New Car Warranties

Do you find that you are apprehensive about negotiating with an auto dealer?  Shopping for a vehicle doesn’t have to be nerve-racking, however, you need to be aware of a few things that you shouldn’t say to a dealer.

First, you shouldn’t start talking about monthly payments, instead focus on negotiating the purchase price.  It can become confusing when you’re discussing monthly payments because it might be unclear whether the payment is for 24 or 36 months.

Don’t tell the dealer right away if you’re willing to trade-in your car.  If the dealer is aware of this he will know that you want to get as much money for your car as possible.  The dealer might agree to give you a lot for your trade-in, but usually it’s a smokescreen because then they will fix the price of the new car.

Don’t tell the dealer if you’re planning on paying for the car in cash.  They count on making a lot of money in financing, and if they know that they won’t be able to count on that money, chances are they won’t negotiate on the sticker price.

Do your homework before showing up at a dealership.  Be prepared with information about new car warranties, financing, and vehicle prices.  This will help you negotiate a successful deal on a car.

Luckily, as of now, not all of the economic news is tragic.

According to economists from Comerica Bank, vehicles have currently become more affordable than has been seen in 28 years.  So, the last time vehicle shoppers’ purchases made up this small of a piece of his or her income, fuel prices were higher than ever and comedians were telling jokes about how old presidential candidates were.

Comerica says that the average cost of a light vehicle currently is $27,704, including new car warranties, and the average amount of money that people spent on a vehicle fell $700 this quarter, to approximately $23,900.  Motorists have been keeping their payments down by stretching out how much time they will take to pay it off, which is currently more than 62 months.

Incentives have started the trend, which continue to get better as dealers try to get rid of inventory (they especially look appealing if you want to purchase an SUV or truck), but for the most part, motorists have just begun to want less-expensive models.

If you’re considering buying a new vehicle you need to think about safety features.  Things such as crash test results, electronic stability control, and rollover resistance are all things that are important in keeping you safe in your vehicle.

In order to give vehicles a safety rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety performs side impact and frontal crashes on cars.  Considering these results is important when it comes time to buy a new car.

Vehicles that are taller, such as SUVs and pickup trucks have a greater tendency to rollover since they have a high center of gravity.  You can find out a car’s inclination to rollover by looking at NHTSA five star ratings.

Electronic stability control is a safety feature that is extremely beneficial and highly recommended.  This feature allows you to maintain control of your car when you’re cornering.  You can avoid skidding and sliding with electronic stability control because brakes are automatically applied to the wheels that could use it.

Motorists are more concerned about safety than ever before.  Also, drivers are trying to protect their wallets by purchasing new car warranties and buying fuel-efficient vehicles.

As soon as GM introduced its marketing campaign saying the Volt will get 230 mpg in the city, the Twitter account for the NissanEV shot back with “Nissan Leaf=367 mpg, not tailpipe, and no gas required.  Oh yeah, and it will be affordable, too!”

It is important to keep in mind, however, that both of the mileage claims are still up in the air because it is still to be determined how the EPA is going to measure cars like the Volt, that are extended-range electric cars, or cars like the Leaf, that are strictly electric cars that don’t require fuel.

Nissan claims that its 367-mpg figure was determined using the Department of Energy formula, however it is still going to be quite awhile before we know the actual rating, or information about pricing and new car warranties on both the Volt and Leaf.

Nissan may want to fail to mention in it tweets that since the Volt is an extended-range vehicle, it will have the ability to travel a lot farther because of its supplemental gasoline engine.  The Leaf is just going to be a city car with limited-range.

One way to improve our world would be to alleviate road rage.  Everyone has gotten angry with another driver after being cut off. Wouldn’t it be great if we all had cars that helped curb road rage?  Well, those vehicles have arrived.

Toyota’s RIN has friendliness in mind.  It has wide, deep windows that allow the driver to stay connected with the environment.  The headlights on the car have controls for light distribution that allow the driver to be considerate to other drivers.  It even has features that reflect the psychological state that the driver is in, such as the steering wheel that is “mood trained” and displays that promote the mental health of the driver.

The Toyota i-REAL offers pedestrians added safety.  It is a solo transport that offers maneuverability because it sits upright.  This allows the driver to be at eye level with pedestrians.  Also, it will stretch out its wheels making it more aerodynamic and stable when you want to travel long distances.

The time has come when automakers are realizing that vehicle design can have an impact on how friendly people are.  Toyota is making great strides in accommodating fellow drivers and passengers to make our world a friendlier place.  Consumers are willing to pay extra money on car costs that will make their lives easier, such as new car warranties, insurance, and even friendlier cars.

