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The entire Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware is bracing itself for brutal temperature drops tonight.  We’re here to give you some tips and things to think about with the sub-zero temperatures looming. First of all you’re going to want to avoid unnecessary exposure to the freezing cold.  Be aware of both the actual temperature and the wind chill factor when preparing to go outside.  Remember that most of your body heat is lost through your head so wear a hat – and preferably one that covers your ears.  Covering your hands with gloves is also recommended; however, mittens are better.  Also, dressing in layers will insulate you better if you’ll be outside for an extended period of time. Now, to homeowners, these sub-zero temperatures could create havoc if you are not prepared.  Freezing pipes are one of the most troublesome things for homeowners when the temperatures drop.  To protect your home’s pipes from freezing and bursting you can do several things.  For one, let the cold water drip from your faucets that are served by exposed pipes or pipes in exterior walls.  By letting the water run even at a trickle, it helps prevent freezing because the water that is flowing must – if only slightly – be above freezing.  And you’ll want to be sure you know how to shut off water valves in the event of a burst pipe. Another thing to remember is to close your crawlspace vents.  This will ensure a minimal amount of the cold, outside air to get into your home.  And usually pipes run through crawl spaces so by keeping them shut off to the frigid air, you take another precaution to help prevent freezing pipes. Outside the house, be sure to disconnect water hoses and make sure those faucets are not dripping.  You could even seal up the area around the nozzle with a cap to prevent cold air from traveling inside the house through the pipe. As for pets or livestock, you should obviously keep them indoors.  Pets such as cats and dogs should be kept in the house.  Whereas livestock such as chickens, cattle, and horses should just be kept under some sort of shelter whether it be a coupe for the chickens or stables for the horse and cattle. All of these tips should be taken into consideration tonight and throughout the winter.  However, tonight into tomorrow you should take extreme caution because a Wind Chill Advisory is in effect from 9 PM to 9 AM for almost every zip-code on the Eastern Shore.  The real temperature for Preston is expected to be 9°, and with the wind chill it will feel like -6° overnight on January 7, 2015.  Be safe and take the necessary precautions tonight.

The Preston Automotive Group had a huge month of December in 2014 with many of our dealers having their best month of the year.  Preston Hyundai had the best December in their history.  Preston Mazda made December the best month of their calendar year.  And of course Preston and Denton Ford reached our highest ever ranking at #5 in the Country for December Sales and #72 in the Nation for Year to Date Sales.  With all those cars going out the door, you know we have a ton of trade-ins that came onto our lot.  Over 400 vehicles in fact!  Such a large Pre-Owned inventory means that we need some kind of sale to get rid of it all.  So, the Preston Automotive Group would like to announce the Surplus Sell-Off Sale! So, we took a look at a list from CarGuru.  They ranked the most searched-for used vehicles of the entire year of 2014.  We cross referenced that with our larger than life inventory and here’s what we came up with! The car they ranked number one was the Jeep Wrangler.  A more than capable and proven off-road vehicle, the Jeep Wrangler was the most popular pre-owned vehicle of 2014.  We have nearly 20 of these Wranglers at our various Preston Automotive Group locations throughout the Eastern Shore.  We have all different model years and trim levels too. Next on the list was the Ford F-150.  Out of all our locations, we have over 50 Pre-Owned F-150’s at excellent prices!  From the basic XL models to the Harley Davidson Customized Edition, we have many different pre-owned F-150’s.  During our Surplus Sell-Off we are going to get rid of these best-selling, American trucks at unbelievable prices, so don’t miss it! Third on CarGuru’s list was the Chevrolet Silverado.  We don’t have quite as many of these, but the 11 that we do have are top notch.  Most of these Silverado’s are at the Preston Autoplex, although we still have some at Boulevard Georgetown and Millsboro Automart.  