If you’re selling your car, be protective of both your time and your money. Here are some things to consider about selling your car that may save you hours and dollars:

1. Is it safe to drive? Really? For moral as well as practical reasons, don’t try to sell a death trap as a serviceable vehicle. If your car isn’t safe to drive, advertise it as such. It might make a good project or parts car for someone who knows what they’re doing. Trying to sell a car that isn’t safe to drive is not only irresponsible, but it’s usually a waste of time and energy. When a legitimate buyer looks at your car, you don’t want to turn them off and drive them away by misrepresenting the car or asking too much.

2. Is there a warranty left on it? Several manufacturers have been offering compartmentalized warranties. They provide 3 years “bumper to bumper” coverage, but 5 years or more on what they call the “powertrain”. Maybe you purchased or were provided an extended warranty. If there is any warranty coverage left, you need to find out if you can transfer it to a new owner. This will help you to sell the car, and sell it for more.

3. Is it more valuable as a trade-in? If you are selling your car, you are probably planning to replace it, perhaps with a car dealer. Trading your car in to a dealer may not yield absolute top dollar, but it does prevent you from having to spend time and money in selling it yourself. Depending on where you live, there may also be tax benefits to trading the old car in.

4. Is it wiser just to keep it? Some people will look at your car and see only the potential for problems. They don’t know the history, and aren’t sure they want to roll the dice on a vehicle that you have decided that you don’t want anymore. As a result, you may not get much interest at the price you want. If so, think carefully about how much value the car really has to you. Consider keeping it, especially if you have kids that will need a car soon, or you aren’t looking forward to putting your new car through the winter.

5. Does it make sense to donate it? There are times when charitable organizations are more interested in your car than anyone else. This particularly true of older model cars and cars that need work. At the very least, give them a call. The National Kidney Foundation run one of the most famous programs for this. Run a Google search to find the office closest to you.

6. Invest in a Carfax report. Having it on hand will show any prospective buyer that you’re interested in dealing honestly, and prevent you from being surprised or embarrassed in case they run one themselves and start asking questions about it. The additional bonus here is that if you’re buying a used car to replace the one you’re selling, you can buy an “unlimited reports” option from Carfax that will allow you to research the cars you’re looking at as well as the one you’re selling, all for the same price.

Whatever you do, remember the value of your own time. You may be able to make more money, but you’ll never be able to create more time. Good luck!

When selling your used car the first thing to look at is what is your motivation. Are you getting rid of an extra vehicle you no longer need, has the car been a mechanical nightmare, or is it just time to up grade to a better automobile.

Selling a car on your own can be a time consuming pain in the posterior. It must be clean and presentable at all times, displayed where potential buyers can see it, and you must be available for demonstration drives.

Negotiating a deal with a customer can be an annoyance as well. Some people just don’t like the haggling back and forth and quickly feel inadequate when it comes to getting the best price for their vehicle.

Don’t forget the risk involved, is the buyer’s check good? Will they just take off with the car and not return from a test drive?

All these issues can be removed by handling the disposal of your used car in a couple different ways.

If your goal is to purchase a better car, trading in the outdated one at the dealership can make the whole process quick and simple. Yes you may not get exactly the price you would have commanded selling it on your own, but the convenience can easily out weigh the difference in price. In today’s instant gratification world, to be able to exchange your tired old car for a bright shiny new one by simply signing on the dotted line takes all the annoyance out of trying to sell your used vehicle.

If your plan is to achieve one less car in the driveway you still have a couple options. Some Auto Auctions will sell your privately owned car for you, charging a modest percentage for their efforts. More often auction companies are used by banks to dispose of repossessed cars. But they may also be willing to liquidate your used car for you. This also helps reduce the issue of liability on your part as to any implied warranty as to the condition of the vehicle. Auctions are always a what you see is what you get situation so the buyer can never take you to court saying you said the car was in such and such condition when you knew perfectly well the transmission was about to fall out.

Donation is another way to eliminate an unwanted car from your garage. Many worth while organizations accept cars, boats, RV’s, etc. as they will be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to good causes. This will serve two purposes, helping a needy organization and at the same time providing you with a Tax Deduction that will help you when April 14th rolls around.

The next time you have a car to get rid of, consider these alternatives. They can make the whole process of selling a used car a lot simpler.

