Weekly Car Tip: Music Can Improve (Or Worsen) Your Driving

Most of us listen to some form of music in the car while we are driving. Did you know that, depending on the style and genre, music can have drastic effects on your driving abilities? This study shows that faster tempo music causes the driver to make rash decisions like being impatient at red lights, driving faster and making more mistakes, sometimes leading to accidents. Interestingly, the study also shows that listening to any type of music, regardless of tempo, serves to moderate your heart rate. 

So next time you get in the car, think twice about putting on Slayer or Deadmau5. Maybe try some Chopin? Nora Jones? 

2014 Silverado makes NHTSA history

The Chevy Silverado has recently been awarded with the first ever five-star government safety rating for a pickup truck. Features like high-strength steel, fully boxed frames, lane departure warning, forward collision alert and rear view cameras all contributed to the Silverado's reception of the highest possible safety rating. 

"Safety is as important to truck buyers as it is to car buyers," said Gay Kent, GM director of vehicle safety.

"Silverado and Sierra set a benchmark for pickup truck safety by offering a full array of advanced features designed to protect occupants before, during and after a collision."

GM's decision to redesign their trucks for the first time in seven years could not have come at a more optimal time. Sales of full-size pickup trucks has increased by 24% through July, while the rest of the industry only rose by 8.5%. Experts attribute this to a built up demand, stabilizing housing market and healthy energy industry. 

With Ford, Chrysler and Toyota lurking, it's a huge victory for Chevrolet. The demand for trucks is soaring. There's no doubt that the NHTSA's decision to endorse the safety of the Silverado will help to conquer the high-competition truck market.  

If you have been considering buying a truck, now is the time!  And it's an obvious choice to go with the brand that research has proven to have the best possible passenger safety: Chevrolet. 

How the Traverse Ousted the Minivan

There's no denying the practicality of a minivan. It's a smart buy for many young families. The hard part is looking past the horrifying aesthetics that come along with most (all) minivans. Put simply, they're uncool. And capitalizing on that deficiency, the Traverse may well put the minivan out of its misery. 

One of the big factors in this match-up is the Traverse's standard third-row seating. With all seats in use, the Traverse still offers 24.4 cubic feet of storage space. Not enough? Fold the third row and you get a spacious 70.3 cubic feet of family fun. Another point that makes it such an appealing choice is that what most cars of its class offer as optional, come standard on the Traverse. That includes a rear view camera system and curtain airbags in the case of a rollover.

While measuring its style appeal is a matter of opinion, it's safe to say that the Traverse is no match for the current vehicle choice of soccer moms across the country. After all, soccer is all about style.

See our inventory. 

The Economics of EV Ownership

We all miss the days of gas under $3. But instead of being bitter about the "old days," why don't we come up with a way to recreate those days of gas savings?

With the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV drivers can save approximately $9,000 in fuel costs over 5 years compared to the average vehicle. That's $150 a month that can be spent on something else!

The amount of money you can save on fuel is the equivalent of:

• Airfare for an around-the-world trip
• 6 pairs of Google Glasses
• 60 Nike+ FuelBands
• 6,425 Starbucks Tall Coffee of the Days

The only question is what would you spend all that extra cash on?

Bob Brown Chevrolet - Chevy Model Year End Event

Now could be the last chance to get the 2013 Chevrolet you want. As we make room for the 2014 models we need to move out the 2013's, this means great offers for you. They’ll soon be gone so hurry in now!

Visit the Bob Brown Chevrolet Website for more information. Or just come on in to see these amazing savings for yourself.

Bob Brown Chevrolet - Hands on with the 2014 Stingray

Amongst all the hype and excitement surrounding the 7th generation Corvette Stingray, real data and concrete numbers have proven hard to come by. Edmunds was given the privilege of getting behind the wheel and putting the highly anticipated car to the test. 

Little has been said so far, in terms of tough criticism, about the newest Stingray. This review is no exception. 

When comparing the cars performance engineering strategy to its European sports-car competitors, Alex MacDonald says, "They often add stability by letting the inside tire spin when calibrating an electronic differential." Alex, chassis control performance engineer for the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, recognizes that this is not necessarily what sports-car enthusiasts look for. By adding "stability", the European manufacturers also eliminate the cars ability to move laterally on the surface of the road. Even experienced racing fans prefer a healthy dose of wheel-slip. It's that element of control—more precisely, the option to override that control—that provides the most exhilarating driving experience.

As Edmunds' Josh Jacquot so deftly puts it, "And it's in this large playground between the limit of grip and the limit of control that the new Stingray defines itself... Sideways."

So, the data you say? Well, here you go. Remember, this is the base package (Z51) with street tires.

• 12.0 second quarter-mile at 117.3mph
• 0 - 60mph in 4.1 seconds
• Max 1.08 G's
• Stopped from 60mph in 93'

2014 Stingray: Burning Rubber Without Burning Too Much Gas

 

The EPA finalized its numbers on the 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray and effectively put Chevy's newest offering in a class of its own. Putting out an impressive 455 horsepower, the C7 somehow manages to keep its highway estimated fuel economy at 29 MPG. That estimate is specific to the 7-speed manual option, and is an average of the two available drive modes: Tour (at 28MPG) and Eco (at 30MPG).

Estimates for the 6-speed automatic transmission are expected to be finalized soon and should rival its manual shift counterpart. With the automatic transmission, the Active Fuel Management system will be engaged at all times unless the driver switches to manual-shift mode using the steering wheel paddles.

“The Corvette Stingray establishes the benchmark for modern performance cars by using technologies to deliver more performance and more miles per gallon,” said Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer for the Corvette. “We expect more and more performance cars will follow Corvette’s example.”

The 2014 Corvette Stingray coupe goes on sale this fall, with a convertible following by the end of the year.