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#1
There's a lot you can do, though, to make urban driving easier, both when choosing a car and while out on the road. Here are some tips that will make nasty drives into the city less stressful and more enjoyable.
Get a car that fits: Whether you find street parking is often a direct function of your car's size. Even the paid parking lots seem to have spaces only for "compact" cars. If you do a lot of city driving, having a smaller car — in width as well as length — will not only make parking easier but will help prevent dings, dents and scrapes. You can research a car's exterior dimensions on the "Reviews and Specs" tab in our New Cars section .
Think carefully about manual vs. automatic: Manual-transmission cars are fun, less expensive and often more fuel-efficient, but driving them in stop-and-go traffic can make driving stressful and tiring, particularly in hilly cities like San Francisco. So weigh the trade-offs between the two transmissions if you know you'll be in town frequently.
Look for parking assist technology. No one likes the sound of a truck in reverse ("beep, beep, beep"), but the electronic chime of parking assist will help you squeeze into small spaces with less trouble. (It may also prevent you from running into a person or object behind you.)
Drive with mileage in mind. Don't speed up just to slow down. If you lean on the accelerator when the light turns green, then again on the brake one street down, you're hurting both your car and your gas mileage. Instead, go lightly on the accelerator and coast where possible. If you're bumper-to-bumper, improve your fuel economy by slipping the car into neutral instead of constantly riding the brake.
Pick a lane and stick to it. Believe it or not, changing lanes frequently will get you there only a few seconds earlier, while greatly increasing your chance of a collision.
Remember to replace your cabin's air filter. City driving means smog and soot. Your air filter protects you and your occupants from breathing the worst of the fumes and the particulates they carry.
Make your car crime-resistant. Take it from an ex-Manhattanite: You can't be too careful. Try to park in an area that's well lit and has a lot of pedestrians nearby. Don't leave valuables — including gym or shopping bags — visible in the car. And more importantly, be proactive in securing your car by layering it with anti-theft protection like a starter disable switch, a wheel lock and a car alarm.
Approach with caution. Driving is made exponentially more difficult if you're new to a city. Locals know which roads to avoid, but strangers do not. It pays to check ahead of time to see if construction has turned your chosen path into a virtual parking lot. If your exit sneaks up on you and you're not in the correct lane, don't try to cross several lanes of highway traffic to make it. Let it go. Then get off at the next exit and work your way back if necessary.
Use navigational aids. Good navigational aids are useful at any time, but particularly if you're traveling to a new city (or an unfamiliar part of it). There is a guide for every budget.
Get a car that fits: Whether you find street parking is often a direct function of your car's size. Even the paid parking lots seem to have spaces only for "compact" cars. If you do a lot of city driving, having a smaller car — in width as well as length — will not only make parking easier but will help prevent dings, dents and scrapes. You can research a car's exterior dimensions on the "Reviews and Specs" tab in our New Cars section .
Think carefully about manual vs. automatic: Manual-transmission cars are fun, less expensive and often more fuel-efficient, but driving them in stop-and-go traffic can make driving stressful and tiring, particularly in hilly cities like San Francisco. So weigh the trade-offs between the two transmissions if you know you'll be in town frequently.
Look for parking assist technology. No one likes the sound of a truck in reverse ("beep, beep, beep"), but the electronic chime of parking assist will help you squeeze into small spaces with less trouble. (It may also prevent you from running into a person or object behind you.)
Drive with mileage in mind. Don't speed up just to slow down. If you lean on the accelerator when the light turns green, then again on the brake one street down, you're hurting both your car and your gas mileage. Instead, go lightly on the accelerator and coast where possible. If you're bumper-to-bumper, improve your fuel economy by slipping the car into neutral instead of constantly riding the brake.
Pick a lane and stick to it. Believe it or not, changing lanes frequently will get you there only a few seconds earlier, while greatly increasing your chance of a collision.
Remember to replace your cabin's air filter. City driving means smog and soot. Your air filter protects you and your occupants from breathing the worst of the fumes and the particulates they carry.
Make your car crime-resistant. Take it from an ex-Manhattanite: You can't be too careful. Try to park in an area that's well lit and has a lot of pedestrians nearby. Don't leave valuables — including gym or shopping bags — visible in the car. And more importantly, be proactive in securing your car by layering it with anti-theft protection like a starter disable switch, a wheel lock and a car alarm.
Approach with caution. Driving is made exponentially more difficult if you're new to a city. Locals know which roads to avoid, but strangers do not. It pays to check ahead of time to see if construction has turned your chosen path into a virtual parking lot. If your exit sneaks up on you and you're not in the correct lane, don't try to cross several lanes of highway traffic to make it. Let it go. Then get off at the next exit and work your way back if necessary.
Use navigational aids. Good navigational aids are useful at any time, but particularly if you're traveling to a new city (or an unfamiliar part of it). There is a guide for every budget.
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