Each year experts in the automobile industry come up with their lists of the top ten vehicles of the year. Some experts put the vehicles through a series of tests, while others create their lists purely on market and consumer response. Vehicle choice is certainly a personal one, but experts like Cars.com, Consumer Reports magazine, Automobile magazine, and Car and Driver magazine, are certainly worth listening to. What did they have to say this year?
Well, the Cars.com list of most popular vehicles in 2005 was topped by the Honda Civic. Cars.com analyzes the vehicular market to come up with the most popular new car models based on consumer interest (i.e. on the number of email requests for price quotes sent to dealers) and not car tests. Here’s their top ten list for 2005:
You just landed your first promotion and you need to celebrate! What a better way to celebrate your new salary by purchasing a new car. It’s time to start spending your hard earned dollars on a valuable new vehicle purchase. But, how do you know you are paying the right value for your car? It’s important to remember when trying to look into the future that a new car depreciates 20% of its value as soon as you drive it off the lot.
New car pricing can be difficult if you are looking with foresight into the future, and each consumer guide will quote you various prices on the same make and models of cars. It’s hard to decide where to begin, but let’s take the guessing out of new car pricing, and begin by contacting AutoDiscover who will offer you the best rates across North America.
Buying a new car is exciting to be sure, but it can also be much more expensive than it really should be for most people. If you aren’t careful you can wind up spending thousands more than someone else for the same kind of deal. Let’s review the top 5 new car buying mistakes that many people make and see how to avoid them.
1. Probably the first thing that costs most car buyers money is not doing enough advance research about new cars before they start the shopping process. You may think that you will learn a lot by just visiting the dealership and asking the salespeople about new vehicles, but you will only learn what they want you to know that way. If you want unbiased information that you can trust, you need to do some online research or read Consumer Reports instead. You can find out which vehicles are rated highest for reliability and other factors, as well as get specific pricing information that will help guide you in price negotiations. By doing this advance research you will know what you want and how much you are willing to pay for it.
The automobile market can be intimidating, and if you are just starting out in the wonderful world of wheels you may need advice on buying your first car. There are so many options for car buyers: new or used, red or blue, sports car or SUV, two or four doors…and that is just for starters! Also, as a new car buyer you need to be wary of advice on buying your first car, because there are still quite a few snake-oil salesmen out there in the automotive market looking to sell you a lemon. Following you will find some solid advice on buying your first car.
The first consideration for anyone who wants to buy his or her first car is usually whether to buy new or used. Many first car buyers are young people who are just starting out, so the necessity of buying used is often present. Advice on buying your first car new from a showroom is fairly straightforward: buy from a reputable dealer, research the best type of vehicle for you, and seek out the best deals including free extras, low interest and rebates. However, if you plan to buy a used vehicle, where should you look to avoid getting taken advantage of? Most car dealerships also sell “gently used” cars, usually those that have been previously leased. When these are out of your price range, there are also many used car lots with lower-priced second-hand vehicles. Look for a car dealer who is willing to do all the necessary repair work to get your first car in top running condition, and who also has all the necessary certifications to be in business. Ask whether you can talk to other people who have bought cars from the dealer and find out if they have had major problems with the vehicle. Always test-drive a car before you buy!
Posted in Vehicles | Also tagged car dealer, first car |
In the new car buying process, new car dealers are going to try to make as much money as possible from each sale, and this is only reasonable as they are in business to make money. But too often consumers wind up paying way too much. There is nothing wrong with allowing the dealer to make a fair profit, but these five methods are regularly used by new car dealers to inflate their profits considerably and you should be aware of them in advance.
1. Leasing is an increasingly attractive option to many new car buyers and they often think that the lease payments are set in stone for each car, but that simply isn’t true. Lease payments are most often calculated using the MSRP, or retail price, of the vehicle as a starting point. So if you accept the lease offered without actually dickering on the sale price of the vehicle, you are most likely losing lots of money in the lease payments that you make each month. You can also negotiate the down payment, the mileage allowed under the lease and other options too.
Enjoy your car… that’s simple huh? Well it’s not really that simple. Here is a list of things to think about after the sale.
