Posts from ‘Shopping’
What is the Doc Fee?
You’ve probably been asked to pay it, but do you know what the doc fee covers?
One challenge new-car customers face is determining the veracity of certain fees and charges that may be added to the price of the vehicle being purchased.
What is the Destination Charge?
Why are you paying to have your new car or truck delivered to the dealership? Read on:
There was a wonderful Wild West quality to the early days of the American auto industry. Though we largely associate Detroit, Michigan, with the manufacturing of cars and trucks, pioneering car companies had sprouted up all over the country by the early Twenties.
How Rebates Work
Instead of offering rebates, why don’t carmakers just lower the price of the car? Read on:
Automobile manufacturers rarely adjust vehicle prices during the course of a model year. Apart from the occasional–and usually small–midyear price increase, most cars and trucks remain the same price for a full 12 months.
Best Crossovers for $300 a Month
If you’re willing to live a little frugally, there are plenty of crossovers, new and used, available for around $300 a month.
Fact: Vehicles today are outfitted with more “stuff” than ever before. Standard safety equipment, sophisticated infotainment/connectivity systems, and a general desire for luxury features have combined to drive the average transaction price on new vehicles sold in the U.S. to almost $34,000. More sobering: The average transaction price on a new pickup comes in around $43,000.
One of the primary advantages of buying a new vehicle instead of a used car or truck is confidence—confidence that the vehicle you’re buying has not been neglected, abused, or in an accident, and is not otherwise prone to problems.
How Tire Sizes Work
The string of numbers found on the side of tires may seem confusing, but it’s easy enough to decode once you know what the numbers stand for. (Photo courtesy of Continental Tires.)
The easiest way to replace the tires on your vehicle is to work with a professional retailer who will help you identify the tires that best match the specifications of the car, as well as your wants and needs for ride quality, handling, and the types of roads and conditions in which you normally drive.
Best Buys for the City Dweller
2018 Toyota Yaris iA
The following article, written by Consumer Guide Publisher Tom Appel, first appeared in the “2018 Chicago Auto Show Official Show Guide.” Thanks to the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, producers of the Chicago Auto Show, for allowing us to share the text again here.
Thanks to easy access to ridesharing services such as Uber, Lyft, and Wingz, many urban dwellers have found that they can live free of the complications and costs of car ownership. On the occasion that short-hop transportation is needed, these car-free bon vivants turn to a smartphone app and order up a quick ride. Other times, public transportation suffices.
By now you’ve heard plenty about the eventual death of the traditional automobile. Word on the street is that consumers are abandoning their coupes and sedans for crossovers at a startling pace. Further, margins on crossovers are significantly higher these days, meaning that makers are putting more incentive cash into car deals to help move them out the door.
By Tim Healey
You’re in the market for a car. You’ve determined that buying new isn’t for you, at least for this vehicle purchase. As you do you research and start paying closer attention to car commercials on TV, you start hearing a certain term being thrown around—certified pre-owned.
At Consumer Guide®, we take pride in not simply reporting the fuel-economy number provided by a given test vehicle’s trip computer–and we don’t blindly accept the EPA’s numbers. Instead, we buy our own gas and do the math.
