10 Things Teens Should Know About Cars and Driving

It's essential for young drivers to know what to do when they are stopped by a police officer.

When a teenager gets a driver license, it signifies freedom and the lure of the open road. But with this newfound freedom comes a host of new situations and possible problems that most teen drivers have never encountered before. It's a good idea to review these scenarios with new drivers in your family, and discuss how to handle them before they happen for real.

From traffic stops to road rage, here's a primer on what you need to tell teen drivers as they take to the roads.

1. What to do when you're stopped by a police officer
Safely pull to the side of the road, turn off your car, roll down the window and keep your hands visible. Don't make any sudden moves or argue with the officer. Do your arguing in traffic court.

For more information, read "Avoiding Traffic Tickets."

2. How to deal with a flat tire
Pull completely off the road, even if it means destroying the tire. Call roadside assistance and let that person change the tire. If you have a spare (many cars now only have an inflation kit) and know how to change the tire, make sure you are out of traffic and in plain sight of oncoming traffic before changing it yourself.

For more information, read "How To Change a Flat Tire" and "The Disappearing Spare Tire."

3. What to do when the "check engine" light comes on
If there is any change in the car's performance, any mechanical noises, smoke from the tailpipe or electrical smells, stop the car and call for assistance. If there are none of these symptoms, take the car to a dealer and let them diagnose the problem. However, if you just bought gas, the light might just be indicating that the gas cap is loose. Tighten the cap and continue driving. The light should go off on its own.

For more information, read "What Your Check Engine Light Is Telling You."

4. How to deal with a friend who is about to drive under the influence
Don't get in the car. Do anything not to drive with an intoxicated person, and that includes calling your parents for a lift or paying for a taxi. Your next move is to try to prevent your drunken friend from hurting themselves or someone else.

For more information, read "Stop Your Friend from Getting a DUI."

5. How to drive safely while talking on a cell phone
Most states ban all cell phone use by novice drivers, so be sure you know if these provisions apply where you live. If it's permissible to use a cell, always use a hands-free device so you can keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. Learn how to pair your phone with the car's Bluetooth system. Don't even think about texting while driving (no, not even at stoplights).

For more information, read "Texting While Driving: Targeted for Extinction" and "Driven to Distraction: Cell Phones in the Car."

6. How to get an honest quote for an automotive repair
Search Edmunds.com's Car Maintenance Guide or the Web to get an estimate for how much the repair should cost. Search online for garages with high customer ratings and ask friends for recommended garages. Call the garage and ask for a ballpark estimate and let the garage know you are contacting other places for their best quote. Use your intuition to make the final decision on whom to trust.

For more information, read "Avoid Getting Ripped off on Repairs and Maintenance."

7. How to buy a new car
Don't just wander onto a dealership's car lot. Instead, contact the Internet department of several dealerships to get multiple quotes and compare these with Edmunds.com's True Market Value® price for any car you're interested in. Make sure you check incentives and rebates. Follow up with phone calls to the Internet managers of these dealerships to verify the terms of their offers. Finally, ask the dealership to deliver the car to your home or office to avoid the hard sell in the finance and insurance office.

For more information, read our "Quick Guide to Buying a Car."

8. What to do after an auto accident
If the car is drivable and there are no serious injuries, turn on your flashers and pull safely out of traffic. Call the police to report the accident. Exchange insurance information with the other driver but refrain from discussing the accident and who is at fault. Make notes and use your cell phone's camera to take pictures of the cars involved.

For more information, read "What To Do After a Car Accident."

9. How to drive in rain and snow
Reduce your speed and leave more room between your vehicle and those in front of you. Understand how to handle skids. If possible, practice reacting to skidding in safe conditions, such as a snow-covered empty parking lot. Understand that a car might hydroplane on a rain puddle on the road and learn how to react to driving with reduced traction and visibility.

For more information, read "How to Drive in the Snow" and "Tips and Techniques for Driving in Rain."

