After six months in the business, Marquis Willis, a 24 year old Florida-based USAA member, got out. Now, he’s sharing his experiences to help you the next time you’re in the market for a new ride. Thank you, Marquis!

1. Pack Your Papers. When customers showed up with printouts listing market values, trade-in values, financing options, rebates and other information they’d gathered, we knew we wouldn’t make much money off the deal. So, arrive at the dealership with research in hand.

2. Know The Score. Dealers make a lot of money on financing. Being ignorant of your credit score and borrowing options can be like handing them a blank check. When you have pre-approved financing, it shows you’ve done your homework.  Pre-approved with a cashier’s check in hand is the only way to go!

3. Look The Part. If you’re dressed too nicely, the dealer might think you have money to burn. Too sloppy? You won’t be taken seriously. Choose something casual, clean and unwrinkled. 

4. Skip The Add-Ons. This includes service contracts and extended warranties. Know clearly what you need and want by doing research beforehand - online and on the lot. If you buy an extended warranty, read carefully the sections that include items not covered. 

5. Wear Your Poker Face. To get the best deal, act as if you’re not quite ready to buy. I sold a car to a young engaged couple who both worked. The woman really wanted a new Mustang GT, and I could tell after the test drive that she loved the car. At that point, she lost all her negotiating leverage.

6. Stick To Your Budget. A car payment and expenses, including insurance and maintenance, should be 12% or less of your take-home pay. New cars depreciate quickly. You may soon owe more than the car is worth (being “upside-down” on the loan). Avoid this by putting at least 20% down.

7. Draft A Quarterback. That’s the nickname dealers have for someone who comes along to coach you. The big thing in car sales is building rapport with customers. A sidekick can run interference, and the salesperson can’t be as aggressive. 

8. Never Believe The Sticker. The sticker price of a car isn’t the actual price. There’s always room to negotiate. I sold a $50,000 Ford F-250 pickup to a couple who paid the sticker price and never even tried to cut a deal. The truck had about an $8,000 markup so I had room to negotiate.

9. Don’t Fall For Last-Ditch Deals. Sales managers sometimes make departing customers an offer so low, no one else can match it. This is usually just a ploy to get them to come back. Call their bluff and you may come out a winner. But if you leave, don’t expect the offer to be there when you return.

10. Avoid Trade-In Shenanigans. A customer wanted to trade in a car worth $7,000 for a new car. The dealer discounted the new car but offered only $2,500 for the trade-in. In the end, the dealer came out ahead. Always nail down the new car price before discussing your trade-in. 

11. Avoid Yo-Yos. You finalize the purchase with dealer financing and drive the vehicle home. The dealer calls later to say the financing fell through and you need to come back. When you return, the interest rate is higher. To avoid this, arrange for financing before you ever hit the lot. 

12. Inspect Before You Buy. When shopping for a used car, take your potential purchase to your mechanic for an independent inspection. A good tech will spot hidden problems. Independent inspections usually run from $75 to $100. It’s the best $100 bucks you’ll ever spend on a car.

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.

Lower prices: It may seem obvious, but lowering the price of an SUV to get something for it is better than never selling it at all. Cars can be very personal objects, but try to detach your emotions and view the sale of your vehicle with an analytical eye.

Wait for winter: If you can, wait to sell your SUV until winter, when people are more apt to invest in four-wheel drives and bigger vehicles.  If you’ve got a four-wheel drive, it makes sense to wait.

With all the problems in the auto industry, you may wonder if the car brand you’re thinking about buying today will be around tomorrow. The bottom line is this: Stick with the strongest brand. It’s not what could go wrong with your car while you own it. It’s what happens when you want to unload it.

There’s been a lot of speculation lately that Chrysler and General Motors may be in talks to join forces. Great!!! If the two companies do become a single automaker, analysts expect a number of brands to be phased out.

