Posts

Teen Driver Tech

Image
There’s a cool tech and safety feature that’s often overlooked when it comes to buying a new or used car. On GM vehicles, including most Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMCs sold in North America, the feature is called Teen Driver Mode. On Ford vehicles, it’s called MyKey.  The 2026 Chevrolet Traverse has Teen Driver Mode as a standard feature - RS trim show. Photo by Brian Moody  They do essentially the same thing but slightly differently. They both use the key fob, which you can program so that one is like an admin key and the other is the programmed “copy key.” When you program your teen driver key fob in a GM vehicle like the Chevy Traverse, Chevy Trax, or Buick Envista, it does these things: Limits the vehicle's top speed to 85 mph.  Disables the radio, including connected devices, until the front seatbelts are buckled.  Automatically turns on the headlights when you shift out of park, no matter what time of day it is. Customizable speed warning: for example, if...

2026 Super Bowl Car Ads

Image
  The coolest Super Bowl car ad this year is the Fanatics Sportsbook / Kendall Jenner ad with that Ferrari 250 GT. It was fun, funny, and had a really cool car. Of course, they imply that she backs into something, but we never see that part. 250 GT in that condition is worth about $600,000, maybe more. If it were a spider or a short-wheelbase Ferrari, it would be worth millions. Still, the commercial is fun, and that car is definitely the highlight - sweet G550 too. Fanatics Sportsbook  Ad This year Super Bowl is a little bit light on cool car ads. However, we still get to see interesting stuff like an old RAV4, Cadillac’s new Formula One paint scheme, old school boxy Ford explorers in the Jurassic Park ad, and that super cool Ferrari in the Fanatic Sportsbook ad. The Ford F-100 that was in the half-time show proves just how prominently automobiles figure into all types of American popular culture.   Toyota The Toyota commercial about the seatbelt is something Toyota has ...

Used EVs are the Bargain of the Decade

Image
Looking for an amazing deal on a used car? Get an electric car.  See the full NBC 7 San Diego story  -  Reporter Sergio Flores does an excellent job of explaining it concisely. The prices are incredible. Here are just a few examples: CarGurus - in New Jersey, a 2023 Nissan Leaf with 21,000 miles for $10,000 Capital One Auto Navigator - in Atlanta, a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4Matic Sedan with 46,000 miles - $33,000. This was an $80,000 car when new!!  Cars.com - in Dallas, a 2024 Kia Niro EV with 11,000 miles - $20,000.  All of these cars, and ones like them, will still be under warranty. The Mercedes-Benz has a 10-year, 155,000-mile warranty. Most electric cars have an 8-year / 100,000-mile warranty on the battery and drive components.

2026: More Hybrids

Image
2025 Toyota Prius Nightshade - the Toyota Prius is available only as a hybrid, as are the Toyota Camry and Toyota Sienna -Photo by Brian Moody        

Yahoo! Finance: EV Rebates are Dead - Now What ?

Image
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/tesla-end-ev-tax-credit-184500621.html Now that taxpayer-funded EV rebates are gone. Will people still buy electric cars? I say yes. There were plenty of Teslas sold before the rebate, and there will be plenty of electric cars sold after. The big difference is that Tesla has taught the rest of us what we want in an electric car, and now brands like Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche,  and others make good luxury and performance-oriented electric vehicles. Fewer EVs to Choose  However, some electric vehicle models will probably go away. For example, Nissan has already said there won’t be an aria for 2026. That being said, the leaf is quite good and affordable. Auto makers to promise to “go all electric” will likely suffer the most. Gasoline Cars Still in Demand  Brands such as Dodge, Porsche, and Volvo have all said they will reintroduce gasoline-powered engines into cars that were previously going to be only electric. This is due to consumer dema...

Cadillac Escalade iQ on The Daily Flash

Image
  Cadillac’s new all-electric SUV, the Escalade in, is impressive. Here, I’m highlighting the vehicle’s unique design and features on The Daily Flash, a nationally syndicated broadcast program that airs in over 80 markets with  monthly audience of just under 8 million. 

What to know about car buying in 2026

Image
The car-buying landscape has changed significantly. In late 2025 alone, we have tariffs, more electric car choices, the taxpayer-funded vehicle credit going away, and at the same time, some new car prices are going down.  For example, both the Nissan Rogue (seen above) and Pathfinder have price reductions in recent months. Also, Buick is growing in popularity, there will be a new kind of Nissan Rogue hybrid, and Tesla has just cancelled to of their best-known models.  Here’s a brief overview of what you need to know, thanks to Fox 5 Atlanta: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/video/1661049