Mechanic Picks: Things You Should Have in Your Glove Box

Are you planning on decluttering your car’s glove compartment for the new year? Well, a mechanic has chimed in about certain items to keep inside. If you’re like most people, you probably rarely use your glove box. Maybe, for the occasional napkin or when you’re frantically digging through it to find your car registration at a traffic stop.

Lifehacker, a website dedicated to life hacks and tips collaborated with a mechanic to compile a list of things you should keep in your glove compartment. According to Todd Bialaszewski, a mechanic and founder of Junk Car Medics, "a well-prepared glove box is a mechanic's best friend."

Other than a spare pair of sunglasses or soon-to-be-forgotten receipts, they suggest keeping a flashlight in your glove box. You’re probably thinking, when will I never need a flashlight? Well, according to their expert mechanic, it comes in handy for those unexpected times when you need to inspect under your hood. It’s better to be prepared.

Your vehicle manual is probably already in your glove compartment. If not, they suggest making sure it’s in there. It can be used as your guide for changing a tire, oil changes, and more.

Proof of insurance and registration are documents you’ll want to have in your glove compartment in the event of an accident. This is a must-have for your glove compartment and a requirement for several states.

Their list also includes items such as a tire pressure gauge, mini first aid kit, and spare fuses, among other items. Some of these items likely come with your vehicle, like spare fuses, which are typically inside the lid of the fuse box, or you can read your tire gauge through your car’s mobile app. But it never hurts to be over-prepared.

Take a look at their complete list of things everyone should keep in their glove compartment here.

There are many factors to consider when deciding to purchase a new car. Insurance rates have fluctuated, and the automobile industry constantly introduces new features, especially in electric vehicles. Forbes recently published a report detailing the five most popular cars in America.

They state that car ownership increased by 3.66% between 2017 - 2021. Furthermore, "Most U.S. households (91.7%) had at least one vehicle in 2021 (the latest data available), and 22.1% of households had three or more vehicles," the Forbes piece explains.

But what cars are people buying most? Forbes detailed the sales figures for the top 10 purchased cars in 2022. The number one selling vehicle in the country was the Ford F series, with 653,957 units sold.

Two additional pickup trucks claimed the second and third spot as well. There were 513,354 Chevrolet Silverados sold in 2022, and  468,344 Ram Pickups. Then, the list gets more into the small and mid-size space. Toyota had two high sellers with their practical RAV4 and Camry.

The compact SUV Tesla, the Model Y claimed the sixth best-selling spot on the most popular cars list. This fully electric vehicle has a starting price of approximately $47,500. The only mid-sized SUV with a larger footprint to make the list was the Jeep Grand Cherokee at number 10.

GMC and Toyota's pickup truck offerings joined the list as well. This means five out of the top ten best-selling cars in America are pickup trucks. The GMC Sierra was seventh, and the Toyota Tacoma was 9th.

This fascinating subject has many angles in which you can continue to break down the details. For example, Forbes shows that white is the most popular color of U.S. cars bought. Yellow was the least popular color.

Starting with the Ford F series truck, let's take a further look at the five most popular cars in America.

The F Series has been manufactured by Ford since 1948. Currently, Ford offers a F150, F250, and F350. The increased number reflects a larger framed pickup truck. The 150 had eight different models available.

The Silverado prides itself on performance and durability. It contains a powerful engine that has a higher level of torque than most comparable Ford models. Another appealing component to this pickup truck is that Chevrolet offers various ways to customize. Starting with nine different exterior colors to pick from, including a harvest bronze and glacier blue metallic.

Although Ram offers six different pickup options, including one with a cab, the 1500 series is most similar to the Ford F150 and Chevy Silverado. The Ram also has a favorable price point, with some 1500s starting as low as $30,000.

The RAV4 is considered to be the first compact crossover SUV. It was introduced in America in 1995 and available in 1996. Currently, there are an array of models including a sport package, premium, and hybrid electric. Furthermore, the city and highway gas miles per gallon numbers are great with a RAV4. They are typically in a 27/35 range.

The price difference between a standard Camry and a hybrid can be as low as $2,500. 2023 marks 40 years of the Camry being a reliable sedan in America. While there have not been many complete makeovers, Toyota consistently improves the technology options in each Camry model. Lastly, the Camry now has four different two-tone color options.