Car Buying Resources !LINK!
The experts here at Car and Driver have been evaluating and testing hundreds of new cars every year since 1956. From performance metrics such as acceleration times and cornering grip to consumer-oriented insights such as real-world highway mpg and carry-on suitcase capacity, we test it all. With more than a half-century of collected data, and a staff of highly educated car enthusiasts, we don't claim to be the best source of shopping advice. We are the best. Our experts provide detailed car-buying guidance by driving every car that enters the market and analyzing our own test results as well as automaker specifications. Whether you're looking for new or used cars, lease deals or tire specials, our Buyer's Guide has it all.
car buying resources
Passenger vehicles are a leading cause of air pollution and the largest contributors of greenhouse gases in California. Learn how you can reduce your carbon footprint by driving a clean-running car. Read on to find helpful information, tips and resources.
The Car Consultants has teamed up with PremierOne Credit Union to offer the best possible car shopping experience for its members. The Car Consultants has over 20 years of car buying experience and offers a no hassle way of buying a new car without ever stepping into a dealership. You can also visit their website to "Build Your New Vehicle" and they will do all the research and shopping for you. Auto buying is now as easy as 1-2-3!
The process of buying your first car can be summed up simply: budget, research and negotiate. All your hard work will be rewarded with a purchase that leaves you with a feeling of security and a whole new sense of freedom.
Buying a used car can be a good option when you're looking for a quality vehicle without the higher price tag. While a used car can be a sensible option, buyers still need to make smart choices. There's a lot to look for when buying a used vehicle, but here are some ways to help you choose the right car for you.
A vehicle history report can help you see title problems, ownership history, service points and previous accidents, says KBB. You can get a vehicle history report online for a fee by entering the VIN or license plate number, says Edmunds. If you're buying through a dealer, though, they may provide a history report for free.
Huntington helps you shop smarter with our car buying guide. Figure out what purchase is right for you by browsing our auto buying resources. From auto financial calculators and more, we have the tools you need.
Car shopping comes with a number of considerations. From what monthly payment you can afford to buying or leasing, the options can feel overwhelming. Huntington is here to help and let you make the smarter choice for your next vehicle purchase.
There's a lot to consider when deciding between buying a new or used car. With a new car, you can get exactly what you want with the latest technology, but this also comes at a higher price tag. Buying a used car can help you save more money, but in turn, the vehicle depreciates faster over time. Market availability also plays a large role so your decision may be dependent on what options are readily available to you in the new and used car market.
These easy-to-use internet tools put you in a position to analyze your choices before making your final decision effortlessly. Avoid making the common mistake of impulse buying. A minor delay in automotive gratification is worth the time spent, especially when receiving that information from a trusted source.
Affordability is a multi-faceted issue because the car-buying process can consist of several financial considerations. It will help if you accurately determine what your current car is worth, how much of a down payment you can make, and a reasonable amount you can handle for monthly payments. Some careful thought and brutal honesty will pay enormous benefits later.
You can count on car prices fluctuating as popularity, supply, and other factors change. In other words, if you are buying a popular car in short supply, when it first comes to market, you can expect to pay more.
Moving to the seat behind the wheel of your next new car is the most exciting part of the buying experience. By this time, you narrowed your choices down to a few vehicles that are right for you and set goals for negotiating price, monthly payment, trade-in, and finance options. You can now get ready to negotiate and purchase your next new vehicle with confidence.
By understanding how auto loans work and thinking carefully about what would work for you before you buy (or lease) will help you drive away happy. Click to access our resources and learn all of these things, and more.
First you must choose between buying a new car and buying a used car. A new car may cost more but will come with a longer warranty and no history of abuse or neglect. However, new cars depreciate (lose value) almost immediately when they leave the new car lot, which means that if you can find a well-cared-for used car, it might be a good bargain.