The real impact for owners of Oldsmobile and Plymouth vehicles was that their cars’ resale values plummeted after the brands died. What happened with Oldsmobile was that the used car values of Oldsmobile dropped a lot quicker than for brands that were still in business. A year after each brand went out of existence, a two-year old Oldsmobile or Plymouth suddenly had the value of a five-year-old car.

It can be hard to figure out what a healthy brand is, though. Current resale values give a clue. A brand in danger of extinction will usually have a small model range and will hold its value poorly. For news on what brands may be winding down, just look on the Web. Look for news stories about the brand you’re considering buying. If you find stories about future models, that’s good. They’re still in the game.

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.

The new car buying tip here that you really need to remember and enforce at all times, no matter how much you trust the car dealer, is to make sure that the car dealer puts everything in writing. If they can not put it in writing then you should not under any circumstances whatsoever make the deal.

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.

2. OIL
How Often: Check monthly; change every 3,000 to 6,000 miles
Pay Now: Free to check; $20 to change yourself (oil, disposal fees); $20 to $40 at a shop.
Or Pay Later: Not changing the oil can void your warranty. Increased wear will shorten the engine’s life span. Rebuilt engines cost $1,000 to $3,000, plus labor, depending on the car.

3. AIR FILTER
How Often: Check monthly; change when less than 50 percent of the filter lets light through when held up to a 100-watt bulb.
Pay Now: Free to check; $15 to $50 to change yourself; add another $20 or so for someone else to change it for you.
Or Pay Later: 10% increase in fuel consumption; if gas costs $3 per gallon and your car holds 20 gallons, you’re wasting $6 with each fill-up–$156 a year, if you fill up every two weeks.

4. TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER
How Often: Check monthly; change every three years or 36,000 miles.
Pay Now: Free to check; a few dollars to top it off; $30 to change it yourself; $40 to $80 to for someone else to do it.
Or Pay Later: Dirty or low fluid can cause problems with shifting and transmission failure. Transmissions cost $1,000 to $2,000, plus labor, to repair or rebuild.

5. BRAKE FLUID
How Often: Check each oil change; change every two years or as needed if your brakes feel soft.
Pay Now: Free to check; $3 to $20 a quart, depending on the fluid; $65 to $165 for a mechanic to change the brake fluid.
Or Pay Later: $60 or more to replace pads; $25,000 or more, depending on your car’s year, make, and model, for a complete brake job. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, reducing the brakes’ effectiveness, which can lead to accidents.

6. TIRE TREAD
How Often: Check monthly; buy new tires when you see all of Lincoln’s head on a penny stuck headfirst in a tread.
Pay Now: One penny to check; $40 to $200 per tire to replace, plus labor.
Or Pay Later: As much as $25,000 or more for a new car if you wreck due to a tire blowing.

7. TIRES FOR PROPER INFLATION
How Often: Ideally once a week, but at least monthly; inflate as needed.
Pay Now: Free to check; 25 to 50 cents to inflate.
Or Pay Later: $40 to $200 per tire, plus labor, to replace improperly worn tires

Whether you are buying new, used, or trying to make the most out of your current wheels, these money-saving car tips are designed to keep your car budget out of the red.

Always remember a car is a depreciating asset. No matter how cool the ride, the moment you drive a vehicle off the lot it looses 20% of its value and just continues to go down.

Treat your car like you treat your skin. If you give life to this object, chances are you’ll treat it better. Keep your car out of the sun (heat can evaporate gas as well as warp leather). Wash it when it needs it and learn to perform routine maintenance.

Keep the car forever if you plan to buy new. Buying a new car and driving it until the wheels fall off is often the most sensible and lowest cost solution.

Skip most upgraded or optional vehicle packages and trim levels. Car models come in certain trims, from basic to luxury, so choose frugally, skipping technology comforts like an interactive navigation screen, second-row DVD player, hands-free Bluetooth, and XM radio. These items require more maintenance and could become outdated as the years go by.

Finance a car for 3 years or less. Elongate a loan and you’re setting yourself up to throw a lot of money away on interest.

