Manly Auto: Manly Mitsubishi

Showing posts with label Manly Mitsubishi. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Protect Your Car from Thieves

With the holidays often comes a lot of travel and sometimes car theft is an unfortunate part of that travel. When you are out holiday shopping, your vehicle could also become a potential target for car thieves. The busy holiday season is one of the most perfect ones for car thieves because car owners are distracted and stressed.

So what can you do to deter thieves?

There are many common sense precautions that you can take. For example, don't leave your keys in the ignition. Always lock your windows and doors, even if you are only going to be gone for a few minutes. It only takes a car thief a few seconds to leave with your vehicle. Always park in well-lit areas, and if you can, in areas where you will be able to see your vehicle. You should also make sure that if you leave anything of value in the vehicle, that it is locked up in the trunk or storage compartments, so thieves can't just spot them.

Warning devices are good ways to deter thieves. These are things like tire locks, alarms, theft-deterrent decals, VIN etching, steering column collars and so on. Another way is with immobilizing devices. These are devices that bypass the ignition and keep the car from turning on, even when hot wired. These are are kill switches, disablers, and the like.

You can also get tracking devices for your cars. These employ GPS and wireless and police can track your car wherever it goes. LoJack and OnStar are two such systems that can help you track your stolen vehicle.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Live in the city, but want a great vehicle that will give you the feeling of looking down from on high without worrying about fancy off-road features? Then you need to take a look at the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.

Really, this vehicle is for anyone who wants a great compact crossover at a great price but who don't plan to do any off-roading. The 2011 Outlander Sport will be making its U.S. debut in New York and amazingly, the starting price is less than $20,000. While it's not along the same lines as the Honda CR-V or the Ford Escape, it is a good lancer alternative if you want something that looks a bit more tough.

If you like to sit high above the traffic, you'll love that the Outlander Sport is about five inches higher than the Lancer at the visual reference point. You'll also love the differences. The Outlander Sport offers a panoramic sunroof, 710 watt nine speaker sound system, navigation system with traffic updates and 40 GB hard drive, super wide rang HID headlamps (which emit 35% more light than regular HIDs) and FAST key passive entry system.

You can get all wheel drive as an option. For front drive models, expected highway mileage is 31 mpg. Batteries are charged in this amazing crossover by the friction energy created during breaking. This vehicle will be near the top of its class in fuel efficiency, perfect for those who have to watch their wallet at the pump. It comes with a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine that gets 148 horsepower. This should be a great vehicle for many people and a lot of fun to drive.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Online Test Drive

Everyone knows that a test drive is one of the best ways of deciding if a vehicle is a good fit for you or not. A test drive lets you get a feel for how a car handles, whether the blind spots are something that will be dangerous for you, and much more.

Mitsubishi Motors has taken the test drive one step further. For the first time in the world, Mitsubishi is offering an online test drive of the Outlander Sport. One of the Outlander Sports has been rigged to allow you to actually drive the Outlander, right from the comfort of home, and live the experience.

This is a limited time offer - you can only take advantage of the virtual test drive November 1 though November 10. It's an offer that you won't want to miss!

Simply go to www.manlymitsubishi.com and click on the icon on the front page that says "Mitsubishi Live Drive". You'll be taken to a page where you can do the live drive, find out more about the Outlander, and even build your own!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

2011 Mitsubishi Lancer News

Mitsubishi is enjoying increasing sales on the Lancer. In September, overall year-over-year sales for the company grew by 5.3%, and for the Lancer in particular by 71%. The Lancer Evolution is the sports car cousin of the Lancer, and it saw an increase in sales of 45%.

The Lancer is a popular vehicle with those customers who have families and need a good, solid car that will easily support the needs of a family, without forcing them to move into a gas station. The Lancer gives all that, plus the safety that customers have come to expect from Mitsubishi.

The 2011 Lancer has 3 engine choices. Both the base DE and the ES models have a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine, the same that you can find in the Lancer Evolution and both get 152 horsepower. The GTS version of the 2011 Lancer offers a 2.4-liter, 4 cylinder engine that gives up to 168 horsepower. DE and ES models offer great gas mileage at 33 highway and 24 city, with a manual transmission. ES models with an automatic transmission give city mileage of up to 25 mpg.

