Used Cars for Sale Information & Tips

A lot of news sites are doing a lot to report about the current economic cycle and the poor quality of the economic environment around the world. In addition to housing loans and credit markets, cars loans are obviously the next large monetary groups and though we all know it’s going to be tougher to get credit to purchase a new car when our current model becomes inadequate due to life changing events (births, new jobs, death, etc.), you have an accident or you need a new ride because you just got a raise and want to upgrade. Below is an analysis of the number of ways you might be able to get a great deal on a car or at the very least, improve your chances on getting everything you want. Without further adieu…

Look at Last Year’s Models

Unless you’re getting a completely redesigned model, the only difference between a 2007 and a 2008 Ford F-150 is a different color option or two and maybe different features in the cold weather package, but it’s the same car built in the same factory by the same people. The engine and electronics are just as reliable and major recalls should already be fixed if the cars haven’t been purchased yet. Dealers have to move current inventory before they can add more cars. As such, they’ll want to cut their margin on these cars to get them moving and move in new, “more desirable” cars for those looking at the newest and best. Don’t be too picky and you might just get yourself a super deal.

Look for Incentives

Cash back and similar incentives are mostly gimicks to get you to purchase a new car. However, they are worth a look. Different dealers can offer different incentives for the same car. So, if you have a steady income to buy a new car but don’t have a large savings for a down payment, you might want to look for 0 money down incentives where as those who have been planning the purchase for a while might get money back off the total of the car. Some dealers like Chrysler and Suzuki had incentives dealing with gas locked in at a low price for the first year of car ownership, but with gas prices in rapid decline, these sorts of incentives are less impressive today.

Look at Used Cars

Just because you’ve always had new cars doesn’t mean you always have to have a new car. A car that’s 3-4 years old with low mileage will carry 90% of the reliability of a new car with with a majority of depreciation already worked into the price. Whereas some cars, like the Mini Cooper, see very little depreciation after a few years time, high volume models like the Civic, Corolla and

Look at Certified Pre-Owned Cars

Whereas a used car will take a deep discount due to the lack of warranty after a few years, the Certified Pre-Owned car (or CPO) is a middle ground that carries a slightly higher cost due to dealer going over the car upon trade in and ensuring everything is in factory condition (mechanically), even if the leather might have one or two wear marks or the paint isn’t factory fresh. These cars often offer a warranty

Shop Around

With the number of dealers shutting down (and will shut down in the coming months), you may have to look to dealers not in your immediate area for deals. It may be harder to leverage dealers against each other because of the distance you’ll have to travel. However, because of the prevalence of shipping cars to your local dealer, don’t be afraid to look around the country for great deals on cars. Maybe a particularly slow market has an over stock of mini-vans. Leverage this in your buying decisions and keep your eyes peeled in markets other than your own. It pays to be a smart shopper and go outside your local dealers.

Don’t Settle For Less Than You Want

This is a buyers market. Between dealers who are overstocked and independent owners who are strapped for cash, if you have cash, you’re in the cat-bird seat. You worked hard and now have the money to buy the car you want. Don’t let someone get away with trying to rip you off because they are in a hurry to sell the car. You owe it to yourself to get the best deal possible. That doesn’t mean you can be a “tire kicker,” but it does mean you have the luxury of time. Spend that time well!

Don’t Be Pressured to Buy

Dealers need you more than you need them. Dealers are starting to wise up to the average buyer and high pressure situations don’t work as they once might have. You are the one who is gracing them with your presence. There are plenty of dealers out there (for now) and you can just as easily drive to another one (or another make all together). They should treat you with the utmost respect for you are one of the few people out there still looking to buy a new car!

Don’t Buy More Than You Can Afford

Options on cars these days can be an endless wish list of all the things you’ve ever wanted or could possibly seem useful. Look at Mini Coopers, for example. The base price may start out at a mere $21,000. However, adding convenience package, technology packages, cold-weather packages and the rest of the seemingly endless supply of dealer add-ons can put your car well over $40,000 (I have a friend who virtually built one of these cars back when the Mini first came out). Determine your needs ahead of time, use the online car builder and read reviews about various features. Maybe you save a few dollars by not putting that DVD navigation system in and just buy a nice portable unit to use in multiple cars. A few items like that can set you back $2500 or more, depending upon your manufacturer.

Wait

There is the possibliity things will get worse before they get better. Millionairs became millionaires by saving their cash and waiting for the right time to invest. The same goes for car buying. Keep your cash in reserves until YOU are ready. Emotion can play a huge part in car purchasing as well as ownership. Don’t let greed or impulse drive your decision for that shiny new car that’ll make all your friends jeolous. Bide your time, look for your deals and wait. The car will come to you and when it does, you’ll be glad!