Click the link to check them out! Another Chevy vehicle comes in as the fourth most popular used car in 2014: Chevy Camaro.  These cars just scream FAST!  We have two great looking Camaro’s at the Preston Autoplex located in Hurlock, Maryland, at the intersection of routes 318 and 331. Next up is the Toyota Camry as we do not have any Dodge Chargers at the moment.  The Camry is one of the safest, most-reliable sedans in the world and we have five of them spread out between our various locations; including an amazing Internet Special that is discounted more than $7,000 from MSRP located at our Boulevard Georgetown location! Next on the list is the Ford Mustang – a speedster we sell a TON of!  We have Mustangs as new as model year 2013 and we even have a GT500.  They are American Classics and you could get a pre-owned ‘Stang at FIVE of our locations: Georgetown, Lewes, Millsboro, Pittsville and Preston.  And all of our locations are participating in the Surplus Sell-Off Sales event during the month of January and beyond The Honda is a brand known for long-lasting vehicles and fuel efficiency, so next up on our list is the Honda Accord.  At the moment we have nine used Honda Accords at our various Preston locations.  They are great economy cars, which is why they made our list of most popular used cars of 2014! The last car to make the list is the always reliable Nissan Altima.  We have a Surplus of Altima’s at many of our Preston Automotive Group locations.  From Georgetown, Delaware, to Preston, Maryland, we have the Pre-Owned Nissan Altima for you! So, check out any of the links above or go straight to our website to view every single car we have at www.prestonmotor.com.

With 2014 in the books, Car and Driver added up all the sales and put together a list of the Bestselling Cars of the past year.  These aren’t necessarily the vehicles that cost the most money; we are strictly looking at volume – total units sold.  Car and Drivers list was 21 vehicles long, and 9 out of those 21 vehicles are sold by member dealers of the Preston Automotive Group!  We are so proud to sell nearly half of the cars on this list so let’s start it out with #1. Claiming the top spot was the Ford F-Series, which should come as no surprise to anybody considering the F-150 has been the bestselling truck in America for 37 years.  Now, the F-Series encompasses more than just the F-150; it represents the F-150, 250, 350, 450 and 550.  The F-Series sold over 679,000 units in 2014 – that is 200,000 more units than its closest competitor.  If the big aluminum risk pays off, then we should see an even stronger hold on the top spot in 2015. We’ll skip down to the 7 th spot where the Nissan Altima comes in.  It is the first of two Nissan’s to make the Bestsellers List.  Of course the Altima has been towards the top for a while because of its efficiency and cost effectiveness, and Nissan recorded just over 303,000 units sold in the past year.   Next, a group of Ford’s took up spots in the middle of the list: #10 Fusion, #11 Escape and #15 Focus. Ford showed off the Fusion’s wild side with a redesign in 2013 and people loved it; they sold 283,694 Fusions in 2014. The Ford Escape came in next with 280,609 units sold.  And skipping a few spots down to #15 we have the Ford Focus, which sold 204,751 units last year.  The current Focus is one compact that requires no apologies and is getting a refreshed look for next year, so we should see it back on our list in 2015. Next up are a pair of Hyundai’s.  The Sonata missed catching the Elantra by a mere 4,151 units.  So, that put the Elantra at #16 with 203,163 units sold and had the Sonata at #17 with 199,012 units sold.  Both are great on fuel economy and look great.  Perfect for commuters, first time drivers, and anybody else who wants a great, economical car. We have two SUV’s to close out the top 21 Bestsellers List: one Ford and one Nissan. The Ford Explorer slipped down to #19 by only about 1500 units, but it’s the SUV that many would argue kicked off the SUV trend back in the 1990s.  This past year they sold 191,530.  The very last SUV to make the list at #21 is the Nissan Rogue.  It was just redesigned for 2014, undoubtedly contributing to its success, and sold ultimately capped off our list by selling 184,320 units. We are proud to offer 9 of the top 21 Bestselling Cars of 2014 at our dealerships around all of Delmarva.  We are sad to see 2014 go, but from all of us here at Preston Automotive Group we want to wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!  See you next year!

