What to do if You Lock Your Keys in the Car | Alfa Romeo and New Fiat and Use Car Dealer

Every driver dreads locking keys in a car, and the reality is, it does happen. What do you do when the keys are safe inside a locked car? Here are some options help avoid that situation and deal with it, should it happen to you.

Dial 911. Safety comes first, and if you don’t feel secure where you’re stranded, you should call 911 to get help on the way fast. In many cases, the police can unlock the car’s door. But if they can’t, they will probably call a tow truck, which will be on your tab, of course. But at least you’ll be safe.
Call for roadside assistance. Here’s when those annual auto-club fees really pay off. AAA, Allstate, and other organizations that provide roadside service will help you, though it could take a while for them to reach you. If you don’t subscribe to such a service, you might still be in luck. Most new cars come with roadside assistance during the basic warranty period. Your owner’s manual should have the details, but of course that’s locked in the car with the keys. The number to call might be posted on a window decal. If it isn’t, you can get the details by calling a dealership. To be prepared, you should store the number in your phone or write it down on paper and keep it in your wallet or purse. What if you don’t have a new car or you don’t belong to a service such as AAA? Ask about adding roadside assistance to your auto-insurance policy. Also, some major highways are patrolled by trucks offering emergency aid. Keep an eye out for one.

Call a tow truck. If you have no free options, most towing services provide lock-out service. Call 411 for services in your area. Or text the words “tow service” and your location to GOOGL (46645).

Get a temporary key. A dealer might be able to make you an inexpensive key that will open the doors (but not start your car) so that you can retrieve your permanent keys. You’ll probably need your vehicle identification number (visible through the lower edge of the driver’s-side windshield) and to prove that you own the car. Of course, you’ll also need a ride to the dealership.

Keep an extra key handy. Stash a spare key in your purse, your wallet, or a well-hidden spot on the car. You can buy a small magnetic box that can hold a key and be placed on a car’s underside. Or leave a spare with someone who could rescue you.

Buy a car with benefits. Some cars won’t lock with the power-lock button if the key is in the ignition and a door is open. Also, many vehicles from Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury have a door-mounted keypad that lets you tap in a code to unlock the door. If you drive a vehicle with a telematics system such as GM’s OnStar, Hyundai’s Blue Link, or Mercedes-Benz’s Mbrace, you can call a toll-free number to have your car remotely unlocked. Those systems also offer free apps that let smart-phone owners unlock the doors. Check automaker websites for compatible phones and specifics.

Keyless. If you have lost the key, things get more complicated. You’re going to need a locksmith, and while the ones we spoke with said they did do emergency road service, expect to pay about $200 and up for a replacement key. Keys for some higher-end models can cost several hundred dollars and can only be purchased and programmed through a dealer. And that means an expensive trip to the dealer on a flatbed.

5 Tips to Save on Gas | Alfa Romeo and New Fiat and Used Car Dealer

 

1. Fill Up Middle of the Week
It is a well known fact that gas prices are at their highest on the weekends. This is common sense really…when do most people have time to go get gas? When do families head out for trips and gas up the family car? Rather than paying top dollar on the weekend for convenience, stop on a Wednesday instead and enjoy the savings.

2. Never Ride on Empty
Many people think this is an old wives tale but it is based in fact. Running a car on less gas than is optimal means the car has to work harder. This means that the car is not efficiently using the gasoline and pulling more than is needed to operate the car. (There is also that added inconvenience of potentially running out of gas) Rather than doing this to your car, fill up when you hit the half empty line. This will keep your car running optimally and your gas prices down.

3. Stick to Regular Fuel Unless You Own a High Performance Sports Car
Buying a high grade of gasoline is going to do very little for your family sedan. The old station wagon is not going to perform better or last longer by using high grade premium gasoline. What you will accomplish is paying way too much for your gas each week. This costs people a ton of money every single week and the truth is…it is money down the drain.

4. Do Trip Combos
This means sitting down and planning out your day beforehand. Each evening, sit down and figure out where you need to go and what you need the car for. Consider where everything is and how you can combine trips. Nothing stinks worse than to pass right by someplace and then get home and realize you needed to stop there. Plan ahead and work out trip combos to use less gas and save money.

