Monthly Archives: August 2009

Automotive journalist recommends buying used cars in New Jersey

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Posted in Auto Loans & Financing News

Steve Williams writes for AutoWeek, Newsday and other media platforms covering cars and the automotive industry. In a recent interview he said that used cars in New Jersey are a better bet than new cars or leasing.

“Used cars have more attractive price points initially, of course, and this year a lot of cars are coming into dealers off lease, so larger inventories in used-car lots give dealers more incentive to move them out quickly,” he said in a Minyanville.com interview.

Williams also added that attractive financing options limit the appeal of leasing, since a low interest loan will provide the same affordable initial price to own, but also give buyers ownership of the vehicle rather than having to give it back, according to the website.

New cars could receive another blow in appeal to consumers now that the government’s Cash for Clunkers program has ended and the $4,500 rebates are no longer available. Although some automakers are continuing to give discount, many promotion programs have lost about half of the savings they initially offered.

New service could help owners of used cars in New York diagnose maintenance needs

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Posted in General Auto News

Many owners are considering holding onto used cars in New York, and even recent buyers don’t want to see their cars off the road because of a breakdown.

A service like DriverSide may help people who want to keep their cars in good shape, but may not have a strong mechanical background. Similarly to some medical websites, owners can input symptoms of car trouble into the database, or begin by choosing what they see, hear or smell.

For some of the repairs, how-to videos may help new owners solve the problem themselves, or the site can provide an estimated cost to fix the problem.

“A hundred dollars spent in proactive car care can save drivers thousands in repair costs down the road,” said Jad Dunning, DriverSide.com CEO.

Whether or not a driver checks out websites like DriverSide, maintaining a used car in New York can save money and frustration. According to a Kelton Research survey, only one in six car owners performs some basic maintenance on their vehicles.

Possible plant closure affects more than future supply of used cars in New York

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Toyota

While buyers who prefer used cars in New York may have seen the possible closure of the joint Toyota-General Motors plant, known as NUMMI, as a sign that some cars may stop being offered in showrooms, the impact on local families is also a growing concern.

Advocates with Friends of NUMMI, or New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated, say that shutting down the plant puts 50,000 jobs at risk in California because there will be no future

The plant employs less than 5,000 people, but the organization says that the true scope of the shutdown includes suppliers and other local business that help to put out nearly half a million vehicles each year.

“I’m definitely worried about my future,” NUMMI employee Freddy Martin told the San Francisco Chronicle during a recent rally to keep the facility open. “I’m only hoping that all the tax incentives and business breaks the state is offering will make it possible for Toyota to stay.”

While General Motors has pulled out of the partnership, Toyota is in talks to keep the plant open, which may mean more used Toyota Matrixes in New York for future buyers.

Hummer dealer tries new inventory, but buyers may opt for used cars in New Jersey

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Posted in General Auto News

A Hummer dealer in Chesterfield, Missouri has opened a secondary shop at his facility that offers an add-on buyers considering used cars in New Jersey have probably never seen: an in-store gun showroom.

Although the website for Jim Lynch Hummer touts the dealership as the only one in the country that offers Hummers exclusively, that focus didn’t pan out for him.

“[We] didn’t have enough business to keep this big, beautiful building going with the decline, so we decided we needed to do something else,” Lynch told the Belleville New-Democrat. “And the guns fit in with our customer base… a lot of sportsman, a lot of outdoorsmen, and they’ve loved it.”

He says that customers have responded well to the shift in inventory, and some customers explained to the newspaper that they valued the ability to shop for sporting goods at the dealership.

Buyers who are looking for fuel-friendly vehicles unlike the Hummer can look at a variety of used cars in New Jersey, with enough money left over for whatever hunting equipment they like. Many hybrids offer fuel mileage over 40 miles per gallon, and smaller German sedans with diesel engines can also help owners save on gas.

European-derived model may not interest buyers of used Buick Regals in New Jersey

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Buick- DO NOT USE

Part of General Motors efforts to revitalize its many lines of vehicles includes updates that come from its design teams worldwide, but the new Regal may not interest buyers who would prefer the American look of used Buick Regals in New Jersey.

The 2011 Buick Regal will be a rebadged Opel Insignia, a sedan sold in Europe that has a higher waistline and a more continental appearance, according to the Detroit News.

Recent speculation from automotive writers suggest that the new car would be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, marking the first Buick Regal in America in six years. Buyers who are turned off by the styling, however, could consider used Buick Regals in New Jersey.

The 2004 model costs less than some new motorcycles, and according to Edmunds.com editors, it is “a competent sedan for the money” with a supercharged V6 available in some trims and a roomy interior.

Updates for that year also included expanded wood trim and dual-zone climate control options, noted the website.

