Posted by Anonymous on 8:01 AM
Chevrolet will add a performance-oriented RS variant to its Sonic lineup for the 2013 model year. Chevrolet says that its primary goal is to give the Sonic “a more performance-oriented look and feel,” according to the automaker’spress release.The 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS, which is only available as a hatchback, will be powered by the same 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine available on the 2012 Sonic, and will be paired with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.Although the RS’ engine doesn’t gain any power, reviewers predict that the RS will be a better performer than its non-RS siblings. “Engineers...
Posted by Anonymous on 6:33 AM
**Offer is only good on new vehicles purchased at Don Elliot Autoworld in Wharton,...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 3:41 AM
Ever wondered about the psychology behind road rage? Read on to find out more! So what do you think of when you hear the term "road rage"? It's one of those catch phrases everyone has heard, and yet there is no common definition we can all use. Often, people use terms like "road rage" and "aggressive driving" interchangeably. And while some might say that aggressive driving includes everything from cutting someone off on purpose to tailgating to making obscene gestures andcursing at other drivers, others might claim road rage refers only to incidents where violence erupts between drivers and passengers -- in or around cars. (There are...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 6:52 AM
Check out the new Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee. Here's a Dodge Super Bee with some sting. Dodge is going to unveil the 2012 Charger SRT8 Super Bee at the Los Angeles Auto Show. This heritage model always creates a buzz. "The 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee is a salute to the fun-loving past of Dodge muscle cars powered by the legendary 392 Hemi V-8 in a back-to-basics performance machine," says Ralph Gilles, CEO of Chrysler's SRT and Motorsports division. That 6.1-liter V-8 puts out 425 horsepower. Dodge says the new 'bee has a race-inspired interior with a three-spoke contoured steering wheel, exclusive Z-stripe cloth performance...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 5:14 AM
Check out the Fall Farmer’s Market at Guffey Park every Saturday in November. Please call Al Dube at 979-943-4291 for more information....
Posted by Anonymous on 5:54 AM
How well do you know the history of Chevy?
Its Impalas dropped us off at school. Its pickup trucks hauled our produce on the farm. Its Corvette sustained our sports car fantasies through the boredom of high school algebra class. Earlier than almost any other automotive brand, Chevy created a palette of vehicles that ranged from the small and thrifty to the sleek and sporty to the large and smartly trimmed.
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Once the model line expanded beyond the limited body selections of its first half-century, there was a Chevy for almost everyone. The brand’s broad appeal resulted in a place atop the sales charts starting in the 1930s and continuing...
Posted by Anonymous on 1:17 PM
Is gender playing a role in your car insurance premiums? Check this out: Those condescending jokes about female drivers seem to have vanished with the Bob Hope generation of comedians. Nowadays women appear to have a positive image of themselves as safer drivers than men, according to a recent poll. In a survey done for insurer MetLife, 51% of women said their gender drives more safely. The evidence is on their side: Men are 3.4 times more likely than women to get a ticket for reckless driving and 3.1 times as likely to be cited for drunk driving, according to a study by Quality Planning, a research firm that works for insurance...
