Used cars are more ‘green’

There are a number of reasons to consider buying a used car instead of a new one, with the primary reason for most people being price. But if one of your major motivations is the environment, then a used car could be more environmentally friendly.

Even when taking fuel efficiency into account, it is probably better for the environment for someone to buy used.

According to the Hartford Courant, from a “green” perspective, it’s better to drive an older, well-maintained car that gets 25 miles per gallon than to buy a new car that gets 35 miles per gallon.

“And don’t forget that the new hybrids – despite lower emissions and better gas mileage – actually have a much larger environmental impact in their manufacture, compared with non-hybrids,” says the paper.

The paper says that while it may seem better for the environment to buy a new hybrid, the batteries used to store energy are not environmentally friendly, and the manufacturing emissions to create the car are higher.

If it is absolutely necessary to get rid of a car because of its lack of fuel efficiency, the paper suggests turning a gas-guzzler in for a used car with better gas mileage.

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GM, Honda have high customer loyalty

When shopping, it appears that many New York used car buyers and consumers across the country tend to remain loyal to General Motors vehicles.

That’s according to the Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards, which said GM had the highest rating for manufacturer loyalty for the ninth year in a row – a more than 62 percent loyalty rate.

It appears that most of GM’s loyalty comes from the Chevrolet part of the family which took home four awards including fullsize pickup (Silverado), fullsize SUV (Suburban), fullsize car (Impala) and luxury sports car (Corvette).

Honda also was found to have the highest make loyalty with the Accord having the highest loyalty for a midsize car.

“In today’s business climate, customer loyalty is key to business success,” said Stephen Polk, chairman, president and CEO of R. L. Polk & Co.

David Kiley, who writes for BusinessWeek, said vehicles with high loyalty percentages typically have a high resale value, making them great cars for people looking to keep their cars for just a short period of time.

Kiley uses the Toyota Tacoma, which took home the midsize pickup category with an 18 percent loyalty rate, as an example.

“Shopping for a used Tacoma is an eye opener,” he writes. “Its resale remains astonishingly high given the aggressive discounting of full-sized pickups, including the Toyota Tundra.”

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Cars.com sees searches increase in 2009

It seems that for many Americans, a new year means a new car with Cars.com reporting it saw an uptick in searches from people interested in buying a car in the start of 2009.

Cars.com president Mitch Golub says that although the figures the company is looking at are for a very short period, it believes 2009 will be an encouraging year for the auto industry.

“Based on activity we saw in the first full business week of the year on Cars.com, we are optimistic that automotive sales will pick up in the first quarter of 2009,” he said.

Overall the site has seen a 19 percent increase in traffic over last year, with users spending 12 percent more time on the site than a year ago. The average visit is now up to 15 minutes per user.

With the increase in people accessing the internet through handheld devices, the company says it has seen searches from mobile devices increase 30 percent since December – a total of 39 percent of all Cars.com users.

In a tough economy, a number of people are likely turning to Cars.com to look for inexpensive used cars.

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$1 million found in car in Georgia

Georgia police made a shocking discovery after making a routine traffic stop outside of Atlanta finding more than $1 million in cash.

On Friday, Santiago Valdovinos-Moreno was pulled over after officers witnessed his car swerving in and out of a lane in Lawrenceville, Georgia, about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta.

While speaking with Valdovinos-Moreno, police say he pushed an officer and attempted to flee the scene on foot, but was captured and charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

It was in searching the car following the arrest that police made the discovery of more than $1 million in a duffel bag, which was seized.

Ironically enough, Valdovinos-Moreno is being held on $1 million cash-only bond, according to the news provider.

It’s probably unlikely that anyone searching for a New York used car will find anywhere near $1 million, but it is possible for buyers to save a great deal of money by purchasing a used car with some reports saying consumers can save up to 19 percent on a car that is only one year old.

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New law could let you trade in “clunker” for cash

New legislation proposed to Congress may allow owners of gas-guzzling older vehicles to trade them in to get cash for the purchase of a newer vehicle. This is great news for anyone looking to swap their car for more fuel-efficient New York used cars.

The legislation, dubbed “Cash for Clunkers” is aimed at removing older, lower gas mileage vehicles from the road and replacing them with cars with better fuel efficiency ratings.

According to the Associated Press, the new law could save 40,000 to 80,000 barrels of fuel each day by the end of its fourth year.

Drivers could be eligible for up to $4,500 for their vehicle, which could then be used to purchase a newer used car. However, vehicles must have a suggested retail price under $45,000, must be drivable, 2004 or older and get less than 18 miles per gallon.