10. How to avoid road rage situations
Understand the severe consequences to you, your car and your driving record when minor disagreements escalate to life-threatening situations. When someone offends you, take a deep breath and know that your anger will dissolve in minutes. Don't anger other drivers by cutting them off or tailgating. If you've inadvertently angered another driver, don't get drawn into interacting with them. Ignore them or, if necessary, change your route. Finally, repeat this phrase: It's just not worth it.

For more information, read "Top 10 Tips To Prevent Road Rage."

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Clean Your Car Without Washing It

After a light rain or dew, a squeegee is a quick way to keep those horrible drying marks off your windshield.

You have a hot date or an important appointment and you rush outside, only to find that your car looks like a hazmat zone. Luckily, you still have five minutes to do something about it. But where do you start?

Take a tip from used-car salesmen and give your car "curb appeal" — a good overall first impression. When you can't make use of a car wash, even little things can make a world of difference.

The folks at Meguiar's Inc. know a lot about making cars look good. The company's core market is enthusiasts who lavish attention on their cars. But Mike Pennington, Meguiar's director of training and consumer relations, was willing to talk about the gray area between a few swipes with a car duster and a full-on Saturday morning "bucket wash."

"We don't want to tell people not to wash their car anymore," he says. "But if you are willing to put a little time into it, you'll be surprised at how good your car can look."

Over at Turtle Wax Inc., Michael Schultz, senior vice president of research and development, says car finishes are more durable and the chemistry of waxes and car-care products has changed. This means that for minor indiscretions — think fingerprints, bird droppings and light dust — you can use a spray detailer to sharpen up the look of your car.

But one expert, who used to prepare cars for photo shoots, sounded a note of caution: Be careful of too obviously cleaning just one section of the car. It might draw attention to how dirty the rest of it is.

Here are six tricks you can use to keep up the good looks of your car between car washes. Think of it as triage for a dirty car.

Triage Tip 1: Clean horizontal surfaces with a spray detailer. You don't have to clean the whole car, just the obvious surfaces that catch dew or light rain and leave water marks. The eyesore areas are the hood, trunk and rear bumper.

Schultz recommends cleaning these surfaces in sections, using a spray detailer and microfiber towel, which is finely woven and makes better contact with the car's surface. For example, divide the hood in quarters and clean the four sections individually. He estimates you could even clean the entire car this way with spray detailer and only four towels.

Many car enthusiasts worry about scratching or putting swirl marks in the car's finish. The spray detailer is designed to avoid this by lubricating the dirt so it can be wiped up with a towel. But Schultz stresses the importance of flipping the towel often so you don't grind dirt into the clear coat — the transparent finish covering the car's paint.

Triage Tip 2: A clean windshield is (almost) a clean car. Glass is easy to clean and it sparkles like a jewel once you remove the haze and grime. Visibility is a huge safety factor, but a clean windshield also just makes you feel better about your car. When you're finished with the outside of the windshield, clean the driver-side window and side mirror, too. And for bonus points, clean the inside of the windshield and rearview mirror.

Keep a bottle of glass cleaner in your trunk, along with a roll of paper towels or the aforementioned microfiber towels. A foam spray cleaner also works well. For the really lazy folks, there's a squeegee. In addition to cleaning, a squeegee works well in the morning when there is dew all over the windshield. Squeegee off the morning moisture and your glass won't be left with those horrible drying marks.

Triage Tip 3: Take out the trash. It's a car, not a dumpster. Pull up next to a trash can somewhere and throw away papers, food or other junk that dates from the second Bush administration. Better yet, put a small trash bag in your car and empty it often, Pennington suggests.

While you're shoveling out your car, you might find a couple bucks' worth of change. Use it to buy a car deodorizer. Pennington says car interiors can absorb smells, but there are new products that actually absorb dreaded foul odors rather than just mask them. We've tested a few and they seem to work.