For those who want more fun on the highway, there is the Lancer Ralliart. This turbocharged vehicle has a 2-0-liter, 4-cylinder engine with 237 horsepower and 253 pounds of torque as well as a range of engine speeds. The automatic transmission allows manual shifting without having to use a clutch, all-wheel drive, and gets a reasonable fuel economy for all that power at 25 mpg highway and 17 mpg in the city.

The Lancer is very affordable. Prices range from $14,995 - $27,895.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

2011 Mitsubishi Galant

The Mitsubishi Galant started out as a compact car, but the latest 2011 model is a midsize car that is much more spacious. The Galant is designed to be competition for the Toyota Camry and the Ford Fusion. This fifth-generation model was designed just for the North American market.

The 2011 Galant comes in 2 trim levels - the ES and the SE. The ES is the base model, and has all the basic features you expect - air conditioning, CD player, and power everything. The SE (or Sport Edition) comes standard with a power driver's seat, heated front seats, stylized trim, alloy wheels, rearview camera, Bluetooth, upgraded sound system, and a navigation. Options available are things like leather upholstery, remote ignition, and a rearview camera on the ES version.

The Galant comes with a 4-cylinder, 2.4 liter engine and has a four speed automatic transmission. The car gets 160 horsepower and has great fuel economy - 30 mpg on the highway. This may not be enough power for many people, but for those who just need a good, reliable car and are more worried about safety and reliability, 160 horsepower is more than enough.

You have lots of safety features on the Galant. You have dual-stage front air bags, side front and rear curtain airbags, front seat-mounted side-impact air bags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution, traction control, and stability control. If you have trouble remembering when to add air to your tires, the tire pressure monitoring system will be perfect for you.

The pricing is a lot better than what you will find on other midsize sedans. The ES model starts at $21,599 and the SE model starts at $23,999.

Friday, September 24, 2010

2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse

The 2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse is an incredible car that is as powerful as it is affordable. In fact, it's amazing that the Eclipse doesn't cost more.

There are three trims to choose from on the Mitsubishi Eclipse: the GS, GS Sport, and GT. Standard on all three are great features like ice-blue LED illumination of the console and instruments. There is a soft-touch wave-form cockpit and roof is painted black. Look bad to the bone with the integrated clear and chrome rear spoiler, exotic styling including a black grille, and dual exhaust outlets with polished tips. Ride in safety with 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS and EBD as well as Active Stability Control with Tracion Control (ASC).

The GS, which starts at $18,999 has all the standard features and includes a 2.4-liter, 162-horsepower 4-cylinder MIVEC engine. Choose from a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed Sportronic automatic transmission. The GS comes complete with dual exhaust outlets, 18-inch alloy wheels and a high-mount center LCD audio display that includes a clock.

The Eclipse GS Sport, starting at $24,928, has all the standard features as well as a 4-speed Sportronic automatic transmission and 162-horsepower MIVEC engine. It also has 18-inch alloy wheels. This trim includes High-Intensity Discharge (HID) projector headlamps and heated front leather seats with a 6-way power driver's seat.

The Eclipse GT has all the featurs of the GS Sport, but the engine is a 3.8-liter, 265-horsepower V6 MIVEC engine and the transmission is a 5-speed Sportronic automatic. The price starts at $29,408 for the GT.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Minimum State Requirements for Auto Insurance

Every state has minimum requirements that you have to have when you buy auto insurance. These requirements vary from state to state, but they are the law in every state. When you move to another state, it is your responsibility to make sure that you meet that state's minimum requirements.

It's not always the best option to have the bare minimum when you buy insurance. In fact, your agent may tell you that.

For example, in Wyoming the minimum requirements for auto insurance are 25/50/20. The first two numbers are injury liability limits and the last number is the property damage liability limit. In an accident, every person injured would receive a maximum of up to 25,000 dollars with only 50,000 dollars available. So if there are 2 people who need it, then no problem. But if there are 3, then whoever files first will have access to the 50,000 dollars. You can be sued for the rest if the accident was determined to be your fault. The last number means that there is $20,000 available to cover any property damage.