Maine senator Susan Collins, a co-sponsor of the bill, said it “would reduce our dependence on foreign oil, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate the economy,” according to the AP.

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Used cars are a value in today’s market

There was a time when the thought of purchasing a used car made people pause, but today many factors make buying a used car a great option.

Over the years manufacturers have made cars more dependable, which means there’s still a lot of life left in a car when its first owner trades it in or sells it, meaning cars can often go well beyond the 100,000 mile mark.

“The quality of cars has generally trended upwards,” Santosh Viswanathan, co-owner and managing partner of a Delaware dealership told the News Journal. “I can’t remember the last time a customer called and said they got a bad product.”

Another advantage of buying a used car is a lower depreciation of its value. The buyer of a used car is likely to get much more of its purchase price than in the purchase of a new car.

There are also considerable savings in buying a car that is only a couple of years old. According to the news provider a driver can save 32 percent with a 3-year-old car and 19 percent with a year-old car.

Of course it’s always a good idea for buyers to check the going price of a used car by finding the market value from Kelly Blue Book.

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6-year-old misses bus, attempts to drive family car to school

Missing the school bus in the morning wasn’t enough to stop a 6-year-old Virginia boy from trying to get to school earlier this month when he took the family car for a ride to school, crashing more than 10 miles from home.

No one was injured in the crash and police took the boy to school after a local hospital released him for a bump on the head.

On January 6th, the boy, whose name was not released, missed his bus and took the keys to his parents 2005 Ford Taurus while his mother was asleep.

Police say the boy, who was likely standing the entire time he was driving, drove through at least two intersections and over a bridge before losing control and hitting an embankment and a utility pole.

Authorities said the boy told them he learned how to drive by playing video games like Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam.

“He was just bound and determined,” Northumberland County Sheriff Chuck Wilkins told the Washington Post, “he did not want to miss breakfast and PE.”

Cadillac One revealed

This week General Motors released pictures of what is likely to be the most popular car in the next few weeks as the nation turns its eyes to Washington – the new presidential limo.

The car, which looks like a longer version of a Cadillac DTS, will have numerous safety and security features making it seem more like something out of a Hollywood movie than a presidential vehicle.

In addition to normal safety features in a Cadillac, the Presidential car, dubbed Cadillac One, includes night vision cameras, windows that can withstand armor-piercing bullets, and a five inch thick steel plate running beneath the car to protect against explosions.

Cadillac says great lengths were taken to make sure the car, which is being referred to as “The Beast” by Secret Service Agents, was as safe as possible.

“The car was designed, developed and tested by specialists who adhered to an extensive set of specifications,” the company said in a statement. “It was subjected to an extreme testing regimen to ensure performance that achieves precise functional requirements.”

The previous presidential limo, also a Cadillac, will go to Vice President-elect Joe Biden.

Kelly Blue Book’s tips on buying a used car

In what might be helpful to people searching for New York used cars in this tough economy, Kelly Blue Book (KBB) lists some important steps to buying a used car.

It should go without saying but KBB says the first step is to find out how much you are comfortable spending on a used car and find out what type of car is in your price range. After that it’s important to find what kind of car works for you, including a make, model and year.

From there you want to find out what the value of the car is. Various online sites, including KBB, can give you an idea of what the going value of the car you have in mind is.

It’s also important to get a history of the car you are buying and with services like CARFAX Vehicle History Report, it’s easy to find out if the car has been in an accident or had any damage prior to you getting inside.

The website also recommends taking a through walk around and test drive of the car. It’s easy to just fall in love with a car at first sight, but kicking the tires and driving it a few miles can tell you a lot about it.

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Fun used cars for tough economic times

Just because the economy is down doesn’t mean you have to stop having fun when you’re driving. MSN autos lists a few cars that are a fun ride, but still relatively inexpensive.

Among the cars listed are the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, which Edmunds calls “an example of America’s ability to build a decent compact automobile.” MSN says if you peel away the Cobalt’s plain exterior you find a powerful sedan with a 260 turbocharged horsepower engine.

But if you want to feel like you can enter a weeklong race over the desert, then a Subaru WRX might be a good fit with its rally looks and its ability to hit 0-60 in under six seconds.

Talk of “fun” cars can’t be had without talking about the MINI Cooper. Just looking at the car makes most people smile and since BMW revived the car in 2002, many people have found it to be perfect for tackling urban and not-so-urban terrains.

Another fun car is the Volkswagen GTI. For more than 20 years VW has been selling some form of the GTI, so finding a good used one should be pretty easy.

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