With the recent $700M treasury backing of a number of financial institutions here in the USA, there’s obvious pretense now for politicians to spend our money elsewhere in the economy (because the first $700M worked so well). With the obvious worry and underlying lack of confidence of the average American consumer, the two Presidential candidates are looking for last minute “quick fixes” to gain support for their candidacy. In addition, Auto executives praise both Obama and McCain for their call for a faster distribution of the loan. Both McCain and Obama realize that there will be both economic and emotional consequences to a failure or bankruptcy to the likes of GM or Ford. Both companies are currently in a fight for their lives, struggling to find ways to survive the poor sales and terrible credit situation many Americans have put themselves into. On the bright side, Ford still has well over $26B in cash equivalents and GM has over $21B (due to the last 7-10 years of spectacular growth and solid profit surpluses). These reserves, even with the most grim estimates by financial analysts, should be enough to last Ford and GM through the end of 2009. Should there be a more dire situation (and it’s prudent to always assume the worst), both auto makers have access to numerous lines of credit and have been aggressively restructuring and laying off workers to minimize their overhead as much as possible in the tough times. In addition, 2010 will see drastic cost reductions due to the fact that many of their healthcare and pension liabilities to retirees and union workers will be reduced under a new labor deal. GM has made it clear that, ”…bankruptcy is not an option GM is considering.” according to Renee Rashid-Merem, a GM spokeswoman.

Consider the fact that bankruptcy will not only harm the GM brand, but the filing would have adverse effects on the residual value of new and used cars, current GM warranties and selling inventory still on GM lots. This would make consumers gravitate to other, more stable carmakers. Whereas companies like Delta or K-Mart could use bankruptcy as a means for escape of an unmaintainable financial situation, GM and other brands that plan to continue in the foreseeable future need to present a degree of stability to their potential clients.

The LA Times recently reported that just two weeks ago President Bush signed off on a plan to guarantee $25 billion worth of low-cost loans to U.S. automakers and suppliers, a crucial lifeline at a time when borrowing at any price is almost impossible for large companies. Representatives on both sides of the aisle have supported these loans, loans that would otherwise be impossible to secure from any other means. If no one else (no other bank, the best financial minds in the world perhaps) is willing to lend this money Ford and GM, how does the US Federal Government think it can help (considering their complete lack of regard for their own financial book balancing)?

So, that leaves the unimaginable, Ford or GM going bankrupt. GM representatives cannot will themselves out of bankruptcy. If the marketplace for credit for the average American does not change by the time GM and Ford’s credit and current cash runs out, bankruptcy will be the only option. However, as a recent article on Jalopnik pointed out, it’s not a crisis of brand. It’s a countrywide issue affecting all car companies:

“For the first time in the history of the company, the crisis isn’t product. It’s clear GM’s figured out the need to design and build high quality, fuel efficient and attractively-designed vehicles. Not only have they realized the need to do it, they’re actually doing it. Even the most jaded auto enthusiasts, journalists and industry analysts with even the slightest clue have to admit they’ve stepped up their game in the past few years.”

Here is where the bright side comes in. GM has a competitive product. Ford isn’t quite there yet, but they are making strides to bring many vehicles from their European markets that fit right in with cars like Yaris, Aveo, Camry and other standard names that fall into the inexpensive, fuel efficient and reliable category. Just look at the new Focus and Fiesta.

GM and Ford have a long way to go. They have survived terrible times in the past and the government is going to try to do all they can to make things work. The fact is though, GM is making good cars. They are trying like they never have before. Last year when Toyota surpassed them as the #1 automaker in the world, they realized that they had to stop trying to market cars for the sake of marketing and start making real cars that people wanted to buy over the (foreign) competition. Because of that, if GM does make it through this current climate unscathed, they’ll be in a much stronger position than they ever have been before. So where does this leave Senator McCain and Obama? Well, their hearts are in the right place, but time will tell whether their heads are. The free market will decide if GM and Ford are destined for the big junkyard in the sky. I have a feeling though, it’s not the Federal government or the next president that will keep GM from the pain of bankruptcy. It will be a combination of smart managers, an growing product line with solid products and the will of the American people to keep The General’s door open.

Recently, EasyAutoSales was able to speak with a gas station manager in the area. With the current state of gas being in very high demand and the depleted supply due to damage from Hurricane Gustav and Ike, EasyAutoSales hoped to get some special insight into fuel crisis, first hand. We would love to share this interview with you in hopes to educate the public. Without further adieu, an interview with Mr. Fuel:

EAS: Do you all get gas from the same supplier?

