Getting a flat tire is horrible. It always seems to happen when it’s blazing hot, you’re running late, or rush hour is in full swing. No matter the circumstances, a flat tire is a nuisance, but it doesn’t have to wreck your day.

With the right preparation, you’ll be ready to fix your tire like a pro. Not sure how to use a jack? No problem - nowadays it’s a snap to fix your tire without jacking up your car or using a spare.

Spare tires add weight to your car and take up a lot of space. That’s why car makers have started leaving them out of newer vehicles to save money and create more available space.

Instead, they include emergency inflation kits that come with electric inflators and cans of sealant. Sealants have been around for decades, but they were goopy and not user friendly. The new versions are cleaner and easier to use.

Emergency inflation kits are now widely available and smart to have in your car. Sealants aren’t a permanent fix, but they’ll get you back on the road quickly. With a sealed tire, you’ll be able to get to a mechanic without damaging your wheels, tires, or tire-pressure monitoring systems.

Cleaning your car is one of the least exciting chores of summer, so let’s make it more fun!

This infographic shows 8 cheap, easy, and weird ways to clean your car. Who’d have thought you could use hairspray and toothpaste to take out tough stains?

After your car has been sitting in the sun for a few hours, the interior skyrockets to boiling hot temperatures. So what’s the best way to cool it off?

Some people swear that air conditioners use up gas and make your car less efficient. Others claim that driving with your windows down adds friction and slows you down. So, which is more efficient - windows down or AC on?

Windows down or AC - which is more efficient?

Answer: it depends. Your AC does use gas, but this is more of an issue in older cars. The AC units in new cars are way more efficient than old models, so they have less impact on your fuel usage.

Of course, having your windows down uses no fuel at all. But the friction caused by open windows is no myth. As you reach higher speeds, the added drag can cancel out the fuel-saving benefits of switching the AC off.

Another reason to love smartphones! Four apps that help you dodge construction zones.

Road construction season is in full swing, which is a pain in the neck for anyone trying to get from A to B in a car. Luckily there are traffic navigation apps that can help you steer clear of road closures and construction zones. Here are four (in no particular order) to help make your journey faster and less stressful.

Tom Cruise is back to do more crazy stunts in the explosive Mission: Impossible 5 - Rogue Nation. As super spy Ethan Hunt, he’ll be hanging from wires, donning masks, and outsmarting the bad guys - and he’ll also be driving a swanky car.

BMW has become famous for supplying cool cars to the Mission Impossible franchise. In the fourth movie, Ghost Protocol, they showed off the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics electric concept car, which was every bit as cool as it sounds. It was chic, futuristic, and packed to the brim with mind-blowing technology - everything that a spy-flick car should be.