Posted by Anonymous on 11:19 AM
Keep your pet safe while driving, not only for your animal’s health and well-being, but for your wallet’s sake as well! States Cracking Down On Dogs Behind The Wheel If it's any indication of the danger free-roaming pets face in a vehicle, New Hampshire, the country's only state that does not have a mandatory seat belt law, actually requires dogs to buckle up. Live free or die, goes the state's motto, but Spike and Spot don't have that liberty. And with due reason. Seven other states, Connecticut, California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Rhode Island require owners to kennel or tether animals because...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 10:27 AM
Reserve Two for Murder at the Plaza! The Plaza Theatre, on Monterey Square in Wharton, will be presenting the first stage production of its 2011-2012 Season, Reserve Two for Murder. This comedic murdermystery will be performed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from October 14-23, 2011. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30pm, with Sunday matinee performances beginning at 2:30pm. It's not often audiences get to help solve a murder and laugh while doing it, but that's just what happens during this fast-paced comedic murder-mystery. With action taking place all over the auditorium, you won't know where to look next. Is the murderer...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 11:16 AM
Really neat article. Especially if your car is older and you no longer have the manual. Although the promised "paperless society" may never come to pass, today's savvy consumers know the convenience of downloading large documents and foregoing the bulky paper version. Automakers realize this as well, and almost all of them have made the voluminous owner's manuals for their vehicles available on their Web sites' "Owner's" area. Most (though not all) online downloads are free, whereas buying the paper version costs anywhere from $10-$30 or more. While owner's manuals don't make exciting reading, they are packed with valuable instructions,...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 3:43 AM
Great news for anyone looking for more safety features. General Motors has just announced its latest safety innovation — the industry’s first front center air bag. This inflatable restraint is designed to protect passengers in the event of a far-side impact. Available on the 2013 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Chevrolet Traverse crossovers, the airbag will deploy to the right of the driver’s side and provide restraint during passenger-side crashes when the driver is the only front occupant. This airbag will also act as an energy absorbing cushion between driver and front passenger in both driver- and passenger-side crashes. “The front...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 3:26 AM
Is rustproofing your car worth it? In short, yes! Rust is a car’s natural enemy. More than just a discoloration of metal, rust is the corrosive result of a chemical reaction between oxygen and iron. Though rust technically corrodes just the surface of iron or an iron-based alloy (such as steel), fresh iron is exposed during this process of corrosion, which in turn can become “infected” with rust. Given enough time, this cycle will repeat over and over to the point when the rust completely disintegrates the metal. Put simply: Rusted metal is not as structurally strong as rust-free metal. Since most cars are made of metal (especially...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 3:07 AM
How safe is your vehicle from theft? Find out which cars thieves hate tangling with the most: Having seen how car thieves have a special attraction for the Cadillac Escalade, what cars do they hate the most? Interestingly, it's a mix of cars and midsize SUVs, such as the Chevrolet Equinox, the Highway Loss Data Institute reports. It may not be because it isn't cool to be cruising around in an Audi A6 or an Equinox. Rather, it may be because these vehicles have really good anti-theft mechanisms. It's clearly not because these vehicles are undesirable. Looking over the list, they are all fairly popular, even if some are niche...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 5:09 AM
Congratulations, Ram! The shootout put five pickups that cost no more than $30,000 in head-to-head testing to determine which was the best bang for a shopper's buck. The Ram took the title because of its outstanding performance in payload capacity, 0-60 testing and handling as well as its impressive array of features for the price. Overall, the Ram not only outperformed the other four trucks, but it also had the fewest sacrifices or compromises feature-wise. The ST Quad Cab is our Best Truck for $30,000. Ram found the winning formula that balances price, performance and features. Read more: http://special-reports.pickuptrucks.com/2011/09/30k-shootout-results.html...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 6:52 AM
Are we approaching an era of self-driving cars? “Fred Flintstone had a car that he had to power with his own feet; by that standard, all of today's cars are pretty easy to use. But cars are becoming even more user-friendly -- so user-friendly, in fact, that they may not even require a user at all. That's because much of the new car technology involves taking over the role of the driver. For instance, no longer does a driver need to mind the blind spots, as certain cars come with detection systems that will alert the operator to obstacles in other lanes. If a driver should start to drowse off and drift into another lane, the steering...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 4:42 AM
