Car Buying Tips - First Impressions

First impressions usually last.

Though not always true, in buying cars, you can gather a great deal of information by just observing how car salespersons deal with you. Usually, these non-verbal signals are fairly correct enough to give you a good idea of what to expect from the salesperson and your car purchasing experience.

If at any time you feel that the person selling you the car is not trustworthy or you simply do not like him or her, always remember that you have the option to leave.  And, time is precious, especially yours.  So do not waste it.  You are always free to politely walk away, anytime, anywhere, and in any way you like it.  

But if there are just a few car dealers in your area, you may want to linger for a few moments more and wait until the negotiations you have with your dealer breaks down and you simply have no option but to run off.

The Invoice Price

Another thing to consider when buying a car is the invoice price.  Make sure to ask that you see the invoice.  If dealers are working their tails off against it, you have enough reason to believe that the car being offered is an unpleasant deal.

Usually, the price on the invoice is the cost the dealer paid the manufacturer for buying the car. This is before any rebates or incentives were included.  Once this is known, only then will you have an idea as to how much the dealer could profit from each vehicle sold.  Knowing this information could enable you to feel more confident in negotiating the price.

You may also run across this occasionally when purchasing a “used car.”  This would occur primarily where you are buying a very late model used car with low mileage and still under the factory warranty.

The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price

In layman’s terms, this is commonly called the sticker price.  This is the price one usually sees in the window of the car that is being sold.

Never ever consider paying the amount stated on the sticker price.  This amount is just the starting point to your negotiations with the dealer.

Basic Car Buying Tips

Besides the obvious reason, that being transportation, just like water a car is now considered a necessity in most urban areas.

One of the reasons to consider when buying a car is if the vehicle being purchased is a good deal.
Is it in good condition?

How long a life does it have left?

Is it an excellent ride?

Does it have a great warranty, etc.

As we said, it’s virtually impossible to get along without a car and if you can’t afford a new car, following are some basic reasons you should consider when making that all important car purchase.

Is it a good buy?

The best time period to buy a car is later in the month. Usually, there are numerous rebate programs and bonuses offered by month’s end based on a dealer’s monthly sales quotas. The idea is, sometimes dealers fall short of meeting their sales objectives if their performance is assessed by the end of the month.

This happens more often than not. The result of this is good news to most car buyers. Since dealers are more desperate to meet their quotas, they now have no choice but to sell the vehicle at a lesser than normal price just to make the sales they need to meet their goals.

Peace of mind

Sometimes dealers will do a “dog and pony show” just for them to make that sale. The result is that car buyers then end up with features that they realize later on they do not really need with a price they actually could not afford. The moral? Don’t buy more than you absolutely need. Avoid unnecessary stress and/or sleepless nights.

Always remember to trust your instincts. If ever you feel in doubt, the answer to that is don’t — do not let yourself be pressured into making that purchase now. This is the common strategy of car dealers where they would compel the customer to buy that car, now, this moment, today!

Do not forget that you can always sleep on it and then decide. This is a lot better than making your mind up now and forever holding your peace. If the car is gone the next day, there’s probably a good reason why you shouldn’t have had it in the first place.

How Hybrid Cars Work

Many consumers aren’t satisfied to know that hybrid cars achieve excellent fuel economy and reduced emmissions, but also are also curious about how they work.  Three primary components are integrated to make a hybrid: an internal combustion gas engine, an electric motor and a high-powered battery.

A process called regenerative braking is used to capture energy and charge the battery.  This is energy that would normally be lost during coasting or decelerating.  The battery which is continuously recharged through this process provides power to the electric motor. 

If necessary, power from the gasoline engine may also be diverted to charge the battery.  These charging strategies create an electrical power system that never needs to be plugged in to charge from an external source.

Those are the basics of hybrid cars in general.  We will divide hybrids into two categories to examine further how the three components work together.  Each category of hybrids incorporates the three components in its own way.

Mild Hybrids -
In the mild hybrid configuration the electric motor is not able to function independently of the gas internal combustion engine.  The vehicle is powered primarily by the gas engine, and the electric motor only provides supplemental power to assist when needed.

The electric motor is capable of drawing energy from the battery or generating electricity to charge the battery, but it isn’t capable of doing both at the same time.  The Honda Civic and Insight are mild hybrid cars.

Full Hybrids -
Full hybrid cars integrate the three components in a way that allows the electric motor and the gas engine to operate independently of each other.  For instance the electric motor is capable of operating on its own to provide light acceleration at low speeds.  The gas engine then starts up and takes over at higher speeds.  Both the electric motor and gas engine can operate in unison when more power is needed during hard acceleration, such as when climbing hills.  Full hybrids are also able to draw energy from the battery and charge it at the same time.  The Toyota Prius and Ford Escape are full hybrids.

Despite their differences, both types of hybrid cars achieve the goal of increased fuel economy and decreased emissions over standard gas or diesel powered vehicles.