It's easy to see that in some cases these limits will not cover everything you might be responsible for paying for, or that you need paid for. Below is a listing of each state, and the minimum amount of insurance it requires. This can be useful for those who want to get as much coverage as possible as well as for those who can only afford the minimum.

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements By State

Alaska 50/100/25

Alabama 25/50/25

Arkansas 25/50/25

Arizona 15/30/10

California 15/30/5

Colorado 25/50/15

Connecticut 20/40/10

Delaware 15/30/10

Florida 10/20/10

Georgia 25/50/25

Hawaii 20/40/10

Idaho 25/50/15

Illinois 20/40/15

Indiana 25/50/10

Iowa 20/40/15

Kansas 25/50/10

Kentucky 25/50/10

Louisiana 15/30/25

Maine 50/100/25

Maryland 20/40/15

Massachusetts 20/40/5

Michigan 20/40/10

Minnesota 30/60/10

Mississippi 25/50/25

Missouri 25/50/10

Montana 25/50/10

Nebraska 25/50/25

New Hampshire 25/50/25

New Jersey 15/30/5

New Mexico 25/50/10

Nevada 15/30/10

New York 25/50/10

North Carolina 30/60/25

North Dakota 25/50/25

Ohio 12.5/25/7.5

Oklahoma 25/50/25

Oregon 25/50/10

Pennsylvania 15/30/5

Rhode Island 25/50/25

South Carolina 25/50/25

South Dakota 25/50/25

Tennessee 25/50/15

Texas 25/50/25

Utah 25/65/15

Virginia 25/50/20

Vermont 25/50/10

Washington 25/50/10

Washington D.C. 25/50/10

Wisconsin 50/100/55

West Virginia 20/40/10

Wyoming 25/50/20

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Car Insurance Fraud

Car insurance fraud is a serious problem. If you find yourself a victim, you will end up paying higher premiums and could end up with a costly claim. Even worse, since scammers stage car accidents, you and your loved ones could end up paying with your lives. It is important to learn how to protect yourself from those who want to commit fraud.

Insurance fraud started when insurance was invented. There are even recorded incidents of fraud dating back to ancient Greece, where ship scuttling was a popular insurance scam. Insurance fraud traveled to England and then to America. With the introduction of cars, a whole new field for fraudulent claims was invented. Thanks to modern technology, many of the car accident claims that are made come from sophisticated organized crime rings, making them very difficult to detect. Don't think that this means you can't protect yourself. Whether the scam is coming from a crime ring or from an individual, there are steps you can take that will help you avoid becoming a scammer's victim.

To learn to protect yourself, you need to understand the kinds of insurance scams that are used. Set-up car accidents range from cars that stop on purpose in front of a driver in order to cause a rear-end accident to drivers who pretend that they are being helpful but are planning on causing an accident that will make the innocent party look guilty. Doctors and lawyers are sometimes involved in the scams.

Three of the most common scams are the fake helpers, staged rear-end car accidents, and adding damage. Let's look at these so that you will be aware of them.

Fake Helpers

These are drivers who pretend to be helpful but then cause an accident. They do such things as wave a driver into traffic, pretending to do something such as allowing them to turn or pass, but then they crash into the driver. When the time comes to file the claim, the scammer denies having waved the driver on. Sometimes fake helpers offer to help a driver find a lawyer, doctor, or auto repair shop. If this is the case, everyone is involved in the scam. You'll be charged outrageous rates at the body shop while the lawyer and doctor will lie to be able to collect more from your insurance company.

Staged Rear-End Car Accidents

This is where a scam driver gets in from of an innocent car and slams the brakes. This will cause the innocent driver to rear-end the scammer. While the scammer collects money for damages to their vehicle, they often also fake injuries so that they can collect even more money.

Adding Damage

In this kind of scam, the scam driver will add damages to their car. After an accident – and it doesn't matter whether the accident was staged or not – the scammer then goes to a different location where they add damage to their vehicle. They claim that it was done in the original accident and get a larger payout.

