Strategies for Smart Car Buyers
Dealing with Car Dealers
August 20, 2008
The other night a warning light came on in one of our long-term cars. It was late on a Friday night, I was out of town, and I wasn't sure where to turn. Being an Internet junkie, I immediately went online to search for the nearest dealership, and in no time was able to set up an appointment online for the next morning. Sure, I could have just called them the next day, but there was something comforting about being able to secure a spot right then and there.
But before I made my appointment, I had entered my personal information on the dealership site and inadvertently clicked on "get a quote" instead of the "find appointment" button. When I realized what I'd done, I was petrified. "Oh no," I thought, "here it comes. I'm going to be harassed."
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- Laura Burstein August 20, 2008, 12:01 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
- Technorati Tags:
- dealerships, New cars
July 2, 2008
As if I haven't had enough problems with my newly-leased 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid. First the battery died as I tried to leave the car dealer's lot. Then, it died again two days later, requiring that it be towed and the battery replaced.
Now, the headliner -- the cloth that covers the roof interior -- is falling down. I've only had this vehicle one month. What happened to "vehicle quality"? Tomorrow I go to a nearby dealer to get it fixed... the whole headliner might need replacement. I just love hanging around dealership service departments; don't you?
But wait, there's more. The dealer's finance department messed up a date on the original contract, so the leasing company (Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation) thinks I took possession of the car two weeks before I actually did. Calling the dealership finance manager (twice or three times) to straighten things out (which NMAC told me to do) has been fruitless.
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- Joanne Helperin July 2, 2008, 5:01 AM
- Categories:
- Buying New Cars, Dealing with Car Dealers
- Technorati Tags:
- Car Dealers, Nissan Altima Hybrid
June 26, 2008
My newly-leased 2008 Nissan Altima is driving well. The battery hasn't died once since it was replaced.
True, the headliner (the cloth that covers inside of the car's roof) is starting to fall away over the left rear seat. I have to give my local Nissan dealership two days notice before I can bring it in to fix it...
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- Joanne Helperin June 26, 2008, 3:18 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
May 30, 2008
Nice, huh? Too bad it wouldn't start!
Yesterday I continued my story on how I came to choose the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid as my new ride, and the deal I got on it. What I didn't have room for, though, was the details on how the car died as I tried to leave the lot.
Yes, after a few hours with the salesman and the finance woman -- during which time I had to do all the paperwork twice because someone screwed up the VIN -- I was finally ready to leave. But my new car was missing floor mats, the navigation manual, and a second key. What's up with that? Well, these things get poached when a car is sitting on the lot for a while... Would I come back at a later date to get those things? Well, what choice did I have at that point?
The car had been gassed and washed (at least on the outside; the inside was still really dusty, as I found later.) But when I pushed the START button to drive it off the lot, nothing happened.
Was my foot on the brake, as required? Yes it was. I tried repeatedly, but no dice. The salesman tried, but again, no dice. He looked concerned. He said, "I don't get it, it was working fine all day." I looked back at him and said, "You know, this isn't supposed to happen, right?"
Right. So they jumped the car, got it started, and the battery continued to charge itself as the car ran. The salesman and I drove around the dealership for a mile or so just to make sure it wouldn't die, then I dropped him off and went home.
All went well for two days. Then, on Wednesday evening, aftering return from an event for Planet Green, the Discovery's Channel's new eco-lifestyle channel (launching June 4), I parked in front of my house and turned the car off. Two minutes later, when I went to take the babysitter home, the car wouldn't start. Dead in the water. I got the babysitter home using the Highlander (which I hadn't yet returned to the Toyota dealership yet), and went to work to figure the damn thing out.
I went through the manual till after midnight, then gave it a rest. In the morning, I prayed for a miracle, but there was nothing. So Thursday, after I returned from work, the Nissan dealership had my new car towed -- towed! -- back to the dealership for repairs. And there it still sits now.
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- Joanne Helperin May 30, 2008, 3:36 PM
- Categories:
- Dealing with Car Dealers, Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage
May 29, 2008
Love those lights: The interior of the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid.
Yesterday I wrote about changing my new car focus from a six+-seater to a sedan. Here's the continuation of that story, on how I chose my new ride, the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid.