Mr. Fuel: All gas comes through a network of pipelines that is tapped into at various terminals, in the case of Atlanta most of it comes from terminals in Doraville, the terminals are owned by various companies.

EAS: When you foresee the shortage to end?

Mr. Fuel: I wonder the same thing, without gas our inside sales are falling drastically and that’s where we profit.

EAS: When are the pumps in the gulf expected to come back up?

Mr. Fuel: From my understand they were authorized to come back on as soon as they had electricity.

EAS: Why is communication so bad that no one knows when they will be getting more gas?

Mr. Fuel: It really depends on the station. Franchised stations such as B.P.s, Chevrons, and Citgo, there owners probably do know considering they would have to order there own fuel. In the case of corporate owned stations such as mine, we don’t know because that is controlled by a division in corporate. On top of that< the delivery drivers sometimes have to drive to several different terminals to get each of the octanes and ethanol which can take hours of waiting.

EAS: Do you sell until you’re empty or do you coordinate with your neighbors to limit how many hours a day you’ll be open so each of you can get some business?

Mr. Fuel: Honestly gas stations don’t profit from gas, which is why there is so much advertisement at the pumps. So we don’t care when we sell it. We sell to a certain level of gallons then we will have to cut off due to the risk of burning out the motors that pull gas from our tanks.

EAS: Can you explain the process of deciding how much to raise the price for you station?

Mr. Fuel: We decide by surveys at the beginning of both day shifts. The manager coming in will survey the surrounding stations prices. There prices will then be reported back to corporate who compare it to how much they can buy gas wholesale for and the price is sent to the store and changed promptly.

EAS: How are gas prices at your station regulated?

Mr. Fuel: By the surveys, honestly, we could lie and raise/lower the prices a couple cents, but it’s not worth risking the job so someone can save 30 cents on a 15 gallon fill up.

EAS: Why do we sometimes see such a difference in gas prices with in the same 10 mile radius?

Mr. Fuel: Because of stations surveying each other and thus trying to complete with the best price. As managers survey throughout a given area at differet times of day, prices may rise and lower throughout the day and end up with a spread from the earliest to latest to survey.

EAS: What is your biggest challenge as a gas station manager?

Mr. Fuel: Nothing to do with gas, it’s basically speed of service and store appearance. All we try to do is increase inside sales and therefore, profit margin.

EAS: Can you describe your experience with the Atlanta gas shortage?

Mr. Fuel: I’m having to hunt for gas just like everyone else i live 25 miles from my work. On a store level though, people calling all the time asking us if have gas then getting angry because we don’t. A lot of ignorant people thinking we are just saving gas till the price goes up.

EAS: Lastly, can you recount one or two stories about various incidents since the gas shortage has started?

Mr. Fuel: We had all the 87 octane pumps bagged one morning and during a mild rush this man comes in with a strong southern accent and says, “Well, I just went and pulled the damn bag off and it pumped just fine. Ya’ll just trying to make extra money.” My response after seeing if he really did and how much he pumped was, ” Sir, you probably just pumped about 5 gallons of water in your tank.” His car was towed away about an hour later because the water sized the engine.

Another one is I was working overnight one night during this shortage and about 12:30 I notice about 5 cars sitting outside just waiting and about ten minutes later a guy walks in and says, “You guys have a delivery scheduled at 12:40 right?” Obviously, since I don’t even know when we are getting deliveries I said no. I ended up getting several calls and people coming in saying that some gas prices website said my store (same address and everything) was getting a delivery at 12:40 a.m.

This is some great insight from someone “working in the trenches”. EasyAutoSales hopes to have more interviews like this in the future with people who can give first hand experiance and information.

The History of Muscle Cars

The year was 1968. The Pony Car revolution was in full swing with the likes of Mustang Mach 1s and Cobra Jets galloping around motor-city with the upstart Dodge Challenger looking for a fight. Coming standard with a 5.2L, 230HP V8, the brand new Challenger was beating up on old 60s Mustangs, with only the HiPo 289 being able to challenge it. The newer Mustangs were gaining speed and engine size with standard 302 cubic inch V8s and 429 performance versions. The larger, mid-sized “muscle cars” like the Plymouth Road Runners lined up at stoplights in search of the smaller pony cars with their 7.0L Mopar engines. However, at the top of the heap was the 1970 Chevelle SS 454. For a now paltry $3,800, its 7.4 L engine was rated at 450 hp, the highest ever for a street car at the time. Gas was cheap. Cars were loud and fast. The soundtrack to your Friday night was the induction of the 4-barrel up front and the fire breathing pipes in the back, surely all your local stoplight drag opponent would hear with all the time you’ve spend tweaking your carbs. Fast cars were simpler back then. The oil embargo hit soon thereafter though. Small foriegn cars took the stage and the lime light in the 1980s, surplanting the beautiful and brawny muscle cars. It would be another 20 years before the American muscle car would take the stage as the most anticipated cars around. Fast forward…