The 2015 Hyundai Genesis was just named the Sedan of the Year by popular men’s magazine, Esquire, for its luxurious design and smooth drive.  Esquire is one of the world’s most iconic men’s publications, and they perform their own independent tests on vehicles in order to find the best of the best each year.  This is a tremendous honor; one of many the 2015 Hyundai Genesis has received. In addition to earning the Sedan of the Year title from Esquire, the 2015 Genesis also won ALG’s Residual Value Award in the Premium Full-Size Car category, was an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, and won Luxury Car of the Year by Popular Mechanic.  The 2015 Genesis was also named to the North American Car of the Year short list; those winners are to be announced at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2015.  There are many more awards the Genesis has won too, which tell you what an amazing step forward this is for Hyundai; a brand typically known for plain looking cars like the Sonata and Elantra.  As we’ve found out from all the awards it has won – the 2015 Genesis is anything but plain. Maryland car dealer, Preston Hyundai, is proud to offer their customers a selection of the bold new 2015 Genesis! The Genesis is completely redesigned inside and out.  The exterior of the 2015 luxury sedan has taken its fluidic design to the next level with the long sleek lines and a new roofline.  Using high-strength steel in the all new platform, the Genesis has improved rigidity and overall stiffness resulting in exceptional driving dynamics.  To complete the new design, the front grille was made larger and bolder.  Inside the 2015 Hyundai Genesis, luxury abounds.  From the new panoramic sunroof to the front seats that can be powered in as many as 12 different directions.  With four way lumbar adjustment in the front and heated seats in front and back, the drive quality is outstanding.  The center stack even has a huge 9.2-inch high definition screen with premium navigation – the look is all luxury. Preston Hyundai, a division of the Preston Automotive Group, is a Maryland Hyundai dealer on the Eastern Shore.  At Preston Hyundai, they have a handful of 2015 Hyundai Genesis’ and are getting more of these luxury sedans in every week.  Preston Hyundai sales consultant Carrie O’Connell loves these vehicles, saying, “The 2015 Genesis is the essence of high class with an affordable price.  You wouldn’t think the top luxury sedan would be this nice yet still extremely affordable, but it is!”  It truly is, and that is why this Hyundai Genesis model ranked first for Design, Drive Quality and Value because it absolutely gives customers the most bang for their buck.

What do you think of when you hear “Black Friday?”  Some people may associate Black Friday with gadget and tech deals or overly crowded stores.  And while that is certainly true, it is not the only thing it's all about.  Here at the Preston Autoplex in Hurlock, Maryland, we have great deals on new Ford, Lincoln, Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan, and pre-owned vehicles all the way through Cyber Monday!  But our Black Friday deals start NOW; so read along and check them out. First off is Ford.  Ford Motor Company is running a nationwide campaign urging you to “Dream Big!”  This Black Friday sales event is based around getting you a great new Ford for an amazing price.  And here at Preston Ford it means a whole lot more!  We are running a contest all the way through to the end of the year.  Check out the infographic for a better breakdown, but basically you could win 1 of 3 things: $1,500 cash, a 60” Flat Screen TV, or an iPad.  There are three ways to be entered as you can see on the graphic to the right.  It’s an awesome contest and Ford General Manager, Chris Marks, is excited about it too. Also, if you purchase a new Ford now through Cyber Monday, you can get up to a $1,000 Amazon Gift Card or up to a $1,000 rebate on your Ford purchase.  