The final two

As you know from previous posts. Car shopping is not one of my most favorite things.

Basically I like the hunt - I like researching cars, checking out my options, comparing them to see which are truly (in my opinion) the very best.

But as you also know I have been on the hunt for a new car and with much negotiation my husband and I have narrowed it down to the two below

This is what it came down to

The newly designed 2012 ML350

Mercedes interior - for the record I would want black on black 

or

The BMW X6

BMW interior

The Mercedes has had a completely re-design and overhaul of both the outside and inside and also has loads of new safety features

But the BMW… oh the BMW just look at it!


What do you think?

Car Shopping

Car shopping brings dread for a lot of people… me included and I LOVE cars! I like learning about them, I like driving them, I like to compare them and even with those likes I still dislike buying cars. 


There's so many unknowns when it comes to car shopping. You have to make all these decisions, spend loads of money and be happy with the car!


Should I buy New or Used?


If used should I get it from a private seller or a dealer certified or a used car lot?


Do I get a car or an SUV (or a van or a Ferrari)?


What color should I get?


What options do I HAVE to have?


And about a billion more questions….


So my husband and are considering buying a new (to us) car and I thought I would share my journey with you


We finally decided to bite the bullet and get another car and the first question that he came up with was:
"What kind of car do we want?" then Answered his own question with "I'm thinking a convertible"


My first question was:
"What's our budget?" then said "We live in a place that snows for 5 months of the year we don't want a convertible!"


Here's what I know from my research / experience with cars so far

1. New cars are becoming more affordable than used cars - when a statement like this is made what's being considered is depreciation plus the fact that most new cars are coming out with better and better warranties. However I'm still undecided on whether I want new or used… 
2. I don't want a car older than 2008 that's about 3-4 years old
3. It must have navigation unless the car is so incredible and for such a good deal that it's worth overlooking the navigation
4. It needs to be a 4-door (sedan) or small - medium SUV (no Excursions please!)
5. It should be black, silver, dark blue or white

That's my list so far. 

The next thing I'll do is go online and try to narrow down to 2 or 3 different car options. 

One I'm interested in now...

pic from here

2008 Audi A4 Quattro 

It's 4 door

It isn't too old

It has all wheel drive

And it comes with Navigation

How To: Check Your Tire Alignment

Tire alignment is one of those things you always hear you should check and fix and do or whatever but here is the reason it's so important.

You can get loads more miles out of your tires if you ensure they are aligned properly and aligning your tires ensures that all four of your tires are pointing in the right direction and sitting level on the ground. What happens is as you drive and go about your driving day you might go over a pot hole too fast, bump a curb a bit too hard, take a speed bump (or hump for those int'l drivers) a little too fast or some other extra force is applied to the tire in one spot for some reason or another. Now you should know that it's not that easy to knock your tires out of alignment - it does take some force but not necessarily an accident.  When increased force (like above)  is applied to the tires they slowly and slightly get pushed in a different direction. Maybe the left front tire will slightly point inwards, maybe the back tire will slightly  push out on the bottom or whatever.

These slight changes in alignment cause the tires to wear unevenly. Think of if like your shoes. After you have had them for a while you can start to notice where you put more pressures on the shoes. The back of the heel looks more worn down the rest of the heel. This one area that is extra worn out on your heel means you have to replace the whole shoe sooner.

The tires on your car are the exact same (in this aspect at least) in that when extra pressure is applied to one area of the tire then it will wear down faster and you will need to replace the whole tire sooner.

So the gist of it is, if you can keep your tires wearing evenly then they will last longer saving you time, money, hassle and that hour and a half of sitting at the tire shop reading old issues of people magazine.

How to tell if you need a tire alignment:

Here's the thing. Your tire alignment should be checked regularly like every time you rotate your tires (another way to lengthen the life of your tires)

But there are also some signs that perhaps it's time to get your alignment checked.

1. You were in a small accident or fender bender. They'll probably check the alignment when you get any body damage repaired but you will want to double check. Or better there's not damage to the body that needs to be repaired then run it to your local tire shop for a quick check. 
2. When you are driving the car pulls to the left or the right when you take your hands off the wheel. The best way to do this check is over a few different roads because often the roads them selves are not flat and will pull the car to the left or right on their own. But if you are driving straight down a road you should be able to hover your hands just above the wheel (don't take your hands completely away from the wheel as you want to maintain control of the car at all times) and the car should continue to go straight and not veer to the left or the right.
3. When you are driving down a flat road and you grip the wheel it feels as if it is vibrating back and forth. It's key that you don't do this test on a road filled with pot holes, gravel, cracks, what have you. 

