Amy’s Garage

by Amy Mattinat

Day 2 of the Audi Mileage Marathon - Wave 3

This morning at breakfast, Kami, Bob and I all decided that since the Grand Canyon was only about an hour off our itinerary we would turn off the navigation system AKA: ‘Bossy’, and take a detour to see “The Big Hole”. Bob is quite the ‘adventure man’ and has climbed to the bottom of the GC numerous times and helped convince us that a detour was necessary. We wouldn’t have any extra time for hiking, but we did have time for some spectacular viewing. Much to our chagrin, at the morning meeting Audi suggested this very thing and we found a number of various Audi TDI clean diesel models driving around the park.

It took about six hours to get to the Grand Canyon. There were a lot of loooooong straight-a-ways that went on forever. We would be zooming along just fine and then come up behind a large camper vehicle. Our little A4 Audi #10 makes it fun to pass. Don’t tell anyone but I had her up to 100 mph a number of times. The turbo is so quiet, sleek and powerful and those Michelin tires just hug the road. I tried to stay somewhat near the speed limit, but it was hard. We had to reminding ourselves that we were on an Indian Reservation and the speeding tickets were very painful.

While cruising through an Indian Reservation we came upon these red rocks on the side of the road. Reminded me of when I was a child at the beach and I would make sand sculptures by dripping wet sand in a pile.

The Grand Canyon kinda took me by surprise. The roads leading up the park are kind of boring. Mountains in the distance and a lot of scrubby fields between them and the roads. It was a very uneventful drive right up to the place we paid to get into the park. But once we parked the car, it was one of those mind boggling experiences. All I could say over and over was “WOW”.

We viewed the hole from as many angles as possible. From various lookout points and from up a tower.

Number 10 seemed to love the GC too!

It was about 5 pm when we left the park. We were happy to see our pit crew at the designated Shell station . Audi has staff there to take down data, fill the tank and check the car over. The fuel door is sealed and the tech signs off that we have not strayed from anything that would compromise the study.

After filling up the tank with diesel we still had about an hour to go. Heading into Sedona you drive down a very steep incline full of switchbacks. By this time it pitch black outside. We were very happy to discover that our Audi A4 was loaded with a headlight feature that would automatically turn on and dim the bright lights as needed. This was a fabulous thing! Kami was busy keeping her eyes on the road and the car made it as easy as possible to see as much as possible. I’m just loving this car more and more each day!

We were all so glad to pull up to our hotel. Audi is taking such great care of all of us. The hotel staff whisked away our luggage to our rooms and we were invited for food and drinks.

What a fabulous day! A BIG THANKS to Jody Devere for sending me on this adventure for AskPatty.com

by Amy Mattinat

Denver to Durango

Today started the first leg of my Audi Journey. The weather was cold the skies gray and we were told there was black ice on the mountain roads. The weather people were calling for sunny skies, so we had an extra long breakfast and started out on the road about 1.5 hrs behind schedule.

I met my partners this morning: Kami Buchholz and Bob Massa.

Kami writes for www.kjbsyndicate.com and provides her readers with vehicle driving impressions that emphasize the technical features of popular automobiles. She is also the Detroit Editor of Automotive Engineering International. A monthly publication that reports on product development trends. Sounds like she would be pretty high tech and dry… but Kami is so much fun to have in the car. She tells the funniest stories and has a great eye for spotting deer, birds, waterfalls and the biggest wasp nest I have ever seen hanging off a branch of a tree.

Bob is representing Michelin Tire. He is driving the whole way with the Audi Mileage Marathon. That’s 4,800 miles and 14 days of driving. I’m really enjoying to talking to Bob about one of my favorite automotive subject: Tires!

I feel that tires are one of the MOST Important parts of an automobile. Why? because it is the only contact the vehicle has with the road. Bob has been in the tire business in one aspect or another for years and years. I had always had the misconception that to make tires, they poured liquid rubber into a mold. Way Wrong! I learned a lot today about how tires are made. Tomorrow Bob has a video to show me so I can see what he was talking about. I’ll write more about tires after I get the visual to go with my notes.

But What About The Car?

This little Audi A4 TDI (Turbo Diesel Injection) is wicked fun to drive. Hugs the road, has quick pick-up and go - or should I be blunt and say it kicks butt when you need to pass a huge truck carrying a giant road vehicle that is taking up more then half the road and going very slow!

