Cash for Cars Selling Tips

Not Quite a Mid-Size Crisis

June 2008 was a calamitous disaster for new-car sellers all the way, to tap a baseball term, around the horn.

Well maybe not at every base. Mid-size and crossover vehicles surprised auto executives and analysts alike, faring decently among a battlefield of gloom.

People Just Aren’t Buying

Huge Monster TruckAutodata Corp., which monitors and reports on vehicle sales, noted that the month was one of the worst car-selling months in many years, with sales dropping 18.3% compared with the same month a year earlier.

Sales figures were shackled by a 28.4% decline in sales of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles – based of course on their poor fuel economy in this high-gas-price era. Read more

Navigating the Auto Safety Maze

Safety is high on the list for many people looking to buy a new car.

So many features can be considered when comparing cars for safety, where do you start?

There is crash testing, but some ratings are by the government, some by the private insurance industry, and they differ.

Woman with her checklistYou will hear about air bags, seatbelts, head restraint, stability control, rollover resistance, antilock brakes and more.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Which is most important depends on the person, driving conditions, and what’s most important to that person. Or all of the above. Read more

Compact This, Compact That … Compact Minivan?

In today’s automotive world, changing models into new configurations or classes hardly surprise the motoring public. The consumer expects to see more fuel economy and better technology in smaller vehicles.

But one of the strangest areas to add more classifications is the minivan. 

What Exactly is a Compact Minivan?

Woman using a makeup compactBy the 2007 model year, only two compact minivans remained on the American market, the Mazda5 and the Kia Rondo, and in the years before that pickings were slim.

The history of the small minivan dates back to the late 1980s-early 1990s, with the Mitsubishi Expo and Nissan Axxess, according to Wikipedia. Read more

Automakers Fighting Over the Used Car Market

With U.S. auto sales in decline, American automakers have turned their focus to a somewhat unusual niche.

Certified pre-owned vehicles.

In short, when they ain’t sellin’ new, try sellin’ used.

Automakers Selling Their Used Cars Online

Woman shopping on her laptopChrysler announced in late June 2008 that it was teaming with eBay to list Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge certified pre-owned cars on the new eBay Motors’ Certified Pre-Owned Showroom.

Chrysler’s attempt to push more used cars is of interest, but equally noteworthy is eBay’s acknowledgement of the market. Read more

Small Cars: Save on Gas, Pay on Insurance

A mid-July media release by Insure.com grabbed the attention of automotive journalists from coast to coast.

Editors and reporters, tired of writing repeatedly about American motorists’ quick shift from large trucks and sport utility vehicles to small gas-sippers, seized the chance to write about a drawback.

Smaller cars cost more to insure

Hands enclosing a toy carInsure.com surveyed insurance rates from four of the nation’s biggest car insurers, in multiple ZIP codes across America, for a variety of vehicles.

The findings for the 2009 model year, and average national premium: Read more

Aiming for a New, New Era for Volkswagen

You would think that Volkswagen would be sitting pretty when the tide turned toward smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles in the American market.

But the German-based automaker wants to remain edgy. Word is out that the company is working on a new version of its rejuvenated-yet-old Beetle.

Apparently the New Beetle is not so new anymore, and, well, VW is learning that its demographics are proving to be a bit limiting.

The New Beetle is A Chick-Ride

2010 BeetleIt’s hard to increase sales when the target market doesn’t include men from the ages of 16-35. Read more

Ford Going All-Out Eco-Conscious

A mid-July, 2008 media release by the Ford Motor Corp. provides insight into how the old American automaker looks at its future.

Ford presented tips on how motorists can save gas over the summer travel season by changing their driving behavior.

The public relations announcement occurred the same month that the company publicly admitted to a forthcoming focus toward small, fuel-efficient vehicles, and away from the trucks that made it so much money the past decade.

Built Ford Green?

Two European ModelsThe thrust of the message to consumers is, “We want to help you save gas!” Read more

Woe the Fate of SUV Owners Wishing to Sell

Many current sport-utility vehicle owners are coming to the realization that it’s not just high gas prices causing them a sting.

There are other reasons the SUV market is struggling, and at this point it is nearly impossible to sell any of them used.

Go ahead, try selling one.

Please Buy My SUV

Dodge Durango“A rude awakening at U.S. gas pumps is leading owners of large cars to another rude awakening as they try to sell their cars”, UPI reported July 2.
The bottom line is, the less the demand, the less the value.  And there is hardly a demand for buying a used sport utility vehicle. Read more

Ford Flexing Muscles for 2009 Model Year

Ford’s Flex, a full-size crossover just hitting showrooms summer 2008, has created a considerable buzz among automotive journalists.

It’s both difficult and easy to understand the interest in this vehicle.

This is an American automaker rolling out a brand new vehicle which is essentially built to move lots of people that looks like a sport utility vehicle.

Does America Have Room For Another CUV?

A headline that reads Frugal Gas-GuzzlersOur question is this: Wait, isn’t the SUV dying a slow death due to high gas prices?
Sure, it’s a crossover, which results in better fuel economy, but enough to entice prospective new-car buyers to return to big? Read more

Keep It Simple, Silly: the smart fortwo

When you see photos or illustrations of the smallest cars available today, the smart fortwo is often displayed.

It’s easy to understand if viewers believed the car was a toy, or just a prototype of something that might be built someday, but wouldn’t be seen anytime soon on American roadways.

What’s difficult to comprehend is this tiny vehicle – not even 9 feet in length – was developed by the parent company of Mercedes-Benz.

A New Trend

Microcar from the 60'sWhile Mercedes built a legacy of stylish, comfortable-to-ride-in luxury vehicles, the smart fortwo is appropriately named. Read more

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