Choosing between a zero-percent financing or cash-back options depends on the price of the car. Suze Orman, financial author of such best-seller books such as Women & Money, advises taking cash back if the car is under $20,000. But opt for a zero APR rate if the car costs more – with an interest rate of 5.9% or lower, you’ll pay less over the life of the loan rather than what a cash back reward might offer.

Click here for the remaining four.

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.

2. Approved shops are beholden to tight-fisted insurers. Auto insurers contract with providers to repair vehicles for a prenegotiated rate.  Some practices, such as requiring low hourly rates and making the shop pick up the rental-car tab if a repair takes too long, could tempt shops to cut corners.

 3. Not all replacement parts are created equal. Original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts are designed to match precisely and may be safer. But insurers prefer that shops use generic or salvage replacement parts because they’re cheaper. If you cause an accident, you could be bound by wording in your policy to use aftermarket parts.

4. The due date is most likely fiction. Mechanics routinely blame missed deadlines on delays in parts delivery. But the truth is that many of them take on more business than they can handle.

5. A rented car will cost you. Renting a car for three weeks could cost $1,000 or more. Even if you have optional rental-car insurance (which costs $1 or $2 a month), your daily reimbursement may be limited to the cost of a compact car.

6. Your car needs a shop that speaks its language. Shops should be certified by the manufacturer to do the work, meaning that they have specialized training and equipment — and charge higher rates. Insurers won’t necessarily recommend these shops, but they should be willing to pay the tab.

7. The insurer’s warranty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Insurers sometimes dangle warranties on the parts (for as long as you own the vehicle) to entice you to go to shops in their network. But the body shop’s guarantee is the one that’s important. Nearly all shops will guarantee their work, and parts makers guarantee their parts, making the insurance warranty all but worthless.

…while maintaining total and absolute control over the sales process.

1. Pick the exact make and model of car you want. Don’t let a salesman change your mind.

2. Call around first anonymously and get prices. Tell them you are calling everybody, and the best deal wins. Write down the prices you are given, and note any difference in packages.

3. Pick the dealership you think you want to do business with based on the results of this phone call. Price should not be the decider (demeanor and gut feel should).

4. Go to the dealership you absolutely NEVER want to do business with. Nail down the details on the options — go for “loaded,” then whittle it down to find the approximate prices for each option. Make a detailed list with prices. Mark the options you must have and those can do without.

5. Do your research online and compare your pricing research with others and experts. Set an “ideal price” and an “I can live with it” price for the car you want with all the options you want, and again for the car you want with the minimum options. You now have a low and high figure for the car.

6. Go get cash or a pre-approved car loan for something less than the upper amount. Put the cash or check in a blank sealed envelope. Find out ahead of time how to deal with the pre-approved loan if the negotiated amount is less than the amount on the bank check. You do not want to have to leave the dealership to get a new check for a smaller amount, so try to arrange something in advance for this contingency.

7. Call your insurance carrier and tell them you are buying a new car. Do as much of the paperwork ahead of time as possible and determine the hours they can service you so you can avoid delays or surprises at delivery time. (Any delays benefit the dealer.)

9. Find the exact car you want. Use your list…this shows you’ve done your homework. Don’t be surprised if your salesman suddenly has to handle an emergency and hands you off to someone else. This is a good sign that you have the upper hand already.

10. Show them the envelope. Tell them you have cash/a pre-approved loan check, and three chances to get it from you if you can drive out by an exact time (by 3 PM is usually good), all paperwork done, taxes paid, and every other fee under the sun taken care of for less than the amount in the envelope. Do not give any hints about the amount, make them name heir price. If it’s way out of sight, don’t say anything. Just laugh and head for the door. They’ll chase you down and give you a much better number. If they don’t, go elsewhere.

11. Read everything. Twice. Have your friend do the same. Line out anything you don’t agree to or doesn’t apply, initial and date this and have the dealer rep do the same. Do not leave any blank spaces. Count the papers and make sure you get copies of all of them. Ask if there are any programs you need to opt out of to avoid being automatically signed up for them. Do whatever is required to opt out.

