel is of lightness, but not in a tiny, skimpy way — more like you know this vehicle was engineered to be light and stiff, which is exactly what it is.

There is a systems screen in front of the steering wheel that gives you many options to see what is going on with the Volt, as well as the sound/climate/navigation screen in the dash center. These can be modified to choose what information you want. The speed digits are very clear and prominent, as is the battery symbol with countdown of driving miles remaining on a charge. If it is using fuel, the fuel tank display will similarly show how far you can go on a tank (combined electric and fuel is 375 miles). A driving style indicator is a rotating green ball that moves up a bar while accelerating and down while decelerating. Your goal for most efficient driving is to keep the ball in the middle.

2012 Chevy Volt (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

Power is controlled by three mode choices: Normal, Sport and Mountain. Normal will be your everyday driving mode, and power is delivered in a most efficient manner. Sport allows you to draw more juice quickly for stronger acceleration (it has great acceleration in normal mode), while according to the slick and informative brochure, Mountain “makes sure that the battery has a bigger energy reserve to drive up mountainous inclines.”

On average, you can expect to go 35 miles on the batteries only. You can silently go 100 mph on the batteries, but don’t expect to go too far. The EPA estimates that you’ll get 95 MPGe on electricity only. When the juice is gone, the premium gasoline-powered onboard generator will start to provide power. When running on gas, EPA estimates 35 MPG city and 40 MPG highway. Remember, this is no tiny Honda Insight, this is a roomy four-door sedan — so fuel economy is pretty good for a vehicle of this size. In a city like Freeport, for the average person, you could easily do all your driving on electricity (average $1.50 per day), and only when heading well out of town expect to burn any fuel.

A systems screen in front of the steering wheel gives you options to see what is going on with the Volt. (Photo by Allen Penticoff)

The car I drove was a pretty metallic red. I found the interior size and comfort to be nearly identical to a new-model Prius. There are options available to sweeten up the car, and this one had it all — bringing the sticker price to $43,000. While you could almost get two Priuses for the price of the Volt, I think they are going to be a new status vehicle, and I hope they will be. Showing off your wealth in a gas-hog Escalade is no longer cool; driving the world’s top-of-the-line electric car is. Bocker had already sold one to a local airline pilot — that’s the kind of early adopter who will seek out the Volt, someone who enjoys owning the latest in technology. And there is much more new technology and features than I can go into here.

Mr. Green Car gives the new Chevy Volt two thumbs up for being an efficient, stylish, good-handling, well- thought-out and built automobile. Go check it out.

From the Oct. 19-25, 2011, issue

At first glance, you would think a Keystone XL is a large can of beer. But that would not be the case if you are talking about what many project could be the final nail in our global climate-change coffin.

In a previous (Dec. 1-7, 2010, issue of The Rock River Times) Mr. Green Car, I explained the nature of oil sands, or tar sands, oil that is produced largely in Canada. This oil is somewhere between being oil and coal, both in energy content, carbon dioxide content and in overall pollution. Oil sands are a gooey material that is mined across vast tracts of Alberta. Only because Canada has plenty of cheap natural gas can these sands be filtered and processed into oil.

It is the goal of the Canadian and U.S. oil companies to build a big pipeline extension from the mines where it is extracted and pumped to big U.S. refineries on the Gulf of Mexico. Not only have huge tracts of forest been destroyed by the mining, but the potential pipeline must cross several rivers and the Ogallala Aquifer, which provide fresh water to much of the Midwest in the United States. Since these oil pipelines have never been reliable — a much smaller pipeline has leaked 14 times in the last year — we can only assume an Extra Large pipeline will cause Extra Large oil spills, wreak havoc on our drinking water and destroy sensitive land, despite company assurances it will be the “safest pipe ever.” The native people of Canada are very much opposed to this pipeline.

The threat of a major oil spill into a major American river is enough to oppose this pipeline — but it is a threat to the whole planet when this very dirty oil makes it to our refineries on the coast. Once processed into fuels, they will likely be exported to the rest of the world and not really affect the cost of gasoline here.

The release of the carbon trapped in the oil sands into the atmosphere to satisfy the world’s lust for oil will only hasten the arrival of major changes in the global climate — changes we’ve already seen take place all year long in unprecedented floods, fires and droughts. Climate scientists predict we can expect to see more extreme weather.

Cheap, dirty oil is not the answer. Clean solar power is, and it is not coming any too soon as we continue to dip into the earth’s dirty oil resources.

Believe it or not, one person can stop the building of this pipeline — none other than President Barack Obama. Since the proposed Keystone XL pipeline must cross our international border, the president must certify it is in our best national interests for it to proceed. Big Oil is knocking on his door with campaign money, and environmentalist voters are picketing him to “Just Say No” everywhere he goes. Some protesters have even been arrested; more are likely to be. Nov. 6, they hope to encircle the White House with a giant human “O.”

Those who know what a disaster this pipeline will bring to the planet are lining up to make this Barack Obama’s defining moment. Will he live up to his campaign promises to reverse our filling the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, or will he cave to big money?

The jobs created in building the Keystone XL will only be a few thousand and temporary, while tens of thousands of jobs could be generated in abandoning our energy ways of the past and embracing a new solar-powered economy. Take some time to tell the president to make the right choice. He’s the sole decider this time.

From the Oct. 5-11, 2011, issue

In the last Mr. Green Car (Sept. 9, 2011) I commented on proposed changes to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards (CAFE) for 2017-2025. It is well known that how the government determines this “mileage” is not the same as driving around. Also, when you read a window sticker on a new vehicle, or check online at www.fueleconomy.gov, you find the EPA mileage ratings for city, highway and combined average. The website does provide for owner comments, and you often will see higher mileages posted there (people proud of their mileage tend to post while those sour on it do not).

An idea has spun around in my noggin for a long time. Rockford would be a great place to host fuel economy contests — and by extension of logic, to a government standard test track.

While not entirely unique, what Rockford has that would make it ideal for a fuel economy test track is that we have a long urban street with plenty of stoplights — State Street — that usually does not have traffic jams. Rockford also has a limited access highway with a 65 mph speed limit, U.S. 20, that also rarely has severe traffic congestion. Thus, in one loop, starting at West State Street, you can travel eastbound in urban traffic, measuring city fuel economy at the end. Then, get onto the freeway, measuring the highway fuel economy at the return to the start for the first lap — which could then compute the “average” fuel economy of city/highway mileage in very real-world terms. Run in opposite directions on alternating laps to compensate for wind.