Whatever you choose, you are getting a great deal on a quality Ford vehicle from Preston Ford! Next, we’ll move on to Hyundai.  The Hyundai Holidays Sales Event is another one that ends on Cyber Monday – December 1 st.  The big deals at Preston Hyundai are on the 2014/15 Sonatas and Elantras.  The Sonatas have an automatic $500 Holiday Bonus Cash and a possible $1,000 Retail Bonus Cash for all customers.  Elantra buyers will get the $500 Holiday Bonus Cash too, but will get $1,500-$2,000 back in Retail Bonus Cash.  All of that is on top of any other incentives that are going on too! We’ll head right down the Autoplex to check out Mazda’s Black Friday deals next.  There are tons of discounts here so stick with me.  The biggest of them all is the discount on the 2014 Mazda CX-9.  You can get $5,000 off on certain 2014 CX-9’s here at Preston Mazda!  That is a huge amount of money off on an already well-priced crossover.  Other incentives include 2015 Mazda6s at $1,000 under invoice.  And to beat that we have 2014 Mazda 2’s and 5’s at $2,000 under invoice.  There is also special financing on many Mazda’s for 60-72 months.  This week through Cyber Monday is easily the best time to buy a car from Preston Mazda in Hurlock, MD. The Final Stop on our discount tour of the Preston Autoplex is Nissan.  Holiday Bonus Cash is once again the way to go if you’re planning on buying a Nissan this Black Friday.  The 2014/15 Altima’s and Versa’s Non-S along with the 2014 Sentra will get you $500 Holiday Bonus Cash.  The 2014 Titan will get you a whopping $1,500 back in Holiday Bonus Cash!  So, as you can see, there are certainly deals to be had at Preston Nissan and all of our dealers at the Preston Autoplex in Hurlock, MD.  Now all you need to do is get here before the end of the day on Monday, December 1 st to get your best deal!

Veterans served our country with selfless fortitude.  Whether it was in the First World War, Second World War, Korean War, Vietnam War, or any other war in our history, the Veterans of our Armed Services have been the ones keeping us safe; so today we salute them. Did you know that Veterans Day was first called Armistice Day back in 1919?  Armistice of course means an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting; in other words, a truce.  The first celebration of Armistice Day, November 11, 1919, marked the one year anniversary of the end of WWI, and was put in place to applaud those who risked their lives in that war.  However, it wasn’t made a federal holiday until 1938.  And in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower amended the holiday to include all veterans. Did you know that Veterans Day wasn’t always on the 11 th of November?  It started out as the 11 th, as previously stated, and is currently the 11 th but wasn’t always like that.  For a period of ten years, from 1968-78, Veterans Day was changed to the 4 th Monday in October.  The petty reason for that was to give Federal Officers a three day weekend.  Today, all Federal Offices and most schools are off in observance of Veterans Day. Did you know that Veterans Day in the US is shared with many other country’s celebrations.  There were 19 countries that fought with the Allies in WWI and most – if not all – have celebrations on November 11 th to honor their Veterans.  For instance, this year, the UK is celebrating 100 years since the start of WWI with a big ceremony and moment of silence in London. Finally, did you know that many places give out Military Discounts to Active Duty Members and Veterans on Veterans Day?  This year restaurants such as Denny’s, Olive Garden, and others are giving out free or discounted meals to Veterans with Military ID’s.  Specifically here at the Preston Autoplex we have a $500 Military Discount that we run every day on every car on the lot.  It is just our small way of saying thank you to the men and women that serve, and have served, our great country.  Happy Veterans Day!