12. If at any time they give you attitude or BS, walk out. They will chase you down. Tell them they have only one chance left because they gave you attitude. Now they will deal. If they don’t, go elsewhere.

13. Try another city if yours is full of slime balls.

Buying A USED Car: Stay civil, do not let any emotion in. The same technique works for buying a used car, but tell them that you will not talk price until YOUR mechanic looks over the vehicle and gives you a report on it. Watch how much the squirm. 90% of used cars have a defect. Have the mechanic lined up for the time you will be needing the car checked out. NEVER use a mechanic who is near the dealership.Tell your mechanic “check this car like you would if your 16 year old daughter was going to have to drive it to Alaska and back alone.” Go back to the dealer with a list of all defects and an estimate to fix them. Negotiate a price adjustment. In some cases, you may agree to let the dealer do the repairs, BUT specifically put in writing that these repairs will be accepted only after a re-inspection by your mechanic and no crappy used or after-market parts will be used. Figure on devoting at least a month and looking at 200+ cars to find a good used car. Never rush to buy a car. These things take time. Another awesome article from the Consumerist.

Always visit dmv.org before going to the DMV.

1.  Why does everything take four visits and roughly three hours of standing in line to a DMV prolem fixed. The problem? Everything from not bringing enough or the right forms of ID to having his records confused with those of another driver of the same name. Making sense of the DMV is an $11.5 million business for DMV.org, an unofficial guide to state rules and peccadilloes.

2.  Remember those pics of flooded car lots after Hurricane Katrina? You could end up buying one of those cars today and never know it. In the past five years, the number of flooded cars sold as “used” has doubled nationwide. Unscrupulous sellers can buy them at auction, then replace the title at a Department of Motor Vehicles office in another state by fudging the document, saying it’s lost or retitling in a state that doesn’t recognize “flooded” as totaled. If you’re buying a used car, always have a mechanic inspect it first. And screen the car’s VIN through the free database at carfax.com/flood.

3.   There’s another way criminals take advantage of flimsy DMV car records: “VIN cloning,” a kind of vehicle laundering. A stolen car’s vehicle-identification number is switched with that of a junked car, and a clean title is obtained from the DMV. To combat this practice, the 1992 Anti-Car Theft Act authorized the creation of a database, known as the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, which allows state DMVs to verify a car’s title, theft and damage history before issuing a new title. Too bad only 30 states belong to the network.

4. Identity theft is the No. 1 crime in the U.S. The simplest form, mostly used by beginners, is to ask the DMV for a duplicate license in someone else’s name. Identity thieves simply tell the DMV clerk that they’ve lost their license or that it was stolen, then provide someone else’s illegally obtained information. It’s a simple con to pull off.

5. Personalized license plates might seem like a harmless accessory, but they could make you a more likely target for criminals. Why? Because they communicate much more than the written message. The downside of doing things that tend to ‘get you noticed’ is that they can get you noticed by the wrong kind of people. Rapists, thieves and muggers.

For the rest of the list, click here.

If fuel is warm when it’s delivered to a station, it’ll still be warm when it’s sold a few hours later.

Some people say it’s better to buy your gasoline first thing in the morning, rather than in the heat of the day. That’s because gasoline, like all liquids, expands when heated. The basic facts are correct, but the advice is not. Gasoline does expand and contract a little depending on its temperature. When gasoline rises from 60 to 75 degrees F, for instance, it increases in volume by 1% while the energy content remains the same.

Filling stations typically store their gasoline in underground tanks, where the temperature variation during the day is much less than in the air above. The result is that the temperature of the gasoline coming out of the fuel nozzle varies very little, if at all, during any 24-hour stretch at any particular station.

A 15-degree difference, for example, would result in a one-percent gain in volume. Or, just a few cents difference on the first gallons pumped — not enough to change your schedule or routine in chasing costs, especially if it might increase your fuel consumption in the pursuit.