Take Your Car On Vacation

Some people use their car only as an appliance. It is strictly a conveyance to get them from A to B, and they don’t get any more emotionally attached to their cars than they would to their vacuum cleaner, blender or garbage disposal. But then there are those of us who do get emotionally attached to our cars. We bond with our vehicles, and they, for all intents and purposes, become members of our families. They serve us faithfully and go with us to important functions. They are with us when memories are being made–occasions like family vacations, for example. Read more . . .

Is The Car Industry Nuts?

Everybody I know who attended the North American International Auto Show in Detroit left Cobo Hall shaking his or her head. In looking for common threads within the mind-boggling expensive exhibition of the latest wares from the world’s car companies one trend was obvious–there was no trend. Or, perhaps more accurately, there were several trends, some running in parallel but others clearly contradictory to one another. If one were to take a clinical view, one might say the auto industry is demonstrating a serious case of schizophrenia. And that disease, if indeed it is a disease, was never more apparent than at the press conferences that preceded the public opening of the Detroit auto show. Read more . . .

Cars Lasting Longer Than Ever

Interior of a red car

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If you think today’s cars are built better than those in the good old days, it isn’t just your imagination.   According to R. L. Polk & Co., the automotive data provider that tracks such things, current vehicles are less likely to go to the junk heap than ever. In 2005,  just 4.3% of total passenger cars and trucks were scrapped, and this overall motor vehicle scrappage rate represents a historic low, besting a mark set in 1949 when a slow startup of auto production after World War II meant new cars were hard to come by.

Another indication that cars are lasting longer is the increasing median age of U.S. vehicles, which has increased across all major vehicle categories.   Median car age  Read more . . .

What Makes A “Certified” Used Car?

Used cars were once the province of the somewhat shady lot on the corner lit with the bare electric bulbs, populated by guys and, rarely, gales, in bad suits. Consumers who bought from such locations knew they were taking a risk and they lived with it.

But that was then. Today, used vehicles are big business, and giant, publicly traded corporations and the vehicle manufacturers themselves are playing in what has become a much more competitive game. One of the many results of this intense competitive pressure is the phenomenon known as the Certified Pre-Owned vehicle or CPO car. Some have heralded the Certified Pre-Owned Read more . . .

How To Find The Right Used Car

There has never been a better time to buy a used vehicle than right now.   It’s true!   Previously owned vehicles last longer, are built better, and deliver more reliable service than ever in history. And many used vehicles can now be purchased with warranty and roadside assistance coverage, something that was unheard of in the day of buying a used vehicle “as is.”   But, while used-vehicle bargains are out there in vast numbers, choosing just the right one for you is still fraught with several challenges.   Making a bad buy can haunt you — and perhaps your credit — for years down the road.   Before purchasing a used vehicle, it’s essential to find out as much as you can about the vehicle’s maintenance history and any mechanical problems it might be hiding. Read more . . .