CarBuyingTips.com Blog - 2015
December 2015
List of Best New Car Rebates For End of December
Over $5,000 in incentives on certain Chrysler models. Since 2015 is on pace to be a record year for car sales since 2004, you know that manufacturers don't need to offer lots of incentives like the $5,000 to $8,000 we would see in years past. Read more>>
Best Month of the Year to Buy a New Car
There are many factors involved in the process that a dealer goes through to figure out what price they are willing to sell a car for. Some of the factors include their allocation from the manufacturer, how long a particular car has been on the lot and any incentives that may be offered to them. In this new data driven world, we can determine that the month you purchase a new car has a major effect on the price you pay. Read more>>
Find a New Car's Manufacture Date & Benefit From It
Sometimes when you are out car shopping, you will come across a situation where you see several identical vehicles on the lot. It is likely that the salesperson will steer you towards one in particular. You may not even notice because if they are all the same car then it shouldn't really matter which one in particular you buy. Read more>>
Best Day of the Week to Buy a New Car
There are countless variables that determine what price a dealer is willing to sell a car for. They have many things to consider including allocations, how long cars have been on the lot and certain factory to dealer incentives. Based on data that we have at our disposal, it seems that a significant factor in the final price you pay is the day of the week that you buy. Read more>>
VW Offers Volkswagen 2.0L TDI Diesel Owners Goodwill Package
In the wake of the Volkswagen DieselGate emissions scandal, Volkswagen has rolled out a new Goodwill Package to help appease owners of affected VW TDI vehicles until such time that a long term solution to the emissions failures can be implemented. Of course there are restrictions that apply so we here at CarBuyingTips.com are here to help you get the most out of your package and also how to avoid scams. Read more>>
Top 5 Pros of Buying a Hybrid Car
When people are considering buying a hybrid car, there are many factors that come into play. In this article, we will discuss the top 5 pros to buying one of these highly fuel efficient vehicles. Read more>>
November 2015
What to Know When Buying a Used Car
The first thing to know about buying a used car is that there are two completely different paths to take. You can either buy from a dealership or a private party. Within the dealership category, there are a few different types as well. There are large dealerships that sell new and used cars, large used car only dealerships (like Carmax) and smaller lots which tend to be "buy here, pay here" places. Read more>>
Top Reasons to Buy a Car Using the Internet
Even though the internet has infiltrated almost every aspect of modern life, there are still people that question using the internet to buy a car. They think that since you can't actually buy a car online (unless you are buying a Tesla), that you might as well just head over to the local dealership. Read more>>
CarBuyingTips.com Warns Craigslist Car Sellers: Fake Vehicle History Report Sites Stealing Credit Cards
Foreign scammers pose as used car buyers, trick sellers into running VIN# history reports to prove their car is good. Here at CarBuyingTips.com, we are known as one of the most knowledgeable resources on covering online fraud anywhere. For years we have investigated and reported on the rampant fraud on eBay and Craigslist. The foreign Nigerian scammers, the Russians and Jamaican organized gangs keep getting smarter with their scams, duping sellers and buyers alike from every known classified ads site. Read more>>
Industry Secret to Getting the Best Car Price Quote
In any negotiation, the more options you have as a buyer, the better price you will end up with. This fact is especially true when buying a new car. It is an important part of the strategy that we discuss. It may not be clear to you why we recommend that you submit quotes to many different services simultaneously. Read more>>
Don't get Burned Buying the Hot Car
I'm sure you've dreamed of being seen around town in the new, hot car that everybody wants. You want your neighbors to notice you pulling into the driveway in a new vehicle that is hard to get. Imagine living the high life, having fun driving your dream car and bragging to everyone you know. One day you will realize that you could have saved a lot of money by waiting a little longer to buy. Read more>>
EPA expands VW DieselGate Probe, Accuses Porsche and Audi of Software Defeat Devices
Alleged models emit up to 9 times the EPA's standard for emissions. The saga continues in the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a second notice of violation (NOV) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to Volkswagen, expanding their emissions defeat device claims now to about 10,000 Porsche and Audi vehicles equipped with 3.0 liter engines for model years 2014 through 2016. Read more>>
October 2015
Best Extended Warranty Companies
Buying an extended warranty is a fairly sizable investment. You want to make sure you are dealing with the best, most reputable company possible. We have done extensive research on extended warranty providers since our inception in 1999. We probably found ten bad companies for every good one. Read more>>
Top 5 Reasons You Don't Need an Extended Warranty
You always see reasons why you should get an extended warranty for your car. Very few sites will inform the consumer that there are times when you don't need to buy one. When it makes sense, we recommend that you get coverage and protect yourself from costly repairs. However, there are some cases where it is a waste of money to buy coverage and our goal is to save people money. Read more>>
Ferrari Shares Begin Trading at $60 on Stock Market After $52 IPO
Last night the Ferrari IPO priced at $52 a share after the pricing call at 4PM yesterday afternoon, which is on the upper end of the expected trading range, and is supposedly 20 times oversold. They call this condition "well oversubscribed." When you have many investors that want to get their hands on the hot IPO of a cherished name like this, the oversubscription tends to drive the IPO price upward. Read more>>
Volkswagen Announces New Recall / Service Campaign VIN Lookup Tool
Volkswagen announced today via their recently created web site vwdieselinfo.com a new online tool which is a VIN look up tool to find out if your 2.0L TDI vehicle is affected by and recalls or any service campaigns like the current emissions scandal issue. Read more>>
Lexus and Toyota Owners Complain of Long Delays for Free Cracked Dashboard Repair
Many owners have spent months on waiting lists, with repair date estimates deep into 2016. Ever since we started reporting our updates of the Lexus and Toyota free cracked dashboard repair issues, we have received numerous complaints from owners of these vehicles, waiting for word of when their dashboards are going to be replaced. Read more>>
The Car Dealer Just Increased My "Incorrect" Used Car Windshield Price - Can They Do That?
