 Auto,
Truck and SUV Maintenance Tips
Save money by getting auto service for your vehicle
at the right time, and by learning how to check oil
and antifreeze and monitor tire pressure and tread wear.
If you're handy with tools and have space to work on
your car or truck, you might want to learn how to change
your car or truck's oil and oil filter, replace your
wiper blades and air filters and perform other basic
automotive maintenance on your car or truck yourself.
You can save money and know the job was done correctly.
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These articles offer basic know-how for maintaining
your second most expensive investment after your
home: your personal car, truck or SUV.
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Money
Saving Auto Tips
Used with permission - Thriftyfun.com
Rolling Existing Car Loans Into a New Car Purchase
Don't buy a new car if you haven't paid off your old
one unless you have equity accumulated. One common practice
at dealerships is to offer to roll the balance of an
existing loan into the financing for a new car. It usually
creates a situation where you are taking a loan that
is greater than the value of the car you are buying.
While this makes it easy to leave the car lot with a
sparkling new car, it's bad practice for consumers and
a financial boon for dealers and lenders. Anything that
is good for them, is usually bad for you.
20% Down on New Cars
When buying a new or used car from a dealer, make a
down payment of at least 20%. That will be a enough
to cover taxes and most of the vehicle's first year
depreciation. Dealerships will gladly sell you a car
with less down, but that will leave you with an upside
down loan for years. An upside down loans means you
owe more than the car is worth.
The Benefits of Buying Used Cars
You can save a bundle on your next car purchase by
buying a used car. One of the common concerns I hear
from people about used cars is that they will require
expensive repairs sooner than new cars. There is no
question that repair bills can be outrageously expensive
but here's one way to look at it. If a new car costs
you $15,000 (or more) and a five year old version of
the same car costs $5,000, the difference in price leaves
you a lot of room to make repairs and still come out
on top.
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