Posts Tagged ‘used cars’

Best Used Cars for Your Teen

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Whether you are a teenager buying your first car, or a parent taking on the challenge of finding a car for their teenager, there are a variety of aspects that must be understood before getting behind the wheel.

Regardless of your teens protests, it is usually best to stay as practical as possible when buying the first car. Pick something safe and reliable because after all, who wants to be sitting on the side of the road a day after the car has been purchased just because the vehicle was your teens favorite color?

With all of the makes and models out there today, there are a vast sea great quality used vehicles to choose from. The following is a list of some of the best used cars for your teen:

- Dodge Charger: This is a great vehicle that is safe to drive. It is not prone to rolling over and the size of the vehicle keeps the passengers safe. Its tough and rugged look leans towards the looks of a muscle car which appeals to the male teens, and it has an average fuel usage of approximately 25 mpg on the highway and 18mpg in the city. The cost of this car can be a bit high, but it is well worth it.

- Chrysler 300: This is a great looking vehicle that everyone in the family would like to drive, so the teen may find that they are wrestling with Mom and Dad in the driveway for the keys. On average, the price is a bit high, but it is a safe car. The gas mileage is much like that of the Dodge Charge.

- Jeep Wrangler: This car is popular with the teens because of all the extra gadgets it can come with such as MP3 players and iPods. Keeping that in mind, this may not make it one of the safest to be on the road with, especially if attention is focused on shuffling tunes instead of watching the road. With that said, the price is usually reasonable and the gas mileage is great. An added plus is that the government gave the Jeep a five star crash test rating, so you can feel safe about your teen driving in this vehicle.

- Chevy Cobalt: There are a variety of brightly colored cars to choose from with this model which helps to make it a fun drive for the teen. The price is affordable, even if purchasing it as a new car. It is also very fuel efficient. This is a popular choice of both teens and their parents because of its price, looks, safety, and fuel-efficiency.

- Chevy Equinox: If you are looking for a bigger set of wheels, then the Equinox will fit the bill. Even though it is an SUV, which have a bad reputation for rollovers, the Equinox has a four star rating so that issue can be placed lower on the list of things to worry about The pricing is average to high and gas mileage is a bit lower coming in at 24 mpg on the highway and 17 mpg in the city.

Finding the right car for a teen can be a time consuming task, but the more research and test driving you do from a used cars dealership, the better it will be for you and your teen. Make sure that the car you choose has the options you require. Remember to compromise when picking out the car, and most importantly, have fun while shopping!

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Financing a Used Car Successfully

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

Car financing is a big business to the car manufacturers as they must help the dealership move their inventory. The car loan business is as competitive as any other financing business and several options may be provided at the point of purchase to allow the customer the ability to drive away with their purchase. It is then left to the customer to choose from the offers presented.

With cars being sold either from a showroom or lot, the rates and terms of the loans will probably be the same and competitive as the customer can always choose a different lender to get the rate they desire. There is much competition between finance companies to get the business as the customer can always go some other route for financing.

But this is not the case with the car loans that are given out for used cars. The rates that are charged by the loan giving companies usually differ from each other as it is the discretion of the loan companies.

Therefore, it is advised that before taking or choosing a loan the customer should properly research the rates that are prevailing in the market. He or she should not jump at once to grab a loan merely because the rate offered is low. There are bound to be companies which offer better rates. The customer should go through all the programs and then apply for a used car loan that suits him the best. And if no loan suits his interest then he can always go back to the first loan that was offered to him at a low rate of interest.

It is possible to apply for a loan online or physically fill out the necessary papers. But one must first find out the terms and rate of the loan being applied for. Online research for current market loan rates is possible as well as directly asking the local lender. In this manner the borrower has an idea of prevailing rates available to him. One thing to keep in mind is the length of the loan repayment schedule.

Online lenders are available to loan money on used cars at competitive interest rates, sometimes lower than the rates offered by local banks. They are in the business of loaning money for used cars so do not reject such loan applications.

So the advice here is that the used car buyer must do thorough research regarding loan terms and rates available to get the best financing possible.

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Why You Should Reconsider Buying A New Car

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

If you are thinking about buying a new vehicle here are 5 of the most compelling reasons to buy a used car rather than a new car.

1. Used Cars Cost Less

Since the point of a car is to get your from here to there, there is no reason to pay more for something that fundamentally will do the same thing. If you are on a budget look at what you need not what you want and you will realize that a new car is a mostly a status symbol.

2. Used Cars Hold Their Value Better

A car, used or new, will depreciate the older it is and the more it is used. However the minute you drive a new car of the lot it loses a significant portion of its value. This means if you go to sell your new car you will have already lost thousands of dollars. On the other hand, if you buy used, when you go to sell your car you will be able to get most of what you paid for it back.

3. Used Cars Are Greener

It takes a lot of resources and energy to produce a new vehicle. Buying used does not cause any additional harm to the environment. Remember that next time someone smugly tells you they are looking at the new Prius.

4. Lower Insurance Premiums for Used Car Owners

Since used cars are generally far less expensive than new cars their monthly insurance premiums are far less as well. Saving on insurance costs each month can really add up. Over the course of the year if you saved $50 dollars a month on insurance you would save $600 dollars.

5. Availability Of OEM Parts

After about 5 years most of the contracts car-makers have with part manufacturers what prevent them from selling the same parts they make for the car companies without the company label at deep discounts. That means that if you have a used car older than 5 years chances are if you need to replace a part it will be available form an OEM manufacturer for significant less than if you got it from a dealer.

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