Lost? Ask the Smart Shopper Hosts for directions!

CarMan@Edmunds · May 2004

Welcome aboard, neogenetics. Perhaps I can help you out. Have you decided what sort of vehicle you are interested in getting yet, such as a sedan or an SUV for instance? If so, I can tell you what some of my favorites in that category are and possibly point you in the right direction so that you can learn more about that particular type of vehicle.

Car_man
Host
Smart Shoppers Message Board

davidthompson · May 2004

Not sure where in Town Hall to put this question, so I'll try here:

Do any of you have experience with getting insurance (comprehensive) for driving in Europe a vehicle with U.S. license plates, and have any recommendations as to insurers? In the past when we have been in this situation, we used a local agent in Europe with whom we had a long-term relationship and who was able to pull some strings for us, but he passed away last year, and now we are not sure where to turn for decent service and reasonable cost. The regular local insurers seem to want nothing to do with the foreign-registered car, and yet we do see a number of cars with U.S. plates traveling around Europe, so clearly it is still possible to get insurance coverage for them.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

KCRam · May 2004

Very interesting question, David...

Have you asked your stateside agent for advice? If your coverage is through one of the larger insurance firms, they may offer or recommend coverage when abroad that can be linked to your US driving record, allowing lower rates during your stay in Europe. Might be worth a phone call or two.

kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and Wagons Message Boards

bigdan1 · June 2004

My son is 15 and taking driver's ed. Do I need to have car insurance for him? With my policy, I am covered for any car I drive. Also, anybody who drives my car is covered, just as if I were driving. However, is there something special about driver's ed? Do I just wait until he gets his license at 16, and then get insurance?

KCRam · June 2004

Hi bigdan

This depends on each state's insurance rules. Normally, you should not have to insure your son until he has his license, but there must be an insured driver listed on thee car's policy in the vehicle while he is driving with his permit.

kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and Wagons Message Boards

92camrywagon · July 2004

I'm buying a $13k used car, 3 years old, from a private party. He says he doesn't have the title, and he needs to pay off his loan before he can get it. So I will give him a cashier's check, drive off in the car, then he will deliver the title within a week.

Does this smell bad to you? What can I suggest as an alternative?

CarMan@Edmunds · July 2004

Hi 92camrywagon. Does the bank that this individual has a loan through have a local branch? If so, I suggest that both of you head over there with the car and the money and make the exchange there so you can get the title right away. This will prevent the unfortunate situation of purchasing a vehicle from someone who is not its legal owner.

Car_man
Host
Smart Shoppers Message Board

92camrywagon · July 2004

Thanks Car_man, that's a great idea! Unfortunately the bank is on the opposite coast. This situation was really stressing me out, until I started to realize that the guy had to be honest, and then my insurance company looked up the VIN and read me his name off the title, so that made me relax. I gave him a cashier's check in exchange for the car and a promise of the title within a week.

This is definitely a risky way to do it, but in this case I'm confident it will work out OK. Actually, even a cashier's check takes a couple of days to clear, so I'm not sure there is a totally safe way to conduct this transaction, unless you trade GREEN CASH for title+keys. I suppose the cash could be counterfeit...

CarMan@Edmunds · July 2004

You're welcome, 92camrywagon. Enjoy your new car

.

Car_man
Host
Smart Shoppers Message Board

kwaycool · July 2004

Ok, I'm in the market for a new car, & like most people there are a few concerns so I didn't know where to post it, so I'll start here.

I live in Chicago & own a 2000 Maxima (getting it priced on the Real World board) free & clear, & looking for a little better ride.

Over the last few years, Chicago has had a better than average share of municipal scandals and boondoggles. Of course, the money has to come from somewhere, and the motorists who live here are a fat target for the powers that be.

Among other things, sales taxes and parking tickets are outrageous. The Combined taxes on a new car lease is 15%.

So, I'd like to get an Iowa license (where I moved from), and register the car at my mother's address. But, I'm not willing to lie to an insurance company to do this. Ie, I'm willing to pay Chicago-based rates. So I need to find an insurance company that's willing to write insurance on a car garaged in one place but registered in another (hopefully one that's licensed to write in both Iowa and Illinois).

Is there anything I should know before going back to Iowa and converting my license?

If this works, then I can get a new car, I'm looking at a G35, possibly the TL. If anybody has any commments here, I'd be happy to listen.

I also test drove a 6speed '04 Z350 and loved it. Alas, I live in Chicago and am a one car guy, so this seems impractical in the extreme. I'm afraid I deserve a beating with the clue stick for even considering this.