I started looking at regular five-seater vehicles. I spent Sunday testing a ton of cars at Galpin Motors, because 1) they responded to my Edmunds quote request, and 2) they have Volvo, Ford, Saturn, Mazda, and Honda -- as well as five other brands -- all under one roof. My salesman from the Internet department, James K., was a mensch, letting me test drive everything I had my eye on without any pressure. (And no, he didn't know I was from Edmunds until later in the process.) I tried out everything from the small Mazda 3 (because the editors always loved that car, and after driving it, I could see why) to the Mazda CX-7, to the Ford Escape Hybrid, to the Volvo S40. All cars I had liked for one reason or another. The smaller cars on that list I ruled out because the back seat wasn't comfortable for three people.
So why not get the Mazda CX-7? I love the way Mazdas drive (the "zoom-zoom" ads are actually true). But SUVs are generally more expensive than sedans of the same size and get poorer fuel economy. In California, gas prices are already well over $4 / gallon. And prices are only going to go up. While it's true that hybrids don't yet make financial sense for most people (because the price premium for the hybrid usually outweighs the money saved on gas), that changes as gas prices rise. And besides, I'm even "greener" now than I used to be, and my husband and I really like the idea of less pollution / great fuel economy.
I started thinking: "family" sedan (for the rear seat) + great gas mileage + driving dynamics + style. Right there, that limited my list. I probably should have tested the Honda Accord -- but I was in overwhelm mode, and the Internet manager at the dealership needed his salesman back.
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- Joanne Helperin May 29, 2008, 4:26 PM
- Categories:
- Dealing with Car Dealers, Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, What Women Want in a Car
May 28, 2008
A few weeks ago, I asked for feedback on my next new car. Well, so much has changed since then, and I finally (finally!) made a decision over the Memorial Day Weekend: A 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid.
What happened?..
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- Joanne Helperin May 28, 2008, 2:08 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers, Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, The Car I Drove Last Night, What Women Want in a Car
May 7, 2008
Ward's Dealer Business, an industry publiciation, recently published a good article on women-owned dealerships. Here's an excerpt:
"Women bring a different approach and style to something that has been a man's world," [Deborah Dorman, president of ENYCAR, Inc., the Eastern New York Coalition of Automotive Retailers] says. "And what they bring helps the industry to prosper because of some of the old traditional methods and styles commonly used in auto retailing today are not effective for today's workforce."
Few women dealers woke up one morning and decided to buy a dealership. Most women dealers became dealers because their fathers were dealers before them or their husbands were...
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- Joanne Helperin May 7, 2008, 4:56 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
April 28, 2008
Time to take your car in for service? Before you call to make an appointment, check out this super useful tool we have on Edmunds.com. I was recently reminded of its existence in the Tips & Advice section after one of our editors posted about taking our long-term Hyundai Veracruz in for service this week. I wish I had known of its existence before I took my car to the dealer the last time (which was before I worked here)...
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- Bryn MacKinnon April 28, 2008, 12:50 PM
- Categories:
- Car Maintenance, Dealing with Car Dealers
April 3, 2008
Even if you're not working on Wall Street or an employee of one of the four airlines that failed in 2008, chances are you're feeling the pain of the slow economy. Gas prices up, unemployment up, spending money down. Sounds like a lousy time to buy some wheels...
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- Joanne Helperin April 3, 2008, 4:04 PM
- Categories:
- Dealing with Car Dealers, Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage
January 31, 2008
Nowadays when you hear the word "subprime," you think of the housing market. But subprime simply means that your credit isn't ideal, and it affects every loan you want to take out, including car loans.
What to do? You can get a car loan with bad credit; you just have to try a little harder...
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- Joanne Helperin January 31, 2008, 5:50 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
January 29, 2008
2008 Hyundai Azera... practically identical to the 2007, but you can get great deals on all remaining 2007 makes and models.
A little while ago, my brother ran over a stop sign. He made the mistake of trying to go back and forth to loosen it from the undercarriage of his old Buick...
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- Joanne Helperin January 29, 2008, 5:59 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
January 15, 2008
The best part of the Lexus booth was their spa loft. Sure, I loved the look of the
LF-A Roadster concept, the one with a V10 engine capable of 500 plus horsepower and a top speed of over 200 mph. All very nice.
