The Best Times to Buy or Lease a New Car

You've probably noticed that a lot of car dealerships celebrate President's Day with sign and drive lease deals, discounts on newer models, and other hard-to-resist offers. That might get you wondering: when is the best time to buy a new car? During which time of the year will you get the best savings?

Just like with clothing stores -- clothes that are about to go out-of-season are usually discounted -- car dealerships work on a calendar format, too. Though every dealership will have its own big sales, there are a few times per year that most places offer good deals.

At the End of the Year

A lot of dealerships offer holiday bonuses to their salespeople, so toward the end of the year, not only will they be trying to meet monthly or quarterly goals, they'll be trying to boost their year-end sales reports as well. This means that fees and taxes on year-end inventory could be reduced, so this is a good time to go see what kind of bargains you can get.

At the End of the Season

Some dealerships do clearances on body styles that are seasonally popular, such as convertibles and sports utility vehicles, at the end of that season. That means that December-January is the best time to go looking for summer-appropriate vehicles, since not so many people are looking for those vehicles during the winter months. On the flip side, you probably won't get a discount on a convertible during the summer.

Keep in mind that new models usually roll out at the end of the summer or the beginning of the fall. When new models roll out, that means dealerships are getting new inventory, and they have to make room. Go shopping in August or September to see what brand-new vehicles are being offered at a discount in order to make room on the lot!

At Grand Openings

A car dealership obviously can't survive without enough traction, so their grand opening events are extremely important -- they need to move a lot of vehicles! Find out when dealerships in your area are just opening and pay a visit within a month. They'll almost certainly be offering some housewarming sales!

At the End of the Day

Maybe you're not looking to wait for a certain time in the year -- just a certain time of the day. If that's the case, go toward the end of the day if you already know what you want. Since many salesmen are already toward the end of their shifts, they won't mind sticking around to make one last sale -- but they may just want to get it over with. This is the best time to negotiate!

4 Lesser-Known Ways to Improve your Driving

With the recent 100-car pileup on the PA Turnpike plaguing the news and a general increase in weather-related accidents, it's as good a time as any to start thinking about your driving habits. It's easy for daily activities to become mechanical, but it's never a bad idea to take a little refresher course – there's always room for improvement. In fact, when it comes to driving, some of the most life-saving tips are ones that even experienced drivers haven't heard.

1.    Know how to Adjust your Side Mirrors

Adjusting your side mirrors is a task that takes all of five seconds, and yet some of us don't know how, or don't care, to do it properly. Blind spots are a big issue for drivers – many new vehicles come with technology to alert the driver when there is a nearby car that might be invisible from the driver's seat. But depending on what kind of car you drive, your blind spot can be nearly or completely eliminated. The trick is simple: just adjust your wing mirrors so that you can't see any part of your own car in them. When your own car is visible in your mirrors, you're wasting valuable mirror real-estate that could be used to show other cars around you for added safety. Always have your mirrors angled slightly away from your car.

2.    Drive with your Headlights on…All the Time
It's probably not your first instinct to turn your headlights on when you're driving in broad daylight, but a recent study shows that the risk of getting into an accident can be reduced by up to 32% just by constantly keeping your headlights on. It's logical, if you think about it: something that's lit up is going to be more visible. Drivers are less likely to make that left turn without seeing you if you've got them on. In fact, many countries require drivers to keep their headlights on at all times. Making it a habit to turn them on every time you're in the car could save your life!

3.    Give your Parking Brake some Exercise
We don't usually think to put on our parking brakes unless we're parking on a steep incline. But did you know that, when it comes to parking brakes (also known as emergency brakes), if you don't use it, you lose it? While our normal brakes stop the car with a hydraulic mechanism, emergency brakes stop the car with cables. However, if they don't get any use, those cables could dry out, rust, and corrode, rendering them useless. Next thing you know, you're slipping on an icy road with no means of stopping immediately – or, your car is rolling off down the hill.

4.    Control your Car when Tires Blow Out
Maybe you've hit a pothole or run up a curb, and you hear that ominous sound: the sound of your tire popping. Maybe you start to lose control, and of course, the knee-jerk reaction is to slam on the brakes. However, braking during a blowout is likely to cause you to fishtail, which could result in the car overturning, hitting a median, or ending up in incoming traffic. Instead, if you hear a tire blow out, gently keep your foot on the gas until you regain control, then pull onto the shoulder.

As a company with many Fords, Chevys, and Rocky Ridge Chevy trucks for sale, we like to remind our drivers to keep it safe on the roads, especially when it's snowy and icy. You can never be experienced enough as a driver, so ask yourself if you're taking these lesser-known precautions!

The Three Most Counter-Intuitive Tips for Driving in the Snow

We heard it was going to be bad this winter, but we didn't anticipate it would be this bad. It seems as though the snowy weather just won't stop coming, and considering New Jersey has had something like 9 snowfalls this season, driving in the snow is starting to become inevitable.

If it's not necessary, driving in ice and snow should be avoided altogether. If you have to do it, though, there are some techniques that can only be mastered with experience.

The thing about driving when it's slippery is that when you start to slip and slide, your knee-jerk reactions aren't always the best moves to make. Here are a few instances where you want to go against all your driving instincts in order to avoid a collision.

If Possible, Slow, but Don't Stop

Thanks to physics, it's a lot more difficult to get your car moving on an icy road when you're at a complete stop as opposed to when you've got a little bit of momentum. It's also difficult to come to a complete stop, especially in a short distance. For the most control, drive as slowly as possible, and start slowing down with a great distance between you and red lights. That way, by the time it turns green, you'll still be moving a bit and it will be easier to gain momentum again.

When Sliding, Stop Braking and Turn in the Same Direction

Unless you've got a vehicle that's made for the terrain, like a Rocky Ridge truck, one of the inevitable things about driving on ice is slipping, sliding, and fishtailing. There's only so much you can do to avoid it happening, especially in a front-wheel drive vehicle. That said, you can control it. It might be your first instinct to slam on your brakes as hard as possible. When you start to slip, take your foot off of the brake and start turning in the same direction that you're sliding. This will help your car to slow down more quickly, allowing you to regain control of your vehicle again.

Braking, Steering, Accelerating: Do One at a Time

You'll probably find that taking turns is extremely difficult during harsh weather. We typically turn by slowing down, turning the wheel, and accelerating again, all in one swift motion. Forget everything you learned from turning in normal weather conditions, though – when turning on a snow-covered road, slow down as much as possible, then turn the wheel, and don't accelerate again until you're almost completely finished the turn.

Again, driving in icy conditions takes practice, especially because most of the best techniques go against a lot of what you've learned from driving in regular conditions. Overall, the best thing to remember is to move slowly and give yourself plenty of room – then, you won't have to deal with troubling situations as often.