Triage Tip 4: Shake out the floor mats. When time is tight and you don't have a vacuum, you can simply grab your floor mats and shake off all the gravel, loose dirt, sand or — heaven forbid — used ketchup packets. The mat on the driver side probably is secured, so you'll have to work it off the anchors first. But the other floor mats are unattached and you can simply whisk them out for a quick flapping.

Triage Tip 5: Clean the wheels and tires. Pennington says that having dirty wheels on a clean car is like wearing old shoes with a new suit. So it makes sense to make the "shoes" look as sharp as possible.

The absolutely laziest way to go is just to use a cotton rag to wipe off the flat center section of your rims. (There's too much dirt on the rims for one of your microfiber towels to handle.) If time allows, work the rag into the spokes or crevices. You also can use a brush for the hard-to-reach areas.

As tires degrade, the rubber takes on a brownish hue that makes them look dull, Schultz says. So after you're finished cleaning the wheels, apply tire black with a sponge. Easier still, just use a spray product to get a quick shine.

Triage Tip 6: Clean anything you touch or look at. When you're in the car, you spend a lot of time looking at the gauges, the dashboard and the center console. So take that microfiber towel you used on the car's exterior and quickly clean off a few strategic areas inside the car. The plastic covering for the gauges is a must. Then, wipe the dust off the dashboard and sweep the fingerprints from the center console. Our experts recommend keeping car cleaning wipes in the glove compartment for quick interior touch-ups.

Now that you're finished, here's one more suggestion to make your life easier: Be very careful where you park. Sprinklers can undo all your hard work. And if you leave your car under the wrong tree, you might return to find it looking like a rock in the Galapagos Islands.

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Navigation Tech Checklist for Car Shoppers

Preparation

Review the vehicle owner's manual.

Starting Out: General GPS Navigation Features

Is the screen large enough to read easily? Even in bright sunlight?

Does the interface include:
A touchscreen?
Knobs and buttons?
A combination of both?
Is the interface easy and intuitive to use?

Does the system respond quickly to inputs?

Does the system provide:
Voice activation?
Geo fencing?
Weather reports?
Restaurant ratings?
Topographical maps?
Traffic info?
Notification of traffic incidents
Fuel finder
"Breadcrumbing"?
Off-road routing?

Mapping Software and Graphics:

Where does mapping software reside?
DVD
Hard disk
SD card

Mapping software can be updated. Cost to update $ _____

Are map graphics realistic and detailed?

Does the map provide a:
3-D view?
Aerial view? If so, is the angle adjustable?
Does the system have color-coded maps showing parks, shopping malls, etc.?

Destination and POI Input

Can you input destinations by:
Address?
Intersection?
POI?
Phone number?
Point on map?
Other?

Does the system include an address book?

Does the system have a "Home" button for quick routing?

Does the system provide info and routing to emergency services?

Does the system allow inputting multiple destinations and waypoints for stops along a route?

Number of Points of Interest (POIs) ____

Routing

Do you have a choice of routes to a destination?
Quickest?
Shortest?

Can you avoid freeways/toll roads/ferries/etc.?

Is it easy to cancel a route?

Does the system quickly and easily reroute you if you miss a turn?

Can you preview a chosen route? If so, in what level of detail?

Are the turn-by-turn directions clear via:
Map graphics on the display?
Voice guidance through the audio system?

Does the system provide:
A split screen at turns showing your upcoming maneuver on one side and a routing screen on other side?
Lane guidance for negotiating complex freeway exits?

See the related articles in the Car Technology 101 series.

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Making Child Safety Seats and LATCH More User-Friendly

Inflatable seatbelts, which debuted as an option in the 2011 Ford Explorer, "were definitely designed with kids in mind," according to the carmaker.

Parents, car manufacturers and car seat makers are all aiming to keep kids safer in vehicles. And while there have been important advances in the last few years, significant challenges remain. More than 1,000 children under age 12 die in vehicle crashes in the U.S. each year. More than 100,000 are injured.

