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Some Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have been available for nearly 30 years, however, they have only become more commonplace in the last several years, like automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance. Since these features now come standard on many new vehicles, it is becoming increasingly important for consumers to have a solid understanding of their functionality. However, with the current variety of marketing names and lack of consensus by industry regulatory groups, it has been difficult for consumers to discern what features a vehicle has and how they actually work.

AAA set out to understand the growing prevalence of ADAS technology in new vehicles as well as examine the terminology currently used by regulatory organizations and manufacturers. Previous AAA research found that 40 percent of Americans expect partially automated driving systems with names like Autopilot, ProPILOT or Pilot Assist, to have the ability to drive the car by itself. This research highlights the need for standardization of terms and definitions for ADAS features.

Key Findings

9 vehicles with fresh design, smart safety additions and other features drivers will love

The days of excitement over a unified new car model year are as old school as roll-up windows and cigarette lighters. Car enthusiasts who once relished the fall introduction of each year's new products with an eager eye for innovative features and design now must keep track of fresh looks, interior revisions, safety additions and other tweaks that make a model "new" throughout the year — as automakers try to stay ahead of their competition. Still, there's a lot for grownup drivers to consider in 2019 vehicles now. Here are 10 of the honestly all-new, or thoroughly revised, makes and models.

Ram 1500 

“More space. More storage. More leather. More technology." That's what Fiat Chrysler says about the 2019 version of its popular truck. We say the luxury features (extra legroom and a more car-like ride) are likely to appeal to drivers transitioning from comfortable cars to trucks. From the optional gee-whiz 12-inch infotainment screen to easily overlooked (but thoughtful) tweaks such as the flat (no more center hump) rear floor in crew-cab models and the snap-down pop-out carpet mat, Ram has well improved this latest update.

Cadillac XT4

Cadillac’s first small SUV is a good-looking new entry in this increasingly crowded field — and a true all-new vehicle. It has a punchy turbocharged engine and high-tech safety features, including "Safety Alert Seat," which sends a pulse to the left, right or both sides of the driver’s seat to indicate the location of potential danger. But old-school drivers may like that the XT4 revives dashboard buttons to control common functions, such as the heater, at a time when many makers are eliminating buttons in favor of touch-screen or joystick controls. (The touch screen remains to control phone, stereo and maps.)

Honda Insight

This hybrid is perfect for those who don't need to make a statement with their hybrid car but who do want a well-made ride that uses less fuel. The Insight is relatively affordable and a good buy for drivers who are looking at fixed incomes (about $24,000 to start).  Plus, it gets 52 mpg, so your gas budget may go down. You also get automatic braking, lane keeping, a multi-angle backup camera and more of what are now considered to be must-have safety features.  

Jazz musician, Navy vet, social media guru has led full life

CHANDLER, Ariz. – If you say Frank Leutz is a force of nature, you’d be accurate.

His energy never wavers. Never has. Never will.

Before becoming an extremely successful repair shop owner at Desert Car Care in Chandler, Ariz., Leutz served as a jazz salsa musician good enough to play Carnegie Hall.

While serving his country in the Navy, he did mine sweep operations in the Persian Gulf.

Today, you’ll see his engaging personality on social media. He frequently goes “live” on Facebook, providing a mixture of car care tips and entertaining banter.

It doesn’t take long to see why he’s been labeled affable and gregarious.

You see his bigger-than-life personality immediately in the words he chooses while describing his business philosophy.

“Fail fast and move quick to grow from those experiences while rocking the courage and opportunity that every single day is a new one as you lift up those on your squad,” Leutz said.

To be honest, it’s amazing how successful Leutz has become as a repair shop owner after he admits he possessed “no initial excitement” about a career in the automotive industry.

Campus Body Salon is very excited to announce their expansion into restoration repairs!

"Campus Classics" is offering restoration repairs and refinish work on vintage and classic vehicles.

This is a photo of an original 1964 Shelby Cobra. This is a very rare and unique all aluminum vehicle and was the number 2 car produced that year!

Finishing the other panels and it will be ready for reassembly!

About Campus Body Salon

Campus Body Salon has been providing the valley with excellent collision repair services since 1973. With all the constant change and evolution, they strive to continue to educate their staff, both technical and office, to provide you with not only the very best repairs in terms of fit and finish, but more importantly in terms of safety.