It’s a sad fact that many people don’t understand the art of negotiation. You pay the sticker price for almost everything else you buy, but when you go to buy a new car, the first thing you should know is that there is room to negotiate $1500 to $3000 on most new cars in the U.S. You’ll never buy a car at sticker price if you go in armed with knowledge and one or two negotiating tactics.

Knowledge is a good thing, but knowing how to apply that knowledge is the power that will make the difference in how well or how poorly you fare at the car dealer. Nerves and anxiety can wreck the process unless you understand the car salesman’s perspective.

Honest car sales people are extremely rare; many will use every psychological device at their disposal to close a sale. They know you’re anxious and they will use it to their advantage.

Obviously a car sales man or woman must appear helpful and solicitous. Initially, part of their job is to establish rapport with you, but always remember their main job is to sell cars. It’s how they get paid. Since most are paid on sales commissions, they’re not going to work on your behalf to obtain the best terms. The more money you spend, the better commission they get.

A professional car review organization sends their personnel out to buy cars they want to test. They don’t accept cars from the company for testing because they are committed to remaining impartial. One woman who works for such an organization shared her experience in buying cars and she says that it works to her benefit every time.

She calls several dealers on the phone and gets a quote for the brand of car she needs for the test. She doesn’t identify her organization. To the dealer, she’s just another customer inquiring about a new car. There is negotiation at that phone call level, but it’s not nearly as personal as sitting across from an experienced car sales person and haggling the price.

She gets the bottom line price from this dealer before she calls the next dealer and repeats the process. After the third call, she may go back to the first dealer and tell him she found a lower price. He in turn may drop the price on his car, but even if he doesn’t she can call dealer number two and give him her lower quote and he may drop his price.
By the time this woman walks into the dealer showroom she already knows what she will have to pay for a new car. She may visit one of the dealers she spoke with over the phone or she might choose to go to a different one but you can be sure she will get the best deal possible and so should you!

When you are selling your own car, in these times, it is very important to put the asking price as close to the actual amount you will take for the car. I’m retired from the retail Auto business after forty years of experience, so I should know. The price is not the only thing to be considered.

Most buyers are mostly concerned with the appearance of the vehicle. It’s sort of meeting an ugly woman or man that you will never get to know since you don’t like their looks. Selling used cars is a numbers game and the more people who look at the car the quicker it will be sold. You can compare it to the auto dealer’s closing ratio, which is usually around twenty percent. If you have five people look at the car, one will buy it.

Always show the positive traits of the car. If the prospective buyer is looking for a gas saver and you are selling a gas hog, your chances are very slim of selling this individual this vehicle. On the other hand if you are good enough at the presentation of the car and it is nicer than any other car he has shopped your chances of selling him improve greatly. service records are very important to some buyers. If you have them keep them handy and you may be able to sell him or her something that they swore they wouldn’t buy simply by using your superior salesmanship and knowledge.

Before wasting too much time with any individual, do your qualifying of this person. This means that they are the actual buyer, instead of a coach. Mainly, be sure they have access to the money to buy the vehicle. If they are what we call in the business as tire kickers, get rid of them. You are wasting your time, not theirs!

Make sure you don’t just turn someone that you don’t know loose in your car alone to show his or her mechanic, since it’s much easier for the mechanic to find things wrong with the vehicle without you being there. Remember if the mechanic says the car is a great one, and the buyer has trouble with it he is going back to the mechanic to show his displeasure, and the mechanic knows this.

When it’s all said and done, be honest with the buyer, but still be a salesperson. If you show any negativity during the presentation they aren’t going to buy your car, no matter what signals they give you. Be sure the car is clean, had an oil change recently, and capable of taking a trip in immediately, if they choose. These are the main things to be considered when selling your used car!

The selling market for 4×4 Sports Utility Vehicles and trucks is consistently high, and it’s generally a good market no matter where you live. Selling your 4×4 online shouldn’t present any major problems as long as the vehicle is in good condition.

Prepare your vehicle

Preparation of your 4×4 is an important component to selling. It involves cleaning, vacuuming and polishing to make it attractive and presentable. Appearance is very important in enticing a buyer to buy, and it shows how well you care for and value your vehicle.

