Archive for May, 2010
Beware of the Rip-Off Sticker!
Friday, May 28th, 2010
While others may know all of the small little details and tricks that dealerships and dealers may throw out at you for extra cost and contract fees, most do not catch these tiny details that can sometimes inflate your cost up to $600 and even complicate your negotiations. These extra charges that mostly remain hidden can be found on what most times is called a “rip-off sticker.” This sticker that is found next to the window sticker adds high-profit items for dealers and dealerships that don’t do much for the consumer looking into the car. However, if these consumers are not careful then they may find themselves adding quite a few extra unnecessary costs without them even being the wiser of it!
While not all dealerships do this, you still may want to attend Cincinnati Ford dealerships and Florida Mazda dealerships with a critical eye. Being a more guarded shopper can help prevent you from buying into many over-costly plans and outrageous product promises that you can get at a much lower cost outside of the dealership. There may not be uniform rip-off stickers at each dealership, they very well may vary quite a bit, but the overall purpose behind the wariness of them is there. These stickers are tacking on over-priced, and over-valued labor and add-on’s that are not hard to find at the same quality, with a much smaller price and a easier do-it-yourself price that is always free!
Steer clear of these hazardous rip-off stickers that will most likely leave you with more regrets and an emptier wallet. With interest rates and the price of cars rising even more steadily, why tack on any extra payments or expenses that you can avoid? Shop smart, stay alert, but most of all: KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING!
Tips On How To Avoid Extra-Costs When Renting a Car
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010Even if you’ve rented a car many times in the past, it’s still possible to experience that deer-in-the-headlights feeling as you stand at the counter and talk to the rental agent. After all, there are so many little details to remember, questions to answer and decisions to make and Doug Henry Chevy dealers can tell you all of that. Should you just say no to everything? Or yes to a few things?
The following tips can help you navigate the often-confusing world of car rentals.
1. Shop around online first. Check multiple travel Web sites — such as Travelocity.com or Expedia.com — and get a sense of what’s available. Then check the rental car companies’ Web sites directly to see whether you can snag an even cheaper rate there.
4. Opt for a smaller car. Do you really need a larger car? If not, go compact. Here’s a little secret: Rental car companies often run out of economy models because they’re the most popular, so you’ll often be steered toward an upgrade in the hopes that you’ll cave in and pay for it. Just say no. You stand to get the upgrade anyway for the economy price.
5. Check for restrictions on where you can take the car. Planning to drive across state lines? Make sure that’s going to be OK before you lock in your rental deal. Some rental car companies’ “unlimited mileage” rates don’t include certain states, and you could get walloped with an unexpectedly high bill unless you’re aware of the restrictions ahead of time.
6. Cincinnati Ford dealers will also tell you that you rarely need that extra insurance. Rental agencies often urge renters to spend additional money per day on collision damage waivers and other insurance coverage. Review your auto insurance policy and credit-card agreements; you’re almost certainly covered already. The one exception you might want to consider is “loss of use” coverage, which covers the time the rental agency may need to spend having the car repaired if you get into an accident. Your auto insurance plan may not include that coverage, so check first.
7. Gas up. Don’t prepay for gasoline – (it’s rarely the best deal for you) – and then don’t forget to fill the tank back up before you return the car. If you fail to do so, expect to pay much more than the market price for the gasoline you owe.
10. Supply your own car seat. If you’ll be traveling with children, you can save up to $10 a day by providing your own child safety seat rather than renting one from the car company. You may not need to worry about this if you’re renting a minivan that has built-in safety seats.
Know Your Vehicle’s History
Monday, May 24th, 2010If you are about to purchase a vehicle, it may be a wise decision for you to check out the vehicle’s history. Vehicles could have hidden problems such as floods, accidents, or odometer problems that are associated with used cars. Every vehicle has a unique VIN number that is associated with it and when incidents occur, they are usually reported and ran through the VIN number. Any Bradenton Chevy dealer will tell you that the vehicle history report will even list the sale of your vehicle and all registration renewals.
Requesting a free vehicle history report can be as simple as visiting a vehicle history report website such as carfax. Sites like this will often give you some information on the vehicle that you are interested in purchasing but will usually charge a small fee if you are interested in getting detailed information. This small fee is often well worth it if you find a hidden problem with your vehicle that cause you problems in the future.
Requesting a vehicle history report is simple. All you need is the VIN number of the vehicle that you are interested in, you can get it from the private dealer or the New Hampshire Ford dealer you’re buying from. Simply enter the Vehicle Identification Number and a report will be generated for you.
The vehicle history report is an excellent tool to use when shopping for a uses vehicle. When purchasing your next used vehicle from a Fort Wayne Used Car dealer, ask for a used car report. They should gladly give you one.
Honda Civic Delays
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
If you’re waiting to get the ninth generation Honda Civic from your Mississippi Honda dealer, you’ll be waiting a little bit longer than expected. The ninth generation of the the Honda’s Civic compact will be delayed from fall 2010 until at least summer 2011. The redesign will also carry a 2010 model year designation, instead of 2011 as originally planned.
