Description
In today’s day and age you would be hard pressed to find any individual of legal driving age and older that is not in possession of a car, or at the very least have one readily available to them when they need it. Many households have two or three vehicles at their disposal. It has become almost commonplace for any young person to receive a set of wheels as soon as they obtain their drivers license.

The types of cars people drive, however, vary a great deal. Cars come in many shapes and sizes and like most valuable purchases, proper research needs to be done to acquire the car that suits you and meets your needs. The type of the car, the make and model, its features and price are some of the factors that need to be considered when buying a car.

Whether to buy new or used is another decision that needs to be made. Some extremely wealthy individuals have never owned a new car in their life, while some people with financial constraints would never entertain the thought of buying a car previously driven by anyone but themselves. What it comes down to is personality that decides what direction one chooses to go. There are pros and cons to buying a used vs a new car. You could probably get more bang for your buck when buying a used car. The price is comparatively lower than a new one, plus insurance and taxes are lower as well. In addition, cars lose between 10-20% of their value the minute they are driven off of the dealer’s lot and about 45% in the first three years, so this depreciation hit lowers the price significantly. Finally, when buying a used car, you could get a better equipped car for a more affordable price. But there are some issues that need to be considered. Maintenance and repairs for a used car are significant factors, used cars are typically not under warranty and some of the repairs could get costly. And there is always the risk of purchasing a “lemon”. Finally, older models don’t have the new (and improved) safety features, a major consideration.

Statistical studies show the following:
 •  Sales of used cars have been consistently falling in the past few years.  One of the main reasons lies in the fact that leasing has become ever so popular.  People opt into two or three-year lease contracts, allowing them to drive a new car every few years. 
 •  The most popular color sold is silver.
 •  Overall, the Toyota Camry is the most popular car sold since 2002.  But men and women differ in their choice of cars, as do the more mature versus the younger demographic.
 •  Ninety three percent of truck buyers are men while women often choose models made by Honda or Saturn.  Men are more likely to be Ferrari owners (according to Kelly Blue book) while 57% of Volkswagen beetle owners are women. 
 •  For the younger women, on a more limited budget, Volkswagen Jetta and the Mazda Miata seem to be a favorite.  The Volkswagen EOS and BMW Z4 seem to be popular with the women who have a few extra dollars to spend.   And interestingly enough more and more Mommies are opting for the more stylish cars, like the Volvo XC90, which features a second-row seat with a three way split that offers flexible seating combination and space for groceries and/or baby carriages and plenty of holders for sippy cups. 
 •  Men seem to be drawn to the Porsche, mostly due to its reputation of being a high performance car.  Plus its sleek appearance certainly attracts the attention that most young men crave. 
 •  2006 and 2007 saw seniors picking Toyota as their car maker of choice.  With its size (being a full size car that most seniors seem to prefer) and the keyless ignition (great for people suffering from arthritis) the Avalon seemed to top the charts for their car of choice.
 •  Although nowadays vehicles are designed to be more “crashworthy” (how well a vehicle protects its occupants in a crash) there are still about 30,000 people that die in crashes on the roads in the US each year. 
 •  Each year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (a not for profit research and communications organization funded by auto insurers) tests cars in three categories and publish their top safety picks. The car must earn good ratings (the ratings are good, acceptable, marginal, or poor) in all the categories which are high speed front crash test, side crash test and evaluations of the seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts.   The vehicles must also offer electronic stability control which (based on research from the Institute) considerably diminishes crash risk by assisting drivers in maintaining control of their car during emergency maneuvers.

 •  Click here for a list of the 2008 winners among large cars, large pickups, minivans, midsize cars, midsize SUVs, midsize convertibles, small cars, and small SUVs

Please note:  The “Phill” is an appliance that is kept in the home to refuel your hybrid.  Refueling a natural-gas-powered car is much cheaper than buying gasoline. 

Types
 •  Convertible:  A car with a retracting roof 
 •  Coupe: a closed car with two doors and front seats and a space for luggage in the rear 
  •  Crossover:  a crossover fuses features from several different vehicle categories into one 
  •  Hatchback: a car with a sloping rear door that is lifted to open 
  •  Hybrid: A car that runs on a combination of gasoline and electricity – known as the environmentally friendly car 
  •  Minivan: A passenger van that seats anywhere between seven and eleven passengers and generally removable rear seats for cargo. 
  •  Sedan: a closed car with two or four doors and has front and rear seats 
  •  Truck:  A vehicle suitable for transport, moving, delivery etc. 
  •  Van:  An enclosed vehicle with side and/or rear doors used to transport people and/or goods 
  •  Wagon: A vehicle similar to the sedan with an extended rear cargo area