5. Use an Online Gas Finder
These little websites are awesome! Simply put in your address and it will spit out the lowest prices and where they are located. There are also phone apps that can do the same thing if you are on the go. Find one you trust and that consistently gives you the right information and stick with it.

New Fiat 124 Spider confirmed as Fiat's Mazda MX-5 | New FIAT and Used Car Dealer

Fiat will use the Mazda MX-5 platform to create a new Fiat 124 Spider roadster with an Abarth 124 Spider on the cards too.

Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne has confirmed our exclusive story that Fiat's new roadster will be called the Fiat 124 Spider. In February 2015, Auto Express broke the news that Fiat two-seater, developed alongside the Mazda MX-5, was likely to wear the retro 124 Spider badge and produced this exclusive image of how the car could look.

When asked directly by Auto Express at the Geneva Motor Show if the new Fiat sports car would indeed be badged 124 Spider, Marchionne checked with his execs if the name had been revealed yet, before asking: “Do we want to do it now?”. A brand exec confirmed the 124 Spider name before Marchionne added: “There you go – a world class premiere right in this room!”.

He declined to confirm whether that model would be a Fiat orAbarth, but Auto Express understands that there will be versions wearing both badges based on the Mazda MX-5 platform.

Fiat 124 Spider: what do we know so far?

As part of the joint venture agreement with Mazda, both the Fiat 124 Spider and the Mazda MX-5 are to be made at Mazda’s factory in Hiroshima, Japan. According to our source, the agreement between Fiat and Mazda is that the MX-5 will launch first and take centre stage in 2015, with Fiat’s alternative offering coming 12 months in 2016.

New Fiat Doblo unveiled for 2015 | New FIAT and Used Car Dealership

Fiat's Doblo van-based people carrier gets updated styling and new technology for 2015

Fiat's updated Doblo passenger car, based on the Cargo commercial vehicle we saw in September, has been revealed ahead of its UK release in January 2015. It sports exterior styling revisions, as well as new tech and equipment across the range.

Thanks to a reasonably extensive facelift, the van-based Doblo does look a little sharper with a new front bumper, headlamps and air intake design. At the rear there's revised tail lights, a sleeker shape and more body coloured trim. New alloy wheels complete the exterior revisions.

The Fiat Doblo engine range is now more concise, kicking off with the unchanged 94bhp 1.4 litre petrol engine, which achieves only 39mpg. The 2.0 diesel engine is now dropped, leaving the 105bhp 1.6-litre Multijet oil-burner which is capable of 55mpg. Minor tweaks have been made to the car's gearshift and throttle to make it better to drive, and there's now better sound insulation too.

Every once in a while, something comes along so powerful in concept, so revolutionary in design, it redefines a generation — America, get ready for the one and only FIAT® 500.

It was more than just a car. It made history. It gave italians the ability to move freely and with confidence as they recovered from World War II. A liberating form of self-expression, the FIAT® 500 was built to satisfy our insatiable love for each day.

For FIAT®, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory Turin) a company founded in 1899, this was a rebirth.

Today, the FIAT® brand stands for discovery through intense individualism. It encourages people to be in charge of their lives, live assertively and celebrate the smallest of things with infectious excitement.

Deeply rooted in Italian heritage, the FIAT brand was reintroduced in March of 2011 in North America, bringing something truly unique to the marketplace. That philosophy is embodied by the North American introduction of the FIAT 500, or Cinquecento — a small car that lives big. Italian at heart and rooted in a rich heritage, the FIAT 500 is synonymous with modern simple design, blending form, function and a pride of ownership that is genuine. Reminiscent of the original Cinquecento, the 2012 FIAT 500 and FIAT 500c (Cabrio) build on


the vehicle's global popularity, and the recently launched high-performance FIAT 500 Abarth brings true Italian track-proven performance to American roads. Since its initial launch in Italy on the 4th of July 2007, exactly 50 years after the launch of the original, the FIAT 500 has evolved into a beloved global icon, winning the hearts of enthusiastic drivers and discriminating automotive journalists alike.

