How To Be Thankful

People with a strong sense of gratitude, love and appreciation don’t necessarily have more than others; they aren’t “luckier”. They simply recognize and see more beauty in their lives. A 2003 study suggests that people who count their blessings are generally happier and healthier than people who don’t. If you ever feel as if anything in your life isn’t “enough”, try practicing an attitude of thankfulness. You might realize how good you have it after all.

Relax. It’s hard to cultivate a sense of gratitude when you’re angry, frustrated, or anxious. If these are issues that you struggle with, it’s important to resolve them, as they’re formidable barriers to thankfulness.

Live in the Moment. If you’re too busy dwelling on the past or thinking about the future, you won’t be able to fully notice how fantastic things are right now. Plus, thinking about the past and future opens the door to comparison, which is the only way you can perceive something as not good enough. What you have now is all that exists, and comparing that to something that doesn’t exist anymore (or yet) is an easy way to foster dissatisfaction and torture yourself. Like the old saying goes “Past is History, Future is a Mystery and Today is a Gift and hence it is called the Present”. Enjoy today, this moment and don’t postpone your enjoyment.

Start with your senses. The most basic pleasures in life are usually accessible to us all the time, but they slip out of our consciousness because we get so used to them. Learn to notice the little things, and deliberately appreciate them. .

1. Look around. Notice beautiful shapes, colors, and details. Notice things you normally take for granted, like sunlight reflecting off someone’s hair and sunlight changing thru the day enhancing everything. Think of all the little things you’d miss if you were blind. It’s often the most minute joys that are missed the most.

2. Smell the roses. And the food. And the air. Recognize the smells that make you feel good: a freshly cut lawn, the air right after it rains, a fresh pot of coffee.

3. Savor your food. Eat slowly. Don’t just gobble and chug. Identify flavors. Appreciate how they intermingle. Take notes from wine enthusiasts; they know how to enjoy the subtlest of flavors.

4. Appreciate the sense of touch. How do leaves, blankets, lotions feel against your skin? How many times during the day do people touch you affectionately, and you barely notice?

5. Listen to more than music. Listen when you think it’s quiet, and you’ll discover it’s not really all that quiet. You might hear the wind, leaves rustling, kids laughing.

Cherish any kind of lightheartedness in your life. Things like laughter, affection, and playfulness are fleeting. Once a relationship has degraded so that those things don’t spontaneously occur anymore, it’s very hard to get them back. You might know that from experience. So treat those moments with care (especially with kids, who are at the peak of lightheartedness). Don’t be the person who takes life too seriously, who doesn’t have time to have fun, or who has no sense of humor.

Take a vacation. There’s some truth to the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. Ideally, you shouldn’t have to separate yourself from something (or someone) in order to appreciate it or them (that can lead to a vicious cycle). But it can be a good way to trigger your sense of gratitude just once in a while.

Keep a gratitude journal. Challenge yourself to write down five new things every day that you’re grateful for. It’ll be easy in the beginning, but soon you’ll discover that you have to increase your awareness to keep on.

How To Be Thankful

Towing safety tips: How to protect your equipment, vehicle and passengers

(BPT) – Whether you’re bringing your boat and RV to the lake or your ATV and snowmobiles across town, getting them to your destination quickly and safely is a top priority. Towing is the easiest and most efficient means of transporting your big toys and equipment from one place to another, but are you towing the right way? Towing incorrectly can not only damage your vehicle and the expensive items you’re hauling, it can also be an accident hazard to you and others on the road.

Many people may not even realize they are making towing mistakes. To reduce accidents and protect everything you’re hauling, follow these towing safety tips from the experts at Agri-Cover:

Know towing capacity

Before you hit the road, know your vehicle’s towing capacity and make sure your load doesn’t exceed it. In addition, know the towing capacity of the hitch you’re using. There are different types of hitches – for example, if you’re towing more than 5,000 pounds, you need a weight-distributing or fifth-wheel hitch.

Use safety chains

Why use safety chains? Just in case your trailer becomes disconnected from your vehicle, the load falls onto the chains rather than the ground and stays connected to the vehicle. Chains provide a level of insurance and peace of mind for you and other drivers. By sure to cross safety chains under the hitch and connect on each side. Crossing chains, rather than connecting them straight across, allows you to make tighter turns without chains binding.

Protect what you tow

Road debris can damage campers, boats and trailers, all of which are significant investments. Avoid costly repairs and maintain your investment with Rockstar hitch mounted mud flaps. These mud flaps contour to fit your truck’s bumper and act like a shield to deflect rocks and other road debris away from what you tow.

