Is the snow gone? Is it safe? The weather is slowly starting to turn around, and hopefully Mother Nature will play nice and not throw in any more random snow days like she did on the first day of spring. So as we stay positive and look forward to sunny days and warmer weather, it’s time to get your car detailed and ready to shine!

A professional detailing can make your car look like new and even make you feel refreshed yourself. Your car has inevitably picked up a lot of dirt, salt, and grime throughout the winter months, and it’s important to get it all removed to avoid any long-term damage. The salt especially can cause rust over time; it’s better to prevent it now than have to fight it later, after it has already started to ruin the finish.

Exterior detailing can also remove any minor scratches and environmental damage that is just beginning, and it will protect your car from further damage. On the interior, that coffee stain might finally disappear and your loose change will stop sticking to the bottom of your cup holder.
Concours offers two different packages for your vehicle, and our detailers will ensure that every last dirty spot is caught and cleaned. Here are the details on the detail packages!

“A” Service:

• Exterior hand wash and wax
• Interior vacuum
• Interior/Exterior window cleaning
• Exterior tire dressing

**Special pricing through April 30, 2010:

• BMW cars: $199 + tax
• MB, Mazda, Porsche, Saab, VW cars: $99 + tax
• MB, Mazda, Porsche, Saab, VW SUVs: $149 + tax

“B” Service:

• Exterior hand wash
• Interior vacuum
• Interior/Exterior window cleaning
• Clean interior dash and trim
• Clean wheel wells and door jambs
• Upholstery spot cleaning
• Shampoo carpeted floor mats
• Exterior tire dressing
• Exterior buff, polish, and wax

**Special pricing through April 30, 2010:

• MB, Mazda, Porsche, Saab, VW cars: $199 + tax
• MB, Mazda, Porsche, Saab, VW SUVs: $249 + tax

Make an appointment with your service advisor today—your friends will think you bought a new car!

How Green Is Your Car?

Have you gone green? Maybe you buy green household cleaners, got rid of paper statements and pay your bills online, use a refillable water bottle instead of buying bottled, switched to energy-efficient light bulbs, etc. But what about your car? Is there even anything you can do to make your car green? You might be surprised at how easy it is.

Cars are usually branded as evil in the fight to protect our environment, but it’s safe to say we probably won’t see a sudden widespread return of the horse-and-buggy. So what can we do? Mazda published an article called “Driving Greener” in their Spring 2010 edition of Zoom Zoom, listing some easy tips on how to do so. A simple online search can bring up even more results, including a site called www.greenercars.com. For your convenience, we’ve collected some of those tips right here! You might notice a pattern: going green can save you some green!

• Keep up with required maintenance such as oil and filter changes, and keep your tires properly inflated and rotated on a regular basis. Keeping your car running at peak performance not only increases your fuel economy, but it will save your pocketbook and the environment.
• Slow down! The faster you drive, the more “aerodynamic drag” increases, according to Zoom Zoom. This means your car must work harder to maintain speed, and you’ll end up wasting gas and money. The average car is designed to be the most efficient around 65mph—the simple act of avoiding a speeding ticket will also reduce your impact on the environment!
• Combine your trips. You’ll save yourself some time, and you’ll prevent your car from having to warm all the way up more than once.
• In the warmer months, roll the windows down instead of blasting the air conditioning. You’ll use less fuel and reduce your emissions, and your engine won’t leak the chemicals used for air conditioning into the ground. Be sure to park in the shade whenever possible and use a windshield shade as well.
• Clean out your car! If you have a lot of items weighing you down, your car will have to work harder and use more gas.
• Avoid stop-and-go driving as much as possible. Take the freeway instead of regular streets, and avoid rush hour if you can.
• Are you close to your destination? Take a walk or ride your bike! Give your car a rest and get some exercise and fresh air.
  

Can you think of other tips? Let us know! The more we share and spread the word, the greener we can get!

The Toyota Recall

In January of this year, Toyota initiated a recall of 2.3 million vehicles due to a problem in which the gas pedal can become stuck, causing the vehicle to accelerate out of control. This number doesn’t even include the cars recalled due to a separate issue in which the floor mat can become stuck on the gas pedal itself.

No doubt this has caused many of us to wonder about the true safety of our own cars, even if not affected by the recall. I spoke with Dan Kolasinski, Mercedes Service Manager, about this in regard to the cars we have at Concours.