One advance meant to better secure children has been in place since 2002: the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system for child car seats. And in March 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) updated its car seat guidelines. It now recommends keeping young children in rear-facing seats longer, as well as keeping older children in the backseat longer.

But parents often struggle with the restraint systems meant to keep the young riders safer, whether that's an infant seat or a booster seat. And a number of groups are trying to do something about it.

Understanding the Problem
While proper use of child safety seats has improved, less than a third of forward-facing child seats had the recommended top tether in place, according to a recent survey by Safe Kids USA, an advocacy group.

Three out of four parents don't install child car seats correctly, according to an often-quoted NHTSA study. Booster seats for older kids can pose problems, too. The seatbelts used to secure them sometimes don't fit properly.

Throw in the variety of car seats available — more than 40 companies make child-restraint systems — and the seemingly endless configurations among vehicles, and it's easy to see how ensuring safety for young riders can be a complex, frustrating experience.

Regulators, carmakers and safety-seat manufacturers are increasingly aware of the problems, however, and say that they are at work on them. Here is a look at the major car seat issues, how they are being addressed and where parents can find help in dealing with them until they are resolved — or until some improvements are at least offered.

Using the "Safest" Position in the Vehicle
Parents hear conflicting information on where child seats should be placed, says Anne McCartt, Ph.D., senior vice president for research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

"Parents hear the center backseat is the safest," she says. ''They are also encouraged to use LATCH.'' However, most cars position the LATCH anchors on the "outboard" backseats, which are the ones closest to the windows, not in the center seat.

This is an instance of the ideal clashing with reality. Vehicles are required to have the lower anchors in a minimum of two seating positions, says Jose Ucles, a NHTSA spokesman. It's up to the car manufacturers to decide which two positions to use. And while the center backseat position is the safest, carmakers often opt for the outboard positions because it's easier for parents to secure seats and children there, he says.

Parents who want to use the center position will have to secure the seats with safety belts. According to NHTSA and IIHS, that's an acceptable option.

"While LATCH makes it easier to properly install car seats in vehicles, it's important for parents and caregivers to know that securing a child seat with a seatbelt is equally as safe — and they have the flexibility to use either system," NHTSA administrator David Strickland said in a statement to Edmunds.com.

NHTSA officials are researching LATCH use in the rear center seat, Strickland said. And some vehicles do have a dedicated LATCH system for the center backseats. For instance, the 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan has LATCH in the center back of the third row, says Brian Lyons, a Toyota spokesman. The 2011 Toyota Sequoia SUV has it in the second row center position.

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Company tells parents they may use the anchors from the two outboard seats that are closest to the center to secure a child safety seat in the back-center position — if certain requirements are met (see pages 218-223 in this owner's manual for the 2012 Ford Explorer). For example, the seat manufacturer's instructions have to permit use with the anchor spacing provided when using the outboard anchors. Ford experts have tested the center position in that way, says Wes Sherwood, a Ford spokesperson.

But that's not possible in all vehicles that have a middle backseat, Sherwood says. A seat can't be secured that way in the Mustang, for instance, he notes. NHTSA spokesman Ucles adds that NHTSA itself cannot sign off on this use suggested by Ford, since it's still being researched.

Choosing the Outside Seat
For parents, the decision about which car seat position to use is swayed by practicality. "It's easier to get a car seat in and in tight when it is in the outboard position," says Dan Edmunds, director of vehicle testing for Edmunds.com.

He's speaking not only as an automotive engineer but a parent of two who has installed and coped with his share of car seats and vehicle models. And in his opinion, the outboard seat also makes it easier to get children in and out of a vehicle, so it's the most common choice anyway.

That's no small consideration when you add up multiple trips and multiple children. In some cases, Edmunds says, the driver may need more legroom and the front seat may be pushed too far back for the center-back position to accommodate a child seat.

Focusing on getting the seat tightly installed is the most important thing, he says.

