Chevy Scoop: The new Parents Safety Technology that is Revolutionizing the Industry

As summer officially makes its hot and steamy landing in the St. Louis metro area, Chevrolet wants to take great strides to help drivers prevent tragic situations. With the temperatures heating up and children being out of school, they are able to spend more time outside, and may be poised playing in positions where they are not in driver's sight lines. On average, there are 210 fatalities and a startling 15,000 injuries a year that are caused by backover crashes, with 40 percent occurring in residential areas. Furthermore, 24 percent of these are happening in driveways, the entry and departure point of
the home.

Backover incidents are caused by the driver not having the proper means of seeing their immediate surroundings. The engineers and developers at Chevy desire to help drivers see as much of the sphere they need to to be safe immediately, and that's where Surround Vision fulfills an enormous safety role. This technology that is available on the all-new 2018 Equinox provides a 360-degree bird's eye view around the vehicle, and acts like multiple sets of eyes that help drivers quickly during departure. Low-speed maneuvering can still be dangerous, and this system uses 4 cameras to assure a clear path. You have use of a standard Rear Vision Camera, a forward-looking camera in the front grille, and two side-viewing cameras located under each left or right mirror.

When you shift into reverse, the birds-eye view shows up on the center stack instrument panel, and provides multiple views of the area best watched to prevent accidents. In addition to Surround Vision and the very useful Rear Vision Camera, the all-new 2018 Equinox has numerous other features to make sure that every ride is a safe one: Rear Seat Reminder and Teen Driver offer the best in protection for your family. Surround Vision is the feature that really is the prime contender for being aware of your immediate perimeter, and it is offered on the Bolt EV, Equinox, and Traverse. The Rear Vision camera is found on the Bolt EV, Camaro, City Express, Colorado, Corvette, Cruze, Equinox, Express, Impala, Malibu, Silverado, Sonic, Spark, Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, Trax, and Volt.

It's important to realize that these features are not a substitute for always being alert and operating your vehicle safely every day. As you may be late for work or anything else in your schedule-heavy day, the absolute best thing you can do is walk around your vehicle. This simple step has saved many lives, as toddlers and small children may have picked the zone just behind your vehicle to play for the morning. There are many great things to do during summer here in St Louis: a few of our favorites are the Cahokia Mounds, and the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Your family needs to arrive at all of these fantastic St Louis destinations safely, and without worry of accidental tragedy looming over the trip. We want you to have the safest summer possible, and encourage you to come down, pay us a visit, and see just how awesome and innovative all of these safety features are. At Jim Butler, we are concerned about your well-being, and stand firmly behind the many ways we can help protect you during your drive time!

Spacious and Able: 2018 Equinox’s Lean and Limber Crossover Appeal

Any savvy driver in the market for a crossover vehicle is naturally going to pay close attention to the weight. Here at Jim Butler Chevy, we have been avidly watching the different aspects of the SUV market over the last few years, and just how sleeker and able the existing options are now. 

When SUV’s first came around, it was no surprise when they lurched around heavily, and many thousands of hours have been spent by engineers trying to effectively “lighten the load”. If you’re considering owning the completely re-designed Chevy Equinox, you’ll be pleased to know that 400 pounds have been dropped, which is almost ten percent of its weight total.

The end result is a crossover model that is lean and strong, which greatly affects efficiency of performance. Driving experience becomes more fun, and during any distance you are looking to conquer will inspire more confidence. Inside, the 1.5- L turbo engine promotes an improved balance of fuel efficiency and road performance: the 2.0- L option offers 252 horsepower, and can complete the 0-60 jump in around 7.2 seconds. Everyone who has sat behind the wheel as of yet has determined that this upgrade is a much smoother ride, and the steering feels more agile due to the lightness of the structure.

Because of the placement of very high-strength steel in the body structure, you really feel as if you are protected by the sturdiest of grates. Together with Equinox restraint systems and other available safety features, energy is managed in top-notch form, which is important if you do happen to sustain a crash. With the suspension tuning, the body structure allowed engineers to focus in-depth on making sure that the ride is more comfortable. There are six points within the SUV body where both the front and rear suspension are cradled, and this helps to further enhance the air of responsiveness that you get while driving.