Establish the selling price

Establish the selling price of your car by getting the blue book value at Kelley Blue Book or NADAgold online. Compare other similar models in local classified publications. Find out what auctions are paying for your car and establish your selling price based on all information.

Leave room for negotiation in the price, and remember low mileage brings better prices.

Advertise

Sharp, clear photographs showing front, back and side of your 4×4 including the tires and wheels are your main selling tools. Write a description of your auto and its selling points. If writing ads isn’t your strong suit, use descriptions from similar 4×4 autos found online and add your main selling points.

Advertise in more than one place. Place your car in several classifieds ads or auctions online. You might try, autobytel.com, cars.com and Edmunds.com. Craigslist has local groups that post classified ads for people in specific areas.

Advertise in car clubs and other motor enthusiast publications. E-bay can bring good results if you’re willing to negotiate on a long distance basis and ship the automobile.

Sell your 4×4

Selling your auto requires knowing your state regulations. Generally, you take the money, post the odometer reading, and sign the title over to the buyer. You should also write a bill of sale with the new owner’s name, address, sales price and the words, “sold as is” on the bill of sale. Both parties sign this document.

The caveat in this: there are scams associated with selling over the Internet. Don’t give up the 4×4 or transfer ownership until you’ve checked with the buyer’s bank or escrow service. Allow all checks to clear before transferring ownership of the car, including certified checks.

When negotiating with a new car salesman it should always be remembered you are dealing with a professional. This means a person who will have an answer to most objections you can think of and who is also possibly a person who is prepared to sell you a vehicle you may not be able to afford right now. This doesn’t mean that every new car salesperson is unscrupulous but it should be fair warning for you to do your homework before heading off to that new car dealer’s showroom.

Most prospective new car buyers will want to trade in their old vehicle on that shiny new one. But what’s the true value of your currently-owned car? The best ways to check this out are to read the cars for sale ads in your local newspaper then personally call on two or three of these that closely match yours. It would also pay to locate a car valuation guide on the web. This will reveal to you the latest prices of vehicles of the same type and year as yours. You’ll soon get a reasonable idea of what your ageing vehicle is worth on today’s market. Now it’s time to visit your new car dealer. But once he’s kicked three of your tyres and run his finger along the only scratch your lovingly-kept auto has and come up with a figure, is this really the true amount he is offering you? He might say to you, “Your vehicle’s really only worth $7000 tops but because of a special clearance we’re doing at the moment, I’ll offer you $10,000 on your trade if you buy today”.

At first, this offer might appear excellent, especially as you’ve already ascertained your car really is only worth about $7000. But are you really picking up an extra $3000 as the rep has said? Not necessarily. It all depends on what price the dealer would have sold you that new vehicle for if you hadn’t arrived with a trade-in. Yes, most dealers have a built-in negotiating amount they are prepared to lop off that new vehicle price and if that amount happens to be $3000 then you’re not getting a special deal at all.

The only way you can be sure of how much he is prepared to pay for your trade is for you to do something a little bit sneaky. When you first visit the dealer, tell him you’re interested in buying a new car and you don’t have an old one to trade. Nothing brings a sparkle into a dealer’s eye quicker than this and from then on you will know precisely what price the new one is really being offered for. If you’ve told him you intend giving your old vehicle to a family member or selling it privately, you’d better stick to that story for a while but on a subsequent day drop the news that this arrangement fell through. Tell him you now wish to trade your old auto in. Now, whatever valuation he gives you will be genuine.

It’s also important to treat the exercise of buying a new car as you would a house, boat, holiday or item of furniture. You wouldn’t normally buy the first one you looked at. By checking out at least a couple of other dealerships, you might find a significant difference in prices. A few years ago, I bought a new Toyota Camry sedan (no trade-in this time)and the prices offered by the three dealers in our district varied from $29,800 to nearly $33000 for identical vehicles.

So do your homework first by checking out your trade-in’s true value, make certain you know exactly which new car you want, shop around for at least three quotes on it, then front with your trade-in. Last but not least,check the warranty being offered. Sometimes a variation here can be a deciding factor between purchasing from one dealer or the other.

We often hear people warning us , “You don’t want to buy a new car.”