Verify all lights work

It’s critical to check the lights on your trailer every time you haul. Make sure you check your trailer’s brake lights and turn signals. These lights are important elements that prevent accidents and let other drivers know when you are slowing or making a wide turn. Any time you make stops on the road – such as at a gas station – it’s smart to check lights and your load again, just to verify everything is secure and working correctly.

Check brake functionality

Larger trailers are equipped with a braking system that helps your vehicle to slow down when hauling a large load – such as a horse trailer or big boat. Checking the braking system before leaving helps ensure a safe haul for you and other drivers. Many drivers take a test drive before heading out, just to be sure all systems work well.

Understand tongue weight

The tongue weight is the force that the tongue of the trailer applies to the hitch while towing. A good target for tongue weight is 10 to 15 percent of the trailer’s total weight. Why is tongue weight so important? Too light and there won’t be enough downward force on the hitch, which can cause trailer sway. Too heavy and your vehicle’s steering could be compromised, or worse, your load could pull your hitch right off.

Check tire pressure

The importance of tires cannot be understated when towing. In addition to checking the tire pressure on the trailer tires, make sure your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated too. Refer to the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure for guidance. Proper tire pressure helps keep you safe, plus increases fuel efficiency.

Drive safely

Driving while towing requires patience. Allow extra time to accelerate and slow down. Visibility may be hindered when towing, so be aware of other drivers and the surrounding environment – you might want to add towing mirrors or wide-angle clip-ons to increase visibility. Keep in mind most states recommend driving no faster than 55 mph when towing – and in many it is the law – so even though you can’t wait to arrive at your destination, getting there a few minutes late is better than getting into an accident or damaging your equipment.

Towing safety tips: How to protect your equipment, vehicle and passengers

The RAV is the Rave

By Jim Gorzelany, CTW Features

The compact Toyota RAV4 crossover SUV received a full redesign last year with fresh styling and myriad mechanical improvements, but perhaps the biggest news in a segment that’s already crammed with worthy models was the addition of a conventional lift-up tailgate instead of the side-hinged refrigerator-door style it’s featured since its inception for the 1996 model year.

Fortunately for Toyota, this didn’t seem to rankle its rank-and-file boosters, as the RAV4 remains not only one of the most popular crossovers, but among the best-selling models among all vehicle types. After spending a week behind the wheel of the latest iteration it’s easy to see why.

The recast RAV4 is styled with far more visual flair than its predecessor. A narrow front grille and cats’ eye headlamps reach upward and into muscular front fenders with an aggressive air dam residing beneath. The vehicle’s dashboard is nicely styled with large gauges and sufficient analog buttons and controls for most functions. It’s trimmed – perhaps too extensively – in faux metal with an unfortunate overabundance of hard surfaces throughout the cabin.

Seating is sufficiently comfortable for four adults (with a child able to squeeze into the back seat as needed), with plenty of legroom up front to accommodate taller drivers. While the latest RAV4 no longer offers a third-row seat option (it was all but unusable in the previous generation anyway), the vehicle offers a generous 73.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the second row seatbacks folded.

What’s more, the former V6 engine option is no longer available. Instead, the current RAV4 offers only a single powertrain, which is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that nets 176 horsepower and comes nicely mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission. We found this engine to be adequately powerful, though it does tend to be a bit rougher – not to mention slower – than the former 269-horsepower V6. On the plus side, the 2.5-liter four gets decent fuel economy at an EPA estimated 24/31 mpg city/highway.

A sophisticated all-wheel-drive system is optional, though most buyers will find the standard front-drive configuration affords sufficient traction on wet roads. For those who require the added grip to, say, plow through deep snow, sand or mud, AWD can be locked to send 50 percent of the engine’s power to both axles at speeds under 25 mph. Unfortunately the vehicle’s fuel economy falls to 22/29 mpg with AWD, due largely to the components’ additional weight.

The RAV4’s ride and handling qualities are well balanced, with the vehicle able to hang onto sharp highway on-ramps without drama, as well as isolate occupants from all but the worst road imperfections. For those seeking a little more excitement, a selectable Sport Mode sharpens shift timing, throttle response, and steering response; conversely, an Eco mode tames the RAV4 a bit to help enhance its fuel economy.

