My Car Guide » Selling a Car http://www.my-car-guide.com A Resource For Car Buyers, Sellers and Owners Thu, 27 May 2010 02:37:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 How to Sell a Car and Reap a Bigger Profit http://www.my-car-guide.com/338/sell-a-car-reap-a-bigger-profit/ http://www.my-car-guide.com/338/sell-a-car-reap-a-bigger-profit/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:44:24 +0000 Alice http://www.my-car-guide.com/?p=338 If you are considering selling your car and are debating about whether to handle it privately or work through a dealer trade in, you might want to scrap the idea of heading to your local dealer and manage it through your own means.

The reason for this is simple. You are more likely to reap a bigger profit if you handle the transaction privately and on your own.

Of course, there are things that you have to do on your end in order to get a bigger profit. Just as you wouldn’t sell your house with a faulty furnace or broken windows, you shouldn’t try to sell a car that looks like it has been through the ringer.

Therefore, in order to get the best offer, you need to clean your car up in order to make someone interested in purchasing it. This means unless you are an expert in car detailing, don’t try it yourself. Take your car to a detailing service or hire a service to come to your home or office and do it while you go on about your day. This might cost a little more than doing it yourself, but you are guaranteed to have a car that sparkles and an interior that is more likely to resemble the smell of a new car and not a car that smells like wet dog.

Next, take your car to a mechanic and ask for a complete inspection. If there are problems, get them fixed and invest in new parts for any area that has seen better days. The sheer idea that you are putting money into fixing trouble areas will pay off when a potential buyer checks it out.

Finally, before you post an ad in a newspaper or online, research the Kelley Blue Book worth of the car for its particular make and model. This will allow you to get an idea of what is a reasonable price to ask for the car. Then, and this is just so you are prepared, because consumers do ask it when going through private transactions, pull a copy of your Carfax report. You can pull this report at carfax.com and impress any potential buyer with thorough information on the history of the car that they are considering making their own.

]]> http://www.my-car-guide.com/338/sell-a-car-reap-a-bigger-profit/feed/ 0 Deciding On Full Coverage Insurance http://www.my-car-guide.com/203/decide-full-coverage-insurance/ http://www.my-car-guide.com/203/decide-full-coverage-insurance/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:39:56 +0000 Alice http://www.my-car-guide.com/?p=203 Insurance might be one of the most confusing things associated with car ownership. What to buy, how much to buy and where to buy it from can all be questions that are hard to answer. Complicating matters is what exactly to do when the last payment goes through on a car and full coverage insurance is no longer required.

Should you keep full coverage or drop it to save yourself a big chunk of change on a monthly basis?
The answer to that question depends on a few important factors. Remember, full coverage is what will help you replace your vehicle in the event of an accident where it is totaled out.

So, what do you need to pay attention to? These points can help guide the decision to keep paying out or not:

• The value of the car – If your car is still worth a fair amount in Blue Book value, it could be a good idea to keep on paying for full coverage. The monthly payment will simply help protect your investment should an accident happen.

• Your ability to purchase a new vehicle – If you have the resources to replace your car with a reasonable amount of ease if it is stolen or damaged in a crash, paying out monthly for extra coverage might not be worth it.

• The monthly price – If you are paying out enough on a monthly basis to notice a big difference by dropping the coverage, you may want to consider going with the minimum. You can take the payment that would have gone on insurance and put it toward covering yourself for a new vehicle.

Full coverage insurance can provide important protection, but it is not always needed. Consider your financial situation, the value of the car you are protecting and then make the decision to keep the coverage or not.

]]> http://www.my-car-guide.com/203/decide-full-coverage-insurance/feed/ 0 Why Tire Alignment Matters http://www.my-car-guide.com/182/why-tire-alignment-matters-2/ http://www.my-car-guide.com/182/why-tire-alignment-matters-2/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:44:36 +0000 Alice http://www.my-car-guide.com/?p=182 You are tooling along, minding your own business when you realize your car veers a little to the left if your hand is not securely on the wheel. Not wanting to make a mountain out of a mole hill, you ignore the problem and figure it is just the roadway you are on. Within a few days, the problem becomes even more pronounced and you can no longer blame it on road conditions.

Just what is going on?

Chances are you are in need of a tire alignment. Although the job is minor one and not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, it can be a pain in the neck to go to a garage for. Still, it is well worth the effort.

When tires are not properly aligned they can cause you a number of problems down the road. Improperly aligned tires will wear faster and require replacement sooner. This can cost you a fair amount of money. Secondly, tires that are not aligned also put an extra burden on the engine. This can also cost you money down the road.

Going in for an alignment should not take up too much time, and it can make a very big difference in performance. It can also help preserve your vehicle and save you a hefty chunk of change from having to replace tires and service your engine more frequently than would otherwise be necessary.