If the license thing doesn't work out, then I think I'll have to buy used, as a private transaction. Or, I can just drive the Maxima.

So there are a few decisions to make, and if anybody has any comments on any of them, I'd like to listen:

License thing/insurance
Lease v. purchase
New v. used
private v. dealership
Acura v. Infiniti

John

CarMan@Edmunds · July 2004

Hi John. Taxes on leases is 15% in Chicago huh? Ouch. I can certainly understand your frustration. You may already be aware of this, but the way taxes on automobiles work is that consumers are charged the rate of their home state, the one where they will register their vehicle, regardless of where they purchase it. This was done to prevent consumers from flocking to states that do no charge sales tax when they purchase new vehicles. You might be able to avoid paying Chicago taxes on your new car if you go through with your plan to get an Iowa driver's license. Having said this, I would be very very careful about committing any sort of fraud when getting your drivers license. It used to be much easier for people to get fake IDs and to pretend that they lived in another state. Since September 11th, most state governments have really tightened up the process for getting a drivers license. Most states require several forms of proof that you are who you say you are and that you live in the state and the penalties for lying about these things are fairly steep. I personally don't think that it would be worth the trouble of you getting an Iowa license just to save a few percent on the tax of your vehicle. It's not like you wouldn't have to pay any tax on your leased car at all by registering it in Iowa. It charges a motor vehicle lease tax on vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings of less than 16,000 pounds which are leased for 12 months or more by a lessor licensed under Iowa. This tax is computed on each separate lease transaction based on the lease price. The lease price includes the number of months of the lease is to be multiplied by the monthly lease payments, plus certain adjustments.

You may be able to find out more information on this insurance aspect of this situation by visiting the following discussion: miagarfunckle "Questions About Auto Insurance & Accidents" Jul 25, 2004 12:13am.

Car_man
Host
Smart Shoppers Message Board

kwaycool · July 2004

Yeah, if the Iowa lease taxes are high enough, I might just buy instead, I know I'll save money on the sales tax. I don't know for certain, but I'm pretty sure that I have enough connections to Iowa to get an Iowa DL w/o committing any fraud. I'm actually a little more worried about insuring it.

Btw, I posted in the insurance forum and got one response already, for which I'm grateful. But, if you were linking to a particular post in that forum, it didn't come up.

jkwtrade · August 2004

Car buying has 3 separate components, purchase price, trade-in value, and financing. There are boards for prices paid and real world trade-in values.

Is there a message board that deals with the interest rates people were quoted and eventually charged based upon their FICO or other credit issues?

Thanks,

CarMan@Edmunds · August 2004

Hi jkwtrade. There is not currently a discussion in the Town Hall where consumers can post informaiton on the interest rate that they were quoted for their auto loan. I think that this is because, unlike new vehicle prices which are fairly straightforward, interest rates depend on a large number of factors including consumers' credit scores, how much money they are putting down, how long a loan they want, whether they are getting a new or a used vehicle, etc... Two different consumers can be quoted completely different interest rates for the same vehicle if some of these other factors vary. You can get a pretty good idea of what sort of interest rate you qualify for by visiting the following site: Bankrate.com. Also, please feel free to post any specific questions that you have about financing in the following discussion: "Questions About Financing New Vehicles".

Car_man
Host
Smart Shoppers Message Board

bolivar · September 2004

Why has the "Inconsiderate Salespeople" Topic gone 'Read Only'???

KCRam · October 2004

Click the "Ask the Town Hall Hosts" link at the top of this page for that information.

kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and Wagons Message Boards

peter3 · October 2004

I'm originally from Europe and thinking about buying my first car here in the US. As I haven't been through this process before, I have no idea how the system works here.

So my question is this: Do I have to contact insurance companies and set up an insurance before I go the car dealer, or can I buy the car first and then shop for an insurance?

KCRam · October 2004

Hi Peter, and welcome!

For someone who has never had insurance, you should probably ask insurance companies for quotes on the types of vehicles you are interested in before you start shopping. This way, you will have an idea of how much insurance will cost, and you can adjust your shopping list accordingly.

Be sure to look through the various discussions on insurance by entering "insurance" in the Search box in the left margin as well.

Good luck, and let us know if you need additional help!

kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and Wagons Message Boards

350z · November 2004

Hi all,

Six days ago my wife and I leased a new 350Z. We liked the lease terms: Gross Capital Cost, Residual and payment.