Basically checking your alignment and getting your tires aligned if necessary is an easy fix that will give your tires a longer life and more milage and any tire shop will be happy to help you out.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

Q & A: Changing oil timeline

Frank said...

Well, I know you're supposed to change your oil every 3,000 miles/3 months. But I only drive about 200 miles a month, mostly in 10 or 15 minute chunks - mostly cold starts, mostly city driving. What's the rule I should be sticking to? Can I get away with every 6 months?

When should I really be changing my oil, bearing in mind I don't like spending time, or money, unnecessarily.

Thanks!

Hi Frank!

That's a fantastic question. What do you do if you (like most drivers) don't fall within the guidelines that your user manual gives you for checking oil? I mean who wants to spend loads of money and time changing perfectly good oil?

I say it's perfectly fine to change your oil less often as long as you keep an eye on it. I know I only change my oil about every 6-9 months. I rarely drive and when I do it's long distances (long distances help keep an engine clean). 

What you want to make sure you do is check your oil (See How To Check Your Oil here) and check it regularly, like 4-6 weeks. The longer it's been since your oil has been changed the fewer weeks I would leave between oil checks.

There are three things you want to look out for when gauging if it is time to bite the bullet and get your oil changed

1. Look at the oil level - (I show what to look for here) It is imperative that you keep an eye on your oil level and ensure that it does not get too low. 
2. Look at the color - Your oil should be the color of dark caramel as well as translucent. When you wipe the dipstick off on your rag it will show either a dark translucent caramel brown color if it's newer or as it gets older it will get darker and darker and become a thick black color (kinda what you think about when you see oil in the street). The darker it is the more it needs to be changed
3. Look for sediment - if your oil looks sandy or grainy when you wipe the dipstick on the rag than you need to change your oil. These bits will really hinder the efficiency of your engine when it's running.

As long as your car is passing these three tests then I say it's ok to pass the three month timeline and get a little more milage / time out of your oil. Just remember to keep checking your oil regularly and you should be good to go.

How To: Check your oil

This is one of my favorite things to do with my car (well actually SUV but that's for another day). Not in the way where I wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed because it's "check my car's oil" day but rather because it makes me feel like a confident car owner. Even more so because my husband doesn't know how to check the oil (shhhh don't tell him I told you!)

Why checking the oil is important:

The oil is crucial to the engine because all those little moving parts that make the engine turn (and thus make your car move) need the lubrication that the oil provides in order to move.

If the car doesn't have enough oil in it the engine will seize (freeze up) and not work any more - and probably not ever again. This is why everyone makes such a huge deal about oil

Check your manual to see how often your oil should be changed and stick to it. It will help the life of your engine and ensure that your vehicle runs more efficiently.

The reason oil is checked and changed is because it tends to get dirty and slowly burn away and you definitely don't want it to run out.

I personally don't change my oil my self. I really have no desire to get an oil pan, crawl under my car and drain it. It's messy and so much easier to take it to an oil place and let the professionals handle it.

I will however, check my oil to make sure it's not too low and I'll top the oil off (add a little) if it is low.

Now for checking your oil!

The very first thing you need to do is make sure your car is parked level. Like any liquid oil will pool if the car is parked at an incline (or decline) and this will throw off your oil reading. Also you don't want to check your oil right after your car has been running. Let it sit a bit so that the oil settles.

Oh and get a paper towel or old rag!

Then open your hood - you can get a "How To" on opening your hood here

Locate the dip stick (little red or yellow rubbery circle thing) which will be somewhere around your engine.

It'll look like this

Grab your paper towel with one hand and pull the dip stick out with the other. When you pull the dip stick out it will be a long thin piece of metal and might be bent in to a funny shape - this ensures that it can reach down to the oil tank. 

Wipe the end of the dip stick off with your towel and put the dip stick back in the little hole all the way. Pull the stick out again and look at the tip

You'll notice the little markings - these are to help indicate how full or empty your oil tank is. My oil came up to the first mark above the hash marks. If it was closer to the hash marks I would use that as a cue to top off the oil a bit. But for now my oil is good to go.