Available in LE, XLE and Limited trim levels, all versions come equipped with a Bluetooth mobile phone interface, rear backup camera and a multi-information LCD screen on the dashboard. The top Limited version packs myriad comfort and convenience features like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power moonroof, power driver’s seat, heated front seats and heated side mirrors. A navigation system, Toyota’s Entune multimedia system with smartphone data streaming and a blind spot monitor are optional.

While model-year 2014 prices were not available as of this writing, we expect the RAV4 to start at around $23,500 for the entry-level LE (including destination charge), and range up to nearly $26,000 for the well-equipped Limited. That keeps it mid-pack among other compact crossovers – including stalwarts like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Chevrolet Equinox – in one of the most competitive segments in the auto industry.

Note from Stevens Creek Toyota:

Toyota has done it again. I know, I know , I say that a lot but its true. This mini SUV is fantastic. Not your chick mobile now hey boys. My first NEW Toyota was a 2002 Toyota Rav4 in silver like  pictured below. We were planning to start a family, so I had to give up my 1988 Toyota Corolla FX, the trusty Morf, for a more family vehicle. It was perfect. The Rav4 fit my needs. We were active, loved mountain biking, driving long distance. The Rav was smooth riding and calmidated all our crap and the baby too. Toyota has out done themselves now with the 2014 Toyota Rav4, completely redesigned and stylifited.

The RAV is the Rave

Test Drive Failures

Notes from Stevens Creek Toyota:

We don’t let our guest purchase a vehicle without test driving. How do you know you want a vehicle or that it fits your needs without driving it? We are here to help you with your transportation needs. To assisting you in making a big decision. We understand how stressful it is to purchase a vehicle, and we try and make it as pain free as possible. So when we ask you if we can help you…Don’t say “We are just looking” when know that already because you drove to our dealership, say “Sure” and jump behind the wheel of the Toyota and take a spin. The vehicle sells it’s self. We are just the guides on this purchase journey.

 

By Jim Gorzelany, CTW Features

A consumer may take months to winnow down his or her car-buying choices to a reasonably few models, having read reviews, researched prices, and perhaps even attending a regional auto show to “kick the tires,” only to make a final buying decision based upon a too-hasty test drive with a chatty salesperson in the passenger’s seat. And that’s assuming a given shopper bothers to take one at all.

That’s according to the findings of a recent survey conducted by the car-shopping website AutoTrader.com in Atlanta, Ga. that seems to indicates too many buyers are ultimately favoring style over substance.

While car-buying experts often suggest shoppers rent a similarly equipped vehicle under consideration a full weekend’s test drive, nearly half (49 percent) of all respondents said they require only 30 minutes or less to thoroughly put a vehicle through its paces. What’s more 44 percent of shoppers surveyed said they only need to test drive a vehicle once before making an informed buying decision.

“What strikes me is that people are doing only cursory evaluations of a vehicle that they will end up driving for some amount of years,” says Rick Wainschel, vice president of automotive insights at the car shopping website AutoTrader.com in Atlanta, Georgia. “It’s easy to form an early impression, but taking a longer and more real-world test drive can be important for forming deeper opinions about things like driver and passenger comfort, ease of access to controls and overall trunk dimensions.”

The average car costs well over $30,000 these days and is typically kept for around six years, so it’s in a buyer’s best interests to be fully satisfied with his or her vehicular purchase before signing on the dotted line.

So what’s the best way for a car shopper to make the most of his or her limited time behind the wheel? Start by assuming the driving position and getting a feel for such things as ease of entry, seat comfort and position, leg, head and shoulder room and outward visibility. Are the dashboard gauges large and legible? Do the controls come easily to hand and are they easily operated? Those with young children will want to bring along a car seat to see how well it fits and how easy it is to install.

Start the engine, shift the car into gear and put all five senses into overdrive: Is the exhaust note too loud or harsh or does the engine make any unsettling mechanical noises? Note how smoothly or abruptly the transmission shifts gears, both under a light throttle and full acceleration. Negotiate around-town traffic to see how it behaves at slower speeds and under stop-and-go conditions, as well as how smoothly it rides over speed bumps and potholes. Take the vehicle out on the highway to test its mettle in on-ramp acceleration and at passing speeds. Change lanes abruptly when it’s safe to do so to see how secure the vehicle feels in what might otherwise be an emergency-avoidance maneuver.

Negotiate some curves and corners at varying – but still prudent – speeds to see how the car responds. Ideally, the car should remain well balanced, with the suspension absorbing much of the centrifugal forces. Apply the brakes, both at lower and higher rates of speed. Does the car slow steadily and confidently? Do you feel the brakes uncomfortably “fade” (meaning you have to put your foot harder into the pedal) as the car comes to a stop?

