If you’ve been reading about this adventure here and here, you’ve already heard about how sad it made me to make the decision to sell my old Acura, but how much I do actually like the new Prius C. And I do like it. 

...when it comes to making sound car decisions, that is.

The Motley Fool's John Rosevear writes about a TrueCar study on new-car buying preferences which came to the shocking conclusion that when it comes to car buying, women make more practical choices, while men are more likely to buy "based on more visceral factors," which means that they tend to prefer "brawny" or "flashy" choices whereas women lean toward smaller vehicles and imports.

Now, this isn't news, it's something we've been aware of for some time.  But let's not get carried away.  Sometimes girls go for the flashy choices as well (see my own car Valentine wish list if you need proof), and I know several women who drive the big pickup trucks.  Let's get this out of the way first: this post isn't meant to marginalize or reinforce a gender binary, though I did use a flashy headline and snarky graphic (made you look!).  By and large, women seem to be making more practical car choices, according to this survey - but the more important part, to me, is that this divide isn't quite as wide as it once was.  The gender gap is narrowing, and that's the more important point here.  Let's get to it:

With the most recent spike in gas prices promising not-so-promising future outlook on fuel costs, heading to your local dealership and buying a Nissan Leaf may be tempting. Undoubtedly, hybrid and electric vehicles are the wave of the future. However, before jumping into an expensive car purchase, be sure that you are fully educated on the types of alternative-fuel vehicles, how they operate and what you can expect from your purchase. Here are some key points to consider if you’re in the market for something a little more friendly on your wallet: 

It's infographic time again!  This time the topic is an annoying one.  Here's the scoop.  

Michelin recently sponsored a survey to identify the most annoying driving behaviors. The leading response? Tailgating, according to a whopping 94% of responders.  Of those, nearly three quarters (74% if you wanna get technical) of respondents said they'd be tailgated by another driver in the past six months - but only 11% admitted to doing it themselves.  Sounds like some people are being less than honest.  Tailgating wouldn't be a problem if only 11% of us did it!

The infographic follows past the jump.  Check it out, or I'll tailgate you!

It's that time again!  Technical Tuesdays, where we bring you video tips from our own Jody DeVere.  Today Jody tells us how to remove a stubborn, stuck lug nut from a flat tire.  Nothing's more frustrating than having a flat in the middle of your day - but struggling with the lug nuts to change that tire can amplify that frustration tenfold. 

Head past the jump to join Jody and learn the secret to loosening a stuck lug nut.  See you next Tuesday!

For our second wedding anniversary last August, my husband totally surprised me with a 1967 Corvette Sting Ray. I was completely shocked and over the moon. We have quite the car collection but I would consider them basically “his” cars.  I have always been a huge Corvette fan. My father owned 1957 and 1971 Vettes since before I was born. My father passed away almost 14 years ago now but the cars are still in my mom’s possession.

This particular car my husband bought for me was the exact car that I had the amazing opportunity to drive in Brad Paisley’s “Old Alabama” music video last spring. The video was shot in the Charlotte, North Carolina using Mr. Hendrick’s Heritage Center and many of his spectacular cars. My husband is currently and has also, in the past worked for Mr. Hendrick and over the years they have developed a close friendship. So I am sure making the deal to buy the car wasn’t all that difficult.

I'll go ahead and preface with this - a fashionista I am not.  I'm a jeans and tee shirt gal, and if I wear a dress it means I'm going someplace fancy.  That said - I do love a nice pair of pumps.  And I do love the aesthetic of classic cars.  Have I ever thought of marrying the two?  In a word, no.  But that's not stopping Prada!  

Feast your eyes on these - I don't even know what to call them - astounding shoes.  Yes, those are taillights, a la 50's hot rods.  The other designs sport flames or sleek, understated curves.  Garish?  Most definitely.  Is that a bad thing?  Not really!  I have some couture-conscious friends who would absolutely love to rock these with an edgy rockabilly look.  

Would I wear them?  Maybe not, but that's an unfair question.  I don't have anything to wear with them. These shoes are fashion hot rods - if the rest of your outfit can't keep up with them, you're going to be left in their dust.  

We featured these designs on the Ask Patty Pinterest board (hey, you pinners, follow us!), and  if you're just burning and yearning for more, head past the jump for all the Prada Hot Rod shoes you can handle, including a gallery of other designs and a video featuring these bad-to-the-bone shoes in action.

It is hard to believe it's April already!  It's time again to take a look at all the great things going on in the world of our Certified Female Friendly locations across the Ask Patty nation.  Things are hopping all over the place, it seemed like every day a new news item made it onto the carnival list.   Let's take a look.  Here we go!

