How I Bought Exactly the Car I Wanted Using Just the Phone and the Internet

In 2002, the lease was up on my current car, so I decided it was time to get a new one. Like most people, I generally don't like going to a car dealership to buy a car. At the beginning of my career, I worked for 6 months as a car sales person so I knew exactly what would happen if I went to the car dealership:
The sales person would "assess my needs." Then get me to settle for a car that they had in stock on the lot. Then I'd have to go for a test drive. Then negotiate on a price. Fill out a credit application. Sign the paperwork in the Finance and Insurance office. All the while they attempted to sell me additional add-ons to the car--paint protection, under coating, and extended warranty.
If I was lucky, the entire process would take about 5-6 hours. Plus be physically exhausting.
That's if I was lucky. If I was unlucky, I'd have to shop from dealership to dealership and negotiate several times before I finally found the price and the car I wanted. The entire process could easily take several hours a day for a week or more.
At the time, I was working as a consultant at a very high hourly wage. And at the time, the company needed me to even work extra hours in order to complete an important project. So, for me to take any time off just to buy a car was not only a waste of time, but would probably cost me hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars in lost income.
So, I decided to take control of the situation. I decided that I would find exactly the car I wanted on the internet, and do everything else over the phone. I decided I wasn't going to even step on the dealership lot until it was time to sign the final papers and pick up the car. After the experience, I'm convinced that you don't have to earn a lot of money to do what I did, you just need a plan and be prepared to follow it through exactly.
Here's what I did:
1) I decided on exactly the car that I wanted. This strategy is not going to work if you are at the stage where you are just browsing for a car. In my case, the way I decided was to rent the type of car I wanted for a week. What happened was that the dealership where I had my car serviced rented me a Jeep Liberty. I had the car for a solid week so I had a chance to get to know the car's basics. How it drove, what the visibility was like, what the gas mileage was like, etc. Even though it was a base model, I absolutely loved it.
The best way to find out about a car that you are interested in is to rent it for several days. You are not going to learn much about a car in a 10 minute test drive. If you can't find the exact car, at least drive a similar car by the same manufacturer. There are usually a lot of similarities. Also, make certain you research the car in Consumer Reports.
2) Once I knew the make and model of the car, I researched it online using the manufacturer's website. There I was able to see all of the available exterior and interior colors, determine the difference between the different model types (e.g., Sport vs. Limited, etc), and the options. In my case, I wanted the car "fully loaded."
3) Using the online tools of the manufacturer's website, I designed the car exactly the way I wanted it and got the basic information on the manufacturer's suggested retail price--the sticker of the car. That told me what the high end of the price was going to be (but of course, I had no intention of paying full sticker price).
4) I contacted my insurance company to find out what the exact insurance price would be on the car. This is important because your insurance will probably go up or down when you buy a new car. You want to know this information upfront before making a final decision so that there are no surprises.
5) I arranged for the financing I would need for my car. In my case it was easy. My insurance company (USAA) also providing car financing at extremely low interest rates. They took all the necessary information over the phone--no credit application to fill out.
You may have to shop around for your financing and fill out a credit application, but believe me, it's quicker (and usually cheaper) to make those arrangements before you go to the dealership. What the lender will probably do is tell you that they will loan you up to 75% of the car's value up to a certain value. It will all be based on your credit application and credit rating.
By getting the financing in advance, you know exactly how much you will be able to afford, and the interest rate and monthly payments are even before you speak to the dealer. This gives you a lot more leverage in negotiating the best deal and gives you time to think without a sales person pressuring you for a decision so he or she can move on to the next sale. Plus you don't have to wait around at the dealership for them to approve your loan.
6) I went back online to locate the dealerships in my area. In the case of Jeep, they not only listed the dealership, they also listed their inventory. I not only new exactly what car I wanted, I new exactly which dealerships had the car and how many cars of this type were in the area.
7) After this preparation, it was time to call the dealership. In my case, I called the original dealership who had rented me the Liberty. I was impressed with their service department, so I decided to give them the first shot. I knew from my research that they didn't have the car, but I also new by experience that they could arrange for a trade with another dealer.
I spoke to the sales person and directly explained my situation: my lease was up on my current car. I wanted to turn it in and buy a new car. I explained that this was going to be the easiest sale he ever made. I already knew exactly the car I wanted. I had already driven the car, so I didn't need a test drive. I already had my financing. I knew what a fair price for the car was.
I told him that we either do the deal over the phone, or I will have to go some place else. He referred me to the sales/desk manager who had to approve the deals. I put him in touch with the lender so they new I was serious. Since they had to trade with another dealership for the car, I had to put down a small deposit using my ATM card.
8) They arranged for the dealer trade, got exactly the make, model, and color I wanted. They contacted the lender directly to give them the VIN number and the price.
9) The lender Fedex'd me the check made out to the dealership for the amount agreed upon.
10) I went to the dealership during a week day when sales traffic was slow. I wanted to show respect for the sales staff's time by not going when it was busy. And I wanted to get in and out in record time. I dropped off my leased car, signed the papers, gave them the check from the lender, wrote a separate check for the down payment, and drove off in my new car. I spent about 20 minutes in total at the dealership. And most of that time was the sales person showing me the car--and forcing me to take a 10 minute test drive.
By being prepared, by demonstrating to the dealership that I knew what I was doing, by making the deal easy for them, by respecting their time, I not only was able to get exactly the car I wanted, I got a great price. And, most important to me, it took very little of my personal time.
You don't have to be an hourly paid consultant or a former car salesperson to get a similar result. It's all in the preparation and especially in the attitude. I approached the situation with complete confidence that this deal was going to happen. That confidence was based upon solid preparation in advance.
It was also based on complete integrity. Because I was prepared, I made certain that the sales manager knew that I would do exactly what I said I would do--if they met my terms. I convinced them that they could trust me not to shop around at other dealerships if they met my terms. I made sure that it really was the easiest sale they ever made. I reduced the salesperson's role to that of an order taker.
This strategy will not work if you try to pit one dealership in competition with another after they give you a price. That's not fair to them. If they offer you a fair price you can live with and the convenience of doing the deal over the phone, you have an obligation to follow through on your part of the agreement.
So, it's critical that you have all of the other approvals you need before you make the first call to the dealership. Otherwise, they will identify you as a "shopper" or a "be back" and only negotiate with you at the dealership.
I should also add that through out this process, I used my Power Affirmations (see information in the bio below) to stay completely on target and to get exactly what I wanted in a manner that was also more than fair to the dealership. This may sound corny to some, but it's the absolute truth.
By the way, it's three years later and I still love my car. It pays to know exactly what you want, to have a plan to get it, and have the confidence to take action and not settle for anything less.