Since the Equinox has a much stiffer body, it is better at ridding you of unwanted vibrations and noise, which will contribute to a smooth and safe ride. Since much success has been had at absorbing sound, fewer dissipative materials were required during construction, which also helped greatly for shedding weight. Fuel economy is in the much-improved category as well: the 1.5-L turbo and 2.0-L gas engines are nailing down around 32 mpg and 29 mpg on the highway, and the 1.6L diesel ranks in at around 40 mpg on the highway. Over 80 percent of the structure for the Equinox’s body is composed of very high-grade steel materials, with the highest grades of steel comprising almost 20 percent.

When you are loading your cargo, you’re going to love the storage options: there is a large, hidden underfloor space, as well as a flat cargo floor that improves with ease of loading and unloading. All of our staff members here at the dealership know that Missouri-area drivers have many new options for crossover SUV choices. The drastic change in size for the Equinox has given it the exact edge that will answer your need for a concise crossover vehicle, and we're gonna love showing you just how easy it is to get your ownership or lease started.

Driver's Notes On Pothole Season: Jim Butler's Spring Survival Guide

When Spring hits St. Louis, we all have a fresh multitude of things to get excited about. Cheering on the Cardinals, milestones such as Mother's and Father's Day, and trips to get the most out of nature are all on the agenda. When you are out on the open road with your favorite new Chevy model, it's important to remember that there are some rough road conditions out there that are a bit unavoidable! These potholes are formed by water, excessive heat, and wear and tear that occurs over periods of time.

The areas where you are most likely to see pothole damage are where drainage are particularly where drainage is poor, like the troughs under viaducts. If you know that you are on an interstate or thoroughfare that is heavily traveled, such as 270 and I-44, you can expect to encounter some brief bumps or developmental disarray. A large variety of the American highways that we rely on for transportation were built during the 1950's and 1970's, and were built to last just around 50 years.
Eventually with time, all of the factors that damage pavement add up.

The American Society of Civil Engineers believes that it would cost around $2.7 trillion to fix all of the infrastructure that is now in bad shape, a fairly staggering figure. Here are some rules that you can abide by to assure that this pothole season does not leave you “in a ditch” with repairs.

• Look Ahead, and try to slow down: Simply being alert can help you avoid the majority of potholes. Try to look ahead while you are driving, and this way you can scan with your eyes for potential potholes. If you know you can't avoid them, at least slow down, which will decrease the likelihood of damage to your prized Chevy.

• Be on the lookout for H2O: Hiding under water is where the majority of damaging potholes take up residence. After periods of rain and heavy snow, it's wisest to avoid puddles, as these are areas that pose the biggest risk to your car's safety and longevity.

• Keep a watch on Tire Pressure: Seeing to it that your tires are properly inflated makes a huge difference in avoiding drastic pothole damage. Chevy's recommended tire pressure is key to your safety, and under-inflated tires have been known to cause intense ruptures. If you have tires that happen to be too full, they are also susceptible to pothole damage.

• Be quick about damage control: If you are certain that you have in fact hit a pothole, be sure to check things out right away. If you can stay on top of the damage earlier, this will prevent you from having your car's good condition slip away

• Be conscious of what to notice: Potholes are able to cause far more damage beyond the tires. Rims, exhaust systems, the state of your alignment, and more elements are all under attack when you encounter these pesky problems. If you notice your car making more noises, dragging you in one direction, or otherwise running irregular, be sure to take it to a professional for a look.

• Offer a hand to others on the road: Make sure that you report potholes to the proper authorities. City, county, or state transportation entities are the ones to track down, and help with the task of showing officials where the problem spots are.

• Always have supplies with you: Be certain that a sturdy car jack and lug wrench are always on you, and that the spare is inflated to proper pressure. If you do ever have to quickly change a flat, be ultimately aware of your surroundings, and pull as far away from throngs of traffic as possible.