If you need to top off your oil it's super easy. Buy a quart or two from your local home store (check your manual for the type of oil your car requires) and head back to your engine - you will want to make sure that you engine has fully cooled down before you head on to the next steps

Use your towel to twist off the cap with the little oil picture on it

And pour the oil in! Try not to spill the oil as you pour it in (you can even use a funnel for this part if you think it will help). But if you do spill some don't worry if you smell burning oil the next couple times you drive.

Replace the cap as tightly as you can get it. Then close the hood and you are set!

I recommend checking your oil every 4-6 weeks if you drive loads.

Again this isn't the same as changing your oil. This is more of an in between maintenance thing. For changing take it to your local dealer or oil shop. They'll do it quick, cheap and clean

Spotted: Pink Range Rover Sport

I admit this car spot is a couple years old but it's still one of my very favorites. The people living a couple doors down from me owned this hot SUV.

It's a hot pink Range Rover Sport. Seriously outrageous. Like something you would buy to go along with your new beach surfer Barbie.

But I can't help but smile every time I see it

And ya' know, if a pink Range Rover Sport is what you want then by all means…

After all, people should love the car they're in!

How to: Open the hood of your car

Learning how to open the hood of your car might sound funny because it sounds so basic. And I know in theory it should be SO easy but you would not believe how many people have never attempted to open the hoods on their cars, trucks, vans or SUVs.

Pic from here

Having driven many many different cars my self, I can tell you that some cars are super tricky in figuring this simple task out.

The first thing you'll learn here at She Likes Cars is that your car's owner's manual is your friend. The reason for this is because although all autos basically work the same way each manufacturer makes minor changes to the process of say changing a tire or opening a hood. If you refer to the manual it will show you step by step on how your specific car works.

SO!

Opening the hood on your auto - This is the way it USUALLY works
(again if this isn't working for your car then check out your manual)

If you are sitting in the driver's seat of your car you should notice that on your left hand side there are some levers either on the floor between the seat and the door or further up near where your clutch would be if you drive a stick shift (manual) or in an automatic the area where your left foot hangs out.

Look for a little lever that has a picture of a car with an open hood on it like this

Pic from here

or one that simply says "hood" or "open hood"

You will want to pull on the lever until you hear a "pop" noise. Now at this point you wont see the hood open but rather you will just hear it being released.

Get out of the car and walk around to the front of the car, look inside the grill of the car. You should see another little lever (if you don't see one here then try feeling underneath the lip of the hood in the front for the lever) and try to push the lever up to release the hood.

The reason for this second lever is that it is a safety lock. This way if you accidentally release the hood from the inside of the car with out realizing it, you wont have the hood fly up and block your vision while you are driving. Not a fun situation I can tell you that!

Now that the hood is released you can lift it up. At this point you should be able to see a support rod that lays across the front of the opening where the engine sits. It kinda looks like a crooked car antenna but laying down and only attached at one end.

Hold the hood up with one hand and grab the support rod with the other. Now you'll see a lot of little holes in the top of the hood but you will want to look for one that is a little bit different shape (usually rectangular) and has an arrow pointing to it. Stick the free end of the support rod in to that hole and gently let go of the hood.

Now your hood should should be open and you can see your entire car engine! Great job!

I know your engine probably looks a bit overwhelming right now with all those tubes, metal parts and wires but don't worry about that because we did what we came here for! You opened your hood! Woot!

Now for closing the hood:

With one hand, put the palm of your hand on the lip of the hood and gently lift up slightly so that the weight of the hood is on your hand and not on the support rod.

With the other hand take the support rod out of the hole it's sitting in and snap it back into it's laying position along the side of the open engine.

Gently let the engine drop from your hands and it will lock into place. MAKE SURE your hands and fingers (as well as the hands and fingers of anyone around you) are out of the way before you do this!

Now your hood should look flush with the sides of the car and, well, the same as before we started. If it looks lifted at all that means it's not completely locked into place. You can gently push down on the lip of it to see if it will lock or release it from the lever inside the grill of the car again and lift it up and drop it again.

This is something everyone should know how to do with their car and will be key when performing any task regarding your engine because, you know, that's all under the hood.


Any questions? Shoot me an email.