Image is Everything - Secrets to Cleaning Car Fleets - National Car

A recent survey indicated that clean Taxi Cabs Fleets have higher tip rates and repeat customers. How do you wash a taxicab? You do them four at a time and you go up and over and up and over when you are drying them. If they have a little taxi cab sign, dry that last. But you do the rest of the car the way you do a regular car. The only difference is you are going to spray three, four, five, sometimes six cars at a time. Then another crewmember is going to follow behind you and do all the windows really well. You do a quick vacuum with a taxicab. Seriously, you do not want to be in that taxicab for more then a minute or a minute and a half. Now most taxicabs are usually scratched and they look like crap. This is something you are going to have to deal with. This is just the way they are going to look which is good for you because they are not expecting a perfect job. They just want them to look clean because they have their logo on them. Taxi companies are very low budget operations and low cost will get you the account. Some taxicabs are owned by independent contractors. You will need to charge more since the volume is not there. Staging areas at big airports are a good place to find lots of taxicabs.
Rent-A-Cars
Rent-a-cars these days are mostly small, tiny cars that get really good gas mileage. They are Toyota Tercels, Ford Contours and Dodge Neons and things like that. You can wash a Dodge Neon in your sleep in about three minutes. Really easy to clean, really, really easy and that is important. You want some accounts that are easy. Three dollars is fair for exteriors, five dollars for in and out is fine. It is important to have efficiency when washing rent-a-cars. No more than two minutes for vacuuming. You only want to clean the windows that are dirty. You do not want to clean all of the windows on a rent-a-car, just where you see fingerprints. You want to wipe off the dash really quick, wipe around the center console and use cleaner on the sticky stuff. Hit the inside windows that are dirty, wash the outside. You want to do them five, six at a time and you want to dry them off real fast, make sure the windows are clean and go to the next car. Rent-a-cars are really good money. You want to charge an extra two dollars for taking out carpet stains. Use some Folex cleaner or advanced carpet stain remover, some kind of a little carpet brush and a towel to wipe up whatever you precipitate at the top of the carpet after you have got it wet. The carpet remover should come off on the towel. There will always be trash in rent-a-cars, a lot of trash. You should have a bucket ready that you just put trash in and move it from car to car. Dump it before you leave. Usually rent-a-cars will have a Dempsey Dumpster around the back where you can dump all of your trash.
Rent-a-car companies are very careful and exacting as to what times of day they want their cars washed. They may have a whole bunch of vehicles in on Monday mornings and want you to do cars on Monday mornings. You are going to have to do the cars at that time. They are probably going to want them done before eight o'clock in the morning. So if you are doing the cars before eight o'clock in the morning and there are twenty or thirty rent-a-cars, it is quite serious that you get them all done in time. The rent-a-car company is paying you so they do not have to drive them to the car wash. It is rather important that you get them done on time. It is really easy to get them all done if you work efficiently. You are doing them six at a time. If you have twenty cars to do, you need to have them done by eight thirty to nine o'clock and you are doing them six at a time, you should have twenty-four cars done in an hour if you are really flying through them and you have the right crew. So pay attention to this. You can afford to do the cars for five dollars each because the job comes out to about one hundred dollars an hour. Think about this for a second. Think about the time and efficiency and how fast can you do them. This attitude is what will help you pick up the rent-a-car company accounts. If you can do them very, very quickly and you can do them not perfectly but good enough to make them happy, there is a lot of money in rent-a-car washing. Our crews in other towns already wash for: Budget, Avis, Dollar, Hertz, Enterprise and generally can afford to wash them and retain a profit at only $5.00 per vehicle.
Police Cars
It is time to talk about police cars. We just saw a police car go the other way with his lights on. In any case, police cars, how do you wash a police car? Well first of all, you wash it like you would wash any normal car but you want to make sure you clean the light bar really well. You do not want to spray water inside the light bar, you will screw up the electronics. You also do not want to, but some of our guys love to do it, spray water inside the PA speaker on the front of the police car that is mounted by the bumper. The reason they like to do that is because it burns them outs and gives them a short. So, you should not do that. Now under the seats of a police car you find all kinds of cool stuff. Best to hand it over to the authorities and not smoke it yourself. You will find crazy stuff under the seats of a police car where you are going to have to clean. Depending on how you feel you can either vacuum the stuff up or put it into a little bag and give it to the watch commander. You need to dust the radios inside of the police car, but you have to be careful not to turn any knobs. There are always bugs on the light bars, but you cannot blast off the bugs as much as you would like to. You really need to soap them off and not blast them off. Sometimes the light bars get real brittle on the older police cars. You can actually blast right through them. I have done it before.
For some reason police like to go 4 X 4' ing when they are going through center dividers in order to catch a terrible criminal such as a speeder. They will go off road and do whatever; maybe they are just having fun. So you have to make sure that you clean all the mud off the police cars, they are a little bit muddier then most cars. The bottoms of the police cars are always muddy and they are going to need hand soaping. Police cars are often black and white. Usually the white part is where the door is so the policeman knows where to get in. The rest of the car is black. Now the part of the car that is black, remember it is black. If you are doing police cars in the sun and you are trying to do them three at a time, you may have a little problem getting to all of them. Some cities have police cars that are all white cars or all green cars or a mixture and that makes it a little bit easier.
There are certain additional things you have to watch for when cleaning police cars. Do not have a bunch of stuff out of your truck when you are washing a line of police cars. Someone may run out of the building and want to take their car. If you cannot move the truck in time you will really frustrate that officer. He wants to look official and squeal the tires out of the parking lot so you may as well just let him do whatever he wants to do.
Driving School Cars
Driving school cars are basically just like rent-a-car companies. The only difference is you want to spend a little more time on the dash board and a lot of time on the windows. You probably need to get five or six dollars each. This is giving them a deal because normally you charge ten dollars for in and out.