Yesterday they called me and said that the leasing bank did not qualify us. But that they had another lender who did and could we please come back to sign a new lease agreement. I asked if all the terms and numbers were they same - they said yes. So my wife and I show up there tonight and I look over the new lease agreement and start to match up the numbers - they didn't match! The monthly payment was the same but the Gross Capital Cost (the cost of the vehicle) did not match the GCC of the old agreement - it was now $1000 more than the old agreement. And the Residual (what we'd owe) was now $1000 more than the old agreement. They had added $600 for an "aquisition cost" for the new lender and $400 added to the residual was unexplained. I didn't sign it. I still have the car and plan to show my terms to another dealer and see if they can match the old agreement. Anyone have experience/suggestions about this matter?

CarMan@Edmunds · November 2004

Hi 350z. This sounds like an excellent question for the "Lease Questions - Ask Here" discussion. I am sure that you will get several responses if you post your message in that section of this forum.

Car_man
Host
Smart Shopper Message Board

stickguy · November 2004

I'm not in the 'biz, but it does seem to me that you either need to re-finance or return the car. If I was that Nissan dealer, I would probably have sent a repo man by now (once you refused to sign the new agreement).

But, if the payment is the same, whos the difference how the juggled the numbers? if it came with GAP, and the $ down is the same, the only other number that would matter is the residual, and that only if you look to buy it out.

mybuy · November 2004

I wasn't sure where to put this question, so if there is a better forum for it, please let me know. I'm selling my 02 Astro AWD on Autotrader. My first serious buyer lives in the UK now and will be moving back to Montreal where he wants the van shipped. This is the first time I'm selling on the internet, so I have a lot of questions about how to get the money (certified check, I'm sure) and then hand over the title in a way that is trustworthy for both parties + now has the added complexity of shipping across the Canadian border and not having the buyer there in person. Any advice would be appreciated!

bluedevils · November 2004

I cannot figure out how to create a new topic in Town Hall! Been participating here for years but this may be the first time I've tried to create a new topic?

Where can I do this? I've spent a good amount of time searching around, and I cannot find any similar topics in current or archived discussions.

The topic I'd like to add is "Which Makes/Models Offer Free Scheduled Maintenance?". Actually, this is information Edmunds could/should provide elsewhere on its site-- possibly in the same area as warranty information (which should be available in a list by manufacturer, which I found on another competing site)-- but I could not find it.

The information is implied somewhat on the Total Cost to Own info for certain cars-- some cars show $0 for annual maintenance the first few years. But it should be stated explicitly on the site; it is helpful information.

Kirstie_H · November 2004

Hi bluedevils,
In most places in the forums, members can create a new topic by hitting the "add a discussion" link near the top of the page. However, we were getting so many duplicate topics on the Smart Shopper board that we turned off this feature. I will go ahead and create this topic for you, and you can find it easily using the "browse by message board" feature at the left - select Smart Shopper, and you'll get a list of discussions.

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

kzybulew · November 2004

Hi,
Not sure where to post my question. My husband and I are considering a 2005 Audi Allroad 2.7. Please note: the Audi Allroad board is VERY quiet so I'm not hopeful that I'll get the info I need by posting there...

Though my research I have come to understand that the Allroad will no longer be in production after May 2005. What is likely to happen to the price/lease terms for this vehicle as this calendar year ends and the next (2005) begins? The MSRP is $47,120, and the TMV 46,416. It's the most expensive car that we're considering and I'm not certain the terms are good enough to help us afford it.

The current lease info according to Car_man is "If you were to lease a 2005 Audi allroad 2.7T through Audi Financial Services this month for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, its base lease money factor and residual value should be .00085 and 56%, respectively."

Is it foolish to lease this car now? Will the "deals" likely be MUCH improved as time goes on? We can be flexible with our time frame but I would LOVE to have a new car with AWD for the winter.

All help is appreciated
kzybulew

Kirstie_H · November 2004

Your best bet is to continue in the Lease Questions - Ask Here discussion, where your question is most likely to be seen by those who know the market.

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

mybuy · November 2004

It appears that the person who replied to my Autotrader ad is engaged in FRAUD and was trying to get money from me. Who should I report this to besides Autotrader?

Kirstie_H · November 2004

Your state's Attorney General is a good place to start. I don't know if there's a lot that can be done easily given that you're dealing with someone not in the U.S., sadly. Others may be able to provide better advice, though.

boberonicus · January 2005

Hi,

I'm interesting in finding out people's experience buying from "1 at this price" newspaper ads. I'm comfortable buying a stripped down Camry, Accord, etc. but I'm wondering if:

A) the deals are really as good as they appear

hidden charges are not listed

C) the car isn't really what it appears to be

Thanks for pointing me to the correct forum.