Plus, it is very styling! checkout this front grill. Is it sexy or what?

The trunk is loaded with all of our luggage with room to spare. The seats are very comfy with lots of various ways to adjust the seats. This is always a good thing after sitting in a car for over 8 hours. Bob also claims he has plenty of legroom in the back.

It drives so nice that I keep forgetting it’s a diesel. It climbs the steep mountain roads without a hiccup and hugs the road when cruising down the curvy backside of the mountains.

I wanted to share with you two of my favorite views of the day! The first one is outside the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs where we had lunch, and the second is ‘A Magic Valley’ we found cruising down one of the many mountain roads we drove on today.

Tomorrow we head to Sedona Arizona. I hear the scenery will be even more spectacular!

by Amy Mattinat

There Are Hero’s Everywhere

I was in Cincinnati for a meeting of independent auto repair shops and was scheduled to fly back to Vermont on a Sunday at 9 am. I was flying from Cinn. to Philly to Burlington. Take off from Cinn. was right on time. The trouble began when we got close to landing in Philadelphia. There were multiple thunderstorms and we circled around the airport waiting for traffic control to find a hole in the storm for us to land.

This pilot really wanted to land the plane in Philly. After flying in circles for over an hour he announced that we had about 20 more min. before we ran out of fuel, but he was certain there would be a break in the storm and we could land. Everyone in the cabin pulled out a time piece and started counting down. When we got to about 10 min. he gave up and headed to Harrisburg to re-fuel.

There was a group sigh of relief when the wheels of the plane touched the ground

They re-fueled the plane right away, and then we sat on the runway going nowhere for 7 hours. YES, seven hours and all they gave us was water and a very small overly sweet cookie that just made me really hunger.

The pilot, staff and passengers were just about to mutiny when Harrisburg finally gave they OK for the plane to pull up to a hanger and let us off. We were given less then 10 min. to buy some food and jump on a bus that drove us to Philadelphia.

If I was not starving and had been thinking clearly, I would have never got on a bus to drive to an airport that was shut down all day with hundreds hundreds of people going nowhere.

When we arrived at the airport we were led to a line that I swear was 1/2 mile long. When I finally got to the counter I was told there were no seats on any airline to Burlington for two days. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

So I booked a flight to Boston, rented a car to Vermont and found a quiet corner to get some sleep along with hundreds of other folks stranded in Philly.

The next morning I washed up in a bathroom, ate breakfast and worked at my makeshift office. How did we ever travel before computers?

At 1:00 pm my flight to Boston was canceled. I was feeling pretty low until I found Tracy! She told me she was the Best of the Best airline customer service representatives in the whole airport, and she was not kidding!

Not sure how she did it, but she got me on a flight to Burlington that night at 9:45 pm and it actually took off and landed on time. Took 38 hours but I finally made it home. Tracy, you are my hero!

by Amy Mattinat

Do You Want To Know A Secret?

I personally think it’s a bit foolish to ever purchase a brand new car. Why not save thousands of dollars and buy at least a two year old vehicle with at least 15,000 miles on it.

Today I purchased a 2004 Toyota Corolla LE with 98,000 miles on it for my husband. It was a one owner vehicle and was very well maintained. We should be able to get 5 yrs out of it, and hey…. we don’t need a monthly car payment.

We always put a bit of money aside every week in a special account to purchase our next vehicle. We sold the old Corolla for $4000, so we only paid $4000 for this beautiful 04 Corolla.

A lot of folks are afraid to purchase a used vehicle, especially if it has over 50,000 miles on it, and rightly so. You need to have help to purchase a good used car.

1. You need to know what your wants, needs and budget is before you even think about looking in the paper and on the streets for a used car.
2. Then once you know what you are looking for you need a good walk about checklist & a good test drive checklist so you can “Pre-Qualify” a used vehicle.
3. But you mostly need a trained automotive technician who knows the make and model you want to purchase, and who can do a Thorough Used Car Inspection to determine if this vehicle is worthy to buy.

You want to know the real shape the vehicle is in. I don’t care if the dealer says it is “Used Car Certified”, you still need to have a trained automotive technician do a thorough used car inspection. I want you to remember: Almost All Used Cars Need Something! And, when I say thorough I’m talking about the technician taking 2 to 2 1/2 hours. You want them to take the vehicle on a test drive and do an inspection that includes going up on a lift and taking the tires off the vehicle.

