Useful Tips to Follow While Buying a Used Car

Posted on | 16 Jun 2017 By Anita Gaal

When you decide that you are ready for a new car, by necessity or sheer free will, then you will likely encounter issues along the way. In order to avoid these issues, it is important that you are informed about things to look for and how to best prepare yourself for buying a car. This is particularly important when you are considering buying a used car. Buying a used car has its obvious advantages: they are generally cheaper, and you can find great deals are cars that have barely been driven. If you decide that buying a used car is a better, more economical option for you, then it is best if you know how to go about looking through your choices. Dealerships have a bad reputation for fibbing on car specs, especially if the car is used, because they tend to not do thorough inspections before they purchase a used car from a seller. Certified pre-owned cars are sometimes a great option if you decide to buy a used car because they have been certified by the dealer to meet the basic conditions for sale. This does not mean you are out of the weeds, so here are some tips to follow while buying a used car.

Figure out how much money you want to invest

First and foremost, it is important to figure out how much money you are willing and able to spend on a car. While used cars are generally cheaper than new cars, this is highly dependent upon what type of car you are looking into buying, as well as a few other specifics. For instance, the price is generally calculated by the age of the vehicle, the mileage on the vehicle, and the shape that the vehicle is in when it arrives at the dealer. You may be wondering how this works for sellers who are not dealership-affiliated—or “private sellers.” Generally the process works the same way, although private sellers can come with their own areas of deceitfulness. For instance, dealerships must disclose information to buyers about the history of the vehicle, while private sellers sometimes do not divulge all the pertinent information; for example, whether or not the vehicle has been involved in a car accident before. Regardless, sticking to a budget is a good way of looking for only the cars that will fit into your price range.

Go through a pre-purchase inspection

Whether you are buying a new or used vehicle, it is crucial that you always test drive it. Just because a car is pretty and shiny does not mean that under the hood everything is kosher. In addition to test-driving the car, it is always a good idea to go through a pre-purchase inspection. If you can have a trusted mechanic first look at the vehicle, it is likely that they will come across a few things that need to be repaired. Keep in mind that used cars are not new; in case we didn’t have to tell you this, used cars have been driven before, have run over things, have accrued usage and mileage that you were not involved in. It is unrealistic to expect a used car to be in tip-top shape, and that is precisely why they come at a discounted price. Pre-purchase inspections are critical when buying used cars especially, because then you can have a better idea of what you’re really getting into.
 

Take help from a knowledgeable mechanic

Buying a used car is economically usually a great idea, but the success of your purchase will likely depend greatly on what steps you take leading up to the sale. Before you make any purchase, it is important to do your research on the fuel economy, the typical resale value, and the general issues that one may encounter with any given car model. Being an informed consumer is not just about trusting an expert’s opinion, although it can be of great value when you are only somewhat knowledgeable about the details of a particular vehicle—a knowledgeable automotive specialist will be able to help you fill in the blanks by performing a pre-purchase inspection, or giving you any particular advice in regard to the dealership you choose to buy from. Buying a used car can be tricky—so don’t fall into the shiny object trap.

Simple Steps to Sell Your Car

Posted on | 26 Apr 2017 By Anita Gaal

Selling your car sounds like a simple concept when you finally decide to take the plunge; however, selling a vehicle the right way involves research and investment of time and energy in order to be sure that you get the highest value, among other things. Selling your car for quick cash may seem appealing to many people, yet they don’t always take the time to be sure the process is done in the most beneficial fashion. Getting top dollar for your vehicle should be the priority in a car sale, and this requires a little bit of research on your part. Here are some helpful tips and ideas that will help you once you have decided to begin the process of selling a vehicle.

Refer Blue Book value

The first thing you should do is look up the Blue Book value of your vehicle. You will be required to enter some basic information about your car including mileage, model, make, year, etc. that will give a general calculation of what other cars similar to yours sell for these days. While this is a helpful guide of how to set the price of your car, it is also important to take into consideration the condition and wear of your vehicle—for instance, if you know that your car has had upgrades or recent engine work done, this could increase the price of your vehicle. However, if your car has been in several accidents, has worn parts, and the interior is torn up, you may end up lowering the price you set.

Know your car’s sell ability

Another factor that may influence the price of your car is the sell ability of the vehicle itself; for instance, if the vehicle is not very popular, or if it is notorious for spontaneous combustion, it may take longer to sell—in this case, the seller usually will lower the cost of the car if they wish to sell it in a timely manner. The current demand of the vehicle you wish to sell plays a role in the price that it will go for, but keep in mind that the lower the cost, the more likely it will sell quicker. Depending on the urgency of your situation, this may be something to consider. It is not uncommon for people to sell their vehicles in order to extinguish credit card debt or lower a monthly payment. In any case, taking the time to research the value of your vehicle is crucial.