It's a hazy gray twilight zone of legal dilemmas when a car dealer accidentally prices a car too low. Has this ever happened to you? You are shopping at your local Ford car dealership and the salesman is dragging you all over the lot looking for used vehicles you might like, when one lower priced model catches your eye. Read more>>
Why Some Accidents Don't Appear in a Vehicle History Report
All major providers of vehicle history reports include "reported accidents" in the report. They are telling the truth but you have to pay careful attention to the word "reported." An accident may not be reported or the timing of the report keeps you from seeing it when you are evaluating a used car. Read more>>
Ford September Auto Sales Up 23% - Best Since 2004
Ford Motor Company today announced their total sales increased 23% in September, with 221,599 vehicles sold. The street had been expecting about 21%, so this is a beat for Ford. This is Ford's best September since 2004. Read more>>
September 2015
Could the EPA be Partially to blame for the Volkswagen Dieselgate emissions scandal?
It appears that by using defeat devices in their diesel powered TDI cars, VW was pretty easily able to cheat the EPA testing, but therein is our dilemma. Why are the EPA emissions tests setup in such a way that they were so predictable under lab conditions, easily gamed and apparently not collecting real world data. Read more>>
Volkswagen Announces New Site for Scandal Updates
Volkswagen USA today announced the launching of a new information web site that they have just created to give us all official information on the TDI diesel vehicle emissions scandal update. In case you've been living under a rock the last 7 days, the EPA issued a Notice of Violation to Volkswagen for using a defeat device to trick the EPA during emissions testing, making them think their diesel cars produced from 2009-2015 emitted low amounts of pollutants. Read more>>
What to Expect When Lexus and Toyota Repair Your Melted or Cracked Dashboard
Like many Toyota or Lexus owners of certain vehicle models from 2004 to 2011, chances are you have either a cracked dashboard or a melted dashboard with some glazed stickiness, especially here in the Southeast and you're probably wondering if you did something wrong to cause your dash to crack. Read more>>
First Class action Lawsuits Filed by Volkswagen Owners
It is amazing how fast the entire Volkswagen Emissions scandal, dubbed Dieselgate, has unraveled. The law suit is alleging that VW cheated on the EPA emissions tests by using a defeat device and rigging the test cars to put out 1/40th of the pollution that was really being emitted. Read more>>
Dieselgate: Top 10 Things You Need to Know About the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal
By now everyone has heard the scandal that broke wide open earlier this week about Volkswagen. This has got to be the fastest unraveling scandal in modern times. Our list here gives you an up to date analysis of just what is happening with VW and how it all affects the environment, the world financial markets and those of you who own Volkswagen vehicles. Fid out what you need to know. Read more>>
VW Issues Stop Sale Order for 2015 Diesel Vehicles
Volkswagen faces $18 billion EPA fine. CEO issues apology letter after EPA alleges VW cheated on emissions data. Today the stock price of Volkswagen was down about 20 percent on the news that VW told U.S. dealers to halt sales of certain 2015 diesel cars, related to false emissions numbers. Read more>>
Best End of September New Car Deals
We are always looking to help our readers get the best deals. With that in mind, let's take a look at biggest discounts off of MSRP for the second half of September. These prices are based on the average price actually being paid by customers across the country. Read more>>
Should You Buy the First Year of a Redesign?