Features vary a great deal on cars and often when purchasing a new car one is able to customize the amenities.  Some of these amenities include:
 •  Keyless entry systems allowing you to unlock your car doors with a push of a button
 •  The OnStar system – assistance when you are in need – with a push of a button you are dispatched to a person who can help or call help for you.  OnStar will reach out to you anytime the airbays in your car are deployed.  In addition, if your car is stolen, OnStar will track it down.  Although the system is built in to certain cars there is a monthly charge for the service.
 •  Anti-lock brakes – the car computer can pump the brakes faster than a human can to stop the car from skidding.
 •  Electronic stability/skid control system (ESC system) – This system uses the anti-lock brake sensors (that shows the individual wheel speed), accelerometers and steering wheel position sensors to make sure the car is doing what the driver wants it to.  If there is a disconnect the ESC applies the brakes to the wheels and reduces the power to make sure the car goes where the driver wants it to.
 •  Some cars have steering wheels that move in and out and pedals that are electronically adjustable allowing for more comfortable seating and providing safety to the shorter drivers that can sit comfortably while positioning themselves farther from the airbag.
 •  One of the favorites among family cars is the rear-seat DVD player providing entertainment for those long (or not so long) trips.  Some even have wireless headphones to enjoy the stereo.
 •  One of the more popular feature is the GPS system helping you navigate through your journey with turn by turn directions.  Most can guide you to a nearby police or gas station, ATM or hospital and help steer you in the right direction when you are lost.
 •  Side airbags, although not the standard yet, is an amenity worth adding.  While most cars have three feet of crush space at the front, side airbags would provide protection at the sides particularly for your head.
 •  Typical standards on luxury cars are power windows and locks, rear power lift gates and integrated safety features, in addition to entertainment options like DVDs and electronic games and a DVD player for the rear.  There are also driver comforts that include comfortable seating, easy to reach climate and audio control for both the front and the rear, storage amenities like door holders and floor consoles.  

Questions to ask the expert
 •  Where do I begin my search in my quest for the perfect car?
 •  With the numerous choices of cars, how do I decide which car will be best suited for me?
 •  Where do I find about the cash rebates and incentives? Are they only available through the manufacturers or can the dealers offer them, as well?
 •  Can the dealers cut the prices that are listed? Is there room for negotiation?
 •  Does it pay to finance the car through the dealer – or are there other options?
 •  Should I bring up a trade-in car during negotiations or should each individual car be handled separately?
 •  What should the contract of sale spell out?
 •  What are the best online sites?

General Tips
 •  Establish your needs and identify what you are looking for
 •  Set a budget
 •  Do your homework - come prepared to a car dealer with price quotes from reliable sites
 •  Do the research – see what cars are available in your price range (use the Kelley Blue Book, an automotive price guide) and how well they meet your needs
 •  If trading in a vehicle, ascertain the car’s fair-market trade in value
 •  Research the reliability and safety of the vehicle you would like to purchase
 •  Search for promotions, rebates and incentives from the manufacturers
 •  Determine what is available to you in terms of financing your purchase
 •  Have a specialist/mechanic inspect your vehicle selection
 •  Get financing quotes (for leverage) to save on your interest rate
 •  Fall is usually a sluggish time for auto sales.  Manufacturers offer larger than usual consumer rebates and secret factory to dealer incentives to unload the cars of that particular year. 

 •  Beware of scams – Unfortunately many will try to cheat you so buyer beware.  Some of the more common scams are: 
 
  - Telling you that your credit is not good and charging a high financing rate. 
 
  - The dealer does not have the car and options you want and lets you know they could order it from the factory at an additional cost.  The car does not cost them more and therefore do not allow them to overcharge you. 
 
  - Always pay by credit card – when car dealers order from the factory and the car comes in some may jack up the price claiming price increases – credit card payments allow you to dispute the charges. 
 
  - MSRP – Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price – this is generally the price on the sticker, but really bares no relevance to the price you should pay.  Find out what the invoice price is – what the dealer paid and work from there – cutting down the MSRP price is much more difficult. 
 
  - Low monthly payments on an expensive car with a balloon payment at the end of the financing term.  This will take forever to pay off and you’ll owe more on your car than its worth because the value of your car is depreciating faster than you are paying it off 
 
  - Similarly trading up to a more expensive car, your payments will far exceed the worth of the car and if you should decide to rid yourself of the aforementioned car, you may find yourself writing a substantial check to cover the remaining cost. 
 
  - Beware of the trade-in values – one way for car dealers to coax money out of you is to undervalue your trade in car.  On the flip side, if the dealer is quick to give you a large sum for your car, pay attention to other parts of your purchase, they tend to make up the money elsewhere. 

List of Products & Services
  • Buy only from US Autoparts, the trusted Leader in the auto parts industry

Books and Publications
  •  New Car Buying Guide 2008 (Consumer Reports New Car Buying Guide) (Paperback)
  •  Used Car Buying Guide 2008 (Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide) (Paperback)