]]> http://www.my-car-guide.com/182/why-tire-alignment-matters-2/feed/ 0 Checklist For Hitting The Road http://www.my-car-guide.com/166/checklist-for-hitting-the-road/ http://www.my-car-guide.com/166/checklist-for-hitting-the-road/#comments Thu, 28 May 2009 04:08:07 +0000 Alice http://www.my-car-guide.com/?p=166 With summertime just around the corner, you might be considering a long trip in your favorite vehicle. This is a great way to enjoy the freedom of the road and gain some independence in the process. After all, if you do the driving, you can stop and see what you want, when you want. Try that in an airplane!

Car trips, however, do call for some careful preparation. Whether you intend to go across state or half way across the country, getting your ride ready can have a direct impact on how well your vacation turns out.

To make sure you cover your bases before you hit the trail, make sure to do these things:

Get the oil changed and all other fluids topped off;

Get a lube job and tune up if mileage deems this necessary;

Check the condition of the tires and brakes;

Make sure the spare tire is properly inflated and stowed;

Prepare a roadside emergency kit with flares, caution markers and other important items;

Make sure to put an emergency first aid kit in the vehicle, as well.

Going on a road trip is half the fun of summer. Before you pull out, however, it does pay to make sure your ride will get you where you need to go.

]]> http://www.my-car-guide.com/166/checklist-for-hitting-the-road/feed/ 0 Tips For Keeping Your Interior Looking Great http://www.my-car-guide.com/160/keep-interior-looking-great/ http://www.my-car-guide.com/160/keep-interior-looking-great/#comments Tue, 26 May 2009 03:56:00 +0000 Alice http://www.my-car-guide.com/?p=160 You wash, wax and buff your car on a regular basis. After all, it is nice when heads turn as you drive down the road. Plus, the more care you put into exterior maintenance, the more likely it is your car will stay looking great for many years and miles to come.

What about the interior? Are you doing all you can on this front?

If you are like a lot of motorists, chances are you probably are not. There are a few simple things you can do, however, to keep the inside of your car looking pristine longer. Some of the steps you can take include:

Using a carpet guard on cloth and carpeting – Basic carpet protectors can work very well on car interiors, as well. The sprays that cause liquids to stay on the surface for easier cleaning and stop stains from setting in can make a difference.

Keeping the dash coated – Make sure to protect the dash from drying and cracking by using a good cleaning agent. There are some products that can clean a dash and leave it protected from sun damage at the same time.

Cover the backsets – If you happen to have children in tow some or most of the time, cover up the backseats to protect from food and drink spills and stains. There are special seat covers that can make a difference on this front.

Keep interior maintenance in mind – When it is time to clean the outside of the car, do not overlook the inside. Basic touchups and a once-over with a vacuum can make a big difference.

It does not make sense to ride around in a vehicle that is shiny and beautiful on the outside, but a mess on the inside. A few basic steps can help you keep the interior looking great.

]]> http://www.my-car-guide.com/160/keep-interior-looking-great/feed/ 0 Italy – The Home of Great Cars? http://www.my-car-guide.com/144/italy-%e2%80%93-home-of-great-cars/ http://www.my-car-guide.com/144/italy-%e2%80%93-home-of-great-cars/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 16:34:37 +0000 Alice http://www.my-car-guide.com/?p=144 When it comes to deciding which country one would like to have been born in, aside from where one actually was born, Italy comes up again and again in people’s responses. There are many reasons for this, but among those are the excellent food, the wine, the effortless style shown by Italian fashion for men and women, and … well … Italian men and women.

There are many who would argue that Italy is a triumph for all the senses, and its cars are a continuation of that. Like the food and wine, Italian cars are made to a high standard and are the standard to which many others aspire. Like the fashion, they can be expensive but never fail to impress onlookers. And like the Italians themselves, they are frequently very easy on the eye.

Whether it is a Ferrari, an Alfa Romeo or a Lamborghini – or any other Italian car – owning a vehicle from the home of opera music and fine dining sets you apart from others. There is every reason why Italian cars are so popular. And if you ask any petrol head what car they would most like to own, it generally will not be long until they mention one of those named above.

]]> http://www.my-car-guide.com/144/italy-%e2%80%93-home-of-great-cars/feed/ 0 Tata Nano http://www.my-car-guide.com/141/tata-nano/ http://www.my-car-guide.com/141/tata-nano/#comments Sat, 16 May 2009 16:31:04 +0000 Alice http://www.my-car-guide.com/?p=141 The cheapest car to be commercially available in the US and European markets, the Tata Nano has taken up plenty of space on the newspapers and on the television in recent years. While it may not be everybody’s cup of tea, and does not come from a nation with much history of selling cars to other markets, this small Indian road car has become greatly in demand as the world comes to terms with financial realities that make it almost impossible to buy a new car without borrowing or saving. Whether it is any good or not is another question entirely.