Campus Body Salon has worked hard over the many years to continue to have an excellent reputation with their clients, the community, and their insurance partners. They work with all insurance companies, but they work for YOU, the client.

Click here for more information about Campus Body Salon in Tempe.

Service is the best Phoenix Auto Shop for quality car alignment or car suspension service and products. Our ASE certified master technicians have the experience and expertise to diagnose and solve all suspension problems. As a Bosch authorized service center, Virginia Auto Service has access to the highest quality and aftermarket parts to ensure that your car is as safe and comfortable as possible.

In case you’re unfamiliar with car suspension systems, you might want to take a look at this quick rundown of the common types of vehicle suspension and how they work.

The Macpherson strut is by far the most common type of vehicle suspension on the market today. It combines a shock absorber and a coil spring unit to control weight distribution as well as absorb minor vibrations from the road. The Macpherson strut is an independent suspension system, which means the wheels will operate independently and will provide the smoothest and most controllable ride. The Macpherson strut system generally works best for front wheel drive vehicles.

Another common car suspension system is known as the Double Wishbone Suspension. This system incorporates two Y-shaped rods mounted to the vehicle frame. These are popular for the front ends of larger vehicles and provide greater control for the Camber angle of the tires. The Double Wishbone configuration is also popular because it tends to make steering the vehicle feel more consistent.

Recently, automotive manufacturers have been using independent suspension systems for all four wheels. Because of the cost of this process, most modern or luxury vehicles benefit from all wheel suspension and provide the smoothest and most comfortable ride available.

At a penny more expensive on the week, the national gas price average ($2.25) increased for the first time since October. Despite the increase, today’s average is still cheaper month-over-month (-14 cents) and year-over-year (-28 cents).

“The price of crude oil has been slowly, but steadily increasing since the beginning of the year, which is starting to push up pump prices,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “The price per barrel (WTI) increased $3 from last Monday to close on Friday to settle at $51 per barrel.”

Last week saw not only more expensive crude oil, but a sizeable build in U.S. gasoline stocks and a small increase in demand. Overall demand has been low lately, contributing to the growth in stocks and helping to keep gas prices lower despite increasing crude prices.

Quick Stats

The nation’s top 10 largest monthly decreases are: Montana (-33 cents), Idaho (-32 cents), Colorado (-32 cents), Wyoming (-31 cents), Utah (-29 cents), Hawaii (-27 cents), South Dakota (-24 cents), North Dakota (-22 cents), New Mexico (-21 cents) and Minnesota (-20 cents).
The nation’s top 10 largest yearly decreases are: Michigan (-57 cents), Illinois (-53 cents), Iowa (-49 cents), Indiana (-48 cents), Wisconsin (-45 cents), Nebraska (-45 cents), Ohio (-44 cents), Kentucky (-43 cents), Minnesota (-41 cents) and Kansas (-40 cents).

ORLANDO, Fla. (Dec. 11, 2018) – New research from AAA reveals that clouded or yellowed headlights generate only 20 percent of the amount of light that new headlights do, leading to dangerous nighttime driving conditions. This decrease is caused by sunlight damage to protective plastic coatings, resulting in discoloration that considerably diminishes the headlight’s ability to provide adequate light on dark roadways. With 50 percent of crashes occurring at night, AAA urges drivers to check their headlights for signs of deterioration and invest in new headlights or, at a minimum, a low-cost service to boost the safety of driving after dark.

“Walk through any parking lot and it is evident that deteriorated headlights are a problem for most vehicle owners,” said Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of Automotive Engineering and Industry Relations. “Headlights on the road in the U.S., even when new, don’t produce a sufficient amount of lighting, so any reduction in performance is a real safety issue.”

AAA examined the impact deterioration can have on the amount of light produced by conducting research using an accredited laboratory to test headlights from two popular sedans, approximately 11 years in age. Results from the degraded headlights were measured against new headlights to quantify the amount of light produced for each. All testing was done in accordance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 as set forth by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Research revealed that deteriorated headlights, when used on low beam, provided just 22 percent of the amount of light a new headlight does when operating at full capacity. AAA also examined the effects that replacing or restoring a headlight can have on improving the amount of light produced. Replacing headlights with original equipment manufacturer parts is the most effective method to restore light output back to 100 percent.

Aftermarket parts also performed well, restoring light output between 83 and 90 percent, however these did fail to meet certain requirements for light intensity and were found to be more likely to produce glare for oncoming traffic. Restoring headlights, while the most cost effective option, offered less of an improvement in light output than replacement. Professional and DIY restoration returned light output back to approximately 70 percent. Both restoration methods, however, produced more glare than is acceptable according DOT criteria.

