Archive for the ‘cars for sale’ tag
Top Vehicle Searches on iSeeCars in Q1 2009
Here are the top vehicle searches by iSeeCars.com users for the first quarter (January to March) of 2009. iSeeCars.com currently enables users to search over 2.5 million cars for sale across more than 10,000 different car classifieds websites.
The top 10 most searched used cars by make on iSeeCars.com were:
The most searched for used car by manufacturer was Honda. Toyota and Honda kept the same top 2 spots as 2008. Chevrolet was the most searched for American car manufacturer. In 2008, Ford took the top American spot but came in 9th most searched vehicle in the first quarter of 2009, dropping a whopping 6 places. In the luxury car segment, BMW had the most searches. BMW searches increased 3 spots from 6th last year.
The top 10 most searched for used cars for sale by make and model were:
- Honda Civic
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Camry
- Toyota Corolla
- Ford Mustang
- Honda Civic CRX
- Ford F-150
- Jeep Wrangler
- Chevrolet Impala
- Chevrolet Tahoe
The most searched for used car was Honda Civic. Honda and Toyota cars retained the top 3 spots from last year. Appearing in the top 10 this year but not last year were 2 fuel-efficient vehicles, mainly Honda Civic CRX and Chevrolet Impala. The truck with the most user searches was Ford F-150 compared to Toyota Tacoma last year.
The top 5 most searched cities for cars for sale were:
The most frequently search filter used was “moving sale” where users were looking for good deals on used cars for sale by owners who are moving and need to sell their cars.
The user searches and activities on iSeeCars.com continue to grow significantly on a daily basis. The amount of time a user spends per visit increased to almost 10 minutes. We look forward to growing the engagement level by introducing new features to make the site even more helpful to our users in searching for a car and finding a great deal.
More People Are Turning to Used Cars
It’s no longer a status factor to have newer and shinier, but to make do with what one has. Parts and service departments across the country are reporting good numbers as people chose to fix their current vehicles rather than trade out and into something new.
Taking this into consideration, there’s no better time to buy a new vehicle. February 2009 had the lowest prices and highest incentives in years. Both Chrysler and Hyundai offered the highest incentive levels ever, and the incentives offered were the highest in February ever for Ford, GM, Toyota and Honda.
Historically, it may be one of the best times to buy new, but more and more people are turning to used cars. In fact, according to a recent study by Edmunds.com showed that over half a million used cars sold in the past three months would have been new vehicle sales if the public wasn’t so worried about the economy..
Several factors are motivating this change, but the biggest one is the recession. Just a year or so ago, not only was everyone ‘keeping up with the Joneses’, they were trying to outdo their neighbors. A new car is a certain sign of success, and to many buyers it meant nothing to lose 25% or more depreciation in the first twelve months, as long as there was a new car in the driveway and it had all the latest technology. With the poor economy, buyers are now finding it more practical to let someone else pay the depreciation, and pre-owned vehicles are becoming a hot topic.
Another factor motivating the trend is the reliability of used cars. With the technology used on today’s cars, a used car buyer is no longer throwing money at an unknown. If the vehicle has enjoyed good care, and continues to be tended to, there’s no reason that any Honda or Toyota (or many American-made models, for that matter) cannot last well past the 200,000 mile mark. Certified pre-owned cars make it a safer bet to buy used, but many dealerships are seeing a request for used vehicles under $10,000.
What does this trend mean for the consumer? A person buying a used car may pay a little more for it now than he would have a year ago, but then again, trade-in prices on relatively late-model vehicles may increase as well, as the supply and demand of used cars continues to waver. It also means fantastic bargains for someone looking to buy new. Go ahead and trade in that used sedan and get a little more than normally offered, and buy a new vehicle with better incentives and lower process than ever before.
If you have a question you’d like our experts and community to answer, please ask your question at http://forum.iseecars.com. To start your car search, visit http://www.iSeeCars.com to find over 2 million cars for sale across more than 11,000 websites.
iSeeCars.com’s Top Used Car Searches for 2008
iSeeCars.com, the leading Web 2.0 car search engine providing the best unbiased experience for consumers to search pre-owned cars for sale quickly, easily and smartly, reports the top used car searches for 2008. iSeeCars.com currently enables users to search over 2 million cars for sale across more than 10,000 different
car websites.