Vincent Nobile and the Mountain View Racing team made it to the final round of NHRA Pro Stock racing in Las Vegas today. Despite Vincent's excellent 0.008 reaction time, he got edged out by Allen Johnson. They're back at it April 13th in Charlotte, NC. http://www.nhra.com/drivers/pro-stock/nobile/

Independent Tire, in North Andover, MA, is accepting donations on behalf of the YWCA.  They are collecting old cell phones (with batteries, accessories not necessary) to help the YWCA's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program. Proceeds support the YWCA of Greater Lawrence’s Violence Prevention Programs, which provide emergency services to women and children, as well as offer schools, companies and the public preventive education programs on domestic and sexual violence.  They will also accept food donations for the homeless and less fortunate in their community.   More information is located on their website: http://www.independenttirema.com/about-us.aspx

Lone Star Chevrolet in Houston has won “General Motors Dealer of the Year” - this will be the 10th year that Lone Star Chevrolet has received this award. "No other Chevrolet Dealer in Houston can make that claim. We are proud of our customers , who actually elect Lone Star Chevrolet to this esteemed position, and our associates who work every day to try and satisfy all of our customer’s needs."   Less than 1% of all GM Dealerships ever win this prestigious award.  And if that wasn't enough, we're SUPER proud to announce that Lone Star Chevrolet is the #1 CHEVY DEALER IN THE NATION as of April 2012!  That's super awesome!!  Congratulations to Lone Star Chevrolet on both of these OUTSTANDING accomplishments.

Graff Chevrolet in Bay City, Michigan, announced their first ever "Cutest Baby Contest" starting March 26, 2012! "We are looking for the cutest baby in the Bay County and Saginaw County areas – could this be your child? They could win a $200, $150, or $100 Meijer Gift Card!"  Follow Graff Chevrolet on FaceBook to see the winning photos: http://www.facebook.com/graffchevrolet?sk=app_206541889369118&app_data=dlt

Autotech Collision is proud to be a drop-off point for Cell Phones For Soldiers. Stop by their Douglasville, Georgia location and recycle your old unused cell phones.  Cell Phones for Soldiers is a recycling program providing support for active military personnel.  Fast and convenient, cell phones are accepted in any condition.  More information is located on their website: http://autotechcollision.co/Home_Page.php

Turner's Body Shop  Newly repaired vehicles aren't the only the only things rolling out of Turner's Body Shop in Virginia. Fresh baked breads and goodies, using local ingredients and local providers, are give to customers as a "Thank you."  No detail is overlooked to provide a full service customer experience.  Follow them on FaceBook to see their impressive before and after photos: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turners-Body-Shop-Inc/319836684204

Lex Brodie's Tire Co, Earn & Learn Recycling program highlights their ongoing support of their local communities and the environment. The Lex Brodie’s Tire Company Foundation will make a matching donation of up to $1,000.00 to the Oahu school that raises the most money from a HI5 recycling drive held between March 16th, 2011 and March 15th, 2012. The second place school will receive a $500.00 matching donation.   Last year's recycling drive, Punahou school collected $1,341, while Hawaii Baptist Academy took second with $1,166.  Visit Lex Brodie's online for more information: http://www.lexbrodies.com/

Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair is the "2012 SBDC Success Award Winner!" (Arizona Small Business Development Center ).  “The Success Awards provide an annual opportunity to recognize and applaud the achievements of Arizona small businesses,” and Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair was among the select few to receive this year's honor.  Click here to read the full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2012/03/08/2012-success-awards-announced.html

Plus, Community Tire hosted a car seat recycling event this month.  Did you know that most car seats expire within six years of the manufacture date? Plastic car seats break down over time – especially in the Arizona sun. The harness can actually break through the car seat if a car seat is used past its expiration date. COMMUNITY TIRE PROS along with NARPRO agreed to help the Safe Kids Program for Maricopa County. Safe Kids collected child car care seats from April 11th to April 18th, 2012.  The seats will be completely recycled - metals, fabrics, even straps.

Metric Motors in Taos, New Mexico, hosted a free Car Care Clinic in March to cover the basic and most essential topics: Regular Maintenance, Basic Car Care, Familiarity with your Vehicle.  Empowering women with basic automotive skills and information is the theme for their clinics and the March presentation was another huge success.  View their website for more information: http://www.metricmotorstaos.com/clinics

Check out these photos of the event:

Blog Carnival AskPatty.com

With summer comes an increase in driving and Continental Tire wants to help people across the U.S. save money, be kind to the environment, and arrive to their destinations safely by providing a few easy maintenance tips.  But first, it's worth noting a few statistics from a 2010 survey conducted by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA).  Survey findings include:

• Only 17% of vehicles had four properly inflated tires.
• 55% of vehicles had at least one under inflated tire.
• Nearly 7 out of 10 drivers do not check the tire pressure in their spare tire.
• Just 15% of motorists revealed that they know how to correctly check tire pressure.

These findings coupled with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistic that underinflated tires contribute to more than 600 highway fatalities and 33,000 thousand injuries each year is astonishing.  Additionally, under inflated tires cause U.S. drivers to waste 1.2 billion gallons of fuel annually and with gas prices reaching $4.00 a gallon, who can afford that.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, properly inflated tires can improve fuel efficiency by 3.3 percent and save 12 cents per gallon at the pump. 

Our Technical Tuesday series featuring Jody DeVere's eHow video series continues today with an area that mystifies most people, myself included.  The strange tangle of hoses and belts that snake about under your hood.   Jody de-mystifies the tangle and explains what a technician looks for when deciding if the belt or hose needs replacing.  Empower yourself - watch the video and check on your own hoses and belts, before the coming summer weather causes more tell-tale cracks and weaknesses!    Watch the video after the jump.