Pellicano Articles
Is there a perfect first automobile for teens? Deciding on the best car for teenage drivers depends on who is doing the deciding — the teen or their parents.
Teenagers and their parents tend to have different objectives and priorities when it comes to automobiles, although it’s often not difficult for the two parties to come to a mutually agreeable decision, especially when each party is willing to compromise a little. In this article, we’ll try to look at the subject of first cars from both points of view.
What Teens Want
Most teenagers place considerable importance on a automobile’s style (sporty), appearance (cool), performance (fast), size (room for friends), and accessories (customization). Girls like “cute” automobiles and place less importance on performance than boys..
An automobile is a projection of a teen’s personality, social status, sense of freedom, and desire for peer approval — as well as possibly serving a practical need for getting back and forth to school or job.
What Parents Want
Parents want safe automobiles for their teens. Parents also place importance on economy (low purchase cost, low operation cost, and low maintenance cost), reliability/dependability, and low insurance cost.
Teens who are expected to pay their own way may also place importance on many of the same factors as their parents.
Cost is a Factor
The first issue that most young drivers and their parents usually struggle with when deciding on a first automobile is that of cost, which typically leads to the issue of used-versus-new.
An older automobile is generally going to cost less than a brand new model. However, older used automobiles will generally be less reliable, may develop unexpected repair expenses, have fewer safety features, and not be as attractive as a newer model. On the other hand, insurance cost and taxes can be less. Used automobiles are generally sold “as-is” without warranties.
A brand new automobile can be more expensive — although not necessarily so (see below) — but will have the latest features and safety equipment, be under manufacturer’s warranty for 3-5 years, be protected by lemon laws, and will have new-automobile reliability — and a new-automobile smell.
Brand New cars for Cheap – Last Year’s Left Over Models.
Last year’s leftover new automobiles currently have very attractive incentives that often makes it possible to buy a brand new car for less than a used model of the same automobile. These are still brand new cars that have never been titled and never owned by anyone, which means they come with full warranty and lemon law protection.
Here’s how it works— request free dealer price quotes on left over car models that dealers still have too many of. They desperately need to get rid of them and are willing to give large discounts to make them attractive to you. Manufacturers offer large incentives in the form of rebates and low-interest loans on these vehicles.
You can get free price quotes on any new car from the following sources: Edmunds, carsDirect, and Yahoo! Autos . The quotes you receive will automatically include any factory rebates and dealer discounts.
Be aware that when you fill out the form specifying a make and model, in most cases you will not be asked about which year model you are interested in. If you are interested in last year’s model, you’ll have to specify that when you actually talk to the responding dealers.
Best First automobiles for Teenagers –
Top Recommendations
Because of the wide variations in availability and characteristics of used cars, we’ll stick to a discussion of new cars. However, used automobiles tend to have many of the same characteristics of new cars of the same make and model.
Just keep in mind that newer automobiles tend to have better safety equipment, better reliability, improved gas mileage, and, in some cases, lower insurance rates – because of improved safety and reliability. Some older cars have high insurance rates because they are more often stolen (for parts) than new models. Honda Accords from the early 1990s are a good example.
This article brought to you by www.VehicleTransport.org. We know car shipping. For the best vehicle transport services and prices, do your research. After your research, come to us for your auto transport needs.
Tags: auto, automobile, car, cars, cars for teens
Posted in Cars and Trucks · September 6th, 2010 · Comments (0)
It’s sad how most Americans think they’ve negotiated a good deal from used car dealers. The biting reality is that over 90% are ripped off. So don’t walk into the car lot until you’ve read this guide, or your hard earned cash may turn you into yet another dealer victim.
You spend your days (and likely nights) studying or working, saving up enough cash to buy a automobile. The danger is that Used car Dealers have stacked the cards in their favour. You’re walking into the dealers showroom without preparing properly is like walking onto a tennis court to play against a pro. It’s time someone levelled the playing field.
This guide gives you the inside track and exposes the hidden tricks dealers use to line their pockets with your cash. Fortunately, unlike the tennis example (where you’re going to get thumped), preparation can turn the tables and save you hundreds or thousands of dollars on your next automobile – not to mention earn you free extras. We don’t cover car negotiations in our negotiation skills training courses, but as many clients have asked for car negotiation advice, we decided to share this article.
Step 1: Choosing the Right car
Before you go tearing out to the dealerships, put on the brakes, sit down and figure out what kind of vehicle you need. Forget about what you want. Yes, we must admit, this doesn’t come naturally to most of us. Bear with us; you’ll be playing into the dealers hands if you don’t do this first. Think about what is going to suit you best. There are 4 things you need to keep in mind when choosing the right vehicle.