More than 1 million FIAT 500 vehicles have been sold in more than 100 countries around the world. The FIAT 500 vehicles have been sold in more than 100 countries around the world. The FIAT 500 model's unquestionable popularity is the result of its great power to deliver unmatched personalization options with advanced solutions in terms of quality, engine and passenger comfort.

In addition to success on the sales front, the FIAT 500 has earned more than 80 international awards, including the 2008 European Car of the Year, 2009 World Car Design of the Year, Best New Engine of 2010 (FIAT MultiAir® Turbo) and a 2012 "Recommended Pick" by Consumer Guide.

The All-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C named MotorWeek Drivers' Choice - Best Performance Car

MotorWeek’s annual Drivers’ Choice Awards look at vehicles from a buyer’s point of view, with attention to automotive trends and innovations, as well as value and reliability – all to produce a list of winners that can be used as a practical guide for car shopping.

"The 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C delivers the exhilaration of a mega-buck Italian exotic sports car for a fraction of the price,” said John Davis, Host of MotorWeek. “It’s truly a unique experience, and one that appeals to all the senses. The 4C is a car designed with one thing in mind, driving!”

Chicago Auto Show Test-Track Experience featuring the FIAT® Brand

Here at Alfa Romeo and FIAT of Tacoma, we approach every auto show with enthusiasm.

The 2015 Chicago Auto Show was no exception. This year FIAT offered attendees a one-of-a-kind ride-along experience. With a custom-built indoor test track mimicking a city-like setting, show-goers were able to witness first-hand the capabilities of the high-performing FIAT 500 Abarth or the roomier yet still sporty FIAT 500L.

Over the course of the show, expert product specialists escorted over 5,500 fans around the track, showing off vehicle features in several specially designed segments of the course. No segment was more popular it seemed than the acceleration area, where the 1.4-liter 16-valve MultiAir^® turbo engine of the FIAT 500 Abarth and FIAT 500L really had a chance to shine.

For test-track highlights, please enjoy this video from the Chicago Auto Show. For a first-hand FIAT driving experience of your own, schedule a test drive today at Alfa Romeo and FIAT of Tacoma. 

Alfa Romeo to launch crossover in 2016 | Alfa Romeo and Fiat of Tacoma

Alfa Romeo has an ambitious product plan in place to revive the marque and bring it back to North America. And according to the latest reports, that includes a new crossover.

A dozen years after the reveal of the Kamal concept pictured here, the new, as-yet-unnamed production crossover – referred to internally as Project 949 – will be Alfa's first, arriving hot on the heels of sister-company Maserati's upcoming Levante crossover.

The high-riding Alfa will be about the size of the Audi Q5 or BMW X3, and is reportedly being developed on the same rear-drive "Giorgio" platform as the replacement for the discontinued 159 sedan, which is expected to be called Giulia overseas but possibly wear the 6C moniker in North America when it's unveiled on June 24 at the Alfa Romeo museum outside Milan.

Both models are expected to be produced at the company's Cassino plant near Rome, and feature a new family of engines including a high-output diesel V6. A larger crossover is set to follow as well.

Fiat Abarth Zagato lovechild is a double bubble worth the trouble | Alfa Romeo and Fiat of Tacoma

The Italian automotive industry is filled with legendary names: Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Lamborghini, De Tomaso, Pagani... but the names Fiat, Abarth and Zagato belong up there right beside them – especially when they came together on a vehicle as singular as this one.

It's a 1957 Fiat Abarth Zagato 750 GT Corsa, and it's a rare little monster indeed. It's based on a Fiat 600, tuned by Abarth and rebodied in classic double-bubble form by Zagato. There were only about five or six hundred of these made, and only 21 of them were Corsas. Its owner, Carl Gustav Magnusson, had one just like it when he lived in Europe, and entered it five times in the Mille Miglia. But after selling it and moving to America, he found another – with matching numbers – scooped it up and has enjoyed it ever since.