Rather than just pull back onto the lot at the dealership, park the car at the curb. Note how light or heavy the car’s low-speed steering feels and whether you can get a quick sense of the vehicle’s exterior dimensions to properly position it into an open parking spot.

Take another walk around and don’t afraid to nit-pick; what now may be a minor inconvenience can swell to become painfully annoying over time.

 

 

 

 

Test Drive Failures

2014 Toyota Corolla...It's looks like an early Christmas for Toyota fans!

By MALCOLM GUNN, www.wheelbasemedia.com

For a small car, the Corolla has some big numbers to tout. Like the fact that in 47 years, Toyota has sold more than 40 million of them and currently operates 16 factories worldwide that supply Corollas to 154 countries.

The all-new 11th-generation North American sedan comes on strong with style – especially from the windshield forward – that its broad base of customers are not used to seeing. Nothing too radical, mind you, but just enough design drama to cause some politely muffled ooh’s and ah’s. The front end is certainly a lot more aggressively defined with its enlarged lower air intake and inset bumper. The side intakes seem a bit oversized, but the total effect is quite appealing.

Along with its mostly new shape, the Corolla’s more rigid platform supports a body that’s a few ticks longer and wider. More significantly, the distance between the front and rear wheels has increased by a whopping four inches, rivaling the current segment champ Dodge Dart. Note that both the Dart and Corolla are virtually dead-heat-even for interior volume and could almost pass for mid-sizers. The added space between the wheels improves front and rear legroom slightly, which is welcome in any small car.

Interior styling has improved, but in a conservative way that differs from the Corolla’s more daring competitors. Still, the clearly marked gauges and switches are logically placed and easy to decipher.

It’s only when you check under the hood that a sense of dŽjˆ vu really kicks in. A 132-horsepower four-cylinder carries over from the previous generation. It’s connected to a six-speed manual transmission for the base L and sporty S Plus models. A four-speed automatic transmission is optional for the L, while a new continuously variable unit (CVT) is optional for the S Plus, but standard for all LE variations (including the new LE Eco) as well as the S and S Premium.

To reduce that “rubber-band” slippage sensation that’s common to many CVTs (including Toyota’s Prius hybrids), engineers dialed in seven artificial shift points. These function automatically (or can be controlled through available steering-column-mounted paddle shifters on S models) to simulate the action of a regular automatic transmission.

A fuel-saving LE ECO model comes with a 140-horsepower version of the 1.8 that’s rated at 30 in the city and 42 mpg on the highway, compared to the base engine’s 29/38 rating with the CVT. Aside from using a more efficient engine with special variable valve timing, those figures are achieved with the help of underbody panels that improve the car’s aerodynamics to reduce highway-speed fuel consumption. Perhaps surprisingly, Toyota doesn’t offer a start/stop system that shuts off the engine for short periods, such as at stoplights or in stop-and-go traffic. You’ll see this in numerous competitors.

The starting-point Corolla, which carries a $17,600 base price, has air conditioning, split-folding rear seat, power windows and locks plus a basic four-speaker audio system. The LE/LE Eco trims include fog lights, 16-inch alloy wheels (15-inch steelies are on the L). You get climate control, backup camera, remote keyless entry heated front seats (power-adjustable for the driver), touch-screen display with voice recognition and Bluetooth connectivity.

Opting for the Sport brings with it a blacked-out grille, 17-inch wheels, heated outside mirrors and additional instrumentation with customizable settings. A navigation system, power moonroof and push-button start head the list of options.

Despite its generally more athletic appearance, at its heart the Corolla is a sensible people transporter that carries with it a reputation for reliability and quality that’s the envy of the industry. You’ll need to check elsewhere for a budget-based pocket rocket, but joining the millions of contented Corolla owners around the world will at least put you in solid company.

What you should know: 2014 Toyota Corolla

Type: Four-door, front-wheel-drive compact sedan

Engine (hp): 1.8-liter DOHC I4 (132/140)

Transmissions: Six-speed manual (std. for L, S); four-speed automatic (opt. on L) continuously variable (std. on LE, LE Eco, opt. on S).

Market position: The world’s most popular automobile brand faces some tough competition in North America as both foreign- and domestic-based rivals keep the pressure on with new and improved compact cars of their own.

Points: New styling is much less anonymous; Returning four-cylinder engine not overly powerful, but is known for durability; An automatic transmission with only four speeds is rare in any vehicle these days; Adding coupe, hatchback versions would match competition; An important vehicle for Toyota that should hold its own.

