The decision-making process on whether to lease or buy a car has been altered by automakers’ scaling back their leasing operations under pressure from high gas prices, making leases less available and much more expensive in many cases. Here are some points to consider about leasing:

PROS

New Car Frequently: You won’t have to drive the car for more than two to four years, depending on the length of the lease (36 months is typical).

No Money Down: Leases require little or no down payment, although you can make one in order to lower your monthly bill.
Read more...

Couples buying a car together can argue over every detail, from the colour to the shape of the car lights, but the biggest cause of contention is the price, according to recent research. Online used car retailer carsite.co.uk, found that in over a quarter of cases, money was the main factor couples argued over when choosing a new car.

Second most frequent cause for ‘carguments’ was style, with just over 23% of drivers admitting they had clashed with their partners over what their potential new car should look like. Along a similar theme, colour was also a significant catalyst for debate for the motorists interviewed, sparking 19% of altercations.

Silver in hues ranging from chrome to charcoal gray extended its reign as the most popular choice for car and truck paint across the globe this year. In the U.S., silver rose from 20% of the market a year ago. White finished second at 18% and black was third with 16%. Red was a distant fourth at 12%.

Americans’ tastes have changed dramatically in the past 15 years. In 1994, green was the most popular color and only 8% of buyers chose silver. Silver rocks!

New statistics of driving habits altered by the recession…

The share of workers who drove to work alone has dropped to 75.5% from 76% the past two years — a possible consequence of high gas prices and the recession.

The share of households having one car or no car at all rose to 42.2% from 41.8%.

Families with at least three generations living under one roof make up 3.5% of households or about 4 million. Because it’s the first time the Census has tallied multigenerational households, the data don’t indicate whether more families are moving in together. Extended families living in the same home are most numerous in Hawaii (7.4%) and California (5%). North Dakota (1.1%) and other Great Plains states (1.5% to 1.7%) are at the other end.

Purchasing a scooter is a big decision. You will much appreciate when the process is completed so let’s learn a bit about buying a scooter for your parent.  

Here’s What To Look For In The Wheels:
The wheels of a scooter are important, because if they are not functioning, not working, one will not be able to use the scooter at all. Look for a solid wheel, so that flat tires are never an issue. Look for tires that balance the scooter. A scooter that feel safe, solid and secure is going to give the rider more confidence in driving anywhere.
Read more...

4 in 5 women in UK surveyed believed understanding the vehicle’s history was the most important thing when buying a used car.

Whilst female buyers are just as aware as their male counterparts of the pitfalls of buying in the used car market, they feel much more vulnerable about putting themselves through the buying experience.

Many of the female car buyers surveyed said they would rather place the onus on the car dealer, their husband or male friends to actively check out a vehicle and seek confirmation of its history. 
Read more...

Police arrested a man who they say robbed prospective car buyers at knifepoint after luring them with advertisements on Craigslist.

The arrest of David V. La, 35, came after a five-mile chase that ended when La lost control of his car and collided with a tree. La was booked into jail in connection with two robberies and two attempted robberies.

BE CAREFUL! Always bring another person with you, make sure someone knows your whereabouts, meet and stay in a public place, never allow a stranger to take you to an isolated area. Times are only getting tougher and people are getting desperate.

The car industry faces further gloom as new research reveals that motorists are drastically changing their car buying plans in light of the deepening economic crisis. Only 18% of motorists say they feel confident enough not to change their future car buying plans

Three quarters (77%) of motorists say the current economic climate will impact the purchase of their next car.

15% are set to spend almost £3,000 ($3,900USD) less on their next car, as economic uncertainty grows.

Over a quarter (26%) of motorists say they won’t be able to afford a new car at all.
Read more...

The pace of new car registrations in France slowed abruptly in October as consumers postponed purchases of big-ticket items due to increasing gloom about the economic outlook. Latest data by the car manufacturers’ association showed a drop of 7.3% in registrations last month compared with the same period a year earlier.

Unlike most other automobile markets in western Europe, France held up well over the first nine months, underpinned by the introduction of a system of bonuses and penalties aimed at dissuading consumers from buying fuel-thirsty cars and encouraging them to buy more environmentally friendly models.
Read more...

Would you buy any of the cars listed below? The original list is titled “The top 10 cars that Americans hate”. Hate is such a strong word. Do people really hate cars? So, to generate this list of the cars Americans dislike, Forbes looked at sales data for the 10 major vehicle segments. The vehicles with the lowest sales in their class made this list.