“But what are the Secret Words”? Hang on, I’m getting there…

If the technician feels that this is a solid vehicle and worth buying, have them take pictures with your digital camera of any repairs the vehicle needs: a picture says a thousand words! Have the shop work up an estimate for all repairs and maintenance service the vehicle needs to be safe and reliable.

Pictures and a real estimate are the tools you need in hand to negotiate a good deal on a used car. You are going to use these facts about the car to turn the tables on the sale and become a salesperson.

Give them the information you have in hand and then say The Magic Words: “What Can You Do For Me?” Then “shutupa you mouth”!

Private owners and Independent Used Car Dealers without a service department are more likely to lower their price. BONUS: You were going to buy the car anyways, so any amount they take off the sales price you can use to repair and/or service your new rig.

Dealers or Independent Used Car Dealers that have a service department are more likely to offer to do the repairs and maybe even some of the service work. It is cheaper for them to do the work in-house then to lower the price and have you to take the work elsewhere. BONUS: you would of had to have the work done anyways and now you won’t have to spend the time or money.

Do You Have Any Additional Secrets To Negotiating A Used Car Purchase?

This is a press release from AskPatty.com

AskPatty.com to Offer Independence Day Incentive to Car Dealers to Meet the Needs of Women Car Buyers.

(PRWEB) June, 16, 2008: Women car shoppers spend $300 billion annually on purchasing new and used cars, trucks, car maintenance, repairs and service. 51% of women over 18 are single and may be in the car buying market now.

Long gone are the days when the only decision women were expected to make about a new car was which color to choose. Women are now the fastest growing segment of new car buyers and, thanks to sites like AskPatty.com, are more confident, more educated and better prepared to make a decision than ever before.

Women today are looking for cars with improved fuel economy, enhanced safety features and are shopping for a dealership where they will feel comfortable during the entire car buying process.

To honor these millions of independent women car buyers, AskPatty.com is offering a special independence day incentive to new and used car dealerships to become part of the AskPatty.com network of female friendly certified dealerships June 14th - July 4th. Becoming an AskPatty.com female friendly certified dealer helps new and used car dealerships attract, sell, retain and increase loyalty with women car buyers.

Go here to learn more about becoming an AskPatty.com female friendly certified new or used car dealer here: Ask Patty.com Female Friendly Certified Dealer Tour

Properly armed with the right tools and training, new and used car dealerships can increase their share of the largest and fastest growing demographic of new car buyers in the US — Women Consumers. The Ask Patty Certified Dealer program was designed specifically for car dealerships to attract, sell, retain and increase loyalty with women car buyers.

“Women love to shop and dealerships need to understand how women go about their car buying process to earn the rewards from their tremendous purchasing power and influence. Women car buyers want to be treated with respect at the dealership and enjoy their car buying experiences, just like any other retail purchase. AskPatty.com trains new and used car dealerships to provide that kind of experience to women car buyers.” says Jody DeVere, CEO and President of AskPatty.com, Inc.

Car dealers have already noticed the effect that the Internet has had on their interaction with women car shoppers. Women do their research and usually have information printed out from the Internet so they are more confident in negotiating a good deal. With all the information fully disclosed, women feel they can make their own car buying decision, without bringing a man along. The Internet has certainly been an equal opportunities provider in the world of car sales.

What Is An AskPatty.com female friendly certified dealer?

An Ask Patty certified dealer is a dealer that has been trained to communicate more effectively with women car buyers and creates a safe and comfortable environment where women feel welcome and a dealer that makes the experience of purchasing and maintaining her vehicle a pleasant one.

Ask Patty trained and certified dealers are held to a high level of customer satisfaction for women consumers.

The Ask Patty Promise.

1. Ask Patty Female Friendly Certified dealers provide women consumers with an automotive retail experience based on relationship building, trust, respect and improved communications.

2. Ask Patty Female Friendly Certified dealers aim to surpass women consumer’s expectations with the highest level of customer service to win their lifetime loyalty.

3. Ask Patty Female Friendly Certified dealers provide women consumers with an automotive retail experience that is safe and comfortable.

