10 things every car buyer must know

Buying a car needs not just investment but deep thought. The market is overflowing with choices and temptations. Buyers need to think, what kind of car and can I afford it? Think, what do I need transportation for right now and what will I need two years from now? Do I want a car as a status symbol or as something that makes my life easier? Will the car be a commuter vehicle, or to transport children? Would a van with cargo space and high clearance be more suitable for a growing family? Should the car be a two-wheel or four-wheel drive? What kind of terrain will I be driving in most of the time? Go through auto magazines as well as consumer reports to get a clear picture of the world of cars. 1. Work on your finances and determine what you need to spend each month on transportation. A car should not cost more than 10% of your net pay per month. If it is more, then consider leasing a car instead of buying one. 2. Before you finalize anything, find out what the target price is. Four figure discounts are available with almost every make. 3. Never sign an arbitration clause or blank financial forms. Try and get finance from a separate source, a bank or financial institution. 4. Haggling will get you a good deal apart from shopping around for finance. The market is competitive be sure to check dealer fiancé, high street, internet lenders, as well as other options. 5. Try and ensure a large down payment thereby reducing the loan to be paid. Work out your finances and choice of car such that the term of loan is for the shortest period. 6. Find out what buying incentives are on offer. These vary from audio systems to cash back offers, and 0% financing. Ask what extras and add ons will cost in addition to the price of the car. 7. Be sure to evaluate your old car independently if you are considering a trade in. Pay attention to ‘cost to change’, the difference between what the new car costs and what the old one is worth. 8. Find out about warranties, taxes, and insurance. These can eat into your budget. 9. Vet the contract well. Read the fine print. Make sure that paying off the loan before time will not carry any penalty. 10. Check out at least 3-4 dealers to gauge what the best offer is. Test drive the vehicle before you finalize the deal and go through the car booklet page by page to understand all that the manufacturer needs to tell you. Be clear what is under warranty and what is not. Never choose vehicle based on a picture or dream. It is not how you look in the car that’s important but how well the car will fulfill your needs. Be practical and sensible; do not buy a model because the dealership is offering a holiday for two or a low interest scheme. Identify a vehicle that suits your needs before subjecting yourself to an onslaught of marketing.

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8 GM Brands: 1 or 2 Too Many?

Lots of folks are speculating about GM’s future. If you take all the press reports at heart, you would think that General Motors is on life support. Quite frankly, the opposite is true especially when you look at the global picture. In 2005, “the General” sold more than 9 million cars worldwide, the first time the automaker reached that figure since 1978. Yes, U.S. auto sales are down and some are calling for GM to reduce its many brands, currently numbering 8. Who should GM let go? Or, should General Motors stick with the game plan and maintain all 8 brands? For the record, GM’s 8 brands are: Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Saturn, GMC, Hummer, and Saab. You could take Saab out of that pack as the Swedish automaker (although fully owned by GM) builds few cars in North America. Still, GM includes Saab in its marketing schema so we’ll keep them in for argument’s sake. Clearly, Cadillac is GM’s luxury division; Chevrolet is it’s budget or “All American” division; while GMC is the truck division. Beyond that, there is much muddling of divisions, but Buick is a maker of “near luxury” vehicles (Cadillac lite) while Hummer is GM’s specialty truck division. The Saab line is a bit confusing as it once was a true European division. Now, the make is chiefly featuring rebadged GM and Subaru vehicles with little original models to show for it. Finally, Pontiac and Saturn duplicate much of what the other divisions do, although the Saturn mystique of “no haggle pricing” gives the make a certain aura to it. That leaves Pontiac. Pontiac, like the recently killed off Oldsmobile name, is probably one of the most vulnerable of the true “American” makes. Saturn will survive because its dealer network is tops and consumer satisfaction ranks up there with Lexus. Ultimately, the Saab name will likely die first. Outside of the U.S., particularly in Europe, Opel is a known name and an important GM make. Word has it that some of Saab’s production will shift to Germany and certain rebadged Opels will begin to sport the Saab name. Let’s just say once that happens, there is little reason to continue making Saabs. Let the Saab name die with dignity. Why spoil it by selling rebadged Opels as Saabs? Personally, I think GM should leave well enough alone with its remaining American brands. I wasn’t in favor of Oldsmobile’s demise and I am not in favor of killing off trusted brands. GM is retooling its operation as old models are killed off and as new or revived models step in. Look for the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Saturn Sky, and the Buick Enclave to help spark their respective divisions to renewed glory. Am I living a pipe dream? Maybe, but at least my imagination is going in a positive direction.

