Driving in the Rain Tips

Driving in the rain can be a scary thing, and in the night, it is even worse. It is difficult to see out of the window, and the other car's lights seems to make it worse. Especially when you begin to hydroplane! Here are some tips to help you if you have to drive through the rain:

1. Keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times! Keep all distractions, such as cell phones or even the radio, off and away from you. While focus to your front do Take a Look in Back View Mirror as well Right Hand side & Left Hand side so that you get an 360 degree over view what is happening around any mud slide or falling tree, electric pole, hanging electrical wires , or in coming hazard etc
2. Keep a minimum of a good five car length from the car in front of you. You never know what other drivers are going to do or what could happen to you! If that feels too close or too far a rule of thumb is 1 second of following distance per 10 mph (16 km/h). That holds true especially in bad weather. 
3. Drive at or below the speed limit to the extent that you are comfortable with, and can see far enough in front of you to appropriately make driving decisions.
4. Be aware of hydroplaning. This is where your vehicle travels on top of the water and has NO or very little contact with the ground. Your traction is reduced significantly. To safely get out of a hydroplaning situation let off the gas and steer straight or slightly in the direction you must go. Do not make sudden motions and remain calm.  
5. Avoid flooded roads. Never drive through standing or flowing water in a road way unless you have no choice or you are able to follow someone else to judge the depth of the water. Flooding the engine of your car can cause the engine to stall, and deep water can actually float your car and take it off the roadway. 
6. Turn on the defroster if the windshield begins to fog. In hot, muggy weather, air conditioned air (which cannot contain as much moisture) will usually clear the inside of the windshield faster than non air conditioned.  
7. Watch for splashing from potholes and pools of water that accumulate at clogged storm drain pipes and low areas of the pavement. Highways also develop "ruts" where the heaviest traffic tracks, and you may be able to position your vehicle while remaining in your lane to avoid these. 
8. Beware of driving in the rain, especially at night. Motorcycles or even other dark-colored cars can be camouflaged amongst glistening raindrops on side windows and mirrors. It's best to have a light colored car that isn't easily camouflaged in the night.

The Car of the Future Today

The all-new Lincoln MKC, now available here at Antelope Valley Ford Lincoln Mazda in Lancaster, California, is a small premium utility vehicle that carries exclusive luxury and technology. It’s a significant entry in the segment and a compelling example of the excellence being generated by the reinvigorated Lincoln Motor Company. In addition to premium materials, exciting performance, a quiet interior and a supple ride, the 2015 Lincoln MKC delivers sophisticated, customer-focused technologies.

The finely-crafted cabin of the 2015 Lincoln MKC is filled with high-tech features. You might notice the signature push-button gear shifter first. Removing a bulky, outmoded shifter frees up space to create a more open, inviting interior. The plush interior with French stitching and warm wood trim is an elegant place to spend time.

You’re supported not only by excellent seats covered in available Bridge of Weir leather, but also by technology like SYNC® with MyLincoln Touch®. These systems allow you to make your Lincoln MKC your own. You can use voice-activated commands, which turn the 2015 Lincoln MKC into your technological co-pilot, or the easy-to-use controls displayed on the eight-inch touch-screen – the largest screen in the class.

Available enhanced THX® II-Certified audio is the first of its kind to use THX®-distributed bass technology. There are 14 speakers to cover right, center and left, and the result is a deeply immersive experience.

SYNC® with MyLincoln Touch® is easy to use. Each quadrant of the screen gives you control over a different set of functions, including communications, navigation, entertainment, and climate. Simple voice control over your music and phone calls is just a push of the steering-wheel mounted button away. An integrated hard drive can store thousands of songs, and SYNC® Services provides turn-by-turn directions over the speaker system; 411 business search providing access to more than 14 million U.S. business listings; the ability to send directions from MapQuest® to SYNC®; personalized daily information like news, sports, weather, and even traffic alerts; and travel services for assistance when you’re out on the road.

SYNC® Audible Text Messages can read incoming texts from your paired phone, and you can respond with a variety of customizable preset outgoing messages. Using SYNC® Internet Connectivity, you can create a Wi-Fi hotspot that shares your phone’s internet connection.