Purchasing a BMW isn’t only expensive because of the purchase price; many people who shop for luxury cars are concerned about added costs such as maintenance, insurance and new car warranties.  For many years BMW has offered to pick up the tab on maintenance costs for new car purchases for up to 50,000 miles or the first four years, whichever comes first.

Now, BMW has offered an extended plan of 100,000 miles or six years for an added charge of around $1,395-$2,995.  This plan includes all of the M performance models and diesels, but not the Alpina B7.  In addition, all current BMW owners that are under the 60,000/four-year plan are able to add on this new service.  BMW recommends that service be performed every 15,000 miles on new car models.

And if that offer isn’t enticing enough for potential car shoppers, the carmakers latest incentives might be exciting: BMW is now offering low financing of 0.9%, and will pay car payments for the first two months on select cars.  Depending on the price of the car, those payments should be over $1,000.

Many people claim to love the smell of a new car.  However, the chemicals that gives cars that new smell may be harmful and have been known to cause long-term health issues.  However, consumers now have a guide that will aid them in figuring out the cars that are the safest.

An advocacy group in Michigan, called The Ecology Center, recently published a guide about toxic chemicals in vehicles and child seats.

The report deals with harmful substances, such as chlorine, bromine, heavy metals and lead.  The Ecology Center got samples of parts that people touch the most, such as center consoles, steering wheels, and seat fronts.

The investigation determined that there are top healthier cars from Smart, Acura, BMW, Chevrolet, Toyota and Honda.  Some cars that created high concern were by Suzuki, Mitsubishi, VW, BMW, Mazda, Lincoln, Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Kia.

Consumers are becoming more and more concerned with car safety issues.  They are taking precautions, such as doing research on new cars, and purchasing cars with added safety features, and new car warranties.

Car dealers have haggled with car shoppers for years.  This practice has allowed salesmen to con buyers into buying cars and new car warranties, using all kinds of negotiating strategies.  But car dealers have paid for it by being known as untrustworthy.

Some dealers are changing their old ways by dumping haggling.  The eighth largest chain of dealers in America, Lithia Automotive Group, announced that they are going to make all 108 of their stores haggle-free within three years.

Toyota’s Scion has implemented a policy for no negotiation from its onset four years ago.  This has prompted dealers who sell Toyota vehicles to apply the one-price approach.

And all over the country, independent dealers who carry various brands of domestic and foreign vehicles are teaching their employees to sell cars like the rest of the retail world.  In other words, cars come with a price tag and a smile from the salesperson.

This no-haggle method will make buying a car a more pleasant experience for consumers.  Now that people can look up a car’s base price online, they don’t have patience for haggling.  In addition, people are able to compare the prices of new car warranties online.

Consumers have been more concerned than ever about saving money on their vehicles.  They are doing everything from purchasing small, fuel-efficient cars, to purchasing an auto warranty to ensure they don’t pay unnecessary repair expenses.  But are they willing to skip the amenities that come in new cars, such as air conditioning, an automatic transmission, and power locks and windows, to save money?  And are stripped cars even available?

The truth is that it can be hard to find a car stripped with crank windows and a manual transmission.

According to JATO Dynamics, 89% of vehicles sold in America last year came standard with automatic transmissions, which is up from 85% in 2003.  Also, power locks came standard on 87% of cars sold, compared to 80% in 2003.

The vehicles that offer these features as optional tend to be on small cars, yet economy-car buyers usually pick convenience and comfort over cost if given a choice.

For example, the cheapest model by Toyota is the Yaris, which begins at $11,550 for a 2008 base model hatchback with air-conditioning.  However, approximately 80% of Yaris buyers choose to pay an extra $900 for an automatic, and about 60% opt for a power windows and locks package, which costs an extra $1,680.

It appears that features, such as air conditioning, and automatic transmissions are necessities that most people aren’t willing to live without, just like new car warranties.

The latest crash-test ratings were just released by the Insurance Institute for Highway safety, revealing the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, and Kia Soul all achieved the Top Safety Pick award by the group. In order to get this award car models must get a “Good” rating in side, front and rear crash tests.  In addition, the vehicles must come with electronic stability control.  All of the cars mentioned above are equipped with ESC standard, however the Honda Insight only has it standard on the top trim level, which is the EX.  In addition, consumers can rest assured that these cars come with good new car warranties.

All three of the cars are considered to be small by the IIHS, although the EPA calls the interior volume of the Prius a midsize.  These cars were joined by seven other vehicles that are considered small cars to get the Top Safety Pick award, however electronic stability control is only standard on the Subaru Impreza, Scion XB, and Volkswagen Rabbit.  ESC is only an option on the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla and Mitsubishi Lancer.