Committing to the Commute

Part of making the choice to live and work in separate cities is committing to the weekly commute.  San Francisco has consistently landed on the top-five lists for the worst traffic and commute, and the stories of hour plus drives to and from work is a very real occurrence.  As the young kids like to say, the struggle is real.   

The average morning drive in the bay area can range anywhere from 40 minutes to over an hour and a half each way.  With hiking commutes, people have begun exploring different forms of transportation trying to alleviate the costs.  From local tube transports to hybrid vehicles, San Francisco has been a front runner for commuter convenience. 

Known for its illustrious BART system, San Francisco’s tube takes you from one end of the bay to the other at the cost of a cup of coffee.  In addition The Ferry services, offered from Vallejo, Oakland and Larkspur, Sausalito,  he San Francisco Ferry Building, Fisherman’s Warf and even AT&T Park for the occasional Giants games  give you ample opportunity to arrive to work fairly stress free, having been able to avoid sitting in hours long traffic. 

Not a fan of the public transportation options? I can understand that, I love my car just as much as the next.  In fact, being a Los Angeles transplant, I grew up knowing nothing about public transportation.  Cars were all we knew.  So then how about looking into a hybrid vehicle? 

When driving three hours a day in traffic, gas millage and vehicle wear and tear become major concerns. Having the available hybrid or Eco-system, allows you to conserve gas when needed.  On average, you can actually save from upwards of $500+ dollars per year, but the cost of the vehicle can be slightly higher than standard engine vehicles. Also if you do your homework, certain green vehicles let you drive in the HOV lanes on highways.  That can definitely help save some time on your drives home, and depending on the actual gas cost savings, hybrids could be a great choice for most!

Now if you are anything like me, I love the idea of the hybrid, I am just not a fan of how they look.  Thankfully in this day and age, hybrid vehicles have jumped on the sexy car bandwagon.  Following suit of the likes of Tesla, Acura has taken the hybrid engine and placed it inside some of its most popular models including the 2016 RLX Sport Hybrid.  The RLX is a nice sporty sedan with a hybrid engine and three motors combined to produce 377 horsepower.  With leather seats, surround sound, streaming Pandora and XM radio, and USB ports come standard, making this vehicle ideal for long road trips or even that long drive into the city. 

Now, the self-driven vehicles are still a very new concept, however with Google, Audi and Tesla breaking ground on these cars, the concerns regarding safety are currently in discussions.  Although testing has shown that no more accidents have occurred than in stander drivers, the self-driven vehicles are still very much in trial phases.  We might have to wait a few more years before we can let our cars take the wheel. 

For more information on hybrid vehicles or to shop for one of your own, check out the link below!

http://www.acura.com/photogallery.aspx?model=rlx#2016-rlx-exterior-sport-hybrid-sh-awd-with-advance-package-in-crystal-black-pearl-shoreline-10

Tire Tread Depth - Part worn can be too little

While most owners that come to our dealership, probably won't have to drive in deep snow and ice-covered roads on a daily basis, these two are the most challenging conditions to drive on.



Acura MDX

I
n regards to All-Season, Summer, and Winter type tires, technology have come a long way in the past decade. Tires have gained more traction, reduced road noise, more comfort and durability. However, the basics of traction and handling in snow and ice has not changed.

A tire must have have three fundamental qualities to work in winter conditions. These are an appropriate tread design, pliable tread compound that does not harden in the cold, and sufficient tread depth. With the advances in computer aided designed tread designs and modern rubber chemistry two of the three are usually not up for concern.

Since most Northern California drivers only replace tires when they are worn, which is when the tread depth reach 2/32nd" (or about 1.6mm) It is the tread depth that is often overlooked. Without sufficient tread depth, the tire's traction on snow would be reduced since tires require more depth to compress snow in the grooves to take a "bite"

Ask any of our Service Consultant for tire safety check

At Acura of Pleasanton, your safety is our top priority and we recommend tire replacement based on the expected road conditions. Our Service Consultants may ask questions such as what kind of road conditions that your Acura may see. So even though the tires on your vehicle may appear to have plenty of tread depth, it would not be unusual for us to recommend tire replacement on tires that have 4/32nd" during rainy months and 6/32nd" if driven in snow or icy roads.

Another option some owners who plan to frequent snow or ice covered roads is to purchase a second set of wheels and tires designed for winter use. Be sure to ask our Service Consultant for their recommendation during your visit.

Visit www.acuraofpleasanton.com for our latest Winter service coupons.

ref: Tire Rack Winter Tire article