For government rating purposes, the manufacturers should be required to do two or four laps to obtain a good true average, and do these three laps during three different seasons (winter, spring/fall and summer), as weather conditions do affect fuel economy. Air conditioner and heater use would be required.

But I don’t think the EPA is going to wake up one day and agree to my plan. What may kick it off is for some entity, such as Rock Valley College, to host some fuel economy contests (to include electric vehicles). With some national attention as “the place to show your stuff,” it may be easier to attract manufacturers to put their vehicles through “The Rockford Test,” then advertise real-world results. Manufacturers may be left out in the cold if they have not done “The Rockford Test” when consumers wonder what they have to hide. The government may then adopt this as a “standard.”

Cool, Rockford is on the green car technology map. Local restaurant and lodging businesses see an increase in customers, and Rockford’s name appears often in publications of all sorts — i.e., “The Chevy Volt achieves 60 mpg in The Rockford Test.”

Corporate sponsorship for the awards in the first phase would be needed — and very beneficial to those tech businesses that partner with the program — for their names may become synonymous with the contest. I.e., “The Rock Valley College/Woodward Governor Fuel Economy Challenge.” All eyes will be on the prize winners.

Any community leaders out there willing to take this on?

From the Sept. 21-27, 2011, issue

NORTHBROOK, Ill. — The majority of Americans consider themselves to be good drivers, but a new study reveals their candor tells a different — and dangerous — story.

American drivers believe their own driving knowledge, ability and safe driving habits are well above other drivers on the road. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of American drivers rate themselves as “excellent” or “very good” drivers.

Some regional differences emerge when drivers rate their own driving habits. Drivers in the Midwest are the least likely to give themselves top scores for driving ability. Twenty-five percent of Midwesterners rate themselves as “excellent” drivers, lower than the national average of 31 percent. Conversely, drivers from the South are more likely to score themselves highly, with 34 percent rating themselves as “excellent.”

This confidence in driving does not necessarily come from driver training. Formal driver training appears to be more prevalent in Midwestern states, where 77 percent report having had formal training, compared to 68 percent in the West, 66 percent in the Northeast, and 58 percent in the South.

Whether they received formal training or not, drivers rank themselves well above other drivers in terms of their driving knowledge, ability and safe driving habits. American drivers’ positive ratings for themselves are more than twice as high as the rating they give to their own close friends (29 percent “excellent” or “very good”) and also other people their age (22 percent).

Drivers also don’t think much of the driving ability of people from surrounding states. Nationally, 53 percent rate them as “average” or “poor,” while just 8 percent rate those drivers as “excellent” or “very good.” Survey results show that drivers in the Northeast and South are more critical of drivers from neighboring states, with 58 percent from both regions ranking them as “average” or “poor,” while drivers in the Midwest and West are less likely to rate them as “average” or “poor,” at 44 and 50 percent, respectively.

Others that American drivers rated lower than themselves include:

• American drivers give teen-age drivers the lowest rating of all groups. Eighty-one percent rate teen-agers as “average” or “poor” drivers.

• Seven in 10 Americans give senior citizen drivers comparatively low scores.

• Parents with very young children in the car also get mediocre scores from the American driving public. Just 26 percent of American drivers rate this group as “excellent” or “good,” while 33 percent rate them as “average” or “poor.”

• Even those American drivers who have their own very young children are critical of their peers and rate themselves more than twice as high as “excellent” or “good” drivers (64 percent) than they rate their fellow parents (29 percent).

Among all drivers surveyed, men are more likely to rate themselves as “excellent” than women (36 percent versus 26 percent), as are college-educated drivers (35 percent) compared to those with no degree (28 percent). Republicans also rate themselves higher (70 percent) than Democrats (61 percent) or Independents (61 percent).

‘I know it’s wrong, but …’

Despite American drivers’ confidence in their abilities, many admit to practicing dangerous behaviors on the road.

• Eighty-nine percent say they’ve driven faster than the posted speed limit, and 40 percent say they’ve driven more than 20 miles per hour over the limit.

• Fifty-three percent report having received a speeding ticket or other moving violation. Among these drivers nationally, 44 percent say they have received three or more. More men say they have received a ticket than women (61 percent vs. 46 percent), and those who have received tickets get more of them (an average of 4.3 per man compared to 2.6 per woman).

• Drivers in the South and West are more likely to have received a ticket for speeding or other moving violation, with 58 percent of drivers in the West and 56 percent in the South, saying they have received a ticket, compared to 46 percent in the Northeast and 50 percent in the Midwest. Among those who have received a ticket, drivers in the West have the highest average number of tickets at 4.6, compared to 3.5 in the South, and even 3.0 in the Midwest and 2.7 in the Northeast.

• Among all surveyed, men are more likely to speed than women (48 percent versus 30 percent).

About the survey

The survey of 1,000 American adults was conducted July 13-14 and 16-17 via landline and cell phone and has a margin of error of plus/minus 3.1 percent. Of the 1,000 adults, the survey identified 848 drivers who hold a license and drive at least occasionally. The survey was conducted by Financial Dynamics (FD) for Allstate.

From the Sept. 21-27, 2011, issue

Just because the summer driving season is over, it doesn’t mean gas prices are going to come down to reasonable levels. A bargain is anything under $4 per gallon, and just because the kids are back in school, you won’t necessarily have less to drive. Between extra-curricular activities during the week and errands on the weekend, there is a lot of driving in your future. That means it’s time to look at ways to alleviate pain at the pump.

A good place to start is eye-level with your feet — your car’s tires. You may look at tires as black, round utilitarian objects, but truth be told, these technical wonders — when properly maintained — are gas saviors that can slice hundreds of dollars off your annual gasoline bill, according to Dan King, Yokohama Tire Corporation’s senior vice president of sales and marketing.

“The first thing is to always make sure your tires are properly inflated,” says King. “Tires that are underinflated by 8 pounds per square inch (psi), for example, can reduce vehicle fuel economy by as much as 2 percent, and tire tread life can also be reduced by as much as 25 percent.”

King says for the best driving savings and safety results, make checking the tire pressure a monthly routine. “It only takes five minutes,” he says. “If you’re not doing it once a month, chances are you’re driving on under-inflated tires.”

Use the tire inflation numbers usually labeled inside the driver’s door, fuel door, glove box or in the owner’s manual. (The number on the tire’s sidewall is the maximum inflation pressure.) Over-inflation reduces the tire’s contact patch with the road, while under-inflation puts extra weight on its sidewalls and causes an unsafe increase in tire temperature.

