Congratulations to our Keeler MINI Sales Staff

Congraulations are in order for our Keeler MINI Sales Staff, Andrea Monzo and David Delaney. They both obtained MINI Achievements in Motoring from MINI USA which honors the top 100 advisors in the country based on sales performance and customer satisfaction. This is a very noteworthy accomplishment and one that everyone here at Keeler Motor Car Company is extremely proud of. Congratulations Andrea and David!!

Tire Maintenance

Rick Walker is our Keeler Mercedes-Benz Service Manager. He has been with Keeler Mercedes-Benz for over 20 years. Rick will be writing articles for our blog regarding service and maintenance of your vehicle. If you have anything you would like Rick to write about please comment below. We're very excited to present to you Rick's first article...Tire Maintenance

Safety and security, something that seems to be on everyone’s mind these days. When I speak to people about their vehicles they are always quick to point out their due diligent on maintenance for the safety, security, and longevity of their cars. We speak about proper oil changing, replacing brake pads and the occasional burnt out bulb.

I am always surprised at the lack of attention to the single most important component of your car directly involved with its safety and security, the tires! If all goes right the tires are your vehicle’s only contact with the world around it, they are responsible for accelerating, stopping, maneuvering, high speed stability, and any other movement your vehicle makes. Ironically your tires are wear items, they must wear to perform so why do we generally ignore our tires? It seems each new generation of vehicle becomes higher performance and more powerful and tire manufacturers attempt to keep up by developing tires that grip better. Tires for today’s modern high performance vehicles are “lower profile” or less side wall creating less “slip angle” or less flexibility in the tire, which gives us very responsive steering but also greatly increases the load directly on the tread itself. This coupled with softer compounds and less tread depth make it more important than ever to “maintain” our tires.

There is a lot more to tire maintenance than one might initially think. If your car has the same size tires all the way around, tire rotation approximately every 5000 miles is one of the most important maintenance items. Tire pressure is also very important. Tire pressure must be periodically adjusted because air molecules can actually penetrate the rubber and exit naturally over time. There can also be parasitic loss between the tire and rim bead seal as well as the seal around the tire valve. Temperature changes also effect tire pressure, 10 degrees of ambient air temperature is equal to approximately 1 pound of air pressure in your tires. So adjusting tire pressures with the change of seasons is very important. Tire manufacturers recommend checking tire pressures monthly. You should be aware of your tires each time you walk up to your car, you can get a nail at any time and if any of your tires appears to be low on air there is a strong possibility it is very low on air.

Tires are considered to be worn out when they reach the manufacturers built in” wear bars” molded in the tread which is approximately 2/32in. or 2-3 mm of tread depth. And remember... as the tire wears down and the tire becomes thinner tire punctures become much more likely.
All new vehicles as of 2008 must have a tire pressure monitoring system. This is a very useful system that can save you from having a road side break down. It can save a repairable tire before it becomes unrepairable and it could even save your life! Unfortunately the system cannot work unless proper tire maintenance is carried out and the tire pressure monitor system is properly reset each time the tire pressure is reset. If this is not done then the system becomes an annoyance because the warning light is on more than it is off and people begin to ignore the warning. This can be a fatal mistake. A little time spent learning the very simple tire pressure monitor system and basic tire maintenance is a very smart investment.

by Rick Walker, Keeler Motor Car Company

2010 Albany Auto Show

The 2010 Albany Auto Show will be held April 9th - April 11th at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. Keeler Motor Car will be on hand representing Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Honda, MINI and smart. You can go to www.enycar.org for more information.

Honda expects boost to global vehicle production of nearly 10%

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Honda Motor Co. expects its global production to rise nearly 10 percent in the business year starting next month, led by growth in Asia outside of Japan, the Nikkan Kogyo industrial daily reported on Monday.Honda, Japan's No.2 automaker, has told its main parts suppliers of plans to produce up to 3.3 million vehicles in the business year beginning April 1, an increase of nearly 10 percent from an estimated 3.05 million vehicles this fiscal year, the paper said.

Production is expected to fall in North America and Europe, the paper said. Honda's North America production is up 51 percent this year through the first three weeks in March.

A Honda spokeswoman said the automaker does not disclose production plans, and the Nikkan Kogyo did not cite any sources.