In the last 5 years, the resurgence of American Muscle cars has created an exciting market once again in a segment long dominated by the likes of the BMW M3 and it’s host of European cousins from Audi, Mercedes, Lotus as well as the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) hot rods like the Toyota Supra and Nissan Z-cars. It can’t be too much of a coincidence that the baby-boomer’s 50th Anniversary (1946-ish) happened a mere 3 years ago. The coming of age of this economically established group has changed the face of American motoring as much, if not more, than the Green movement going on throughout the car industry. With a flury of new cars offered that are throwbacks to the “good old days” of muscle-mania, the Big 3 have redefined the term muscle car with some of the most well known names in motoring, back and better than they ever were, even if slightly watered down.

Ford Mustang - The original Pony car. The Mustang has been in continual production since 1964. Though some of its iterations haven’t quite as hardcore as the original, it has stood the test of time and has recently come back as the original “re-released” as retro American Iron with all new technology and features you’d expect on a modern car, but with the great looks of the original. From the triple, vertical taillights to the large round headlights and groovy fastback look. The new Mustang is a perfect modern representation of the classic car that redeems itself from it’s more recent iterations. A full line-up from the basic V6 to the Hertz GT-H to the full monty Shelby GT500 and beyond (Shelby GT500KR), the new Mustang is everything the old one was and more. A great looking interior and passable build quality has made this car a future classic. With the sheer number of “old” mustangs build, it’s possible to have a new and an old one at a pretty reasonable price too!

Chevrolet Camaro - Though the Corvette was always the “halo” car of Chevrolet, the Camaro was really the main challenger to the Mustang. With it’s more edgy look and agressive stance, the Camaro meant business. Though the Camaro always was slightly more hardcore and heald closer to the same principles through it’s lifespan. As with most muscle cars that made it through the 80s, it got watered down some, but even the later F-body were true muscle cars. Using the same LS1s at the Corvette and Firebirds, the Camaro was never really quite as popular as the Mustang or the Corvette. It’s always had a loyal following with both street racers and those who took their cars to the track. For some reason though, the Camaro has always played second fiddle to many other muscle cars. Perhaps with the release of the 2009 Chevy Camaro, we’ll finally see it get the attention it’s deserved. With looks to kill and a super small-block, the car is sure to be a hit!

Chevrolet Corvette - More supercar now than muscle car, the days of the huge hood and giant fenders is long gone and the Corvette now benefits from a more proportioned look which not only helps add to the beauty but acts more functionally as well. Looking closer to a new Ferrari 550 Maranello than the original Corvette, the common thread these days are round tail-lights, thumping great GM V8s and the attitude you get from driving one of the best handling cars on the road today. From the basic Corvette to the Aluminium/Carbon/Balsa injected chassis of the Z06, the Corvette means business. It acts less these days like a weekend, top-down cruiser and more like a high performance GT car meant to compete with the likes of Ferrari and Aston-Martin, but at 1/2 the price. You won’t get quite the interior quality, but you’ll get a car build as solidly as any, as relibly as dirt and that is actually pretty practical and economical. With a decent sized trunk/hatch and over 26MPG on the highway, the Corvette is one of the few muscle cars that’s changed it’s image into something more mature. That doesn’t mean it’s any less fun though!

Pontiac GTO - Though originally, one of the greats, the revised and revamped GTO has failed to exite people. The real shame is that out of all the retro muscle cars mentioned here, this is probably the best. It’s cheap. It’s reliable. It’s fast as heck. It’s a practical car and is based off a hugely successful car named the Holden Monaro which comes from Australia. The handling is crisp and subtle. The chassis is as good as anything out there. However, due to a pretty plain body and almost no queues taken from the original, the GTO is a GTO in name alone. GM should have moved it to the Chevrolet division and dropped a Monte Carlo body on there. Not only would they have had one of the best Monte Carlos ever created, but it would be at least a little closer to it’s NASCAR cousin that the likes of Jeff Gordon have been running around in for years. It’s a shame this car died so early in it’s revival. However, there were enough made that in a few years we should have another super bargain basement performance sedan that has a Corvette engine in it.

