If you buy a Bentley, a Ferrari, a Maserati or a Rolls Royce you're buying an attention-getting car. If you buy a BMW, a Jaguar or a Mercedes, you're buying an economy car.
I've seen all kinds of cars. I've seen one that looks like a hot dog and one that looks like a shoe. I've also seen a car that looks like a rooster - which proves not all cars are female. If they were, where would the new models come from?
My car is male and his name is Huey. Yes, I named my car. There are times I spend more time with my car than with my husband and I didn't want to be telling my problems to a stranger.
In fact, in LA we spend so much time in our cars they become our second homes. They have CD and DVD players, as well as phones. They have spilled drinks, leftover food and stained carpets. They also have monthly payments.
Cars have come a long way since the Model T, which had no optional extras, cost $825 and was available only in black.
Although today's cars are available in colors running the gamut from basic beige to outrageous orange, there's one rule of thumb. White reflects heat, black attracts heat and red attracts police.
Huey is green and he's thirty-eight years old. In people years that's about one hundred ninety. He's so old you'd think he'd qualify for handicap parking.
He's so old you'd think he'd qualify for mandatory smog checks - but he doesn't. In California cars aren't smog checked if they are over thirty years old. That's like saying people shouldn't take driving tests if they are over eighty years old. That would be like driving in Florida!
From Florida to California all new cars look alike to me - no fins, no portholes, no personality. Today's cars are more plastic than metal. Because they're not built to last, there's no time to bond with them - just time to Bondo.
New or old, high maintenance or hybrid, there are more cars in LA every day. More cars means more traffic and more traffic means more accidents. However, if you live in LA there's something worse than that. Not having a car in LA is a "cartastrophe"!
Dealer cost is not the same as the factory invoice. Once you have determined what the dealer price is for the car you want to buy, you can start to negotiate. Some standard dealerships refuse to haggle over the cost of a car. These dealerships may refuse to haggle because they want to add extra fees to the MSRP.
Don't be the kind of car buyer who breaks under pressure.
If the dealership that you go to doesn't haggle, go to another one that does.
You also don't want to be the kind of car buyer who tells the dealer up front that you are going to be making car payments.
This is a guaranteed way for you to get a higher payment fee. Your dealer will offer to take a little bit off of the MSRP. In return, they will then ask you what you are looking to pay each month; this is where the extra money comes in - for them!
Tell them it doesn't matter what you are going to pay each month because you are looking for an even division on the cost of the car, not to haggle over the monthly cost. It's the cost of the car, not the monthly payments, that are more important to you.
If a finance manager tries to get you to report your payment method before you have decided upon purchasing the car, don't get sucked into it.
When it comes to financing your car, some dealers will offer to give you a better deal if you finance your car through them. I can guarantee that this will not be the case. Do your research. There are many reputable online auto financing sites available.
Finally, don't be an impulse car buyer. Impulse buyers can often get sucked into the "hot" car of the moment and usually get taken for as much as $10,000. A dealer can see this buyer coming from a mile away.
Make it clear you are not interested in the latest model 'hot' car because it will not be worth the money next year as the new "hot" car will be out by then.
You don't want to buy a car that is in demand because it is the easiest way for a dealership to mark up the prices. The MSRP always looks low, but it is the extras and monthly payments that will lose you money.
Remember the resale value of the car doesn't change no matter how much money you bought the car for. It still depreciates in value.
Both Knight Pierce Hirst & Elizabeth Sinclair are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Knight Pierce Hirst has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Humour and Internet Marketing. KNIGHT PIERCE HIRST takes humorous looks at life. at. Knight Pierce Hirst's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
Elizabeth Sinclair has sinced written about articles on various topics from Humour. This article is brought to you by Buy A Car Site at . Elizabeth Sinclair's top article generates over 720 views. to your Favourites.