Did you know that you can contact our technicians through this form http://www.donelliott.com/page/askatech/master/secondary/ and ask a question about your vehicle? Of course you can always give us a call at 800-939-8413. We look forward to hearing from you!...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 3:45 AM
The Dodge Caliber will be discontinued starting in November. The Dodge Caliber, the car that was “anything but cute,” will be ending production on November 23, 2011, according to documentation recently sent to dealers. Those who want Redline 2 paint or power express sunroofs can get them starting in October, shortly before the end. The Caliber was launched in 2006 as a 2007 model, accompanied by official putdowns of the Dodge Neon, which had been so popular in 1994 that many dealers had waiting lists. Early Neons had numerous quality issues, due largely to cost-cutting, though these had been dealt with by 1998; however, it was late...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 6:01 AM
GM uses stereo headphone technology to help fuel economy. The 2011 Chevy Equinox gets 32 miles per gallon on the highway, four mpg better than segment competitors like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape – all rated at 28 mpg. It achieves this rating by enabling the crossover’s engine to run at a lower RPM. However, this posed a new challenge for noise and vibration engineers. “There’s a boom, or very low frequency rumble that comes from the engine when it runs in that RPM range,” said Noise and Vibration Development Engineer Jim Vallance. “We knew if we could deaden those booms, we could run the engine at the lower RPM, which...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 6:40 AM
Is texting while driving really worse than drunk driving? That’s the question that Christopher Neiger from “How Stuff Works” asked. Read more to find out his conclusion. Texting, or short message service(SMS), is a quick form of communication that allows users to send 160 characters or less to and from their cell phones and smartphones. A study by the Pew Research group in 2009 and 2010 reported that out of the number of Americans who have cell phones, 58 percent of adults and 66 percent of teens use them to text [source:Motavalli]. With these high percentages of Americans using text messaging every year, many are bringing...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 5:53 AM
The Chevrolet Volt was named to Edmunds.com 2011 Consumers’ Top Rated Vehicles List. In addition to being one of the nation’s premier resources for online vehicle research, Edmunds.com also provides a key opportunity for owners themselves to review their vehicles, creating a unique—and important—measure of quality from consumers who know those vehicles best. Comments from new Chevy Volt drivers included: “I have owned my Volt since mid-March, and have used exactly 20 gallons of gas over 3,100 miles. I also own a Prius and feel that the Volt, though a bit smaller, is a big leap forward over that fine car. The Volt is quicker,...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 6:43 AM
Labor Day is this weekend! Are you planning a road trip? Remember to plan ahead for one of the busiest highway holidays: Getting Your Car in Shape The last thing you want on Labor Day is a car that breaks on the road. A routine check of the engine, radiator and fluids will go a long way. Tires should be well inflated and wiper fluid should be replenished. Also, check that the steering wheel and brakes work properly. A car emergency kit should include, at a minimum, jumper wires, a tire gauge, a flashlight, a tool kit with wrenches and screwdrivers, duct tape, rags and an emergency stop sign. Add a first-aid kit, a bottle of water,...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 10:02 AM
Last week, GM’s humanoid robot, Robonaut 2 (R2), was brought to life aboard the International Space Station. R2 was jointly developed by scientists and engineers from General Motors and NASA. GM was eager to see how this robot would make GM’s plants around the world safer. R2’s hands feature extraordinary dexterity and sensitivity, making it suitable for performing a number of manufacturing-related tasks. NASA’s use of R2 has helpful GM test it in the real-world. Both teams will share what they’ve learned from R2 to make it even more useful in the future. So far, R2 is performing well in space, and should be a helpful addition to the...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 5:03 AM
Get ready for the 2012 Transformers Special Edition Bumblebee Camaro Coupe! To celebrate the Camaro’s appearance in this year’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” Chevrolet will release an eye-popping 2012 Transformers Special Edition Camaro Coupe that features Bumblee’s aggressive black-and-yellow design scheme. The Bumblebee bonus package is available on the 2LT and 2SS Camaro Coupe with Rally Yellow paint and offers: Black rally stripes stretching over the hood, roof, rear decklid and model-specific high-wing rear spoiler 20-inch black-painted wheels with Autobot “Shield” logos and high-performance summer tires ...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 5:58 AM
The 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 one of the “Best-handling performance coupes.” Chrysler’s innovative Fuel Saver Technology would have to be one of the most attractive features on the 2012 Challenger. On models equipped with automatic transmissions, this system allows the engine to operate economically on four cylinders or use the power of all eight cylinders when needed. Despite its powerful engine, the Challenger can still achieve as much as 23 miles per gallon on the highway. The optional five-speed automatic transmission features new, standard steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, adding yet another race-track inspired feature....