Dodge Challenger and Charger - I’m putting these two together because they are so similar in so many ways, both the original and the revised versions. The original versions both had the same exagerated styling. Huge noses. Similar wheel bases. Even the new cars are based on the same Daimler-Chrysler Mercedes E-class chassis. Though it’s not immediately the

first performance based chassis that comes to mind, Mercedes did a spectacular job tuning this chassis and turning it into something strong enough to hold the heavy E-Class/Challenger/Charger bodies, but tuned well such that the car’s independant suspension (something the originals did not have) have made these cars handle as well as they accellerate. With the Charger re-released as more of a family ‘bahn-burner (a BMW M5 compeditor) and the Challenger more as a sporty mucle-car coupe (a BMW M3 “challenger”). Though the charger is a great car, it’s really quite different than it’s “father”. The Challenger, on the other hand, looks the business because it’s such a great looking, modern version of the original car. It’s the same car with new proportions. Though I have only seen one in the flesh from the outside, the interior is said to be spacious and more up-market than the original. All of the above arguments mean that this car should be a winner.

So, with all that’s been said, I have to conclude that the new Dodge Challenger is going to end up being the muscle car that emerges from all this as the new king of the hill. The Mustang has been around forever. It’s time has come and gone, and though the new Mustang is a great car and a great looking car, and the new Camaro finally gets some of the looks and sexy appeal previous versions have lacked, the new Challenger is where the money will be going. The original car was only around for 4 years. In that time though, it was the star of such movies as Vanishing Point and the villian of Bullit. The car has a certain bad-boy reputation and with looks to back it up and a 6.2L Hemi (though I’m sure Mopar will give it a larger engine or add forced induction) to surplant it as the king of muscle cars. The Corvette may be faster and the Mustang may sell more cars, the Challenger is the baddest mother of them all.

There are many reasons for buying a warranty when you purchase a new vehicle, but some of those reasons might be based on inaccurate information or even lies.  Dealers are often offered incentives if they make certain financial quotas, and therefore put pressure on customers to purchase warranties that are overpriced or completely unnecessary.

Auto warranties can provide you with important coverage in the event that something goes wrong with your vehicle, but many include numerous exclusions that are hidden in the fine print, and others provide coverage only for a limited amount of time or miles.  It is extremely important to read every warranty fully before agreeing to purchase it.  Some warranties are definitely worth the added expense when purchasing a new car, but others simply put more money into the pocket of the dealer.

Basic Warranties:

Basic warranties, also called bumper-to-bumper warranties, cover nearly everything on a vehicle, with the exception of general wear-and-tear items such as hoses, brakes, wiper blades, and tires.  This type of warranty typically provides protection for three years or 36,000 miles, but may be extended by some manufacturers.

Powertrain Warranties:

Powertrain, or drivetrain, warranties cover major components of a vehicle, including the engine, drive shaft, and transmission.  Wear-and-tear items are not covered, and coverage generally lasts for three years or 36,000 miles.  Before agreeing to purchase this type of warranty, make certain it covers all critical internal engine components and contains no fine print listing exclusions.

Extended Warranties:

This type of warranty is often unnecessary, unless you intend to keep and use your vehicle for many years.  To prevent your claim from being denied, it is essential that you ask your warranty provider a number of questions before agreeing to purchase an extended warranty.

1. Does the vehicle need to be inspected by an approved expert before repairs can be performed?
2. Are repair costs paid for upfront, or will you be required to pay for them yourself, file a claim, and then wait to be reimbursed?
3. If your warranty is bought at the time you purchased your vehicle, are you allowed to use your coverage for repairs made at a location other than your dealership?

It is not unusual for customers to pay for repairs out-of-pocket, and then not receive reimbursement because their claim is denied.  Extended warranties should be fully researched before purchase, and the rules set forth in the policy need to be strictly followed.

Luxury Items Warranties:

This type of protection provides coverage for luxury (generally electronic) components, including navigation systems, DVD players, phones, and other equipment.  While the thought of replacing these expensive items in the event that they become damaged or lost is unsettling, often the cost of the warranty is higher than the repair or replacement cost of the equipment.

Rust / Corrosion Warranties:

Rust and corrosion warranties will cover the cost to repair the damage done to the body of your vehicle by rust or corrosion.  However, this type of warranty typically does not cover surface rust, which means the corrosion must be long-term in order to be covered.  Proper washing and waxing of a vehicle generally provides adequate rust and corrosion prevention, and costs significantly less than this type of warranty.