Car Auctions in Japan: An Overview for Car Importers - National Car

Car importers know that car auctions in Japan are a great place to find low mileage, high quality used cars at good prices. My aim in this article is to help you understand these car auctions in Japan better so that you can make a good, informed decision about whether to buy from them or not, and how the whole process works.

Why consider buying from Japanese car auctions?
This is a good place to start. After all, right now where you sit reading this article is probably many thousands of miles away from Japan. So why would you want to import cars from a country so far away?
There are two excellent reasons to consider buying cars from used car auctions in Japan.
First of all, the selection is immense and you can view all these cars remotely online. Auto auctions outside Japan may typically have a few hundred used vehicles, but only the tiniest auction in Japan would have such a pitiful selection.
In terms of individual auction locations, we are usually talking about over 1,000 cars per location, and sometimes over 10,000 cars (in the case of USS Tokyo) all in one place and being auctioned there weekly. Put all these individual car auctions together on the Internet, and over 30,000 on a single day is really not at all unusual.
So there is a huge breadth of choice. But that is not all. There is also a great depth of quality. The fact is that Japanese people just do not drive as much as people in other countries. An excellent public transport system and high levels of neighborhood walkability, in addition to the simple fact that urban driving speeds in Japan are incredibly low, all works together to keep people from using their cars very much.
Then on top of this the Japanese are fastidious in caring for their vehicles and yet it does not take long before the car they have seems old to them and they want a new one.
So, cars that are low mileage and well maintained are a dime a dozen. But the ironic thing is that the Japanese themselves are really not into secondhand items, so they don't really want these used cars for themselves.
You can see where this is going: The car auctions in Japan have a great selection of great condition, low kilometer cars, but the Japanese people are really not that interested in buying them, so prices are relatively low and there is all the more opportunity for buyers from outside Japan to compete.
Car auction groups and locations in Japan
In Japan individual auctions are rare. They are usually part of a larger auction group. Here are just some of the more prominent groups:

• USS
• TAA (Toyota)
• Honda
• JU
• JAA
• CAA

USS Tokyo is the largest single used car auction location in Japan. This car auction runs once a week on Thursdays, and at peak season can have up to 20,000 vehicles all being auctioned on one day.
One auction group that does not have multiple auction locations (called kaijo in Japanese) is Aucnet, who hold their auctions on Mondays. Their model is a little different in that they do not have a physical auction house where all the cars are gathered.
Instead, they send out inspectors to car dealers who then keep their cars on their lots until they are sold. Since these dealers are still hoping to sell to a regular consumer at retail price, their reserve price at auction is often a little high compared with what a similar car might fetch at a regular auction.
How can you access the car auctions in Japan?
So far, so good. But wait a minute: How on earth are you going to be able to get a car from some used car auction way over there in Japan? You don't know anyone there. You don't speak Japanese. Even if you could buy the car, how would you ship it?
You need a Japanese car exporter to help you with this one.
Car exporters in Japan are set up to handle the process of bidding at the Japanese car auctions, transporting the car from the auction to the port, doing the paperwork and shipping the car over to you.
There are many car exporters shipping used vehicles from Japan, so this then begs the question of how you find yourself a good one. After all, we are not talking about trivial sums of money here, so it is vital you find one who is going to do a good job for you.
Here are some things to look for:

• How many auctions can you buy from, and can you access them all from one place online?
• Can you deal with a native English speaker who is also fluent in Japanese? (Nothing is more stressful than trying to overcome language barriers.)
• Does this exporter offer professional translations of the car auction inspector's reports and help you really understand the condition of the cars in the auction?
• Does the exporter in Japan have good communication skills, keeping you in the loop about what is happening with your vehicles so you don't worry?
• Does the exporter work hard to ensure your cars get to you from the car auction in Japan as quickly as possible?

