It can prove to be challenging to find a vehicle that is handicap-accessible to suit your needs.  And, it can be virtually impossible to try to sort through newspaper ads.  A very useful website started by Rick Shutes is HandicapAutoTrader.com.  His goal was to help disable people find vehicles that they find suitable.

HandicapAutoTrader.com is helpful for both buyers and sellers.  People who are looking to buy can search many available cars, free of charge, and get in touch with the staff of the website through phone or e-mail.  Sellers can list their vehicles with three images, all for free.

The website lets motorists search for vehicles according to desired features.  Also, you can do searches by various categories, such as make, model, year, etc.  Also, there is a convenient feature, “Easy Compare Vehicles”.  This allows people to do comparisons of vehicles side-by-side.

Whenever you purchase a vehicle, you need to do your homework.  Make sure you do some research on cars, used car warranties, and car loans before you make a decision.  This will ensure that you get good deals.

According to a Soleil Securities analyst, used car values are continuing to decline.  This could have negative repercussions for new car manufacturers that are already struggling.

Analyst Michael Ward claims that the Manheim used vehicle index, which indicates trends in pricing, dropped 6.2% in the month of June, which is the lowest seen in June since 2004.

Also, according to Manheim, prices of used cars have fallen year after year in each of the past months.

Michael Ward says that the majority of new car sales involve trading in a used vehicle, which heightens the effect of pre-owned car values on the carmakers.  And used car prices that are on the decline are a negative indication of new car demand over the next six months.

The poor economy and high gas prices have hit the auto industry hard, and it appears that this won’t end anytime soon.  Consumers are holding onto their current cars and purchasing used car warranties to protect themselves.

Reputable dealerships typically sell vehicles that are sound because they don’t want to have to fix big mechanical issues down the road.  Chances are, if a car drives smooth when you test-drive it, it is probably fine.  However, there is a chance that you might end up with a lemon.  To protect you, purchase an auto warranty and follow these simple tips.

It’s always essential to have a professional look at the car you want to purchase.  You can request to see paperwork if the dealer says that the car was already inspected by their mechanic, but using an outside technician allows you to hear an objective point of view.

You also want to check and make sure that the vehicle has a title that is clear, and that it hasn’t been involved in an accident.  To do this, request that the dealer look on Carfax or AutoCheck.  These are both websites in which you can pay a small fee to have the car identification number traced for service and odometer registrations, as well as accidents.  Many times, dealers will check their vehicles for you with no charge.

Most of the time, purchasing a used car from a dealership is safe, but taking precautions will ensure that you make a good decision.  Also, buying used car warranties will allow you to have peace of mind in the event that you need to have repairs.

In June, car sales saw a significant decline in America as consumers practically shunned pickup trucks and SUVs due to the increasing gas prices in the already weak economy.  The high gas prices have caused a decline in the price of new cars because carmakers don’t have a sufficient supply of cars that are fuel-efficient.

According to Autodata sales have plummeted with a yearly rate of 13.6 million cars on a monthly basis when compared to 14.3 cars sold in May, which indicates reduced sales across the board.  The statistics from this survey show that sales are weaker than they have been in a long time.

The Asian carmakers did much better than the U.S. automakers that were caught off-guard by the shifting purchasing patterns of drivers.  The brands from Asia were able to capture 46.2% of the total amount of sales, where U.S. brands had 45.8% of sales.

Consumers are apprehensive to purchase vehicles right now because of the poor economy and high fuel prices.  Many people are opting to hold onto their current cars and purchase used car warranties, but others are buying small, fuel-efficient vehicles that allow them to save money on gas.

A recent survey by Consumer Reports Nat’l Research Center shows that drivers in America are feeling the pain of high gas prices and it’s having an affect on their lifestyles and car purchasing decisions.  In fact, people are opting to hold onto their current vehicles and purchase used car warranties.

Consumers say that they aren’t doing as much vacationing, driving, and entertainment spending.  Also evident, is that people are struggling with the cost of health care and food prices.  Who should be blamed for these hard times?  The survey revealed that 77% of people blame the federal government for not being able to carry out an energy policy that is effective, and 75% blame oil companies, as well as foreign producers of oil.

The price of gas has risen dramatically this year, going from $2.96 per gallon in Feb. 2008 to $4.08 in June, which is an increase of 38%.  That quick change has caused the price of transportation, heating oil and food to go up also.  Consumers are feeling the financial burden on many fronts with no sign of relief.  The result of this is that 45% of people aren’t putting as much money into their savings accounts, approximately one quarter aren’t spending as much on healthcare or food, and 17% are charging more on credit cards.