Many newer cars are made with technology called drive by wire, a feature that many news stories bring up when referring to Toyota’s recall. Drive by wire essentially means that the driver is no longer in direct control of the throttle when depressing the gas pedal because that linkage doesn’t exist. Instead, a sensor sends a signal to the computer and indicates how much gas to give based on the position of the driver’s foot. All of the cars we represent here (Mercedes, Mazda, Porsche, Saab, Volkswagen, and BMW) have available drive by wire technology (please check with your service representative for specific years and models).

Toyota has drive by wire, too, but drive by wire is not the problem. Toyota’s affected vehicles lacked a feature in which the brake will automatically override the accelerator in any situation. You’ll find that the brake does override the accelerator in most German-made cars, and that includes Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, and Volkswagen models.

According to Dan Kolasinski, Mercedes was the leader in providing this feature beginning in 1989. By 1992, every Mercedes model had it. They were also the first to provide safety features such as anti-lock brakes and airbags.

Of course, Mercedes has a plethora of other safety features, as do all of the vehicles at Concours. (Volkswagen, for example, provides many standard safety features comparable to those of premium car brands, as noted by Steve Halverson, Volkswagen Service Manager.) It is always our goal that you feel safe and comfortable in your vehicle. If you have any questions, or simply would like more information on your specific vehicle, please feel free to contact your sales or service representative here at Concours.

For information on how to handle a car that is accelerating out of control, please visit http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8980024.

The Future of Concours Saab

Saab has been on quite a roller-coaster ride lately, leaving many of us wondering what the future holds. Whether you are a current Saab owner, a prospective Saab owner, or simply curious, below is a copy of the letter being sent to all of our current Saab customers. We hope it answers any questions you may have.


Dear Valued Saab Customer,

Recently there has been some confusion regarding the relationship Concours Motors will have with Saab vehicles since General Motors has sold the brand to Spyker Cars. The sale was concluded on February 28, and this transition has many customers wondering what the future holds for them and their vehicles.

Concours Motors will remain a full-service Saab dealership, continuing to sell and service Saab vehicles as we have in the past. While the corporate structure of Saab may be changing, things will stay the same for our customers. If you are looking to purchase a new Saab, Concours currently offers a limited inventory of vehicles to suit your needs, including 9-3 sedans and convertibles. We will soon be placing an order for the newly remodeled 9-5 which will be arriving this summer.

Current Saab owners wishing to maintain their vehicles can be assured that service and spare parts will continue to be available, and that warranties will continue to be honored.

If you have any questions about your Saab during the upcoming transition, feel free to contact our sales department at (414) 290-1400 or service department at (414) 290-1704.
We look forward to continuing our strong relationship you and your Saab!

Sincerely,


Your Concours Saab Team

How to Lengthen the Life of Your Tires

Ah, winter in Wisconsin. The snow collects, the snow melts, the temperature rises to a sunny and warm 35 degrees, and just when we think we’re in the clear—whammo! We get hit with the sad realization that spring won’t actually arrive until maybe July around here. (March 20, the spring solstice, is simply a lie!)

So, being that it is still winter, how has your car been handling in the snow? If you’ve been noticing some extra slipping and sliding, your tires may be too worn. And if you notice yourself buying new tires more often than you think you should, it’s time to evaluate how you take care of your current ones.

The easiest way to lengthen the life of your tires is to have them regularly rotated. This is something my own father never fails to interrogate me about, so I’m passing the information on so he can ask you, too. Rotating your tires means that all four will wear down at roughly the same pace; not rotating your tires means that one or more (usually your front tires) will wear faster than the rest, and you’ll be buying just one or two new tires at irregular times, wasting your time and money.

Your tires may have specific guidelines on how often they should be rotated, but in general, you want to get it done every 5,000-10,000 miles. Make it easy and save yourself some time by requesting a rotation with your regular oil change (of course, if your car only needs an oil change once a year or every 12,000 miles, you’ll need to make an extra trip or two to your mechanic).

If you’re not already on a regular rotation schedule, when it’s time to buy new tires, look for a dealer that offers free rotations when you purchase a full set from them. For example, if you purchase a full set of 4 tires after Jan. 1, 2010 here at Concours, you’ll get free rotations for the life of the tires! It makes rotation a no-brainer, leaving you no excuses not to get it done and keeping you safe on the road all year long.