Who will bid for you at these car auctions in Japan?
In order to buy from a car auction in Japan, the first thing you need is to be a member of that auction.
This usually entails being a registered business in Japan as well as having property as collateral and having a guarantor. This precludes regular consumers accessing these car auctions directly, so they tend to be a place where Japanese car dealers and Japanese car exporters buy at wholesale prices.
Japanese car exporters are usually registered Japanese companies and therefore have access to the car auctions in Japan.
Japanese car auction vehicle inspections
Car auctions in Japan have a strict inspection regime. Obviously the quality of the inspection can vary a little between auction houses since they are independent companies, but in general the grading system they use is very similar and easy to understand.
The cars and other vehicles are registered for the following week's auction, after which they are inspected by inspectors who are qualified mechanics.
Now, it is important to bear in mind that these inspections are very thorough, but they do not involve any dismantling of the vehicle, nor do they involve test-driving it. They will often pick up mechanical issues very well, although problems which would only come to light if the vehicle is driven at anything more than the kind of speed you would expect in a parking lot can be missed. This is no fault of the inspectors, just a limitation of an inspection that does not involve a road test.
The inspector writes his report on an auction sheet. He gives the car an overall grading as well as a grading of the interior quality. He also writes details of issues that he has found. Some comments he writes in Japanese, and then issues like scratches and dents that relate to the car's exterior condition, he writes on the "car map" - a diagram of the exterior of the car.
Remember you should not need to just rely on the overall grading when buying from Japanese car auctions: A good car exporter should give you detailed translations and help you understand what the Japanese car auction inspector has written on his report.
How does bidding work in these car auctions in Japan?
As we have noted above, only members of these auto auctions can actually bid. They do so in two ways: Either at the auction location (kaijo) itself, or online from anywhere.
The computer bidding system is the same whether bidding at the auction house on one of their machines or remotely online.
Bidding is very fast. Generally a car will be sold in anything from 10 to 45 seconds or so. The actual process may just look like pressing a button in a video game, but there is a real art to doing it right to avoid paying too much for a car - or equally letting it get away by holding back too much.
Sometimes cars will fail to meet their reserve price and bidding is stopped. It is then possible to make offers to the seller under the auspices of the car auction. Fewer cars sell in negotiation like this than are sold in live bidding. A good Japanese car exporter will handle the process of live bidding and negotiation seamlessly to get the best deals for his customers.

What happens after the car is won at auction?
After a car is bought at a Japanese car auction, the first thing that happens is that it is moved by car transporter to the port. Once at the port, the car waits to be loaded onto a RORO ship, or waits to be loaded into a container.
While the car is in transit from the auction, the car exporter will immediately start looking for bookings on the earliest ship, as well as doing paperwork to de-register the car and pass it through Japan-side customs.
Once on a ship, the car will take anything from a few days to over a month to reach its destination. This is mainly dependent on the distance of the destination country from Japan.
The car exporter will send the end customer the Bill of Lading, invoices, the de-registration document and any other documents that the customer requires for importing the car into his or her country. These import regulations vary from country to country so it is vital to check them before buying anything.
Conclusion
Car auctions in Japan can be a great place for car dealers and car importers around the world to find really good quality used vehicles at lower prices than they would expect to be able to find locally. The huge numbers of used cars in the Japanese car auctions that can be viewed online is another great plus.
The key to doing this successfully is to find a top-notch Japanese car exporter who both can communicate well, and also steer you safely through the process of buying from the car auctions in Japan.

Buying a Used Car? Sixteen Tips on How to Keep From Getting Ripped Off - National Car

