All posts by Ozzie

Fort Worth: The Buick Regal Wagon is on the Horizon

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Remember the days of the station wagon? The 4 door ‘family truckster’ with the large hatchback gave way to the minivan crazy in the 90’s. Soccer moms and dads traded in their hatchback beauties for vehicle with more interior space when it became necessary to cart around teams of children and all of their equipment. It’s not that the station wagon couldn’t compete in regards to it’s cargo space, it really had more to do with its curb appeal.

Well, all of that is about to change as it appears (and I’ve heard chatter) that Buick is on the precipice of releasing a wagon version of the Regal. According to a recent post on autoblog:

One year ago, a Buick Regal wagon was deemed “unlikely.” However, General Motors is reportedly looking to expand the Regal lineup, not just with a rumored coupe, but with the estate seen here. Sources within GM say that the Regal wagon could debut as early as the end of this year, making it a 2012 model year vehicle.

Look to this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show for the first glimpse of the 2012 Buick Regal Wagon. It’s, no doubt, going to turn a few heads. There’s talk of 19-inch wheels and a bunch of other tasty treats.

If this wagon does make it to the production line…and all signs are saying it will…Buick will be firmly planted to go after the aforementioned Soccer Mom/Dad crowd. Considering that Freeman Grapevine is situated virtually in heart of the DFW Metroplex, you can bet that I’ll have a few of these on the lot if and when they are released.

If you are interested in the 2012 Buick Regal Wagon, check here often, as I’ll be keeping everyone up to date on it’s drop date and availability.

Fort Worth, Looking for a new Car check Certified Used GMC First

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In an effort to attract more car buyers to Buick and GMC dealerships, General Motors will now offer two-year, 30,00-mile standard vehicle maintenance package as part of its Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle program. The no-cost maintenance program includes free oil changes whenever the Oil Life Monitor system says one is needed, tire rotations and multi-point inspections.

The announcement, which is now in effect, comes in addition to a one-year, 12,000-mile overall warranty, a five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty and a 172-point inspection. GM will also continue to offer a free trial of OnStar and XM Satellite Radio.

Getting a good deal on a used car just got a little easier thanks to GM. Not only will the company continue to offer a two-year/30,000 mile standard vehicle warranty on any CPO vehicle– GM calls it Chevrolet / Buick / GMC Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles–  but starting Sunday, buyers will get two years of standard free maintenance. Dubbed “owner Care” this includes the aforementioned oil changes, tire rotations and multi-point vehicle inspections.

“Customers demand more value for their money, and we have responded.” said Jennifer Costabile, General Director of Marketing and Sales Support, GM Fleet and Commercial

If you’ve been sitting on the fence with your decision between a reasonable used GM compared with something else. Than maybe the promise of a two-year, 30,00-mile standard vehicle maintenance package as part of its Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle program…that’s certain to knock you off of the fence!

If you have any questions, comments or input, please give me a shout opr use the comments beloe.

Fort Worth: There’s big news for the 2012 Buick LaCrosse

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The big news for the 2012 model year Buick LaCrosse sedan is the introduction of a new standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with eAssist and a newer, more powerful and more efficient version of the direct-injected, E85-capable 3.6-liter V6 unit that sits atop of the range.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f48X-VhKbCo

The entry-level LaCrosse with GM’s micro-hybrid eAssist technology is expected to deliver 25 percent better highway fuel economy than the current base model with the 182HP 2.4-liter four-pot, but not without a penalty at the showroom as prices start at $29,960 before an $860 destination charge for a total of $30,820. That’s an increase of $2,830 over the current 2011 LaCrosse CX.

General Motors said the 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist delivers up to 37 mpg highway fuel economy compared to 30mpg of the 2011 model year sedan with the four-cylinder engine. The same hybrid powertrain will also make its way into the 2012 Buick Regal later this year.

The 2012  also brings an updated version of the LaCrosse’s range-topping 3.6-liter V6 engine with variable valve timing and direct-injection technology. According to the Detroit automaker, the front-wheel-drive 3.6-liter model is rated at 303-horsepower and 264 lb-ft (358 Nm) of peak torque, an improvement of 23HP and 5 lb-ft respectively over the 2011MY LaCrosse’s V6. Pricing for the top-end V6 models has not yet been announced,

Standard features include dual-zone climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, and Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Later in the year, the LaCrosse eAssist will come with standard Buick IntelliLink, which uses Bluetooth or USB to connect the driver’s smartphone to a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It will enable streaming stereo audio from the phone through services like PANDORA and Stitcher, as well as full control of a paired device through the touchscreen display or steering wheel mounted buttons.

Come in and take a look at it yourself…I can describe it, but driving is definitely believing.