Robert

Kirstie_H · January 2005

Welcome, boberonicus - love the handle!

A good place to start would be Dealers' Tricks - bait & switch, etc. Although this very well may NOT be a trick, we've had some discussion in that topic the past about these types of ads.

chigirlintexas · January 2005

Hi,

Not sure where to post my question. A Nissan dealer has something called "Dealer Installed Options" amounting to $3200 on every one of its Titans on the lot--$3200 for paint sealant, fabric sealant and tire protection. This is whether the seats are fabric or leather. Sounds like a scam to us. Would like an expert opinion on whether it is a scam, whether other dealers do it, and how to deal with it. Where do you recommend we post?

Thanks!

Chigirl

CarMan@Edmunds · January 2005

Hey Chigirl. I've seen dealers try to pad their profits by adding fabric protectant and paint sealant to vehicles before, but $3,200 for them, my gosh! These items are absolutely unnecessary. You can purchase a can or two of Scotchguard and protect fabric seats all on your own for $5 to $10. As far as paint sealant goes, all new vehicles come with clearcoat over their paint that more than adequately protects them. The fact that this dealer is trying to gouge consumers with these frivolous items would personally turn me off enough to purchase from a different dealer. If they are trying tricks like this right off the bat, who knows what else they will try to pull. However, if you like this dealer, they are the only game in town, or they have the exact Titan that you want that you have not seen elsewhere, proceed with your negotiations as if these items were never added to the vehicle. Just tell the salesperson who you are working with that you will not pay for them. If you would like to talk more about this issue, the "Dealer's Tricks - bait & switch, etc." discussion is also probably a good place for it.

Car_man

Host

Smart Shopper Forum

bkramer · February 2005

Where would i go to find out invoice prices on cars? The two specific models I am looking for are the Subaru Outback LL Bean and the Mercury Mariner Premier. This site is great.

Thank you

bkramer

Kirstie_H · February 2005

Welcome, and glad you like it!

Start on our New Cars page and build your vehicle. At the end of the process, you'll get three prices - MSRP, Invoice price, and TMV (the average price that others in your area are paying). Be sure to check the Incentives & Rebates section as well.

Let us know how we can help you through the shopping process!

richk1 · February 2005

Hello CarMan and Kirstie-

I came here planning to lay out my tactics for sending out RFQs to several dealerships on a new TL, and then asking for advice and/or opinions from others here who have more experience than me in buying cars. I was hoping for find a topic to the effect of "Purchasing Strategies", but I don't see any clean matches. What is my best bet for where to post my plan and get feedback.

Thanks,

Rich

Kirstie_H · February 2005

Are you planning to do that by e-mail? If so, we've got an e-mail only negotiations discussion that might work.

If that's not what you mean, and there's not another topic on the Smart Shopper board discussion list that looks like it'd work for you, we're happy to start a new topic. We try to avoid duplicating conversation, but sometimes new discussions are warranted!

richk1 · February 2005

well - the plan is for initial contact to be via fax (so that communications can be directed to the fleet manager), and subsequent communications to be via fax or email. In looking at the "email only negotiations" discussion, it seemed to focus on the quote services which I would not be using. Please let me know what you think is best.

Thanks,

Rich

PS - this site and forum is outstanding.

Kirstie_H · February 2005

I'm really glad you're finding the site/forum useful, and we're glad you're here!

Seems like you identified a gap in our discussion offerings, so I created a new topic on purchasing strategies as you suggested. Go ahead and post your question there, and hopefully others will share their advice and success stories.

bcoutdoor · February 2005

Having real troubles getting into your site, clocking. Must be the traffic?

Anyway, here is my question, hope you guys can help. I kill vehicles, by that I mean I live in my car...sales job.

I lease a 2004 F150 Lariat 4x4."0" down $499 a month, 24 month lease, high buyout. After all the smoke clears it still costs me $1500 a month all in, fuel etc. No interest in keeping it.

I have tried driving beaters. Maintenence and mental health kills me. Tried buying; depreciation with mileage killed me.

I use the truck alot on the weekend for ATV's, Sleds, House work,Cabin, etc. That's why I can't have a car.

Any good advice? Should I buy a Toyota 4x4 and take the 12 to 15 thousand dollar hit after 2 years, sell it and start gain?