Do you want to buy a quality used car but are afraid of getting ripped off?
You're not alone, and for good reason. Used car sales are far and away the most lucrative segment in the auto industry in terms of commissions that the sales people and dealership makes and therefore, the GREED factor comes in when selling cars is concerned. The potential for being taken advantage of increases for the unwary and uninformed car buyer.
Having said that, there are still quite a few honest, credible used car dealerships out there and if you are prepared with some of the tips in this article, then you can drive off with a nice, clean used car AND a good deal.
There are TWO basic types of Used Car Dealerships you need to know how to differentiate between the two.
1. Your garden variety of used car dealerships that most towns and cities have almost everywhere. These dealerships, generally sell cars bought at local auctions or were higher mileage cars bought form a local dealership, or taken as trade-ins on their lot. Generally speaking, you won't find the latest models with the lowest miles and still under warranty. What you CAN find are clean reliable cars, maybe with higher miles that you wouldn't find at a brand dealership, but often lower prices. The typical used car dealership has nowhere near the overhead of major dealerships so, their gross profit margin - the difference in costs they have in a car and what they can sell it for -- can be lower, thus, ideally, saving you some money.
Most of the better used car dealerships offer financing and warranties for all their cars at an extra cost, of course. Some, but not most have a place to service their cars before putting the car on their lot. You need to make sure whatever car you are looking at has at least had an updated inspection.
Used car dealerships can be a great place to find a good car, BUT, be careful, some of the cars can be rough around the edges and you need to know what to look for and how to look at a used car.
2. Your automobile dealerships that sell new and used cars. Usually, these dealerships keep a selection of what they like to refer to as "pre owned" or even "certified pre-owned" vehicles and they usually spend more time on the prep of the car before it goes on the lot. They have a shop and certified technicians to go over these cars and make sure these cars are in good shape. Especially the Certified Pre Owned cars need to look and run close like new. All of this does, of course make the Brand Dealership Used cars priced on the higher end. Be ready to haggle!
Buying a used car or "pre-owned" car can make a lot of sense regardless of where you buy one.
Any new car will drop 25 - 40% once it drives off the lot. In this day and age of better cars and cars lasting over 100k miles, used cars, especially almost any Japanese car, can last to well over 200k miles and you get an even better price. Again, make sure the Car Fax checks out!
BIG MYTH: "When you buy a used car, you're buying someone else's problem"Not necessarily so. Many used cars are lease turn ins. Many used cars the owners simply out grew the car or, like so many people on the road, they just like to trade cars often and change cars like underwear!
Following are some tips on how to maneuver through the sometimes shark infested waters of used car dealerships.
1. Know what you want. Or at least, have an idea. Do you want an economy car? A luxury sedan? An SUV? You will find a good selection on some of the many Used Car lots that dot our landscapes. A good way to shop discreetly is to shop online. Compare similar models and makes.
Check Consumer Reports for Best Used Car deals or the Kelly Blue Book online.
2. What will it cost? Once you have an idea of what you want, get an idea of what it would cost. The most popular and the oldest service is Kelly Blue Book. At KBB, you can select practically any model, make and year of vehicle and get a "good-better-best" price, depending on the vehicle condition and various features. With KBB, you can get a general idea of pricing or even narrow it down to specific features. For instance, if that cool sports sedan you've spotted at a lot has leather upholstery and alloy rims vs. cloth seats and wheel covers, then you'll pay more for the leather and rims. Also, you MUST know what the mileage on the car you are interested in. Cars with over 100,000 miles automatically drop in price compared to similar cars with under 100k miles.
3. Get a Car Fax report! A Car Fax report provides the detailed history of practically any vehicle on the road today.. To do this you need to accurately write down the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
A Car Fax report will tell you a LOT! It will tell you important stuff like: Has the car been wrecked? Total loss? Has the car been in a flood? Are there any recalls? Has the air bag ever been deployed? Has this car been "salvaged"? Has the car been inspected annually? How many owners and where? If the car you are interested in has been through several owners, that could be a red flag so pay attention to the number of owners in the past.
These are important things to know before even taking a test drive! You can get the Car Fax yourself, or ask the dealer to present you with a recent Car Fax Report.
NOTE: Any good used car dealer ship will likely have one on file and gladly show it to you.
IF this dealer Fancy Dances around this issue, then move on!
4. Visually Inspect the Car yourself! Walk around it and look at the fit and finish. Not all wrecked cars will be reported, but if you see uneven spaces between the doors, and hood and fender, then watch out! Check for "over spray". If the car was repainted, it may not show up on a Car Fax either. Look around the black moldings, and exterior fittings like headlights, door handles, etc. If you see "over spray" it likely means the car has been repainted. Now, for a car older than 10 years it could be perfectly reasonable to have a re-paint. Just try and find out who and where the work was done.
5. Look Under the hood. Even if you are clueless at what you are looking at, do this anyway. Is the engine clean? Is there mud on the inner sides? What do the battery cables look like? Clean or corrosion built up? Not good if the engine area is not spotless and had a good steam cleaning.
6. Check the oil and all the other fluid levels. This seems obvious, but still, you want to know if the oil has been changed and the fluids - brake and transmission -- are topped off. If any of these levels are low - RED FLAG!
7. Inspect the tire tread. A method for checking tread depth is to insert a penny in one of the grooves with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. If you can see the top of old Abe's head, it is time to replace your tires and make sure the dealer knows this is a concern. At the bargaining table, you may get a new set of tires!
8. Inspect the wiper blades. Normal wear and tear on wiper blades are common, but if you are buying this car from a dealership of any kind, you should have fresh wiper blades.
Once you're satisfied that the car you are looking at is worth of your attention, THEN and ONLY then take if for a test drive!
Next step Test Drive!9. The salesman may or may not give you some BS about him driving the car off the lot and down the street some distance to switch for "insurance" reasons. Not true! They want to keep as much control over the process as possible that's all.
There are several things to look and listen for when starting out:
10. Start the engine with the window down so you can HEAR and SEE what its like.
Is the muffler quiet? Is there smoke blowing out?
11. Assuming you are in an automatic, move the transmission back and forth between the gears,
"P", "D", "R", "N" etc... does if shift easily? What does it sound like when you put it into the drive gear? If there is a CLANK sound, look out, could be trouble!
12. If it's a manual drive, make sure the gears shift easily from one gear to the next. Test the clutch.
Is there a lot of "play" when you press down before the clutch catches? If there is "play" then the clutch could be worn.
13. Driving. First, get into an open stretch and accelerate as fast as possible. Is the acceleration smooth? Does it hesitate or halt or stop? Not good!
14. BreakingNext, apply the brakes firmly but don't slam on the brakes. Does the car swerve to the left or right? If so, could be alignment problems. Not good! How far does the brake pedal go before engaging? If a lot, then the car may need brake work. If it goes to the floor, then you have real brake problems.
15. Interior Controls.Does the Air Conditioning work and blow cold? Is the heater working? How's the stereo?
Do the power windows roll up? Do the crank windows roll up easily?
Do the locks work? Make sure you take the time to learn about the interior aspects of your potential next car.
16. Take the car for a good drive! Have fun! Crank up the stereo! Bring along a CD to play!
Drive in traffic as well as on an Interstate Highway if possible. Listen for any unusual noises or loudness. Accelerate and brake frequently to test the car's responsiveness.
Okay, you took the Test Drive, you think you love the car, now what?
Make sure you have paid attention to steps 1, 2 and 3. Demand a Car Fax report. Always seriously pour over the report as if you were preparing your Last Will and Testament.
NEVER let the sales person know you are totally thrilled with the car or in any way desperate for a car. This opens up an opportunity to be taken advantage of.

Also, if you want to trade your old ride for a new one, NEVER tell the dealership you intend to trade up front because this can skew the numbers you are being offered. You ALWAYS want to know what the car will cost BEFORE the trade!
It goes without saying you need to be ready to walk away from any deal you are offered. If it smells fishy, it probably is! DO NOT let your emotions get the best of you! There's always as good or better car out there with your name on it!
In summary, be like the Boy Scouts whose motto is: "Be Prepared" and you will likely find a good car you can live with for several years or more.