Tired of uneven roads, potholes, road work, icy roads, or even shoveling snow?  Love clean/sustainable energy, job creation across the country, and new technology?  Well then you should know about Solar Roadways.  This idea made its way out to the internet world earlier this year with a video entitled Solar FREAKIN’ Roadways.  Since then, this video has gotten more than 18 million views and has educated even more than that. You NEED to watch this entire video to get a grasp on all that can be done with Solar Roadways.  There are tons of little things you don’t think about that will go along with this new roadway technology, and all those things are explained in the video. This is already a big project but it is going to be something huge by the time it is done.  So far, engineering couple Scott and Julie Brusaw have gotten funding from the Federal Highway Administration for $750,000.  They have also raised over 2 million dollars from regular people like you and me on a crowdfunding website called Indiegogo.com.  This “thing” is actually happening, and hopefully people, municipalities, and towns will be willing to try it.  If they try implementing it in smaller places like parking lots, driveways, and bike paths first, then law makers and other influential people will see how well it works and hopefully get behind it in order for it to grow.  As a matter of fact, this is not the only attempt at a solar panel roadway. Just last week in Amsterdam, Holland, they converted a 70 yard stretch of bike path into solar panels named SolaRoad.  They did not use the hexagonal design that The Brusaws came up with, but the idea is very similar.  It is said that up to 2,000 commuters will walk and bike on the path every day.  Back here in America, The Brusaws have already built a prototype parking lot on their property in Sagle, Idaho, and have many projects set up to start for businesses all around their hometown in the near future. It is things like the bike path in Amsterdam and the parking lots The Brusaws are building with the FHA grant that will get this energy revolution moving along.  There are tons of advantages to this type of system.  The biggest one was pointed out toward the end of the video above; Solar Roadways, if implemented on all major highways in the US, would generate 3X’s the amount of energy we currently use.  It would also create an amazing number of jobs for engineering, construction, and maintenance of these systems for now and throughout the future.  It will help prevent accidents with its pressure system; warning you of something stationary on the road ahead.  There are countless benefits and of course some obstacles but nothing that is insurmountable. People are getting excited about this revolutionary idea.  It could be upon us sooner than we think too.  Scott Brusaw says, “With this team in place, we hope to finalize the product for market by the end of this year.”  That doesn’t mean all the roads will be replaced immediately, but it is coming.  Soon enough we will all be driving on these new Solar Roadways.

Gas prices have been on a steady decline for the past six months.  That is a direct result of the decrease in crude oil prices.  As you can see from the chart below, there is a direct correlation between the two prices.  At one point in 2008 crude oil was nearly $150/barrel!  And only four months ago it was at $100/barrel.  Now, crude oil has dropped below $80/barrel.  Therefore, according to the AAA, the national average for gasoline has dipped below $3/gallon for the first time since 2010. People are loving the decreasing gas prices, and researchers say that the cheaper cost of gasoline should make people more frugal with the money that they are not spending at the pump anymore.  Ironically enough, Americans tend to spend more when fuel prices are low.  However, that has not been the case so far.  But here at the Preston Autoplex we have tons of Model Year End Deals to entice you to spend that extra money.  We even have some of the most fuel efficient cars – and we think you should know about them! 2014 Mazda Mazda2 This sedan will get 28 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway!  With its 1.5-Liter 4-Cylinder engine, this small sedan has plenty of zip from the tiny, fuel-efficient engine. 2015 Mazda Mazda3 Another Mazda, this one will achieve 29 mpg in the city and 41 highway!  It is a slightly bigger sedan with a slightly bigger 2.0L engine, but the Skyactiv technology enables the outstanding fuel-efficiency. 2015 Nissan Versa The Versa has a 1.6L 4-cylinder engine just like the Mazda2, but will actually get greater fuel-economy.  It boasts 31 city and 40 highway miles per gallon!  Never dipping below 30 mpg you can cover huge distances on a small amount of gasoline.  For instance, you could get from Preston to Ocean City, MD and back 3 times on one tank that cost you only $32! 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid The Sonata Hybrid is run by a 2.4L Atkinson Cycle 4-cylinder hybrid engine.  That means it is geared for city use that is why it runs at 36 mpg in the city.  It still achieves an even greater 40 mpg on the highway.  In fact, you could get from Preston, MD, to Los Angeles, CA, which is just about 2700 miles away on only 4 tanks of gas!  That would set you back a miniscule $200; averaging out to be 13.5 cents/mile. Bottom line: With gas prices dropping lower and lower for the foreseeable future, people are going to be spending more money and traveling by car.  You can get a great deal on a gas-saver, and save even more in the long run.  Come see us at the Preston Autoplex in Preston, Maryland; we are getting more 2015 vehicles in stock every single day.  You can also visit us on the web at www.prestonmotor.com and pick one of our nine locations from there!

