Stay Sane on the Road with These Car Apps

The average commuter sits in traffic 38 hours a year, according to Texas A&M's annual mobility study. Those hours add up to $120 billion, or $820 for every commuter in the U.S. A study by AAA shows we spend $8,946 annually on owning and operating our vehicles. With so much time and money spent on our cars and driving each year, it's easy to feel overwhelmed just getting on the road. Eliminate some of your auto stress with apps that tackle commute times and figure out car repair costs.

Daily Commute

Daily Commute records your route to figure out when you'll arrive at your destination. Although you can use it the first time you launch the app, it can take a few commutes for it to hone in on the intricate details of your driving patterns and average traffic. Daily Commute can also tell you when you should leave the house and tell you how to avoid traffic at specific times and places.

DriveTime

The newly mobile optimized DriveTime site gives car shoppers a chance to browse through used inventory from any smartphone. Instead of taking copious notes at the dealers and heading back to your laptop at home, get info on the go to search for comparable vehicles. Search through Drive Time's inventory, get locations to find nearby cars and secure financing online all in one place.

Repair Pal

Recommended by the guys from "Car Talk," Repair Pal helps you find the best mechanics in your area. It can also figure out an estimated price for your repair so you know approximately what you should pay. The app cross references data from articles, reports and repair experts to pool together their info and resources in one easy to access app.

TomTom

TomTom has been making vehicle navigation systems for years, and now has a smartphone and tablet app to take on the go. Daily map changes update dynamically to show speed limit changes or blocked roads. Hook into Facebook or Foursquare through your app to see where your friends have checked in and navigate the route to meet up. There's also a free speed camera alert to tell you when to slow down and watch for speed traps.

Twist

Twist doesn't tell you how to combat your traffic woes, but it does make sure everyone else knows when you're arriving if you're late. The app tracks your location, gets directions and helps you find your friends' physical location if they're also on Twist.

While you can track the location of your friends or colleagues on the app, it can also tell them where you are. Instead of trying to text and drive to tell your coworkers you're running late for a meeting, it updates your party and gives your estimated arrival time. And because it does the work for you, there's no awkward exchange with your boss on why you're running late.