Collect this Car, it's a Classic! - National Car

Collecting Cars for Fun and Profit
Antique and classic cars are being collected now more than ever. Classic car collectors learn their hobby over years and years of research and browsing, even attending a half dozen or more car shows each year. However, some basic information is available to help anyone begin the lifelong passion of collecting antique automobiles.
Definition of a Classic Car
A classic car is one that is more than 15-years old, while an antique car is more than 25-years old. A vintage car dates from the 1930's or older. As well, there are different car eras, such as the Vintage Car Era, Classic Car Era, Muscle Car Era, and so on, and this is also important to understand.
Display and Drivable Cars
Some antique car collectors drive their cars everywhere, while others have theirs for display purposes only. Display cars often have the benefit of needing less maintenance to keep their classic feel and pristine condition. If you want to drive your classic car, remember that it will require more money for such services as paint and wax jobs, engine work, and inspections. Not only do antique cars lack modern safety features such as airbags and anti-lock brakes, but vintage cars may also lack modern conveniences like power steering, stereo systems, or even heat.
Expenses
Antique car collectors know that antique cars in general are very expensive investments, but there are several ways to cut these costs and make collecting cars an even more enjoyable experience. Many cars are simply left to rust away in lawns or in junkyards. These cars can often be bought at a real bargain for even a few dollars. However, the cheaper these cars are usually indicates what shape they come in. Therefore, several decisions must be made concerning the usability of the cars. Will they be driven? Do they need a new engine? What use will they have on a daily basis?
With some body work to remove rust and replace irreparable damage, these cars can even receive new interiors and engines. The most common work is a brand new paint job (the most noticeable and appreciable work), so a good deal can cost as little as $1000. With an interest in automobiles and a modest income, restoring antique cars can be the lifelong hobby of antique car collectors.
Ratings for Antique Car Appraisal
An antique car appraisal must be based on uniform standards to get a correct appraisal.
Parts Car, this means that the car is only to be used for individual car parts. The car itself has no value except for the individual parts that can be taken from it and used in other cars. The car might not be a candidate for restoration, and therefore appraisers will not waste other people's time and money by declaring it usable except for parts.
Restorable, means the car in question has potential to be restored. The car model and make must still be recognizable to warrant this antique car appraisal rating. It may also need a complete body, chassis and interior restoration if it is appraised in this condition. Most likely the engine will also need some attention as well as the exterior, but not to the point that you restore more than a third of the body, chassis or interior.
Good, this antique car appraisal means that the automobile may need just a little tweaking to make it functional. The quality of restoration of the automobile may also affect the antique car appraisal. If it is functional yet the quality of restoration is poor, then the price will still not go up despite its good condition. The antique car appraisal should always include the quality of the restoration.
A Very Good antique car appraisal could mean that the automobile is functional and the amateur restoration is passable. The restoration might be rated as older or worn out to some extent but not as bad as expected. A Very Good antique car appraisal might be considered presentable and serviceable in the interior and exterior.
Fine is the antique car appraisal that means the automobile is restored very well and its original parts are well maintained to the point that they are in good working order.
The Excellent antique car appraisal means that the car in question has been restored to excellent professional standards and could possibly be a show car that is not driven or worn out but maintained for aesthetic purposes.
Antique Car Pricing
Antique car pricing depends on many different factors, and antique car pricing can vary from year to year. The prices can also vary depending on the point of sale. Antique car pricing depends on the age of the car, the condition of the car and special features on a car.
An antique car that is very old might be much more expensive than a newer classic car. These car prices fluctuate like more modern cars depending upon the condition. An antique car that is in mint condition could cost ten thousand dollars more than the same model in poor condition. Antique car pricing can also vary depending on the mechanics of the car. One that is road-ready will cost much more than one that looks good but does not move on the streets.
Antique car pricing depends on the year and the condition of the car, but the pricing can also depend on many of the various features in each car. Some of the classic cars have radios that actually still work while the older cars never do. Some of these cars have original mirrors while others have modern replicas. The fabric used in the interior could have a significant impact on the prices of antique cars; if the fabric in the interior is the original and in great condition, this is important in the price of the vehicle.

Many collectors of classic cars base their prices of the cars they have on a price guide. The antique car price guide gives approximations of how much a certain model of automobile may cost these days. The prices found in the antique car price guide are somewhat loosely approximated because not all cars of the same make and model are restored professionally or even restored properly. Popular price guides include MacRAE's Blue Book online, and Kelley Blue Book.
The hobby of collecting antique and classic cars can be fun and enjoyable, and it can also incredibly rewarding, especially financially. As long as you are informed and take the situation seriously, you should not have any problems, and not only will you have a great time but as well can make quite a bit of profit for yourself if you go about things in the right way.