Kia Rio (Subcompact Car)
Why Americans Hate It: Acording to J.D. Power’s 2008 dependability study, it ranked miserably making it a risky quality purchase for some buyers.
Read more...

Selling a car isn’t a 1-2-3 step method. You literally need to be prepared for anything. Here’s a pretty good article about how to prep for the sell.

1.) Do the research and check your car’s market. Like anything else, preparation is key to a sale or any other transaction.

2.) Appraise your car and determine your price. You can lurk around the car sites to get a feel, but it should also be pretty easy to find out how your car will be valued in the open market.
Read more...

High gas prices mean low demand for gas guzzlers, new or used.  You And the last thing a used-car dealer needs from you is another big SUV sitting unsold on his lot. So here’s a few tips on selling your SUV.

Sell to individuals, not dealers: It is harder to get the price you want with dealers, of course, since they need to resell the vehicle at a profit. ”

Leave on bells and whistles: While SUV owners are sometimes advised to take off the rooftop carrier to remove some weight–and be able to advertise better mileage–this could be counterproductive. Any extras that could attract a buyer should be left as they are. People want it as stocked as you can get it.
Read more...

It is quite common for people buying a new car to trade in their old car. Many times the happy customer drives away into the sunset and forgets all about this tiny detail only to get a very rude awakening a few weeks later. They suddenly find out that their new car dealer did not pay off their car loan in a couple of days as promised.

Legally when the bank calls, the loan is still in your name and you are therefore still liable and responsible.
Read more...

Gaywheels.com, a source of information specifically targeted to and about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) car-shoppers, rounded up their 2008 Q3 most researched cars and here’s there top ten (more like 14)…

1 VW Rabbit
2 VW Eos
3 Mazda MX-5 Miata and Audi A3 – tie
4 Mazda MAZDA3 and VW Jetta – tie
5 Toyota Yaris
6 Saab 9-3 and Dodge Caliber -tie
7 Volvo C30
8 smart fortwo
9 Toyota Matrix and MINI Cooper – tie
10 Maserati Grand Turismo

New cars have a distinct smell that some people like, mainly because it confirms that they are indeed driving their own brand new car. However, that new car smell is caused by something: leftover chemicals used in making the car. Yep, that new car smell really isn’t good for you, and in some cars it can be quite a concern. These chemicals are unhealthy for us to breathe and even unhealthy for us to get on our skin. They include: PBDEs, decanol, formaldehyde, naphthalene, acettonitrile and others. Some of these chemicals are linked to serious health problems.
Read more...

People readily see faces and traits in cars, and a new study suggests that they prefer cars to appear dominant, masculine and angry.

The finding rests on the propensity we have to actually see faces or human characteristics in everything from cars to clouds, a phenomenon called pareidolia. But now researchers hope to better understand what goes on in the brain when people see faces in objects versus humans faces, as well as help automakers design more appealing cars.
Read more...

The few consumers who are buying new cars are being forced into bigger down payments or all-cash deals in the latest sign of how the credit crisis is battering an already weak auto market.

The average down payment on financed car purchases has jumped nearly $1,000, about 20%, since July, and all-cash transactions are at their highest point in three years. Consumers are increasingly being frozen out of the credit market, as banks and other financial institutions continue to tighten their lending practices.
Read more...

What To Consistently Check Up On

1. ENGINE COOLANT AND ANTIFREEZE
How Often: Check twice yearly, once before summer and again before winter; change if coolant has brown tint or rust bits.
Pay Now: Free to check; up to $5 to top off with correct mix of water and coolant or antifreeze. If you don’t use the right coolant for your car, you could damage your engine.
Or Pay Later: Without coolant, you can damage the water pump ($50 to $100) and possibly your engine.
Read more...

Before you commit your business to a shop, check the local Better Business Bureau and government consumer-affairs offices for complaints against it. Better safe than sorry!

1. That minor fender bender will be a major expense.
A survey of repair shops in the Washington, D.C., area by Consumers’ Checkbook, a consumer-information group, shows that replacing a fender on a 1998 Buick LeSabre can cost as much as $982. A new front bumper on a 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class can go as high as $1,350.
Read more...

The word “lemon” probably will cross your lips long before the vehicle is actually a candidate for a manufacturer buyback

Strange rattles, a faulty interior light, a malfunctioning compact-disc player or a balky heater don’t add up to a lemon. If the brakes don’t work as they should, the car won’t start when the temperature dips, the accelerator pedal repeatedly sticks, the reverse gear malfunctions or the car has no power to reach highway speeds, you may have a case if the problem can’t be fixed.

What’s a Lemon?
Read more...