• Determine the used car value. This will help you to determine how much money to ask for your car. There are many ways to increase your used car value. Check out local newspapers and magazines for what other people in your area are asking for the same car. Although you should also check various automotive resources such as the Kelly Blue Book, they do not account for local supply and demand of a particular automobile. For example, a pick-up truck may sell for more in a rural area as opposed to downtown New York. Always use these resources as a guide only. When a prospective buyer checks out a similar used car for sale, your vehicle should be in the ball park for that make, model and year.
• Clean your vehicle inside and out. This can be what sells your car. It doesn’t take too much time or effort to sell a used car if it is done properly. Clean the exterior and cover up chips or scratches in the paint with some touch-up paint. Try using 5 Star Shine when you wash the car. It will make your used car look like new by enhancing the finish of the vehicle and by reducing scratches and other marks. The presentation of your automobile is everything. Clean the inside including ashtrays, floor mats, and the trunk. It may also prove wise to invest in an engine shampoo which will make your engine bay look like new.
• Park it where it will be seen. When at a mall or in a busy area, park your clean vehicle in areas where the car (and the for sale sign) will be seen. This will create interest.
• Provide records and receipts of repairs to sell the used car more quickly. This will help to give you and your car more credibility.
• Offer a flexible price. This will help a prospective buyer feel as though he/she got a deal.

Try these tips and you’ll see for yourself that all it takes is a little bit of effort to get rid of your used car for sale. ]]> http://www.sjpdepaul.org/474/when-you-have-a-used-car-for-sale-put-yourself-in-the-position-of-the-buyer/feed 0 http://www.sjpdepaul.org/466/car-safety-explained http://www.sjpdepaul.org/466/car-safety-explained#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:42:08 +0000 http://www.sjpdepaul.org/?p=466

Over the last few years, there has been a growing interest in car safety. Technologies such as airbags , anti-lock brakes, and stability management systems, have become more and more common and are now standard or available on almost every car sold in North America.
As with most other technologies, these safety systems were first introduced in higher end models, eventually tricking down to more mainstream automobiles.

What makes a car safe?

There are two types of safety systems in every car. First we have active safety systems. These devices are designed to get us out of trouble and avoid an accident in the first place. Anti-lock brakes, traction control, and stability systems, are active safety systems as they can help us before an accident even occurs.

The second type are known as passive safety systems. A passive safety system protects us once a vehicle has been engaged in an accident. These include airbags, seatbelts, and crumple zones.

Airbags, seatbelts and other passive safety systems must work together. Airbags for example, do little to help you unless you’re wearing a seatbelt. Seatbelts are considered the foundation of passive safety.

The root of a truly safe car lies in its structure and design. High-strength steel can reduce the chance of an impact intruding on the passenger compartment, reducing the chances of serious injury.

A smart design will distribute the energy from an impact around the passenger cell, rather than directly into it. The goal is to reduce the deformation of the passenger compartment. High strength steel is very effective at keeping the passenger compartment of an SUV intact during a rollover.

Most European companies such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, Volvo, and Volkswagen, have been using high strength steel such as Boron for a while.

As car safety has become a selling feature, more manufacturers are adopting the use of Boron steel as it is much stronger than conventional steel, and allows seatbelts, airbags and other passive safety devices to work more effectively.

Overall, a safe car is useless unless it is operated by a safe driver. No system, no matter how advanced, can compensate for an alert driver behind the wheel.

You can tweet via anything you like that are listed on the directory. Posting and Updating new status using cool applications like iPhone, iPad, Android, Twitter, Google and more. You do not need to have the device or applications on your own, you just need to allow your Twitter to access and you will be ready to go. Just type any status you want to post via and press the Tweet button, and you see the tweet updated on Twitter time line.

With the price of new cars constantly going up, you may find it more cost effective and just as rewarding to get a low mileage pre-owned vehicle. Today, most manufacturers offer pre-owned vehicle programs that include bumper-to-bumper warranties and the piece of mind that comes with an established dealership.

Imagine buying a $25,000 new vehicle to find out that after owning it for only 3 years it is now worth far less than $20,000, a loss of over $5,000.

In other words, you may spend a minimum of $5,000 over 3 years (not including gas, insurance and maintenance) just to have the smell which comes with new cars. In fact, most new automobiles lose over 40% of their value in the first 3 years.