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 5:09 AM
The 2013 Chevy Malibu will be quieter than a mouse thanks to Chevrolet noise engineers. Thanks to unrelenting perfection when it came to sound, the all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu should be one of the quietest sedans on the market when it arrives in showrooms in early 2012. “To tune the sound properties to appeal to the widest possible audience, we need to make sure everyone hears the same thing,” said Kara Gordon, Malibu’s lead acoustic engineer. Gordon and her team used pre-production Malibus with a mannequin-like recording device called an Aachen HEAD, a digital recording tool that closely matches the way humans process sound...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 8:44 AM
Play the Dodge Challengerize game and then tell Dodge what you think about it. Simply go here: http://www.facebook.com/dodge?sk=app_165842920123166 play the game and then cast your vote on how it could be better. Happy driving!...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 6:56 AM
Pretty cool service. Check out the details below: OnStar has launched a new optional service called Family Link, linking subscribers to their loved ones when driving an OnStar-equipped vehicle. This new service enables users to log onto the Family Link website to view a map with their loved one’s exact location at any time (pictured above). Subscribers can set up email or text message notifications to let them know the location of their loved one’s vehicle. They can choose the day, time and frequency of the alerts. “Our subscribers have asked us for a solution to help them stay connected to their family when they’re on the road,”...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 6:51 AM
Dodge wins 3 segment awards in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 APEAL study. The Dodge Challenger, Charger, and Durango, led their respective segments, while Jeep and Chrysler brand vehicles saw significant improvement in this year’s study. “We’ve listened to our customers and made significant improvements across the product line, launching 16 all-new or extensively updated vehicles in the past year,” said Doug Betts, Senior Vice President—Quality, Chrysler Group. “We worked very hard to make our vehicles truly competitive with the best vehicles in their respective segments. It’s nice to see this effort being recognized by...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 6:37 AM
The 2012 Chevy Cruze will get 39 MPG highway! Good news for anyone in the current economy. Thanks to a revised axle ratio, the 2012 Cruze Eco with its standard 1.4-liter turbocharged Ecotec engine and available six-speed automatic transmission will be able to achieve up to 39 mpg highway, while the standard Cruze with the same powertrain will be able to reach 38 mpg highway. Said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing: “Fuel economy is the top reason customers buy a compact and the Cruze’s greater efficiency for 2012 makes it all the more attractive.” But that’s not all that’s new for the new model year. In...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 10:00 AM
Solar-Powered Charging Stations Coming to 24 U.S. Chevrolet Dealerships Chevrolet is taking sustainability to a whole new level with the installation of solar-powered charging stations at Chevrolet dealerships. These new chargers are to be installed at two dozen U.S. dealerships to generate electricity equivalent to 12 full vehicle charges per day. Excess energy will be used to supplement the dealerships’ daily power needs. American Chevrolet in Modesto, California, and Al Serra Auto Plaza in Grand Blanc, Michigan, are the first U.S. dealerships to complete their solar charging capability. Each solar canopy generates enough electricity...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 9:51 AM
The 2012 Corvette ZR1 Breaks Record At Nürburgring. After an absence of four years, the Chevrolet Corvette once again returned to Germany’s famed Nürburgring racetrack for performance testing, and once again it came home with a record. Corvette engineer Jim Mero drove a stock 2012 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 through the 12.9 miles and 154 turns of the ’Ring’s Nordschliefe course in a time of just 7:19.63—the fastest confirmed time ever recorded by a stock production vehicle. But that was just a bonus for the Corvette team, which was at Nürburgring to validate some key performance upgrades on the ZR1 for 2012, including its available...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 7:15 AM
The all-new Chevy Volt is here at Don Elliott Auto World! Come in and test drive the vehicle that is electrifying the automotive industry. While you’re here register to win a 42” plasma ...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 5:50 AM
If you would like to prevent a car accident, read these tips! In this collection, "70 Rules of Defensive Driving," by RoadTrip America's contributing expert Robert Schaller, he shares wisdom gained from nearly fifteen years of teaching defensive driving and traffic law in his home state of Arizona. 1.Pay Attention ...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 5:35 AM