You need to be prepared because these scams can happen anywhere at any time. It is very important to be aware. Look out for drivers who seem to be following you or trying to examine your driving habits. Keep plenty of room in front of you so that you will be able to stop. If an accident occurs, take notes. Have notes about everything about the other car, the accident, and everyone that was in the cars. Have a disposable camera in your car – the glovebox is good spot – so that you can take photos of the damage that was done to both cars. This will help back up your claims if a scammer tries to take advantage of you. Trust your own judgment when you drive, not that of others. In other words, when someone waves you in, make your own judgments as to whether it really is safe to do so. You should also make sure that you tell your insurance company if you had any reason to think something was suspicious.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Tips on Auto Insurance Quotes

If you want to make the most of the money that you have, you should take a look at the car insurance that you are paying. Many times, as your life changes, you will find that you could have been saving money if you had looked around more often at other auto insurance quotes. You spend a lot of your hard-earned money on your car insurance, so it pays to look around and see if you can save some money. Here are some tips on getting quotes and when you should look.

1. Just Do It

Every year, car insurance rates go up down, sometimes by hundreds of dollars! This is why you need to compare rates from different companies often, because you don't want to be paying more than you need to. Yet that raises the question: How often is enough?

After certain life events, it's a good idea to compare some quotes. If your unhappy with your current company or your premium goes up, it's time to compare. Whenever you move, buy a new car, add a new driver, have in increase in assets or salary, or your marital status changes, you should check other companies' prices. If it's been 2 years since you last looked, check the rates.

Don't put off checking on new rates. Check as soon as something changes.

2. Prepare to Get the Quote

It's very easy to get a quote on car insurance. If you have everything that you need, you can get a quote in as little as seven minutes from a company's website. Sometimes it takes even less time.

In order to get a quote you need to have the Current Insurance Declarations Page, year, make, model, and VIN number of your cars, how many miles you drive annually and the distance to your workplace, how much any aftermarket or custom equipment is worth, and the type of any theft recovery or alarm devices. You will also have to provide information about every member of your household who is old enough to drive, including their name, occupation, gender, how many years they have held a license, and their Driver's License number. You will need to include information about violations or accidents from the past three years. Include the dates, who's fault it was, whether or not someone was hurt, and how much the claim was.

3. Get What You Need

Before you start looking at quotes for new auto insurance, you should first look at the insurance you currently have. Make sure that your current policy offers you the protection level you want, or at least what you need. To lower your rate, you can increase your deductible. You might want to increase the liability limits on your policy so that it will cover a new income level or a new home. If you own an older car, it is important to find out what the car is worth. Sometimes you can save money by dropping the collision coverage on older vehicles when the insurance costs more than the vehicle is worth.

4. Check for Discounts

Different car insurance companies offer different discounts. If you have more than one car on the policy or you have safety features like anti-lock brakes, most companies will give you a discount. You might also see discounts for completing defensive driving courses or having a young driver who has taken driver's education courses. For the best quotes, you should always ask for discounts because most of the time they won't just offer them to you.

5. Compare

Make sure you compare the quotes that you receive. While the previous tips can help you get the best quotes for your needs, you need to shop around. Get quotes from at least three companies and compare everything – the price, the services offered, features, customer service, how easily you can talk to someone, and so on. You might find that it is worth it to pay a little more for better service. This way you can be sure to get the best rate.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Save Money on Car Insurance

One of the most expensive things any car owner has to buy is car insurance. Insurance gives you peace of mind and protects you financially in the event of a car accident or your car being stolen. You don't have to settle for high-priced car insurance.

Shop

Make sure that you shop around. You should get quotes from at least three companies. This will let you see the price differences for the kind of coverage that you need. You can find out this information by calling the company or you can find it online. Keep in mind that some companies use agents, some don't, and sometimes independent agents offer policies from several companies. Look for a variety and don't forget to ask your friends and family about car insurance companies that they use. Sometimes, it's worth paying twenty dollars more if the customer service is a lot better than the company that is cheaper.