The top 10 searched used cars by make on iSeeCars.com for 2008 were:
1. Honda
2. Toyota
3. Ford
4. Chevrolet
5. Nissan
6. BMW
7. Volkswagan
8. Lexus
9. Mercedes
10. Dodge
The most searched for pre-owned car by manufacturer was Honda; Ford was the most searched for American car manufacturer. In the luxury car segment, BMW had the most searches.
The top 10 searched used vehicles by make and model for 2008 were:
1. Honda Civic
2. Honda Accord
3. Toyota Camry
4. Toyota Tacoma
5. Toyota Corolla
6. Ford Mustang
7. Ford F-150
8. Nissan Altima
9. Jeep Wrangler
10. Chevrolet Tahoe
The most searched for pre-owned auto was Honda Civic. Japanese cars from Honda and Toyota occupied all top 5 car searches. The truck with the greatest number of user searches was Toyota Tacoma followed by
Ford F-150.
Consumers on iSeeCars.com also took advantage of other unique features on the website to more easily find quality used cars at great deals. Car buyers searched cars for sale by owner 6 times more than they did
those for sale by dealer. There was also a high frequency of searches by users for “moving sale” listings to find bargains — with the idea that cars for sale by private sellers who are moving could potentially
be had for lower prices since the sellers are under a time constraint.
The variety and the amount of search activities performed by users on iSeeCars.com in 2008 definitively shows that iSeeCars.com is addressing a huge need for consumers for an unbiased integrated search
experience focused on helping the car buyers. Evidence that iSeeCars.com is providing a key service for car buyers is the vast number of positive feedback sent in by users about the usefulness and ease of use of the website.
In 2009, we look forward to improving iSeeCars.com and providing additional features to make the website an even better experience for car consumers. Visit iSeeCars.com to search for a car.
More Tips for Buying a Used Car
“Information is power in the hands of a consumer. Used car buyers should learn all they can to save time and money, and prevent problems that can turn a good idea into a nightmare. If a consumer walks into a used-car lot uninformed, what was a good, money-saving idea could end up eating away the savings if the car is a lemon.”
There are several rules of thumb for used vehicle buyers relating to selection of a seller, selecting the car and financing. One of the most important is, if you have your eye on a particular vehicle, pay a trusted mechanic to inspect the car. The extra out-of-pocket expense may save you money down the road if major problems are discovered.
Connecticut BBB offers the following tips for used car buyers:
Do your homework: The Internet can be an invaluable tool for researching and comparing a particular vehicle’s reviews as a used car. Shop for a car that can deliver many miles on a gallon.
Give the car a once-over: A used car inspection can tell many stories about its history and reliability and always should be made in daylight, to ensure you can see any dents, paint defects cracks and other imperfections. Check the accelerator and brake pedal for signs of wear. If they are excessively worn on a car with “low mileage,” the odometer may have been tampered with to turn back the mileage. Also examine the ease with which windows, doors and the trunk open and close. Problems with these may indicate collision or body damage.
Test drive: If the car meets your standards, it is time to go for a test drive. Make a series of stops, starts and turns at different speeds. Drive over rough road and listen carefully for any noises such as clunking and rattling. Never purchase a vehicle without first driving it.
Know the law: If you are buying from a used car dealership, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Used Car Rule requires the dealer to post a window sticker disclosing terms of warranty, information on the availability of service contracts, a suggestion the buyer have the vehicle inspected and that the dealer put all promises in writing;
Many complaints to BBBs from used car buyers concern problems found during inspection, and they received only verbal promises from salespeople that the problems would be fixed. Because the commitments were not put in the written sales contract, however, the repairs were often not carried out and the customer was left with no recourse.
If the car is sold with a statement specifying the car is being sold “as is,” this means the consumer must pay for any repairs needed after purchase.
Shop around for financing: Go to several financial institutions with the seller’s proposed purchase and finance contract. This is when a high credit score can result in lower financing interest rates. Compare the annual percentage rate, required down payment and length of the repayment period.
Finally, don’t shop alone when selecting a used vehicle. A second set of eyes and ears can help you uncover any red flags about a particular vehicle, and improve your chances of making a purchase which will pay for itself in gasoline savings.