The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.I'm a geek about many things. Cars are not one of them.The check engine light is as foreign to me as any language I don't understand.I first heard about Automatic, a product that plugs into your car's diagnosticport, years ago. It promised ease of use while giving you a lot of useful information about your car.I've been trying their new Pro model for a couple of months, and it works.Big time.I know more about my car and driving style than I ever have before, all from an app that's well laid out, and a system that's painless and wireless.If you're worried about your car's diagnosticport, don't be. They've been in cars since the mid 90's, waiting to be used by technicians or hobbyists. Mine was located under thepassengers side of my dashboard. Once plugged in, I turned my car on, connected my phone to the Automatic Pro via Bluetooth, and fed it some information. My car's make, model, year, and color were all it wanted.What separates the Pro version of the Automatic from the regular model is built in 3G. The original model collected and synced the same data, be required you to connect to the Automatic via Bluetooth every time you got into your car.Instead, the Automatic Pro syncs data to a server through a 3G data connection, and you access that information through their app. It's a seamless process that has always worked.So what about the data' The Automatic Pro tracks each time your car is turned on, in motion, and turned off, and considers each drive you take as a "trip." If you take multiple trips in one day, it bundles them all together andshows you a list, so you canview them each individually.Ina couple of taps, you can see the distance you've traveled, your fuel efficiency (in MPG), and the trip's cost (based on how much gas you used.) It also tells you when you left and arrived at your destination.This is all data I wouldn't have had otherwise, and it's interesting. If you take the same trip over and over, you can see how much money that 15-minute traffic jam cost you and optimize your route accordingly.That's only one data set Automatic can give you though. You can save a couple of dollars per trip using it.You can save a lot more thanks to the "health" tab of their app. In that section, you can log your fill ups to log exactly how much money you're spending each month on gas, but more importantly get info on that pesky "Check Engine Light."That "Check Engine Light" is vague, and could mean any number of things. It's also scary. Nobody wants to drive an unsafe car. Thankfully, the Automatic can parse what the light means and tell you about the problem in plain English.I haven't had to use this feature yet, but it's the one I'm happiest to have. Instead of being told and potentially upsold on car repairs from a mechanic, I would be told what the problem is and how common a problem it is. With this information in mind, I can go to a mechanic and tell them what's wrong having done some research first. It changes the dynamic of the situation, and as a non car-geek, helps me tremendously.Finally, the Automatic Pro can analyze your driving habits and tell you how your driving style stacks up against other drivers. Are you more aggressive, or less aggressive' It's not as useful as the other data Automatic collects, but it's still interesting to know.I recommend everyone who drives get an Automatic Pro. The data it gives you is invaluable, it's easy to use, and doesn't take up much space. What makes the process seamless is the 3G connection the Automatic Pro has, which has been rock solid in my experience.The Automatic Pro might not be able to make you a better driver, but its data can help make you a smarter one.Automatic Pro 3G Connected Car Adapter, $129.95, available at AmazonDON'T MISS:7 car gadgets that'll make driving so much easierSEE ALSO:This car mount is lighter than my old one, and gives me even more control over where I can put itJoin the conversation about this story
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