Your First Car In USA - National Car

Your mobility depends too much on your possession of a private vehicle. You may go for a car, motorcycle or truck as your own vehicle. But due to severe weather conditions in many regions it is not a good idea to depend on motorcycles all the time. It is also not a good idea to have a truck or SUV as they drink lot of gas and the maintenance is high. Somewhere in the middle and perfectly positioned vehicle for Desi would be a car. There are various types of cars to suite your need.
What you should have
If you are a single man and do not depend primarily on your car for commuting to your work, then go for anything as you wish.
There are coupes which have capacity for 4 persons but only two big doors. Primarily these cars are designed keeping in view for two, driver and one passenger. The other model is the sedan which has capacity for 5 and has 4 doors. This can also be called a family car. Depending on the size of the car, they are categorized as Compact, Mid-sized and Full. Compact cars are very small in size and have a good mileage per gallon too. Some manufacturers even make two seated compact cars. The power of the compact car is also little less than the cars of other categories. There are other cars that have powerful engines and are rated as sports cars.
On the contrary, if you have a big family and need more space in your vehicle, then go for van/SUV. But I wont suggest this idea to people who have just come to US, before/after marriage and don't have any kids.
Besides, it is always your dream and desire that makes you to go for a particular type and model. But before deciding upon something, you must give a thought to the other factors like, the mileage, sitting capacity, transmission, trunk capacity, engine power, ease of driving/safety, interior, power doors and anti-theft devices. Also your affordability plays a major role in purchasing a vehicle.
Do you have a driver license yet? It is most important to have one before going for a vehicle. Various states have different rules for issuing drivers license. You can logon to Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) sites to know about the pre-requisites and methods of getting one driver license for your state. Normally it involves a written examination, minor vision test and a road test.
The never-ending comparison
Now you have to decide whether to buy a new car or a used car. I wont suggest you any thing or force you to go for what I think is right, but you must know the good and bad things involved in each.
Used Cars
* They are cheaper.
* They may be old.
* They might have more than one owner.
* They could be purchased from private parties or authorized dealers.
* They might have gone through serious maintenance/repair in the past.
* They might have gone through an accident in the past.
* Some parts/components are just about to die.
* There may not be enough warranty/guaranty on some expensive parts.
* The mileage may not be good.
* They may need more maintenance.
* They may not be reliable for long drives.
* Resale may be a headache.
New Cars
* They are not cheap.
* They are covered under manufacturer/dealer warranty.
* Their fuel efficiency must meet the specification.
* There is the satisfaction of owning a new car.
* Easy to get a finance for new car than a used car.
* No need to worry about the engine, body, suspension, tyre, batteries and interior conditions.
* Insurance premium may be higher.
* Can only be bought from an authorized dealer.
There are many other things that can be discussed as advantages and disadvantages under both the headings. However, I don't want to focus on them right now. If you are convinced to buy a new car, then go for it.
Your target
Now it is the time for you to decide the Make, Model and Type of your car. In US you will find hundreds of Make and Models (no Hind Motors/Maruti cars of course). From a Desi prospect I would say it is better to start with Honda/Toyota/Nissan. These Japanese car manufacturers know our requirement and never ditch us on the highways. The engines are good and prices are low. They run long enough before giving up. The life of a Honda/Toyota is considered to be 300K miles. But the look and interior designs are not at par with the American/European cars.
Buying a New Car
Take a cup of coffee, chat with your friends and go through some reviews before you decide upon the make model and color of your first dream car in USA. Check for the existing/upcoming models of your car by logging onto the sites. Select the color and interior and look at the car through the simulator. The most important thing that you must consider here is that, when the next model is going to be released. If it is very soon, then don't go for it, because after you buy your car, you will see the newer model in the market and the resale value of your car will fall drastically.
Cars with automatic transmission and power window have good resale value. ABS and anti-theft devices are added advantages. Leather interior is as per your wish.
Now you have all the details in your mind and the budget is also finalized. Next step is to study the finance market and look for the bank/credit union who gives the best APR. Also don't forget to decide upon your auto insurance. Find out a good insurance company and try to get a quote from them. The premium varies from place to place. With all these things set up, go to the Auto-Mall of your city. Go for a test drive for the car you have already decided. Beware of the car sales representatives. They will always try to sale you the most expensive car they have. But you shouldn't deviate from your decision. Try to bargain with them for a possible reduction in their margin and ask for extra accessories.
What is the status of the loan? Have you arranged one or you want the dealer to make some arrangements for you? Always try to bring down the APR. If you are very new to US and don't have any credit score, you may not get a good APR. However, dont worry about the APR right now. You can always refinance the loan with a better APR after you buildup the credit history after few months of repayment of the loan.
Once the deal is final, you need to sign some papers and then provide the Insurance details if you have. Otherwise, you could also provide the insurance agents phone number and the sales representative will talk to the insurance agent to get the car insured before leaving their premises (dont worry too much for the insurance premiums now, it is important to get your car insured before you drive out of the dealers premises, however you can easily change your insurance later, if you find a better one). In case you didn't get any insurance, you can always go for binder insurance, but they are quite expensive, but you can always cancel them in the middle once you establish your insurance with somebody else and get the refund for the unused portion of your premium.
The next thing is to make the financial paper work. You will be guided to the dealers accounts department and one of the accountants will assist you in finalizing the loan and payment for the car. At that time they will try to sale an extended warranty for another 3 years after the manufacturers warranty. It is you who will decide for that. Don't listen to them, but evaluate it being unbiased. They will try to sale so many other things like paint guard, gap insurance etc. I would suggest not to go with all these things except paint-guard.
After everything is over, they will apply for the vehicle registration/license plate to DMV on your behalf and give you the temporary ownership license (stuck to the windshield of your car). As far as I know, they wash the car and give you a full tank as a compliment before you drive your car back home.
New cars don't give you much trouble as long as you do all the regular oil change and maintenance in time.
Buying a Used Car
Used cars are good but not as new cars. They are much cheaper than the new cars, but at the cost of your peace of mind. You can buy used cars from either a private party or from any dealer. Here also you have to decide your budget and the make, model and year of the car that you need. Also the other main factor is the odometer reading.
There are many sites that give you the links for used cars for sale. You can also refer to the local news papers for any such advertisement. There are places in some cities where people come with their cars for auction/sale. Since you are new, don't go to such places. Rather get contact information from news paper ads or internet. Get the details of the car like make, model and year of the car, miles it has run, condition of batteries, tires and engine condition etc.
Now go to Kelly Blue Book (www.kbb.com) or Edmund (www.edmund.com) and try to evaluate the car. KBB will ask you some question depending upon the private trading or buying from dealer. After you enter data about the private trading car, it will show you an approximate value of the car.
Private Party
If you are buying a used car from a private party, then you need to be more cautious about certain things like, the engine condition, the body condition, the interior and the accident/maintenance history of the car. Don't go for cars that have already run almost 300K miles (for Honda and Toyota). You can start locating for used cars for sale from various sources like, news papers, local ads and internet. After locating the availability near your place, prepare your matrix.
* Call each of them to fix an appointment for trial.
* Get the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) from the owner.
* Check for the approximate cost of the car using KBB or EDMUND sites.
* Compare the advertised price with the approximate cost that you arrived at.
* Use the VIN to find out accident/maintenance history from CarFax.com and check for any major incident. There will be a registration fee for CarFax.com, go for the one month pack.
* Talk to a mechanic for pre-purchase inspection of the vehicle. Mechanics charge around $50 per car. It is better to go to some brand names like Pep-Boys. They are good and reliable, but you may need to take an appointment beforehand.
* Go to the owner, see the car physically (for any visible dents, body color, torn airbag containers and interior) and then drive it with the owner.
* Take the car to the mechanic and have it inspected.
* (All the cars need a timing belt replacement after running for around 100K miles, so if the car is around or over 100K, then you need to figure out if the timing belt has been replaced, this information could be obtained from the CarFax report too. One thing you must remember that, in US, the auto spare parts are not that expensive, but the labor charge to install them is too high.)
* The mechanic will give you a report, in which it will indicate the current condition of the car and what needs to be fixed with a rough estimation.
* Check for the vehicle registration, is it current?
* Is the vehicle smog certified?
With the Kelly Blue Book report, CarFax report and the mechanics report, you can have a good bargain with the owner. If you really like the car and every thing looks OK to you, then start bargaining. Don't focus more on the tires/batteries, they are not that important as the engine.
NEVER BUY A CAR THAT HAS A SALVAGED TITLE.
Once you have decided to buy the car, talk to the owner about the payment and mode of payment (check or cash). The owner has to give you a pink slip indicating that you paid for the car and it is yours now. He cant simply lodge a complaint with the police saying you have stolen his car. It is his duty to inform the DMV office about the sale and transfer of title. You should also apply to DMV for transferring the title to your name. For registration, you will need the pink slip, the insurance (get one immediately) and smog certification. After you apply for the transfer of the vehicle registration into your name, you are the proud owner of the car.
It is too cumbersome to buy a used car from a private party, sometimes it is too risky and in all the cases it is damn cheaper. For some unlucky guys it might have resulted in spending huge money on maintenance the next day. But it is not always true. However, you are supposed to visit the mechanic frequently and spend lot of time there.
Buying from Dealer
The next best thing that you can do is to buy a used car from a dealer. It may not be as cheaper as buying from private party, but 100 times more reliable. Even some dealers give warranty on the used cars they sale. They buy the used cars, clean them up, do a thorough checking of the engine and repair any damages, dents etc before putting them on sale. You don't have to take the car to a mechanic for inspection, worry about the smog certification. But never forget to check the approximate price through KBB and have a CarFax report handy before making a deal with the dealer. Normally, good dealers don't keep cars for sale that have any major issues like bad accident history, salvaged title etc.
Go to the dealer, talk to the sales representative about your purpose. He/she will show you all the different used cars they have that fits your requirement as well as your budget. Once you have selected the model, make and color, go for a test drive (don't forget to check the odometer reading). If everything feels ok to you, then go to the dealers office and access their computer to logon to KBB for approximate pricing as well as to CarFax for accident/maintenance history for that car. Some dealers even do this for free. Now with all these things handy, start the bargain. You must always consider the worry free deal with the worth of the vehicle you are paying for. You may end up paying a little more than that of a private party deal, but there wont be any worries after you buy the car. If there will be any problem with the car (which is covered under warranty), you can always comeback to the dealer for having it fixed for free. The dealer may also arrange a loan for you and take care of the other formalities like title transfer etc. You will save a lot of time/worries in this. Time is important and costly in this country. So it is your call again.
After you finalize the deal, it follows the same process as a new car purchase. So finish all paper work and drive the car safely back home.

