Here’s why the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe is so exciting

Positive reviews, pricing, and long-term ownership costs.  The big three.  The trifecta.  What do these three factors have in common?  Every car brand strives to produce a vehicle that masters each one.   And with the SUV market growing every year, there’s a lot of cut-throat competition!  But only the 2014 Santa Fe stands out as the SUV that perfects it all with this much style.

The 2014 Santa Fe is dramatically redesigned from its previous models, and comes with all the bells and whistles.  It handles like a dream, slicing through curvy roads like butter.  Did we mention it’s roomy enough to fit everyone comfortably, turbocharged, AND boasts an amazing MPG for its class?

Why are you still sitting there?  Come see us for a test drive today.

New grad needing a new car? Make sure you do these 3 things.

Establish a Budget

When coming up with a budget for your car, consider all your monthly costs including rent, bills and student loans. This will help you stay within the limits of what you can afford so you don’t get in over your head with payments. Setting realistic goals will help you manage other financial areas, too.


Take your Time

Don’t rush the process. Look at as many cars as you want and take notes (you should be a pro by now!) so you can remember all the important facts. Car and Driver advises you not to purchase your car on the first visit. Take at least a night to think about your decision. You’ll be driving this new car for several years – you should be comfortable and happy with your decision.


Take a Test Drive

During your test drive, be sure to test the brakes and lights while driving on both slow roads and busy freeways. Don’t forget to check out the passenger seats. The more time you spend with a car during a test drive, the more accurate your evaluation will be.

The Hyundai Sonata is Music to Your Ears

You already know you love the Sonata. But do you know where the name comes from? The dictionary definition of ‘Sonata’ is: a composition for one or two instruments, typically in three or four movements in contrasted forms and keys.  Long story short? The road is your concert; and you and your Sonata are instruments working together in perfect harmony. Take a look at the new Sonatas we have available today!

Say Cheese!

Once you are old enough to get your driver’s license photo taken, the preparation is essential. Take a look at these tips to take the best photo ever!

1. Do not wear white, it tends to make people look sickly under the lighting at the DMV.
2. Avoid wearing t- shirts with slogans, plain shirts with soft colors such as blue, green and pink tend to be the best.
3. If you are getting your photo taken during allergy season or if you have a cold, use eye drops and make sure your eyes wide open.
4. Keep your hair neat and normal, today is not the day to try out a fancy hair do or new hair color.
5. Ladies, know how to wear your makeup. Too much eye shadow tends to make your eyes disappear and too little makes you look like a zombie. Practice makes perfect!
6. Like we said before, practice makes perfect! It may seem silly to practice smiling in the mirror but it can only benefit you in the end.
7. Be on time for your appointment and stay patient. DMV’s are notoriously slow but the wait will be worth a great picture!

Top 5 Places to Roadtrip to this Summer

We complied a list of the Top 5 places we think you should take your car this summer!

Pacific Coast Highway, California

Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana

Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina

Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Brandywine Valley, Pennsylvania and Delaware

Tires 101 - Be An Expert!

Tires 101 - Learning the Tire Categories

Tires are purpose-built. In other words, they are built using the specifications that are best suited to the job that the tire will perform. These specifications determine the materials that the tire is made of as well as the tread patterns and the overall look of the tire. These build specifications can be broken down into the following categories: Touring, Performance, All-Season, Light Truck, and Winter.

Touring

I'm sure you heard the term "touring", but what does that mean? Touring means traveling at highway speeds for prolonged periods. Touring tires are designed to give a quiet, excellent ride with top-notch handling at highway speeds. This type of tire has a non-aggressive tread pattern with straight ribs that allow the channeling of water. Another characteristic of the touring tire is long tread life. Long tread life is certainly a plus but the downside is that the hard compound that makes up this tire tends to freeze in winter, which in turn, sacrifices traction in bad weather.'
 

Performance

This type of tire does a great job at highway speeds. It has an aggressive tread pattern that provides great traction and handling during cornering and aggressive driving. These tires have heavy or large shoulder lugs for cornering traction and a wide smooth face for gripping the road surface. Evacuating water is usually not a strong point of this type of tire. They are made of a softer rubber compound which aids traction but wears out quickly. Performance tires are usually short-lived. Most "Summer" tires fall under this category.'
 

All-Season

This category includes the most versatile tires. All-season tires have a dual purpose. First, the tread patterns squeegee, or remove water from underneath each tread block maximizing rubber-to-road contact. Secondly, the tread patterns allow the "pumping" of water, ice, and snow away from the tire. These tires are also made up of a compound that resists freezing, ensuring better traction during icy conditions. Another great characteristic of the all-season tire is its performance in great weather. They are comparatively quieter than performance tires and their blocky tread pattern allows good traction and handling in the wet and dry.'
 

Light Truck

This type of tire is built for work. They are constructed to work under heavy loads and in rough conditions. The rubber compound is hard, ensuring durability and the steel plies help the tire resist punctures and tears. The tread patterns vary widely and is determined by whether the tire will be used on or off-road. You will find lots of variation for light-truck tires, so thinking through the truck or SUV's mission will go a long way.'
 

Winter

This category of tire is built for inclement and severe weather. Its whole mission in life is to move and break through snow and ice. The rubber compound resists freezing temperatures and remains flexible. The treads open and close as the tire moves down the road creating a "crunching" effect on ice and snow. This "crunching" keeps the treads clean which gets them ready for the next bite, ensuring traction. They are excellent at evacuating water. The sharp edges on the treads break through ice so that the tire can find the road or a surface that provides greater traction. If you experience an abundance of ice, snow, or inclement weather, the winter tire is your best bet.

Here's a quick guide for category characteristics:

• Touring- quiet, good highway performance, long tread life 
• Performance- great handling and grip for aggressive driving in the dry, poor performance in wet and snow, short tread life 
• All-Season- good highway performance, good wet, dry, and snow performance, moderately quiet 
• Light Truck- good for heavier loads, hard compound, aggressive tread pattern, good on and off-road performance 
• Winter- great in ice and snow, resists freezing, best at evacuating ice and snow, great winter traction