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10 Good Reasons for taking Driving Lessons. A guide for the Irish Learner Driver.

In a driving context, most of the decisions that you take and the techniques that you employ, will have both an economic and a safety impact. The decision to take driving lessons is really a simple one but one that will have far reaching consequences well into the future. Most, if not all, poor or dangerous habits in today’s drivers stem from the lack of professional tuition at the outset. In this second in a series of articles designed to assist today’s learner drivers we will have a look at the benefits in taking Professional Tuition. 1. Taking lessons will greatly improve your chances of staying safe and accident free since providing you retain what you have been taught, you will be probably better than many motorists who have been driving for considerably longer. Lack of sufficient training, or even no training at all which is common in Ireland, will inevitably lead to accidents at a very early stage in the driving career. Accidents are to be avoided at all costs. After all isn’t the safety of the driver, the passengers and other road users the paramount priority? 2. A course of lessons at the start of your driving career and not one month from your Driving Test, will give you the confidence you need to continue the learning process, and will form the foundation for safe motoring. 3. Taking a course of lessons will give you the chance to be accepted by an insurance company for your first Insurance policy. In fact most companies will insist on a minimum number of lessons completed by a recognised school, before a son or daughter will be admitted onto a Parent’s policy. 4. On a very topical note, the Irish Insurer Hibernian, in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Motorists, has extended its successful Ignition scheme to provisional license holders since January 2005.Learner drivers that pass the one hour driving assessment, will be offered a 21% reduction on their insurance. This is a substantial reduction for any new driver, particularly young males under 25 years of age, and well worth achieving. Just being in the possession of a provisional license will not suffice to pass this test. A course of lessons will be needed in order to achieve the required standard and the test should not be booked until quite a high level of both competence and confidence has been reached. 5. Passing the Department of Transport Driving Test, sooner rather than later, will result in further reductions in already high Insurance costs. Lessons taken just before the Driving Test will not cut it in today’s Test environment; there is just too much to learn if one wants to be successful first time out. 6. The long waiting list for the Irish Driving Test is a great inconvenience for many learner Drivers and also their Driving Instructors. The long wait is accentuated by the huge numbers of learners who do not prepare adequately with a professional school and then are forced to re sit their Test sometimes several times over. Career aspirations can easily be affected if the journey to a full License is overly prolonged. 7. Obtaining a full driving license promptly will speed up the reduction in your insurance premiums via your annual no claims bonus, providing of course you are not involved in any accidents. 8. As a fully licensed Driver you will have much greater opportunity to shop around for a competitive insurance quote, since there are only a very few companies who will insure provisional license holders and then only at a huge premium. 9. As an addition to item number 4 as a fully licensed Driver, you may apply for the more advanced Hibernian Ignition course, providing you are in your first five years of driving .This is a full day course, the cost of which can be recouped, if you pass the practical driving assessment at the end of the day. The reduction in insurance premium for the successful candidate can be upwards of 30%, so again very worthwhile .Drivers in this category should take a refresher course with a driving school to ensure that any bad habits or techniques are eradicated. Once again it is worth pointing out that the length of your driving experience is not a guarantee of success unless you started on the right foot to begin with! 10. If, in the early days of your working life you are unlucky enough to find yourself jobless through either, takeovers, cutbacks or closures, a full Driving License will enable you to pick up an interim job very quickly while you regroup and examine your future options. There is a shortage of drivers to fill current vacancies in Europe, particularly in the commercial sector so there are great opportunities for young qualified drivers who have been well trained. Both career and promotional opportunities abound for the fully licensed driver in any organisation. Faced with two candidates of similar qualifications, an employer will naturally favour the person with the full license pretty much every time.

