Forbes has assessed all of the cars out there to conclude that the Honda Accord is the best used car.  In addition, this means that the Accord is the best certified pre-owned car on the market.

According to Forbes, there are many certified pre-owned vehicles, however, the Honda Accord deserves to be acknowledged because of several outstanding qualities.  In order to come to a decision, Forbes looked at data on reliability from Consumer Reports Magazine.  In addition, they considered safety, as well as the availability of used car warranties.

Coming in second and third on the list were the Saturn Relay and Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Then, came the Pontiac G6, Mercedes Benz E-class and the VW new Beetle.

Certified pre-owned vehicles go through rigorous testing to make sure they are in sound condition.  Then, auto dealers refurbish them if needed, and give them a limited auto warranty.  This has become a booming practice, and consumers are reaping the benefits.

Many motorists struggle to find a repair shop that they feel is trustworthy.  While some motorists feel comfortable taking their car to the dealership, others prefer going to an independent repair shop.  So, which one is better?

You will find several advantages to going to the dealership for repairs.  First of all, dealerships pay for their technicians to have special training, and they provide them with special tools and equipment.  Dealerships also have a years worth of proprietary information on new vehicles that they have sold.  This information is important for making repairs and diagnosis, yet only the dealer has access to it.  Finally, dealership service departments only work on the specific makes and models that they sell, so they are good at diagnosis and repairs.

Independent shops also have advantages.  Because independent facilities try to serve the neighborhood that they are in, customers can benefit from a more personal customer service.  Also, independent repair shops provide more versatile services on a wide range of cars.  Also, top-notch repair shops will offer an auto warranty through the supplier of the parts.  Finally, prices are usually better at independent repair shops.

There are advantages to both dealerships and independent repair shops.  Consumers should find a repair shop that they feel comfortable with, regardless of what kind it is.  Also, it is very important for car owners to have used car warranties that will protect their wallets.

Buying a pre-owned car is a good way to get a good car for less money.  However, when most people go car shopping they inspect the outside thoroughly, but forget to inspect the interior.  Here are some things to look for.

Notice the smell of the interior.  If you detect mold, must or mildew, there is a chance that the vehicle has water leaks.  Make sure to look under the floor mats for wet spots.  Also, it is easy to detect the smell of smoke, which probably means that the previous car owner was a smoker.  Just be aware that it can be virtually impossible to eliminate car odors, so if there is a bad smell, look at other cars to purchase.

Sit in every seat, including the back, even if you don’t plan to ever ride in the back.  Also, make sure seat adjustments are working as intended.  And know that if a car is advertised as having low mileage, the upholstery should still look good.

The pedals will give you an indication of true mileage.  If the pedals are worn it means the car has high mileage.

Do your homework when buying a used car.  Research costs, such as maintenance, used car warranties, and auto insurance to ensure that you are making a good car choice.  And make sure to have the vehicle inspected before you purchase it.

When a teenager turns 16 years old, they are excited to get their drivers license.  Unfortunately, teens have more driving accidents than any other age group.  For the majority of teen drivers, the question isn’t whether they are going to have an accident, but when they are going to have an accident.

Inexperience is the main reason that teenagers are vulnerable to traffic accidents.  Although 16 to 19 year olds only make up 5.3 percent of the driving population in our nation, they’re involved in 13.3 percent of all of the traffic accidents and 11 percent of crashes that are fatal.

A new program aimed to protect teenagers is “graduated licensing”.  Although the age of licensing is the same, full privileges come gradually.

The program begins with a learner’s permit.  Next, is the intermediate stage, in which teens can drive during the daytime alone, and in the evening they can drive between 9 p.m-6 a.m. with a licensed driver.  Then, the advanced stage comes. This is when teens can drive with no restrictions.

The graduated licensing program is a good step to ensure that our teens remain safe.  However, teens need to protect themselves by practicing safe driving habits and purchasing used car warranties.

One of the family activities that are the most fun is going on road trips.  During the holidays many people are traveling to see family and friends.  Although enjoyable, frustration can accompany families on the road.  Take note of the following do’s and don’ts in order to ensure that your family has a great trip.

The most important thing that you can do is to get your family vehicle a tune-up.  Your vehicle needs to be in top-notch condition.  Nothing is worse than having your car breakdown, leaving you stranded.  This is why an auto warranty is a necessity.

You should plan ahead so that your family knows what is happening during the trip.  This will alleviate stressful situations and help things to go smoothly. In addition, you might want to purchase software to plan your trip and invest in a GPS.  This advanced technology will act as your guide to your desired destination.

Of course, you never know when you will run into speed bumps throughout your trip.  For example, road construction and traffic are inevitable.  However, your trip doesn’t have to be ruined by these inconveniences.  In addition, you can rest assured if you have used car warranties.