Fort Worth: Hail Damage can save you on a New Buick or GMC

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Forget flood-damaged cars: In TEXAS, the bad word is always, “Aw, HAIL!”…as in hail damage. Foul weather is just something that we are accustomed to living where we do. Sometimes it’s more bark than bite, but most of the time our severe weather is SEVERE! Hail can be a real problem for car dealers in the area and commuters alike, but it can be an easy way to save some big bucks on a new car.

So, the question is: “Would you consider buying a hail-damaged car for a discount?” Let say, the broken windshields were repaired on all the vehicles, but the dents and dings still remained. Some people will take advantage of the sale to get a rare discount on higher end vehicles and then just pay the deductible on their insurance to get the rest of the car fixed.

So how easy is it to repair hail damage? Check out the video below and find out:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGFk-gJsT8w

So you can see, that if you are in the market for a new car and want to save big bucks, don’t just pray for rain, as backwards as it may sound, pray for a little hail too. The dent’s aren’t that difficult to remove and most dealerships will have already replaced any broken glass during the deluge. There’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of this situation, after all, I’d still need to sell those cars anyway and you can thank Mother Nature for giving you the discount.

If you happened to have a new car already and need to have any dent damage repaired, just give us a call and make an appointment and we’ll get her looking “showroom” beautiful again.

 

Fort Worth: Just when you’ve seen it all…

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Wow, I really thought I had seen just about everything…until I saw this, and it wasn’t in a James Bond film.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJC7E06IBXI

Rinspeed presented its new sQuba, the world’s first diving car, at the Geneva Motor Show a few years ago. The car is not only able to drive on roads autonomously with a push of a button (thus without a driver, passenger or further assistance), but can also transform into an amphibious vehicle which can be submerged in water up to 33 feet. An electric motor with powerful torque drives the rear wheels, while the propulsion on the water is ensured by two propellers in the stern and two powerful jet drives in the bow propelling the vehicle under water while diving. When underwater, the driver and passenger are enclosed in the vehicle thanks to light weight body components made of futuristic Carbon Nano Tubes and are supplied with fresh breathing air by the self-contained on-board system.

Pretty cool, huh? I wonder if it comes with the tuxedo?

Fort Worth: The 9 Eyes of Texas are upon you

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Now, I know you came here specifically to find out what exactly the “9 Eyes” are. To quell any fear that it is a giant mutated spider or more red light traffic cameras, the “9 Eyes” are, in fact, a reference to the Google Street View camera. Now, remember, some of the images are not all the most appropriate, but most really give a real view of what street life is from Fort Worth, to New York City, to Bangladesh.

I remember when Google announced that they would be photographing every street and address in the world, my first thought was, “There’s no way they can do that!” My second thought was, “I wonder what those cameras would actually catch?” For example, I have a friend who is in a band said he was going to set up all of his equipment in his driveway for a “Live Band” photo. Of course, I just laughed and said something fairly generic and we moved the conversation on to another topic.

I had forgotten all about his idea until I ran across a web site that is gathering an impressive collection of Google Street View images. From the beautiful to the bizarre, the site 9-eyes.com looks through the two eyes of Google Street View; the site is nothing but the “best” pics from Google’s roving army.

I thought it was not just impressive, but it turned out for me to be a great way to take a break from rigorous work day and see what life is like elsewhere int he world. I just wanted to share these really interesting pictures with you. They really get the imagination going. Plus, if you remember that these pictures were taken on the streets while everyday activities were taking place, that just makes them even more intriguing.

Any comments on these photographs? I hope you enjoyed viewing the pictures as much as I did.

The Great Texas Debate! Cloth or Leather, Fort Worth?

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Cloth vs. Leather

Cloth or Leather? Cloth or Leather? Which is better? What can I afford? These are just a few of the many questions you will ask yourself when deciding on whether you want Cloth or Leather in your new car or truck. No doubt you will discuss this for a while before making a decision.

First thing to think about when deciding is your kids. If you have kids and you let them snack or drink in the car, be prepared for messes. When you have cloth interior in your vehicle it’s difficult to keep it clean with kids in tow. It is cheaper than leather but always think about the kids. Yes, we live in Texas and yes summers can be scorching. Cloth will not bond to your skin when your wearing shorts during those hot summer days or freeze your legs and bum during those chilly Texas months. Are you a smoker? Cloth soaks in odors. Anything and everything you put in your car can be soaked into your cloth. Think about picking kids up from football practice all sweaty and stinky or your dog getting sick in the back seat. That could be quite a mess to clean up. Cloth is more likely to fade and you better watch that cigarette that could burn holes in the cloth that may not present any damage on leather. Cloth is also susceptible to rips and tears over time.

Leather is a must in luxury vehicles and a common standard in most other vehicles. Leather does not hold smells, it’s easy to clean, it has a lovely scent, it doesn’t stain or burn like cloth. However, leather does take a little work to keep looking fresh. You should consider using cleaning lotions regularly on the leather as it will help preserve the leather and keep it looking healthy. Sometimes dirt, grease, and oils from your skin can transfer to the leather making it look dirty. If you regularly clean and use cleaning lotions on your leather you can reduce the dirty look. It’s also very important to have your windows tinted to protect them from those pesky rays from the sun that can dry out and possibly even crack your leather.

