WET N WILD INVENTORY BLOWOUT SALE!!!

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Posted in Dealer Information, Helpful Tips, Holiday Specials and Sales, News

hurricane banner

Hurricane Joaquin may have turned it’s back on the East Coast… but we haven’t.  At CarDirect USA we have all kinds of vehicles ready to weather the storm!

AND WE’RE PRACTICALLY GIVING THEM AWAY!!!

We’re having a Wet N Wild Hurricane Party!  Now thru Wednesday, October 7th, mention this ad and you’ll receive $500 off your vehicle purchase!!

We have all models available – Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Ford, Chevrolet and pretty much every other make and model!  Get to CarDirect today and check out our full inventory – we’ll make sure you don’t get wet!

Need to trade in your current vehicle?  NO PROBLEM!

Need help with your financing?  NO PROBLEM!

At Car Direct, our goal is to help you in finding the right vehicle for you.  Check out or inventory page to see what we currently have in stock.  Don’t see what you’re looking for?  Give us a call – that vehicle may be on its way in.  If not, we’ll find it for you!

Are Hackers Really At The Gas Station Now?

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Posted in Dealer Information, Helpful Tips, News

Unfortunately – yes.

As our cars become increasingly networked — not just through telematics systems like Uconnect and OnStar, but also through vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-grid communications – the risk of bad guys and gals tinkering with those networks goes up.

Well, if you’re one of those folks who truly fear the havoc that hackers can wreak, we have some bad news: they’re now targeting gas stations.

But wait, it gets worse: the gas stations aren’t really fighting back.

Following some mischief at a gas station in February, two tech researchers set up dummy systems to see if hackers would take the bait. They did. Repeatedly – especially on the systems that appeared to be in the U.S.

Some weren’t actually attacked, just “pinged”, so that hackers could verify that they were there. If the baddies found a use for them in the future, they could come back.

The good news is that gas station monitoring systems can’t be used to do anything that’s directly disruptive. For example, hackers can’t take control of a system and blow up a gas station.

The bad news is that hackers can still cause a lot of headaches by messing with these systems. For example, they could alter the readings on a particular station so that a fuel truck delivering refills could cause a tank to overflow, creating a fire hazard. The hackers could also keep tabs on delivery schedules and plan attacks that way. They could also burrow in and insert their own safety systems, locking fuel companies out until they’d paid a ransom.

And what’s the worse news? There’s not a lot of security on many of these systems, mostly because the companies that own them don’t see the potential for danger.

At Car Direct, our goal is to help you in finding the right vehicle for you.  Check out our inventory page to see what we currently have in stock.  Don’t see what you’re looking for?  Give us a call – that vehicle may be on its way in.  If not, we’ll find it for you!

gas station

Car Direct USA Once Again Supports The Local Community By Sponsoring They Will Surf Again Event

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Posted in Dealer Information, News

!cid_F8C2ABBB-C936-41EB-B1C6-97D7ECAA9602Car Direct USA shows their support in the local community by sponsoring Life Rolls On, a subsidiary of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, on Saturday, August 8 at the Virginia Beach oceanfront for They Will Surf Again.

They Will Surf Again (TWSA) is an award-winning series of bi-coastal events that empower paraplegics and quadriplegics to experience the freedom of mobility by riding a wave with the assistance of adaptive equipment and the support of hard working volunteers. They Will Surf Again has the unique ability to engage and bridge the able-bodied and disabled communities, as they collaborate to push the bounds of possibility for those with SCI.

When the opportunity came up for Car Direct USA to sponsor this event, Brian Jones, a local surfer himself and Dealer Operator for Car Direct USA, jumped on it.  “As a local business owner and a father myself, it means so much to me to be able to give back to the community and make a difference.  Watching those who you wouldn’t think could get on a surfboard be able to ride the waves is an inspiration to us all, and we are proud to be a part of this event” Jones commented.

Life Rolls On is a non-profit organization that inspires others to see the boundless possibilities beyond paralysis. Established in 2002, LRO’s signature adaptive surfing program, They Will Surf Again, has grown into a catalyst of hope for thousands of individuals throughout the world.

