Tips on Buying a New Car
Top 3 Best Hybrid SUVs
Monday, October 19th, 2009With automakers adding more hybrids to the lineup in 2010, consumers looking to go green have plenty of choices. What it comes down to depends on your needs for passenger seating, space, power, luxury, warranty and price. Only you can decide which hybrid SUV is right for you – or whether you’d [...]
Top 3 Best Used SUVs With Third Row Seats
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009When looking for a used SUV with third-row seats, there’s the best – and then there’s the rest. Of course, what constitutes the best is in the mind of the beholder and very much dependent on the buyer’s personal wants and needs. Taking everything into consideration, however, there are a few generalities that hold true [...]
Cash for Clunkers (CARS) Program: How it Works
Saturday, August 1st, 2009By now, everyone has probably already heard about the Cash for Clunkers program, officially known as CARS, standing for “Cars Allowance Rebate System”. In case you haven’t heard, the U.S. government created a $1 Billion incentive program in July 2009 to get consumers to trade in their fuel sipping clunkers for new cars with better [...]
Top 5 Most Fuel-Efficient New Cars
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009By Suzanne Kane
Searching for the most fuel-efficient car? Since it is mid-year, the list of the top 5 highest fuel economy cars includes three 2010 models and two 2009 models. Four of the five are gasoline-hybrid vehicles. The top 5 most fuel-efficient cars are ranked according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy estimates in [...]
Best In Class Fuel-Efficient Cars
Thursday, July 16th, 2009By Suzanne Kane
Fuel-efficient cars are top-of-mind for many consumers today. But how do you figure out exactly what is the most fuel-efficient car for your own family’s needs? One way is to start with the experts. Consumer Reports lists their recommended picks in 6 classes. Each offers good fuel economy for vehicles in its class [...]
What is Dealer Holdback?
Thursday, May 14th, 2009By Suzanne Kane
Buying a new vehicle involves many considerations, some confusing terms and a lot of research. One of the terms that are not well known is “dealer holdback.” What is dealer holdback and why should it matter? Consider the following.
Definition of Dealer Holdback
In simple terms, dealer holdback is a percentage of either the [...]
10 Steps To Choosing The Right Car For You
Saturday, May 9th, 2009By Suzanne Kane
What vehicle makes the most sense for you? What is the one vehicle that’s really just right, given your particular circumstances? Here’s how you can wade through the variety of choices out there.
1. Figure out what you need – If you already have a vehicle and are happy with it, maybe you [...]
10 Steps to Getting a Great Deal on a New Car
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009Buying a new car is an exciting prospect, but we all know it can also be frustrating and troublesome. The last thing you want is to buy the car and then have that awful feeling that maybe you could have done better in terms of the deal. How do you know you’re getting the best [...]
How to Estimate Used Car Values
Sunday, April 26th, 2009In previous articles, we explained using Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds and NADA to estimate the value or pricing of the car you’re selling or purchasing. In this post, we thought it would be helpful to briefly revisit each valuation site and provide a comparison of the three sites to give you an idea of the [...]
Should You Trade-In or Sell Your Old Car?
Sunday, April 19th, 2009Is it better to trade in your old car or sell it outright? In many cases, you’ll come out ahead if you opt to sell your car on your own. However, it is not an easy thing to do, which is why so many people decide to let the dealer take care of [...]
Free Credit Reports Courtesy of the U.S. Government
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009Did you know that the US government (well using our tax money) requires nationwide consumer reporting agencies like Experian, TransUnion and Equifax to provide every consumer with a free credit report every year? Well that’s true.
So what’s the big deal about credit reports? As you may already know, your credit history determines whether or not [...]
Used Hybrid Car Prices Down
Thursday, March 19th, 2009What were you doing last summer when gas prices skyrocketed over four bucks a gallon? Did you walk more? Take the bus? Carpool? Did you ditch that big Hummer or Suburban in favor of a smaller, more fuel efficient car? Did you take it one step further and buy a hybrid like [...]
Using the Internet to Buy a Car
Thursday, March 12th, 2009The internet has completely changed the way we buy cars. Twenty years ago, if a person wanted to research new and used cars, he had to schlepp down to the library and pore over back issues of Consumer Digest magazine. There was no leisurely cup of coffee while perched behind a computer [...]
Is It Better To Lease Or Buy a Car?
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009NEW CAR TECHNOLOGY:
Some drivers want a new car every three years, so that they have all the latest technology, while other drivers buy a new car and then keep it until it falls apart. With a lease, the vehicle is always under three years old. With a purchase, the vehicle is eventually [...]
Five Things You Shouldn’t Say to the Car Salesman
Saturday, March 7th, 2009By Ali Koomen, who spent over a dozen years in the car dealership busines, provides her expert insights
“I know what you paid for that vehicle. . . ” or “Why don’t you dip into your holdbacks?”
There’s no other business where a buyer feels it is his right to know what the seller paid for [...]
Financing Tips for All Credit Scores
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009By Ali Koomen, who spent over a dozen years in the car dealership busines, provides her expert insights
So what is good credit? Most lenders consider a Fair Isaac Score of 700 or better as good, but some of the too-good-to-be-true finance offers (no payments for 6 months, 2.9% financing, etc) require scores of [...]
Edmunds True Market Value For Cars Explained
Saturday, February 21st, 2009By Ali Koomen, who spent over a dozen years in the car dealership busines, provides her expert insights
Nothing is more mysterious than the actual true market value of any vehicle. Many points, both tangible (automatic or manual, 2 door or 4 door, etc) and intangible (mileage, color, demographics and other ) play a [...]
An Insider’s Perspective: Top 10 Car Dealership Tricks
Friday, February 13th, 2009By Ali Koomen, who spent over a dozen years in the car dealership business provides her inside perspective on the car buying process
Asterisks and fine print: If the advertised price seems too good to be true, check the asterisks and fine print. Read closely– the price is good only after rebates (such as owner [...]
When Are The Best Times to Buy a Car to Get a Great Deal
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009By Ali Koomen, who spent over a dozen years in the car business
The price on any new vehicle is subjective. The make/model/trim level/units available/possible rebates/trade-in value and even the mood of the sales manager can affect the price. While there’s no way to guess if the manager is happy or cranky at any [...]
No-Hassle Car Buying at No-Haggle Dealerships
Friday, January 30th, 2009By Ali Koomen, who spent over a dozen years in the car business
While haggling over the price of merchandise makes most Americans uncomfortable, in many mid-eastern and Asian countries it is considered a normal part of doing business. In fact, in some markets it is almost an insult to the shopkeeper if one does not [...]