Food Bank Donations

A HUGE thank you to our employees and customers for the food we were able to donate to the food bank this year!

Winter Driving Tips

 

Are you practicing safe winter driving? Check out the info-graphic to find out!

Muscle Car of the Year

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 has won Top Gear Magazine's 'Muscle Car of the Year!' http://bit.ly/1Anf6R5

Great Offers on New Chevy Vehicles - All Month Long!

Nucar Chevy's Black Friday Sale going on now! Check out the new 2014 Chevy Cruze or the 2015 Chevy Equinox at our location in New Castle, Delaware.

Chevy Black Friday Sale

Skip the long lines! With great offers all month, you have time to pick your perfect car at the Chevy Black Friday Sale. http://pbxx.it/pbJ2

#NewCarFace

Love drama? Hold a family reunion. Hate drama? Show us your #NewCarFace for a chance to win up to $25K towards your outstanding loan! www.newcarface.com

Fall Care Care Month

October is Fall Car Care Month! It's important to properly maintain your vehicle and address any major issues before the cold weather hits. Here's what to check:

Heating, Wipers & Lights

• Make sure heaters, defrosters, and wipers work properly.
• Consider winter wiper blades and use cold-weather washer fluid. As a general rule, wiper blades should be replaced every six months.
• Check to see that all exterior and interior lights work and headlights are properly aimed.

 Tires & Brakes

• Check the tire tread depth and tire pressure of all tires, including the spare. If snow and ice are a problem in your area, consider special tires designed to grip slick roads.
• During winter, tire pressure should be checked weekly.
• Have the brakes checked. The braking system is the vehicle’s most important safety item.

Gas, Oil, & Filters

• Keep your gas tank at least half full throughout the cold weather to prevent moisture from forming in gas lines and possibly freezing.
• Be diligent about changing the oil and filter at recommended intervals. Dirty oil can spell trouble in winter. Consider changing to “winter weight” oil if you live in a cold climate.
• Check the fuel, air, and transmission filters at the same time.

 System Checks – Charging, Cooling & Exhaust

• Have the battery and charging system checked, as cold weather is hard on batteries.
• Clean, flush, and put new antifreeze in the cooling system. As a rule of thumb, this should be done every two years.
• Have the exhaust system checked for carbon monoxide leaks, which can be especially dangerous during cold weather driving when windows are closed.

Chevrolet 4G LTE Wi-Fi

Chevrolet is leading the way with the most vehicles offering built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi. Now it's possible to cruise the streets and the web! Connect your smart devices and vehicles to the internet with OnStar.

Feeling tired, angry, and stressed? Here’s how not to drive like it.

Sometimes when you’re out on the road it’s easy to lose one’s temper. We’ve all experienced the horn blaring, cursing, aggressive driving road rage beast before, whether it was ourselves or someone else with the bad attitude. You can avoid submitting to a cranky temper with these tips:

Sleep. Seriously, sleep. A full night. No excuses. Everyone is a grouch when they don’t get enough sleep, this is just a given.

Plan ahead! It’s okay to leave early. This gives you time to be able to conquer unforeseen road difficulties without the stress.

Treat rude behavior the same way you would in a restaurant. Would you got hot headed over someone cutting you off in line at a bodega? We are isolated in our cars and feel a false sense of privacy and security while there. The truth is, everyone can see what you're doing so keep your cool!

Three essential features your truck needs before towing

Is your truck equipped with the must-have features it takes to haul a trailer?  If these three items aren’t standard on your truck, it might be time to trade up.

-Trailer Sway Control
-Hill-Hold Assist
-Integrated Trailer Brake

5 Chevrolet cars expected to find new roads in design

Spark: Expect a new 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine and possibly a continuously variable transmission.

Sonic: Late 2015 will bring a freshening for the ’16 model year, and we can expect a total redesign for the 2018 model year.

Cruze: It will be the first car built on a new, lighter global compact platform, code-named D2XX. You’ll see evolutionary design change, with a more-rounded front end with a deeper grille, steeply raked windshield and fastback roofline.

Malibu: After a fast-tracked re-engineering for the ’14 model year, the mid-sized sedan is in line for a redesign in mid-2016 as a ’17 model.