The newspaper said the automaker plans to keep Japanese production flat to limit the impact of a stronger yen, while boosting output in the rest of Asia. In China, production is expected to rise more than 10 percent.

Contact Automotive News

Car Care: How to prepare your car for Spring

When you think about seasonal car care, you rarely think about how to prepare your car for spring. You're much more likely to think about getting things ready for the snow, ice and cold of winter than you are the mildness of the spring season. Still, if you want to keep your car in tip top shape, protect your investment, and make sure your car is as safe and economical as it can be, you need to know how to prepare your car for spring.

The first thing you should do in order to prepare your car for spring is to check all of your belts and hoses. During the winter, the cold harsh weather can cause quite a bit of wear on your car's hoses and belts. Look for any cracking on the hoses and belts and for any leaking of the hoses. Catching these problems early can mean the difference between a quick and inexpensive repair and being broken down alongside the road needing expensive repairs.

You should also check your tires in order to get ready for spring. During the spring, your car needs to be able to pull you through the mud, as well as get you over wet roads. In addition, it's not uncommon for tires to lose some air over the winter. Check to make sure that your treads on your tires are in good shape, and that your tire pressure is at the levels recommended by the vehicle's manufacturer.

Spring is a good time to check your spark plugs and spark plug wires, too. If your plugs or plug wires need to be replaced, you'll want to take care of it so you're not stranded.

You should also check your engine coolant in the spring. You want to make sure that your coolant levels are where they should be. You'll also want to make sure that your coolant is nice and clean.

When you're getting ready to prepare your car for spring, you should also get an oil change. Running your car too long in between oil changes can cause a number of problems with your engine, all of which tend to be very expensive to fix. Make sure your engine oil is clean and full. Ultimately, just following a few simple steps to prepare your car for spring can save you hours of headach and, in many cases, hundreds of dollars down the road.

Source: AssociatedContent.com

You can drive to the YUKON in a Smart car

THANKS to a combination of passion, planning and patience, man has not only proven that he can walk on fire, but that he can also walk on the surface of the moon.

With that spirit in mind, I like to think that my gas tank is always half full rather than half empty. Anything's possible. What's the worse thing that can happen? I've got life insurance. Buy the ticket, take the ride.

That said, even a perennial optimist like me was filled with doubt when Mercedes-Benz Canada sent me an invitation to partake in a winter driving expedition from Kelowna, B.C., to Whitehorse, Yukon. The itinerary outlined a four-day, 2,500-kilometre road trip to the Arctic that promised to be the adventure of a lifetime.
The only catch was we had to take this expedition in a Smart car.
My initial thought was that maybe the Smart marketing team wasn't as smart as those cute little cars they sell.

A division of Mercedes-Benz, the Smart is the smallest road-legal car sold in Canada. Although I'd driven one in the past and thoroughly enjoyed it, I have to admit that the mere prospect of driving a Smart car through some of the harshest and most severe weather conditions on the planet had me thinking that this was a very tall order for a very small car.

Dubbed the Smart Winter Expedition, the checklist did little to ease my doubts. Seven Smart cars, three Mercedes-Benz support vehicles and a flock of automobile journalists from across the country. The fact that a support team made up of professional drivers and technical specialists had been assembled to hold our hands throughout the journey helped to somewhat ease my worried mind, but as I boarded the plane I still couldn't help but wonder what I was getting myself into.

Read the rest of this great article here.

The Weekend is finally here...what are you doing?

Yes, we do sometimes write about things completely unrelated to the car business!

This weekend is my "single parent" weekend. The hubby (as i like to refer to him) is away to Myrtle Beach for his annual boys golf weekend which leaves me as a single mom for the next few days. So, I'll leave my comfy, no-kid zone, office at Keeler Motor Car, venture back up the Northway to Malta and pick up my two girls from daycare. From there, I'm sure, all hell will break loose. When I am alone with the girls I try to fill up their dance card with a ton of activities. I'm not sure why, maybe it makes me feel like a better mom?? Probably more along the lines of, I know they'll be exhausted at the end of the day! Regardless, I do it everytime the hubby is away.

Which leads into..."what are you doing this weekend?" There is a ton going on - The St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Albany, Annie at Proctor's, Parent's Night Out at the Saratoga Children's Museum, St. Pracktice Day at Irish Times with the Fighting 86's, etc. I'll be bringing my oldest to see Annie on Saturday night - she cannot wait!

