First and foremost, don’t be frightened off when considering the prospect of buying a used car. Why? There’s some great value and excellent quality out there when you’re in the market for buying a used car. But, you have to know what you’re doing. And, whether you like it or not, there are some real stinkers out there that try to pass of used cars that are pieces of horrible junk. Furthermore, there are used car dealers, and front-line dealerships, that knowingly sell used cars, cars that they perfectly know have terrible problems! So, get to know a good mechanic and be willing to pay him or her to test drive and inspect that vehicle for you. But, get online or to the library and check out the consumer magazines for all of the great buying tips when you’re considering buying a used car. There are cars out there that are incredible used cars and your research will narrow down your choices to a short list of the good ones before you ever pay that mechanic to check it out!
Buying a New Car with Bad Credit 
Buying a new car with bad credit is easy. On the other hand, getting a low rate on a new car with bad credit is a bit tricky. Car buyers know the importance of getting a low rate on their auto loan. The interest will either make the car affordable or too expensive. Individuals who have good credit don’t have to worry about this. They’ll likely qualify for a good rate, wherein their payments will remain low. However, if you’re buying a new car and need to secure an affordable rate, consider the following tips.
1. Simply Put…Wait: Buying a new car is a good feeling, especially if you’ve never owned a new car. However, if a high interest rate stands in your way, think about postponing the purchase. Rather, spend the next few months improving a low score. Reduce debts, pay your bills on time, etc. Once your score increases, you can purchase the new car and enjoy a low rate.
2. Have a Co-Borrower: If buying a new car and you want to get a low rate, a co-borrower can be the solution. The co-borrower must have good credit, and be willing to accept responsibility for the loan in the event of default.
Automobile Mag hands out Funky Ergonomics Awards
Filed under: Car Buying, Contests, Etc., Humor
The scholars over at Automobile magazine have handed out their “Funky Ergonomics Awards” this year. As expected, BMW’s iDrive and 7 Series interior (shown above) remains their favorite pincushion. Rightly so. Their list includes convenience keys that are downright inconvenient, window switches that are out of reach, touchscreens that are dangerously slow to respond, all center-of-the-dashboard mounted instrument clusters, complicated navigation systems, reverse-action manu-matic transmissions, and dimly lit interiors.
While we generally agree with their list, our own ergonomic pet peeves include spinning seat adjusters mounted inaccessibly outboard (yeah, by the doors), cruise control stalks hidden out-of-sight by the wheel itself, and manual modes for old-fashioned “slushbox” automatic trannies. Oh yeah, the list goes on and on…
[Source: Automobile]
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Only 5-10% of customers choose Chrysler’s $2.99 gas guarantee
Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Earnings/Financials
It looks like car shoppers have been smart enough to see past Chrysler’s cheap gas guarantee. Despite Chrysler’s extension of the offer for an extra month, a very small percentage of actual consumers have actually chosen the gas guarantee over the old fashioned cash back options. As we’ve reported in the past, the incentive wasn’t really as good as it seemed once the math was done. As was pointed out by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a 3 mpg bump in efficiency would be equal to the savings Chrysler was offering. Additionally, Chrysler not only has the worst fleet in terms of fuel efficiency, but many of its products haven’t exactly set the world on fire based solely on their own merit. The performance of the incentive deal suggests that in today’s world average consumers may not want to be seen driving gas guzzling vehicles, regardless of what they’re paying for fuel. Good products are still the only real way to guarantee sales, though cash back incentives still have an impact. Perhaps Chrysler should have offered firearms.
[Source: Auto Observer]
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Customer Service Is Most Important After You Buy Your Car
Hey folks. I ve got a little secret for you. Anybody can give you great customer service before you buy your new car because let s face it, if you get bad customer service before you buy, chances are you are not going to stick around and buy the car, unless your head is not firmly attached to your shoulders.
Check out the Crazy Larry video. He not only gives bad customer service after buying the car, but before buying the car, as well. If you encountered Larry or someone like him, you would likely not purchase anything from a person of that caliber, let alone something as important as a car. Personally, I d count my fingers after shaking hands with that clown.
I m sure that most of us have heard real life horror stories involving bad customer service and a used car salesman. Let s face it this is nothing new. About the only people with a lower approval rating than a used car salesman would be a lawyer or a politician, but I ll leave that for another day.
I ll give you one of the best used or new car buying tips you have ever gotten. Trust the Force, Luke. That s right, but in this case, trust your gut and your feelings about the person you are buying the car from. What is their body language? Do they look at you or past you? Do they look you in the eyes without doing the eyes boring into the back of the skull routine?
If you get a sense that this new or used car salesman would sell his own mother a Vauxhall with rusted floorboards, trust that feeling and get outta Dodge and get over to Courtesy Chevrolet if you are lucky enough to live in the Phoenix area. They know the difference between good and bad customer service and they insist their staff provide only the finest in customer service.
Why would they provide the finest customer service? Courtesy Chevrolet has been in business since 1955 and they want your repeat business. The real life horror stories are generally about the fly by night operators that are here today and not to be found anywhere on Earth, tomorrow. That is not the case with Courtesy. They moved to their current location at 1233 East Camelback Road in 1957 and they are still there today, with a few additional locations to serve you.
So there you have it. Courtesy Chevrolet can t promise you that you will never have a bad customer service experience again. They can t control how other people act, but if you do business with them, you have their promise that they will do the best by you. In this day and age, you can t ask for better.