About Car Direct USA: Located in Virginia Beach, VA, Car Direct USA has fresh Inventory arriving daily with prices starting below most Virginia Beach Competitors, and a wide selection of brands including Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Nissan and Toyota to select from. A key feature of Car Direct USA is its on-site financing and wide array of lenders. For more information about Car Direct USA, visit www.cardirectvirginia.com or call 1-757-464-1200.

Autonomous Cars – What The Reality Of The Autonomous Car Could Potentially Really Mean

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Posted in Dealer Information, News

By now, everyone seems to understand that autonomous cars are the way of the future. Self-driving vehicles promise to reduce the number of automobile accidents on our roads, keep traffic humming along, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  There is one group of people, however, who aren’t all that excited about autonomous vehicles – drivers.

google-autonomous-car-prototype_100494838_l

An online survey of 505 licensed drivers gauges their thoughts about autonomous vehicles. While the survey is small, it points to some interesting attitudes about autonomous cars.  Here are some of the results:
–  When respondents were asked about the degree of self-driving capabilities they’d like to see in autonomous cars, a whopping 43.8 percent said that they didn’t want to see any self-driving capability at all. Only 15.6 percent said that they wanted vehicles to be entirely autonomous.
–  Women were most likely to prefer the “no self-driving” option. On the whole, 47.6 percent of women surveyed said that they’d rather cars didn’t drive themselves at all.
–  Though older respondents were least excited about fully autonomous vehicles, even young drivers were wary of the technology.
–  And 96.2 percent of those polled wanted “to have a steering wheel plus gas and brake pedals (or some other controls) available in completely self-driving vehicles”.

We also have to look at whether Autonomous Cars will annihilate city budgets.  Here are a few points to consider:
–  Autonomous cars won’t end auto accidents overnight, but as the technology evolves, improves, and becomes more widely available, the number of traffic accidents is likely to plummet. As a result…
–  State and local governments currently pay a huge price for traffic accidents. Together, they foot the bill for around seven percent of emergency services, property damage, traffic court costs, lost productivity, and other expenses. Autonomous cars promise to free up that money and put it to use elsewhere, which is great because…
–  If you’ve ever been pulled over for speeding — or worse, received a ticket from a traffic camera — you know that fines can be steep. Cities depend on those fines to keep things running. But autonomous cars will put those cash cows out to pasture. They’re such goodie-goodies, they won’t speed, they won’t drive drunk, and so, they won’t generate billions in fees.

So what’s the bottom line here?  City and State officials should start planning for autonomous cars very, very soon… taking a close look at their expenses in very specific area that might be going away.
While autonomous cars seem to be a staple in the future of road travel, one must start to consider what it may really mean to have these futuristic vehicles actually on the road.

At Car Direct, our goal is to help you in finding the right vehicle for you.  Check out or inventory page to see what we currently have in stock.  Don’t see what you’re looking for?  Give us a call – that vehicle may be on its way in.  If not, we’ll find it for you!

The 10 Most Expensive (And Least Expensive) Cars to Insure

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Posted in Dealer Information, Helpful Tips

When shopping for a vehicle, everyone thinks about the price.  Most people, as we know very well, want to negotiate for the best possible price.  But there is one factor that we can’t control – how much insurance is going to cost the consumer.  The premiums on some vehicles can be as much as 3 times the rates on others.

There are a couple of factors that influence your insurance rate:
– A higher price tag typically means a higher premium.
– Family-friendly models like SUVs and minivans that come with loads of safety features also come with discounts.
– As horsepower increases, so do the premiums.
– Your zip code and personal driving history can help or hurt your premium.

In order to help our consumers making a decision about what vehicles they want to shop for, here are 2 lists – the top 10 most expensive vehicles to insure and the least expensive vehicles to insure, according to Insure.com.

The most expensive vehicles to insure:car-insurance
1. Nissan GT-R Nismo
2. Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Convertible
3. Dodge SRT Viper
4. Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet
5. Audi R8 5.2 Spyder Quattro
6. Porsche Panamera Turbo Executive
7. BMW 760Li
8. BMW M6 Convertible
9. Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 4Matic Wagon
10. Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG 4Matic Sedan

The least expensive vehicles to insure:
1. Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD
2. Jeep Patriot Sport 2WD
3. Honda CR-V LX 4WD
4. Dodge Grand Caravan SE Plus
5. Honda Odyssey LX
6. Jeep Compass Sport 2WD
7. Subaru Outback 2.5i
8. Ford Edge SE 2WD
9. Smart FORTWO Pure
10. Ford Escape S 2WD

At Car Direct, our goal is to help you in finding the right vehicle for you.  Check out our inventory page to see what we currently have in stock.  Don’t see what you’re looking for?  Give us a call – that vehicle may be on its way in.  If not, we’ll find it for you!