Certain types of tires — ones with low rolling resistance (LRR) — can help save fuel, too. “LRR tires are designed to minimize the energy wasted as heat while the tire rolls down the road,” King says. “That results in improved fuel efficiency. Studies show driving on LRR tires alone can save about $100 annually.”

Yokohama’s AVID ENVigor tire is a good example of the expanding LRR tire technology. “It’s an excellent low rolling resistant tire that saves fuel and combines performance, comfort and long treadlife,” King says.

King also offers the following fuel-saving tips:

• Keep your tires properly inflated. Once a month, when the tires are cold (at least three to four hours after the vehicle has been driven), check tire pressure with a reliable tire gauge. Be sure that the valve stems have a plastic or metal cap to keep dirt out and seal against leakage.

• Replace your air filter. A clogged air filter blocks the air needed to burn fuel efficiently and wastes gas.

• Keep your car tuned-up according to the manufacturer’s recommended schedule to keep all systems in good working order, which can optimize your mileage.

• To prevent skidding and hydroplaning, tires must be replaced when the tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch. An easy test: place a penny into a tread groove. If part of Lincoln’s head is covered by the tread, you’re driving with the proper amount of tread. If you can see all of his head, you should buy a new tire.

• Built-in treadwear indicators, or “wear bars,” which look like narrow strips of smooth rubber across the tread, will appear on the tire when the tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch. When you see these wear bars, the tire is worn out and should be replaced.

• Visually check your tires for signs of uneven wear. You may have irregular tread wear if there are high and low areas or unusually smooth areas. Consult your tire dealer as soon as possible.

• Tires should be rotated at least every 6,000 to 8,000 miles, and the alignment should be checked once a year. Misaligned tires can cause the car to scrub, which lowers mileage and causes unnecessary tire wear.

• Slow down. For every 5 mph you go above 60 mph, you’re using more gas, and, ultimately, paying even more for each gallon of gas.

For additional tire care and safety tips, visit www.yokohamatire.com or www.rma.org.

From the Sept. 21-27, 2011, issue

The Allstate Insurance Company released its seventh annual “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report” Sept. 1. The report ranks America’s 200 largest cities in terms of car collision frequency to identify which cities have the safest drivers according to Allstate data.

In the 2011 report, Rockford ranks as one of the safest driving cities, landing at 36 on the list. According to the report, the average driver in Rockford will experience an auto collision every 10.8 years.

“Drivers in Rockford are making great progress toward keeping America’s roadways safer,” said Brian Cobb, Allstate territory sales leader in Illinois. “We salute Rockford’s best drivers, and recognize their safe driving skills, which make all of our communities safer places to live, work and raise families.”

The Allstate America’s Best Driver’s Report was created to facilitate an ongoing dialogue about safe driving that saves lives. This year’s top honor of “America’s Safest Driving City” is Fort Collins, Colo., the second consecutive year for the city at the top spot. According to the report, the average driver in Fort Collins will experience an auto collision every 14 years, which is 28.6 percent less likely than the national average of 10 years.

Following is a look at how other cities in Illinois finished: Joliet, 95th; Aurora, 111th; Naperville, 124th; and Chicago, 156th.

Auto crashes in general have declined over the last few years, but crash fatalities still average more than 32,000 every year, despite technological advances, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Human behavior is the biggest cause of crashes. It is vital for us to educate American drivers about safe driving behaviors they can practice on the road that will help make our roadways safer,” said Cobb.

Allstate offers the following safe driving tips:

• Minimize distractions — Engaging in any other activity while driving — talking on your cell phone, text messaging, changing a radio station, putting on makeup — is a distraction.

• Be aware of road conditions — Ice, snow, fog, rain — all of these weather conditions require extra caution and slower speeds.

• Leave a safe distance between your car and others around you — Maintain at least one car length space between your car and the vehicle in front of you for every 10 miles per hour of speed.

• Steer clear of road rage — Reduce stress on the road by allowing plenty of time for travel, planning your route in advance and altering your schedule or route to avoid congested roads. Remember not to challenge aggressive drivers and stay as far away from them as possible.

• Maintenance matters — Ultimately, safety also depends on the maintenance of one’s car. Ensure your car brakes, exhaust system, tires, lights, battery and hoses are in good working order.

For the past seven years, Allstate actuaries have conducted an in-depth analysis of company claim data to determine the likelihood drivers in America’s 200 largest cities will experience a vehicle collision compared to the national average. Internal property damage reported claims were analyzed over a two-year period (from January 2008 to December 2009) to ensure the findings would not be impacted by external influences such as weather or road construction.

A weighted average of the two-year numbers determined the annual percentages. The report defines an auto crash as any collision resulting in a property damage claim. Allstate’s auto policies represent about 10 percent of all U.S. auto policies, making this report a realistic snapshot of what’s happening on America’s roadways.

To view the complete “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report,” or to see results from previous years, visit www.allstatenewsroom.com.

From the Sept. 7-13, 2011, issue

President Barack Obama recently announced there were agreements made (not at all unanimously) with automakers to target Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards (CAFE) to be 54 miles per gallon for 2017-2025. That sounds great, until you dig a bit deeper — more like scratch the surface.

First of all, the White House quickly caved in from its original goal of 62 mpg. Or, perhaps, it was a first high bid, knowing the counter would be lower. The proposed legislation won’t be finalized until 2013, and there is plenty of wiggle room for the manufacturers and Congress to change things along the way.

A CAFE 54 mpg is a window-sticker 40 mpg. That’s not bad, considering that CAFE standard is now 35 mpg for 2012 through 2016. Light trucks will be affected by 2011 standards, saving a bit of fuel for pickup and SUV users — but still a long way from having truly great fuel economy. The proposed 54 mpg CAFE standard will have exceptions for vehicles more than 6,000 pounds — that’s all those trucks and SUVs. Many critics predict consumers will not flock to the new, higher-mileage vehicles, but will be enticed by the manufacturers to buy these bigger vehicles to circumvent the mileage mandates — as they have in the past.

Other critics complain the government cannot control the consumer market via regulations. On one hand, I agree; on the other, the public is being rather slow to move in the right direction. I’ll take a quick look at both sides of this coin.

Most of the rest of the world has higher CAFE-like standards than we are proposing. In the real world of highly-taxed fuels, people want and do drive more fuel-efficient vehicles, or forgo driving at all. American politics is incapable of passing legislation that would tax fossil fuels at a level that would discourage citizens from abandoning their large vehicles. So, we continue to buy them, as long as we can foot the bill, even while we cut the economy short by no longer making other purchases because we can’t afford them.

