Posts from ‘Used Cars’
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.
2001 Dodge Stratus R/T
Note: The following story was excerpted from the June 2021 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
For nearly 15 years, Dodge’s lone coupe model has been the throwback Challenger. Readers are surely familiar with its classic muscle car styling, rear-drive chassis, and Hemi V-8 with seemingly limitless amounts of horsepower. Therefore, we completely understand if you need a moment to recall Dodge’s last pre-Challenger sports coupe, not to mention what its friskiest variant was called. Give up? It was the 2001-2005 Stratus R/T.
1998 Lincoln Town Car Touring Sedan
Note: The following story was excerpted from the February 2021 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
For decades, the prototypical American luxury automobile was a full-size sedan often utilizing body-on-frame construction. Cadillac’s last of the type was the 1996 Fleetwood. Lincoln stuck with the recipe and offered Town Cars through 2011. For a while, 1998-2002 to be exact, one of them was the warmed-up Touring Sedan.
1994 Buick Regal GS
Note: The following story was excerpted from the December 2020 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
Some of the hottest cars out of Detroit in 1987 were Buick Regals. The Grand National and limited-production GNX were seriously fast and commanded respect on the street and at the strip. It was also the end of an era, because a new front-wheel-drive Regal was being readied for 1988 and turbocharged muscle was not part of its equation. The sportiest new Regal was the Gran Sport coupe, and its 1992-96 iteration can make for some fun cheap wheels.
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.
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.
1990 Mercedes-Benz 500SL
Note: The following story was excerpted from the October 2020 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
The word “cheap” usually isn’t associated with the Mercedes-Benz SL. But we think the unexpected can make great cheap wheels, so let’s take a look at the 1990-1993 Mercedes-Benz 500SL and 1994-1998 SL500—all of which are unexpectedly affordable these days, even in very good condition.
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.
How to Finance Your Car
By Jim Flammang
Paying cash for your next car? Don’t laugh. Quite a few families and individuals do, shunning the entire financing process. In fact, the number of shoppers who finance their vehicle has been declining.
Should I Buy a Car From CarMax?
By Jim Flammang
From a distance, a CarMax used-car store might not look much different from a traditional dealership. Most likely, its sales lot and showroom are positioned within a string of competitive auto retailers that operate much like their predecessors, half a century ago.
