Many of the questions I get on the air have to do auto financing. This is an area people who have bought cars before worry about. By the time it is time to sign on the dotted line, you may have been at a dealership for a long time, you are tired, and you are just ready to go home with your new vehicle.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
Finance Departments Beware: Like every profession, there are good dealers and bad dealers. Many people are taken advantage of in the finance department of dealerships. Over the years, I have seen it all, high-pressure tactics to purchase extended warranties, credit life, and disability insurance, GAP insurance, etc. I have also witnessed downright fraud. Bear in mind, most finance managers are paid on commission, based on what they sell. Read More
If you’re like us, you’ll never again take for granted the freedom to get in your car and head to your local grocery store to pick up a few things. The ability to do so is just one way transportation is being impacted by COVID-19, which has left many usually busy streets much quieter as people stay home to practice social distancing. The Coronavirus is having a big impact on transportation as it forces us all to, in a word, adapt. Adapt to how often we use our vehicles, how we care for them, and even how we buy them. Here we’ve compiled some of the most prevalent questions many people have when it comes to driving, buying and getting cars serviced during the COVID-19 crisis. Read More
As always, car dealers view holidays as a time when they go into volume- mode. July 4th is a rare opportunity for them to start a new month on a high note.
We saw some incentive enhancements at the end of June, which was also the end of the second quarter of 2020. Almost without exception, we saw those incentives extended until this Monday July 6th. After this round of incentives end next week, the likelihood is that incentives will drop. That almost Read More
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated following its original post date.
I update this story every year in hopes that it may get into the hands of parents who leave small children or pets in the car and prevent another child or pet from suffering a horrible, slow, agonizing death.
Car Heat Stroke StatisticsAbsorb the numbers below. Each case ended with the death of a child and the planning of a funeral: Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2017: 42Child vehicular heatstroke deaths Read More
We had a Boston caller last Saturday looking for a pretty specific last generation C6 Corvette. Rightly so, he was concerned about buying a car a long way from home without seeing it. Luckily, I’ve addressed this issue before and have done it myself several times.
Another Car Pro Show caller was interested in a very specific pre-owned car. He wanted a seven to eight-year-old Porsche 911 convertible with a manual transmission. Although the gentleman was from Chicago, and there is a chance Read More
I have people who ask me on the Car Pro Radio Show all the time about the best car to tow behind their RV, usually a motorhome. For those who have never traveled in a motorhome, once you get where you are going, there is a lot of work to be done. You have to level it, most people hook their rig to water, electricity, sewage, open the awning, put up the TV antenna or dish, etc. Often you work 30 minutes to an hour to get everything on your checklist done. Then the worst possible thing Read More
Imagine picking out your new or used vehicle from the comfort of your living room, having it delivered to you for a test drive, getting your trade-in evaluated, then completing all the paperwork online and having the keys delivered to your home. That’s the reality of car shopping these days - with many dealer showrooms across the country temporarily closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. That said, people are still buying cars because the current incentives and deals are just too good for many car shoppers to pass up. Plus, transportation needs are changing during this time and some people may need vehicles whereas they did not before.
Regardless of the reason, buying a car online has never been easier or convenient. In these times, however, it’s about much more than that. It’s about safety. CarProUSA Certified dealers are sanitizing vehicles for test drives and taking other steps like completing paperwork online with home delivery to adhere to social distancing guidelines that keep you and their employees safe. Read More
When I get a listener to my radio show who is talking about buying a used car, I always end the conversation advising him or her to be sure to look at a vehicle history report to make sure there were no issues with the car.
What to Look For in a Vehicle History ReportGenerally, you are looking for previous accidents, flood damage, or odometer discrepancies. Often, when people look at a history report, they find out the car they are considering started its life as a rental car. This is Read More
As I often say on the Car Pro radio show, certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles offer some of the advantages of both new and used cars. A CPO is a pre-owned car and it’s as close to a new car as a used car can get, often for a fraction of the price of a new car. They go through a factory certification checklist which gives buyers peace of mind when buying a used vehicle and come with a manufacturer's warranty and often a few other perks. Specifics vary by Read More
We covered the Internet bait & switch recently, and all the things you have to be aware of these days when shopping prices online. Often, however, people respond to ads they see in the newspaper, on radio, on TV, or in a piece of mail. When you make an inquiry on one of these prices, dealership personnel who are trained in the art of bait & switch will likely tell you to just “come on down and see us”.
