There's often a debate over whether cost or quality matters most to consumers, and results of a new study shed some light on what used car shoppers are looking for. Research conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs found that 45 percent of Americans say quality has the biggest impact on what choice they make.

The number of people valuing quality over price is up a bit from 2010 when the same survey found just 37 percent of people placed quality as the most important factor. Despite the fact that the largest group said quality was crucial detail, price still performed well. In fact, 22 percent said that a car's cost was their deciding factor. Safety landed in third with just 15 percent saying it was the most important.

"Choosing a vehicle that balances high quality with a fair price provides the value that consumers are looking for," said industry insider Tracy Hanson.

There are a number of ways that consumers are getting the best used car possible, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In addition to commonly-held practices like test driving the car, experts cite the importance of checking the vehicle's maintenance history to be sure there are no hidden facts. As a final tip, the FTC suggests doing research on the frequency of repairs on the particular model.

While the findings may make it look like one has to choose between quality and price, at New Jersey State Auto Auction, consumers can not only get an affordable Ford or Toyota but they can also get a reliable, quality ride. Furthermore, each car offered by the dealer is Carfax certified so you know that its reliability has been vetted by a third party. 

Fuel efficient cars have become increasingly popular recently due to consistently high gas prices, but experts say the number of hybrid and electric vehicles is only just starting to rise. Exxon Mobil predicts that as many as one out of every two cars will fall into either category by 2040, The Associated Press reports.

Should the prediction come to pass, there will be a significant increase in the number of hybrids currently on the road. The vehicles, which use a combination of gas and electricity to power their engines, currently account for only about 1 percent of cars today.

Part of the reason for the expected increase is that President Obama has placed added pressure on auto manufacturers to produce cars that get better gas mileage. The requirements insist that manufacturers' fleets have an average fuel efficiency of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, a significantly higher rate than today. The edict has apparently had an effect.

"It's evidence that what the Obama administration is doing with fuel economy is working," Deron Lovaas, Federal Transportation Policy Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told the AP.

It will still be some time until hybrids and electronic vehicles dominate the highway but there are plenty of ways that you can save money by increasing your fuel efficiency. Perhaps most significantly, keeping your tires properly inflated has proven to go a long way to maintain a high gas mileage.

Of course, getting behind the wheel of the right car can have a big impact as well. New Jersey State Auto Auction will likely have the fuel-efficient ride you're looking for an an affordable price, and every car is Carfax certified so you know you're getting a reliable car.  

Craigslist might seem like a good place to pick up used instruments or furniture,but when it comes to used cars it is probably best to stay away. The FBI says that as many as 15,000 people have been taken for a proverbial ride trying to buy a vehicle through the website over the last several years, the Hartford Courant reports.

Investigators say that the posters put up pictures of cars they don't actually own and ask for surprisingly low prices. However, once the buyer has paid up the car never shows up. The FBI estimates that victims have lost about $45 million to such schemes.

Ben Nguyen took some of the photos that the scammers have been using and was shocked when he stumbled across one of them on Craigslist. He got tipped off to the rouse once he realized that a car that usually goes for about $11,000 was selling for thousands less than that.

"There are all these people in the world that try to get over on you and take your money," Nguyen told the Courant. "It's very disappointing to hear it does happen, but unfortunately it does."

The scams have become more sophisticated and often have the appearance of a legitimate operation, but experts urge consumers to be wary.

Of course there are ways to avoid becoming the victim of such a scheme and buying cars through a reputable dealer like New Jersey State Auto Auction is one of the best ways to do so. The dealer offers a wide variety of makes and models at affordable prices and every ride is Carfax certified so you know you're getting a reliable vehicle.  

Shopping at a reliable used car dealer is one of the most important things about purchasing a vehicle and one woman in Birmingham, Michigan, learned that the hard way. Several months after she bought a 2006 Ford Expedition the car began to smell like a rotting corpse and now she is suing the Ford dealership, Fox affiliate WJBK reports.

The woman claims she bought the vehicle in March but by the time summer rolled around the smell had become unbearable. And it was not just the smell that bothered her either, the SUV had some other significant drawbacks – including dead bugs and maggots littering the carpets in the front seats.

Perhaps most damaging is that the consumer was unaware of the car's lengthy and checkered history. The lawsuit claims that the SUV was originally a rental car in Florida before it was brought to Michigan. It also says that the Expedition was stolen. Both of these facts were not made clear to the owner.

"One that it was a prior daily rental," attorney Dani Liblang told the news channel. "They weren't told about that. Secondly, that it had been stolen and recovered, but worst of all, that it apparently had some kind of human remains in it that caused an awful decomposition-type smell."

If there's one thing the buyer's plight indicates, it's the importance of knowing a vehicle's history. Luckily, at New Jersey State Auto Auction such an experience would never come to pass. All the makes and models at New Jersey Auto are Carfax certified so you know the history of the car before you get behind the wheel. 

Despite concerns over a pair of Chevrolet Volts that caught fire after being involved in crash tests, General Motors was quick to downplay any risks of its newly-released electronic vehicle. However, their best efforts may not have been enough as a recent survey shows that the fires may have extinguished any enthusiasm consumers may had about the Volt, USA Today reports.

The survey conducted by CNW, which polled about 3,800 Americans, found that only about 0.6 percent said they were "very likely" to buy a Volt. That is down considerably from a the 1.3 percent who said the same thing in March. The results were just as poor for those who considered themselves "likely," which dropped from 4.3 percent to 1.1 percent.

The fires are just one of a number of setbacks for General Motors since the car first rolled out in late 2010. Most damaging, however, has been the car's surprisingly high price tag. Experts believe that the nearly-$40,000 asking price is turning a number of potential consumers away, and the statistics seem to agree.

"The underlying softness of the Volt continues to grow," CNW Research chief Art Spinella told the publication. "The price really turned people off."

Safety and an a good price are two major factors that consumers consider when buying a car, and at New Jersey State Auto Auction, they can find both. The dealer offers a wide variety of used cars that come at affordable prices so you can drive off with something that won't break the bank. As for safety, all products are Carfax certified so you know you're getting a car without any hidden problems. 

Buying a used car from its owner may seem like a good idea at first. After all, you can do business just between the two of you and you might be able to get a lower price. However, there are a number of pitfalls that can make the experience immediately turn sour and have you running toward New Jersey State Auto Auction. According to Cars.com, there are several red flags that everyone should be aware of when looking at used cars.

Among the most easily-recognizable indicators that you may be in for a bad experience is the lack of repair records. Most consumers want to see what, if any, repairs have been done on a car to be sure that it won't break down as soon as they buy it. At New Jersey State Auto Auction, however, that is not a problem because every automobile on the lot is Carfax Certified so you know it is reliable.

Another sign that you may want to take your business elsewhere has to do with the fluids. Specifically, taking a look at the oil and transmission fluid can help shed some light on how well the vehicle has been maintained.

According to Cars.com, accident damage is something that certainly has to be taken into account as well. Though something minor like a fender bender is nothing to be worried about, if your mechanic finds that much of the car has undergone some repairs it could portend much bigger problems farther on down the road.

The only fool-proof way to avoid any potential mishaps of buying a used car from a private seller is to visit a reliable dealer like New Jersey Auto. In addition to offering numerous makes and models at affordable prices, the dealer also provides guaranteeing credit approval regardless of whether you have bad, good, or no credit to speak of.