Lifestyle: The car you’re going to drive will need to suit your lifestyle. Your needs will be based on whether you are single, married, have children or are planning a family in the near future.
Location: Are you rooted close to the downtown, nestled in suburbia or tucked away in the rural wilds? You also need to think about what kind of commute you take to work and give some thought to weather and road conditions.
Hobbies: What do you do away from the job or college? Party a lot and need to play designated driver? Are you a hermit, seldom venturing away from the nest? Or do you like to race up muddy trails or slog your way up an icy mountain road to find that perfect virgin track of powder?
Income: Yes, there’s no escaping the budget challenge. We will come through on our promise to save you cash, which means you can afford more. Your might fantasise about owning that rugged Hummer, racy Jag, or classic muscle automobile. Stop for a moment and ask yourself: Is it really worth working for the car loan company to meet payments? What can you really afford to pay? Writing this figure down now, will go a long way to preventing the dealer from talking you into paying more.
Vehicle Choices
There are a dizzying variety of makes and models to choose from. These include the coupe, sedan, hatchback, station wagon, SUV, truck, crossover vehicle or hybrid vehicle. The best advice is not to initially limit yourself to just one make or model. Your well intending friends or family may advise you otherwise – sdon’t listen! Availability can restrict your ability to negotiate a better price with the dealership. If for some reason you can’t negotiate a good deal on one vehicle, you can always negotiate your next best option. Keep your options open. Yes, this does mean that you need to do some research on your favourite types of vehicles.
Who do you Believe?
So who’s reviews do you believe? Not the manufacturers. They have a vested interest to be overly favourable. Look for independent reviews. If you have a head for numbers, then start remembering the key specifications so that you can compare each choice more effectively.
Take a Test Drive
There’s only one way to know for sure whether you’ve found your dream machine. Get behind the wheel and take the automobile for a spin. The Test Drive will give you the best feel for the vehicle’s performance and whether it meets your expectations and needs. Beware dealers who won’t let you drive because of “liability issues”.
See how the vehicle rides on both city streets and if possible, on the highway. Equally important is to check through the vehicle. Test the seats, knobs, buttons, seating capacity and comfort, and trunk or boot space.
DO NOT buy after test driving. Go home and do more research first.
Step 2 Research Price:
Want to show the dealer that you understand his game? Some of these phrases are only relevant to new cars. Learn a few phrases and confidently drop them into the conversation:
Sticker Price
The sticker price is the price the manufacturer sets for the retail value of the vehicle. It’s called the sticker price because it’s traditionally been written on the piece of paper you see stuck to the automobile’s window. The sticker price is attached to the vehicle when the car leaves the factory. Never pay the sticker price! Only fools pay the sticker price. Many dealer salesmen will point to the sticker price helplessly and claim it as their sale price. Don’t walk away from salesconsumers who do this – run!.
Invoice Price
The invoice price is what the dealer pays the manufacturer. The invoice price is where you want to aim your sights.
The dealer is in business to make a profit. So the negotiated price you should pay will normally be somewhere between the invoice price and the sticker price. This is known in negotiation as your zone of possible agreement.
So whilst you’re aiming for the dealers Invoice Price, he’s gunning for the Sticker Price – this is normal and is known in negotiation as each side’s Aspiration Bases.
How do you uncover the Invoice Price?
Your best source is through the internet. Many US automobile buying sites list their invoice price, unfortunately Australian sites don’t. The better sites also offer several buying tools. These tools will automatically calculate option/packages and add them to the total cost
Dealer Holdback Price
The Dealer Holdback Price is the amount the dealer receives from the manufacturer on every vehicle they sell. The holdback price is usually in the neighbourhood of 3% of the Sticker Price.
This is important to remember because the dealer holdback price effectively lowers the dealer’s cost below the Invoice Price. The holdback price adds to the dealership’s profit. So if you were skillful enough to negotiate the dealer down to their Invoice Price, they would still be making a sliver of profit..
In reality, trying to negotiate below the invoice price, leaving the dealer with their holdback price is highly unlikely. Use the holdback price when negotiating. Ask the dealer what their holdback price or percentage is. This will prevent the dealer from claiming that selling near invoice price will prevent him from sending his kids to college.
Dealer Incentives
Also known as Dealer Cash. Some car manufacturers will offer the dealership “hidden” cash rebate incentives on new vehicles. The purpose is to promote certain makes and models. How do you know whether your car automobileries some dealer cash? Some automobile web sites keep track.
This article brought to you by www.VehicleTransport.org. We know car shipping. For the best vehicle transport services and prices, do your research. After your research, come to us for your auto transport needs.
Tags: automobile, buying cars, car, cars, purchasing cars
Posted in Cars and Trucks · September 6th, 2010 · Comments (0)