Look at Insurance Before You Get a Car

When you go car shopping, it's time to take a look at insurance. Car insurance premiums are based partly on a car's sticker price, overall safety record, likelihood of being stolen, and how much it would cost to repair it. If you have features that help to reduce injuries, such as airbags, or that deter theft, such as an alarm, you can often get a discount. It doesn't matter whether the car is used or new – the insurance will still be affected.

Get Higher Deductibles

Higher deductibles will lower your costs. A deductible is what you have to pay before the insurance company will pay. Just for example, if you increase your deductible to $500 from $200, you could save 15-30% on your collision and comprehensive cost. You'll save 40 percent or more if you take the $1,000 deductible. However, before you decide to take a higher deductible, you need to make sure that you will be able to pay if the need arises.

Get Homeowners and Car Insurance from the Same Company

If you buy more than one kind of insurance from the same company, they will usually give you some kind of a break in the price. Some companies will give you a price reduction if more than one vehicle is insured. Long-time customers may get reduced rates. But you should always shop around, because sometimes you will find that you'll save more even over multi-policy discounts.

Older Cars Don't Need As Much Coverage

If a car is worth less than 10 times the premium you pay on it, then you should consider dropping the collision and/or comprehensive coverage you have for it. You may be spending more than you really need to. You don't want to spend more in insurance than the car is worth.

Good Records

It's important to keep a good credit record and driving record. You can get discounts for having a good driving record, such as good driver or safe driver discounts. Good credit can help cut your insurance costs because it is becoming more common for companies to use your credit rating to determine your insurance price.

Low Mileage Discounts

Check and see if your company has a low mileage discount. If you drive less than average every year, you might be able to get a reduced rate. This can also apply if you car pool.

Group Insurance

Sometimes, you can get car insurance through your employer, alumni groups, or other groups you might be a part of. Some companies will give you a price reduction based on what you belong to.

Other Discounts

If you haven't had any moving violations or accidents for a certain number of years, some companies will give you discounts. Defensive driving courses also count. If you have a young driver who has taken driver's education and gets good grades, you can sometimes get a discount. The same is true if your child is a college student who doesn't have a car and attends college out of the area.

Let Manly Automotive Group help you in your new and previously owned vehicle choices today stop by our website today and drive away knowing that you made the right choice with us! http://www.manlyauto.com/ We also can be found on Twitter https://twitter.com/ManlyAuto and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Santa-Rosa-CA/Manly-Auto-Group/103413126362572?v=wall&__a=3 & stop on over and visit us!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Leasing VS Buying Part 4

Now for the last part of our little series about leasing or buying - GAP coverage.

Gap coverage is a very important part to consider when you lease or buy a vehicle. Also called gap insurance, gap coverage pays the difference between the amount you actually owe on your lease or loan, and what your vehicle will be worth if it is destroyed in an accident or is stolen. The majority of car leases have gap coverage built in, but car loans rarely do.

Without gap coverage, you can end up owing more on your lease or loan than you car is worth. With long-term loans and leases as well as refinanced loans, rolled-over loans, and small or no down payments, being "upside-down" is not uncommon. If you don't have gap coverage you could find yourself owing hundreds or even thousands to your finance company. This is true even if your insurance company has already paid for a car that has been stolen or totaled in an accident. For most who end up caught in this unpleasant situation, this comes as a nasty surprise.

You're better protected if you get a lease, but if you opt for a loan instead, you can buy gap insurance separately. The trick will be finding it.

So is it better to buy or to lease?

Short term you will pay less per month if you lease than if you were to buy. In fact, the monthly payments can be anywhere from 30-60 percent less than if you had a loan, even if you had a 0% or low interest loan. This is great if you have other expenses that need your attention every month.

Mid-term, leasing costs about the same as buying does when you take into account the fees and finance costs. But this is only true if the buyer resells her car for the resale value right at the end of the loan. If you invest the savings you get every month from leasing however, you will actually pay less than if you were buying.