Fiat and Zagato took a modern stab at a similar formula a few years ago, and if it had ever reached production, an Abarth version would likely have followed. But alas it never did, so the closest we'll likely ever get is to join the videographic artisans at Petrolicious as they tell the story of this beautiful little classic in the video above.

What to look for in a Car for your Teen Driver | Alfa Romeo and Fiat of Tacoma

If you ask any teenager what they are looking forward to doing the most as they get older, at the top of most lists is probably being able to drive. After all, being licensed to drive gives teens a great sense of freedom – they can now come and go as they please; they are no longer dependent on mom and dad to get them where they need to go.

However, the time when teens begin to drive can potentially be the most deadly. Every dayseven teens ages 16 to 19 die from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash. And the crash rate is 3.7 times higher for 16 year old drivers compared to drivers all of all ages, and 2.7 higher for drivers aged 16 to 19.

For parents that are conducting a used cars search for appropriate vehicle options for their teen drivers, how can they help them stay as safe as possible? Here’s a look at five in-car options to look for during their used cars search.

Side Airbags

Although everybody knows about airbags as a safety component in vehicles, some may not realize the importance of side airbags. A study conducted in 2006 conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found side airbags that protected driver’s heads helped reduce deaths in cars that were hit on the driver side by about 37 percent.

Electronic Stability Control

ESC works through speed sensors that are placed on all wheels and the steering wheel to help drivers when on roads that are slippery or very curved.

If the ESC system notices the vehicle is about to go in an opposite direction from where the steering wheel is pointed, is will break the necessary wheels to help keep the car under control. ESC can be found vehicles from 2012, and even earlier.

Crash Avoidance Technology

Over the past few years, vehicle manufacturers have unveiled a crop of new applications to help drivers avoid car accidents. These crash avoidance technologies work by providing the driver with warnings, or in some instances even automatically putting on the brakes. Examples of these technologies to look for in a used cars search include blind spot detection, adaptive headlights, lane departure warning, and front crash prevention.

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)

An ABS is another safeguard against slippery roads, as well as inexperienced young drives that may find themselves “panic braking” in certain situations. The ABS helps ensure the brakes on a car do not lock up, which could cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle. ABS on the rear wheels allows the vehicle to keep moving in a straight line, while ABS on all wheels allows the driver to maintain steering capabilities.

Seat Belt Reminder System

Although the “ding, ding, ding” that reminds you to buckle up every time you’re in the car can be rather annoying, studies show they do save lives. For instance, a study published in 2008 found 97.5 percent of passengers put on a seat belt when in a vehicle with a reminder system, while only about 86 percent did in cars without a reminder. And teens need all the reminders they can — a 2002 study found that only 69 percent of teens ages 16 to 24 wear their seat belts, and more than two-thirds of teens killed in car crashes were not wearing seat belts.

Alfa Romeo Giulia (2015) first of nine new Alfas | Alfa Romeo and Fiat of Tacoma

Alfa Romeo is about to kickstart a product renewal programme which could launch nine new cars by the end of the decade.

The revelation is published in the new January 2015 issue of CAR magazine, on sale on 17 December. In it, our European editor Georg Kacher interviews Alfa Romeo CEO Harald Wester, who spells out his vision for the rejuvenated Italian car maker.

It marks the end of a painfully long wait for new products; most Alfas have withered on the vine, leaving just two core model lines on sale in the UK today, or three if you include the 4C sports car.
Alfa Romeo Giulia: launching in June 2015

The first new Alfa Romeo to kickstart the product renewal is the Giulia. CAR understands the new 3-series rival will be shown on 24 June 2015, when the company is due to mark its 105th anniversary.

Incredibly, the 159 has been absent from Alfa’s range for several years now and the Giulia will thrust the company back to the heart of Europe’s premium car heartland.

Why the big delay? Because Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne sent the project back to square one - and now we know why. It wasn’t just a stylistic U-turn; Alfa Romeo is developing a new rear-wheel drive architecture, codeveloped with Maserati - and it’ll underpin all the new models in the pipeline.