The rising fuel costs are having a poor effect on consumers’ lifestyles.  People are holding onto their current cars and purchasing an auto warranty instead of buying new vehicles.  Essentially, people are just trying to weather the storm.

You may think that you have to spend a fortune to get a reliable vehicle, but that isn’t the case. There are hundreds of used car models that are reputable and reliable, and the price is right.

Because cars are being made more reliable these days, people are finding pre-owned cars to be an appealing option. And, the biggest perk to buying used is that you reduce the depreciation impact. Also, with used cars, insurance rates are less expensive, as are used car warranties.

According to Consumer Reports, certain vehicles have demonstrated good performance and excellent reliability for several years now. Their list has models from Honda, Buick, BMW, Mazda, Infiniti, Lexus, Porsche, Nissan, Volvo, Subaru, Pontiac, Acura, and Toyota.

Unfortunately, other vehicles have demonstrated several years of poor reliability, according to Consumer Reports. Included in this list are models by Pontiac, VW, Kia, Dodge, Oldsmobile, Jeep, GMC, Land Rover, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz, and Chrysler.

A used car can be a great investment if you do your homework and choose a model known for its reliability. Also, purchase an auto warranty to give you peace of mind.

Fuel prices aren’t the only thing rising these days, prices of used hybrids and small, fuel-efficient cars have gone up a great deal in the last six months.  This is sparked by the shortage of popular, new vehicles that are fuel-efficient. Cars that were practically ignored last year are now being sold at a premium, due to high gas prices.

The used vehicle on the market today that is the most fuel-efficient is the 2007 version of the Toyota Prius hybrid.  Because of capped production, the 2008 Prius is hard to find, so people are turning to the used models.  On average, people paid $1,900 more in June for a 2007 Prius, than they paid in January of this year.  In other words, in six months, the price increased 9%.

Used hybrids aren’t the only cars seeing a price increase, the 2007 Mini Cooper prices have risen dramatically.  Customers paid on average, $2,300 more for a 2007 Mini in June than they did in January.  That amounts to a price increase of 12%.

Pre-Owned vehicles have a typical depreciation of 14-16% in a year, so a car that retains or increases its value is out of the ordinary.  The 2007 Prius and Mini have experienced this due to the high demand for fuel-efficient vehicles.  In addition, people are purchasing used car warranties to eliminate unnecessary repair costs down the road.

If a glossy flyer arrives in your mailbox from a car dealership in your area promoting a huge event for pre-owned car sales, beware. Many of these events have contests, or “bonus” vouchers, which consumers are advised to take advantage of to get thousands of dollars off of the price of a pre-owned car. One of these flyers came with a key that people were told to take to the sales event to discover if they had won a new vehicle.

“Blow-out” sales, such as these, will use the name of a local dealer, but other companies run them. Typically, these companies will charge more for the cars than the actual dealership. And according to investigations by state attorneys, often-deceptive tactics and high-pressure are used to achieve sales.

The state attorney general’s office of Washington announced early this year that they settled with a company such as this. This company was accused of not disclosing how many cars were available at the price advertised, making financing sound easier than it really is, and misrepresenting the value of the cars being sold by calling them “drastically discounted”.

Consumers should remember that if a car deal sounds to good to be true, it probably is. It is best to research such things as used cars and used car warranties before you actually go shopping. This way you will know what prices are reasonable to expect.

The pre-owned vehicle retailer CarMax Inc. had a plunge of 55% in fiscal-first quarter net income.  This announcement weighed heavily on carmakers because it created additional concerns about the rapidly shifting trends of consumers.

The pre-owned retailer, of Richmond, VA claims that there was a 25% decline for SUVs and trucks for the quarter ending late in May, which was way above what the depreciation was expected to be for the whole year.  This is due to motorists’ reactions to the weak economy and high gas prices.

CarMax shares saw a decline of 11% at the 4 p.m. N.Y. Stock Exchange composite trading.  In addition, GM shares dropped 5.9%, and Ford shares declined 5.8%

According to the Chief Executive of CarMax, this depreciation has lasted longer than any other segment that they have seen, and prices are sure to continue falling.

Large vehicles have been U.S. carmakers’ main sales source in the past, yet now they have to scale back on production in these segments and introduce more fuel-efficient cars.

Consumers are being hit hard by the economy and high gas prices; therefore, they are looking for small, fuel-efficient cars.  Some motorists, however, are deciding to hold on to their current vehicles and purchasing used car warranties so that they don’t have to buy a car for a while.

With fuel prices over $4 per gallon, 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 car 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 car 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’re looking to save money by buying a used car, consider depreciation. You can get a good bargain by purchasing reliable, more rapidly depreciating models, and buy used car warranties to give you peace of mind.