The truth of the matter is that little is known about how good the Tata Nano is on roads in the US or further afield, because it has barely been launched. There are questions over how well such a cheaply-built car can possibly deal with accidents, certainly, but without seeing how they fare in reality it is mere speculation. One thing is for sure – with a new Tata Nano retailing for approximately $2,000, there will be many who choose to buy it and see, feeling that they have lost little if it does not work out. It remains to be seen what kind of resale value they have at that point.

]]> http://www.my-car-guide.com/141/tata-nano/feed/ 0 Ethanol Fuel – The Brazilian Way http://www.my-car-guide.com/134/ethanol-fuel-%e2%80%93-brazilian-way/ http://www.my-car-guide.com/134/ethanol-fuel-%e2%80%93-brazilian-way/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 16:23:52 +0000 Alice http://www.my-car-guide.com/?p=134 There will undoubtedly be a lot of sneering at the concept of using ethanol fuel to drive an automobile. The level of sneering may even increase when it emerges that the country which is doing more than any to increase the use of ethanol is Brazil. But when you take into account the fact that Brazil has been doing increasingly well on the financial and social fronts recently, even in times of global doom-saying, it becomes a matter for our consideration – is ethanol the way forward?

There are some caveats to the broad support given for ethanol fuel. Not least of these is that it is an ideal way for Brazil to run cars due to its agricultural infrastructure, but would not translate as well to other areas without a great deal of importing – something which is not only environmentally questionable but also possibly unsustainable in the long term.

The question of translation is the important one here. Can other countries – which may not be set up so well for ethanol production – find other ways to increase their use of sustainable fuels and reap rewards in the same way that has happened in Brazil? It may take some time, but with reliance on imported oil hurting more and more countries, is it time to look seriously at following the Brazilian model?

]]> http://www.my-car-guide.com/134/ethanol-fuel-%e2%80%93-brazilian-way/feed/ 0 Going Greener, Driving Cheaper? http://www.my-car-guide.com/130/going-greener-driving-cheaper/ http://www.my-car-guide.com/130/going-greener-driving-cheaper/#comments Sun, 10 May 2009 16:20:40 +0000 Alice http://www.my-car-guide.com/?p=130 The purchase of a used or new car is an expensive outlay, and there is no denying that without some saving or good borrowing power it is often as much as one can do, just to buy a bargain used car. But governments worldwide are now getting behind plans to improve the situation that has been looming for years now – the environment. And their efforts may well work out nicely for people seeking to buy a new vehicle. The reason for this is Green initiatives taking hold, and making it cheaper to buy an environmentally-friendly car.

Many car loan companies, subsidised by the government, are giving concessions on car loans to anyone who will use their loan to buy a green-friendly car. It may not be the old-style Cadillac that you really wanted, but with green cars being pushed by the governments, the engineering and aesthetic appeal of environmentally-friendly cars is increasing. Governments in other countries are going further, giving motorists a financial subsidy to spend on new greener vehicles in order to deal with air pollution, and as the technology to build these cars improves, the prices will come down and the cars themselves begin to look a lot more like the kind of car you want to drive. Even if the green part doesn’t interest you, the reasons to go green will begin to stack up.

]]> http://www.my-car-guide.com/130/going-greener-driving-cheaper/feed/ 0 Second Hand vs. New Car http://www.my-car-guide.com/119/second-hand-vs-new-car/ http://www.my-car-guide.com/119/second-hand-vs-new-car/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 16:07:40 +0000 Alice http://www.my-car-guide.com/?p=119 In this day and age, buying a new car is often seen as a financial risk that is just not worth taking. Getting a loan can be pretty difficult due to the lending institutions closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, and the price of new cars makes them hard to buy without borrowing. So it is no surprise that a lot of people who are on the borderline between buying new and buying second hand are plumping for the latter. But is this a false economy?

Borrowing to buy a new car has one definite advantage over borrowing to buy a second-hand car. The fact of the matter is that you will have to pay a higher rate of interest for a second hand car for a number of reasons, and if you have any way of getting a new car for a reasonable price it can work out heavily in your favor. The re-sale value of it is likely to be considerably higher, for one thing.

But the question of whether you are better going for new or used really is not one that can be answered definitively without a lot of secondary questions being asked. A lot depends on the purpose of your purchase – if you are planning on using it a lot, then the car’s history has to be taken into account for a start. Going through a checklist of what matters most to you is advisable before making any purchase.

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