Buick wins big at the Kelley Blue Book - 5-Year Cost to Own Awards

We knew that the Buick Verano, Enclave and Encore were great vehicles. They are some of our best selling vehicles at Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC. Kelley Blue Book did a great job of researching the industry and found what we already knew.

 THESE ARE THE WINNERS OF THE KBB 5-YEAR COST TO OWN AWARDS:

BEST ENTRY-LEVEL LUXURY CAR:

2016 BUICK VERANO

http://www.biggscadillac.com/models/buick-verano

BEST LUXURY COMPACT SUV/CROSSOVER: 

2016 BUICK ENCORE

http://www.biggscadillac.com/models/buick-encore

BEST LUXURY FULL-SIZE SUV/CROSSOVER: 

2016 BUICK ENCLAVE

http://www.biggscadillac.com/models/buick-enclave

BEST MID-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK:

2ND PLACE FINISHER

2016 GMC CANYON EXTENDED CAB

http://www.biggscadillac.com/models/gmc-canyon

 KBB created this study on using information on all the models available in each specific classification of vehicles and then analyzing on the following: cost to own model in the United States over a 5-year ownership period, which includes these factors; financing the vehicle, insurance cost, taxes, plus the average fuel expenses, scheduled maintenance and normal repairs.  Other figures used are anticipated depreciation from standard value analysis. 

For more information about these awards go to: http://www.kbb.com/new-cars/5-year-cost-to-own-awards/

Higher Gas Prices

Here we go again!. Gas prices are shooting up pretty fast. Is it really going to get to $5.00 per gallon? What is it that "they" do - decide what "they" want the ceiling to be and go for it?  Unfortunately we, John Q Public, are the last ones to know what the real truth is. Will fuel reserves be released to help us out and, will we find other ways to get oil?  It could be like the 1970's when we could not even get fuel. I remember the gas lines, stretched around and down the block. You couldn't even get gas if your license plate was wrong. You had the evens and the odds. If your plate ended in an even number you could get gas on certain days and not on the others. You prayed that you didn't run out of gas on an odd day.

What can be done now to prepare for what may come?

Look at the fuel efficiency of your vehicle.

You have to decide what is important to you. Saving money with a more efficient vehicle or paying more to fill up your gas tank. I am sure you have seen all the commercials and information about new vehicles having more Miles Per Gallon ( MPG). Have you thought about what this really means for you? Let me break some of this down for you in numbers. Let us say that your car gets 22 mpg and your fuel tank has a 15 gallon capacity. That means that you can go 330 miles on one tank of gas and at today's prices 15 gallons of gas will cost you $55.50 ( gas prices are at $3.70 today, locally). Now let us say that you purchase a different more fuel efficient vehicle and you get 36 mpg, tank capacity is the same. Now you can go 540 miles on a tank of gas, that is 210 miles more,. That is almost another tank of gas! If you drive 15,000 miles a year ( the national average), that is a savings of about $1000.00 per year, and that is at today's gas prices ($3.70)! What will it be if and when the price hits $5.00 per gallon?



Buick LaCrosse w/eAssist



You would be saving $1326.00 per year. Now if your vehicle's average mpg is lower than 22 mpg, and you move up into a more efficient vehicle, your savings would be even greater.

 Did you know that Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC has more fuel efficient vehicles? Buick makes three models that have better then 30 mpg. The New Verano - 32 mpg, LaCrosse with eAssist - 36 mpg, Regal with eAssist - 36 mpg. GMC has the smaller yet very efficient SUV - the Terrain - 32 mpg.


GMC Terrain

Keep it between the lines,
Happy Motoring

 So while you are calculating your current gas mileage and thinking about getting into a more fuel efficient vehicle, give us a chance to show you how you can save money and time at the gas pumps.

                                                        

Auto Industy and The Future

               Driving a car is something as a young adult you can not wait to do. To have the freedom and the ability to go places. Along with it comes a huge responsibility. You have to learn how to drive and need to do it with some sense of ability to get a driver's license. Then you have to re-take a test every couple of years to make sure you are still capable of driving and following the rules and laws.

               It was to me a right of passage, and a bit scary. I certainly did not want to hurt anyone or wreck any cars. I was taught how to drive defensively, to pay close attention to the road , everyone and everything around me.  Anticipating what someone else might do, with experience it became easy to do. Is that lady, talking to the passenger in the car, noticing that she is coming into my lane? Where am I going to go? Is the lane next to me open so I can move over in case she comes this way? My attention had to be 100% on the driving. Yeah, at times I was changing the radio station or drinking a soda, but I stayed focused. My eyes were still on the road, out of fear of the inevitable.

               Things have changed over the last few decades. A LOT. It seems as if drivers are doing more than driving. You know the story. Talking on the phone, texting, dealing with Cd's,DVDS, PDAs, eating and drinking, kids,and schedules ( are you late?). Those are some of  the distractions. We won't even mention how they are driving.  No wonder the auto industry and scientist have and are still developing newer and better Intelligent Vehicles(IV). We have vehicles that can talk to you and, at times, simply drive for you. From ABS brake systems,air bags, suspension system adjustments, notifying you of lane drifting, parallel parking your car for you, rear view cameras, to electric cars, On Star and the list goes on.....  It is wonderful! There have been innumerable lives saved, because of the technology that has been introduced into the auto industry. 

             We have so many vehicles on the roads today,and roadways are congested.  Commutes to and from have gotten longer and longer. Finding ourselves away from home for much longer periods of time. I know we feel that we have to do so much while we are in our vehicles.

   It won't be long, until we will all just be co-pilots.

 Until that comes about,

Do we still know how to drive defensively?

                                     Hey, Jetson's! Here we come!

Keep it between the lines.
Happy Motoring.

Want to know about the technology that GM is developing?http://www.gm.com/design-technology

Want to know more about the New 2012 Buick Verano coming to Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC this Fall?

http://www.buick.com/vehicles/future-vehicles/verano.html