What's The Deal?

http://www.AutoSaver.com by Kimberly Ann

Most of us have probably experienced the haggling that ensues when trying to get a good deal on a used car.  I mean, we understand the dealer has to make money, but one can’t even browse a car lot without 5 different sales people approaching you.  What’s even more frustrating is once you know what you like, you hear the infamous, “let me see what I can do” and off they go to talk to the little man behind the curtain. That is often known as ‘let the bartering begin’ or ‘no deal’!

As consumers, we have no way of knowing, for certain, how much money a dealer has into a car.  Nor do they have any intention of telling us.  If a dealer played their cards right at auction, they should most definitely have wiggle room in the price.  And the same goes if they took a vehicle in on a trade.  We all feel like we get the short end of the stick when we trade in.  After all, the dealer has to leave himself enough margin to make money when he sells that car.  If he doesn’t sell it, he has to incur costs to send it to auction and the cycle starts all over again.

Once a dealer purchases a car for wholesale at auction, is there a set mark-up?  I don’t believe that anything is ever set in stone, but a typical markup is between 25-45%, which should include the cost of repairs. Ok, so now what do we do with that bit of information? Do we take the price of the car and subtract the high side of 45% and go from there?  Or, should we subtract 25%?  I am pretty sure we understand this can be a tedious and frustrating process.  Personally, I want somebody or some thing to do this for me!  I want my cake and eat it too.  I want a good deal AND I want the know-how at my fingertips.  Better yet, I want to know the car I’m test driving is a good deal before I even bother to test drive. 

Welcome to ‘Value Range Pricing’ exclusively by http://www.AutoSaver.com…

The know-how hit the market in February…don't be last to use an industry first.

New Car vs. Used Car - The Debate Goes On

http://www.AutoSaver.com by Kimberly Ann


During a day in age when we all seem to be counting every penny, is buying a new car the best bang for our buck? Many report that there are definitely some great deals to be had buying new car, and that may lead us to believe that’s the route to go. But, this can be misleading. After all, I’ve also been told that buying a new car is perhaps the worst investment we can make, no matter what the rebates add up to. According to bankrate.com, ‘The fastest depreciation occurs in the car's first two years, when its value drops to 60 to 70 percent of its original sticker price. By buying a used car, you let a car's first owner incur the biggest depreciation hit.’ 

With that being said, let’s look at Kiplinger’s stats on the top 10 best used car purchases:

2008 Hyundai Sonata GLS

2009 Subaru Impreza 2.5i sedan

2009 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT

2009 Nissan Rogue S

2008 Honda CR-V LX

2008 Subaru Outback 2.5i

2009 Ford Taurus Limited

2008 Mazda CX-9 Sport

2009 Toyota Sienna LE

2009 Infiniti G37x AWD

When I didn’t see my 2006 Audi on this list, I decided to research a bit more and came across at t least 3 completely different set of results! Go figure, right? Bottom line is there are many things we need need to take into consideration. Here are five good questions to ask yourself to help you out…and not in any particular order:

1. Many of us prefer American cars over Foreign cars and vice-versa. Do you prefer a certain brand or brands?
2. What vehicles hold their value the most? How much money can I retain when I decide to sell my car down the road?
3. Color does affect salability. Hint: don’t buy funky colors and expect to be able to get the most out of it down the road.
4. Gas milage…how far can I drive on a full tank of gas with gas prices over $3.00 a gallon? Cha-Ching
5. How much is it going to cost me to service my vehicle? $100 oil changes can get old after a while. 

And after you’ve narrowed down what you’d consider purchasing, be sure to start your official search with a website that can narrow down your search results and save you time, as well as money.

Happy Hunting!

http://www.AutoSaver.com

References
Bankrate.com Auto Calculator http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/auto/new-or-used-car.aspx 
Kiplinger’s 10 Best Used Values in Cars, 2012  http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/cars/T009-S001-10-best-values-in-used-cars-2012/index.html

Is There Really 'A Best Time' To Buy A Car?

http://www.AutoSaver.com by Kimberly Ann

We all know that Black Friday is supposed to be the best day for Christmas shopping deals, but is there a Black Friday for car shopping?  I could answer this question with a one word answer, ‘NO’…but let’s dig a little deeper. 

Have you ever heard a couple of these Auto Industry Urban Legends?

‘You can get a better deal when you shop first thing in the morning.’

Or the opposite, ‘You’ll get a better deal at the end of the day when the salespeople are vying for their last sale.’

‘Shop at the end of the month.  The salespeople have quotas so you’ll get a better deal.’

If it could only be that clear cut!

Now, there are times of the year when there are more vehicle sales, but it doesn’t mean these purchases render great savings.  At tax refund time, cash in hand makes for a great time to put money down on a used vehicle, if not buy one outright.  HOWEVER, if there is a high demand for used cars at that particular time of year, and the supply is low…you can kiss the savings goodbye.  As with any other commodity, when the supply is high and demand can’t keep up with supply, the prices generally go UP.

Perhaps you are in the market to buy a new vehicle.  It’s safe to say the older designs that are nearing the end of their production lives are often times the most heavily discounted by their manufacturers.  For example, I received thousands of dollars in savings when I purchased my Lincoln Aviator simply because they were no longer going to be manufacturing that vehicle. 

But with ‘used’ vehicles, is there ever really a better time to buy in order to reap those great savings?  Maybe not, but by knowing where to find the ‘best’ deals could be the answer.

Websites that help weed out known bargains are a great place to start your search.  Companies, such as Autosaver.com, use their trademarked technology called ‘Value Range Pricing’.  This site in particular, lets the consumer know if the vehicle they are looking to purchase is actually a good buy.  Be on the look-out, this new site is sure to take the auto industry by storm, and will also be the feature of a future blog all its own. With technology like this, we could experience Black Friday savings everyday in the auto industry!

http://www.AutoSaver.com