What driving habits annoy you the most? Tell us! Or just check out this Top Ten list created by Car Talk radio personalities Click and Clack: It's a known fact that everyone reading this is an above-average driver — and that each of us always displays deep and abiding civility toward our fellow travelers. So we're sure you won't recognize yourself in any of the items listed below. But what about all those other jerks on the road? What things do other drivers do that annoy you most? Here's our list, with an invitation to share your pet peeves below. Yours in Pounding the Steering Wheel, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, Car...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 4:10 AM
I love to see the starry flag That floats above my head. I love to see its waving folds With stripes of white and red. “Be brave,” say the red stripes. “Be pure,” say the white. “Be true,” say the bright stars. “And stand for the right.” Author Unknown...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 8:46 AM
Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19th. What was the best advice you ever received from your Father? Share it with us! We’d love to hear it. Or just enjoy some of these pithy quotes about our favorite dads: "A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he's in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station." -- Bill Cosby "A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again." -- Enid Bagnold "A father is a guy who...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 8:53 AM
The 2013 Chevy Malibu ECO, “Most Fuel-efficient Mid-size Sedan Chevy Has Ever Built.” The new ’Bu is expected to earn EPA ratings of 26 mpg city and an amazing 38 mpg highway. That’s a better highway fuel-economy performance than offered by some subcompacts—and some hybrids, too. As just one example of their work, the Malibu ECO will showcase the first use of electronically controlled lower-grille shutters in the mid-size segment. The shutters stay open for improved engine cooling during low speeds or when the car is under a heavy load—such as when it’s traveling uphill—then close at highway speeds to help the Malibu ECO slice through...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 8:53 AM
Purchase a Certified Pre-Owned Chevrolet and get two years of standard maintenance that includes oil changes. This new program, dubbed Owner Care, includes a two-year/30,000-mile standard vehicle maintenance program and will also cover tire rotations, and multi-point vehicle inspections at no charge to the customer. The Certified Pre-Owned program will continue to offer a 12-month/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, and a five-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty with 24-hour roadside assistance and courtesy transportation. “Customers demand more value for their money, and we have responded,” said Jennifer Costabile,...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 10:20 AM
The 2011 Chevy Volt was named “World Green Car of the Year” at the New York International Auto Show in May. “The selection of the Volt as the World Green Car is a further proof point of the fuel-efficient technologies that are now being offered by the Chevrolet brand around the world,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “This award, and the others that have preceded it, validate the efforts of the development team to build a truly remarkable vehicle with the potential to transform transportation around the globe.” And speaking of those other honors, they include being named: 2011 North American Car of the...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 7:32 AM
How are you planning to celebrate/ honor Memorial Day weekend? Is the holiday a chance to barbeque and hang with friends, or is it a more solemn occasion as you remember a loved one? Share with us! But no matter how you choose to spend your weekend, we want you to stay safe. Here are some tips for grill safety this weekend: Keep food covered or refrigerated until ready to be cooked. Cook meat to 170 degrees Farenheit as a minimum. Cooking (by any method) of meats (particularly red meat and chicken) at very high temperatures until surface charring occurs can cause cancer causing substances (Heterocyclic...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 8:10 AM
Ed Welburn, GM’s global vice president of design, took a look back at the brand’s long history, and here are his picks for the 10 most noteworthy Chevrolet designs of all time: Chevrolet Classic Six (1912)—Designed by Louis Chevrolet and the very first car to wear the Chevrolet name, the Classic Six was unveiled late in 1911 and went on sale early the following year as one of America’s most powerful and luxurious cars, with the biggest engine Chevy was to offer until 1958. Chevrolet Deluxe Sport Coupe (1932)—This curvy compact was an early example of Chevrolet’s efforts to design cars that offered contemporary styling and affordable...
Posted by Don Elliott Auto Group on 10:40 AM
GM to offer the 2012 Camaro Honor and Valor model for members actively serving in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard. In celebration of National Military Appreciation Month, General Motors announced the 2012 Camaro Honor and Valor model. The new package is essentially a stock 2012 Camaro SS, but throws in several unique touches, including a painted body kit, white side stripes, black leather seating, a so-called “Honor” badge, and a grille insert and surround similar to that used on this year’s Indy 500 pace car. Camaro Honor and Valor models will only be available in red, white, and –er, black. Production...