Hybrid. Efficiency. Not exactly the words you want to be thinking about when you look to purchase a new car and rightfully so. Since we were teenagers, the automobile has meant excitement, speed, adventure and all that America stands for: freedom (or as Cadillac puts it: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit). Some of us take it a step further and spend our weekends at the local race track reaching speeds most people only dream about. So, when we sit in our econo-boxes outside the local Shell station pumping regular gasoline @ $4.03 per gallon, buying something that will put a lot of wind in your hair and a huge smile on your face is the farthest thing from your mind. I’m here to tell you that your next car may not only be significantly more efficient than your current car, but it might might be pretty quick too!

Let’s start this discussion out with an American icon, the Chevrolet Corvette. Since 1953, the Corvette has won the hearts and minds of America with it’s sporty and muscular styling, extreme performance and bulletproof reliability. It’s a super car that you can use every day, and hundreds of thousands Americans do. So, how can I contort the Corvette into wearing a “green” badge on it’s sleeve? Let’s say you pop down to your local dealership and pickup a standard Corvette coupe or convertible, you’re looking at a 6.2L V8 engine. Assuming you want a little more gusto under the hood, a 7.0L Z06 with 500 stampeding horsepower is available as well. Looking at equivalently performing Ferrari’s or Lamborghini’s, you’d expect highway mileage to top out at 18 MPG and city driving would sink into the single digits. The standard Corvette hits around 18 MPG in the city and real-world mileage of around 30 MPG on the highway. Even with the Z06 you’re looking at around 16 and 26 in city and highway, respectively. Mind you, the Z06 does top out at over 200 MPH. Not to mention, the Chevy LS based engines are some of the most reliable on the planet. You could trot down to your local dealer today knowing that you’d be one of the fastest on your block, yet still keeping the environment and your pocketbook in mind.  Do a car search by mileage here.

Next on our list is a small company based out of Hethel, Norfolk, England by the name of Lotus. Since the early 60s, Lotus has been creating cars with the mantra, “less is more”. From the very first Lotus Mk1s and the famous Lotus Elan (weighing in at a spritely 1600lbs) to the most modern Lotus Elise (tipping the scales at approximately 2100lbs), Lotus knows the #1 way to make cars perform both efficiently and quickly is to remove all the extra weight you can. Now mind you, this doesn’t mean you remove the safety as well. With a solid aluminum monocoque (a chassis type used in most racecars), the Elises can take a jolt as well as most cars on the road, but with the performance an Elise gives you, it’s party trick is it’s amazing avoidance ability. With roughly 1/2 the weight of most cars on the road today, the Elise is a modern marvel in lightweight engineering. By the way, did i mention that you’d be driving a car that does around 30MPG and does 0-60 in well under 5.0 seconds?

The next car is a particularly popular modern “vintage”: The Mini Cooper. Whether you buy a brand new Mini, a new Mini Cooper S or an old Austin Mini, you are bound to max our both your miles per gallon and smiles per gallon. These amazingly fun and fast microcars are large enough to fit you and a loved one, packed for a long weekend and able to get your there in judicious style (with the basic Mini Cooper getting close to 40MPG and the S getting in the low 30s). They have passed safety ratings consistently with the highest ratings, but more to the point, the Mini urges you to go Motoring and take the long way home (the really long way). The Mini’s legendary road holding ability lets you hit a full .9 lateral Gs if properly setup. A stock 2008 Corvette hits .93 lateral Gs. How’s that for a giant killer? There are millions of Mini owners, new and old, and I can bet you that you’ll never come across one that regretted their purchase.

The final car on my list is an oldie but a goodie. It’s a car that’s no longer made, but even legends fade into the past from time to time. The final car on my short list for fun and economical cars is the Honda CRX. It’s another car that goes by the Lotus mantra and espouses this by a curb weight of between 1700 and 1900 lbs. (depending upon the year and spec). The 1984-87 ‘HF’ spec. car hit a whopping 49 and 54 MPG cycles for city and highway driving, respectively. Even the “performance” Si version and tuner versions are seeing well over 34 MPG combined cycle. The CRX is a very popular car for club racing and weekend drivers schools, which lend themselves some street-cred as exhilarating drives.

As the fuel prices continue to rise, I’ll be adding to this article more cars, both new and old for all budgets. So, please stop back again and we’ll try to have more cars for you to read about. Thanks for stopping by!