There’s more to CPO’s than what initially comes to mind.  The misconceptions that a Certified Pre-Owned car is the same as a used car could not be further from the truth.  In this article, you will learn the many advantages to purchasing a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. The main reason can be simply stated – the warranties.  Each Mazda Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with a confidence-inspiring 12-month/12,000-Mile Limited Warranty.  That comes with absolutely no deductible on covered repairs, which begins when the factory warranty ends.  If the vehicle is out of warranty, then the Limited Warranty begins on the CPO purchase date.  This gives owners peace of mind knowing that if something goes wrong you will be covered within the first year of owning your Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. Another warranty you get with all Mazda Certified Pre-Owned vehicles is the outstanding 7-year/100,000-Mile Limited Powertrain Warranty.  This covers a variety of things all stemming from the parts that “make your car go.”  The engine, transmission, and drivetrain (the components that get the engines power to the wheels) are all parts that are encompassed by the Powertrain Warranty.  It doesn’t cover things that are expected to be replaced regularly, though.  Parts such as the clutch, brake pads, or certain belts will not be covered because they are considered regular maintenance. A third advantage to a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle from Preston Mazda is 24-Hour Emergency Roadside Assistance.  Certified Pre-Owned buyers – even qualified family members – are covered 24/7 with the complimentary Emergency Roadside Assistance Program for the duration of the Powertrain Warranty.  Clearly, the aim of CPO’s is to give owners peace of mind without paying for new car prices. Mazda also requires a 150-Point Detailed Inspection.  Each Certified Pre-Owned vehicle goes through a mandatory inspection.  This is performed by a factory-trained, Mazda technician right here on site at the Preston Mazda Service Building. Buyers also get added confidence with an Autocheck Vehicle History Report and 3-Year Buyback program.  In order to make sure you know exactly what you are getting into, each Mazda Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with a full Autocheck.  This is basically the same thing as a Carfax – it reports previous owners, accidents, repairs, and more.  It also comes with 3-Year Buyback Protection from Experian. We’re still not done!  There are other advantages, such as the Available Extended Coverage.  There are various available term and mileage intervals to extend the coverage of your CPO vehicle.  Finally, owners have Transfer Benefits with a Certified Pre-Owned Mazda.  When the time comes to sell your Certified Mazda, it will look even more attractive to potential buyers because the Limited Vehicle and Limited Powertrain Warranties are transferable to future owners – at no cost! Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles bring about a great sense of relief and confidence even though you are technically buying a used car.  CPO’s, as you can tell, are miles above any regular used car. Interesting Fact: Not all dealerships have Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles! It’s easy to find a regular used car on any dealership lot because they are constantly getting traded in.  However, finding dealers that offer Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles is less common.  But here at Preston Mazda in Hurlock, Maryland, we have a great selection of Mazda CPO’s, which you can check out on our website!  Not only do we have Mazda, but we also have Ford, Hyundai, and Nissan Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles.  Our selection is incredible so be sure to check it out!