The 2015 Lincoln MKC also features the latest Lincoln safety technology. Collision Warning with Brake Support helps you avoid fender benders by using audible and visual alerts, along with automatic brake assist, if it senses the potential for a front-end collision. The Lincoln MKC is the first Lincoln to feature available Park-Out Assist, which further enhances Active Park Assist. Now, you can use Active Park Assist to get your Lincoln MKC into a parallel parking spot and Park-Out Assist will guide you out. The Lane Keeping System identifies lane markers with the use of rearview-mirror mounted cameras. If you start to drift out of your lane, the system will sound a chime and pop up a message on the left cluster screen.

There is also an available Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) to keep watch for cars you can’t see. Using radar sensors, BLIS® continuously monitors your blind spots to detect vehicles that you may not have noticed. BLIS also features Cross-Traffic Alert, which helps detect traffic as you back out of parking spaces.

With the MyLincoln Mobile™ app, you can even start, lock, unlock, and find your vehicle. Plus, the app will even allow you to schedule a remote start, place a call for roadside assistance, and check the fuel level, tire pressure, and battery status.

The 2015 Lincoln MKC is a high-tech Lincoln. With state-of-the-art driver support technology, infotainment and connectivity, the 2015 Lincoln MKC offers luxury buyers an engaging and personalized experience. If you want to drive the crossover of the future today, schedule your test drive of the all-new 2015 Lincoln MKC.

2015 Lincoln Navigator

The BIG Reveal: 2015 Lincoln Navigator

The all new Lincoln Navigator has been unveiled during the Washington Auto Show.

The new Navigator full-sized SUV has been given a fresh face, along with a new engine.

Replacing the 5.4-liter V8 in the current Navigator is a version of the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 used in the Lincoln MKS and MKT, here with at least 370 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque.

The redesigned interior features optional leather seating all around and upgraded trim materials, including Ziricote wood.

The 2015 Navigator will be in showrooms this Fall.

For more information about our current 2014 Lincoln Navigator, call us at 888-457-1164 or visit www.antelopevalleylincoln.com.

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2013 Lincoln MKZ Walkaround

Photos from 3rd Annual Creepy Cruise!

Photos from the Lancaster Auto Mall 3rd Annual Creepy Cruise can be found on our Facebook page! Take a look at some of the amazing classic cars and their Halloween decorations! Thank you to everyone that made it out to this spook-tacular event to benefit the Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club!

Vehicle Profile: 2013 LINCOLN MKZ Family

Welcome to the future of Lincoln Motor Company. The all-new 2013 LINCOLN MKZ luxury sedan, now on sale here at Antelope Valley Ford Lincoln Mazda in Lancaster, California, is the first car to emerge from the new Lincoln dedicated design studio, and it is setting the bar high for design, technology, luxury and quality craftsmanship.

The striking new design is fully modern, simple and elegant, with a new Split-Wing grille that creates a dramatic focal point.

The 2013 LINCOLN MKZ (MSRP $35,925) is available with a gasoline powertrain or a battery-electric hybrid system for the same base price. While other automakers make you pay more to go hybrid, Lincoln has made a pioneering step to keep the fuel-saving technology more accessibly priced.

The standard gasoline powertrain is a 2.0-liter EcoBoost® four-cylinder that drives the front wheels with 240 hp and 270 lb/ft of torque. This powertrain offers plenty of muscle while delivering 22 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. A 3.7-liter V6 is also available, and it brings an additional 60 horsepower for an even 300 hp. Torque from the V6 is up, too, at 277 lb/ft. The LINCOLN MKZ Hybrid gets going with a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline four-cylinder hooked to a Continuously Variable Transmission that makes it possible for the electric motor, gasoline engine, or any combination of the two to move the vehicle forward toward its 45 mpg city/45mpg highway/45 mpg combined fuel economy.

A six-speed SelectShift Automatic® transmission comes in EcoBoost® four-cylinder and 3.7-liter V6 LINCOLN MKZ models. With the V6, you get standard shift paddles for manual control. Ordinary cars have a bulky shifter assembly on the center console or attached to the steering column, a holdover from the days of physical linkages. With the advent of networked electronic controls, there’s no longer a need to follow the old conventions, so the innovative 2013 LINCOLN MKZ frees up space in its elegant interior by moving shift selection to a series of push-buttons on the center stack.