There is always a lot of excitement when a manufacturer redesigns a model. There are always new features and a new look. Normally there will be better performance and gas mileage as well. Taking a quick poll around the office, I can see how this becomes a hot topic of debate. Read more>>
Porsche Targets Tesla Model S with New Mission E
At the Frankfurt Motor Show this week Porsche set their target right at Tesla by announcing a new concept electric car called the Mission E. The main hype which Porsche is dishing out on their new electric car is that it can be charged up to 80% in just 15 minutes, a very impressive selling point. Read more>>
Jaguar Announces F-PACE First Edition SUV
Yesterday, at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, Jaguar Land Rover officially announced a special edition of its first SUV ever. It will be call the Jaguar F-PACE First Edition, created after much demand from their consumers. Read more>>
Bench Seats or Captains Chairs - Which Are Better?
SUV seating has come a long way since the days of the old Chevy Blazer. Bench seating in the first row is a thing of the past that went out with the Dinosaurs. Now, the focus is on the second row where many models have the option of big, comfortable "captains chairs" instead of the standard bench seats. Read more>>
Best Vehicle for Tailgating
Football season finally kicked off to a rip roaring start. With football season comes the great American tradition of the tailgate party. What is the best vehicle for tailgating? Read more>>
How to change your vehicle's turn signals bulbs and upgrade to LEDs
Has your turn signal bulb finally burnt out? We have created a video tutorial on how to change bulbs in 5 minutes, and how to upgrade your turn signal bulbs to LEDs. Read more>>
August 2015
Toyota and Lexus Begin Rolling out Cracked Dash Warranty Repairs
CarBuyingTips.com has been investigating the status of the Toyota and Lexus cracked dashboard free warranty repairs. This blog contains the latest update. Vehicle owners are being sent their second letter, or being contacted by their local dealer using their will call list to bring their vehicle in to be repaired for free. Read more>>
June 2015
Update with Tips on Toyota Lexus Cracked Dash Warranty Repair
Back in February we told you about the Lexus cracked dashboard warranty enhancement for cracked dashboard repairs on GX470, ES and RX models. We mentioned that Lexus is offering to cover this $800 repair at no charge via their new "Warranty Enhancement Notification - ZLD." Read more>>
April 2015
Herbie Volkswagen sells for $115,000 at Barrett-Jackson Auction
Do you remember what this car is just by seeing the picture? If you saw that number 53 on the door of this VW Beetle and suddenly blurted out the word Herbie, then you are officially an old person! It's hard to believe that it was 1968 when we first saw Herbie, a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of his own, starring in Disney’s The Love Bug movie series. Read more>>
Barrett-Jackson and CARCHEX show how to give back to the community
In the automotive industry, where often times we focus on over indulgence and conspicuous consumption of high priced offerings, it's refreshing to see companies give back to the community. The examples set by a companies like Barrett-Jackson and CarChex show how their household name and expertise can be used to help those in great need. Read more>>
2015 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction Saturday Update
As West Palm Beach dried out from yesterday afternoon's monsoon and the sun rose on Saturday, day 2 of the 2015 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction got started. We arrived a bit early to avoid the traffic so we were able to observe some of the automobilia auction. Read more>>
2015 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction Friday Update
As the afternoon has progressed, the winning bid prices have started to rise. More bidders are in the building and more valuable cars have started to roll out on the block. Read more>>
2015 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction Friday Lunch Update
We are here covering all of the activity in West Palm Beach. The crowds are here and the auctioneer's gavel is banging. Without further delay, here is our Friday lunch update. Read more>>
2015 Ford F-150 Aluminum Truck Awarded NHTSA Coveted 5 Star Safety Rating
When Ford announced the 2015 F-150 pickup truck would be made partly from aluminum to shed 700 pounds off the truck, and improve fuel economy by 20%, this raised a few eyebrows. It caused quite a stir in the automotive press. Many back seat "pundits" questioned whether or not this new aluminum truck would be strong enough or safe enough in a crash. Read more>>
8 Reasons for Buying a New versus a Used Car
For nearly 20 years we have been educating car buyers on all aspects of buying new and used cars. The question often arises as buyers suffer with internal turmoil and angst asking us "Should I buy a new or used car?" You'll get many different opinions from different people. So whose answer is right? Read more>>
2015 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction Preview
This year's Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction will be taking place April 17-19 at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, FL. This will be their 13th annual auto auction in Palm Beach. Whether you are a visitor, bidder or seller, this event is always an exciting way to spend a weekend! Read more>>
February 2015
Lexus to pay for cracked dashboard repairs on GX470, ES and RX models
Did your dashboard crack in your Lexus vehicle? You might be eligible for Lexus to cover this approximate $800 repair at no charge to you thanks to a new "Warranty Enhancement Notification" letter that Lexus has been busy sending out to many of us Lexus owners for the last few months. Read more>>
January 2015
2015 Ford F-150 Review
Review of the revolutionary Aluminum Body 2015 Ford F-150 Platinum 4x2 Supercrew along with Fords's new EcoBoost engine. Read more >>
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