Long-term, leasing always costs more than buying does if the buyer keeps his vehicle when the loan ends. Driving a vehicle after the loan is paid off means the cost is spread over a longer term. It's easy to see, when you take into account finance charges and other fees, that buying a car and driving it for ten years will be cheaper than leasing or buying four or even five cars during the same ten years. If you are concerned about long-term finances, then it's best to buy and keep your car maintained so it will last years.

Take a look at your lifestyle, budget, and needs before you decide to lease or buy a vehicle. You don't want to waste money, but you also need to be able to afford the car you do have. Hopefully, these articles have helped you understand better the differences between buying and leasing a car.

Let Manly Automotive Group help you in your new and previously owned vehicle choices today stop by our website today and drive away knowing that you made the right choice with us! Manly Auto http://www.manlyauto.com can also can be found on Twitter https://twitter.com/ManlyAuto and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Santa-Rosa-CA/Manly-Auto-Group/103413126362572?v=wall&__a=3& stop on over and visit us!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Leasing VS Buying Part 3

Some people compare buying or leasing a car to a savings account. It's easy to see why.

When you buy a car, you can think of it like this: you are putting money in a savings account that declines in value. You will never get out of it as much as you put into it. Part of every payment you make will disappear into depreciation and finance charges. When the loan is paid off, what you have to show is what is left over after interest and depreciation are through with it. Therefore, it can be said that a car is a terrible investment. But then, most people don't buy cars as an investment.

Leasing is similar to buying but there is not savings account (no equity.) You will pay for what you use and won't have to put anything into a savings. At the end of the lease you will own nothing - you won't have a car to show. But you also won't own the depreciated part of the car that a buyer would have to deal with. The amount that a car depreciates is gone no matter whether you lease or buy.

When you lease a vehicle, you can use the money you save every month and put it into a savings account or mutual funds that will increase in value. Experts encourage this, but the majority of people will use that extra money for things like bills and groceries.

You will build ownership equity when you buy but you will not when you lease. Buyers receive equity because they pay higher monthly payments, essentially purchasing the loan. Part of those payments goes towards the equity. On the other hand, leasing will give you lower payments every month but no equity.

You should be away that it can be more complicated to lease than to buy. You need to make sure that you read all the fine print so that you will know exactly what is going on with your lease.

Another thing that you should keep in mind is that while you can buy your car at the end of the lease, you will actually be paying more than if you simply bought the car outright. This is because fees that are added in often make it more expensive. For some though, this may be the very best option that they have, and the only way that they will be able to get a newer vehicle.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Leasing VS Buying Part 2

For some people, leasing saves a good deal of money.

Let's take a car that costs $20,000. The estimated resale value of the car is $13,000 after a period of 24 months.

If you buy the car, you will have to pay the entire $20,000, finance charges, and fee. If you decide to sell the car later, then you won't be able to sell it, or trade it, for more than $13,000. That's $7,000 that you are not going to see.

Now let's lease the car. You will pay any possible fees and finance charges. However, you will only pay for the difference between the cost of the car and the resale value, or the depreciation cost. That means that you will pay just $7,000 to lease the car. This gives you lower monthly payments, which can be extremely beneficial for those who need lower payments.

If you want to keep the car, then at the end of your lease you will be able to buy it for the resale value of just $13,000. For some, this works out a lot better than buying the car right off.

So how are the payments different?

There are two parts to a lease payment: a finance charge and a depreciation charge. The finance charge is the money that the lease company finances for you to drive the car. Essentially, you are borrowing the money that your leasing company used to buy the car from the car dealer. The depreciation charge is what you pay to the leasing company and compensates them for the value that the car loses while you are driving it.

Loan payments also have two parts: the finance charge and the principal charge. The finance charge is the interest that you pay on the loan while the principal charge pays off the full price of the vehicle you are buying.

Some people consider part of the principal charge as a depreciation charge like you would get if you leased the car. This is because all vehicles lose value whether they are bought or leased, and they lose value at the same rate. This money is essentially lost because you will never get it back, even if you should sell your car later because the car has lost value.