Let’s take a real world example. A brand new 2006 Chevrolet Impala has Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $20,990 USD. However, if you chose to buy a 2003 slightly used Chevrolet Impala it would cost about $13,000 USD (click here for more information.) The total savings to you would be almost $8,000 USD. That money saved could pay for a family vacation, some renovations on your house, or put aside for a rainy day.

Listed below are some more benefits to buying a pre-owned car:

• You may be able to afford a more nicely equipped model
• It will be cheaper to insure
• It will still come with the balance of the factory warranty
• The value will not deteriorate as much over the next 3 years as a new vehicle would.

• Get a used car history report This is a document that outlines the history of the vehicle that you are interested in. Once you provide the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) you will get a document outlining previous owners and whether it has been in an accident or stolen. It can also help you determine if the mileage has been rolled back. This step is critical when buying a pre-owned vehicle.

• Have the vehicle checked out by a reputable mechanic. If you are buying a pre-owned vehicle from a dealership, the vehicle may have already undergone an extensive inspection process. Ask the sales person for details regarding this process. For example, Honda requires that the vehicles in its used car program go through a 150 point inspection before they are placed on the lot for sale.

• Find out the book value. To check the value of a pre-owned vehicle that you are interested in please click here. Knowing value can help you negotiate with the seller and ensure that you are not getting ripped off.

Read online reviews from people who already own the car. Nobody will know the car better than those who have owned it for years. Click here to check out reviews for a particular pre-owned vehicle.

A bad credit car loan is a loan that is given to high risk customers at a higher interest rate. A high risk customer is a person who doesn’t have a good credit score, or a person who doesn’t have an established credit history.

Depending on where you live, you could end up paying upwards of 30% interest on a bad credit auto loan. That’s outrageous!! In fact, it should be illegal.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of websites offering bad credit car loans. As with anything else, do your research. If a company doesn’t disclose the interest rate you should walk away. Many bad credit auto loan companies don’t like questions because they don’t want potential customers to know how much money it really costs.

Some dealer groups (a company that owns many dealerships) own financial service companies which offer loans to people with bad credit.. They want to sell you a car (which they make money on) and they’ll offer you a loan when a bank or other financial institution declines. Now they’re making money on the car and the loan.

A dealership may only offer you an auto loan on a small selection of vehicles. These vehicles may have been rentals, or even cabs.

In other words, the people who drove them, didn’t own them. They likely abused them and now you have to pay thousands more because you need a vehicle.

Solutions. They’re simple and effective.

• If you have bad credit and need a car loan, do your absolute best to get a big down payment. The less money you borrow the less interest you’ll have to pay.
• Instead of buying a more expensive newer vehicle, perhaps a less expensive used car could do the job.
• Always ask what the interest rate is. Keep in mind that a car loan for someone with good credit is anywhere between 0%-8% depending on the vehicle.
• You may qualify for a lower interest rate on a bad credit car loan if you have a co-signer.

1. 2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
2. 1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
3. 1996 4 wheel drive Chevrolet/GMC Blazer/Jimmy S Series 2-door
4. 1994 Honda Civic Si Hatchback 2-door
5. 1993 Volkswagen Corrado 2-door
6. 1995 Honda Civic Si Hatchback 2-door
7. 1992 Chrysler/Dodge Caravan and Voyager
8. 2002 all wheel drive Subaru Impreza WRX, 4-door
9. 1999 Volkswagen Golf GTI Hatchback 2-door
10. 1993 Honda Civic Si hatchback 2-door

1. 1992 Corolla Wagon (4WD)
2. 1995 Buick Park Avenue (4 dr.)
3. 1996 Buick Roadmaster (4 dr.)
4. 1998 Lincoln Continental (4 dr.)
5. 1999 Pontiac Bonneville (4 dr.)
6. 2000 Oldsmobile Silhouette
7. 2000 Oldsmobile Silhouette EXT
8. 1996 Buick LeSabre (4 dr.)
9. 1997 Volvo 850 Wagon
10. 2001 Pontiac Bonneville (4 dr.)

The term VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. It is series of 17 digits and letters accepted as the world standard for identifying vehicles. Every vehicle produced from model year 1981 has a VIN. The VIN provides information such as make, model, year, where it was produced, and much more. It is used by automakers, insurance companies, governments, consumers, and law enforcement officials.

