Posts from ‘Shopping’
Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast
Whether you drive a car, need a car, or just occasionally bum a ride with friends, you’ve come to the right place. Join the editors of Consumer Guide Automotive as they break down everything that’s going on in the auto world. New-car reviews, shopping tips, driving green, electric cars, classic cars, and plenty of great guests. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast.
Dealer markup sticker on a 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III
It’s no secret: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related supply-chain issues, new-vehicle transaction prices have shot upward over the last couple years. Stories of jaw-dropping dealer markups—especially for popular vehicles—are now commonplace… so much so that some sort of markup on a new vehicle is more or less the rule, rather than the exception. On a recent Sunday road trip through Western Illinois, I came across a small-town Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram dealership with a few brand-new vehicles on its lot, so I decided to do a little boots-on-the-ground research. What I found was this: This particular dealer is asking full sticker, full sticker plus $5000, or full sticker plus $10,000 for the new vehicles it has in inventory. And, there isn’t very much in inventory.
The Last Old-Man Cars
Chrysler 300
My father has owned a total of one non-American-brand vehicles in his life. That vehicle was a 1999 Subaru Forester, which he purchased used from me. Now in his eighties, my dad has never strayed too far from a core vehicle type—that being a largish sedan featuring inoffensive styling and something more than 4-cylinder power under the hood. In reverse order, his most recent cars include a Chrysler 300, Buick Lucerne, Oldsmobile Aurora, and an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.
Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast
Whether you drive a car, need a car, or just occasionally bum a ride with friends, you’ve come to the right place. Join the editors of Consumer Guide Automotive as they break down everything that’s going on in the auto world. New-car reviews, shopping tips, driving green, electric cars, classic cars, and plenty of great guests. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast.
Car Buying Goes Digital
Are online research and digital transactions threatening traditional auto dealerships?
By Jim Flammang
Especially during the pandemic, the whole world seems to have turned digital. Cash is disappearing as a method of payment. So are presentations of traditional plastic credit cards, as customers use their phones to access payment apps. Writing checks each month? They already sound old-fashioned in this age of online everything.
Ford, Hyundai, and Kia Tie for Most Awarded Brand, With Five Best Buy Models Each
Honda Brand Claims Four Best Buys
In June of 2017, my wife and I purchased a 2014 Nissan Juke for our teenage daughter. While this may sound like an extravagant present, it wasn’t really a gift at all. Truth be known, my kid wanted no part of driving, but my wife and I wanted no part of chauffeuring her to 6:00 AM water-polo practice five mornings a week. The car has served us well, and is now with our youngster at a college about 200 miles from our suburban Chicago home.
By Jim Flammang
Should we be scared of the “repo man?” In caper films and comedy TV series, the fellow who shows up at your driveway to snatch your car is typically depicted as a nefarious intruder, laughing at the law as he speeds away with your vehicle in tow. All because you missed a monthly payment.
Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast
Whether you drive a car, need a car, or just occasionally bum a ride with friends, you’ve come to the right place. Join the editors of Consumer Guide Automotive as they break down everything that’s going on in the auto world. New-car reviews, shopping tips, driving green, electric cars, classic cars, and plenty of great guests. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast.
By Jim Flammang
Judging by the promotional efforts of online “software platforms,” potential customers are eager to abandon traditional car dealerships and make their next vehicle purchase digitally. Instead of facing potentially pushy salespeople, younger shoppers in particular appear inclined to dash through the buying process hurriedly, using fingertips on a touchscreen.