What's left of the principal payment will go toward equity. Once depreciation has taken hold, equity is what remains of the car's original value when the loan ends. This is your resale value. The longer you drive and own your car, the lower the equity you will have. Once you have driven the car so long that the engine has worn out and the tires are falling off, you will only have scrap value. You will never get back the full amount that you paid for your car.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Leasing VS Buying Part 1

When you are hunting for a new car, one of the biggest questions you may have is whether you should buy or lease the car. There is no one answer to this question that will suit everyone. Everyone's situation is different, and the decesion of whether to buy or lease a vehicle depends on your individual situation and preferences.

Buying and leasing a car as two ways of financing an automobile. You can lease a brand new car or a used one, depending on what you are wanting. A lease finances the use of a car while a loan finances the purchasing of a car. Both methods are good ones, and there are benefits and disadvantages to both of them.

While you need to consider the financial differences, you should also consider what is important to you. Do you want a new vehicle every two or three years? Would you rather have higher monthly payments but have some ownership in your car? Do you actually want to own your car or do you want to trade up? These are important considerations.

Buying and leasing are very different things. When you buy a car you will pay for the car's entire cost, no matter how many miles you may drive. You usually make a down payment and also pay sales tax which you can sometimes roll into your loan. You also pay an interest rate which is determined by your loan company and is based on your credit. Your first payment is made right after your sign your contract. Later on, you can sell or trade your car for the depreciated resale value.

When you lease a car, you only pay a portion of the cost. You are paying for the time you use the car. This is not the same as renting. You don't have to make a down payment when you lease but you will pay sales tax on the monthly payments, at least in most states. You also have to consider the money factor, which is a financial rate similar to the interest rate that a loan has. You might have to pay fees and a security deposit that you wouldn't have to pay if you were buying. Your first payment is made when you sign the contract for the month ahead. When the lease is finished, you can buy the car for the depreciated resale value or return it for another car.

Tomorrow we'll take a look at how lease and loan payments are different and we'll finish out the rest of the week talking about GAP coverage, benefits of leasing and buying, and other useful information.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Tire Rotation

Did you know that you should have your tires rotated regularly? When you rotate your tires they will definitely last much longer and in the end will save you more expenses that can occur because of the wear and tear that is happening to them.Your front tires should be rotated so that they will at last at least every 10,000 to 20,000 miles and that your rear tires should be rotated so that they will last at least every 50,000 to 80,000 miles.

The reason tires need to be rotated is so the tires will even out their wear and when done in the right way they will all be worn out at the same time. When you rotate your tires it is a good chance for you to also have your brakes inspected. Brakes are just as important if not more so to be checked on a regular basis.

Your car tires should be rotated at a minimum of every 6,000 to 7,500 miles. When you get your tires rotated it insures that your tires will be properly inflated and that a physical inspection will be happening as well. It just makes practical sense as well to do them both at the same time.

Different tire manufacturers suggest in different ways what is the correct way to have your tires rotated. Tires should be rotated in a straight forward and a straight back or another option can be if you criss cross the fronts and or the backs before you do rotate them. It really matters as to how the wear and tear is occurring on the pattern of your particular tire.

A big reason that for shocks and struts to wear out faster is because tires can tend to do what is called scalloping and it causes a whining noise or a humming noise when your tires reach the higher speeds. By rotating the tires it changes the direction of the rotation and then it evens out the wear and you won’t experience those noises.

If you have an alignment problem you need to get that fixed right away because this is causing your tires to wear down faster then it should. When your tire begins a wear pattern it is going to continue with that pattern until it wears itself out or you throw it away. It is never a good idea to just put one new tire at a time on your car and also make sure that you are also checking on that spare tire in your trunk area at least once a year to make sure it is showing no wear and is properly inflated, there is nothing worse then having a flat tire because you failed to have your tires rotated or replaced and they wore themselves down and are now sitting on the side of the road with a flat! So if you have not had those tires rotated you might want to schedule that appointment with your auto shop today!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Hydrogen Car for a Greener Tomorrow

You may not have heard about Hydrogen Cars but they are available not for purchase but for lease however right now you can only have the chance to do so in the State of California thanks to Honda’s FCX model. Hydrogen vehicles do not use gasoline and they do not add pollutants to the air. What they do add to the air is steam and not the exhaust fumes.