Safety: Front airbags; side-impact airbags; side-curtain airbags; anti-lock brakes; traction control; stability control.

MPG: (city/hwy) 28/37 (MT); Base price (incl. destination) $17,600

By comparison

Honda Civic

Base price: $18,950

Both sedan and coupe have moved for upscale in base content and price.

Dodge Dart

Base price: $17,000

A relatively new compact sedan player that’s tops in its class for size.

Mazda3

Base price: $17,750

New-for 2014 sedan and hatchback models are both stylish and sporty.

Note from Stevens Creek Toyota:

Awesome. The Toyota Corolla has come a long way since I first had one. My first Toyota (first car every) was a 1988 Toyota Corolla FX. I got it when I was sixteen, took it to college with me. Got married used it as my daily driver. It was the best vehicle. Trust worthy. Its name was the Morf like from “Wayne’s World”. It wasn’t much to look at by guess what I didn’t care. It was mine. I finally had to give it up but I found a wonderful home for it. The Morf or MitMorf (license plates) couldn’t just go to any home. The people practical begged me to sell it to them but I always thought I would keep it for my kids to drive. That is how important or the connection we get with our cars.  Give them names, save them for our kids…it goes on. And we are lucky to have a car manufacture like Toyota that keeps that dream alive. They create new style vehicles that we can name.

 

2014 Toyota Corolla...It's looks like an early Christmas for Toyota fans!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Vehicle infotainment systems change the world of driving

Note from Stevens Creek Toyota

Technology is changing fast. Like the author states in this article it was not long ago that the only thing we could do in our cars was switch from AM radio to FM radio. Look what we can do now…make reservation to have dinner from the dash board of our vehicle or check out movie times. That is crazy. What next? I say bring it on but make it safe. There are a lot of distractive driving going on, so lets make the new technology with that in mind. Make things easier for everyone but not at the cost of losing another life.

By:Metro Creative Connection

Long gone are the days when a person hops into the driver’s seat and only has AM or FM radio at his or her disposal. Although standard radio is still popular, today’s motorists are faced with a bevy of options in an always-evolving “infotainment” industry.

Infotainment, also known as in-car entertainment or ICE, and in-vehicle infotainment, or IVI, is a collection of hardware devices installed into cars and trucks to provide navigation services and audio and even visual entertainment.

Many of today’s cars allow drivers to map routes with ease through intricate navigation systems tied to location-narrowing satellites. Children can boot up a favorite DVD and watch it in the backseat to make a trip more agreeable, while passengers can stream satellite radio and have thousands of different musical options at their fingertips. And thanks to Bluetooth or USB connectivity, drivers and passengers alike can verbally message friends and family by linking their phones to car computer systems. While many of these infotainment sources are channeled through a smartphone, even that technology is changing.

General Motors is the first major automaker to announce that most of their 2015 vehicles will offer embedded 4G modems for constant connectivity. This eliminates the need to pair infotainment systems with a phone and wait for a connection. This may put online radio on par with what is available at home or via wireless hot spots.

Apple recently started bringing a special version of its Siri — a speech-recognition assistant that is built into iPhones and other products — into cars. Siri integration will be coming to at least nine automakers in the future, including BMW, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Land-Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler, and Honda. Other manufacturers, like Ford, which already has a Microsoft-based Sync, have their own voice-recognition software that ties to a larger information “cloud.”

From ordering dinner to cuing up movies, infotainment offers drivers many benefits. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, such systems can pose a potentially dangerous distraction.

A AAA study points out that there really isn’t a fully safe infotainment system. Of all the typical in-car activities studied by AAA, speech-to-text systems were found to be the most cognitively distracting. When assigned a specific numeric rating by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, with 1.0 being no distraction at all, listening to the radio earned a 1.21 rating, talking on a phone ranked 2.45, while listening to and responding to email using speech-to-text technology received a rating of 3.06.

AAA’s president and CEO, Robert Darbelnet, says that text-to-speech capability in cars and many other infotainment features could present a safety crisis.

“It’s time to consider limiting new and potentially dangerous mental distractions built into cars, particularly with the common public misperception that hands-free means risk-free,” says Darbelnet.

With the ability to send and receive tweets, update social media sites, get directions, and make restaurant reservations all through a vehicle’s infotainment system, drivers have many features at their disposal. It remains to be seen if these features will be a boon to drivers or result in more distracted driving.

Vehicle infotainment systems change the world of driving

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