Tips
* If you own an old used car that needs maintenance and the mechanic gives you a list of jobs to be done, then do all of them once. That way you may save a lot of labor charge.
* As per my experience, buying a new car is always better than buying a used car from a dealer and buying a used car from a dealer is always safer than buying a used car from a third party.
* It seems to be a huge amount in the beginning to buy a new car. But if you compare the money spent for new (repay the loan) and used car (repair/maintenance), then over a period of 3 years they will almost equate with each other. So, why not to enjoy the ride of a new car.

DomestiA c Rental is Cheaper From a National Car Rental Chain erators

Exotic car rental companies specialize in exciting foreign autos. These are rented out at exorbitant fees. These exotic rental agencies specialize in a single type of automobile offering a variety of German, Italian, as well as other cars such as sporty cars like Jeep Wranglers.
Some exotic rental companies are mostly situated in highly affluent districts and often inside of airports, and at hot vacations spots such as Miami or Las Vegas. You probably feel that your experience of the wind whistling through your hair as you roar down the Las Vega Strip through in your brand new Porsche, Carrera Cabriolet, make it all worthwhile, but there are numerous sources of information that you need to know before lowering the top.
Exotic cars are expensive and individuals tend to drive these cars really fast. They often claim that the car runs better when it's driven fast. Then again, the odds of being involved in a traffic accident rise with a car's sex appeal. On the other hand, domestic car rental companies are better handled through national chains when renting non-sexy cars.
Can you say 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder? Me neither, but I can drive it! The Internet based Encarta Dictionary defines the word Exotic, as 'Strikingly unusual, often colorful and exciting...' Automobiles considered exotic are very costly to own and maintain. This is the reason that most agencies renting this type of car are privately owned and expensive to deal with. Large national chains such as Hertz, or Avis will not likely rent you anything more than a Ford Focus. Should you require something really luxurious you might find a Chrysler Sebring.
There are negatives with Exotic rentals. The agencies in this business charge excessive fees and should you return the car with a scratch or any damage you will be charged for the full car. For that reason, you will want to buy insurance and a warranty. You'll also wish to buy roadside assistance. If you plan on racing down the Strip you may want to be insured. Larger rental companies offer more extensive contracts and insurance. They keep you covered in case of an accident. And, you can still put the top down while you roar down the highway in your Chrysler Sebring.
Domestic Car Rental
Let's face it if you're going to rent a domestic car then a national chain is definitely your best choice. Renting and exotic car for weekend fun it can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars then a national rental agency is just not practical. These companies just don't have the expertise. Rent from the experts and enjoy your exotic car experience. Then party on the Strip and buy shots for all your friends while you gamble the night away in Sin City.