What will the future be like? The future of the car has been a favorite topic of TV shows and cartoons for many years. How did you imagine we would travel in the year 2010? The self-driven taxi from Total Recall? Hovering land speeders like in Star Wars? The sky was the limit, literally, for what cars would look like. That isn’t the direction that technology has taken. Cars already do what we need them to do. No purpose other than extreme coolness would be served by having cars that hover. Cars already have sufficient speed that the highway patrol has to try to slow people down. In fact, in many places there’s so much traffic that cars can’t use the speed they already have. Although we do want good looking cars, consumers are choosing cars that look good, but pretty boring. After market upgrades are made to blend in with the original - boring - look of the car. Auto makers tout the vehicles’ reliability and safety records, which has improved exponentially in recent years. Is there anything we need that our current cars don't offer? Fuel efficiency - even more practicality. Driving our cars is hard on our wallets because the price of gasoline has risen so much. The most recent innovation that’s catching everyone’s attention is cars that run on less gasoline, or even better, no gasoline at all. There are a lot of options for accomplishing this goal, from propane to hydrogen to biofuels. None of these technologies is perfect yet, especially economically. In the last few years, one technology has taken the lead and reached the car dealership: electricity. Fully electric cars are starting to appear at dealerships now - not far behind their hybrid counterparts. The Toyota Prius was the first to be offered at a price that large numbers of consumers could afford. The other automakers followed closely on their heels. The Honda Civic, Ford Escape, Nissan Altima, and the Infiniti M35 are just a few of the options. Cadillac's Escalade and GMC's Sierra prove that hybrids no longer have to be only small, lightweight cars. The government has encouraged the use of cars that consume less gasoline and don't cause as much damage to the environment by offering financial incentives. You can go buy one of these cars today at your local Tampa Ford Dealer or Car Dealers Des Moines with no problem. The next development we'll see is the fully electric vehicle. You’ve seen them for quite a while, in experimental cars owned by the local power company or as spec cars at car shows. Finally cars like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt are hitting showrooms. Limited range and battery price are not completely resolved yet, but clearly this is the direction that new cars are going. One innovation that gets a lot less attention is just good old fashioned fuel efficiency. A car can run on gasoline, but use a lot less of it. This is a technology that’s been slowly but steadily improving for many years. Look at the non-hybrid version of the Honda Civic, which gets 34 MPG or the Ford Focus with its 35 MPG highway. I never would have imagined such numbers when I filled up my first V8 muscle car when gas cost only $1.35 a gallon. So while we’re unlikely to see cars like the DeLorean from Back to the Future or Kitt from the Knight Rider, cars will continue to evolve to meet our ever-changing needs. America’s love affair with the automobile is far from over.

Russell & Smith Honda car dealerships in Houston wants to ensure safe driving. It is time to open the garage and wake the summer car from its hibernation. The Honda Service team at the Houston Honda dealer have put together some advice that can save any driver time, money, and aggravation this summer.

An easy first step is to check the air pressure in the tires. Seasonal temperature changes affect tire pressures. Improper tire inflation affects ride quality and gas mileage; remember that an over-inflated tire is just as potentially harmful as an under-inflated tire. Don’t forget to inflate the spare tire and check that the roadside tools (jack, lug-wrench, and wheel lock if necessary) are functional.

Next make sure all of the fluids are topped off including radiator coolant, motor oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid and windshield washer fluid. Make sure to pay special attention to the HOT and COLD zones on the dipsticks and only fill to the proper line. There is no benefit to overfilling your fluids

Check that the battery is completely charged and the battery terminals are corrosion-free. Nothing is worse for a car battery than high heat combined with high humidity. Most auto parts stores will test a battery for free.

An oft-overlooked piece of safe summer driving is the condition of the windshield wipers. They should be free of cracks and the metal clips should be clear of the windsheild surface. A new set of wiper blades costs around $20 and can really take the fear out of summer driving.

Lastly check the serpentine belts for cracks and tension. A constant squeaking noise is the early warning sign of impending belt failure. This belt typically runs the A/C compressor, alternator, and power steering so keeping a close eye on it can be the difference between a good running car and catastophe.

If these tasks seem dauntings bring your car to Russell&Smith Honda's Service Department. Don't trust amatuer mechanics. Using OEM parts in a professional shop staffed with factory certified technicians, Russell&Smith Honda can guarentee a safe and problem-free summer road trip. There are many potential headaches involved with summer driving, but with proper maintainance car trouble doesn't have to be one of them.