With the poor economy, motorists are looking a little more closely at used cars.  The National Automobile Dealers Association reports that last year the average cost of a used vehicle was around $15,000, while it was $29,000 for new vehicles.

While you want to purchase a pre-owned car that has a solid reputation for dependability, it’s even more beneficial to purchase a used vehicle that consumers find less popular, because it has already depreciated rapidly.

Many people believe that the best new vehicles make the best used vehicles, which is true in general.  However, often these cars depreciate at a slower rate, which makes them popular as new vehicles, but means they cost more as used vehicles.

According to Kelly Blue Book, the vehicle brands that depreciate the slowest are Mini, Scion, Volkswagen, BMW, and Honda.

Instead of purchasing those models, consider other brands that have high reliability scores, but depreciate more quickly and can save you thousands of dollars.  Domestic brands are good to consider, such as Dodge, Ford, and Chevrolet.  These will get you a bargain.

If you want to save money by buying a used car, consider depreciation. You can get a good bargain by buying reliable, more rapidly depreciating models, and buy used car warranties to give you peace of mind.

Brake pad vibrations that result in a high-pitched noise are the cause of brake squeal.  When pads don’t have proper insulation from the caliper, vibration occurs.  The factory will equip brake pads with insulator shims, clips, and even a silicone backing that allows the pad to stay glued to the caliper.  This helps to prevent vibrations.

Often times when brake pads become too hard brake squeal occurs.  The hard and smooth surfaces then rub together to produce a noise equivalent to nails on the blackboard.  When this occurs, it is necessary to resurface the rotors and replace brake pads.  This will eliminate the squealing.

You should also have your rotors resurfaced when you have your brakes done.  Not doing this will result in squealing.  When replacing brake pads, the rotor refinishing should be done with a non-directional finish.  This will make sure that brake pads are broken in properly.

Act immediately if brake squeal occurs.  Take your car to a highly trained technician to make sure that your brakes are treated appropriately.  And, make sure you have used car warranties to cover repairs performed.  After all, you don’t want to end up paying unnecessary costs.

The DuPont Global Color Popularity Report found that White and White Pearl are the favorite car color choices in America, with 16% and 4% of the market share.  This is the second year in a row that white has been the #1 choice.

Black and silver tied for second place at 17% each.

Trends for North America also highlight the trend for global convergence.  This means that the colors that Americans like the best are similar to the ones that motorists in Russia and Brazil like, and vice versa.

Leading in Europe, however, is black, and silver takes the lead in the Russian car market.  Asia likes silver cars the best and India likes white.

According to the report, blue is now the “new green” when thinking of cars that represent the “preservation of nature.”

At this point it doesn’t really matter what color cars people are buying, as long as they are purchasing new cars with new car warranties.  Unfortunately, this year many people chose to hold onto their current cars and buy used car warranties.

The reliability ratings for Ford had a significant jump, which makes it the most reliable American carmaker, according to Consumer Reports, which just released its ratings. Other than a few of Ford’s pickup trucks, Ford’s reliability is comparable to that of the Japanese carmakers that are the best.

Other carmakers that received the highest ratings went to the usual winners, including Toyota, Honda, and Nissan.  Toyota received below-average ratings last year for the V-6 Camry and Tundra, however now all of the 42 Toyota, Lexus, and Scion models had ratings that were average or above.  After several years of experiencing trouble, Nissan’s Armada and Titan and Infiniti’s QX56 had improved ratings, which now are average.  Kia and Hyundai also got rankings equal with the best Japanese carmakers, with Kia making a 12 spot jump in one year.

American carmakers need to make improvements in reliability so consumers will purchase American made cars, and Ford has now achieved this.  Consumers are very concerned with safety and reliability and are purchasing cars with the best ratings.  Motorists are also protecting themselves by purchasing new and used car warranties.

People are often irrational about their vehicles.  They treat them as if they are their babies and shower them with affection.  Some drivers even talk to their vehicles and give them a pat here and there.  But as much as our cars mean to us, we don’t need to waste money on them.  Here are some common ways that you can avoid unnecessary car expenses.

First of all, buying premium fuel over regular isn’t necessary.  Purchase the cheapest gas possible that keeps your engine from knocking.  Octane serves the purpose of preventing knock, so if your car doesn’t knock with regular gasoline you’re fine.

Usually, carmakers recommend that you change your oil every 5,000-7,000 miles.  Many motorists assume that they should get their oil changed every 3,000 miles, however, this should be done only if you put a lot of wear and tear on your car.

Also, having auto repairs done at a dealership will cost you.  Instead, find a reliable independent shop to do the job for less money.  In addition, make sure to have an auto warranty to avoid unnecessary costs down the road.