April Is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

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Posted in Dealer Information, Helpful Tips, News

Distracted-Driving

Eighty percent of American drivers believe hands-free devices are safer than using a handheld phone. But that is just not the case. More than 30 studies show hands-free devices are no safer because the brain remains distracted by the conversation. When talking on a cell phone, drivers can miss seeing up to half of what’s around them, such as traffic lights, stop signs and pedestrians.

Distracted driving is any activity that diverts a person’s attention from the primary task of driving. All forms of distracted driving endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety.  At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010. Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America’s roadways

3,154 people were killed in 2013 and an estimated 424,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes that involved distracted drivers. Our youngest and most inexperienced drivers are most at risk, with 10% of all distracted driving crashes involving drivers under the age of 20. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.

We’d like to take a moment to remind you to keep your eyes and your mind on the road in front of you while you’re driving – it could save someone’s life!  One of the best ways to stay safe while driving is to stay distraction-free. If you think about those things that distract you while driving you can more easily avoid them.

Visual distractions are things that you see that can take your eyes off of the road. That little bobble head happily bouncing back and forth on your dashboard or those fuzzy dice on your review mirror are examples of visual distractions.

Physical distracted driving is also sometimes known as manual distracted driving.  Physical distractions are anything that you are physically doing with your hands or body when you should be focused on driving. Physical distracted driving could be the result of trying to put on makeup in the car, adjusting the radio, or grabbing a quick bite to eat while traveling from one place to another.

Unfortunately, drivers don’t have to be distracted very long to get into trouble. One study found that almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved drivers who were not paying attention to traffic for three seconds or less before the event.

At Car Direct, our goal is to help you in finding the right vehicle for you.  Check out our inventory page to see what we currently have in stock.  Don’t see what you’re looking for?  Give us a call – that vehicle may be on its way in.  If not, we’ll find it for you!

#distracteddrivingawareness

We Discovered More Than A Little Irish In Ford

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Posted in Dealer Information, Holiday Specials and Sales

happy st patricks day

With the advance of the pharmaceutical and technological industries in Ireland over the last fifteen years, allied with the continuing marginalization of the Irish motorist, it is easy to forget that Ireland used to be home to a car manufacturing and assembly industry.

The Shamrock of the 1950’s and the DeLorean and TMC Costin of the80’s were all short-lived but highly ambitious enterprises which at least demonstrated the possibility of designing and building cars in an industry-starved island. While the fate of Irish run enterprises such as the TMC Costin may have fallen by the wayside, the car assembly industry thrived in Ireland up until the 1980’s. The Thompson Motor Co. who built the Lotus inspired Costin also produced the RHD variant of the legendary Renault 4. Renault also had an assembly plant in Dublin along with Chrysler and Talbot.

green_ovalThe most significant of all though was the Ford Motor Co. plant located by the banks of the Lee. The heart of industrial Cork, the plant was a major employer in the City for most of a century and produced some iconic vehicles such as the Fordson tractor, the Prefect, the Cortina and the Sierra. The plant closed in 1984.  The legacy of these plants can be seen even today. Ford has never forgotten their Irish roots – how could they?  Henry Ford’s father was an immigrant from Ireland – and their offices in the Marina in Cork are the only in Europe to carry the insignia ‘Henry Ford & Sons’. Irish consumers have remained brand loyal with cars such as the Focus and Mondeo still selling strongly just as the Cortina and Escort did in the 1970’s

At Car Direct, our goal is to help you in finding the right vehicle for you.  Check out or inventory page to see what we currently have in stock.  Don’t see what you’re looking for?  Give us a call – that vehicle may be on its way in.  If not, we’ll find it for you!