Corvette: The racetrack-oriented Z06 goes on sale in early 2015.

2015 Sonic Packs a Big Punch

Spend any amount of time in a Chevrolet Sonic and you’ll see quite a bit of thought went into creating this small car. The Sonic might be cute, but it’s serious too. From its stellar performance in NHTSA’s crash testing (five stars overall) to its wealth of standard features (including Bluetooth and blind spot mirrors), as cute as it is, the Sonic is also a rational choice.

Power comes from a choice of two engines, a normally aspirated 1.8-liter inline four with 138 horsepower and 125 ft-lbs of torque, or a 1.4-liter turbocharged four with 138 horsepower and 148 ft-lbs of torque. The turbo engine can be had with a choice of a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, while the normal engine gets a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. Fuel economy ranges from a low of 26 in the city to a high of 40 on the highway—depending upon the engine and transmission combination.

4 Reasons You Want Your Car to be a Traveling Hotspot

Chevrolet is known for a lot of monumental firsts.  The most recent and arguably most exciting Chevy first is the all-new option of 4G LTE Wi-Fi Connectivity.  Just in case you’re not sure about your car doubling as a hotspot, here is a list of fun facts that might sway your opinion.

-Connects up to 7 devices at the drop of a hat.

-After the initial set up, there’s nothing more you need to do but enjoy a connection stronger than any smartphone.

-Whenever your car is on, your hotspot is on.  No need to over-think it.
-It’s the most powerful built-in connection offered by any car company.

Stay Cool with Tinted Windows

 

Did you know that window tint blocks harsh UV rays? Having your windows tinted will help prevent sunburn, reduces heat, and cuts glare for safer driving. If that’s not a cool summer accessory, we don’t know what is!

How to Become a Better Driver

Driving is a skill and it requires practice to become comfortable behind the wheel. Men and women drivers of all ages do many things wrong when they take the driver’s seat and there are many different things that they can do to improve their driving. These five simple tips are designed to make you a better driver in any conditions:

 

1. Be Alert

It seems like every time the television or radio is on, there is a new commercial about not texting and driving or not driving drunk. The idea of being alert behind the wheel is the best tip to be a better driver. This includes more than just texting and drinking. Being alert involves watching the road. It is difficult to do this while putting on make-up or attending to children in the back seat. It is difficult to be alert if you are tired or if you are looking around at the sights on the road. Being alert also means you should not talk on the phone, even using Bluetooth because the act of talking on the phone is what is so distracting. It also means that you should not work on your playlist on your iPod, too.

2. Know Where You are Going

If you do not know where you are going, you will have problems getting there. There is nothing more irritating to other drivers than having a driver who stops and starts in the road from not knowing where to go. This creates unsafe conditions for you and your passengers, as well as the other drivers on the road. Find out where you are going before you leave your home. Set up your GPS and look at the final destination before you get in the car. Plan your route and be sure that you have enough gas or have an idea about where to stop along the way when you need a refill.

 

3. Drive for the Conditions
If you live in an area that has sunny weather all of the time, consider yourself lucky. Driving in extreme weather is truly a challenge. The best way to drive well in the weather is to adjust for the weather. If you live in a part of the world that gets snow, slow down on snowy days. Just because you have a vehicle with four-wheel drive, those four wheels can slide off of icy roads just as quickly as a car with front-wheel or rear-wheel drive. It is also a good idea to clean off your car so you can see out of your windows and so drivers can see your tail lights. The best drivers are respectful of Mother Nature’s ability to make driving more difficult.  In rainy weather, slow down for the conditions. Greasy roads and hot roads can become very slippery during a rain storm. If you have roads that are prone to floods, avoid them when it rains because cars are not designed to swim or float! When you drive in the fog, leave plenty of space to stop because the person in front of you cannot see either. If you have fog lights, use them. If you do not, just turn on your lights.

4. Watch Out for Other Drivers
You might be the safest driver in the world, but there are thousands of other drivers who are not. Watch for the other drivers who might be prone to causing accidents. Be aware of the drivers in front of you, as well as the drivers who are behind you. When you are at intersections, be aware of the drivers coming through the cross streets to be sure they stop. Because you never know what is going on inside of other cars, you need to be vigilant and aware. Not every driver uses turn signals or has working brake lights, so if you get stuck behind one, you have to be alert as to when to slow or to stop. It is often best to just assume that all of the other drivers on the road are BAD; this way you will stay aware and be a better driver.