If LATCH makes installation easier and it's on an outside position, use it, he suggests. If you're transporting two children, separating them by the center space may have an additional benefit, he says: less bickering en route.

Doing LATCH Right
While parents are free to bypass LATCH and use seatbelts to anchor a child seat, many choose to use LATCH. But they need to better understand its correct use, experts say.

While many parents know about the system's lower anchors, they often overlook the other half of LATCH — the top tethers, says Emilie B.K. Crown, program manager with Montgomery County Fire Rescue in Maryland and an expert in child passenger safety. "Usually once people find the top tether, they use it correctly," she says.

Other LATCH mistakes are common, according to a self-help site, The Car Seat Lady. Among them are using the wrong belt path for the lower anchor strap, using lower anchors to install a seat in booster mode (not usually permitted) and using the lower anchors when a child is over the weight limit recommended by the seat maker. Indeed, the rise in childhood obesity has prompted experts to urge parents to check the weight limits of car safety seats.

To address such mistakes, manufacturers are getting better at providing instructions on seat installation, Crown says. Most car seat makers have online videos and Web site illustrations to help parents.

What would make installation even easier, she believes, is color coding, so parents can easily see what strap fits with what anchor. It's somewhat akin to home entertainment systems, where connectors and ports are often color-coded for easy matching.

What's needed for car seats and LATCH is an easier and more foolproof system to increase the number of proper installations, says Chris Theodore, a former engineer and top-level executive in the auto industry and now a technical advisor for Lap Belt Cinch, a company that makes safety devices.

Take the example of the center backseat that often lacks LATCH. Carmakers, Theodore says, "might take another look" and install a third LATCH system there.

The IIHS also is looking at the usability of LATCH across many different types of vehicles, McCartt says. It hopes to publish results soon and to evaluate or rate LATCH systems in different cars to guide parents.

NHTSA is working on a voluntary program that would help give parents some information on the best matches between seats and vehicles. At least one carmaker — Nissan — already offers an online guide that shows parents which seats fit with which of its car models.

Improving Booster Seat Safety
Booster seats for older children also can be problematic. The seats are meant to lift children so that the safety belts designed for adults fit them better.

The boosters on the market today are better than they used to be at fitting the lap and shoulder belts on kids, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Still, it can be difficult to pick the right booster to achieve the right belt fit in a specific vehicle.

The government doesn't include belt fit in the regulation for booster seats, McCartt says.

The makers of booster seats crash-test the devices, and the government does dynamic tests of crash performance, McCartt says. But what is crucial is the belt's fit. For that reason, IIHS is conducting tests for belt fit on boosters, she says.

Using a special device, the IIHS researchers are testing booster seats, using a dummy that represents a 6-year-old child. For a good booster fit, the lap belt should lie flat and on top of the thighs, not higher up on the abdomen.

The shoulder belt should fit across the middle of the youngster's shoulder. The Institute posts illustrations of good fit and poor fit on its site.

The Institute also offers ratings of car seats. In IIHS's 2011 rating of 62 booster seats, 31 earned "best bet" ratings and another five were "good bets." Six boosters were "not recommended," because they did not provide proper belt fit. IIHS advised consumers to avoid them. The biggest group of boosters — 41 of them — fell into the "check fit" category. IIHS said those seats are a good fit for some children in some vehicles, but not as many as the "good bet" or "best bet" seats.

Booster Seat Options?
Another option that's on the market is SeatSnug. The palm-size device, made by Lap Belt Cinch, Inc., clips onto an existing seatbelt. It helps tighten the lap belt by pulling the shoulder strap until it rests snugly, according to company information. It sells for about $30.

''Kids move around," says Theodore, who advises the company. "When kids move around, the lap belt moves around."

Some car manufacturers offer built-in boosters. For instance, Volvo's XC60 SUV and XC70 wagon offer "dual-stage" integrated boosters. One position fits children 45-55 inches and the other fits kids 37-47 inches, says Volvo spokesperson Laura DiStefano.