The VIN can be found in a variety of areas on your vehicle such as at the base of the windshield (driver’s side), at the base of the driver’s door post (also known as B-pillar), and in the engine compartment on the rearward wall (known as the firewall). It is the same number in each of these places.

1N4BA41E35C818146Positions 1-3
1N4
The World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) assigned by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Each manufacturer has at least one WMI code. The first character stands for where the vehicle was assembled (1=The United States, 2=Canada, 3=Mexico etc.)

Positions 4-8
BA41E
Characters used by manufacturers to identify the car line or series, engine, restraints, gross vehicle weight, and body style.

Position 9
3
A “check” digit based on a mathematical algorithm for determining the validity of the VIN.

Position 10
5
The year the vehicle built. In this case the digit is “5″ which indicates the vehicle was made in 2005.

Position 11
C
The plant where the vehicle was assembled.

Positions 12-17
818146
A sequential number that uniquely identifies specific vehicles. For example, the first 11 characters identify this vehicle as a 2005 Nissan Maxima SE 6-speed, and the last 6 identify it as a particular 2005 Nissan Maxima SE 6-speed.

Answer the following car buying tips regarding leasing to determine if it is right for you.

• Do you mind paying monthly payments?
• Do you want a new vehicle every three to four years?
• Do you have Porsche tastes but a Pontiac budget?
• You don’t like modifying your car.

Once you determine if leasing is right for you, make sure to follow these simple precautions.

• Don’t sign an open-end car lease. In an open-end car lease, if the cars actual value at the end of the term is less than the residual value projected at the beginning, you have to pay the difference. In a closed-end lease you have the option to buy, or you can simply walk away.
• Find out what constitutes “normal wear” under the terms of the lease. You don’t want to have to repaint the vehicle because of some minor paint chips.
• Never lease for longer than the warranty period. Doing repairs on a vehicle that you don’t own outright is not a wise idea.
• Always read the fine print regarding early termination fees.

The difference between leasing and financing.
To lease a car, you enter what is essentially a rental agreement. In exchange for your monthly payment, you get to drive the automobile of your choice. However, you don’t own the vehicle. At the end of the lease you own nothing. Financing is getting a loan to pay for the car. You may get a loan from your bank, or from an automotive finance company such as GMAC, Ford Credit, or BMW Financial services. At the end of the term, you own the car outright. The monthly payments of financing are higher but you have something at the end of the term.

Leasing has some hidden costs
Although leasing is less expensive, there are hidden costs. For example, if you exceed the amount of miles you are allowed to put on the car, you’ll have to pay on average of $0.10 to $0.20 per mile. If you drive over by 10,000 miles, you’ll owe $1000.00 at the end of the lease. Also, when you return the car you may have to pay to have any wear and tear fixed (scratches, tires, interior etc). That can end up costing you hundreds. You don’t own the car so it must be driven with care.

Early termination fees
If for some reason you need to terminate a car lease before the end of the term, you’ll have to pay an early termination fee. This fee can ruin your credit and will cost thousands. Don’t enetr into a car lease unless you know you’ll be able to pay the monthly payments.

Residual value
Residual value is the amount a vehicle is worth at the end of the lease term. The higher the residual value, the less your lease payments will be relative to a vehicle with a low residual value. If a car loses a lot of value while your leasing, the lease payments will be higher. Depreciation is the difference between the selling price and the residual value.

How to get your monthly payment
Leasing comes down to four basic components: capitalized cost, residual value, interest rate, and the term of the lease. The “cap” cost is the negotiated purchase price. Remember to include taxes and any fees required by the leasing company. A cap cost reduction is basically a down payment or a trade in allowance. Now once you have your cap cost, subtract the residual value to get your principal. Add in the interest rate, and divide the principal (with interest) by the term of the lease. Now you have your monthly payment.

With new car prices reaching new heights, signing a car lease may prove to be a good idea for many prospective new car buyers but always read the fine print.

1. 1995 Honda Civic
2. 1989 Toyota Camry
3. 1991 Honda Accord
4. 1994 Dodge Caravan
5. 1994 Chevrolet Full Size C/K 1500 pick-up
6. 1997 Ford F150 pickup
7. 2003 Dodge Ram pick-up
8. 1990 Acura Integra
9. 1988 Toyota pick-up
10. 1991 Nissan Sentra