Some years ago, a local Ford dealer had a TV Read More
Being a Class of 2020 college graduate as the world and nation faces a pandemic can’t be easy. But even as new graduates plan the next phase of their future in a different world than grads before them, they’ll still be doing many of the same things like searching for and starting new jobs, and also buying their first post-grad vehicle. Thus, we bring you a list of 10 Best Cars for Recent College Graduates in 2020 compiled by AutoTrader, a list that keeps Read More
Talk about a future collectible! You can now get your hands on a special edition Corvette Z06 -- one made exclusively for Hertz, the rental car company, in honor of its 100th anniversary.
As Hertz heads towards a possible bankruptcy amid the downturn in business due to COVID-19, it’s selling some of the 2019 model-year editions on its website. The cars were available to rent at several locations and are now those used 100th Anniversary Edition Corvette Z06 cars are Read More
A record number of consumers are upside down on their car loans, according to new research released by Edmunds. In a press release, Edmunds says its data shows that in April an all-time record share of 44% of new vehicle sales with a trade-in had negative equity, compared to 40% in March and 33% in April of 2019. The average amount owed on upside-down loans also climbed to an all-time record high of $5,571 in April, compared to $5,405 in March and $5,036 in Read More
I talked about this on last Saturday’s Car Pro Show. Sometimes there is a perfect storm when a lot of factors come together to make car buying amazing. This is one of those times, probably one of only two this year.
Incentives are crazy high for the big Memorial weekend sales because of the Coronavirus. There are also extra rebates from multiple automakers to honor our military, veterans, and first responders. Lease deals are exceptional.
Nobody likes to think about having a wreck in his or her car, but the reality is, it will probably happen. It may be your fault or someone else’s, but either way, it is a hassle, especially if your insurance company gives you trouble. You want good insurance, but you don’t want to overpay for it, so doing your homework is always a good idea. Many people don’t take the time to shop around for the best price, but the price is just one consideration.
Consider Liability LimitsFor instance, if Read More
Hyundai’s newest SUV, the entry-level Venue, is joining the Palisade, Kona and Accent as 2020 Consumer Guide Best Buys. The Venue, which we’ll be reviewing next month, is Hyundai’s new budget-friendly subcompact crossover that launched earlier this year.
The annual Consumer Guide Best Buys list usually comes out in November or December. While the Venue missed the deadline since its launch was delayed, Consumers Guide says once they got behind the wheel earlier this year the Read More
As Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds has discussed on the Car Pro Show over the past few weeks, COVID-19 is changing the way people are buying vehicles. With the pandemic forcing the temporary closure of many dealership showroom, online sales have become more important than ever and Reynolds says from what he’s hearing many shoppers are enjoying the experience.
One automaker reporting notable growth in online sales is Fiat Chrysler Automotive. The company says more than one-third of its U.S. dealers are now giving car shoppers the option to shop and buy new vehicles from the comfort of their home through its recently launched Online Retailing Experience (ORE). Read More
I am often asked about buying a used car from a private seller versus a dealership. Unbiased, I am always a fan of buying a factory certified car when available, but usually those are only a few years old and many people cannot afford them. There are also benefits to purchasing a non-certified car from a reputable new car dealership. The good ones are careful what they sell and won’t sell a used car until it has been checked over.
There are a lot of people who need to buy the nearly impossible to find $5000 used car, but there are many more who need a used car from $7500 to $12,500 and often they turn to private sellers, which is fine if you do your homework and proceed with caution. Read More
Last week we brought you the 20 best family vehicles as chosen by the editors of Parents Magazine, a list I thought was a very good one. I generally agree with their annual choice and have for quite a long time.
This week, they give us their top picks for teen drivers and why. I think this list is well done also.
Chevrolet EquinoxStarting at $23,800
Editors liked this two-row SUV for a bunch of reasons. It received a perfect overall rating from the National Read More
I’ve talked on the Car Pro Show about the effect the Coronavirus has had on used cars, and more especially Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. With the massive new vehicle incentives, people are not looking toward Certified right now. This presents a problem for the Five Star Ford dealerships. Much of the dealerships’ Certified inventory is going to turn 60-days old by the end of April and will have to go to auction.
They have calculated what this group of cars will bring at auction and they are offering them to my listeners for basically the same price if you can make a move now. All CDC guidelines are being followed at the dealerships, and if you want them to bring one of these to you, they will.
All these Certified vehicles come with a 7-year/100,000 mile warranty from the in-service date, they go through a 172-point inspection, have roadside assistance, and qualify for 1.99% financing.
Here are the vehicles that are being liquidated, along with the location, and the contact person: Read More