Yet each and every person would like at least one brand spanking new vehicles in their lifetime and there is no denying it. It is not merely a status symbol to desire a new car. There are many valid reasons for wanting to buy new and to be fair many times it is pure jealousy that prompts others to poohoo the whole idea.

It can be argued that the depreciation is rapid on a new car. That the minute it is driven out of the yard the worth falls by some five to ten thousand dollars. There is no denying that! It is all true but, and it is a big but, each one of those fast depreciating cars will come with a warranty period far better than the pre owned car. Many will come with five years manufacturing warranty plus roadside assistance that give the owner a full sense of security in the knowledge that even if something did go wrong with their lovely new car it is fully covered.

Over a five year period the greatest depreciation comes in that first twelve months then the value generally will hold for the next four years and sometimes more. Being as that cost though appearing large initially, if spread over the five years is usually less than the cost of maintaining an older car, this initial loss is not so bad.

Looking at the benefits of buying a new car we can add the latest safety features. Available now in any good new car are extra side curtain airbags that are proven to reduce the chances of brain injury in a side impact crash. Many of the road stability features will not be available in an older car. Every year safety features are improving and saving lives on the roads.

As people near retiring age it is a good move to get into a new vehicle just as you try to renew all household appliances before retiring renewing the car gives at least five years of trouble free motoring. The lemons are rare now days and if you do your homework before even stepping into a car-yard you will know what to avoid.

Research for buying cars is much the same as any other researching. Going through the newspaper for sale advertisements will indict which still young cars are being dumped fastest. Avoid these at all costs. The cars most loved will be scarce in the twelve month old age bracket. Likely even scarce in the two year old group.

What does stand out when combing the papers is which cars are sold of in abundance. Certain makes and or models dominate the ads and often with far more drop away from the new price. We will investigate this further in part 2

Getting a new car has never been so easy with the launch of new models almost on a monthly basis, the consumer needs to be very careful while considering the car to buy. This article provides relevant factors to take into consideration when buying a new car.

The first thing that ought to be taken into consideration is the use of the car. What do you want to do with it? If it is for transportation of large goods, then a van, pick-up or lorry is appropriate. Many moms pick up their children from school and so a small van sitting about seven people is suitable.

In getting the car that suits your needs, space is a factor. The number of simultaneous users should suit the buyer. Most sports cars seat only two and the space for luggage is far less than that of other cars. Station wagons have a storage area behind the rear seats which drastically increases space.

The terrain that the car is going to cover is of at most importance. You cannot buy a sports car to use in a muddy and traitorous terrain. A four wheel drive car that is well raised from the ground is fitting. The country’s road affects the car to buy. Same car models are made by the manufacturer to meet different markets based on the prevailing road conditions. For instance, a country with poor road conditions has cars made by the manufacturer to get even with that condition and the shock absorbers are usually reinforced.

The car that suits your needs should have the same configuration of the steering wheel as that country uses. Americans use left hand drive cars, Britain and Africa use right hand drive cars. Mixing of the steering side can cause accidents. Some countries such as France and Italy prohibit the use of SUVs in cities. You might buy a car only for you not to use it as intended.

Whatever car that suits you should be safe. Don’t buy a “death machine”. Seat belts are compulsory in every car. Computer aided control, anti-lock breaks, pre-stressing and strong cabin frames are added advantages. All these help when it comes to unforeseen circumstances on the road. Safety against theft is not guaranteed as better security systems are matched with better methods of theft. Some thieves are now using magnets to disable the car’s electronic system which controls the door locks among other parts.

GPS is a system of guidance which has eliminated the use of maps. Some of these systems are awful and are shoddy in guidance. In addition, roads need to be surveyed and the information collected used to update the GPS system. If the area that you are planning to use the car is not in the GPS system, then this piece of technology will be useless.

Power and speed need to be considered in your selection of the car that suits you. Power is measured in horse powers. The average car has about 100 to 200 horse powers and the high end ones are 300 and above. If you choose to buy a car that has 400 horse powers, then think of how you will fully utilize it.

The maintenance of some cars is very costly from insurance to fuel cost and parts. In addition, the resale value of some of these cars in little because users prefer to have these cars brand new and not second hand. So buy a car that you can keep on the road and within a particular budget. You can get a quality car without spending a lot of money. Make certain that whatever car that suits your needs is stylish.