Everyone realizes that it is difficult to get credit for a large purchase in this economy.  In fact, many people have opted to hang on to their current cars and purchase used car warranties. To help with this problem, GM decided to team up with credit unions to offer car loans at a low interest to prospective buyers.  Chrysler is now doing the same.

Chrysler has found over 2,500 credit unions in Illinois, Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Mississippi, Ohio and Oklahoma that are going to participate in this deal, which will provide consumers with approximately $22 billion in car loans for auto purchases.  And, in addition to the cash back incentives and loans; consumers may qualify to get “Credit Union Member Cash” incentives that start at $500.  And customers should take note that the offer just requires people to finance their car purchase through the credit union; people don’t have to be members of the credit union in order to take advantage of the deal.  However, people do need to be a member of the credit union to get the extra bonus that starts at $500.

The deals are for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge cars and will go from Dec.16 through June 30.  This will allow more people to get financing for cars and hopefully give Chrysler a boost.

Satellite navigation devices, or the popular GPS interfaces that many motorists have in their vehicles, are, partly responsible for a large share of accidents and driving practices that are risky.

With about half of the motorists on the roads having access to devices such as these in their vehicles, it appears that this technology has penetrated the market.  Drivers who have satellite navigation devices are much more likely to be involved in a minor accident or risky behaviors.  In fact, 1.5 million say that they have engaged in sudden maneuvers, and approximately 5 million admit to going against the flow of traffic.

GPS systems fall into the same category as other car distractions, such as cell phones, kids, the radio, or passengers.  This might be one of the reasons that road safety campaigns say that ‘Good Drivers Just Drive’.

Drivers should pre-plan their trips in order to avoid distractions by GPSs.  In addition, drivers should protect themselves by purchasing used car warranties, and avoiding other in car distractions.

The number of vehicle repossessions has gone up drastically this year, which is about to top 1.9 million, which is a significant jump of 15% since 2007.  Chances are that a large number of those vehicles were large SUVs and trucks or luxury cars that mortgage brokers purchased when they thought the good times would keep on rolling forever.

Now that the housing bubble has popped, the large monthly payments and gas costs are practically unaffordable.  People are opting for used cars with used car warranties and staying away from new cars.  Unlike many other lenders, carmakers can’t really be blamed for giving out loans that are risky.  Borrowers who have great credit scores are having their Mercedes’ yanked away, just like the people who got Honda Civics.

This is terrible news for carmakers, as if they haven’t had enough, because for a repossessed car the average loss is around $10,000.  Then the repos that have been heavily discounted end up on dealership lots and give the small amount of car shoppers out there a good reason to buy a discounted repo with the addition of an auto warranty, instead of a new car.

Most people don’t realize that there is certain etiquette involved when buying parts at the parts counter.  Following this etiquette will allow you to get the parts that you want without unnecessary hassle and keep you from driving the staff crazy.

When you go to a parts counter at a dealership you need to have your VIN handy, which is basically the magic key to all of the car codes.  At places such as Advance Auto or NAPA, you just need to know the make, model, year, and engine of your car.

Make sure to know what the part’s name is that you need.  If this is something you don’t know, be able to describe what it looks like or what it is going to attach to.  Don’t make up a name for the part you want; this is where 90% of wrong parts come from.  If worse comes to worse, take the staff out to your car and point to the part you’re looking for.

When ordering an expensive part you want to ask about return policies and auto warranty terms.  And get the answer in writing.  This can be as simple as having him write the information on the receipt.  This will save a lot of hassle if something breaks down the line.

Finally, don’t go to the parts counter to diagnose your vehicle.  Counter-staff gets very annoyed when you try to return a part because it wasn’t even the problem in the first place.

Following these simple etiquette tips will allow you to get the parts that you need with little hassle.  And make sure you have used car warranties, because you never know when your vehicle will need to be repaired.

As further proof that we never know what gas and oil prices will do, fuel prices have remained steady since Friday, with the nationwide average at $1.65 a gallon.  This ended a three-month free fall of gas prices.

So, now will prices begin to climb?

Well, there could be a slight rise as drivers get on the roads for the holidays.  However, this will be countered by an economy that is still awful and winter, which is the time of year when gas prices are there lowest anyway.  According to a recent USA/Gallup Poll, just 12% of motorists claim they have gone back to their usual driving habits, which is incredible considering how far gas prices have fallen.

So, what’s to expect with fuel prices down the road?

No one really knows, however experts are predicting fuel prices will hover around $1.50 before they start rising to about $2.25 a gallon this summer.

At the moment, OPEC has cut oil production by about 2 million barrels, we have a weak dollar and one has to wonder if motorists will do away with their new driving habits that are so conservative, since gas is so cheap.  One thing is for sure though, drivers are hanging onto their current cars and purchasing used car warranties instead of buying new vehicles.