It’s November and the cold weather is setting in on Delmarva and around the country.  Cold weather can bring about some things that make life more difficult.  Knowing this, I’ve put together a list of life hacks.  I’m sure most of you have seen the various life hacks that show up on your Facebook news feed every now and then.  These life hacks are all about how the cold weather affects you and your vehicle. Put some hand sanitizer on your car key if the lock is frozen. If you still must use a key instead of a fob to unlock your car, then this is a good one for you.  Any amount of moisture that gets trapped in your car lock will freeze on a cold night.  So, squeezing some hand sanitizer directly into the lock will melt the ice because of the alcohol content of the sanitizer.  You could also apply it to your key and insert it into the lock.  Either way the alcohol will break down the ice and unfreeze it. Park your car facing east to defrost the windshield. Overnight your car is sure to accumulate some frost or ice on the windshield when the weather gets close to or below freezing temperature.  Parking it facing the east will enable the morning sun to clear some of the ice off before you actually come out to do it yourself before you leave for work.  Depending on how bright the sun and how long your car sits in the sun, you may not have to even scrape any ice off at all.  Now, that would make for a good start to the day! Carry a little bit of kitty litter in your car all winter long. If you get stuck in the snow this little life hack will come in handy this winter.  Say you’re tires are spinning in the snow; you’re stuck.  Sprinkle a bit of kitty litter in front of each tire in order help you gain traction.  The next life hack is a little extension of this idea.  Also it may not be a bad idea to keep a small shovel in your car during the winter months to help dig you out of some tight spots when kitty litter just won’t do the job. As a last resort use the car’s floor mats to help you get traction. If you don’t have kitty litter, salt, or a shovel, you can take your car mats off the floor and lay them on the ground in front of the drive tires to gain traction.  This may damage your mats, so this should be used as a final resort. Stick your windshield wipers up off the glass to prevent ice from sticking to them. Anytime you are not using your car, pull the wiper blades up so they stick out perpendicular to the windshield.  This way they will not become frozen to the windshield if it were to snow.  This is great to do overnight or even when you’re parked all day at work.  Ice can damage your blades over time and could even scratch your windshield if you were to try to use the wipers with ice stuck to them. Ice-proof your car by misting a 3:1 mixture of distilled vinegar and water before a storm. This will prohibit ice from forming on any surface that you spray.  You will still have to clean the snow off, but at least there will be no ice underneath!  And if you forget to do this before the storm, you could spray the mixture directly onto your icy windows to melt the ice. Finally, don’t leave electronics in your car. The cold air will drain the battery without even using them.  If you usually keep your iPod in your car for music while driving; don’t.  The battery will almost surely be drained the next time you get in.  Especially don’t leave more expensive electronics in there like your laptop, tablet, or phone.  This may do more than drain the battery; it may actually have more lasting effects. Hopefully these cold weather life hacks will get you through the winter this year!

Since Halloween is upon us I thought I would put together a list of the biggest tricks and treats of the new 2015 automotive class.  All of these vehicles that made the cut are actually in stock at one of the Preston Automotive Group Dealers.  So after you're done reading, be sure to visit our website to find the treat with the coolest trick! Tricks The 2015 Hyundai Genesis is considered the best midsize car at its price point.  One of the coolest tricks this car has up its sleeve is the Automatic Emergency Braking.  This feature works slightly different depending on what speed you’re going.  The Genesis is able to apply full braking from 5-50 mph.  And from 50-112 mph it will apply partial braking and warn you of a possible collision with another car or even a pedestrian.  This is a neat safety trick that will, in theory, result in a lot less collisions. Certain 2015 Mazda’s are equipped with a trick that will regenerate power.  The Intelligent Energy Loop (i-ELOOP) is a brake energy regeneration system that converts a vehicle’s kinetic energy into electricity as the car decelerates.  Mazda has found a way to power headlights, AC/Heat, or your audio system with this stored energy.  This reduces the need for the engine to burn extra fuel in order to generate electricity, thus, improving fuel economy.  Mazda is estimating that i-ELOOP may bump up fuel efficiency by as much as 10 percent!  This i-ELOOP will be available on most Grand Touring models in the 2015 class of vehicles. Ford had a neat trick up their sleeve that they released on the 2013 Escape: A hands-free liftgate.  