5. Be Considerate to Others on the Road and in Your Car

When you are considerate to others, you become a much safer driver. Being considerate means relaxing and not worrying when you are in conditions that you cannot control. Not panicking will keep your passengers relaxed and comfortable. When you are considerate, you use turn signals, leave space between your car and the car in front of you, and you do not drive slowly in the left lane on the highway. Considerate drivers do not ride their brakes or drive too fast in rough weather. They also get away from drivers who are showing excessive aggressiveness and dangerous driving. Considerate drivers allow other drivers to merge in congested conditions. Being kind and considerate, will keep you, your passengers, and other drivers on the road relaxed and happy.

The Perfect Summer Road Trip Requires More Than Just Junk in the Trunk

If you’re getting ready to roll into your first summer road trip, the only thing on your mind is all the fun ahead of you.  Swimsuit, sunblock, and phone charger packed?  Check.  Sunglasses?  Yep.  What about the inflatable beach ball you forgot last year?  Done.  You even remembered extra towels–you’re good!   You understand how important it is to plan ahead.

But what’s rattling around behind you is just as important, maybe even more so.   We’re sure you’ve heard the common phrase, “It’s about the journey, not the destination.”  It applies to packing for your summer road trip too!  Tackle any problem that might pop up while you’re on the road by making sure you’ve got these essential items stowed in your trunk:


Tire-Changing Equipment (sounds obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many people forget!)
Jumper Cables
Road Atlas (Because phones die and there’s not service everywhere.  Yes, we’re serious.)
Gas cans (Fill ‘em up before you hit the road)
First Aid Kit
Camera (It’s a good idea to keep a cheap disposable in your trunk at all times, not just for capturing memories but to use for documentation in case of a car accident)

The 5 Unspoken Rules of Driving Etiquette You’re Probably Neglecting

Have you ever allowed another driver to merge onto the freeway?  You’re a decent and kind person–of course you have.  Do you ever find yourself getting unreasonably worked up if they don’t offer that universal two-second wave as a thank you?

There are certain unspoken rules of etiquette out on the road, and the courtesy wave is one of them.  Here’s a list of the top five rules of driving etiquette we wish were required.

Turn your brights off when you see oncoming traffic.  Blinding other drivers isn’t just rude, it’s dangerous.

Stop honking during traffic jams–especially at lights.  We promise it won’t make your commute any shorter.

Keep your volume at a reasonable level.  Hey, if you want to advertise your love for Nickelback, buy a T-shirt.

Allow other cars to merge.  The freeway is not a racetrack, and if we can promise you a courtesy wave– this should be set in stone.

Stop edging into crosswalks while pedestrians are crossing.  You’ve got important places to go and all those people are in your way.  But alas, you must remember that as long as they are on foot, they always have the right-of-way.  Always.

Chevrolet’s Print Ads: 6 Of Our Favorites

There was a time when the page of a magazine or a section of a newspaper page were all you were given to show the value of your project.  While that may not seem like much nowadays, Chevrolet still managed to make an art of it.  Here are 6 of our favorite examples.

 

1925

 

1954

1966

 

1974

 1975

 1984

Is GM's Newest Safety Option a Good Idea?

General Motors is coordinating with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to introduce the Belt Assurance System later this year.  This feature ensures both the driver and front seat passenger of the vehicle is buckled up– before it goes anywhere.  Using the same technology as the airbag system, this optional feature will activate and deactivate based on whether or not someone is in the seat.  It will allow you to start the car no matter what, but if there are two front-seat passengers, the car won’t be moving an inch unless both are strapped in.

This is an optional system that will be made available on the 2015 Cruze, Colorado, Silverado, and Sierra later this year.  What do you think?  Should it come standard in all vehicles or is it more of a nuisance than a help?  Let us know your opinion in the comments below!

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month

Did You Know?

-Motorcycle helmet use increased from 48% in 2005 to 67% in 2009.

-Motorcycle helmets saved 1,829 motorcyclists’ lives in 2008.
-Motorcycle helmets do not interfere with the rider's vision or hearing.

