Archive for August 24th, 2008
Get A Top Notch Used Car
It doesn?t have to be a hard task to buy a second hand car. Knowing what you?re doing of course helps quite a bit. So read and following these following tips on inspecting a used car, for you never know when they will come in handy.
Fits you should inspect the exterior of the vehicle. Look at the condition of the paint. If you notice that it could be new paint, which can you a clue that the vehicle might have been in an accident. Which is not such a good thing, also be on the look out for any rust on the exterior of the car.
When inspecting the exterior look to see if the vehicle is leveled. If it looks like it sags to one side it could mean the frame or spring is damaged. Also check out the tires, see if their in good condition and inflated.
Then check to see if all the lights, blinkers and tail light all work and are not damaged. Finally take a look at all the other exterior parts such as the disc brakes, mirrors, glass, wheel rims etc.
The second step would be to check out the interior of the vehicle. First off, check to see if there are any unusually odors. It might be hard to remove an unpleasant odor. Make sure you can tolerate the smell of the car.
Look at the condition of the interior, look at how stained or well kept it is. Finally check to see if all the mechanical controls are working. Check the seats, windows, radio, windshield wiper and seat belt controls, you want to make sure that everything works and is in good condition.
The trunk is also something that you take a look at. It is probably the most over looked. You should see any signs of rust or water due to cracks or holes.
The last but no least is checking under the hood. Even if you don?t know very much about what?s under hood you still be able to check for signs of damage, like rust or dents. You can always have a mechanic come and inspect under the hood.
If it all seems to look good then the last thing would be to take it for a test drive. Pay attention to how it handles the road and how it sounds. Make sure you feel comfortable and safe while driving the vehicle. Don?t buy the car if you hear any unusually noises, that is never a good sign. There are many options out there you don?t need to settle for anything. You can get the good quality used car that you want.
Karen Butterworth is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for <a href="http://www.atv-parts-n-accessories.com/" title="http://www.atv-parts-n-accessories.com/" target="_blank">http://www.atv-parts-n-accessories.com/</a> . Her articles have also been featured on related sites such as <a href="http://www.madeezautoparts.info/" title="http://www.madeezautoparts.info/" target="_blank">http://www.madeezautoparts.info/</a> and <a href="http://www.myaccoolingsystemstips.info/" title="http://www.myaccoolingsystemstips.info/" target="_blank">http://www.myaccoolingsystemstips.info/</a>
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What Exactly Is Dealer Invoice?
My first answer to that would be who really knows? It s a very elusive term thrown around by about all the car manufacturers and car dealer s marketing departments. You know after many years in the business, I m not sure I could tell you precisely what true dealer invoice or what is termed dead cost is on any particular vehicle. I m sure the owner or the ownership group could somehow calculate this elusive dollar figure but most of us humans will continue to search for the ever elusive animal we refer to as dealer invoice. To say this term is a bit misunderstood is a rather large understatement. Maybe that s why it works so good for the folks in the marketing department. Many potential car buyers assume that what they uncover on the internet is the car dealer s invoice price. Well, not really. It s certainly one heck of a lot closer than checking the MSRP of a give vehicle, but it probably isn t going to be dead cost . You hear it all the time. In fact right here where I m at there is a local dealer that says all you ll ever pay is $50 over factory dealer cost; and they have been selling cars this way since day one oh so many years ago. I guess it shouldn t, but it really baffles me how this works on the consumer. Just do the simple math; if this dealer sold 300 cars a month (about 10 cars a day!) times $50 over factory cost (the inference here is that you are paying $50 over what the dealer gets the car for) this dealer would be grossing $15,000 per month on new car sales. I can unequivocally tell you that this would never cut the mustard! Think about it $15,000 a month and this dealer hasn t even paid rent, utilities, insurance, salaries, benefits, and on and on. So, $50 over factory invoice not hardly. So what is it then this thing car dealers call cost or invoice? Well, it s a bunch of numbers being added ” subtracted ” multiplied ” and divided before anyone knows the dead cost of the car for the dealer. What s a consumer to do? Getting out on the internet and doing your homework is a very good start. The exercise of comparing the information you gather is a good one and is to your advantage if you want to start your negotiations at invoice price. Which, by the way, you NEVER negotiate from the sticker price down. While doing your research on dealer invoice prices it s important to make certain you are comparing exact features and option packages to one another. This will at least give you baseline comparisons with which to work. All car dealers receive different incentives from the manufacturer; factory to dealer ” marketing incentives ” dealer holdback, and on and on. The fact that much of this is not disclosed is why it is very difficult to come up with dead cost for the car dealer. For instance, in the case of dealer hold back; the dealer doesn t even get this money until after the car is actually sold. There are other expenses that the dealer has that are applied to the overall cost of a particular car, including how long a particular car has been sitting on the lot. You see the dealership finances their inventory and as such pays interest on this financing so a car that has been sitting on the lot for some time has cost the dealer more than the ones that they are just unloading from the truck. As you can see, there are too many variables to any particular car at any particular dealership to know exactly what the dealer has put into a car in terms of cost. However, as we talked earlier, doing your research on the invoice price is a good place to start. Just don t stop there thinking you have all you need and don t need to do any further negotiating on the selling price. Purchasing cars and negotiating is almost synonymous. Getting a good feel for the invoice price is just a starting point. Now it s time to roll up your sleeves and work on getting the best possible price you can.