Enter regulating the nature of the machinery itself. CAFE standards have always been hotly debated and resisted, and ignored for a couple of decades. During those ignored years, vehicles did become more fuel-efficient, but only when the price of gasoline arrived at $4 per gallon did you start seeing fuel economy as a part of regular advertising.

Since CAFE is a government mandate, our politicians line up to give GM, Ford and Chrysler plenty of millions of our tax dollars to conduct research and development. Few other industries get this kind of handout. Volkswagen is complaining that the CAFE standards favor the big three automakers and do nothing to encourage implementation of clean diesel — something VW and other European automakers have been doing for years already. VW cites its American-made Passat TDI as obtaining 45 mpg on clean diesel already and that such technology would save drivers billions in fuel cost and drastically reduce imports.

Constant media pleadings (including self) imploring auto buyers to “go green” go unheeded. In fact, there is little to choose from that is both green and affordable (I know, I’ve been shopping). Today’s hybrids are rather pricey vehicles, and many of them do not get all that impressive of fuel economy. We want our big cars, and we want to feel green, too. I do see a lot of Priuses about, and I want to thank everyone who drives one — this is where the rest of the auto-building and auto-buying state should be. I do notice that people on the senior side of life are usually the drivers of Priuses — no need for speed or flash, just get me where I need to go efficiently.

I would rather see government tax fuel at much higher rates than we presently do and lower other taxes in a swap, so the net cost to us is about the same. Such moves encourage consumers to buy more efficient vehicles — that encourages competition to make them — without the need for subsidies. I’d have a weight tax on vehicles as well — people driving pickup trucks and large SUVs should have a good reason for doing so and be willing to pay for it on top of fuel cost. More encouragement to drive moderately-sized vehicles is needed. These are not regressive taxes — it’s up to you entirely how much you pay in taxes with the way you choose to consume. Free your income from taxes — we want you to earn more. We need you to use less fuel, for the sake of the economy and the planet.

From the Sept. 7-13, 2011, issue

The 84-volt 1915 Detroit Electric, on display at a car show at Midway Village Museum in Rockford. (Photo by P.J. Francis)

By P.J. Francis
Contributing Writer

A very special car that is almost a century old went almost unnoticed by most of the attendees at the July car show at Midway Village Museum in Rockford. One had to be a somewhat keen and knowledgeable car enthusiast to appreciate the uniqueness and historic importance of the 84-volt 1915 Detroit Electric.

“This car goes 110 miles between charges and charges overnight, just like the new ones,” explained owner Dr. Mike Werckle, from Caledonia, Ill. “It just doesn’t go as fast. Its top speed is probably 28 on the flat, and downhill, of course, it’s 40 or 50.”

It is hard to believe that in the early 1900s there were lots of electric cars on the roads of the United States. If low-priced gas had not become available, the internal combustion engine would not have overtaken the silent electric motors.

“(The Detroit) had more power than most gas cars (in 1915),” Werckle said. “Actually, the reason there are electric cars is before 1916, all cars had to be cranked, and people who lived in cold climates, or women, did not wish to crank them.”

Doctors liked the ability of electric cars to just go without any difficult starting rituals.

In fact, one of the downfalls of the electric car was the fact many men felt it was a sign of weakness to be seen driving them. As well as driving, men liked to tinker, improve and personalize their cars. The Detroit makers even styled their electric cars like models fitted with engines.

The Detroit had little chance against Henry Ford’s Model T, which cost considerably less to purchase. Ford showed considerable interest in electric cars and worked with Thomas Edison at one time. He even bought a Detroit for his wife, Clara, to drive. However, it would be quite some time before women driving cars became normal. By then, gas-powered cars were much easier to drive.

“The Detroit’s a wonderful car,” declared Werckle, with obvious enthusiasm. “I tour in it. We go all across country with other electric cars. We call it silently touring.”

He belongs to an electric car club that has about 70 electric car-owning members.

“We suspect there are more electric cars and that not all of them are running,” he said. “At least 15 of us drive them on tour.

“There were 13 different electric car manufacturers,” Werckle added. “Detroit manufactured these cars up through the ’30s.”

From 1911 to 1916, the Detroit Electric purchaser had the option of a more expensive Edison nickel-iron battery instead of the standard lead acid battery. Thomas Edison owned a Detroit Electric car.

“I have many antique cars, and none of them I like as much as this,” Werckle concluded. “I like it because it is kind of unusual.”

From the Sept. 7-13, 2011, issue

Thanks to reader Bob Lindstrom (nobody is more into efficiency than Bob) for bringing this little item to my attention. Toronto Star (Toronto’s largest daily newspaper) business columnist Tyler Hamilton has an extensive green issues blog. Among those was a story about sharing boats … which is why Bob sent me the link, as he knows I’m a “boat nut.”

I liked the story — Hamilton writes about an Internet-based group called “Nautical Monkey” and how it uses peer-to-peer connections of the Internet to connect owners of boats with other users. The idea is expandable to about any asset. One person owns the item. A system is developed to “share” it with others when the asset is otherwise sitting around corroding.

Hamilton says Nautical Monkey is “Craigslist meets Facebook meets Zipcar, with a twist on the traditional time-share model used today by vacationers.” Sharing boats and airplanes is nothing new. Partnerships and clubs have been around a long time to share in the costs of acquiring and maintaining these expensive assets — assets that otherwise don’t get much use.

However, through the Internet, peer-to-peer (P2P) communication is quite easy. With the proper contracts drawn up, autos, trucks, forklifts, backhoes, boats, airplanes, rototillers and RVs — all sorts of things that cost a lot to buy and maintain — can be shared with willing owners.

Unlike Napster, the music file-swapping web biz that did not actually own any of the things it was trying to “share,” with these hard-asset shares, it is the owner of the property who makes the rental of their property happen.

Obviously, you won’t rent your stuff willy-nilly to anyone; and this is where the sharing services comes in. They qualify applicants, keep records, billing services and perhaps even insurance. For this service, they keep a portion of the rental fee. A small price to pay for the convenience and economy of having others make your asset pay for itself.

My personal experience along these lines is in renting airplanes. Sailboat “bare-boat charters” are essentially the same. Someone owns the airplane. A local operator adds the airplane to his fleet and charges an hourly fee for its use. That fee will include insurance, in most cases, and maintenance in some. In other cases, the owner pays for those things out of his take. It doesn’t always pay — particularly when big expenses come — but the system has worked well enough, long enough, that it is still very popular.

With boats, the tendency is to rent out newer boats that need less maintenance — then take them off rental before repairs become a major issue. The same would probably be true of many mechanical assets. Airplanes are a somewhat different story — they live forever with proper care.