But, after checking out their vehicles and hybrid technology, I couldn’t stop myself from floating up a cascade of white steps to an aromatherapy infused loft based in soothing music and scents of aromatherapy...
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- Holly Reich January 15, 2008, 12:55 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers, Hybrid Cars and Better Gas Mileage, What Women Want in a Car
January 4, 2008
Hey folks.
You've probably seen Edmunds'
CarSpace -- where consumers can discuss any automotive-related topic from shopping for cars to the specifics of makes and models. Now, the people in charge of CarSpace (the Community team) has just launched a new service to answer all your questions. Appropriately called
Edmunds' Answers, i
t's a social question and answer system where any member can ask an automotive question. Members of the community, including Edmunds employees, can answer these questions...Continue reading...
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- Joanne Helperin January 4, 2008, 5:09 PM
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- Car Maintenance, Car Safety, Dealing with Car Dealers, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
December 28, 2007
It never ceases to amaze me how many car ads there are this time of year. It feels as though 50 percent of all TV advertising is for cars. There are a lot of deals to be had now -- 0% financing, lease specials, etc...
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- Joanne Helperin December 28, 2007, 10:19 AM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
November 9, 2007
The automotive business is one place where a woman's skill set (compassion, communication, creativity, organizational skills and multitasking) is appreciated. Got your interest? Read on...
Last year, a free event hosted by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association
(GNYADA) was dubbed "Chocolate, Cars and Careers" to entice more women to attend...
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- Holly Reich November 9, 2007, 5:30 AM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers, Rants and Raves, What Women Want in a Car
August 21, 2007
Of course you know that there's more to test-driving a used car than listening to its radio while driving. Well, in case you didn't know that, you might want to check out our newest top 10 article,
Top 10 Tips on How To Test-Drive Used Cars. A professional race driver offers his tips on how to figure out if a used car is a safe, reliable value by just showing you what to look out for and how to drive it.
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- Caroline Pardilla August 21, 2007, 4:33 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
August 15, 2007
This is big.
Although we haven't formally announced it yet, Edmunds.com now gives the low-down on your local car dealers. It's called (appropriately) Dealer Ratings and Reviews. Just type in a make and your zip code, and voila, you can read dealership details, sales reviews, even services review!..
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- Joanne Helperin August 15, 2007, 5:12 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers, Rants and Raves
February 9, 2007
Saturn, long a brand favored by women because of it's no-haggle pricing and friendly dealership experience, is adding the cherry on top of it's consumer-friendly cake. With the new "Test Drive at Home" program, a Saturn dealer can now bring a new Saturn to your home or office so that you can test drive it from there. As a nice little bonus, the salesperson may even:
* Prepare specific routes to replicate your daily drive cycle
* Allow you to use the test drive to complete routine errands
* Pre-selecting music to match the your preferences
As part of the program, Saturn also offering a 24/7 chat feature with Saturn representatives on
Saturn.com...
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- Joanne Helperin February 9, 2007, 3:13 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers, What Women Want in a Car
February 5, 2007
From WardsAuto.com:
LAS VEGAS – Alabama dealer Tracy Shields Jones is named TIME Magazine’s Quality Dealer of the Year, making her the first woman to win the award.
Shields Jones, president of Century Automotive Group in Huntsville, AL, manages six franchises.
Other finalists for the award included David L. Cox of Noblesville, IN; Peggy A...
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- Joanne Helperin February 5, 2007, 11:19 AM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers, Rants and Raves
January 31, 2007
Forbes.com has an entertaining and enlightening article on the
biggest lies car dealers tell. It starts off with a longish apology of sorts for the working stiffs who sell cars -- how a few bad apples can spoil an otherwise honorable business for everybody. After all, it says, they lie no more often than other people:
If a car salesman claims that his lot's signature sedan offers a smoother ride than other guy's, is that any more dishonest than a brand of toothpaste claiming it gets teeth "as white as they can be" or a sign in a café window touting the "world's best coffee?"
It may not be more dishonest, but it is more harmful, as a tube of toothpaste or a cup of coffee won't set you back too much, but a bad deal on a car can cost hundreds or thousands more than it should.