Share the Road

All motorists are reminded to safely "share the road" with motorcycles and to be extra alert to help keep motorcyclists safe. Motorcyclists are reminded to make themselves visible to other motorists.
 
Ride Sober

Statistics show that the percentage of intoxicated motorcycle riders in fatal crashes is greater than the percentage of intoxicated drivers on our roads. This is why NHTSA urges all motorcycle riders to always ride smart and sober.

The Cool Way to Wash Your Car

If your car has been sitting in the sun or you’ve just taken it for a long drive, you should wait until it cools down before soaping up. Park it in the shade for a couple of hours—or start with the interior. A hot exterior speeds the drying of the soap and water. While that may sound like a good thing, it makes washing more difficult because it increases the chance of spots and soap scum. Avoid the hassle—wait until things cool off before soaping it up!

DIY Mother's Day Vintage Teacup Bird Feeder

This adorable homemade bird feeder is a cinch to make and the perfect DIY gift for Mother's Day! Here's what you'll need:

    -3 feet of 1/2 inch copper plumbing pipe per bird feeder
    -Copper cap
    -Sand paper or sanding block
    -Vintage teacup
    -Epoxy
    -Q-tip
    -Birdseed

If you'd like to know how you can create your own, head over to this site for a full on tutorial! Make sure to let us know how yours turned out.

Things to Avoid Doing While Driving in the Rain

Rain can cause extremely dangerous driving conditions if you're not careful. Keep reading to learn five things to avoid doing while driving in wet weather conditions.

1. Don't drive toward the sides of the road. Roads are constructed so that they're highest in the middle. The difference may be slight, but it causes water to run off the center and drain toward the edges. If you're driving in the rain, you want to avoid standing water. You want your vehicle to be where the water isn't -- and that's in the center of the road.

2. Don't leave your headlights off. It's important to turn your headlights on when it's raining so that other people can see you. In the murky gloom of a rainstorm, even a light drizzly one, the lack of sunlight impairs our vision. Headlights will let other drivers know where you are.

3. Don't drive if you can't see through your windshield. Not being able to see ahead, you don't necessarily know what's there. There could be stopped cars in front of you that you can't see. There may be pedestrians running through the downpour. When visibility gets low, pull off the road as quickly as it's safe to do so. Stop your car and wait for things to clear up again.

4. Don't drive through deep water. If you see water flowing across the road from one side to the other and don't know how deep it is, don't try to drive across it. Vicious currents of rainwater exist that can carry you and your car for hundreds of feet. Even if the water isn't moving, if the bottom isn't visible, you don't know what's underneath it. Don't risk putting your tires on the submerged pavement.

5. Don't drive too fast for weather conditions. Never drive above the speed limit in wet weather conditions. The worse the conditions, the lower your speed should be. The worst danger of driving too fast in rain is hydroplaning. When the road is wet and you're going too fast, your car can actually begin to float on top of the water and the tire tread loses contact with the road surface.

What Causes Traffic?

Have you ever wondered how many hours you've spent sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffi­c? According to the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) at Texas A&M University, you might spend as much as two weeks in your car each year. So what causes traffic?

As the first car stops, the following cars must also stop. Even when the first car begins to move again, additional approaching cars have to stop farther down the road, and the congested area travels backward in a wave until traffic is light enough for it to dissipate.

Assuming construction, accidents, and stalled vehicles aren't to blame, it's likely due to more cars entering the highway than leaving it. As more cars enter a crowded road, drivers have to use their brakes to avoid collisions, creating a traffic wave. A traffic wave occurs when cars slow down, and the slowing trend continues backward -- like a domino effect. As long as there are more cars approaching from behind, the traffic congestion travels in a wave.

As space opens up ahead of your car, you can accelerate and escape the congestion. The person behind you can accelerate a few moments later, and the person behind them a few moments after that. The congestion doesn't immediately clear up -- it continues to shift slowly back down the highway. Congestion can clear if traffic becomes light enough to stop the traffic-wave effect.