4. Ask Patty Female Friendly Certified dealers surpass the highest levels of customer satisfaction for women consumers.

5. Ask Patty Female Friendly Certified dealers are committed to providing the highest quality repair and maintenance service while striving to repair the vehicle right the first fime.

About AskPatty.com, Inc.

The ask Patty.com, Inc. website, blog and Second Life venue is a safe place for women to get advice on car purchases, maintenance and other automotive related topics. Women can shop for vehicles at our network of certified female friendly dealerships across the U.S.

AskPatty.com is a member and 2007 corporate sponsor of the Women’s Automotive Association International based in Detroit, MI, Chair of the UnitedSpinal Association Motorsports program, Member of the California SkillsUSA.org board, on the Women’s Board of the Car Care Council, a SEMA member and a member of the SEMA Business Women’s Networking Group.

AskPatty.com is partnered with Girl Scouts of America, AutoTrader.com, NIADA, Arkona, Chrome Systems, Inc., MyCarPage.com, MyAutoLoan, Aware and SheKnows, LLC.

Ask Patty Certified Dealer Program:

Properly armed with the right tools and training your dealerships can increase its share of the largest and fastest growing demographic of new vehicle buyers in the US — Women Consumers. The Ask Patty Certified Dealer program was designed specifically for car dealerships to attract, sell, retain and increase loyalty with women car buyers.

Go here to learn more about becoming an AskPatty.com female friendly certified new or used car dealer here: AskPatty.com female Friendly Dealer Tour

If you want more information on AskPatty.com or their dealership program, please email me at amymattinat@askpatty.com

I had to travel to Cleveland Ohio, so I booked my airfare and rental car online at my new travel website: www.vttravelexperts.com. It was quick, easy and inexpensive. Please feel free to book your next trip on my website!!!

I picked National because the prices were good and the logo was green. OK, so this is silly, but I haven’t really found that much difference between the various companies.

My friend Leigh Anne dropped me off at the Cleveland airport rental car center. I walked up to the National Rental Car counter gave the gal my name, driver license and credit card. She pulled my information up on her screen, looked up at me with a smirk on her face and told me she could not give me a car, because I had been black listed.

Say What? I told her this was not acceptable and I wanted to talk to someone in charge. I had to make the phone call… and found out that someone in Texas who was a very bad rental car driver had the same license number as I did. I handed the phone to the salesperson and the person on the phone gave her the “word” that I was OK and to rent me a car.

If I was thinking coherently (it was early and I stayed up way too late gabbing with Leigh Anne all night) I would of asked for a FREE CAR!

I had a choice of any mid-size car on the lot. I picked the Dodge Avenger because it was a pretty blue (yes I let color dictate my choices a lot!), it would get good mileage and I had never driven one before.

What I Liked: My car had a 2.7 V-6 motor. It had a lot of spunk on the highway, drove very smoothly, and I felt very safe and secure passing those huge 3 sectioned semi-trucks that are so abundant on the Ohio highways.

It had an amazing amount of trunk space! I think trunk space is key in picking out a vehicle. All the seats except the driver’s seat folds down, so if you had no backseat passengers you could turn it into a hatchback.

This vehicle has Disc Brakes in the front and Drum Brakes in the rear. Some may whine about not having Disc Brakes in the rear… but the car is small enough that it doesn’t really need them, and it is way more economical to have it set up this way. Two sets of Disc Brakes can be very pricey when replacing them.

What I didn’t like: I just hated those seats. See the way the sides curve up, well it is most annoying on your thighs.

I had 4 different passengers over the weekend and not a one cared for the seats. Seriously… I would think that designers would spend a little more time on the seats… which you sit in every time you drive the car!

The turning radius of the Avenger was very unimpressive. I drive a Honda CR-V most of the time and am always pleasantly surprised how superior the turning radius is every time I make a sharp turn. But then if you were not spoiled like I , you probably wouldn’t notice.

Cruising on the web, folks claim their Dodge Avenger gets on the average 25 mpg. Not bad. All in all it was a good little rental car, but next time I need to rent a car I would choose another just because of the dreaded seats!

The only way to insure you don’t buy a flood car is to thoroughly inspect a used car before you purchase it. You don’t want to be one of the estimated 200,000 unlucky consumers that will purchase a flood car this year. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina alone destroyed more than 600,000 vehicles.