So, it's "Peace Out" from Keeler Motor Car this week...no time to blog over the weekend! Have a good one!

2011 Honda CR-Z First Drive

Honda's once-proud sporting image has taken a beating lately. Its last foray into Formula 1 was a disaster, made even more embarrassing by the fact its former team swept the championship the year after it pulled out -- with Mercedes engines. The on-again, off-again NSX supercar program is now truly dead, along with the iconic S2000, both killed in favor of channeling resources towards good, clean family transport like the Fit, Civic and CR-V. But now an unlikely hybrid sports coupe with a 6-speed manual gearbox -- a world first for a hybrid drivetrain -- is set to inject some passion back into Honda's performance heritage. It's called the CR-Z.

The production CR-Z's exterior is nowhere near as taut and tight as that of the concept Honda revealed at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, which sent the blogosphere into a frenzy of anticipation: Was Honda bringing back the CR-X? While the production CR-Z lacks some of the muscularity of the concept, it still looks like nothing else on the road; that large, imposing grille and upslanting headlights start a design motif that finishes with a bold swish for a C-pillar and a sculptured rear deck.

Many readers will remember the wedge-shaped CR-X of the early 80s and see some strategic resemblances. But as project leader Norio Tomobe pointed out at our drive session: "We were not aiming for a modern day CR-X. We wanted to create a totally new type of hybrid sports coupe that would take us into a more discerning and environmentally-conscious 21st century. The fact that's it's a hybrid just adds another intriguing dimension to the sporty mix. If it reminds you of the CR-X then that's purely coincidental."Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/112_1003_2011_honda_cr_z_drive/index.html#ixzz0hzbTMWeC

The Next Frontier in Auto Safety is Behind Us, Says Mercedes-Benz USA Executive

I'm sure everyone reading this (the few and the proud!) have had this happen, or at least something similar; you're driving home late at night (my worst experience was while driving home from a U2 concert at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse) and you start to get tired. You do the head bob and wonder how long you actually closed your eyes for. You reach for the volume knob on the radio and crank it up. Then you reach for the button on the door to slide the window down and get a blast of fresh air hoping these two things will keep you awake for the hour or so you have left to drive. Your passengers are FAST asleep and the next service area on the Thruway is at least another 30 miles. Time to pull over and take a nap? Well, current Mercedes-Benz models will tell you exactly that. They have a new safety feature called ATTENTION ASSIST which monitors the driver so they don't get into dangerous situations.

Our Sales Manager at the Mercedes-Benz Center at Keeler Motor Car currently drives a Benz that has this feature and it came in handy for him. He was driving back from PA one weekend, started dozing off when the alarm went off and popped a Coffee Icon on his display panel. He said it could have saved his life as his car was starting to veer off to the right lane. Below is the Press Release from Mercedes-Benz on this very cool new feature:

For National Sleep Awareness Week, Mercedes-Benz Explains Why Preventing Drowsy Driving Accidents Before They Happen Is Next Safety Frontier

MONTVALE, N.J., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no secret that Americans do not get enough sleep. This isn't just a health issue; it's also a public safety issue. Recent studies show that drowsy driving leads to 100,000 accidents in the U.S. each year, more than drunk driving. During a panel discussion at the National Sleep Foundation's Sleep Health and Safety 2010 Conference recently held in Washington, D.C., a Mercedes-Benz executive explained that in order to prevent these accidents and advance safety technology into the future, you must look to the past.

Sascha Simon, head of advanced product planning for Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), said, "Moving forward means going backward in time. When people think about safety, they think about passive safety features like airbags that are designed to mitigate the impact of collisions. The other aspect is active safety - technology like traction control and handling dynamics that help enable vehicles to avoid collisions. The next dimension is helping drivers avoid the situations that can lead up to collisions. The Mercedes-Benz ATTENTION ASSIST™ system monitors drivers so they don't get into dangerous situations in the first place. This is accident prevention at its best because it can help stop accidents before they happen."

Simon explained that the Mercedes-Benz ATTENTION ASSIST™ uses an algorithm to produce an individual driver profile that recognizes typical patterns of behavior and then compares that profile with current data from sensors to detect the driver's transition from a state of alertness to a state of tiredness -- with 70 parameters measured in total. Over the course of several years of drowsy driving research, company scientists observed several consistent behaviors during early stages of drowsiness behind the wheel, including trouble steering a precise course in their lane and making minor steering corrections both quickly and abruptly.