The used car market is huge, and every day lots of people are spending way too much money when they buy a used car. Dealers count on this. In fact, the used car section of most new car dealerships is one of the most profitable departments for the dealer. There are usually very common mistakes that most people make that cost them money. Let’s review them here:
1. Not doing advance research to know what their current car is worth. This is a very common mistake that is so easy to solve today. There are two major providers of used car value information in the US and they are (1) Kelly Blue Book and (2) the NADA Guide. It used to be that you had to find someone who had a copy of one of either of them to find out what your vehicle is worth. But now all you have to do is just log onto the internet and go to their websites to get a quick, easy figure with no hassle. It’s worth the time taken to know what your car is worth as you start to negotiate a trade-in or sale.
You need a new car, but you’re just not ready? Even if you have money and/or great credit and you know all the details of the car you want, there is still one thing standing in your way… Negotiating the price!
It can be uncomfortable or even scary, but you’ll have to do it at almost every car dealer. That’s why I’m going to give you some tips to get you through the negotiating process and drive home in your new car!
Have you been considering getting a new car? Have you been thinking that a new car, which gets better gasoline mileage might be the better investment than the large SUVs that some of your friends have. Now a days you almost cannot go to a party without someone complaining about their last fill-up of over $80 to $100.00 and you feel for them, but hardly feel like joining them.
You have most likely heard of all the new hybrids coming out and how much fuel they save. It would be kind of cool to have one. And there are some tax breaks too in case you had not known. In 2006 there will be some tax credits, which are even better. So perhaps you might wait until then, although you may wish to get onto a waiting list right now as when they come into the dealerships they are selling out fast and if you are not on a waiting list chances are you will not be able to buy one at all. One problem with the Hybrids is that you have to worry about the fact that their will be little if any room to negotiate, because the dealer does not have to bring the price down for you to sell the car and they know it. Demand is very strong across the board for hybrids.
Are you sure you need a new car? I’m sure you want the newest safety features and modern styling that a new car offers. Perhaps you need a larger vehicle to fit your growing family. You probably feel that your old car no longer fits your life. But how about cost?
From an economic perspective, you’re better off keeping your old car. It could save you thousands of dollars. Taking better care of your current car may make much more sense in the long run.
Car dealers, in their enthusiasm to get your business, often resort to “tricks” that can be misleading, deceptive, or even borderline fraudulent. Here are some prime examples:
1. “We’ll pay off your old car loan, no matter how much you owe”
An alternative title for this article could be “Don’t think buying a new car will solve all your ills because it won’t!”
Fast rewind to a balmy summer’s day in 1997 and our intrepid Instructor is seen to approach his chosen Automobile supplier cheque book at the ready. A really exciting time, buying a new car for cash for the first (and probably last) time in his life, so you would think. Think again, the storm clouds are brewing (Actually I think they may coagulate)
If you are going to be behind the wheel of a new rented car, and in a strange foreign land where you have never driven before, what should you do in preparing to drive?
Just not so long ago, I was in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, located just north of Singapore. As those of you who have traveled widely to Asia would know, the traffic on the roads in most of the asian countries is heavy throughout the day, and many times driving habits take precedence over traffic rules and regulations, especially when the searing tropical heat bears down on cool heads, and raise tempers!
Shopping for a used car can be an exciting and also intimidating experience, and all too often shoppers buy a car for way too much money than they should. Used car dealers are experts at negotiating a deal to their own advantage, so the buyer needs to be prepared and stick to a smart game plan in order to get the best deal possible.
The very first thing you should do is find out the value of your current vehicle, whether you plan to trade the car or sell it yourself. This is actually a very simple process that takes just a little homework to pin down. The first place to get used car values is the used car buying guides put out by Kelly Blue Book and the NADA Guide. You can get quotes from both sources very easily by visiting their website online too.
Researching your new vehicle is a daunting task in today’s world. Once you have narrowed your next vehicle down to 2 or 3 choices it is time to research. Take out a sheet of paper for each vehicle and write down pros and cons for each one. Also on each sheet of paper list the attributes which are most important to you. This list might include: MPG - if you put a lot of miles on your car this factor could make a big dent in your wallet if you pick the wrong car.
Engine power - HP is a big factor for many people out there.