Auto Dealers Compete

We found this great little article on buyingadvice.com. The number one thing to avoid is letting the dealership/sales person educate you on the car. We basically preach that you should not even contact the dealership until you have done extensive online research. We also recommend you rent the car you want to buy and drive it for a week.

I know it’s expensive but think about how expensive it would be if you bought a car you ended up not liking after a week or so.

Ignore the salesman’s hype. Don’t let the salesman educate you about the car you intend to buy. Learn about your car from friends or from an online forum.

Blog . Buying Advice . com: Avoid The Top 9 Car Dealer Tricks.

technorati tags:dealer tricks

We live in Los Angeles and for the first time in the longest the price for a gallon of gas was below the $3 dollar mark. I found this great website that helps you find the lowest gas prices in your area. Do a search and save some money!! Enjoy the weekend.

The basic function of the website is to help you find the lowest price of gasin your neighborhood.

You don’t have to register to use GasPriceWatch.com. You can start searching right now by using oneof the forms on the left. Go ahead, give it a try. You can always click on First Time Here? upat the top to come back to this page.

GPW

technorati tags:Gas Prices

This is an excellent post on how to test drive a car when you buying online. I agree 100% with Edmunds on this one.

Question: If I’m shopping for a car online, how do I do a test drive?Answer: Online car shoppers can contact the internet manager via email or phone to schedule a test drive. The internet manager will have the car pulled out and waiting for you when you arrive. Usually, internet managers are pretty busy and won’t have a lot of time to spend “selling” you the car since they assume you have a higher level of knowledge. This is good for you since, hopefully, you have done a lot of research first. Once the test drive is over, you won’t get a lot of pressure to “buy today.” Instead, the decision is left to you.Calling ahead to schedule a test drive with the internet or fleet manager (the two jobs sometimes overlap) maximizes your time and is more apt to create the shopping environment that best serves you.

Strategies for Smart Car Buyers – Question of the Day – When online shopping, how do I test drive?

technorati tags:test drive, new car

I have had great car loans and I have had some bad car loans. Credit is everything. It will determine how little or how much you have to pay for an item. Do your finances a favor and work on getting your credit up before you try and get a loan

Anyone who has ever attempted to obtain bad credit auto loans knows the associated difficulty. But there are a few simple strategies you can follow to obtain a bad credit car loan.The first, and most obvious, strategy is to work to improve your credit score. One of the best ways to quickly improve your credit is to apply for a secured credit card and to be sure to stay up on your payments.

Blog . Buying Advice . com: Bad Credit Auto Loans-A Few Simple Tips

technorati tags:Bad Credit Auto Loans

This is not the save all solution but it’s a cool little tip you can use to help get the best treatment and deal at the dealership.

If you want to avoid car dealer tricks and high pressure sales tactics, ask the salesperson for the dealership’s CSI score. This will serve as a point of reference to you, but it will also let them know you’ll tell the manufacturer about any funny business and decrease their score. Once they realize you’re informed and willing to take action, you can be sure they’ll level with you and go out of their way to keep you happy.

Car Dealer Tricks

technorati tags:dealership’s CSI score

Toyota motor company has just announced the prices for 9 vehicles in its 2007 lineup. Most of the models saw a slight increase to their new car price but this is to be expected considering the popularity of Toyota’s vehicles in the U.S. All in all the price increases were really quite modest.Here is the list of the cars that Toyota has priced. Each car is followed by the starting price of the ‘70 and ‘06 models and the percentage of increase in price since last year.
*Toyota Avalon: $26,875 Up $100, or 0.3%
*Toyota Camry: $18,270 Up $250, or 1.2%
*Toyota Camry Hybrid: $25,900 Up $0, or 0%
*Toyota Prius: $22,175 Up $450, or 2.1%
*Toyota Yaris: $11,050 Up $100, or 0.8%
*Toyota RAV4: $20,850 Up $550, or 2.4%
*Toyota Sequoia: $33,160 Up $345, or 0.9%
*Toyota Highlander: %$24,880 Up $350, or 1.3%
*Toyota Tacoma: $14,080 Up $100, or 0.5%
*Toyota FJ Cruiser: $21,910 Up $200, or 0.9%

Blog . Buying Advice . com: Toyota Reveals Many Automobile Prices For ‘07 Models

technorati tags:toyota, car prices, hybrid, avalon, camry, Prius, Yaris, rav4, Highlander, Tacoma, Sequoia, Camry Hybrid

This is really great news! Check it out.

Apple today announced it has teamed up with Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Mazda to deliver seamless iPod integration across the majority of their brands and models, making it easy for iPod users to enjoy and control their iPod’s high-quality sound through their car’s stereo system. With the addition of these models, more than 70 percent of 2007-model US automobiles will offer iPod integration.

Ford, General Motors & Mazda Team Up With Apple To Deliver Seamless iPod Integration – Cars – Blogs.ca

I rented a dodge charger about two months back and it had a built in port where I could plug in my ipod. I was usrprised and very exctied. It was very cool and worked great.
So when I turned in my car I had to go back to using the “tape to ipod” soultion. You know the 20 dollar tape you plug into your tape deck and it has a cord you then plug into your ipod. yes I know very low tech. Well my next car will have both Sirus radio built in and an ipod port.

technorati tags:Ford Motor Company General Motors Mazda, ipod, apple

I love the way “the fool” describes car buying. it is one of the biggest purchases we will make in our life time but it’s also one of the worst buying experiences.

We have found that using the Internet and email can really turn a once dreaded experience into a cake walk. You just need to learn a little bit of knowledge and you can make your next car purchase very simple and painless.

Up to now, we bet, buying a car has not ranked near the top of your list of treasured moments. In fact, when you contemplate the prospect of wrangling with some cagey car dealer, you probably find your eczema flaring up. “I’d rather be sucking down stale air in a sealed plastic cubicle with a card-carrying member of the Halitosis Club of America,” you muse, “listening to long-winded explanations of term insurance.”

Fool.com: Buying a Car: Introduction [Buying a Car]

technorati tags:Buy a New car

Over at edmunds I found an this article about paying cash can actually cost you. He goes on to say:



“How can this be? Well, while the seemingly unending rise in interest rates may be bad news for those with adjustable rate mortgages and credit card debt, it presents a nice opportunity for those with money in the bank. You see, each time interest rates rise, there is an almost exact corresponding increase in the rate of interest that competitive banks pay to those with savings, money market or interest bearing checking accounts.”

However, as one smart guy from Canada pointed out you may still need to pay MSRP, but with cash you have more chance to get a price below invoice. Click the link below to read the full article.

Strategies for Smart Car Buyers – Thinking of paying cash for that new car? It could cost you.

technorati tags:paying cash for that new car

Found another article on buying a car. Look at point 4 below. “Negotiate on the deals and also ask if there are freebies and discounts.” are you kidding. We teach people how to get the car of their dreams below invoice with out “Negotiating”!
This guy has no clue…

1) Do research on the net and get information on the latest madels or buy car magazines and learn more about the car.2) Learn more about the safety, reliability and performance of the car.a) Try to research on 2-3 models in that segment and then compare the price, mileage etc and then decide.b) Take a test drive. Feel the car.3) Get atleast 2-3 quotes from dealers (online, visiting the dealer or from phone).4) Negotiate on the deals and also ask if there are freebies and discounts.

Tips to Buy a New Car