Several considerations go into knowing how much car you can afford. First, how are you planning on buying a car? If you intend to use financing options like auto loans, your budget can vary widely depending on things like:
Fuel and maintenance are intrinsic costs of owning a vehicle. However, you may be able to lower these costs depending on the type of vehicle you buy. For example, buying an electric or hybrid vehicle can help severely cut down on fuel costs, and in some cases eliminate them.
Veterans and active service members can lean on any of these resources to make getting a vehicle easier. Vehicles often represent independence, freedom, and personal choice, and are therefore an important part of civilian life.
We work directly with dealerships through our Preferred Dealers program to handle your application at the point of sale and make the car-buying process convenient for you. To review our Preferred Dealers, visit rbfcu.cudlautosmart.com/Dealer.
But many Americans make big mistakes buying cars. Take new car purchases with a trade-in. A third of buyers roll over an average of $5,000 in debt from their last car into their new loan. They're paying for a car they don't drive anymore. Ouch! That is not a winning personal finance strategy.
"The single best advice I can give to people is to get preapproved for a car loan from your bank, a credit union or an online lender," says Philip Reed. He's the autos editor at the personal finance site NerdWallet. He also worked undercover at an auto dealership to learn the secrets of the business when he worked for the car-buying site Edmunds.com. So Reed is going to pull back the curtain on the car-buying game.
So Reed says having that preapproval can be a valuable card to have in your hand in the car-buying game. It can help you negotiate a better rate. "The preapproval will act as a bargaining chip," he says. "If you're preapproved at 4.5%, the dealer says, 'Hey, you know, I can get you 3.5. Would you be interested?' And it's a good idea to take it, but make sure all of the terms, meaning the down payment and the length of the loan, remain the same."
So at the dealership, Reed and Van Alst both say, the first step is to start with the price of the vehicle you are buying. The salesperson at the dealership will often want to know if you're planning to trade in another car and whether you're also looking to get a loan through the dealership. Reed says don't answer those questions! That makes the game too complicated, and you're playing against pros. If you negotiate a really good purchase price on the car, they might jack up the interest rate to make extra money on you that way or lowball you on your trade-in. They can juggle all those factors in their head at once. You don't want to. Keep it simple. One thing at a time.
"Concerning the extended factory warranty, you can always buy it later," says Reed. "So if you're buying a new car, you can buy it in three years from now, just before it goes out of warranty." At that point, if you want the extended warranty, he says, you should call several dealerships and ask for the best price each can offer. That way, he says, you're not rolling the cost into your car loan and paying interest on a service you wouldn't even use for three years because you're still covered by the new car's warranty.
"We're actually living in a golden age of used cars," says Reed. "I mean, the reliability of used cars is remarkable these days." Reed says there is an endless river of cars coming off three-year leases that are in very good shape. And even cars that are older than that, he says, are definitely worth considering. "You know, people are buying good used cars at a hundred-thousand miles and driving them for another hundred-thousand miles," says Reed. "So I'm a big fan of buying a used car as a way to save money."
NPR has a personal finance Facebook group called Your Money and Your Life. And we asked group members about car buying. Many said they were shocked by how much money some other people in the group said they were spending on cars. Patricia and Dean Raeker from Minneapolis wrote, "40 years of owning vehicles and our total transportation purchases don't even add up to the cost of one of the financed ones these folks are talking about."
The goal of the Advocacy and Intervention Division is to inform consumers and car dealers of their rights and responsibilities in every transaction, as well as attempt to facilitate any disputes that may arise from these transactions. Below are some resources useful resources intended to help educate consumers when they are purchasing a vehicle.
Elements Financial offers an auto-buying service called Members Auto Source1 to its members, providing the advice you need as you shop for a vehicle. Members Auto Source, LLC's mission is to provide a professional, painless, and cost-effective way to purchase or lease a new or pre-owned vehicle. Their goal is to make you feel you were given all of the information available in order to make a good buying decision. 041b061a72