And in celebration of St Patrick’s Day, here are just a few green Fords that we thought you might want to take a look at.

ec55cc12bc38850a9c6ada7abee92d02  mufp_0401_01_z+1968_ford_mustang_gt350+green_exterior  2013 Ford Mustang  c6e4d99f-b90f-270c  ford-focus-rs-motography-aka-phil-clark

10 Important Things You Should Check On Your Car Regularly

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Posted in Dealer Information, Helpful Tips

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Your car gets you safely everywhere you want to go, but it requires that you take good care of it in order to keep running right. Taking care of your car is as important for keeping you on the road and getting where you want to go as it is for your safety. Some of these simple maintenance issues can actually result in an accident or injuries. Take the time to make sure these 10 things are checked regularly and maintained as needed and avoid a potential accident or car insurance claim.

  1. The Oil
    The oil in your car keeps everything running smoothly, and your car can’t run without the right level of oil. You can check your oil level by yourself easily by simply pulling out the dipstick and seeing where the oil level is. You should take your car in for an oil change on a regular basis as recommended by your vehicle manufacturer or mechanic. Oil changes are one of the most basic car maintenance procedures, and checking your oil an easy way to catch leaks.
  2. The Tire Pressure
    A tire pressure gauge is an affordable and easy to use tool that can prevent a flat tire or worse. Tires that are improperly inflated can cause blowouts that lead to accidents. They can also find you stranded on the side of the road. Additionally, the wrong level of inflation affects your fuel efficiency. It’s important to check them regularly and also be aware that the right tire pressure changes based on the outside temperature. Check with the tire manufacturer for the right pressure.
  3. The Brakes
    Don’t wait for that screeching sound that tells you the brake pads are getting old. Having your brakes checked regularly by a pro keeps your car safe and on the road. You depend on your brakes to stop your car and prevent an accident, so don’t take them for granted. It’s best to have a pro check your brakes as part of regular maintenance.
  4. The Power Steering Fluid
    If you have ever driven a car without power steering, then you know how important it is to check this fluid. Without it your power steering could fail, making it harder to control your car. Like your oil, you can check and refill this one yourself, so make it a habit.
  5. The Alignment
    While you will probably notice if your alignment is getting bad, it’s a good idea to have it looked over regularly, as it impacts the way your car handles on the road. Get your alignment adjusted as needed to ensure your car will steer and react the way you want it to when you need to move quickly.
  6. The Antifreeze/Coolant
    In Canadian winters, you will need to make sure that you have enough antifreeze in your car to make sure it can run properly. Cold temperatures are hard on your car. On the reverse side of that coin, coolant is also an important fluid to check on your car. Keeping your car running smoothly relies on the right levels of the fluids it needs.
  7. The Tire Tread
    It’s not just the pressure in your tires that matters. Your tires depend on the tread to give you traction on the road, and it’s especially important in slippery conditions. Look for signs of wear in your tires – and also look for any bulges or odd lumps that could indicate a problem. Low tread or bulges in the tires can cause slipping or a blowout on the road, and lead to an accident.
  8. The Air Filter
    A clogged air filter will cost you in fuel consumption, and it’s bad for the car as well. It costs very little to get it checked and replaced as needed, so make it a regular part of your car maintenance routine. Most places will check it for you when they change your oil free of charge.
  9. The Transmission Fluid
    Your transmission failing while driving is not something you ever want to experience. Make sure that the transmission fluid is always at a good level and is changed periodically to make sure your car can shift smoothly and keep you in control of the car at all times.
  10. The Lights – All of Them
    Having any of the lights on your car not functioning properly is dangerous. Be sure to check your turn signals, brake lights, reverse lights and of course your headlights on a regular basis. Although you are likely to catch a headlight that is out, you could easily miss a brake like or taillight that doesn’t function right. These things are vital to letting other vehicles know what you are doing or about to do – and preventing accidents. You could also get a ticket for having a light out, which could mean higher car insurance rates.

Keep your car in good running condition and it will keep you safe and in control on the road. It takes a short amount of time to check these important functions, but can save money, fuel, and even lives in the long run.

At Car Direct, our goal is to help you in finding the right vehicle for you.  Check out or inventory page to see what we currently have in stock.  Don’t see what you’re looking for?  Give us a call – that vehicle may be on its way in.  If not, we’ll find it for you!