As you pull out of your driveway and make your familiar daily trip to work, it might seem like you’re on autopilot. You’ve made the drive so many times, it’s almost as if you could make your way there with your eyes closed. Such absentmindedness would normally be a recipe for disaster unless, of course, your vehicle really could drive itself.

A recent article from Business Week reveals the existence of technology that enables vehicles to drive themselves, and this technology is only about 20 years away from being marketed to consumers. As additional benefits, developers say it has the potential to reduce the number of accidents and to help increase fuel efficiency.

But just how does it work? A combination of electronic stability control, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and collision mitigation technologies, now in use by several auto manufacturers, enable a vehicle to be programmed to drive as though a human were behind the wheel.

The technology has been tested and proven at The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Urban Challenge, held in November 2007 at the former George Air Force Base in Victorville, Calif.

Entrants were required to build an autonomous vehicle capable of driving in traffic, performing complex maneuvers such as merging, passing, parking and negotiating intersections. It was the first time autonomous vehicles had interacted with both manned and unmanned vehicle traffic in an urban environment. A GM-sponsored team took the first prize of $2 million, and now has the bragging rights of saying they were among the first to make autonomous vehicles a reality.

Although it will likely be another decade or two before this technology becomes widely available, we can look forward to the day when our vehicles will be able to shuttle us around like our own personal concierge. Is this technology something you look forward to using? Let us know your thoughts by posting a comment below.

Sources: MSNBC.com, Darpa.mil

Is it time for a tune-up? One way to tell if your vehicle is overdue for this important preventive maintenance service is to monitor how many miles per gallon you’re getting from a full tank of gas. It’s best to do this after a series of fill-ups, and the easiest way to track this important number is to reset your trip gauge each time you fill up. Then, note the number on your gauge each time.

If, over the course of several weeks or months, you notice that your fuel economy is lower than it once was (during the course of normal, everyday driving), it might be a sign that your vehicle is due for a tune-up. Vehicles used to require this service every 10,000 miles, but with newer models, the typical interval is about 30,000 miles, although some vehicles extend the interval to every 60,000 miles.

If you’re not sure what kind of fuel economy your vehicle should be getting, take a look. This information is brought to you by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. The site provides information about fuel economy and allows you to look up your vehicle by make and model and year as far back as 1985, as well as compare stats for vehicles side-by-side.

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even create an account to record your actual mpg and chart it over time for an accurate view of your vehicle’s performance.

To make it one step easier, the site is optimized for viewing on your cell phone, and you can enter your vehicle’s fuel economy numbers into your online account after you’ve filled the tank. Visit the site to see what you should be getting.

If your vehicle is not producing the numbers it once did, it might be time for some much-needed attention. This is one sign you don’t want to ignore.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov

Not only is it a buyer’s market for those in the market for a new home, but the used-vehicle market is shaping up similarly, with the recent inventory glut created by panicked SUV and truck owners who are struggling to unload their “gas hogs.”

Sure, it now costs anywhere from $80 to more than $100 to fill up one of these kings of the road, but depending on your financial situation and where you are in your car payment schedule, it might not be wise to trade in that so-called guzzler just yet. MSNBC’s “Consumer Man” Herb Weisbaum provides cautionary tales about vehicle owners who have traded down and lost big bucks in the process—negating any savings that a more fuel-efficient vehicle could provide.

He cites Consumer Reports’ assessment that it rarely pays to downsize if you’ve owned your vehicle for fewer than three years. “There are some significant costs associated with trading in too soon,” says Jeff Bartlett, deputy editor of Consumer Reports. Add to that the fact that your trade-in is likely worth much less than what it was just a few months ago—before gas prices shot up to more than $4 per gallon.

So, instead of worrying about how you will sell off what you might already be emotionally attached to in your driveway, relax, enjoy your vehicle and take care of it by following some of the maintenance procedures described on this blog.

Keep your tires properly inflated, clean your car inside and out and, of course, bring your vehicle in for requisite oil changes and maintenance as specified in your vehicle’s owner’s manual. We are here to help with any questions you have about how you can make the most of your vehicle ownership experience … just send us an e-mail or give us a call.

Sources: MSNBC, Consumer Reports