Following these simple tips can save you lots of money.  Don’t allow other people to talk you into paying unnecessary expenses for your vehicle and purchase used car warranties to protect your wallet.

If you want to buy a cheap, used vehicle, you might want to check out an auto auction website.  A good place to start is Car-Auction.com.  This website features cars that have been seized by the government.  Motorists can select the type and model of car that they would like to purchase, and also the price.  You will receive results within seconds.  The convenience of this website is key.  It’s so much easier than going to an automobile auction.  Just make sure to follow these tips.

The hardest part about an auto auction website is finding a quality vehicle that you want to purchase.  A lot of people will purchase a car that looks good on the outside, yet this is a big mistake.  You need to get additional information about the vehicle.

Getting a history report on the car is essential before making an agreement.  You should get the cars VIN in order to do a search through an agency, such as Carfax.  Also important is getting a professional inspection on the vehicle.

An online auction site is a wonderful place to search for a used vehicle.  However, you need to be careful.  Do your homework to protect yourself. Also, make sure you buy used car warranties for peace of mind.

Used car buyers need to be aware of a common scam; odometer fraud.  This is the act of rolling back the odometer on a car.  This deceives buyers into thinking that a vehicle has fewer miles than it really does.  It is estimated that this crime leads to sales of around 450,000 vehicles every year.

Also alarming is that digital odometers are easier to meddle with than traditional odometers.  There are ways that consumers can protect themselves against odometer fraud.

First of all, request to see the car’s title and make a comparison between its mileage and the car’s odometer.  Also, compare the mileage on the car’s maintenance records with the odometer on the vehicle.  In addition, sometimes there are stickers with maintenance records on doorframes and windows.

Next, you should ask for a Carfax History Report on the vehicle to see odometer discrepancies.  If the person selling the car doesn’t have one, you can order one online with the vehicles VIN number.

Finally, check to see that the odometer gauge numbers are all aligned.  If they aren’t aligned, or if they move when you tap on the dash, you may want to think twice about buying.

These tips can save you from buying a car that has been tampered with.  However, you never know the true history of a used vehicle.  This is why used car warranties are a good idea to protect you against unforeseen repairs.

There is nothing worse than traveling along in your car and hearing sirens behind you.  You know that you are about to be given a speeding ticket and you really can’t afford it.  With all of the car expenses, such as maintenance, used car warranties and loans, the last thing you need to pay for is a speeding ticket.  Well, help is on the way.  Pete Tenereillo of California has invented Trapster.

Trapster is a social network for cell phones that makes it possible for motorists to alert other people about speed traps.  Drivers can go to the website to sign up for a membership that is free.  Then the Trapster software can be downloaded onto your cell phone.  Most current cell phones, Blackberries and PDAs will be able to accommodate this software.

Next, motorists are ready to get on the road.  If you see a state trooper with a radar gun you hit “pound one” on your phone, which will alert other people when they approach the same area.

This is a great system because it’s hands free.  This allows drivers to be safer on the road.  Also, cell phones and PDAs that are more sophisticated can display a map that shows where the speed trap is.  However, you should pull over if you’re going to look at the map.

It is an awful feeling when you go to start your car in the morning, just to discover that your battery is weak.  Luckily, many people have a road service program that can help them in this situation, but unfortunately, others don’t.  If a car isn’t getting sufficient power, it won’t start, however, help is now here.  The Intelligent Battery Sensor by Continental will warn you if your battery is running down due to age.  To do this, it determines your battery’s charge status.

Approximately one-third of car breakdowns are because of empty batteries.  The reason for this is that vehicle batteries today have to do more work than in years past.  For example, car electronics have taken on a huge responsibility.  They help passengers remain safe, orient the driver in traffic, and allow passengers more comfort.  Batteries are required to supply all of this power.  This is one reason that The Electronic Battery Sensor is beneficial.

The new battery sensor may be small, but it is a great technological advancement.  It gives drivers a good indication of when it is time to change their batteries.  This will cut down on breakdowns and stranded vehicles.  However, it is a good idea to have emergency auto assistance and used car warranties in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Recently, J.D. Power and Associates conducted a study, finding that now that the EPA has changed how it tests cars, motorists are finding that they get better mileage out of their cars than what was advertised.

Before the EPA decided to update its methods to reflect a more accurate view of modern driving conditions, motorists were consistently reporting that their combined average for fuel economy was less than the EPA rating advertised.

For example, before the update, back in 2007, motorists claimed that they got around 97% of the fuel economy that was advertised.  This was 3% worse than what was advertised.  And after the new standards for testing were implemented in 2008, motorists claimed they got around 105% of the fuel economy posted.

For drivers who are money conscious and calculate driving costs, such as insurance, used car warranties, and gas costs, they will have a pleasant surprise with their gas mileage.