July 2013 - Greater Cincinnati Automobile Dealers Association

Car Seat Giveaway Has Officially Begun!

September is National Child Passenger Safety Seat month. Did you know that 89 percent of children are not properly restrained in their car or booster seats? To help promote awareness, the Greater Cincinnati Automobile Dealer’s Association, partnered with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and EvenFlo, is helping spread awareness by giving away twelve EvenFlo® Symphony ™ 65 car seats. 

The giveaway has officially begun, and runs through the end of September.  The seats are all-in-one, accommodating children from 5-100 pounds. 

How to Choose an Auto Infotainment System

The Detroit Free Press published an article last month on Auto Infotainment systems, which for the less tech-savvy means the new entertainment systems in current models of vehicles (what was once just a radio).  Features in these new systems include voice-activated commands, and integrated features from drivers’ smart phones. 

If you’re on the lookout for a new vehicle that includes an infotainment system, here are some tips on what to look for:

– Does the car have bluetooth for hands-free phone calls and streaming audio?

– Does it take just one or two quick commands to perform common tasks such as making a phone call or dictating an address to a navigation system?

– Are the commands easy to remember, like natural speech?

– How quickly does it respond to commands?

– How accurately does it understand commands? 

A good thing to remember:  A bad system can frustrate you, ultimately increasing your distraction rather than reducing it. 

View Full Article

 

NADA Headline: Franchised Dealership Employment Levels Continue to Improve

As sales of new and used vehicles continue to gain steam, so is the momentum for franchised dealerships bringing on more workers. Employment figures moved higher for the third year in a row, according to the annual report from the National Automobile Dealers Association. In 2012, the average dealership in operation employed 55 people and total dealership employment increased to an estimated 963,400 employees from 933,500 in 2011. Those figures came from NADA Data 2013. “Total dealership employment plateaued at 1.1 million before falling below 1 million in 2009 as the recession commenced,” the report said.

View Full Article

Have you Checked out CincinnatiCars.com?

On the lookout for a used car?  CincinnatiCars.com is Cincinnati’s best way to find the perfect used vehicle for you, containing thousands of pre-owned and certified pre-owned vehicles from new car dealerships all over the tri-state. 

The site has many features that are explained in an instructional video at the top of the page, and also written directions underneath. 

Go to site

What’s the Scoop on Nitrogen Inflation?

            For years nitrogen inflation has been used on tires that handled high speeds and heavy weights.  Vehicles made for racing, aircrafts, and heavy-duty equipment like earthmovers and mining vehicles have had nitrogen in their tires.  But it wasn’t until a few years ago that nitrogen inflation began being offered on personal vehicles as well.  Since then, there’s been more of a presence of green caps on the end of some tire tips, which means that those tires are filled with nitrogen.  What does that mean, and what’s the purpose? Nitrogen inflation is one of the ongoing mysteries of the automobile industry.  What benefits does it have, and, is it worth it?

            Tires themselves don’t carry the weight of the vehicle, rather, the pressure of the air inside the tire.  With nitrogen inflation, the air in tires should be between 93 and 95 percent nitrogen.  This number can only be achieved, however, if all air except for a few psi are taken out of the tires, and new air is put in.  To get the greatest possible percentage, it’s best to repeat this process another one or two times.  The air that typically fills tires of personal vehicles consists of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent miscellaneous.  The pressure in tires is measure by psi (pounds per square inch).  It’s estimated that with regular air, tires lose about 1 psi of pressure each month.  This is because air escapes through microscopic gaps that form between the rubber molecules of the tires every time the tire rolls, a process called permeation or diffusion.  

            Nitrogen has been used in other vehicles for years primarily because it’s considered a “safe” gas.  It doesn’t support moisture, and it isn’t flammable.  The lack of oxygen in the tires prevents oxidation, and it takes longer for air to escape from the tires.  Because of the lack of moisture, there’s a smaller chance of rust and corrosion of a car’s wheels. 

            So, should you get nitrogen inflation in your car?  The answer is that it depends.   Nitrogen is still a gas, which means that changes in temperature will still affect the pressure.  During winter months, the pressure will still drop.  Some claim that nitrogen inflation is a replacement for monthly tire pressure checks.  This is not true.  Even though nitrogen inflation can slow the process of losing pressure, it is only by about 1/3.  You should still get your pressure checked every month. 

            Nitrogen provides some benefits, but if you are a frequent driver, your tires will probably need replacement by the time you would actually see any of them.  Nitrogen inflation is good for cars that aren’t driven a lot.  This could be a car of collectors, RVs, and others such as snow tires.  However, it doesn’t hurt to inflate your tires with nitrogen, as it can provide some minimal benefits.  If you find a place that offers free nitrogen inflation, why not give it a shot?  If it’s not free, a reasonable price that would be worth trying is about $5 per tire.  If it’s much more than that, it’s probably best to turn around and walk away.