The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, July 8, 2009 · 20 Smart Canada offers free scheduled maintenance for the smart fortwo Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine Smart Canada has announced that free scheduled maintenance will now be included on every new smart fortwo model. This latest offer adds an additional advantage to the already long list of benefits that smart owners enjoy, and it covers scheduled maintenance on new smart fortwos for three years or 54,000 km, whichever comes first. As the two-time ecoENERGY for Vehicles award winner for being the most fuel-efficient car in the two-seater class, the smart fortwo already offers more than 15,000 Canadian owners class leading fuel efficiency. The recently announced Canadian Black Book award for "Best Retained Value" confirms the smart's strong resale value, and the addition of free scheduled maintenance means that smart fortwo owners will now have the added benefit of driving the only vehicle in the subcompact class to include free maintenance for the first three years. "The addition of no cost maintenance further strengthens the smart fortwo's already strong and compelling value proposition," said Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada. "The smart's compact dimensions provide a high degree of agility and maneuverability, and the vehicle's advanced safety features, standard electronic stability program (ESP) and tridion safety cell reinforced with high-strength steel components ensure the highest level of safety for both the driver and passenger. "With free scheduled maintenance added to the extensive list of standard comfort and convenience features, long service intervals, and available $2,000 smart mobility rebate, there has never been a better or more exciting time to visit your local smart centre to test drive the award winning smart fortwo." Rising gas prices may keep summer road-trippers home Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine Almost one quarter of Canadians intending to take a summer road trip are likely to cancel their plans if gas prices increase, according to a new poll sponsored by Goodyear Canada. However, despite the fact that the condition of a vehicle's tires can help counteract the cost of rising gas prices, the vast majority of Canadians (87 per cent) are unaware of the impact tires have on fuel efficiency, the poll shows. The poll also illustrates that a clear majority of 88 per cent admit that they actively seek ways to save on day-to-day purchases like groceries or gas, demonstrating that for most Canadians, even a small improvement in fuel efficiency might be desirable. According to the Goodyear poll, more than half (53 per cent) of Canadians say they are likely to travel 100 kilometres or more on a single trip this summer for leisure activities if gas prices remain the same. However, when asked if they'd still take this same trip if gas prices increase, 22 per cent of these road-trip intenders changed their mind and indicated they'd likely stay home. According to the Rubber Association of Canada, almost one quarter (23 per cent) of vehicles have at least one tire under-inflated by more than 20 per cent, a condition that can reduce the life of the tire at least 15,000 kilometres and increase the vehicle's fuel consumption by four percent or more. Despite this information, just 13 per cent of Canadians mention tires when asked which factors have a significant impact on fuel economy of a vehicle.