Another more limited solution is a set of inflatable seatbelts for the rear seats. The inflatable belts debuted as an option on the 2011 Ford Explorer. "These inflatable seatbelts were definitely designed with kids in mind," says Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood.

Ford expects to offer them on other models soon. On the Explorer, they cost about $200, Sherwood says.

The belts combine characteristics of traditional belts and airbags. The system aims to reduce head, neck and chest injuries, he adds.

The Bottom Line
Government officials say they can't comment on any of the new add-on devices, as they haven't been tested by NHTSA. Some experts warn that no device should be used unless the car seat maker approves of it.

No matter what seat or system a parent uses, what's crucial is proper installation and use. NHTSA urges parents to read the owner's manuals for their seat and their car, and to find a local fitting station to be sure they've done everything correctly. This can be done by visiting NHTSA's Web site.

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Car Tech 101: Music Player Integration Basics

As with this 2010 Subaru Tribeca, most new cars come with an aux-in jack that allows you to plug a music player into the stereo system.

The Apple iPod made it convenient to carry thousands of music files, liberating us from all those CDs and cassette tapes that used to clutter up the backseat. It's no wonder the iPod has become the dominant portable music player for the car. In fact, the term "iPod integration" could easily be swapped for "music player integration" as far as car people are concerned.

While the iPod is the de facto standard in car audio, the way it's controlled by the driver varies from car to car, even though there's some consistency among automakers in terms of how the device is physically connected to the vehicle. So what we'll do here is lay out the basics of music player integration, so you'll know what to look for when you start shopping for a car.

When you're ready to visit a dealer, check out our "How To Test Drive Music Player Integration" so that you can determine whether a system operates in the way you prefer and has the features you're looking for. We also put together a Music Player Integration Checklist, as well as tips to help you avoid the hassle you might get from a car dealership when you're testing audio tech in a car on the showroom floor.

Music Player Connections
There are four ways to connect an iPod or other music player to a vehicle: 1) aux-in connection; 2) USB port; 3) proprietary connections; or 4) Bluetooth audio. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, although we believe a USB connection is often the best option.

Aux-in connection: This is a common feature in most new cars. You plug an auxiliary cable (readily available at most electronics stores) into a car's aux-in jack on one end and the music player's headphone jack on the other. The "aux" music source typically has to be selected on a car's stereo and you hear the sound from the music player through the speakers.

The upside of an aux-in connection is that it comes standard in most cars and doesn't cost extra. An aux accessory cable is also inexpensive, and you use the familiar controls on the music player itself, not controls in the car. But the last point is also a downside, because fussing with a music player while you're driving is distracting.

USB port: Most carmakers now offer this computer-style connection. The port is often located side by side with the aux-in jack. You just plug in your iPod, using the computer-sync cable that comes with the device.

The advantage of the USB connection is that you can control the iPod through the car's stereo and charge the device's battery at the same time. There's almost no disadvantage to this setup, except that many systems lock out the controls of a connected device so you can't use them while you're driving.

Another advantage of a USB port is that it can accommodate a USB thumb-style memory drive that will store digital music files. The system will play these just as if they were on an iPod or another USB-based music player. A 4GB USB thumb drive that can hold about 1,000 songs sells for under $20 — far less than a pricey music player. Also, you can load the drives with tunes and leave them in a car without fear of having them stolen.

Proprietary connections: You'll also find these connections in some vehicles. They rely on a cable supplied by the automaker that plugs into the iPod's 30-pin connector on one end, just as a USB cable does. The other end plugs into a connection that's unique to the vehicle. Another connection setup uses a two-pronged cable that has to plug into both the aux-in jack and a USB port.