Decorate Easter Eggs with Napkins

Decorating Easter eggs is a fun family activity! There are so many different ways to dye, color, draw on, stain, embellish, or just plain decorate an Easter egg. Decorating eggs with napkins require zero artistic ability and turn out looking good every single time! Check out the tutorial below to find out how to achieve this design: http://bit.ly/1i2AgYZ

Earth Day 2014

Each year, Earth Day, April 22, marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace. Earth Day has evolved and people all over the world now celebrate. There are plenty of ways to show you care for the planet on which we live. Here are some suggestions below:

-Carpool with friends and family to save gas and reduce your carbon footprint.
-Switch to online bill pay to reduce the amount of wasted paper.
-Plant a tree or garden.
-Update the light bulbs in your home to more energy-efficient bulbs.
-Set up a compost bin. Every time you throw out coffee grounds, paper towels or a pizza box, you're adding to a landfill. All of these materials can be composted instead of trashed, and compost is an ideal way to fertilize your outdoor space.

Will you do your part this Earth Day?

Texting & Driving

Texting while driving causes 1.6 million accidents each year, according to the National Safety Council. Yes, you read that right. This is an extremely alarming statistic, which is one of the main reasons certain states are developing harsh penalties to keep the roads safer.

The risk of getting into a crash is 23 times higher if you are texting behind the wheel. Pay attention to the road, don’t get distracted, and as always, make sure you have proper auto insurance coverage for when accidents do occur.


Nucar Chevrolet

Tread Wear Indicator Bars

Newer tires have a convenience that older tires lacked. They have tread wear indicator bars built into the tires themselves. These bars, invisible or barely visible when the tires are new, gradually begin to appear as the tread wears down. They appear as flat rubber bars running perpendicular to the direction of the tread itself. If more than one or two of these are visible on a tire, the tread is getting low. This should be particularly obvious in the wet tracks that your tires leave after you drive through a puddle. If the bars are starting to appear on any or all of your tires, it's time to check with our Service Department about getting your current tires replaced!

Spruce Up Your Patio

Because yesterday was the first day of spring, we found some inspiration for our back patios. Most of us have been cooped up inside all winter long, and what a long winter it has been! Since we're all excited to be able to spend some time outdoors, what better way than to add a pop of color to your patio? Lanterns are a fun way to decorate and add some flair to your space.

Nucar Chevrolet

Why Bother Taking Two Cars When There's the Traverse?

If you're heading out with a crowd, why bother taking two cars? The Chevrolet Traverse can comfortably seat up to eight people. With its powerful V6 engine and refined maneuverability, you won't even notice you're driving an SUV! Check out our inventory here: http://bit.ly/1qA7c2Z

The New 2014 Silverado is a Safety First For Trucks

The 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 is the first pickup truck to receive the highest possible five-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration changed its New Car Assessment Program for the 2011 model year.

Safety Features:

• Safety Alert Seat warns driver of potential traffic danger using directional vibration pulses from the seat cushions. The patented warning approach is tied to all of the on-board crash avoidance systems.
• Forward collision alert technology helps prevent a frontal crash by alerting the driver when the truck is closing in on a vehicle ahead too quickly, giving them time to react and avoid a crash.
• Lane Departure Warning technology alerts the driver when the truck drifts over the line and is traveling at least 35 mph.
• Rear Vision Camera with Dynamic Guidelines allows the driver, when in reverse, to view objects directly behind the vehicle via the radio screen, allowing for easier parking and backing up.
• New, standard lap belt pretensions in the front-seat outboard safety belts.
• Six standard air bags and 360-degree sensor system, including dual-stage frontal air bags, head-curtain side-impact air bags with rollover protection, and seat-mounted side-impact air bags.
• Trailer-sway control that works with StabiliTrak to provide the driver with driver additional assistance when towing a trailer. When it senses trailer sway, it intervenes with braking and/ or reduced engine power to bring the trailer under control.
• Four-wheel, four-channel, antilock disc brakes (ABS) that help provide straight, more controlled stops by preventing wheel lock-up in most road conditions.

Stop by the dealership and take a test drive in the remarkable new 2014 Silverado!


Nucar Chevrolet

Where the Heart Is

Does your heart belong on the open road? Did you know that there are approximately 4 million miles of road in the United States? Imagine the possibilities! We're already planning our summer trips for when the weather warms up. Do you have a favorite road trip destination? Let us know in the comments.

Nucar Chevrolet