Get your car cleaned

Take pride in your car! These are the last few moments you may have with it, so get it looking its best; give it a bath and clean it out of dirt and debris, at the very least. Especially if you are listing your car online, you should take pictures of the car once it’s cleaned up—it should look in as good of condition as possible for the photographs, or in person. Maintaining honesty and credibility is an important moral quality; get your engine inspected and perform any low-cost maintenance or repairs that you can afford. If a car comes across as well-taken-care-of, it will likely sell quicker. If you are selling your car at the dealership, it usually is not necessary to wash the car or vacuum it out; dealerships will usually wash the car anyway, and a dirty car is not unfamiliar to them, nor will it factor psychologically into the price of the vehicle.

Make arrangement for title transfer

After your car is cleaned up and ready to go, the next thing you will need to do is dig out the title of your vehicle. After the money transaction is finalized, you will need to sign over the title to the new recipient and be sure to include the current mileage of the vehicle. This step is important, because it releases liability to the new owner of the vehicle. You can then go online through your state DMV and communicate to them that you have sold your vehicle, which, again, legally transfers the liability associated with the vehicle to the new owner. In other words, you are to notify the DMV that anything that happens to or with the car is now the responsibility of the person you sold it to. Overall, selling your car can be a simple process, as long as you are an informed seller!

The Journey of a Car from Being Boxy to Curvy

Posted on | 13 Jan 2017 By Anita Gaal

While it’s true that we’ve come a long way in terms of the technology that goes into each new vehicle when compared to the first ones over a century ago, it’s also readily apparent how far vehicles have come from a design standpoint as well, going from boxy designs to sleeker more curvy ones that most recognize on the streets today. There’s a reason that when you see a well-kept older car, you turn your head and have to look: simply put, they just don’t make them like that anymore. With advancements in technology and design capabilities, the natural progression has led to sleeker cars that are more aerodynamic but for car enthusiasts, looking back it’s easy to see how we’ve gotten to where we are in terms of design. Here are just a few important steps in the history of vehicle design from the boxy beginnings to what we know now.

1908

Though combustion engine automobiles had been around Europe as early as 1807, in 1908 Henry Ford applied the idea of assembly line production to auto manufacturing, creating the first affordable and dependable vehicle available to the public. Between its’ 1908 debut and its’ discontinuation in 1927, the Ford Model T sold over 15 million cars. It set the template for body design as well, with a “runabout” body style with no doors, windshield or windows, instead drawing closer resemblance to old horse drawn buggies.

1920s

Into the 1920s the snubbed chassis and box-like wheelbase of the original Model T would begin to lengthen and closed-body designs started to gain popularity over the open-carriage style. The rapid expansion the US was enjoying led to more paved roads and vehicles could lead to longer, lower and more elegant vehicle designs as opposed to the tractor or carriage body design. These new designs became symbolic of the 20s with the engine sometimes having up to 8 or even 16-cylinder engines that required long-nosed bodies with curved runner boards.

1930s

The 1930s saw a huge innovation largely change the way that car bodies were designed. The monocoque, or single hull chassis made cars significantly lighter, easier to produce and more structurally sound. This impacted the aesthetics as well as features like fenders, headlights and runner boards became more integrated into the body. By the end of the 30s teardrop inspired designs like the Cadillac Sixty Special were extremely popular family vehicles. With cars becoming a status symbol for middle to upper class families, styling and aesthetics became more important and an integral part of the car design.

1940s

World War II put a huge interruption into commercial car production but it also contributed to one of the biggest car design innovations: Ponton styling. This was seen as a culmination of blending things like runner boards, headlights and fenders into a single form. This became a design lynchpin throughout the 1940s and 50s with visually cohesive vehicles that had bulbous headlights and bulging hoods that flowed with the car’s surface.

1960s

Shifting from the boat-like designs that the “Big Three” of auto designers (GM, Ford and Chrysler) were known for, European and Japanese imports became more and more popular in the United States. Smaller, less cumbersome designs from companies like Toyota, Nissan and others made up a large portion of the market. At the same time, U.S. muscle cars began to come to fruition with cars like the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro debuting with extended hoods and low-profile cabins.

1980s

With the 80s consumers began focusing on issues like safety and fuel efficiency so boxy, uninspired designs began to come into the market more. Some of the most fuel efficient but slowest cars came from the 80s, which also saw bright vibrant colors be exchanged for metallic paints as well.

1990s

Seen as a reaction to the bland cars of the 80s, fluid curves and contours returned in cars like the Porsche 911 and the Mazda Miata. These more elegant lines brought to mind the design choices for vehicles in the 30s and 60s.

2000s

The 2000s brought about car designs of all sorts of shapes, styles and forms though it’s the SUV that may have made the biggest impression on the era of vehicle design. Hard lines and well-defined chassis highlighted the larger, more solid and durable body designs made the SUVs popular with a wide audience of drivers.