Whether you have the newest hybrid car on the market or an old used pickup truck, everyone can feel the extra cost filling up our car at the fuel pumps. Whereas there are many possible solutions that could solve the solution more long term, the average driver can do numerous things today, helping save money in the mean time. In case you would rather save money upfront, here is a list of the 8 best used cars under 10K that are fuel efficient. And without further ado, your 15 techniques on saving gas with your car:

15. Buy gas early in the morning or late at night. Gasoline, like most liquids gets denser as it gets colder. A few degrees temperature can have an appreciable difference in your total cost of gas over a few months or years. (There are currently regulations being put into place to counter this loophole, but it’s going to take a while to implement a fix.) Take advantage of it while you can!

14. Drive Slower. I know this one is sacrilege, however, it works. When you’re on the high way driving 75 vs. 65, the force against your car has increased by 33%. By driving a little slower, your car’s engine will need to do less work to keep your car moving and you’ll be saving money.

13. Brake Less. By keeping your eyes looking ahead, you’ll be able to gauge whether you can coast or brake. Why accelerate up to a stoplight and waste gas and brake pads. If you see a red light ahead, begin to coast until you see the indicator turn green again.

12. Empty out your car. Carrying around extra weight will kill you gas mileage. Of course you need your spare tire and a small repair kit, but getting rid of extra new or used car parts, old tools you’re not using or other spare gadgets in your car. Next time you replace your tires, you might want to consider run-flats. Though they are normally heavier than standard tires, removing the spare in your trunk will give you the advantage of weight savings.

11. Shift Earlier. If you’ve got a manual transmission, get to your top gear as quickly as possible. You don’t have to go through every gear. This is part of #2, but even passing on the highway doesn’t mean you need to drop to 3rd gear from 4th or 5th.

10. Carpool! Even if it’s one day a week and you drive 20 miles to and from work, this would save you $6.00-8.00 per week. Carpool two to three times a week and you might save almost $20.00 a week. This, of course , depends upon where your roommate/spouse/co-workers live, but sharing the load even one day week will save gas and reduce the wear and tear on all cars involved in the carpool.

9. Use your cruise control and stay in your own lane. Studies in the past have shown that following basic traffic laws and constantly changing lanes and speed don’t reduce travel time. Unless you’re passing, stay any lane but the far left and cruise along with the flow of traffic.

8. Don’t drive. Try to time your visits to the grocery store and shopping mall for the same day so you don’t have to make two trips. As if you can work from home one day a week or increase work to four 10 hour days and have an extra day for the weekend. Many larger businesses are doing this, so be sure and ask around your office.

7. Tighten your gas cap. Sounds simple, but missing or loose gas caps can allow gasoline vapors to escape at an alarming rate (gas is very volatile). Whereas a gallon of water may take a whole day to evaporate in hot weather, it can take as little as a hour depending upon the temperature and pressure.

6. Inflate your tires. Low or flat tires will cause increased drag on your car. Always make sure the pressures are at optimal levels or even a little above.

5. Replace your air filters. This will allow the proper amount of air into your engine and maximize the power created during combustion. High performance after market filters allow more air into your engine (thus increasing efficiency) and are reusable (cleanable) to save money.

4. Keep your car in proper tune. A rough running car with broken sensors or parts will cause you to waste gas. If you have a check engine light on, be sure to take your car to a reputable mechanic. Many shops will check the error light codes for free.

3. Keep your windows closed. This will reduce the drag on your car.

2. Turn off the air conditioning. This isn’t an option for some people, especially those of us in the South. However, the compressor being engaged will cause parasitic drag on the engine and cause a loss of power and efficiency.

1. Replace your car! Replacing your large truck or old v8 sedan and replacing it with even a 10 year old sub-compact could save you anywhere between 30 and 75 percent in fuel costs (depending how drastic you want to get). You could buy a brand new hybrid, but you could also buy a late 90s hatchback for a quarter the cost and get the same or better mileage!

My last post was about basic “paper work” associated with the car. Every car has a VIN number. It’s like an auto-social security number. However, something every car does not have is a great service history and a great previous owner. With that said, the rest of the posts about buying a used car will be about the intangibles of a used car purchase. This week, we’ll be talking about the test drive.

The first thing is that when testing a used car, be sure the previous owner gives the car at least a half day to cool down before you come for a test drive. If the car has trouble starting cold, an owner may warm the car up for you before you get there to subvert the problem for a potential buyer. In the same respect, be sure to shut the car off after your test drive an try to start it warm.

