I’ve been looking over some of the safety features offered on some of the newest lines of cars. One car that seems to stand out with an innovative list of features is the 2010 Lincoln MKZ. While it may be a little early to start looking for one in the NorCalCars showroom, today’s new cars will soon be tomorrows used cars!

Expect to get a little more kick out of this model than the previous years. A few of the performance features include sport tuned suspension and optional all wheel drive. The improvement in powertrain performance shaves the Lincolns 0-60 mph time down by .6 seconds from 7.7 to 7.1. This boost helped by the Six-Speed “SelectShift” automatic transmission that comes standard.

The new safety features are what have really caught our eye though. Starting with the “BLIS” or Blind Spot Information System. The BLIS uses two multiple beam radar modules behind the rear fender and indicator lights in the outside rear-view mirrors to warn the driver when someone enters into the defined blind spot.

Another feature called the CTA uses the same radar system from the BLIS to (more…)

As we get into the winter months with the possibility of wet, icy, or even heavy snow conditions in the Northern California area, it’s good to take a look at the condition of your tires. For drivers that must drive even in adverse conditions it’s also good to consider the type of tires you have on your vehicle. Here are a few tips for choosing tires in the Northern California area.

Mud and Snow Tires
Tires marked “M + S” (“mud and snow” tires) “MS” or “M/S”, also known as “all-season” tires, provide safe all-weather performance, but may not be suitable in heavy snow. One reason is that these tires tend to stiffen and loose gripping power around 0 Celsius. California vehicle code defines a mud and snow tire as “Snow-tread tire is a tire which has a relatively deep and aggressive tread pattern compared with conventional passenger tread pattern” (section 558). Often tires of this type are sufficient for the lower altitude towns like Redding, unless you plan on heading into the mountains during the storms.

Snow Tires
Tires rated as Snow tires are made of a different formulation of rubber. These are meant to remain softer and will retain traction even in the lower temperatures. The tradeoff is (more…)