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Certified Pre-Owned, just the name instills confidence, but the key is being able to separate the hype from it’s actual value and substance. When referring to a manufacturer’s certified program there is an extension of the original vehicle warranty, very much like an extended service contract, giving the next owner a more comprehensive warranty. These coverages do vary from one manufacturer to another, so their worth depends on the terms and price. The certification process also means that each vehicle must pass certain inspections and standards. This often translates into reconditioning items like brakes and performing required maintenance services. The takeaway here is that some manufacturers require a more comprehensive certification checklist or better warranty coverages which may give their certification greater value. Only doing the homework of a full certified program comparison will determine which of the manufacturer’s..

Volkswagen has managed to destroy it’s credibility, along with any remaining Fahrvergnügen left in the brand, after getting caught rigging cars to display false emissions test results on its “clean diesel vehicles”. Fahrvergnügen has been replaced by the sorties of F-bombs VW customers are dropping in reaction to the blatant deception that they are now victims of. “It’s ugly, but it gets you there.” Such an iconic brand over the decades, VW created those cute, self deprecating print ads for the Beetle in the 1960’s. The appeal of those ads were in their honesty. “It’s ugly, but it gets you there.”, “And if you run out of gas, it’s easy to push.” and “Presenting America’s slowest fastback.” are a few examples of the funny yet truthful captions used to describe the humble VW Bug. VW has succeeded in ruining it’s reputation as it now faces perhaps the largest corporate scandal in automotive..

When it comes time to replace a car, people question whether to buy or lease the next vehicle. Determining what’s best really depends on priorities and lifestyle. Only completely honest answers to hard questions about budget, wants and needs can determine the right choice. Generally speaking, for most of us buying a new vehicle and keeping it for a number of years will cost less than leasing a new one every 3 years or so. So, why would anyone consider leasing? Here are a few reasons why leasing might make sense for you: Affordability When budget dictates payment this is the lowest new car option in the short term. Not making the large down payment of a car loan but still having a lower payment makes this a more affordable choice. Leasing allows many the ability to drive a more expensive vehicle at a comparable level to the loan payment of a cheaper model. No expensive repair bills Leasing a car covered over the entire..

When purchasing a vehicle, every car buyer will find themselves in the office of the dealership individual whose job it is to complete all their necessary paperwork. They will collect funds, arrange financing and offer you various after sale products and services for your car. The person you’ll meet with usually has the title of Finance or Business Manager, and their office is referred to as the finance office. For years, the slang term used in the car business for this office has been “the box”, and “boxing a deal” is slang for signing up the customer when delivering a car. Many of today’s Business and Finance managers cringe when they hear it referred to as “the box” because of the negative connotations from the past. They don’t want to be associated with the sleazy “box” man stereotype who tried to lay away customers with finance payments loaded with high profit extras like “croak and choke” (credit..

Summer is a popular time to embark on family driving trips. Whether or not you’re planning one of these mobile adventures this year, here is some practical advice that might just prevent some unexpected mechanical problems from ruining your driving plans this season. Hot summer weather causes your engine, cooling system, transmission, electrical, and air conditioning systems to all work harder under intense heat and pressure. Compounding this demand by weighing your vehicle down with passengers and cargo leaves little room for deficiencies. Any marginal vehicle components are more likely to fail under these taxing conditions. Hilly or mountainous driving will also require your vehicle to be in top condition to handle these extra demands. Especially after such a severe winter, it is important that your vehicle has clean fluids, filters, and that all systems are in sound working order. Good tires and brakes, belts and hoses,..

A lot more goes into getting a good deal on a new car than just finding the lowest price. Most important of all is correctly choosing a vehicle to best suit your needs, desires and budget. Getting this right will require devoting time to researching your choices and giving careful thought to what your top vehicle priorities really are. Dividing the car buying process into individual stages is a great way to avoid becoming overwhelmed. It also allows you to proceed at your own pace and contemplate every decision as you progress. Following these steps purposefully will help you achieve better results and eliminate the stress of trying to accomplish too much at once: Plan ahead. The more time you devote to planning your purchase the better decisions you’ll make. Consider when the time may be right to replace your old car before investing more money in it or risking a sudden breakdown that could force a snap purchase. If you’re..

Over two years ago, I posted the article shown in italics below, to emphasize the unreliability of Vehicle History Reports. Well I’m sorry to say that not much has changed since then. Inconsistencies in these widely used overrated reports are just as prevalent today as they were at that time. I’d rather refer to them as Vehicle Mystery Reports, a more befitting description of their dubious content. The negative implications from many of these reports are costing consumers a pretty penny, even when the reality is that their vehicles are fine. Case in point, I recently helped clients who wanted to replace their two year old compact SUV with only 11,000 miles on it. Unfortunately, it was involved in two separate parking lot mishaps, each one involving only minor damage to a bumper. As a result police reports indicating accidents appeared twice on this vehicle’s history report. Dealers appraised it’s trade-in value at over..

Yesterday I received a distressful phone call from an attorney friend of mine needing advice regarding an impulse car purchase gone wrong made by a co-worker of his only two days before. I thought it would be appropriate to share this story and revisit the topic of buyer’s remorse I posted a couple years back. The victim in this case is an intelligent individual who was having repairs of over $1500 performed on her well loved older car, a vehicle she had every intention of keeping, at least for the time being. That is until she decided to kill some time and wander down the street to a different dealership and take a peek at a model she was curious about. Long story short is that she became excited after test driving the car and before day’s end took delivery of a used one on the dealer’s lot, a low mileage 2011. The damage done, however, was self inflicted by the victim who regrettably comitted multiple avoidable errors...

Why is car shopping such an unpleasant experience for most consumers? There are certainly many different answers to that question but I’d like to focus on one specific area here regarding dealer practices and reputation. I’ll point out some things to watch for that may help you avoid both a bad deal and buying experience. After you’ve done some research about the makes and models you’re interested in take the time to check on each dealer’s background before visiting their showroom. What is their Better Business Bureau rating and how have they dealt with customer complaints? Run a Google search to see if they have lots of negative press or feedback on Yelp, eBay or similar sites. What do people you know have to say about their previous buying experiences at the dealership? Have they been in business for long? You’ll weed out many potential dealers by just investigating these few things. Some of the worst dealers to..

“No Hassle Pricing” sounds like a great idea to people in the market for a new or used car. Who wouldn’t want to avoid all the back and forth haggling when making a vehicle purchase? Most people will agree that trying to get a good price on a car is a daunting task. So the prospect of such a consumer friendly approach as “no hassle pricing” promises to provide a less stressful path to legitimate savings. As a consumer’s advocate, and professional car buyer, I’m afraid I have to disagree with that notion. Pulling back the curtains reveals this selling approach as another marketing strategy that leads naive buyers to part with more of their money. By preying on their fear of being taken, retailers have these customers convinced that they will spend less, when in fact they will not. Let me illustrate this with a couple of examples of this you are probably familiar with. A large national retailer of predominantly used..