There are a few reasons for the delay. For one, the eighth generation model, which debuted in the fall of 2005, has been extrememly well received and remains among Honda’s best-selling current models. Another thing is that the company decided midway through the development of the next model to rein in plans to make it larger, heavier, and less fuel-efficient.
Instead, the focus will be on making the new Honda Civic about the same size as the outgoing model and to put it on a diet that will produce more nimble handing and improve fuel economy. So the new Civic is getting totally revamped from what it was originally planned to be in order to gain more sales.
Credit Loans for the Non-Credit Friendly:
Monday, May 17th, 2010
With automotive markets at an all-time low and customers idling their efforts in applying for credit-loans due to the constant disappointments in the financial side of the automotive industry. The simple fact was: no one wanted to finance a car loan when the person did not have a large bank account, or a CPA’s wit and strategy-tricks. The problem is however, that there ARE ways for people to get their own car or truck from places such as Cincinnati Ford dealer, and other Cincinnati car lots, it is just that the consumer market have yet to grasp ways around the economy’s hard times.
The secret is really behind the three-step process that advises you to:
1) Optimize your credit-worthiness.
2) Plan out a purchase strategy.
3) Talk to dealers and lenders about getting a vehicle–and a loan to pay for that vehicle.
The reality of the facts are, despite the constant worries about not receiving a credit loan, and not getting what you wanted, there really isn’t a lot to worry about. With the automotive market taking a hit, they are now more than ever, alright with dropping their prices to meet a more suitable auto loan for the next car consumer. As long as car consumers of tomorrow are more realistic about their buy, and are willing to make some sacrifices (buying refurbished, used, warrantied by manufacturers,etc.) there may be hope for today’s automotive market and the people who are desperately trying to profit out of it.
Infiniti G37 Will Be A Hybrid?
Friday, May 14th, 2010
Nissan has shared that the next Skyline coupe will have a significant number of styling features that are similar to the Essence Concept. The coupe, which is expected to arrive in 2012 at the earliest will have elements from the Essence Concept that debuted at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.
Boston Nissan dealers have learned that the Essence model will be indicative of the brand’s future design direction. In fact, some features of the Essence are visible in Infiniti’s vamped M sedan lineup. In fact, some features of the Essence are visible in Infiniti’s vamped M sedan lineup. The next G coupe measures about 186 x 77 x 52 inches and it sits on a 110-inch long wheelbase. These dimensions are believed to be more practical for the real world than had been first thought. Nissan is expected to soon launch its Leaf electric car, which fits the next G coupe with a hybrid powertrain option.
The SYNC vs. OnStar
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
The fight between General Motors’ OnStar, which has helped sell a lot of New Jersey Chevrolet dealer cars and Ford’s Sync is getting serious. Before now OnStar and Sync had little in common. Sync was basically a voice activated radio and phone assistant whereas OnStar offered a smorgasbord of services, from operator assisted turn-by-turn directions to stolen car retrieval, that mostly depended on talking to human operators at a call center.
Now Ford is attempting to offer similar services but for a fraction of the cost and without those expensive human operators which in turn is great for sales at various Cincinnati Ford dealer lots .
Both systems operate by connecting you to a remote service, then downloading the directions to your car. You hear spoken turn-by-turn directions and, assuming your car doesn’t have a real computer screen, see written directions with simple icons on the radio display or in the center of the instrument cluster.
Now for prices, OnStar’s Turn-by Turn Directions are only $10 for the first year, except in Cadillacs and Buicks which can be found at a New Jersey Chevrolet dealer which in that case it is free, then $28.90 a month as part of OnStar’s “Directions and Connections” package. The Ford’s Sync Traffic Directions and Information are free for three years, then $60 a year after that. So its obvious that Sync is way better in price and if this has you sold go to a New Hampshire Ford dealer and buy a Ford.
But to be fair, OnStar offers many features beyond just navigation but, then, so does Sync. They’re just not the same features. For GM’s OnStar, a cell phone is hardwired into the car and drivers communicate with real human operators at call center. Meanwhile, Ford’s Sync uses your cell phone and connects it to the car via Bluetooth. Ford drivers communicate with a computerized voice-activated service.
The weakness of Ford’s Sync system has to do with the technology. There are the limitations of your own pocket-sized cell phone compared to GM’s more robust built-in phone. Then there are the limitations to talking to a computer instead of a real person. Real people may not be perfect, but at least they can work with you so if you aren’t really tech oriented then OnStar might have you sold and in that case head to a Lawrenceburg Chevy dealer to pick out your new Chevrolet vehicle.
You Should Know About These Car Insurance Policies
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
After buying a car from some great places such as your local Cincinnati Ford dealer, as well as your local New Jersey Chevy dealer , it seems you are ready to buy some car insurance.
