BayAreaCarGuy.com

Best Cars For Under $10,000!

Cars.com recently published an article entitled, “The Best Cars for $10,000.” I was surprised to see that Ford models made up exactly half of their list.

Cars.com has put together some extremely useful consumer oriented articles. In this one, they list their choice of mostly pre-owned vehicles that you should be able to buy for less than $10,000. They also provide the reasons why each vehicle made the list. 

Here is a brief summary in the order the article listed them:

1. 2009 Nissan Versa — Safe, good gas mileage, roomy for a sub-compact, and best of all – price.
2. 2005 Ford Escape — Reliable, good gas mileage, safe (look for one with side-curtain air bags), lots of models to choose from.
3. 2005 Ford Five Hundred — Very roomy, good gas mileage, well-equiped with features. 
4. 2005 Ford Freestar — 3rd row seat, mostly reliable, and try to find one with side curtain air bags.
5. 2005 Ford Taurus — Reliability and a great crash test rating. Offers two v6 engines.
6. 2005 Hyundai Tucson — Lots of safety features for the money, reasonable gas mileage, and reliable. 
7. 2005 Hyundai XG350 — Luxury car with a soft ride, reliable, safe – though disappointing gas mileage.
8. 2004 Ford F-150 — Reliable, safe, leads its class. 
9. 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe — Reliable, safe, but disappointing gas mileage for both the 4 and 6 cylinder models.
10. 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander — Lots of power, reliable, safe. Be sure to pass on the lesser LS model.

We can thank Kelsey Mays and Joe Wiesenfelder for the article. It is particularly useful in this period of economic uncertainty when many Americans are postponing major purchases – or, for example, choosing to buy a pre-owned vehicle instead of a more costly new one.

Mays and Wiesenfelder caution the reader that “The used-car market is wildly unpredictable.” They mention this in connection to price confirming that you may get a better or worse deal that what they describe. 

Read the entire Cars.com article here. 

If you are looking for a pre-owned vehicle don’t forget to download my report, “The 8 Most Common Mistakes Used Car Buyers Make and How To Avoid Them!” It’s a free download on the right side of this page. 

Why I Love Honda Certified Used Cars! Part II

Yesterday I gushed about the many reasons I love selling certified Honda vehicles – at least I did while I was an Internet Sales Manager at a local Honda dealership. Now that I am the Internet Sales Manager at Michael Stead’s Hilltop Ford I still sell pre-owned Hondas, and we have program where we offer more protection for our customers than the Honda program. Today – part II of this article:

What is the POWERTRAIN? The powertrain is the engine and transmission – considered to the two of the most expensive parts of the vehicle to fix if serious problems arise.

What is the NON-POWERTRAIN? Everything on your vehicle other than the engine and transmission. The non-powertrain warranty is often called the “bumper-to-bumper” warranty.

Why is the NON-POWERTRAIN WARRANTY so important? Each year more vehicles depend on computerized components. This can include maintenance monitoring programs, navigation systems, and electronic stability assist programs. These provide great convenience, safety, and access to technology. When problems arise, it can be expensive to diagnose the problem, or to even swap out computerized components. That’s why having the non-powertrain warranty extended to 7-years/100,000 miles is so important: to make sure that, for example, computer or electrical problems will most likely be covered.

PRICING: Have you noticed that virtually all manufacturer’s certified vehicles cost more than non-certified ones? This is because the dealer pays the manufacturer a fee when a vehicle is certified. The vehicle also must meet certain requirements, and go through an extensive inspection process with any deficiencies repaired. This added cost is going to be passed along to you, which is why certified vehicles are generally more expensive. It makes sense: A certified vehicle has added costs, but also has added value. These are passed along to the consumer with a higher selling price.

PURCHASING OPTIONS: At Hilltop Ford we offer two purchase options with most pre-owned Hondas. You can buy a Honda with only the remaining manufacturer’s warranty, if any. Or, buy your Honda with our PremiumCare Extended Service package. Let’s see how these two options compare when applied to a specific Honda Accord that we currently have in stock. (Details and pictures of the vehicle at http://hilltop-ford-lincoln-mercury.ebizautos.com/detail-2008-honda-accord_ex_sedan_4d-3786487.html.)

TOMMORROW – I get into exact costs using the example above.

To see the entire article click here. 

The 8 Biggest Mistakes – #1

Buying a used car can be one of the most stressful things that you’ll do this year.  Yet, here are specific steps to:

• make the buying process easier
• ensure you get more than a good deal
• find a vehicle that will last you for years to come

I have compiled a list of the most common mistakes my customers have made when buying used cars. Making any one of these mistakes can cost you hundreds – even thousands of dollars more than necessary. Finally, you can get ahead of the learning curve and buy your next car with confidence.

As the Internet Pre-owned Sales Manager for Honda of El Cerrito in the San Francisco/Bay area, I have watched my customers make the same mistakes over and over. However, it only takes a little knowledge to turn a bad car buying experience into one in which;

• you feel more in control
• even your family and friends are impressed with the deal you made

I hope that by sharing my experience I can help turn your next car buying experience into a postive and profitable one for you.

MISTAKE #1 – Not test driving early in the buying process.

As the Internet Pre-owned Sales Manager, I have worked with customers for weeks – even months – corresponding by email and talking on the telephone about price, color, specifications, and availability.

Steve W. spent months researching on the Internet before test driving the car he was hoping to buy. By the time I met him, Steve knew more about the engine, options, and specs of the car than I did. It was a big day when he finally came into the dealership to buy the car. However, when he sat in the driver’s seat for the first time, a sad look came over his face.

I don’t fit in this seat. The visability sucks. I can’t believe that I don’t even like this car. How did I make this kind of mistake?

A particular car may be:

• highly recommended by family and friends
• looks great on paper and has a good reputation
• gets great gas mileage and is priced right
• has all the options that you are looking for

However, none of this matters if you simply don’t like the car once you see it in person. Hands-on experience is crucial – please test drive early in the car buying process. As soon as your short list is reduced to just a few choices, test drive each one of them.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Which vehicle can I see myself driving for the next few years?
• More specifically: Will I still like this vehicle as I continue to make payments on it over the next few years?
• Which one is more comfortable?
• Does it have good visibility?
• Does it have all the options I want?
• Is the color okay?
• How is the gas mileage?
• Is it practical and affordable?

How does it drive on different terrains? Test drive it on:

• City streets
• Curvy roads, rough roads, roads under construction
• Major highways. How is the on-ramp speed?
• Try parallel parking

Open the trunk, the glove box, check the spare tire and tools, sit in the back seat, look under the hood, and kick the tires. After you do all that – well, see mistake #8 where it is crucial to follow your gut instinct.

Test drive early. It’s going to be your car for awhile, so don’t be afraid to go back and test drive a second time.

See the next article in this series:

Mistake #2 – Not checking the CARFAX report.