It is the hope of car manufacturers that these Hydrogen cars to have these fuel efficient vehicles on the market in the next 30 years. The technology for Hydrogen cars have been around since the early 19^th century. Many of the auto manufacturers have already made concept cars that are Hydrogen fueled.

The Fuel Cell is what makes the Hydrogen car possible to drive by converting hydrogen into electricity that gives off only heat and water. However there are many problems that they are running into that need to be resolved before they will actually be put on the market. Many are asking where will people get the hydrogen and how expensive will these hydrogen cars be along with many other questions. Many are asking whether or not hydrogen vehicles will really be as non polluting as everyone is making them out to be.

Hydrogen cars manufacturing is not so different then making the typical vehicles of today. Hydrogen cars and electric cars have the same thing in common when it comes to creating electricity with the same type of electrical system.

The biggest problem everyone is facing is how we will actually end up producing the hydrogen to power these vehicles. Even though hydrogen is the most abundant of elements it is also the lightest of the elements. It is actually very difficult to contain hydrogen because it floats off the surface of the planet almost immediately. What hydrogen that is actually on our surface comes in the form of water molecules and that we definitely have a lot of water on the surface our planet.

Nearly 150 years ago Sir William Grove discovered how to pull hydrogen from water by using electrolysis. When this is done an electric current will run through the water which breaks it down. The process is a slow one but since we have so much water on our planet it could definitely be done on a large scale production.

There are experts that are suggesting that there is a possibility to produce hydrogen by building small hydrogen plants and these then can be put into the average person’s garage so that there would be no need to create local fueling stations. Others suggest that electrolysis could be put directly in the cars themselves however this would be a more costly venture as well as the fact that this particular process would require a battery that would need to be re-charged every so often.

Right now these fuel celled concept cars are just a dream to many but it goes to show you that people are continually striving to reduce the pollutants that are being created today which only means for a cleaner planet tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Automatic Transmission versus Manual Transmission

Everyone has their favorite when it comes to driving a car that has automatic transmission versus manual transmission. Many try as they might give up on learning how to drive the manual transmission cars because they get frustrated with the car dying on them all the time. While those that learned from the very beginning on a manual transmission car wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Cars that have an automatic transmission are simple to operate because the person driving only uses the shift bar for the steering wheel assembly which also could be located between the two front seats. The driver simply shifts from the park indicator to the drive notch and off they go. The car will shift itself automatically as needed into the higher gears as the car moves faster.

With a manual transmission the car not only needs to be driven with two feet by they must also move the clutch before they attempt to shift gears manually. A drive also will need to disengage the clutch slowly so that the car will move forward. When the car starts to move at a faster speed a driver then has to repeat this process until they are at the proper gear for the speed they are driving at.

Manual transmission driving might take a lot of a person in city driving situations but when there is an open road there is far less need for the use of the clutch. When using the manual stick shift driving option a driver does have more control but they will have more difficulty if they need to stop on top of a hill because the car will want to roll backwards as the driver takes their foot off the brake.

As far as the difference for power when it comes to a five speed manual transmission there is more of a rapid acceleration then there would be with an automatic transmission. A drive controls the gear changes with a stick shift where a driver with automatic will be able to have sufficient enough power on its own for the new gear it moves into. Many times automatic shifting to a higher gear to quickly will stop any full throttle acceleration.

The down side for automatic cars is that they do use more fuel then a manual car. The reason for this is that it takes more power to operate a car that has automatic transmission and that they require more complex servicing then a manual car would need. Also if an automatic car battery goes dead it won’t move and a manual stick shift car can be pushed in order to get it started.

Having a manual shifting car does have less of a resale value but the other side of the coin is that they normally cost a little less then the automatic cars.

Those people that learned how to drive a manual transmission car from the very beginning wouldn’t trade their manual shifting car driving for anything but as well those that have only learned how to drive an automatic would not think to bother to try to learn to drive a manual transmission car. It is definitely is a personal choice but either way both choices have positive sides as well as negative sides.

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