It also states that people actually like the bargaining process...
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- Joanne Helperin January 31, 2007, 11:42 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
January 3, 2007
We always advise consumers who belong to a credit union to check out their union's rates on vehicle financing -- usually they're really good, better than most banks. But members of many credit unions in California, Oregon, and Washington now have another advantage: If they go through their credit union to buy a used car through AutoLand, they get a free "buy back" policy for five days or 500 miles. That means if a consumer is unhappy with the car, the dealer will buy it back anytime during that period. AutoLand, which services hundreds of credit unions, is also extending it's limited warranty on pre-owned cars to five months or 5,000...
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- Joanne Helperin January 3, 2007, 1:28 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers, Rants and Raves
December 28, 2006
Bad news for used car buyers: You have to be extra careful that the car you want to buy wasn't flood damaged in hurricane Katrina.
New study by Experian, which provides vehicle history data, found that thousands of cars have been retitled by unscrupulous dealers who bring the cars across state lines for "title washing." That means the cars title won't say "Salvage" or "Flooded" like flood-damaged cars should. About
half the cars that are brought across state lines are given clean titles. Experian estimates about 7,000 cars are on the loose that could have real safety problems with their electrical systems, brakes, etc...
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- Joanne Helperin December 28, 2006, 2:14 PM
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- Car Safety, Dealing with Car Dealers, Rants and Raves
November 24, 2006
This week's
Business Week magazine has a great article,
Death of the Car Salesman, discussing how tough selling cars has become. Here's an excerpt describing the "old" days versus nowadays:
Excerpt:
Since buyers didn't know what cars really cost, dealers could pad them with all kinds of options and keep thousands of dollars in markup. Unscrupulous salesmen did just about anything to close a deal. One trick was to say the dealer had misplaced the keys to the trade-in...
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- Joanne Helperin November 24, 2006, 9:00 AM
- Categories:
- Dealing with Car Dealers
September 26, 2006
Here's the first "green" car dealership -- the 53,000-square-foot two-story
Pat Lobb Toyota
in McKinney, Texas. The dealership has a car wash and an irrigation system that uses recycled water and a heating system that runs in part on waste oil from oil changes. Bike racks and preferred parking for vanpools encourage car shoppers to "walk the walk."
It's not surprising that this is a Toyota dealership, given Toyota's leadership position in the hybrid market...
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- Joanne Helperin September 26, 2006, 4:13 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers, Rants and Raves
September 13, 2006
A few weeks ago, my friend and her husband took a weekend road trip in their 2003 Volkswagen Jetta wagon. Thanks to traffic and being stuck behind a new Hummer H2 with no mud flaps, their trip culminated with a giant crack across their windshield from a stray rock.
My friend called their local Volkswagen dealer to inquire about having the windshield replaced. Her call was transferred through multiple departments before someone could assist her. To her disappointment, the service department insisted that she go into the dealership in person to order the replacement windshield before they would allow her to make an installation appointment. They also refused to schedule the appointment until the windshield was paid for in full. It seemed like a pretty big hassle for such a simple fix. The cost of the OEM windshield was about $250. Annoyed by the process, she decided to look elsewhere before pursuing things further with the dealership.
I suggested she call around to some of the mobile glass replacement companies. Most of these companies use OEM replacement glass and will come to your home or office to do the installation. After shopping around she selected a company called The Glass Doctor to handle the job. She called on Tuesday and the new windshield was installed Wednesday afternoon at her office. No upfront payment was required, and for $310 the installed windshield looked brand new.
For repairs that are not covered by your vehicle's warranty, it may pay to shop around. You may find you can get the same part installed for less money and if nothing else, a lot less hassle. One word of caution on mobile repair services if you work in an office building and park in an underground parking structure, check with building management before scheduling the service to ensure they are okay with the repair work happening on site...
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- September 13, 2006, 4:28 PM
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- Car Maintenance, Dealing with Car Dealers
July 27, 2006
When you are trading in your old car at the dealership, wash it! Clean out your personal items! If it is really dirty inside, get it detailed! I bought a new car last night and traded in my old one...