Jeff Neilan worked for many years in the automotive industry as a salesman, finance manager, new and used car manager, and general sales manager. With Jeff's working knowledge of car dealerships, car sales, and financing you'll find his articles on getting your best car deal insightful and rewarding when purchasing your next car. Please visit http://www.acarbuyersguide.com for more of Jeff's articles.
The Best Places To Compare And Check Prices Of Cars Online
Do you want to buy a car but don’t know how much you should spend or whether you should buy new or used vehicle? Do you know what kind of car you want but don’t know which cars meet your criteria? Do you have at least three or four cars in mind and would like to compare their specifications and prices? Do you know exactly what car you would like to buy but want to research it fully? Are you raring to buy a car right now?
Do you find yourselves in any of the situation above? Then you are probably on the lookout for the best place where you can check and compare prices of cars. The Internet is filled with literally thousands of websites offering cars both used and bran new. It can really be confusing which site to visit. Of course you could visit them all but that would take you a very long time. And it is simply not worth it.
So how do you know the right place to check and compare prices of cars? Well all you need to do is follow some simple guidelines that could significantly narrow down your search for a place to buy a car.
The first thing that you could do is look for a website with a comprehensive Internet directory of automobile related resources. The site should also have links that provide a wealth of information about the ins and outs of cars shopping. It must also have resources on car accessories, auto financing and insurance.
Look for a website with a well organized database of car information. You should be able to find relevant information quickly and easily. Also, look for ratings from credible organizations. Ratings often tell if a site has good service and products.
If you are completely clueless about how to buy a car then you should visit car buying guide websites. These websites are usually a good place to check and compare prices of cars. These buying guides include data - such as reviews and safety test results - on both new and old cars.
Most of these sites have an archive of articles on specific car model reviews. Some also hive an advanced search feature that would allow you to look for information on a specific car throughout the site. Some would even allow you to search a car by price.
If you are someone who has at least two to four kinds of cars in mind, then you should look for website with good tools for comparing vehicles. A number of web sites sport superior tools for comparing cars that will aid you in scrutinizing every aspect of a certain car in comparison with other cars. Just type “Car Comparison Tools” in the search engine.
As the name suggest, car comparison tools lets you compare cars. There are websites with car comparison tools that would allow you to virtually compare cars side by side. Look for a website which lists the specifications of the cars as well as a detailed summary of the comparison. The more cars you can compare side by side, the better. There are websites that would allow you to compare up to eight automobiles side by side.
You should also be able to adequate of information like crash ratings, dealer holdback, a short anecdote of pros and cons section and warranty data. The information must be well stated and easy to read and comprehend.
You should be able to see cars compared in different categories like overview, specifications, features and safety, etc. The site must also be able to tell you which car has an advantage in terms of different aspects.
The summary of comparisons of the cars must be laid out clearly. Most importantly, the prices must be shown when the cars are being compared. This would make it easier for you to choose the car that would fit your budget.
Whether you are totally clueless of cars, know a thing or two or is a complete expert when it comes to motor vehicles there is a website that can help you check and compare prices. A website that will make it convenient for you to browse thorough different model of cars so you could properly choose one before buying.
Happy car shopping!
Gregory Ashton, your resident automobile enthusiast, bringing to you over 20 years of vehicular passion, and expertise; presents for your approval his insider secrets on selecting, buying, and maintianing the car that is ideal for you. <a href="http://www.best-car-buying-tips.com" title="http://www.best-car-buying-tips.com" target="_blank">http://www.best-car-buying-tips.com</a>