Of course ultimately your decision will depend on your lifestyle. If you’re hardly in your car and don’t travel much you may prefer cloth. If you have a few kids and a crazy dog that sheds you may prefer leather cause it’s easier to clean. The decision is yours, but if you still can’t decide, swing by my place, Fort Worth and take a spin and see which one suits you better.

Feel the need for speed?

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Well you just might have that need fulfilled.  Texas will be raising the speed limit on highways to 85 mph. If you don’t know already, a speed limit of eighty-five miles per hour would be the highest posted speed limit in the United States and the second-highest posted speed limit in the world. A trip from downtown Fort Worth to downtown Dallas would only take 23 min as opposed to the 30 it takes now. Isn’t that exciting? Meh, not really, I just wanted to impress you with some math skills.

Anyway, back on target.According to an article written by Reuters

Gary Biller, executive director of the Wisconsin-based National Motorists Association, said higher speed limits are perfectly reasonable given the good quality of today’s highway construction.

“In Utah, after they adjusted from 75 to 80, nothing happened to the accident rate,” Biller said. “Actually, nothing happened to the average speed, either; it remained the same.”

But don’t get too excited just yet, the same article reported:

Under the legislation, the Texas Department of Transportation would have to conduct engineering studies before any highway could be certified for an 85 mph speed limit.

“Should this or similar language become law, the agency would conduct extensive studies and analyses to determine safety and structural integrity before raising the speed limit on any particular highway in the state,” said Penny Mason, a spokeswoman for the department.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSVlJuPrMaw

There are Proponents and Opponents to raising the speed limit. Now this isn’t the Autobahn and I have no interest in limitless speed (for the moment), but history has shown, and I believe,  raising the current speed limit isn’t anymore dangerous than it is now. Besides, if you drive in the Metroplex you know that actually going the “speed limit” is more dangerous than following the flow of traffic.

So there you have it, almost everything is bigger in Texas…even the speed limits. Comments?

Fort Worth: What does the future look like for GM

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A year ago, this question terrified me. The answer was certainly: “grim”. However, something surprising has happened. General Motors is getting back on their feet with amazing speed and focus.

There is no doubt that one of the biggest struggles that General Motors will face in the coming years is convincing consumers that their product is superior to the competition. As emissions laws tighten and consumers become more environmentally conscious the problem for an automaker like GM is difficult. Specifically, since GM is a company built around its truck and SUV sales which are considered by some to be the most environmentally unfriendly vehicles on the road.

However, General Motors has done a remarkable feat by coming out of bankruptcy so quickly and with so much intensity. Its new models are impressive and cross every segment that the company operates in. If you think that this is the same old GM singing a new tune, well you are, sadly, mistaken. Take, for example, the introduction of hybrid models to their lineup. In fact, the company has organized several events, such as the  Main Street in Motion event in Newport Beach, CA to educate the consumer and let them know that these changes are here to stay.

Do you have any news on GM you can share? Have you recently bought a new GM vehicle? How was your experience? How is your Car? Leave a few comments and tell us if you think the tide is turning for GM…or better yet come and see for yourself

Fort Worth: How the Japanese Tsunami Affects American Car Production

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I’ll bet you never really thought about how an event of extraordinary magnitude, such as the recent earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan, would affect American cars.

Well, the sad news, apart from the human tragedy, is that in 6 to 8 months we may be seeing a shortage of parts used in American made vehicles. Most of those parts will be electronics, but the possibility of them increasing in price is very real. That’s just the law of supply and demand.

The fact of the matter is that, although small Japanese cars are the hardest hit, they aren’t the only ones. Cars produced in North America aren’t immune. I just learned that General Motors had to shut down a plant that makes small pickups in Louisiana, reportedly because of a shortage of Japan-sourced parts. Components come from all over the world today, and a supply chain disruption can impact plants in different countries.

North American-built cars with both Japanese and American nameplates could also be affected by shortages of parts including computer chips, batteries, LCD monitors, and other parts made in Japan. The GMC Canyon is one vehicle affected by this crisis.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYoWVjM9iBc

Do I think that GM will figure this out? Absolutely! Do I think that the shortage in parts will slow production or drive prices up? We’ll that’s just something we’ll all have to wait and see.

On a more immediate note, if you are reading this, you may not know that Freeman Grapevine has dedicated ourselves to aiding the American Red Cross with this disaster. Head over to our Facebook page and we’ll be donating money in the name of all of those who like the page.

Take a few minutes to peruse some of the Youtube videos of the devastation and you’ll understand the grave impact this disaster has already made.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC0OFT8WWHk

Please come by our page and help us donate.