Reader Comment of the Week
As I've talked about before, this site now has articles that allow user answers. It's a great tool for creating dialogue around the articles that are written. After all, I may know a lot about used cars, but I don't have all the answers.
That's why I want to highlight a User Answer as this week's Comment of the Week. (And please don't point out the comment of the week seems to be a monthly feature.) Anyway, here's a comment that I enjoyed from "Oneozz:"
This program will hurt the lower income people... the people that usually buy cars under $3,500 will be forced out of the used car market... maybe the true intent is to get people out of cars and into public transportation. Also hurts the small used car business, they no longer have cheap cars to sell since the clunkers will be crushed.
Want to pitch in your comment on Cash For Clunkers? Head on over to the article and post your thoughts.
KBB.Com Cash for Clunkers Tool Should Be Sent to the Crusher
Earlier, I had heartily recommended KBB.com’s Cash for Clunkers tool. Turns out it’s a clunker. I have received a couple of complaints about it being just plain wrong.
Now, that’s a big problem because KBB’s tool was inflating the combined fuel economy numbers of used cars. That means KBB.com was telling its users their used cars weren’t eligible, when in fact they were.
Simply put – stay away from the tool. It could give you bad advice. I won’t even give you the link to it, that’s how guilty I feel.
So, I hereby send KBB.com’s Cash for Clunkers tool to the crusher. My apologies for referring you to it in the first place. Even your humble guide makes a mistake every now and then. Unlike most automotive journalists, I’m willing to admit it!
Cash for Clunkers Tool Good for All Used Car Buyers – Not Just Clunker Owners
There I was stumbling around the Internet when I found about 8 gazillion references to KBB.com’s Cash for Clunkers tool. I decided to punch in my 2002 Dodge Neon as a test case and, lo and behold, it’s not eligible – something I could have told you without the tool.
But then I started punching in some other models and I discovered something – this tool is extremely good for getting a good approximate value of a used car. Sure, it’s not going to be as extensive as the full-blown used car appraiser, but it’s pretty darn good.
What is also good about the tool is it gives you the combined mileage of the used car. Normally, you would have to go to the government’s fuel economy website and punch in a few more details all over again.
The Cash for Clunkers program ends Nov. 1. I hope KBB.com finds an excuse to keep this tool online for many years to come. It’s really useful.
Logo © Kelley Blue Book
Most Researched Used Cars in June
As gas prices continue to drop, or at least not rise dramatically, interest is increasing in bigger used cars and trucks. Case in point would be the AutoTrader.com list of the most researched used cars at its website. Ask yourself, have you driven a Ford lately? Maybe not, but you sure as heck have probably researched one.
According to AutoTrader, on the used car list, the Ford F-150 came in at No. 1 in June, up from No. 2 in May of this year and up from No. 5 in June of last year. Views of the Ford F-150 were up almost 45% compared to June of last year and the average price has increased 9% compared to last year.
Other large used vehicles saw similar increases in views and prices, including the Chevy Silverado, which saw a 43% increase in views and a 5% increase in price compared to June of last year, and the Dodge Ram 1500, which saw a 36% increase in views and a 7% increase in price compared to June of last year. Similar to the experience in new cars, interest in and prices of larger vehicles like these plunged last year when gas prices spiked but continue to rebound this year.
"With interest in these larger used vehicles growing, I think you'll continue to see these price increases as these vehicles get more scarce," said AutoTrader.com President and CEO Chip Perry. "If you're considering purchasing a used truck or SUV, you may want to jump on the deals while there are still well-priced models on the lots."
Top 10 Most Researched Used Cars:
- Ford F-150
- BMW 3-Series
- Ford Mustang
- Chevy Silverado 1500
- Honda Accord
- Honda Civic
- Ford F-250
- Jeep Wrangler
- Dodge Ram 1500
- Infiniti G35/G37
Logo © AutoTrader
Happy 4th of July – Buy an American Made Used Car
Some might read the headline above as being either patriotic or protectionist. It seems as if I’m telling you to buy a used car made by an American company. I’m not. I’m advocating you buy a used car made in America.