Before you take this well-known adventure into insurance there seems to be some things you should know. The added policies you have to tack onto your already foundation car insurance policy are as follows:
1) Bodily injury liability: covers injury and/or death claims against you as well as legal costs if your car injures or kills someone.
2) Property damage liability: covers claims for property that your car damages in an accident (required in all but three states).
3) Medical payments: pays for injuries to yourself and other occupants of the car by uninsured and hit-and-run drivers.
4) Uninsured motorist protection: covers injuries caused to your or your passengers by uninsured hit-and-run drivers.
5) Collision coverage: covers the damage done to your vehicle up to its book value.
6) Comprehensive (physical) damage: covers the damage done to your car through: theft, vandalism, fire, wind, flood, and non-accident influences.
It is important to review over these policies and choose the one that is best for you so that you can protect yourself, your passengers, and the other drivers out there on the road.
After buying a car from some great places such as your local Cincinnati Ford dealer, as well as your local New Jersey Chevy dealer , it seems you are ready to buy some car insurance.
Before you take this well-known adventure into insurance there seems to be some things you should know. The added policies you have to tack onto your already foundation car insurance policy are as follows:
1) Bodily injury liability: covers injury and/or death claims against you as well as legal costs if your car injures or kills someone.
2) Property damage liability: covers claims for property that your car damages in an accident (required in all but three states).
3) Medical payments: pays for injuries to yourself and other occupants of the car by uninsured and hit-and-run drivers.
4) Uninsured motorist protection: covers injuries caused to your or your passengers by uninsured hit-and-run drivers.
5) Collision coverage: covers the damage done to your vehicle up to its book value.
6) Comprehensive (physical) damage: covers the damage done to your car through: theft, vandalism, fire, wind, flood, and non-accident influences.
It is important to review over these policies and choose the one that is best for you so that you can protect yourself, your passengers, and the other drivers out there on the road.
Warranty Advice You Need To Know!
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
With buying a car it always seems like such an easier task before you begin to put the initiative towards it. Then it seems to get much harder once you’re comprehending which dealership to best seal your deal from a Cincinnati Ford, Tilton Ford, or a New Jersey Chevrolet dealer. All of these dealerships seem as if they’d have great deals but it is up to you to make sure you get the proper pricing, car, contract, and car warranty for your deal. With that being said, it is best to hope that you will be getting that best deal for your money, but just to further reinforce that hope here is some friendly advice on automotive warranties and what exactly they are:
A typical new car warranty has two parts:
1) “Bumper to bumper” warranty- covers everything but “wear” items such as brakes and tires.
2) The power-train warranty- covers all the parts on the car that makes the car move (i.e. engine and transmission).
Then there is what is called an “extended warranty” that most are familiar with are sold at dealerships that can also be called a “factory warranty” as it is a warranty in which the factory workers are trained to work on the vehicle. As well as the “extended warranty” and “factory warranty” there are also other “third-party” warranties that are designed to save you money but really become a much bigger inconvenience after due to the out-of-pocket payments that are required before your car is fixed with a reimbursement deal in the end. Choose which company you side with on these “third-party” warranties wisely.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Car Pooling
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
If your tired of driving the car you bought from your Cincinnati Ford dealer or just tired of driving in general then there is a solution for your problem. Carpooling is a good means of transport especially for those who work in the same office or nearby offices. The option is especially a good idea to consider if you do not have your own vehicle and also if you do not want to experience the trouble related to traveling in public transport. However, it has both pros and cons, which should be well considered before taking any decision in this regard. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of carpooling that can help you in making the decision.
A really good advantage of carpooling and one of the main reasons why people do it is because it cuts down your car related expenses considerably. Car usage asks for maintenance, gasoline, and oil, which can easily be reduced to half or even more depending on the number of people carpooling. Carpooling also helps to reduce stress because you can escape from driving in high-traffic situations more often. A great indirect benefit is that you will get to leave work at the same time everyday rather than when the work finishes. Also, commuting by yourself can get pretty lonely, especially if you drive a long route, car pooling with colleagues or friends can be fun and make you feel not so lonely. Last, but not least, you can save considerably on fuel expenses which would otherwise drain your money.
Have these advantages made you regret buying that vehicle from your New Jersey Chevrolet dealer yet? Well don’t start calling your friends yet, there’s still some disadvantages. For one thing, car pooling requires a lot of punctuality from your part because you will be picked up at the same time everyday. Also, there are usually a fair amount of people traveling with you which means you will be prone to catch viruses easily and may become sick. You will also have to sacrifice a certain amount of independence and personal ownership of time while carpooling. A big turn-off of carpooling is that you cannot do any errands on your way to and from work as you will have to leave for work immediately when the person picks you up and you will be totally dependent on that person. And finally another big turn-off is that any participant running late can make all of the other members of the carpool run late as well since the carpool has to wait for the participant.
So hopefully that helps you make your choice of whether or not it’s wise for you to carpool or not. Carpooling also depends on preference and plus if you live right by your work there is really no need to carpool.