Once a flood car is cleaned up, they can be hard to spot. Flood vehicles can have significant mechanical problems, and electrical problems that may not be immediately evident, but will cause ongoing problems for the rest of the car’s serviceable life. Mold growing in hard to see places can also cause chronic health problems for you and your family.

Most flood vehicles are declared total losses by the insurance companies and are given a salvage title. These titles (depending on the state) are marked with a coded letter or number, or the words “salvage” or “flood.” They are usually sold to junkyards and broken down and sold as parts.

But some flood-damaged vehicles will be repaired, cleaned up and make their way back onto the used-car market. There is no one sure way to detect a flood car, but here are some quick checks that you can do yourself.

Tips to avoiding a flood car:

• Exterior of the vehicle:
  

Lights: Look at the car’s headlights and taillights. Do they have water trapped inside or a water line showing on the lens or the reflector?

Rust: Look for rustier-than-usual fasteners around the doors. Is there any rust or flaking metal under the vehicle?

Spare Tire: Check for mildew around the spare tire in the trunk, and smell for a musty odor.

• Interior of the vehicle:
  

Check the glove box, other storage areas, and underneath the seats for signs of sand, mud, moisture or rust.

Upholstery and Carpeting: Check for discolored, faded colors, or stains. If it something doesn’t match or fit properly, it may have been replaced.

Bolts under the Seats: Check the bolts beneath the seats for rust. If they look like they have been removed look deeper because to dry the carpets, the seats must be removed.

Fuse Box: Check for rust on the inside of the box and corrosion on the fuses.

Heater and Air Conditioner: When checking to see if the A/C works, smell for musty odors.

Electrical Components: Make sure all the lights work, along with the windshield wipers, cigarette lighter, radio, mirrors, windows and seats! Bend some wires under the dash to see if they crack. Wet wires become brittle upon drying and can crack or fail at any time.

• Take the car for a test drive to see how it reacts at high speeds.

• Look under the hood: Look all around the engine compartment for corrosion, mud or grit.

• Checking the vehicle’s title history: First off ask the seller if the car has been damaged by floodwater. Get the answer in writing on the bill of sale. Ask to see the title of the used car. If the title is not available for inspection, the vehicle may be one to avoid. Check the date and place of transfer to see if the car came from a flood-damaged state and if the title is stamped “salvage.” You could get a Carfax report and they may alert you to some types of problems, but they can’t guarantee that the vehicle has no hidden problems. That’s why it is important to get any used car inspected by a trusted independent mechanic before you buy it.

• If you are feeling pretty confident that you found a good one, make sure you still have the car inspected by a trained, certified mechanic. The money you spend for the inspection could save you thousands of dollars down the road.

Educated consumers are a used car seller’s worst nightmare. Learning more about the vehicle then the seller knows is the secret ingredient to buying a great used car, negotiating a great deal and avoiding a nightmare!

Driving to and from work, the Honda Fit has caught my eye over and over again. There seem to be more on the road everyday.

One of my customers traded in her Subaru Legacy for a Honda Fit and I took it on its test drive when it came in for an oil change today.

They are soooo cute, and there are seven colors to choose from. My favorite colors are the Blue Metallic (like the one in the picture) or the Milano Red.

The one I drove had a 5-speed manual transmission which had great zippping and zooooming acceleration, agile handling and safe stopping ability.

I also liked the very cool blue lights on the dash.

The Fit may be new to the US market, but in reality has been driving the streets of Japan and Europe since 2001. Japan has a 4WD model, but in the US we only get 2WD. Too bad!

This little gas sipper gets 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. Sitting in the back seat, I was pleasantly surprised with the extra legroom and headroom. I also loved the cup holders in the doors.

The Honda Fits claim to fame is the fact that it is a Hatchback that has a “flexable floor pan”. Which in layman terms means: you can get into the back easily, and the seats fold down in such a way that you can carry a ton of “stuff” with you on a road trip.

The only downside I see to this cute little Honda is that they had to add the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) to the 2008 model. But then the TPMS was federally mandated to be added to all 2008 model cars.

Cost: Registration and Tax included, a new Honda Fit will run you somewhere around $15,000 depending on the model and options you choose.

What do you think about the Honda Fit?