The in-vehicle sensors used in ATTENTION ASSIST™ can detect unintentional lane departures, delayed reaction times coupled with over-corrective steering as well as driver inactivity. That data is then combined with information detailing the time of day and the length of time the driver has been behind the wheel. When drowsy driving is detected, ATTENTION ASSIST will sound an alarm and offer a visual warning in the form of a coffee cup, displayed in the vehicle's instrument cluster.

Click here to read the article in full.

Source: Mercedes-Benz USA

BMW to go front-drive

Not sure if we'll ever see these at Keeler BMW but BMW announced that they will be producing front-wheel drive. Read the article below:

BMW is set to introduce a new front-wheel-drive entry-level model, positioned and priced beneath the existing 1-series and using shared Mini hardware, according to the firm's chairman Norbert Reithofe.

The new model is being developed as part of plans to help increase parts sharing and bolster the potential for production savings between the BMW and Mini brands, thus bringing an end to the era of rear and four-wheel drive-only BMW models.

Speaking to Autocar at the last week's Geneva motor show, Reithofer said internal BMW studies revealed that, despite the downturn in the world’s economy, there is continued demand for what he described as "premium vehicles" in the small car class. He then officially acknowledged plans that will see BMW producing a rival to the recently unveiled Audi A1 and a new Smart Forfour presently under development at rival Mercedes-Benz.

"We will be extending the BMW and Mini brands into the small car segment with new models and variants," said Reithofer.

Being careful to separate the new price-leading front-wheel-drive model from BMW's upcoming city car - a totally different project as part of its Mega City Vehicle electric car initiative - Reithofer added, "For these new vehicles [the new BMW and Mini] we are developing a common architecture for both front and four-wheel drive."

While exact details remain shrouded in secrecy, Autocar can confirm the new entry-level BMW has been conceived to run the same front-wheel-drive underpinnings as the next-generation Mini Cooper.

The new Mini Cooper is not due out until 2014, but the small BMW could be on UK roads as early as 2013 as part of a major thrust by the company to become the undisputed sales leader in the premium small car class.

Plans to base the new entry-level BMW on the same platform as the Mini Cooper also raise the question of where the new car would be built. Although BMW is being vague, Autocar understands the new car could be built alongside the Mini Cooper in Oxford, using a new generation of petrol and diesel engines sourced from BMW's engine plant in Hams Hall.
Studies are also under way that could result in the new platform structure referred to by Reithofer being used for future generations of the 1-series - although BMW is still undecided on whether the third-generation model, due in 2018, will be front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive.
"We are looking at alternatives," a Munich insider told Autocar. "With the new platform set to support four-wheel drive, it wouldn't be that hard to use the transmission tunnel for a rear-wheel-drive application."

Source: Autocar.co.uk

Mercedes-Benz at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet

The highly appealing and emotionally charged Cabriolet is the latest addition to the successful Mercedes-Benz E-Class line-up. The open-top two-door model features a classic fabric soft top, making for a stylistically pure cabriolet feeling. Viewed from the side, the new model is an intriguing proposition – with clear proportions and a flawless cabriolet silhouette.

In keeping with the motto “four seasons, four passengers”, all-year-round suitability was right at the top of the developers’ list of priorities. With the new E‑Class Cabriolet, the open-top season lasts the whole year because, while many cabriolets tend to disappear from the roads of Western Europe in the autumn, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet (length/width/height: 4698/1786/1402 mm) continues to provide driving pleasure and comfort at this time of year.

New features include:

*AIRCAP® automatic draught-stop: always on board and easily controllable at the push of a button, it reduces turbulence substantially for all four seat occupants
*Modified AIRSCARF® neck-level heating system
*Acoustic soft top fitted as standard

The soft top can be opened and closed fully automatically within 20 seconds – even when driving at speeds of up to 40 km/h. The cabriolet roof is stowed in a special compartment behind the rear panel. A retractable cover separates the soft-top compartment from the boot area; it must be closed in order to close the soft top. If the roof is to remain closed, the cover can be slid rearwards, in which case the boot capacity is increased by 90 litres to 390 litres. A through-loading feature is included as standard for the new Cabriolet, as is EASY-ENTRY – a manually operated entry and exit aid for the rear passengers.