What makes this all appealing is that there is no longer a need for a centrally-managed and owned fleet of “things.” Through P2P, we can connect to a like-minded group of aviators, drivers, boaters, gardeners or whatever, and instead of running out and spending resources buying a previously-used asset or having some corporation build a new one — we can essentially borrow what we need for the time we need to use it. In today’s tough economy, this has an upside and a downside.

First, the “up.” The upside is that we folks with little spare change can use what we need to use without breaking our bank balance or inflating our credit card balance. We’re not faced with ongoing expenses to maintain that “thing” or to store it — or clean it, for that matter.

Second, the “down.” The downside is that our whole world economy is based on consumerism. Jobs, government and eating every day depend on people buying assets, using them a little, maintaining them a lot, then storing them until the next use — or we get tired of moving it around.

There you have it. Saving money can save the planet. But it may kill your job. You choose. I hope you chose planet — for we truly need to move into a new way of living that is sustainable, or there will be no money, no jobs and no food once the Earth’s resources are exhausted.

To read Tyler Hamilton’s related blog, visit http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2011/07/21/you-gotta-boat-i-need-a-boat-lets-save-lots-of-money-p2p-vehicle-sharing-expands-from-cars-to-boats-whats-next/.

From the Aug. 10-16, 2011, issue

MACHESNEY PARK, Ill. — Advance Auto Parts, Inc., a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, batteries, accessories and maintenance items, cut the ribbon on its first Machesney Park location at 1539 W. Lane Road Aug. 8.

Company officials said they chose the location for the store because it’s convenient to where their customers live and shop as well as the garages where they take their vehicles for repair.

Jason Beckett is the new general manager and works with nine other team members at the location. A 19-year veteran of the automotive and retail sales industries, Beckett has been with the Advance Auto Parts team for almost 14 years. He is ASE-certified, having passed stringent testing of his automotive knowledge by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.

The new store offers customers a range of parts and recognized national brands as well as several free services. Store team members will install windshield wipers for free, and also install batteries following a complimentary check of the vehicle’s electrical system and old battery.

The store offers fast parts delivery to local commercial customers, such as professional mechanics and garages. Customers also can drop off used motor oil and batteries for recycling — ensuring these materials don’t end up in landfills, where they could harm the environment.

Vehicle know-how is made easier than ever by Advance. The company’s website, www.AdvanceAutoParts.com, offers articles, online videos and audio and video podcasts in the website’s “Advance Know-How” section.

The store is open 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday, and can be reached at (815) 633-8261. Another area store is at 6023 N. Second St., in Loves Park.

From the Aug. 10-16, 2011, issue

Members of the Windy City Miata Club visited Rockford’s Midway Village Aug. 6. The Miata, which has been in production since 1990, is a two-seat sports car. (Photo by P.J. Francis)

By P.J. Francis

Members of the Windy City Miata Club (WCMC) toured Rockford’s Midway Village Museum Saturday, Aug. 6.

The Mazda Miata is an affordable, user-friendly, attractive and reliable two-seater sports car. It has been in production since 1990 and is similar to the British sports cars of the 1960s, minus the oil leaks, unreliable electrics, and aroma of fish and chips.

Two updates have been made in the lifespan of the car, but it has managed to remain loyal to its original concept. It continues to offer fun, reliable and affordable motoring. Driving for the sheer fun of driving, rather than the destination, is the purpose of driving a Mazda Miata.

WCMC is a not-for-profit organization designed to promote the enjoyment of goodwill and fellowship derived from owning a Mazda Miata. Though most of the membership is in the Chicago area, they have members throughout Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and other states. As of the end of 2010, WCMC had 274 members, with 199 Miatas. Enthusiasts are invited to join them at their next meeting or activity. Regular club meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of each month at Fuddruckers in Downers Grove.

Midway Village is at 6799 Guilford Road. Call (815) 397-9112 or visit midwayvillage.com.

From the Aug. 10-16, 2011, issue

Windy City Miata Club visits Rockford's Midway Village. (Photo by P.J. Francis)

While celebrities and parents alike have tried to educate teens about the dangers of driving while distracted, many have not heeded the lesson, as 86 percent of teens admit to being distracted while driving, according to a 2010 study by AAA and Seventeen magazine. Distractions include talking on the phone, texting, eating and changing channels on an MP3 player. This reality is especially alarming as traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Today’s teen drivers face an increasing number of risks and distractions, making safe driving habits more important than ever. At the same time, teen driving laws are evolving, and fewer public schools across the country can afford to offer driver education classes.

Many community organizations and even large businesses have stepped in to proactively help teens learn the importance of practicing safe driving skills. For example, UPS, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and UPS NASCAR driver David Ragan are partnering for the third consecutive year to present UPS Road Code, a comprehensive safe driving course to help teach Boys & Girls Club teens across the nation the importance of safe driving and defensive driving skills.

“When I’m on the race track, I’m surrounded by about 40 other cars while driving more than 150 mph — I can’t afford any distractions,” says Ragan, UPS Road Code spokesman. “Defensive driving is a priority for me, on and off the track, and I think there needs to be greater education for American teen-agers on what it means to be a safe driver.”

A teen’s first priority while driving should be to pay attention to the highway. Some helpful tips for keeping eyes on the road include the following:

• Give enough distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to allow you a view of all of your surroundings. A driver should be able to see the rear tires of the vehicle in front of you.

• Identify stale green lights, a light the driver did not see turn green, and prepare yourself for stopping if it turns red before you reach it.

• Be observant and expect other drivers to do unpredictable things while driving around you, such as speeding and changing lanes.

• Use your signals, lights and horn to communicate with other drivers on the road.

• Establish cushion space by delaying your start from an intersection by three seconds after the vehicle in front of you has moved.

• Check your mirrors every five to eight seconds because hazards that can cause an accident aren’t always in front of you.

Learning the risks and consequences of driving, plus hands-on experience behind the wheel, is essential to improve driving among teens. Drivers’ education, graduated licensing systems and teen-driving programs provide youth important information and the opportunity to practice safe driving. More teen safe-driving tips from UPS Road Code can be found online at www.ups.com/roadcode or by “liking” UPS Road Code on Facebook.

From the Aug. 10-16, 2011, issue

Recently, I was passing some time in Loves Park’s North Suburban Library by reading the June/July 2011 issue of Mother Earth News magazine (probably no surprise, eh?). By chance, it contained an article titled “Best Green Cars.” So, I of course had to have a look at what their opinion was on green transportation.

