lifestyle auto car

by Dennis, Cars for Keeps Customer Service Manager

I hope all of you are having a great kick off to summer. I know that summer time is busy for people, especially for families; there are all the activities, children out of school, camping, trips to the beach & vacations. With hectic schedules to juggle, it can be a challenge to remember everything, and small to-do items - like getting your car maintained - often get pushed to the bottom of the list.

That is why your vehicle would like to send you a little reminder. All it asks that you you give it a little TLC from time to time.

Oil services at regular intervals will help keep the engine running correctly. Having the engine's coolant checked to be sure it is set for the correct anti boil level will prevent overheating. All fluids should be checked and topped off or changed to make sure your vehicle's vital parts are running smoothly. During hot summer months, air conditioning service and repair can be essential!

Summer vehicle maintenance will make sure you're able to vacation, visit family and travel without incident. (Ok may be not to Hawaii) Not only does auto maintenance save you and your family the inconvenience of roadside breakdowns, but it saves money in the long run by preventing costly damages.

With this all being said, let's not forget Independence Day is coming up this weekend. The team at Cars for Keeps hopes you have a great and safe summer and salutes our armed forces and our country.

Have a happy and safe summer & Independence Day.

Your friendly neighborhood Service Manager,

Dennis

by Colette Cooley, Cars for Keeps Office Manager

Have you noticed, as you drive around in your dream car, how many vehicles have advertising on them? I am not talking about the big, commercial trucks. No, I mean your every day, ordinary pickups and passenger vehicles.

With a difficult economy comes creative ideas for new start-up businesses from average Joes and Joesettes. What heroes! Like cream rising to the top. It is the best of American Ingenuity, and we at Cars For Keep, salute you.

Anyway, back to this new trend of putting advertising on your car so the whole world can see who you are and what you do. It runs the gamut from a discreet company name and phone number on the door, on up to a complete “Wrap” of the car from bumper to bumper. It’s almost as good as watching television. I saw one the other day advertising ‘wings to go’ with a picture of a chicken strapped into a carseat with a look of panic on it’s face, wildly flapping it’s wings. There are some larger companies that will give anyone a car to use for free, that is completely wrapped with advertising. All you have to do is pay for the insurance and prove that you have had regular maintenance done.

Aaahhh yes, regular maintenance. It can mean the difference between a well running car with a long life and a car that always has problems and dies before the last payment is made. All companies that deal with cars, from fleet cars for private companies to professional car rental companies know the critical importance of regular maintenance. Cars For Keeps is always ready to help you with regular car maintenance.

At the beginning of 2010, Cars for Keeps welcomed a new auto technician to its team of experienced mechanics (we were so excited that we dedicated a blog post to him). Steve has brought invaluable experience in American and Asian car models to Cars for Keeps, with Subaru repair experience at the top of that list.

During my last visit to Cars for Keeps' shop, Steve was kind enough to give me a tour of some of the shop's most recent projects. During that tour, I asked him which vehicle brand was his favorite to work on, and he answered "Subaru" without hesitation. A big Subaru fan (he proudly showed me his own Subaru, pictured below), Steve understands that Subaru vehicles come equipped with many benefits - benefits which require Subaru expertise to repair and maintain.


As most Subaru owners know, Subarus offer two huge mechanical advantages:

Boxer engines. Boxer engines, unique to Subaru vehicles, are flatter than other engines, allowing them to take up less space and provide a lower center of gravity for improved handling. There's a laundry list of other mechanical benefits of the boxer engine, but the most noteworthy are that Subaru boxer engines are able to achieve a higher power-to-weight ratio and are, in general, easier to maintain.

Symmetrical all-wheel drive. All Subaru vehicles are equipped with built-in all wheel drive, but it's no ordinary AWD. Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive works together with Subaru's well-balanced boxer engines to create better stability, better balance and, ultimately, better handling.

These attributes have caused many Subaru owners to become loyalists of the brand. As with any car brand, however, quality maintenance is required for long-term quality performance, and not every mechanic is equipped to work with Subaru's unique design features. Asking an auto mechanic who specializes in Ford repairs to work on a Subaru would, for example, be like asking the Iron Chef to make a tiramisu layered cake. Could he do it? Probably. Would a french pastry chef do a better job? Um...let's hope so. A qualified Subaru mechanic understands how best to maintain Subaru's boxer engine, all-wheel drive and its many other unique features.

Bottom line: if you love your Subaru, hire a mechanic who specializes in Subarus to repair and maintain your vehicle. Here at Cars for Keeps, we just happen to have one on staff.

Safe driving!