Bluetooth audio: The same technology that allows you to transfer a conversation from a mobile phone to a car's stereo can also let you wirelessly stream music between compatible devices. Though Bluetooth audio was an esoteric feature just a few years ago, it has quickly become a widespread feature in cars from all price categories. But the features available with in-car Bluetooth audio are limited compared with most music players. Typically, the only features available are play/pause and track-skip forward/back. Such information as the name of the artist and the title of the song isn't displayed. For more on this topic, check out the story Wireless Audio Streaming: Bluetooth's Second Act.

Music Player Interface
The physical connection that determines how your music gets from the player to the car's stereo is really a set-it-and-forget-it feature, something that you'll have to establish just once. The music player's interface is what you'll be using every day, however. And it can make accessing your music effortless or frustrating.

Every automaker has its own preferred interface for operating a music player, and the design is not always consistent, even across the same make and model of a car. Some automakers place media player controls in the dashboard near the radio. Some put them in a touchscreen display. Some house them in a controller mounted on the center console. And some put them on the steering wheel. Even more perplexing, a car can offer some combination of all of these.

Some vehicles add voice activation to the interface, so you can access the contents of a media player or files stored on a USB drive just by pressing a button and saying a specific command. Ford's Sync system, for example, allows the driver to call up music simply by saying the name of a song, an artist, an album, playlist or genre. It also has a "Play Similar" command that automatically creates playlists based on the music that's currently playing.

Because media player interfaces differ from car to car, it's important that you bring your device with you to try the controls firsthand on the car that you're planning to buy. If you prefer, bring a USB drive loaded with music files. Get a feel for how you'll access the content on the device or USB drive while you're behind the wheel. If the vehicle has voice recognition, see how well it works with your devices and your voice.

Vehicles also vary in how they present the information from a music player or USB drive. Some display the information on the large in-dash monitor that's also used for navigation. Others employ a smaller dash display for the radio or a display in the instrument panel. Make sure that the information is easy to comprehend at a glance and that it can be seen even in harsh sunlight.

Music Player Control Features
Fortunately, the control features for your music player do not vary much between vehicles. All systems have the basic features of track skip forward/back and fast-forward/back. Most also have the functions you find on an iPod, such as Repeat, Shuffle and Play All. A few of the latest systems also can display album artwork.

There's another commonality among most premium systems for in-car audio: All use the familiar iPod menu structure of playlists, artists, albums and songs. The best systems also include the additional categories of genres, composers, audio books and podcasts.

If you have a large amount of music on your player, some systems force you to scroll through menus one item at a time to get to the one you want. At the same time, some players have features that let you quickly go from Abba to ZZ Top. Some GM vehicles with touchscreens also have a feature called Music Navigator, which uses a slider and arrows on one side to speed up scrolling. The List Jump feature found in various Chryslers allows you to access items by typing in the first letters on a touchscreen. Of course, with accurate voice control, you can get to the music selection you want just by pushing a button and speaking a command.

It's also important to think about the features that you use most on your iPod. For example, if you regularly listen to podcasts and audio books, find out how their titles and chapters are displayed. See if they're easy to access. Also see if they'll pick up where you left off when you shut down the car or unplug your device. And if your music player doubles as your phone, consider where it's stored. If it needs to tuck into a glovebox or center console because that's where the USB port is located, it could be a pain to dig out each time the phone rings. Of course, if the phone is connected by Bluetooth, this shouldn't be a problem.

Many of these features work the same way for a USB thumb-style memory drive. The primary difference is that most in-car systems show the music files on a USB drive according to the folders where the music is stored. But once you open a folder, a system will usually organize it by the familiar iPod-like menu structure.

Mixed Musical Blessings
The advent of the iPod and other media storage devices has been both a blessing and a curse for drivers. You can carry more music in your car than ever before, but the process of figuring out how to best integrate devices and manage their music while you're driving can be maddening. That's why it's best to consider the issues before you buy a car and test your music player with your vehicle choice right on the showroom floor. With any luck, this article and the others in Car Tech 101 can help prevent buyer's remorse.

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