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8 Signs That Your Car Has Pothole Damage

A pothole can be your car's worst enemy. These holes or pits on a road's surface can seriously damage a vehicle's ride-control system. If you do drive over a pothole, the Car Care Council recommends that you have your car's shocks or struts checked to make sure they aren't damaged. Shocks and struts control how vehicles ride and handle. According to the Car Care Council, the shock absorbers, or struts as they are referred to on late-model vehicles, act as a cushion to dampen the bouncing action of a car's springs. The springs absorb the road bumps; without them, the vehicle would continually bounce and bound down the road, making driving extremely difficult. Shocks and struts also control spring and suspension movement to keep the tires in contact with the road. This affects steering, stability and braking. A broken shock or strut could alter the steering and handling of a vehicle and create driving dangers. It's important to be aware of the warning signs that your vehicle's shocks or struts may need to be replaced. * The vehicle rolls or sways on turns. * The vehicle's front-end dives when braking. * The vehicle's rear end squats when accelerating. * The vehicle bounces or slides sideways on a winding, rough road. * The vehicle "bottoms out" or thumps on bumps. * The vehicle sits lower in the front or rear. * The vehicle is leaking or has signs of physical damage, such as rusting or dents. * There's a loss of directional control during sudden stops of the vehicle. Many components affect a vehicle's handling. Having your car inspected, if you experience any of the above signs, is good preventive maintenance and can help its parts wear less and last longer. "If you think you may have a worn out or broken shock or strut, don't wait," said Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. "Whether you replace it yourself or take your car to a professional service technician, this situation should be taken care of right away." The Car Care Council is the source of information for the "Be Car Care Aware" campaign, educating consumers about the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair.

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7 Tips To Help You Select Your Custom Car Cover

You lovingly wash and wax your vehicle on most sunny weekends, spending time detailing every single blotch, nick, scrape, or other damaging mark on your car's exterior. Part of the deal with owning any vehicle is making certain that it looks its best week in and week out. Still, you may not be doing all that you can to protect the finish. Other enemies including bird excrement, acid rain, and even harmful UV rays can thwart the best efforts of even the most diligent car owner. Fortunately, there is one automotive accessory that can help keep your car clean, provided you use it when your car is parked for an extended length of time. What am I talking about? Car covers! Read on for seven helpful tips to help you choose the right cover for your truck, van, SUV, or car. When shopping for a custom car cover you must give consideration to what it does besides simply covering your car. Among some important points to know: Will the car cover protect from damaging UV rays? If you live in an area of intense sunshine, such as Arizona, you need a car cover that offers the maximum protection from the sun. Is the material durable? Does it breath? Will it tear if loaded down with snow or ice? Will the car cover resist or completely repel rain? Can the product survive weather extremes, i.e. intense heat or severe cold? Will the car cover resist dust? Some car covers prevent even the finest dust from accumulating, dust that can mar your garaged car too. Does the car cover come with multiple layers to protect from small insults? This is important feature to have if you leave your car in a public area. In addition, selecting a car cover that comes with side mirror pockets is a wise choice to ensure that your car receives the snuggest fit. Finally, you will want to know if there is a lengthy guarantee offered, what colors are available, and what the return policies are, if any, of the cover that you select. Most premium car covers allow you for them to be cleaned right in your washing machine. By selecting cold to warm water, regular bleach-free laundry detergent, and drying it on your dryer's permanent press cycle, you can make the dirtiest car cover clean in no time. Of course, make certain that you adhere to the manufacturer's specifications for the proper care of your car cover.