They chose the following six cars representing six different categories:

Chevrolet Volt — Best Plug-in Hybrid;

Toyota Prius — Best Family Hybrid;

Nissan Leaf — Best Electric Vehicle;

Ford Fiesta — Best Gas Only;

Honda CR-Z — Best Sporty Hybrid; and

Volkswagen Jetta TDI — Best Clean Diesel.

The article lists some specifications, prices and features — then “pros” and “cons,” followed by comments by auto press experts and a final “verdict.”

I’ll dare to boil it down to some quick synapses of each, starting with the Chevy Volt.

The Volt is available to buy now, though you may need to go to one of the six states where it is presently available with your $41,000 to get one. Once you buy it, you’ll be eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit. If you happen to live in a state giving further tax credits, it may even be less expensive. But what you’ll have is a plug-in electric hybrid sedan that can travel 25 to 50 miles on electricity without recharging. When the electricity runs out, an onboard engine starts up (using premium gas or E85) that provides electricity to keep you going and recharge the batteries. Total driving range with electricity and gas is 375 miles. Recharging time is four hours on 240-volt power (like your clothes dryer) or 10 hours on 110 volts (like your cell phone). If you don’t drive much in a given day, you may never use any gasoline, although Chevy wants you to use at least one tank a year to keep the engine fresh. It is a great start for General Motors — it really is an innovative vehicle, and it’s built by Americans in America. Nationwide availability is expected in 2012. They’ll be hard to spot on the road — as the styling is much like most other sedans on the road today.

Nissan’s Leaf is an all-electric car, or EV. The Leaf can go 62 to 138 miles on a full charge of its batteries. Although use of the electric heater will drop your range dramatically — better to dress warm — maybe a snowmobile suit in winter. Don’t laugh, that’s what the early adopters will do. It can haul five people around and not use any gas — it can’t. It might burn some coal if that’s where your electricity is coming from, but studies have found electric vehicles are still considerably cleaner with coal power than is a gasoline-burning vehicle. Got renewable energy? It won’t get much cleaner to drive than a Leaf. They figure the cost of refilling empty batteries to be $2.75. Not bad for 100 or so miles of driving. Like the Volt, it is not available nationwide yet, and there are plentiful tax credits to take the sting out of its $33,360 base price. They will be built in Tennessee for national distribution in 2012. I personally find the styling odd — but could learn to love it.

They give the best hybrid nod to the gorilla in the room — the 2011 Toyota Prius. Its 50 mpg overall mileage is sweet at the gas pump, even if it does not run on pure electricity. You see them everywhere (1 million sold in the U.S. so far), so the jury of consumerism has spoken: it’s a great car. They are available in all 50 states for a base price of $24,280. Although tax credits for them pretty much have dried up, they can still be a bargain in the long run with an annual estimated fuel cost of $1,125 — you’ll have some change left over for other things in life. 2012 will bring us the Prius V — a station wagon version, and the Prius C a compact all-wheel drive version that’s not quite an SUV. There is a Prius SUV in the works, though, for those who need to get out of a long, snowy driveway.

Just want a nice, inexpensive car? They chose the Ford Fiesta, with a base price of $15,090 ($16,890 for SE trim) as the best gas sipper of the lot. Estimated annual fuel cost is $1,705. Doing a little math — it would take 16 years to make up the difference in price between a Fiesta and its 40 mpg gas sipping (at current gas prices), and the Prius. It’s a fun, very safe car, having won the first “Top Safety Pick” for a mini-car by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It’s green cred is notable, too. No reason to drive anything bigger? Here’s a decent choice. Mr. Green Car likes the styling, particularly the green hatchback.

The Honda CR-Z is a sporty two-seat hybrid that pulls off getting 39 mpg on the highway (no better than the Fiesta), but is “the most fun to drive.” One of few cars available anymore with a true manual transmission — its available six-speed stick can up the fun level several notches. This $20,745 car may be just the ticket for those who need a regular adrenaline rush their lives — while saving on gas.

Lastly, for you long-distance commuters — the Volkswagen Jetta TDI diesel. The TDI technology has been around a long time, and diesel fans are very loyal to it. Best at highway economy where the diesel performs best, it is rated at 42 mpg. I’ve met an awful lot of folks who claim 50 mpg with their TDI diesels. Most have several hundred thousand miles on their car, still running like new. That’s diesel for you. The higher mileage offsets, the higher cost of the diesel fuel. With a 500-mile range, you’ll need to make potty stops more often than fill-ups. Jettas have been around quite a while and are proven, well-engineered and executed automobiles. Anyone with a daily drive of more than 100 miles should seriously consider one of these $24,865 sedans that compare very favorably to the Prius — except on the air pollution and greenhouse gas scores of 5/8 (Jetta) to 7/10 (Prius) — (higher scores = better).

Not a bad batch to choose from. However, nearly all vehicle manufacturers are on the bandwagon with hybrids, electrics, clean diesels and other efficient vehicles. Gas guzzling is so 1980s. A careful shopper can find other equally nice and efficient cars similar to most of the above, but for right now, the Chevy Volt stands alone in its field.

I recently read a three-page advertorial in the May 30 Time magazine about where Toyota is with green car technology. It’s probably time to pass along what the world’s leading automaker has to say about what’s coming down the pike.

For a base price of $24,280, you can stop on by your local Toyota dealer and get a third-generation hybrid Prius that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates fuel economy at 51 mpg city, 48 mpg highway. This is still your basic hybrid that uses its electric motor to get you going or boost performance, but does not operate in electric vehicle (EV) mode for long. Range is 595 miles. (The word “Prius” is Latin for “to go before” — chosen by Toyota to say this car would be a precursor of cars of the energy efficient future.)

Toyota says they have a fleet of 600 plug-in vehicle (PHV) Priuses in tester hands right now, with a forecasted roll-out to the public in 2012. With the plug-in Prius, you will recharge the new lithium-ion batteries overnight and be able to drive 13 miles in EV mode. If your destinations had recharging stations, you might be able to do much of your running around without using any fuel. Range on a tank of gas, combined with the electric mode, is 605 miles. Toyota also says it is soon to reveal a station wagon version of the Prius as well, making green transportation even more practical.

Plug-in hybrid technology is not the only path Toyota is following. They expect to have an EV version of the RAV-4 compact SUV out in 2012 as well. This vehicle is being developed in collaboration with EV leader Tesla — so I expect the RAV-4 EV may be quite the performer with a 100-mile range, making for a practical pure electric vehicle. A typical EV recharges in a few hours on 220 volts, or 13 hours on 110 volts at a cost of $2.75. That has a lot of appeal when a typical 20-mile round-trip errand is costing $4 in gas now.