Next we’ll discuss the engine itself. Pop the hood while it’s running and look at the engine. If it’s rattling back and forth you could have problems with engine bushings or an actual engine problem that could require costly engine replacements. After checking the engine idle, be sure while on the test drive you accelerate the car throughout the rev range. A slight power loss could indicate there are problems with anything from throttle position sensors ($$) to ECU problems ($$$) or full on engine problems ($$$$$). Listen to the sound of the engine at all these speeds. It’s good to make sure the radio in a potential car works, but don’t let yourself play songs the whole time. Listen to the engine and, for that matter, the transmission. If you hear heavy thuds when shifting, you could be in store for a transmission that has never had it’s fluid changed. This can be a $2000-3000 job. With a manual transmission, make sure you’re shifts are tight and slip into the gate solidly. If not, you could have bushings that need to be replaced, or worse, broken transmission internals. With automatic or manual (standard) gearboxes, put the car into every gear! Don’t assume if one or two work they all will (more so with automatics). Manual transmissions should have relatively quick engagement of the clutch, or you could be spending a few hundred dollars replacing your clutch.

To ensure the car’s steering is in tip top shape, be sure to find an empty road or parking lot and turn the wheel from one side to the other at full lock. This will not only test your steering response (and ensure you might not have power steering problems), loading the left and right suspension will yield a slight grinding noise if one of the wheels bearings needs to be replaced. Likely, you’ll only hear it from one site. This is not a hugely expensive job, but you can expect to pay $200-300 depending up the shop. Any other sever squeeks or shimmies when the suspension is loaded can indicate other suspension problems like bushings, worn shocks or springs and loose components. Be safe, but give drive and accelerate such that you can get a feel for all the corners of the car. This is a hard skill to master and know what you’re looking for and it will often behoove you to take a friend who does know this, or go on a test drive with a mechanic as part of a pre-purchase inspection.

When test driving a used car, be sure to check things like cruise control too. This is another thing often overlooked by most people on a test drive.

The last, and perhaps most important thing to check are the quality of the brakes. Talk to the current owner and ask if you can check the ABS by panic stopping in a parking lot from 25-30 MPH. Most times you’ll see an ABS light if there is a problem and most problems concern ABS sensors which are pretty cheap to replace. However, if you do have a ABS pump problem, you can expect a few hundred dollars for repair.

With any of the above options, remember, if you do have concerns, you can either have the previous owner fix the problem as part of the cost of the used car, or expect to see discounts and you can repair them yourself or have a mechanic fix the problem. That way, you’ll have someone you trust to the repairs as well as saving some money on the car of your dreams.

When we go out looking for a new or used car, the word “tire kicker” often evokes a negative stigma. However, it represents what everyone looking for a new or used car should be doing: an inspection. Once you’ve come up with your initial criteria for a replacement of addition to your current stable of cars, you’ll often want to research the possible choises you have for a variety of things like reliability, economy, usability and other real world metrics. All of the above a very personal things that each person weighs in a way only they can. However, when you actually go to check out the car itself, it’s easier to have a guide that you can run through in a mechanical fashion to make sure the car of your dreams won’t become the car of your nightmares.

This post is the first in a series of posts where I’ll present a new set of criteria as part of an inspection. At the conclusion, I’ll post a complete PDF checklist that every owner should use to see if the car you have your heart set on is, in fact, meat to be. So, onto part 1 of the list: VIN Inspection

1. VIN matches other VIN’s on vehicle and paperwork/Proper attachment (original/no alterations)
2. Vehicle has California emission sticker (California only)
3. Service bulletins and recall updates performed on vehicle
4. Check vehicle for trouble codes
5. Oil Change/Scheduled Maintenance Performed

eBay is infamous for people posting pictures of a valid VIN on a car that looks exactly like the one they are selling, when in fact they have a title that gives a completely different VIN. That clean VIN will show a car with an excellent history and the same features as the car being sold. The sellers count on a lazy user who won’t compare the VIN on the car when they see it in person to the VIN they were given to do a CarFax check with. It’s pretty strait forward, but people can be lazy and not check these things when the high of seeing a new car takes over. Once this is verified, you’ll often be able to check for service recalls. Taking the car to a local mechanic that specializes in the model you’re interested in is another great way to make sure the seller is honest and you’re getting what you’re told you are. Most mechanics will check car error codes for free, for example, and those who do charge will probably do it for less than $50. Should the car you are looking at have a check engine light (CEL), taking it to a mechanic to validate the reason is a MUST. From personal experiance, it’s very easy to buy a running car with “just a CEL on” and end up with a car that has a cracked engine block or head. If you’re lucky enough to find a car that has a complete history of records, check the average mileage between oil changes. Simply changing the oil and filter every 3000-5000 miles will help ensure your car will last years to come without serious internal engine problems.

I hope you enjoyed this small post and hope you’ll come back to learn more about our next inspection step…

The Road Test!