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7 Guidelines For Used Car Prices

1. Know a little about pricing before you buy a used car. Franchise dealers that sell used cars add a certain percentage on the original value of the used car in the market. Markup is also added to the price of the used car at dealerships, which will make the price higher. 2. Determine the many factors that affect the used car prices. Used car pricings are affected by installed optional equipments or the location where you are buying the used car. There are areas that have a high market demand for a certain car. If that is the case, you may get a better deal if you travel outside of the zone to shop around for your car. 3. Find the used car's true market value at NADA. National Automobile Dealer's Association releases a copy of used car price guides every year. You may also check their web site to check the current prices of the used cars you are looking for. 4. Cheaper used cars may be found at government auctions. Government auctions happen every year and you may want to check out a checklist of the auction program. It may also offer you guidelines on finding quality used cars at lower prices. You may visit Federal Citizen Information to find out the guidelines in buying used cars from government auctions. 5. Check out the Internet. There are a lot of web sites that provide pricing guides on used cars and also guidelines in finding the right used car for you. You may compare prices; check out the features of the used car and the location where you can buy cheaper prices. 6. Determine if you have a fair deal with the price that is offered to you. Factors that affect used car prices include the age, market demand, overall condition, mileage, interior and exterior blemishes or if the car was maintained well. 7. Beware of trade tricks. Many dealers strategize on the behavior of consumers when buying used cars. Dealers know that buyers will not purchase a used car unless they feel that they are offered a price lower than the original price. Dealers tend to make the price higher than the actual amount and make the buyer believe that they are offering a discount. What the buyer does not know is that the discounted price is actually the original price of the car.

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6 Pocket Rockets!

Just because your car is small, doesn’t mean that it has to be slow. In fact, some of the fastest cars on the road today are subcompacts. How so? Because their owners have modified them to the point where they can squeeze out additional horsepower and acceleration. Let’s take a look at six cars that qualify as genuine “pocket rockets.” For the sake of argument, here are some ground rules for a pocket rocket:

The car must be a compact or smaller.

The engine must be normally aspirated; no turbo charged cars – four cylinders only.

New versions of the car must all retail for less than $20,000. The following six cars all qualify as pocket rockets when each of the above stipulations has been met: Dodge Neon; Ford Focus; Honda Civic; Scion tC; Subaru Impreza; and Volkswagen Golf. Unfortunately, the Mitsubishi Eclipse retails for just above $20,000 so it does not qualify. Besides, it looks too much like a sports car; we are only examining those vehicles that are somewhat plain before being transformed by aftermarket parts. Dodge Neon – Technically, the Neon is no longer in production as 2005 was its last model year. Still, with a 2.0L 132hp engine, the Neon remains an affordable favorite of the youth set who enjoy customizing their vehicles Ford Focus – A lemon no more! Earlier models of the Focus were problem plagued, but the car has made significant strides in the past few years and has received Consumer Report’s recommended buy label too. The stubby ZX3 produces 136 horses with its 2.0L engine Honda Civic – Redesigned for 2006, the Civic has been a fan favorite for over thirty years. Its teeny 1.8L engine pushes out an impressive 140 horses. The new Civic is a far cry from the “pregnant roller” skate look of the first Civics. Owners are grateful. Scion tC- Unlike its two boxy brethren, the tC is sleek looking and has a rocket demeanor. With a 2.3L under its hood, the tC has the second largest engine of any car in this class. You net 160 horses with the Scion. Subaru Impreza – The biggest car in this class has the most powerful engine, a 2.5L boxter engine producing 173 horses. Very competitive with larger and more powerful cars, but a favorite among “pocket rocket” fans nevertheless. VW Golf – A 2.0L 115hp drives the Golf, but the car’s light weight allows for it to buzz down the highway at a fairly good clip. Favorite ways of squeezing out additional power for pocket rocket owners include installing the following aftermarket parts:

Reusable air filters; top providers include: K&N and Green.

Cold air intake systems; favorites include: K&N, AEM, and Airaid.

Cat-back exhaust systems; leading manufacturers include: Magnaflow and Vibrant.

Performance chips; Hypertech and Jet Chips lead the way. Performance level increases are measured in horsepower, thrust, and acceleration. Depending on the parts installed and model selected, improvements can range from slight to significant. Regardless, all six models have the potential of becoming true pocket rockets and that is part of the thrill in owning one.

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