The New Year has ushered in the cheapest national gas price average in three years. To boot, at $2.25 today’s national average is even one cent cheaper than on January 1 and trends indicate that pump prices will likely remain cheap for at least the first half of the month.

Today, 29 state gas price averages are at or below the national average of $2.25 with Missouri touting the cheapest at $1.83. Hawaii ($3.34) carries the most expensive average.

“With OPEC production cuts slated to take effect this week, analysts will closely be watching the price of oil,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “Significant movement toward higher market prices would mean cheaper gas prices could be in the rearview mirror. However, AAA expects to see minimal volatility at the start of the cartel’s production cuts.”

The end of 2018 drove WTI crude oil prices to as low as $44/bbl, which is a steep $31 drop from the high of $77/bbl seen during June.

Quick Stats

The nation’s top 10 least expensive markets are: Missouri ($1.83), Oklahoma ($1.92), Arkansas ($1.92), Texas ($1.93), South Carolina ($1.93), Ohio ($1.93), Alabama ($1.93), Mississippi ($1.93), Louisiana ($1.94) and Kansas ($1.95).
The nation’s top 10 largest yearly decreases are: Michigan (-60 cents), Indiana (-53 cents), Ohio (-53 cents), Illinois (-49 cents), Iowa (-44 cents), Wisconsin (-44 cents), Kentucky (-43 cents), Nebraska (-39 cents), Missouri (-38 cents) and Delaware (-34 cents).

Features the third-generation 270T engine with GCCS patented combustion control, Bosch 200Bar GDI and BorgWarner turbocharging technology

Duo 12.3-inch integrated touch-screen enabled dashboard infotainment screens

1860mm car body with 2+2+3 seating arrangement, providing supercargo space of 1,100L

Sculpted body with dynamic "dolphin" design, LED matrix headlights and a panoramic sunroof

Intelligent voice interaction and navigation enabled by the Qiyun AI mobility solution

SANYA, China, Jan. 4, 2019 -- Designed to make family travel safer and more convenient, GAC Motor has officially released the GM6 Minivan. The highly anticipated all-new family car was launched in the domestic market on January 2 in Sanya, China. International fans will be able to catch a glimpse of GAC Motor's latest family offering at the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) held in Detroit this January.

"The GM6 Minivan, complete with a five-star safety package, versatile seating and AI-enhanced driving system is one of our safest, most intelligent and spacious designs yet. Designed especially for families, the GM6 Minivan is packed full of features suited for the perfect modern family road trip," noted Yu Jun, president of GAC Motor.

Nearly 20 percent of states are currently enjoying prices below $2.00 per gallon. Nationally, retail averages have dropped ­­­83 of the past 90 days. The national average for regular unleaded gasoline currently sits at $2.30 per gallon, which is six cents less than one week ago, 24 cents less than one month ago and 16 cents less than at the same time last year.

Heading into 2019, gasoline demand is expected to dwindle during the month of January, an expected change following the busy holiday travel season. At the same time, OPEC will begin production cuts on January 1, with hopes that the shift in global supply will push oil prices higher. The effectiveness of the cuts will likely not be known until later in the first quarter.

“All eyes are on OPEC to kick off the year,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “Many are waiting to see if they stick to their promise to cut crude production by 1.2-million b/d and if the proposed cuts will be enough to restore balance to the market.”

Over the past few years, OPEC and partnering countries have demonstrated a strong resolve to comply with proposed cuts in production. It is likely that the cartel will reconvene in April, and if there is a need to further balance global supply and demand, OPEC will likely tweak current production numbers at that meeting.

Quick Stats

The nation’s top 10 largest weekly decreases are: Ohio (-15 cents), Indiana (-15 cents), South Dakota (-12 cents), Michigan (-12 cents), Montana (-11 cents), Kentucky (-10 cents), Illinois (-10 cents), Wisconsin (-10 cents), Wyoming (-9 cents) and Idaho (-9 cents).
The nation’s top 10least expensive markets are: Missouri ($1.87), Oklahoma ($1.95), Arkansas ($1.97), South Carolina ($1.97), Texas ($1.97), Alabama ($1.97), Mississippi ($1.97), Louisiana ($1.98), Kansas ($1.99) and Iowa ($2.01).