To read the article in its entirety click here.

Source: www.emercedesbenz.com

Mercedes-Benz Premieres New Environmentally Themed Ad Campaign During the Academy Awards

MONTVALE, N.J., March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestled among the tributes to Hollywood's brightest stars during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be a new Mercedes-Benz luminary, the S400 HYBRID. Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) will debut a new ad called "Tree of Innovation" which stars the S400 HYBRID and showcases the company's expanding repertoire of environmentally oriented vehicles. The ad is the first to feature the new "voice" for MBUSA's advertising, Jon Hamm, the Golden Globe winning star of the TV series Mad Men.

The Mercedes-Benz 2010 S400 HYBRID is the world's first production vehicle powered by lithium-ion, a sophisticated new battery technology that is more compact and energy efficient than conventional batteries. It is one of two hybrids the company offers along with three BlueTEC clean diesels and an upcoming fleet of fuel cell vehicles.

"For decades we've been experimenting with alternative powerplant vehicles – from the days we invented the diesel more than 70 years ago – but for the first time it seems like the market is ready for these vehicles and this campaign showcases our portfolio and our direction," said Stephen Cannon, vice president of marketing for MBUSA.

The 30-second "Tree of Innovation" spot opens on a majestic 250 year-old tree in a beautiful, lush environment with dozens of glittering glass frames containing images of Mercedes-Benz innovations hanging from its branches. Under the tree is an S400 HYBRID. The camera languidly glides around the car to one of the glass frames. Inside the frame is the small, innovative lithium-ion battery that powers the S400 HYBRID. The camera continues to pan to a frame of the soon-to-arrive Mercedes-Benz hydrogen electric ("fuel cell") vehicle which emits only water. The next frame highlights the E320 BlueTEC that was awarded the "World Green Car of the Year" while a subsequent frame showcases the Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC fleet, some of the world's cleanest diesel vehicles. The spot ends noting that Mercedes-Benz not only strives to make the best cars in the world, but for the world: "a cleaner, safer future is what drives us."

"The challenge was to create a spot that could reflect both the environmental qualities of Mercedes and their technological leadership ... and do that in single spot. We think the combination of the lush environment with the high-tech screens surrounding the S400 does that," said Alex Gellert, partner and CEO of Merkley+Partners (New York), MBUSA's lead agency and creator of the campaign.

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

MINIWOOD - what really happened at the Geneva Auto Show

2011 BMW X5 at the Geneva Auto Show

While we're stuck here in snowy upstate NY, across the pond they're enjoying the 2010 Geneva Auto Show (added benefit - Justin Timberlake performed!) While there, BMW uncovered the newly redesigned X5. Since I drive an X5 from Keeler Motor Car I was very interested in seeing what the new 2011 looks like and judging from the pictures it looks very cool! I cannot wait till we get them in stock here at Keeler BMW - it could be time for an upgrade! Read the following article from BMWBlog for all the details:

At 2010 Geneva Motor Show, BMW took the cover off their latest update to the popular X5 Sports Activity Vehicle. The changes in the model year 2011 are quite significant, both in terms of exterior design, but most important, underneath the hood.

The front-end goes through an extensive facelift, the lower front bumper/fascia appears to have been lifted and given a little redesign from the X6, giving it an appearance that makes the front end look lower and more aggressive. It also allows for wider air openings to feed the larger and more powerful engines more air.

To go along with what BMW has been doing lately for the 3-Series LCI, 335is, and F10 5-Series, the X5 features corona rings, or halos as most like to call them, that are full LEDs. The rear taillights get a new L-shaped LED design as well.

The outgoing X5 had three engine types, the X5 xDrive30i, xDrive48i and xDrive35d. While the diesel xDrive35d survives, the 30i and 48i die off and go to that wonderful BMW heaven, wherever that is. In to replace the outgoing naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-6 and 4.8-liter V8 are the N55 twin-scroll single turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 making 300hp and 300lb-ft of torque, as well as the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 making 400hp and 450lb-ft of torque, similar to the engine in the X5 and X6 M models. So it will now be the X5 xDrive35i and xDrive50i, same with the X6. Zero to sixty times are estimated at 6.4 seconds for the 35i and 5.3 seconds for the 50i. Which is drastically faster than the past engines.