The last in Toyota’s technology line-up is a fuel cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV). Mr. Green Car reported about this technology in detail some time ago, but here you would see a hydrogen fuel powering a fuel cell that recharges the batteries while you drive. The vehicle will operate purely on batteries, likely similar to a plug-in EV or PHV, reducing the need for hydrogen. The use of hydrogen in a fuel cell to produce energy only emits harmless water vapor, making this a very clean vehicle to operate as long as the production of hydrogen is from a clean source. They have a few of these on the road now, getting a range of 430 miles on a full tank of hydrogen — far more practical than the limited range of a pure electric vehicle. Of course, the problem is where to get hydrogen to fill up — a major infrastructure problem.

I’ll comment about the hydrogen sourcing here. There is no reason your hydrogen could not be made at home from tap water and electricity. With a clean source of electricity, you have the equivalent of an electric vehicle, but with far more range. Lately, I have been promoting the idea that large wind turbines might be best used to produce the hydrogen needed for the fuel cell cars of the future. Then, the comings and goings of the wind would mean little as the hydrogen would be stored near the turbine or pumped to a central holding tank. From there, it could be distributed via tanker and/or used on site to produce electricity via a fuel cell.

There is no reason this technology could not be done on a scale that the homeowner could not provide for all their energy needs via solar, wind and hydrogen. The advantages of a decentralized sourcing of power are too many to remunerate here.

To wrap up, Toyota says this technology, in and of itself, has a limited market. However, they feel if consumers believe they are getting a better vehicle, they are willing to buy what is being offered. To that end, they continue to make strides to improve their products, not resting on their laurels of having sold 3 million Priuses worldwide.

In the next Mr. Green Car, we’ll take a look at Mother Earth News’ “Best Green Cars of the Year,” which will include the Chevy Volt PHV.

From the July 13-19, 2011 issue

This will be another column full of mea culpa — I will be railing against something I have been involved with for nearly my entire life and continue to do. I doubt I’ll change my ways much, so I really don’t expect you readers to suddenly stop what you’re doing, either. However, it is my hope that I am planting acorns — that from these little seeds of an idea will grow a big oak tree of wisdom. Changing our ways and attitudes toward how we think and feel about things takes time — voting rights for women, anti-slavery, gay rights all began with some thoughtful conversations long before they were universally adopted.

With that, I’m going to comment about polluting for pleasure. In the last Mr. Green Car (June 15), I opined that entertainment events, big and small alike, cause pollution in us driving from all over to participate. Along those same lines, we’ll look at the toys we use that consume fuel in the process of providing pleasure.

Some of the many ways we derive pleasure is by entertaining ourselves with motorcycles, cars, snowmobiles, boats, airplanes, jet skis (personal watercraft) and RV camping. Motorcycles and cars can be used for “transportation” — that is to get us from point A to point B to engage in some useful activity. They can also be used purely for pleasure. The joy ride is the simplest example — a pleasant Sunday afternoon ride or drive to nowhere in particular. Fuel consumed and air polluted means no gain,  except maybe by the bar and restaurant owners where we stop. Both machines can be raced as well. Racing is a very exciting form of pleasure — an adrenaline rush. Auto and motorcycle racing usually involves other machines — trucks and trailers, crew vehicles and track support — so the fuel use and pollution created rises dramatically over the simple joy ride form of motorized pleasure seeking. I’ve done both. I’ve had road motorcycles, and I raced dirt bikes, and I still enjoy a top-down joy ride in my Miata frequently.

Boating can be very fuel consuming. Powerboats, in particular, get notoriously bad gas mileage. Large boats, what most would consider “yachts,” measure efficiency in gallons per mile. But the sort of boat most of us use for pleasure will be towed to a lake or river, run around a while and filled again on the way home. Some are quite thirsty machines. While not a big fan of personal watercraft, now that they operate with quiet and efficient four-cycle engines instead of smoking two-strokes, I’d recommend a more efficient small craft in place of a large machine. It is not uncommon to see a man piloting a large boat up the river by himself for a bit of pleasure. Could he gain a similar pleasure with a personal watercraft or even a canoe or kayak?

I have sailboats. And while they use the wind for propulsion, I, too, pollute greatly in the need to run a small, stinky, two-cycle outboard to get under way. It only uses a couple gallons a year, but the pollution from these old two-cycle outboards is awful. Then, there is the sometimes hundreds of gallons of gasoline consumed in towing the 26-foot sailboat to a destination far away. In this respect, sailing is something like RV camping. The activity itself doesn’t do much harm to the environment — it’s the fuel consumed in getting there that does.

Flying is another pleasure activity that can consume a lot of fuel. Small airplanes are not particularly fuel-efficient. Most have air-cooled, carbureted engines that in themselves are not very efficient. Aviation has not benefited from the kind of advances in engine technology that the automotive world has seen. It’s a legal and a scale of economy issue. An average small, four-passenger airplane will obtain about 13 miles per gallon — about the same as driving a Hummer at 130 mph. A lot of flying is going nowhere to do nothing — a joy ride. Pilots often spend a morning flying to a pancake breakfast event or to an airport restaurant for a burger (Janesville, Wis.’s airport is famous for this). We call it the “$100 burger.” Even flying on an airliner to a vacation destination is fraught with a great release of carbon dioxide along the way — airlines are a major contributor of global warming greenhouse gases. On a global scale, piloting a small airplane around is not a major impact on the environment — compared to everything else, the total fuel consumed is miniscule because it is done so infrequently by a very few people. I’m one of them, too.

So, I’ve pointed out that having fun with our machines is costing us dearly in fuel purchases, oil imports, air pollutants and greenhouse gases. What can we do?

First, and easiest, is to cut back on frequency. How often do you need to derive pleasure from these activities? Next, is to acquire a more efficient machine and get rid of the old one — literally scrap it out. It does the environment no good if you sell your smoky old outboard motor to someone else. There are electric outboards and electric drive systems for boats. Electric airplanes are in the developmental stage. These can be much cleaner, particularly if the recharging energy source is clean.

Enjoy something human-powered instead of motor powered. I’ve found mountain biking to be just as exciting as riding a dirt-bike, and a lot less hassle, too. A kayak can be taken along on a top-down joy-ride with a trailer behind a convertible — this is a two-fer fun thing to do.