This simple trick makes life so much easier for all the times where your hands are full but you need to open up the hatch.  It is now possible in certain 2015 Ford Escape models to open the liftgate without using your hands.  It is a very simple life-hack but it can be extremely helpful. The last trick, but certainly not least, comes to us from Nissan Innovations.  Just this year Nissan came up with something called the Smart Rearview Mirror.  I think most people would agree that rearview mirrors are very nice to have – especially anyone who has ever driven a box truck that doesn’t have a rearview mirror.  Well, what if your rearview mirror was a mirror and a camera.  Check out this video for all the details, but basically here’s how it works.  Consider the times when your car is jam packed with people or gear.  This new technology will enable you to turn your plain, old mirror into a video monitor.  At the flick of a switch you can get the view from a camera located on the back of your vehicle.  It’s a very neat trick that enables you to see behind your car or truck no matter what is in the way.  This cool, new technology will be available on select 2015 vehicles, which have yet to been named. http://www.nissanusa.com/content/dam/nissan/innovation/article/smart-rearview-mirror/smart-rearview-mirror-video.mp4 Treats The 2015 Hyundai Genesis has some neat tricks but it is also one fantastic treat.  This completely redesigned luxury sedan is only celebrating its sixth anniversary this year, but it is proving to be stiff competition for other luxury brands such as Cadillac, Audi, and BMW.  Its 3.8-liter V6 engine is a treat because it is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission; making this car extremely desirable. Another treat here at the Preston Autoplex is the 2015 Mazda6.  This midsize sedan has tons of room and a sleek design. Its signature Skyactiv engine is one of the most efficient out there getting up to 38 mpg on the highway.  It also has tons of leg room for the driver and passengers.  All in all this new Mazda6 is a treat of a car to drive. One of the most anticipated cars on the market for 2015 comes from Ford, and that is the 2015 Mustang!  This car is such a treat it is considered the best Mustang in its 50 year history.  The new ‘Stangs have an aggressive design, with an exceptionally powerful engine.  Here at Preston Ford we will also be receiving eleven Roush Mustangs which will have even more horsepower than the 420 that the 5.0L puts out. Finally, but again certainly not least is the 2015 Nissan GT-R Black Edition that we have on our lot here at Preston Nissan in Hurlock, MD.  This speedster is easily the biggest treat we have in stock.  It is one of the best treats on the entire Eastern Shore so far.  It can go 0-60 in a mere 3.2 seconds, and gallops with an astounding 545 horses!  Those numbers are insane, which is why this sportster is such a Halloween treat.

Preston Hyundai has just received a Hyundai Star Award for the #1 Service Satisfaction Dealer in the District for the 3 rd Quarter of 2014.  That is a very prestigious award, yet it’s not the first time Preston Hyundai has won it.  Just last quarter (Q2) Preston Hyundai of Maryland was also #1 in the Southern Region for Service Satisfaction.  So, that is back-to-back now for Preston Hyundai’s Service Department.  They must be doing something right to win that award two quarters in a row. To give a little background, this award is based off of surveys sent out to customers immediately after they’ve had service done on their vehicle.  The survey is very extensive and covers everything from the type of work performed to the professionalism of the staff.  Those are only two questions out of a 50-question survey.  Hyundai wants to get the most accurate reading out of their surveys which is why there are so many questions to be answered.  This award that Preston Hyundai has won two quarters in a row is based solely off of these surveys. Preston Hyundai’s Service Department worked on hundreds of cars during the previous two quarters.  And during that time, Ryan Carter, Parts and Service Director at Preston Hyundai said, “The most common reason for service was an oil change.”  Preston Hyundai Service Technicians were also able to average under an hour for all oil changes performed in those two quarters.  So, naturally, that type of speed and efficiency would make any customer very satisfied. Preston Hyundai is constantly training their technicians in order to ensure the best job possible, and it obviously shows by being the owner of the #1 Service Satisfaction Dealer Award in consecutive quarters.  Again, this is a huge honor and Preston Hyundai is very proud of their accomplishment.  “It shows that we value our customers and want them to have the best service experience possible,” Carter says.  Preston Hyundai – located in Hurlock, MD, but serves the entire east coast and places all around the United States – is looking forward to maintaining this standard of excellence through the 4 th quarter and beyond to win many more Star Awards.