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.
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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.
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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.
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To make up for revenue loss, GM’s brlight idea is to increase prices of their smaller cars.

When General Motors Corp.’s new global small car hits the U.S. market in mid-2010, the company is expecting it to fetch a better price than Honda and Toyota get for their small cars. Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper said GM needs to get more money per vehicle than its prime Japanese competitors, Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.

GM is banking on a big step up in price as it tries to make up for revenue lost when the U.S. market shifted rapidly from more profitable trucks and sport utility vehicles to more efficient smaller models.
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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.
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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?
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The seesaw of gas and vehicle prices

For the past few weeks, dealerships across the country had begun to feel the heat with their large vehicle inventory. Gas prices had soared to $4.70 in some areas of the United States with oil nearing $150 per barrel. Incentives on SUVs and large trucks had shot through the roof. Today, however, Ford announced a hike in SUV and truck lease pricing to make their most profitable vehicles unattractive to new car lesees.
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With gasoline prices hitting record highs almost daily, you might be wondering if you can get away with filling up your expensive car with regular instead of the expensive premium gas your manufacturer recommends. The answer: Regular’s fine in most cases, but it’s best to check your owner’s manual.

There are three basic provisos for gasoline usage in owner’s manuals: when only regular gas is required, when premium is “recommended” and when premium gas is “required.” Only in the third instance will deviating from the manufacturer’s requirements potentially harm your car.
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According to a recent study by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, 73% of California drivers change their oil more frequently than required. This same scenario no doubt repeats itself across the country. Besides wasting money, this translates into unnecessary consumption of $100-a-barrel oil, much of it imported.

It’s been a misconception for years that engine oil should be changed every 3000 miles, even though most auto manufacturers now recommend oil changes at 5,000, 7,000, or even 10,000 mile intervals under normal driving conditions.
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A nationwide sell-off of gas guzzlers is under way. Many people have already sold their gas hogs in order to downsize. Many others would like to, if they could only find a buyer.  A quick check of AutoTrader.com shows a marketplace flooded with big vehicles.

Consumer advocates are urging anxious car owners to slow down and do the math before they race to get rid of that larger vehicle. After crunching all the numbers, Consumer Reports concludes it rarely pays to downsize if you’ve only owned the vehicle for three years or less.
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Live By The Border? Go For It

Southern Arizona motorists who live close to the border are learning they can save a few bucks by heading to gas stations in Mexico. Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company, known as PEMEX, is the sole supplier of gasoline for the country’s gas stations. Stations in San Luis Rio Colorado were selling unleaded regular gas this week for the equivalent of $2.87 a gallon, more than a dollar less that AAA Arizona shows is the average price of fuel in Yuma. Don’t forget your passport.

Maybe an SUV isn’t so bad after all

So you might be doing the environment a favor by buying a fuel-efficient vehicle, but insurance companies seem to take advantage of your kind consideration. Check out the costliest and the cheapest cars to insure reported by MSN’s MoneyCentral below:

Costliest Collision Coverage

Dodge Neon (4 dr)

Ford Focus (2 dr)

Ford ZX2 (2 dr)

Hyundai Accent (2 dr)

Hyundai Accent (4 dr)

Hyundai Elantra (4 dr)

Hyundai Tiburon (4 dr)

Kia Rio (4 dr)

Toyota Celica (2 dr)
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Toyota considers using American base for exporting to Middle East and Asia

Increasingly sluggish SUV sales, rising material costs and the strengthening Yen are all reasons for why Toyota plans to begin shipping automobiles manufactured in the United States to the Middle East. The credit crunch coupled with increasing oil prices has forced many Americans to move away from giant, gas-guzzling SUVs into more energy efficient sedans. Today oil reached a new high of over $129 a barrel with no immediate slowdown in sight.
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A 2010 deadline forces manufacturer to work overtime

After losing $1 billion on the development of the EV1, General Motors completely dropped any serious discussion on building a green vehicle. However with gas prices hitting new highs and competitors starting to adjust production to consumer demands, GM is starting to feel the pinch in their pocketbook – the auto manufacturer recorded a $15 billion loss in 2005.

That’s enough to get anyone to shift gears from their current business model into a more consumer-centric one. SUVs are losing their appeal as gas prices continue to rise. GM has recently decided to drop production on a new sedan and minivan in order to support the $8.1 billion research and development budget focused primarily on green vehicles.
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Increasing gas prices hurting American wallets

With oil reaching $126 a barrel today, SUV and truck owners are desperately trying to sell their trucks and SUVs but at considerable discounts. Dealerships are also starting to feel the pinch at the pump. Edmunds.com reported that cash rebates and incentives for SUVs reached over $4000 in March as unwanted SUV inventories pile up at dealerships.

In April alone, SUV sales fell 32.3% compared to a year earlier while small vehicle sales rose 18.6 percent. Crossover vehicle sales have also seen a boost in sales. Twice as many crossovers were sold compared to SUVs in March according to the Auto Dealers Association.
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Car Buying Is Easy If You Have The Right Resources

With car sales expected to be down this year, many dealerships will be desperate for any sale they can get, says Danny Chan, CEO of AutoBrag.com, a car-shopping comparison Web site that compiles price data from no-haggle dealerships. The slow conditions could prompt many of them to accept better deals as they struggle to keep their doors open, he added. But even though dealers might be hungry to make a deal, don’t expect that they’ll give in to your offers without a fight.
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Survey shows that a car’s price and performance outweigh the persuasiveness of showroom staff when consumers look for a new vehicle. Of 10 key factors, the salesperson finished 10th in the car-buying process. Price was the most important thing, followed by make and model, performance, economy and size of vehicle.

Some environmentalists and economists say pain at the pump may be bad for Americans, but good medicine for a sick planet.

Polls show that a majority of Americans support policies that would reduce greenhouse gases. But when it comes to paying for it, it’s a different story.

Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., wants to put a 50-cent tax on every gallon of gasoline to try to cut back on Americans’ consumption. The poll, scheduled to be released on Thursday, shows 48% don’t support paying even a penny more, 28% would pay up to 50 cents more, 10% would pay more than 50 cents and 8% would pay more than a dollar.
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This Is An Update To A Previous Q & A

Question From Kari: Hey! i am 17 and am selling my 2003 honda civic dx so that my mom can buy me an 08 honda civic lx or she may lease it. either way, will insurance on a new civic be much higher than what it is now?I have never had a wreck or got a speeding ticket. My 2003 civic is a coupe and has 73,783miles on it. it is an automatic. the 2008 is a coupe. and my GPA is 3.5
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California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has ordered Allstate
Insurance, the state’s seventh-largest auto insurer, to cut its
automobile rates by 15.9% (an average savings of about $133 per car).
Allstate contends the ordered rate cut is too severe and is
considering its legal options.

“It was very clear that they were charging too much,” said Douglas
Heller, the executive director of Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.
Heller, whose organization had legal standing to participate in the
Allstate case, predicted that other auto insurers would propose
lowering their automobile premiums in rate submissions scheduled to be
submitted to the California Department of Insurance this summer. Yes!
Finally, something decreases in price.