Lastly, how about just not going, going, going all the time? Stay home and garden, play checkers in the shade under a tree with a good friend. Play a banjo. There are a million different ways to derive pleasure that don’t involve moving our bodies with a petroleum-powered machine. The time may well come that the price of oil will force this shift upon us. Until then, I hope this discussion will put a nugget of guilt in your noggin while you’re out having fun with your machine — I know I think about it. Now, to kick that oil addiction…

From the June 29-July 5, 2011 issue

Helena, Mont.—AAA forecasts 39 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday weekend, a 2.5 percent decline from the 40 million people who traveled a year ago. The Independence Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, June 30, to Monday, July 4.

Tara Hanley, AAA spokesman, explained, “AAA is projecting a slight decline in the number of Independence Day travelers mainly due to fuel prices being approximately $1 per gallon higher than last year.”

The percentage of travelers with a household income of $50,000 or less is expected to decrease from 41 percent to 33 percent, while travelers with a household income of more than $100,000 are expected to increase to 35 percent from 26 percent.

AAA’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Global Insight. The Boston-based economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades. The complete AAA/IHS Global Insight 2011 Independence Day Holiday Travel Forecast can be found at AAA.com/news.

Automobile travel down 3 percent, but five out of six travelers will drive to destination

Approximately 32.8 million people plan to travel by automobile, and that’s a decline of almost a million auto travelers from the 33.7 million who drove last year. Automobile travel remains the dominant mode of transportation (84 percent of holiday travelers) despite gasoline prices about a dollar per gallon more expensive than a year ago in many parts of the country. The national average price for regular gasoline is $3.63.

Impact of gasoline prices on travel plans

A survey of intended travelers found that 56 percent said rising gasoline prices would not impact their travel plans. For the remaining 44 percent who said rising gas prices would impact their travel plans, seven out of 10 will economize in other areas, and three out of 10 are planning to take a shorter trip or travel by a different mode of transportation.

Number of air travelers expected to increase by 9 percent

A little more than 3 million leisure travelers (8 percent of holiday travelers) will fly during the holiday weekend, a 9 percent increase from last year’s 2.75 million air travelers. The remaining 8 percent of holiday travelers are expected to travel by other modes, including rail, bus and watercraft.

Travelers to experience increases in airfares, hotel rates and car rental rates

According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, Independence Day holiday airfares are expected to be 11 percent more than last year with an average lowest round-trip rate of $213 for the top 40 U.S. air routes. Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase 3 percent from a year ago with travelers spending an average of $147 per night compared to $143 last year. Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond hotels can expect to pay 8 percent more at an average cost of $110 per night. Weekend daily car rental rates will average $56, a 3 percent increase over a year ago.

Average travel distance down 7 percent

According to a survey of traveler intentions, the average distance traveled by Americans during the Independence Day holiday weekend is expected to be 573 miles, which is 7 percent less than last year’s average travel distance of 617 miles. Median spending is expected to be $807, an increase of 25 percent from $644 last year.

From the June 29-July 5, 2011 issue

I have been flying airplanes since I was a Boy Scout seeking an Aviation merit badge—and an “airplane nut” long before that. I first flew a plane when 14 and soloed (permitted to fly alone) on my 16th birthday. A year later, I earned my Private Pilot license on my 17th birthday. No parental money was involved—I was a working teen. Each of these accomplishments was at the minimum age for flying powered airplanes. That was 40 years ago.

I say this only as a perspective to what will soon follow. I have gone to more air shows than I can possibly remember—but none of them was the inspiration for me to become a pilot. My life has always had aviation in it, and while a diminished component these days, it is still a very important part of my life.

With this in mind, I am going to point out the environmental costs of our air show and similar “events” in terms of their impact on the atmosphere.

Our local summer air show is but an example. The same analysis can be applied to any motorsport, professional sport, concert or other entertainment that causes people to travel distances to be amused, thrilled or educated. In the case of the air show, we’re probably looking at the worst-case example. Here we have an event that takes a year to prepare for. Preparation involves meetings of the planners. Leaders of various departments gather by driving from all over to sit down and discuss what needs to be done. Let’s say once a month, with more meetings as the event date draws near. Driving equals fuel consumed and carbon dioxide expelled into the atmosphere.

The week of the event/air show, there is a lot more driving around as the airport prepares for the arrival of its many guests; both those who arrive by ground and air. Vendors set up tents, pack in their equipment. With a day or two to go, airplanes start to arrive from all over the country. Some burn aviation gasoline, some aviation kerosene—all of them consume a lot of it, no small amount on the taxpayer’s dime. Air show participants are driven to their hotels and back each day. Air show staff spend a lot of time running around in vehicles getting things done.

And then comes the day of the show…

Car loads of people drive from all over the Midwest to wander the hot tarmac to inspect and watch airplanes while drinking their $3 bottles of water. Police and security will stand by all day—with engines running in their squad cars. During the air show, jets and aerobatic planes cavort around the sky, burning lots and lots of fuel in some cases. Massive amounts of carbon dioxide are being released into the atmosphere in the name of entertainment. While some military flying could be written off as, “well they’d be flying somewhere training anyway”—that could well be true, but air show flying has little resemblance to combat flying.

A favorite air show spectacle is the “wall of fire,” or simulated bomb drop. Here, buckets of fuel are detonated to cause a fireball and great clouds of sickly black smoke. It’s spectacular, all right—a spectacular amount of carbon dioxide and unburned hydrocarbons are released into our atmosphere. Personally, I find the wall of fire looks nothing like a bomb going off, is often mis-timed with the passage of the airplane, and is not patriotic in the least. Pretend war doesn’t honor veterans—saying “thank you” to them does.

Show’s over. All the planes fly off to the next venue or back to base. Spectators hop in their cars, crank up the A/C and head for home. Airport staff and vendors pack up and return to base. Eventually, someone will drive around and pick up all the “No Parking” signs.

We’re not quite done with driving yet. Time for the organizers to drive to a restaurant to celebrate and to meet on what went right or wrong with the event.

I hate to say this, but if we are ever going to take reducing carbon dioxide emissions and global climate change seriously, this sort of event and its kin will need to be scaled back, if not eliminated. Perhaps less frequent events would be a compromise solution. Do these things have to be EVERY year? Heck, I even question the environmental impact of a Sunday morning church service as people drive from all over to get their spirits renewed.

Think about all we drive. That “we” includes me. We drive a lot to do the things we are fond of doing, and those things not so fond of—like going to work. But drive we do. We are addicted to the habit of driving for everything. There is no hope of resolving our climate crisis while we stick to this lifestyle.

Can conference calls replace a drive to a meeting? Do you need a family reunion every year? Can you switch to the neighborhood church you could walk to? We need to start asking ourselves some hard questions. And one of those is: “Is entertainment more important than a healthy planet?”

From the June 15-21, 2011 issue