Most people are faced with the dilemma; car cover or garage. They definitely want to protect their car. They are sensible enough to realise that if they don’t do something about it, all their hard earned money, and favourite car, will go down the drain. Cars that are protected have a longer life expectancy than those that are not. Fact.

So the question remains; get a garage, or a car cover?

Well look at the possibilities. Many people will find that even if they wanted a garage they don’t have where to put it. Property is small and expensive nowadays. If there is space to build, people would prefer to add a room to the house for living, not for the car.

This is aside from the monetary aspect. Garages are expensive to build. There is planning permission to get, architect, builders, and this is only the beginning. The expense is enormous, and there’s the upkeep too.

However, say these aren’t problems, the money and space is there. So what to choose.

Practicalities. In all due respect, there is nothing more practical to protect a car than a car cover. A car cover, due to it being so compact, can be taken around everywhere. This is to say, that wherever the car is, so is its cover. The cover can come along in the trunk of the car, and be able to protect the car anywhere in the world from anything. This is something that garages cannot compete with!

In addition, cars aren’t even always so safe in garages either. In the majority of cases, garages are not spacious places, in fact they’re usually quite tight. This therefore means that often people have to squeeze past the car to get from one end of the garage to the other. In doing so they may inadvertently scratch or dent the car. In addition, a garage does not keep the car dust free like the car cover will. In fact it is usually garages, where people do not frequently clean, that create more dust than ever. Many keep their old junky items, full of dust, in the garage, and therefore keeping the car in there, is simply an invitation for layer upon layer if dust, and even dirt too.

Car covers offer just as much protection as garages from the detriments and dangers of nature. All weather covers are designed to protect the car no matter what the weather. The cover is full waterproof, ensuring that no rain, sleet, snow or any other unwanted liquids will be able to work their way through to the car. Resistance to ultra violet mean that the sun’s harmful rays will not be able to penetrate either. Being that the car is covered, it is also shielded from the other disastrous stains such as tree sap, and birds muck.

All in all, it is the car cover that proves to be the most practical and economical way of protecting the car. Car covers are not expensive and within a year or so, the money will have been made back, saving on the, no longer necessary, car washes.

Everyone remembers their first car. Loving the freedom of the open road, getting your driver’s license, feeling in control, being behind the wheel by yourself for the first time. It’s an exciting feeling for the teen in your life, but how much should you spend on a car for your inexperienced driver? Here are some reasons to think twice before going out and buying your 16-year-old a new car:

1. New cars depreciate quickly. Buying a used car could be a better option. According to Dave Ramsey, most vehicles lose about 60% of their value in the first four years. Buying a used car is easier on your budget and will help save for more important things (i.e. college) for the future. Also, the type of car you purchase will have a direct impact on the cost of insurance. That cool red Trans-Am may not net the best rates from the insurance company. Consider that blue Civic. May not be the hippest car around, but will save a bundle in insurance and serves the purpose of getting from point A to point B.

2. Teach responsibility and work ethic by having the teen pay for or help pay for the car, the insurance, or the gas. Or a combination of all three. Because the cost of insuring teens is so high, it is a big motivator for your teens to understand the costs along with ways to help reduce the cost. Maintaining a high GPA is an example of a way to reduce their insurance costs. When your teen has personally invested in their own vehicle, they will be more likely to take better care of it. This also teaches teens about the importance of budgeting for high-ticket items like an automobile.

3. Teens are at a much higher rate for car crashes. In 2008, about 3,500 teens in the United States aged 15-19 were killed and more than 350,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes. Young people ages 15-24 represent only 14% of the U.S. population, but they account for 30% ($19 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% ($7 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among females (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Even minor accidents can cause insurance rates to skyrocket, so make sure your teen practices safe driving.

Whichever car you purchase, make sure it’s a safe one. A properly inspected used car can still be very safe, just make sure that the airbags and seatbelts still work. Have a used car inspected by a reputable dealer or mechanic to make sure it is in proper working order.

Once you’ve found “the” car, look for discounts on car insurance and teach your teen ways to save fuel costs. And above all, remind your teens to keep their eyes on the road and safe travels!

So what comes as a synthetic option for car products? A better question might be what doesn’t come as a synthetic? If you want to use the best products that are available to you for your car you should always consider using the synthetic option over the traditional one because of all the benefits it comes with. Between motor oil and other fluids, there are literally hundreds of product options available to you at most stores.

When you go into any automotive parts retailer it’s easy to notice that a lot of fluids, oils, and lubricants have a synthetic alternative available. This is because in most cases that option performs better more consistently than the traditional counterpart. In general the synthetic option might cost slightly more, but it will be well worth it in the long run when you cut maintenance costs on your car an extend the overall life of the vehicle.

Motor oil is a very popular synthetic product made for many different types of cars. There are specific oils that are designed to work well with high mileage cars, diesel engines, high performance automobiles, and every other kind of vehicle that is on the road today. The benefits of synthetic motor oil range from longer life between oil changes, the prevention of engine sludge, and it will allow your engine to perform at optimal levels. When you look at all of the benefits compared to standard motor oil it is a wonder why everyone doesn’t go with synthetic.

The same comparison can be made with any other type of car fluid or lubricant that is made with motor oils. Synthetic products out-perform and last longer than their counterparts. The reason behind this is because synthetic products are chemically engineered and perfected. A standard fluid or lubricant is taken and made better by using newer technology and tests. This type of product isn’t just well hyped but truly does perform better under pressure and over an extended period of time than non-synthetic products.

Taking care of your car in order for it to last longer and to perform how it was intended to should be important. Not too many people get a new car every year which is why you should take care of the car you have now. By having your car regularly maintained as the factory recommends and by using high end synthetic products you can feel confident that your car will always perform the way it should.