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- Michelle Magoffin July 27, 2006, 2:40 PM
- Categories:
- Dealing with Car Dealers
June 1, 2006
Capital One's new "Gender Rules of the Road" survey says that 77 percent of women plan to bring a man along for their next vehicle purchase, two percent more than last year's survey.
Here's a quote from the press release:
"While 85 percent of women feel that they were treated fairly during their most recent car purchase, the study findings suggest that women are most likely to bring men to make their purchases as a means to better-manage the financial aspects of the transaction. (Nearly seven out of 10 women feel they are at a greater disadvantage then men when it comes to buying a car.) In fact, 70 percent of women continue to find the financial aspects of the car-buying process the most difficult, indicating that their greatest challenge is obtaining a good deal on price."
Now, this doesn't have to be so...
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- Joanne Helperin June 1, 2006, 1:35 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
May 18, 2006
A new survey of more than 9,800 women by CarMax indicates that dealerships have done very little in the last year to make the car-buying experience better for women.
Almost a quarter of female car-buyers felt the transaction was too lengthy and complicated.
No big surprises here. The car-buying process IS too lengthy and complicated for both men and women alike...
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- Joanne Helperin May 18, 2006, 12:04 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
May 4, 2006
Marv Ingram, Lexus National Certified Pre-Owned Fleet Manager, will field any and all questions you may have about buying a certified used car in tonight's free chat in the Edmunds.com forums from 9-10 PM Eastern Time, 6-7 Pacific Time. Registration is not required.
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- Erin Riches May 4, 2006, 12:14 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
March 7, 2006
March is Women's History month, and what better way to celebrate it than with this Enterprising Women story about Irma Elder.
Elder is a trailblazer in the automotive industry. She arrived from Mexico as a child and spoke no English. She was then a shy housewife for many years, until at age 52, her husband died...
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- Joanne Helperin March 7, 2006, 5:01 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers, Rants and Raves
December 29, 2005
The overwhelming majority of people buying cars don't understand vehicle financing, which is why it's so easy for dealers to take advantage of them. Now a new study indicates that minorities are hit hardest of all (see chart) by unscrupulous dealers. A Detroit News article details the study's findings; they're eye-opening. Taking advantage of minorities in this way is nothing short of racism. Not surprisingly, dealers organizations defend the practice, which allows them to split profits with lenders.
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- Joanne Helperin December 29, 2005, 12:29 PM
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December 28, 2005
Turns out people are happy with certified used cars.
Consumer Reports published their
survey of 7,000 people, more than half of which bought a certified used vehicle.
CR found that vehicles backed by manufacturer programs are newer and less troublesome than
those backed by dealerships only.
The article has sound advice, but Edmunds has an entire section devoted to Certified Used Vehicles,
including a list of manufacturers that offer programs...
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- Joanne Helperin December 28, 2005, 3:37 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
December 23, 2005
Mercedes-Benz stopped providing on-the-house scheduled maintenance during the 2005 model year. Now Jaguar is stopping for 2006. For me this takes away one of the major perks of buying a luxury-brand car -- not having to pay for oil changes during your car's basic warranty period. Sounds small, but even basic service for a premium-brand car is expensive if you go to the dealer -- take it from someone with an 8-year-old Saab...
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- Erin Riches December 23, 2005, 8:00 AM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers, Rants and Raves
November 18, 2005
Kudos to Australia's
Drive.com
for its
article about gender discrimination at the car dealer. While
not exactly unexpected, the real-life stories of
women who are car-shopping are
quite eye-opening. The Land Down Under is reputed to be a few decades
behind the States in terms of gender relations. But the themes (being
ignored on the lot, not being shown the requested model, assumptions of
inability to understand cars or pay for them, etc.) are quite
famliar...
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- Joanne Helperin November 18, 2005, 12:25 PM
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- Dealing with Car Dealers
November 2, 2005
A few days ago, the
New York Times featured an article by George P. Blumberg, entitled,
To Sell a Car That Women Love, It Helps If Women Sell It. Among
other things, it illustrates what women have been complaining about
(and dealers denying) all along: That they are often treated poorly
when they walk into a dealership full of sale
men. It also talks
about the interaction of male buyers with female salespeople...
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- Joanne Helperin November 2, 2005, 5:06 PM
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