In order to reign all of this power in, an all-new 8-speed steptronic automatic, of which you see in the 5-Series GT and the 760Li. The new transmission weighs no more than the 6-speed model it replaces, and offers better gearing for lower speeds and rpm to make the X5 faster from a dig. It also adds the two extra gears up top to help with efficiency at highway speeds. You can also select gears manually, as always before, by pulling the gear shift closer to you and pushing and pulling the shifter forward or back (-/+).

The first BMW X5 facelifted vehicles will appear at U.S. dealerships this Spring.

Click here to view the gallery of pics.

Source: BMWBlog.com

Top Favorite Road Trip Games

Whenever Mom would pack my brother and I into the family station wagon for a road trip we would inevitably play some sort of road trip game. Our favorite was who could spot the most out of state license plates - probably because we were always in competition with each other. I usually won. We would also play I-Spy a lot as well but that game usually got pretty boring very quickly. Aol Autos just came out with its Top 5 Favorite Road Trip List....what do you think? Are there some that should have made the list? Below is the article:

Our Top 5 Favorite Road Trip Games Of All Time
No, We're Not "There Yet"

Road trip games, those boredom-battling tests of concentration and quick vision meant to speed the hours, are some of the closest things we have to auto mythology.

Like early tales of Zeus and the Chupacabra passed down by oral tradition, they mean a lot to us, some of them make us laugh and some scare the pants off us, and no one knows from whom, when or where they originated. All we know is that one day, when we were little, an adult turned to us and asked, "Do you want to play 'A is for Armadillo'?"

With Volkswagen having thrown millions of dollars into Punch Dub (which is also called Punch Buggy and Slug Bug) to make a commercial and air it to the world during the Super Bowl, we thought we'd take a look at five other in-car games that have been handed down since the dawn of the car itself:

I Spy
Perhaps the granddaddy of road trip games, this twist on Twenty Questions can be huge fun or hugely frustrating depending on the spymaster's eye. The first head spy declares "I spy with my little eye," and then offers one hint about the object in question, such as "something spotted." Players the ask yes-or-no questions to determine what that spotted thing might be. Be careful if you end up playing with the kind of person who begins by spying things that are round, or narrow, or chartreuse, unless you're driving to Chilé and you have a lot of time...and patience.

Road Trip Bingo
A game of quick vision as opposed to Holmes-like deduction, we loved Road Trip Bingo but it was, admittedly, more involved as it required actual props. As opposed to good old classic Bingo that your aunt plays in Boca, Road Trip Bingo had objects (think cows, churches and stop signs as the gold) on its cards as opposed to numbers. The rules of the game were simple: when you saw an object out the window that was on your card, you marked it with a penny or the loose piece of animal cracker you've been saving since Ohio. The first one to fill up a card wins, yells Bingo and the top of her lungs and watches as her siblings seethe with jealousy.

A is for Armadillo
A test of concentration, this game runs through the alphabet with each person assigning a word to the 26 letters, and the following person has to repeat the previous letters and words then add another. Beginning with "A is for alphabet," the next person says "A is for alphabet, B is for bowling," and so on. Perhaps the only game we have never heard of being successfully completed from A-to-Z, you'll want to beware of playing this game with Scrabble masters.

Alphabet
Another alphabet game that might appear to be much easier than A is for Armadillo, all this one requires you to do is find the letters of the alphabet in order on road signs or license plates. It can be played in succession—one person finds the letter A, the next finds the letter B—or concurrently, with the first person to find the letter getting the credit. It's all fun and games until you get to fringe letters like Q and X, and you'd be surprised how hard letters like K and V are to find in some parts of the country. For added difficulty if you've got a long way to drive, play with numbers instead, finding them up to the number 30 in succession. This is especially fun to play in Florida, which has a ton of vanity and single-digit plates.

Cow Poker
First off: this is only about counting cows. Players are divided into left side and right side, and the two sides count the cows they see on their side of the road. If you drive by a cemetery, then the team on the same side as the cemetery loses all of its cows and has to start over from zero. In its original bovine form, this game is probably best played in the remaining parts of the country where cows still roam. Nevertheless, you're even less likely to find cows and cemeteries on the same stretch of highway anymore, so you can substitute objects like billboards or tractors for cows, and a particular-yet-rare gas station, like Esso or Gulf, for the cemetery. But keep the name Cow Poker. You can never substitute that.