Crackdown on drunk driving could affect owners of used cars in New York

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Posted in General Auto News

From August 21 through Labor Day Weekend, police departments around the country will be increasing the numbers of sobriety checkpoints and patrols to limit the number of drunk drivers, and motorists operating used cars in New York should take steps to limit their intake before getting behind the wheel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued grants to more than 11,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide to pay for officers for overtime related to the “Drunk Driving, over the limit, under arrest” program designed to keep intoxicated Labor Day revelers from making poor decisions.

The administration has seen an uptick in the number of female drivers involved in fatal crashes while allegedly driving intoxicated, and notes that will be a focus for police officers monitoring used cars in New York and other states.

“Impaired driving is an issue that cuts across all segments of society and, sadly, the number of arrests of women driving under the influence is on the rise,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This is clearly a very disturbing trend.”

Used Audi TTs in New Jersey don’t have transmission problems of new models

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Posted in Audi, Volkswagen - DO NOT USE

Buyers who considered upgrading to a 2009 model Audi TT because of the DSG gearbox that offered semi-manual operation may want to take a look at used Audi TTs in New Jersey instead.

Audi and parent company Volkswagen are initiating a voluntary recall of roughly 20,000 vehicles with Audi’s S Tronic and Volkswagens DSG transmissions because instead of offering easier shifting without the need for a clutch pedal, reports from motorists indicate that the cars occasionally don’t shift at all.

The notice comes after an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that registered complaints from drivers of the 2009 model year vehicles including: the Volkswagen Jetta, GTI and EOS along with the Audi TT and some A3 models.

In either coupe or convertible trim, a used Audi TT in New Jersey may attract buyers because of it “offers an appealing blend of gearing and clutch behavior” in the 2005 model, according to a Cars.com review. The website also noted the excellent handling characteristics and styling cues as reasons to purchase the vehicle.

Cash for Clunkers calls it quits on taking used cars in New York

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Posted in Auto Industry News

It lasted six weeks, but buyers considering trading in used cars in New York for new cars as part of the Cash for Clunkers program may find that funding has ceased for the incentives.

The government is set to stop taking claims after 8 p.m. on August 24, fearing that otherwise, the $3 billion set aside for the program will not cover the rebates already issued as part of the CARS efforts to improve national fuel economy measures, reported the Detroit Free Press.

The federal Department of Transportation says that $1.9 billion has already been issued, and another $500 billion or so in rebate applications are likely to be applied for as dealers process paperwork, the newspaper noted.

Some automakers have stepped up to guarantee that the remaining dealers will be paid if they are not covered by the government, up to the November 1 deadline for the program, according to Fox News.

However, drivers of used cars in New York are unlikely to find the current deals that included matching discounts from dealerships, and may want to consider recent used cars instead of 2009 and 2010 vehicles to fit their budget.

Automaker’s offices raided in development of interest to drivers of used cars in New Jersey

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Volkswagen - DO NOT USE

Drivers of used Volkswagen cars in New Jersey may be wondering what’s going on with the prospective merge or sale between the German automaker and Porsche. Authorities are demonstrating the same curiosity, having recently raided Porsche corporate offices.

German prosecutors executed search warrants at Porsche headquarters this morning on suspicions of securities law infractions and market manipulations, reported Bloomberg. Porsche had originally been trying to execute a purchase of Volkswagen, but is now selling its stake to Qatari investors.

“Based on evidence provided by [german regulators,] we have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected market manipulation and unauthorized leaks of insider information,” Claudia Krauth, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, told the wire service.

The saga began when former Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking attempted to gain a voting majority of Volkswagen shares, plunging the luxury maker into debt before Porsche turned to the Middle East to sell it’s majority stake in Volkswagen, reported Reuters.

The price of shares during the takeover skyrocketed to more than 1,000 euros each, but the end result was that Volkswagen owns Porsche because of the debt accumulated before the financial downturn, according to the news provider.

Buyers can skip Concours d’Elegance and see used Infiniti M35s in New York

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Posted in Infiniti - DO NOT USE

Across the country in California, the next generation Infinit M-series was on display at the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, but buyers looking for an affordable sedan may consider used Infiniti M30s in New York instead.

In fact, visitors at the event weren’t able to see a production model of the 2011 sedan, as Infiniti instead offered a 3D “virtual only” display at the luxury automotive event.

The new vehicle is based off the Essence, with sharp, sloping lines and engines that reportedly offer fuel economy in spite of higher-horsepower engines.

But buyers who look at used Infiniti M35s in New York will also find a midsize sedan with a variety of powertrain options, and at a fraction of the price.

A 2006 M35 comes with a 280-horsepower V6 standard to complement a “really, really good car packed with more usable technology than any one car in recent memory,” according to Cars.com reviewers.

The sedan comes with styling similar to the G-series of compact sedans, but offers a more conventional styling than the newer variants, reported the website.