There’s a big list of standard features for the LINCOLN MKZ. Lincoln Drive Control automatically delivers responsive handling and a luxurious ride by coordinating the work of several standard sophisticated systems in the LINCOLN MKZ. It controls the response of the Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) shock absorber system, electric power steering and Active Noise Control. The CCD system monitors the suspension of the LINCOLN MKZ 500 times per second and can make 50 adjustments per second for an impressively smooth, buttoned-down ride. There are three CCD modes, “Sport,” “Normal” and “Comfort.” “Sport” makes the accelerator more responsive, moves the transmission shift points up to a higher rpm, downshifts more aggressively, holds gears through corners, locks out sixth gear and generates a more aggressive sound.

Standard wheels are 18-inch, 10-spoke alloys, and several different 19-inch designs are also available. Leather upholstery is standard, and front-row passengers are treated to 10-way power-adjustable seats with two-way lumbar adjustment. The sumptuous and elegant interior is trimmed with real wood accents, and an eight-inch touch-screen gives you control over SYNC® with MyLincoln Touch®, all standard. Also standard is a premium 11-speaker audio system. The striking exterior of the LINCOLN MKZ features standard Adaptive LED headlamps and LED taillamps, too.

The available Select Equipment Group adds a rearview camera, rear parking sensors and HD Radio™ capability, plus a wood-accented steering wheel, ambient lighting, accent lights in the headlamp clusters and an auto-dimming driver’s side exterior mirror. Going for the Reserve Equipment Group nets you navigation with voice recognition, BLIS® blind-spot monitoring with Cross-Traffic Alert, perforated front seats with cooling, a power soft-close trunk lid and a power tilt-telescoping steering column.

The Preferred Equipment Group makes 19-inch polished aluminum wheels with painted pockets standard, along with a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, premium floor mats, a 110-volt outlet and a 700-watt, 14-speaker THX® II audio system.

There’s more depth still to the choices and features available for the 2013 LINCOLN MKZ, and one thing is certain, this is a new kind of car wearing one of the most respected nameplates in the business. Come in or call today to learn more, and schedule your test drive soon.

Celebrating Earth Day

Observe this environmental holiday by cleaning up the world around you

Earth Day has been celebrated annually on April 22 since 1970. The day is designated as a way to acknowledge the environment and consider ways to make the earth a healthier place to live. People of any age and nationality can participate in this one-day event. The more people who participate in Earth Day, the more impact the holiday will have on the overall environment.

Clean up the environment

Head outdoors and do what you can to clean up the environment in your own neighborhood. Pick up trash along roads, sidewalks and hiking trails. Recycle items that are recyclable and dispose of other items in proper trash receptacles. Clean up sticks and other natural debris that are blocking walking and bike paths and take them to a composting area. Trim trees and shrubs along walking paths, making them more accessible for walkers.

Plant trees or vegetables

Because plant-life increases the quality of the air around you, consider planting on Earth Day. Plant a tree in memory of a friend or loved one. Get a head start on the summer growing season by planting vegetable seeds indoors. Plant flowers in your yard, if possible. Make a pine cone bird feeder to attract and feed birds in your outdoor space.

Start an ongoing program

While focusing on the environment for one day is a positive move, an ongoing effort for environmental preservation is even better. Consider using Earth Day as an opportunity to launch an environmental program in your community. Start a recycling program. Develop a group of local citizens interested in volunteering in your local parks. Organize a community garden.

Enjoy nature

Even if you do not actively participate in Earth Day with a personal project, take the time to get outdoors and enjoy the nature in your community. Visit a park you have never visited. Take a hike in a state park. Enjoy a picnic near a local nature preserve. Visit a local farm.

Make every day Earth Day

Although Earth Day is celebrated in spring of each year, you can make every day an Earth Day in your household. Make a commitment to become more environmentally conscious and reduce your environmental footprint. Conserve utility resources by turning down your thermostat when you are not home, reducing water usage and opening your windows instead of using air-conditioning. Purchase food from local farmers and independently operated businesses, or grow some of your own fruits and vegetables.

Start a composting bin, in order to recycle vegetable and yard waste and use the compost for landscaping or gardening. Make your own cleaning products, instead of using toxic commercial products. Recycle whenever possible and find new uses for items before you discard them. Most important, get away from the computer and the television set and get outdoors. Walk and bike when weather allows and enjoy your natural surroundings.

This article is presented by Antelope Valley Ford Lincoln Mazda in Lancaster, California.