It’s not the contradiction you think it is. Cars.Com has just published its 2009 American-Made Index and the top model is (imagine a collective gasp) the Toyota Camry, followed by the F-150, the Chevy Malibu, Honda Odyssey and Chevrolet Silverado 1500. You can also look at the 2008 American-Made Index and the 2007 American-Made Index.
By the way, the Cars.Com article has an excellent point about buying a car built by a domestic company vs. an foreign manufacturer:
“What about profit flow? For a given car you might purchase, hundreds or thousands of dollars in profit could potentially go to Detroit — or Japan, or Germany. This isn't to be discounted. But any American consumer can also invest in those profits: Toyota and Honda, for example, are both on the New York Stock Exchange. And import automakers contend that their manufacturing efforts produce plenty of cars — and with them, jobs — stateside, to the tune of billions of dollars of investment.”
Happy 4th of July to everybody. I’ve always loved this holiday and everything it stands for.
Images © Toyota and Getty Images
Illustration © Keith Griffin/About.Com
Used Car Vehicle Video Available
A lot of mail comes over the electronic transom, some of it interesting, some of it not. Well, it must have been the potential for watching used car video that even made me check out this used car related website. WheelsTVNetwork.com dropped me a note earlier this week promoting its new Previously Owned Vehicle video. The basic thought is the company wants to sell the video to dealerships to post on their websites.
I have to commend the site for its fairly thorough overview of the used cars. It’s not afraid to point out some potential problems, which might make it less appealing to some dealers, but it would be refreshingly honest for some dealers to post these video reviews.
What’s particularly good about the website is it covers the entire generation of the used car. For example, it reviews the 2005-2008 Audi A4 and gives you info on various model years and any attendant problems unique to a specific year.
The site only covers 15 models right now, but I hope it grows. It’s a fun resource.
Government Website Does Good Job with Cash for Clunkers
There is an old joke that states as part of its punch line (and no, I won't repeat the rest of the punch line):"We're from the government and we're here to help." Well, that's no longer a joke if you own a used car that might be part of the Cash for Clunkers program now being set up by the federal government.
Its website, www.cars.gov, is fairly clear and concise. It has lots of useful information about the new law, including an eight-page summary of the law, which allows you to turn in a gas guzzler for a more fuel efficient car and a credit of at least $3500.
Of course, you can always just consult my article on cash for clunkers if you're in a hurry, but I do want to commend the federal government for doing a great job on the website.
VW and Sirius Pair Up to Offer Satellite Radio to Certified Pre-Owned Buyers
Will a satellite radio subscription make you buy a used Volkswagen? The company and its dealers sure hope so. VW and Sirius have teamed up to offer a three-month subscription to purchasers of certified pre-owned Volkswagens.
Sounds great on the surface (especially if you’re a fan of satellite like I am). But, before you rush out and spend the extra money on a certified Jetta, keep this in mind: this freebie has a $40 value. Don’t plunk down an extra $1000 for Howard Stern.
By the way, in case you’re curious, Volkswagen has exclusively offered Sirius beginning with its 2007 model year vehicles. Sirius is currently standard on the GTI, GLI, Eos, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Passat, Passat wagon and Touareg. SIRIUS is also standard on select Tiguan, Jetta and Rabbit packages. No information available yet at VW's certified pre-owned website.
Photo © Getty Images
How Did You Get Rid of Your Last Used Car?
In an effort to keep the information on this website timely for used car sellers, I thought it was time to conduct this thoroughly unscientific poll about how you got rid of your last used car. Here are the options in no particular order (vote by clicking the survey above).
- Sold It Via Online Ad
- Sold It Through Newspaper Ad
- Sold It By Word of Mouth
- Sold It Through Window Sign
- Sold It Through Trade In
- Donated It To Charity
- Sold It To Junkyard
- Gave It To a Friend or Relative
Share your used car stories below. In the near future I’ll also be asking how you bought your most recent used car. Your input will help shape future coverage on the About.Com Used Car website. Thanks for your help!
