4 secrets to save big on back to school this year.

If you have a new teen driver in your family, the last thing you should be stressing about is car shopping.  That’s why we’ve made it easy for you with four simple things to keep in mind.

•Don’t let high horsepower vehicles tempt you.  Your teen will be tempted to push speeding past the limits.

•Skip the sports cars.  Bigger, heavier vehicles are ideal for protection during a crash or rollover.

•Electronic stability control is a must.  It works even better than that imaginary brake pedal you keep pressing, trust us.  It will help  your teen maintain control of the vehicle around curves and on slippery roads.

•Pick vehicles with the best safety ratings possible from the IIHS and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Most Common Maintenance Myths – UNMASKED!

All right, all right. There are a lot of ideas about car care out there, but which ones do you follow? We’re here to bust through some maintenance myths and possibly save you a buck or two on your next service appointment.

MYTH: Oil has to be changed every 3,000 miles. It doesn’t hurt. But it is probably a waste of money. Familiarize yourself with your owner’s manual – seriously. Your maintenance schedule is probably not as strict as you think, and you might even be able to go twice this “recommended distance” without getting an oil change.

MYTH: Treating your car with premium gas after running regular for a while is beneficial. Just stick with your recommended octane level and you’ll be all right – the system will stay clean regardless. Some premium grade gas might have extra detergents in it, but a lot of the time that’s just a marketing gimmick. It’s up to you if you want to experiment to see what helps your car have the best performance.

MYTH: Wipe down your dash and tires with protectant compounds to keep them shiny. A lot of these “protecting” wipes on the market actually strip tires of their original protectants, and it’s possible that they actually cause drying and cracking on the dashboard. Stick with warm soap and water instead.