Thanks in Advance

Mike,

BC, Canada

Kirstie_H · February 2005

Well, that doesn't sound like a good financial plan, if I understand what you're saying. Why sell after 2 years? If you get a good, reliable vehicle and maintain it well, it should be fine after 2 years even with tons of miles.

If you need to trade in often, to keep yourself from being "upside down" in what you owe vs. what the truck is worth, you should finance for a shorter period of time than 5 years - look at some of the great financing deals that are available, then finance for a shorter term.

Unless you can pay off the vehicle in 2 years, trading in every 2 years is always going to be difficult financially.

bcoutdoor · February 2005

I should clarify. The tires, brakes,etc, is too expensive if I keep the vehicle. I don't want to own a new vihcle if I'm just going to kill it !

My work pays me $750 per month for a car allowance, I double that with insurance, gas etc.

My question is, would I be better off buying a 4 year Intrepid, driving it for 2/3 years then throwing it away?

Mike

Kirstie_H · February 2005

OK, but you're paying it one way or another - you either pay for the maintenance (brakes, tires, etc.) or you pay when you go to trade it in, because you owe way more than it's worth.

Since that's the case, you probably would be better off buying a good used vehicle on which someone else has taken the depreciation hit. In that case, you should look at a used vehicle that drops sharply in value over the first couple of years, but then plateaus. We had a similar conversation a few weeks ago, and our knowledgeable members who also sell vehicles were able to recommend a few like this (Infiniti I30 among them).

How about starting in our discussion called Purchasing Used Vehicles. That's where other members will be able to give you sound advice about purchasing a car that can take the beating you're going to give it

bcoutdoor · February 2005

Thanks for that help. One thing though, the Dealer Gaurantee's the buyout. So I just walk away, or lease another one. Not all dealers to this, you have to make sure before you lease.

Thanks,

Mike

remthewanderer · February 2005

Hello,

I was wondering if someone could shed some more light on how Edmunds.com comes to it's TMV prices. Priced a 2001 Nissan Frontier XE 4x4 and the dealer retail TMV came to 13,508. The truck i was looking at was priced at 16,900. I offered 13,508. the dealer rejected that price. I showed him my print out from edmunds. He insisted that he could not sell the truck at this price. i offered 14,000 as my final price because this truck was real nice and clean, but the dealer insisted that at 14K he would lose money on the deal. Classic line right?

I trust enmund's pricing but when put up against KBB and NADA edmund's price is always lower. What can i say to a dealer to disprove the inflated pricing of both the NADA and KBB?

thanks,
jeREMy

jaybird50 · February 2005

Please reactivate this discussion concerning extended warranties as I have a number of helpful comments after reading their vechcle service agreement a number of times. Buyers should be careful!

Kirstie_H · February 2005

Start here:
http://www.edmunds.com/products/tmv/learn.html
to learn all about our True Market Value system. It's based on actual sales data and is updated regularly to ensure accuracy.

The dealer may, indeed, lose money on this vehicle, depending on what he paid for it. If you can't buy it for near TMV, you should probably look at another dealership.

You can also post the details about this vehicle in our Real-World Trade-In Values discussion to get a second opinion on the pricing.

yojack · February 2005

I traded in my car for a newer car. The dealership that I purchased the newer car from was supposed to pay the balance of my trade-in. After weeks of fighting with them to send the pay-off check, they finally did; and I received a letter from the creditor saying my account has been paid in full and is now closed (with the original contract stamped PAID across the top). However, a few days later, I got a call from the creditor saying that my account was NOT closed because the check that they received from the dealership did not clear. The dealership closed down and filed bankruptcy days after mailing the check!!! Now the dealership is nowhere to be found, nor is the car that I traded! Now the creditor is trying to get me to sign a form giving them permission to give me an "extension" on my account so that this will not affect my credit while they are "working this out" with the dealership. Something sounds fishy. I have a feeling if I sign this document, I am going to live to regret it, like it is going to re-open my account or something. Am I even liable at this point, or is this their problem and the dealership's problem? Can this affect my credit?

CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hi yojack. I am sorry to hear about all of the problems that you have been having with your trade. Try posting this message over in the "Any Questions for a Car Dealer?" discussion. I am sure that you will get quite a bit of feedback in that area.

Car_man
Host
Smart Shopper Forum

donnah · February 2005

I filed for Ch. 13 in Dec. 2004, only submitting credit card debt. I am able to continue to pay my mortgage, car lease, utilities, etc., just not the credit card balances. The trustee has objected to my car lease and wants it included in the Ch. 13 filing. Sales managers at 3 dealers told me that if the car is included in the bankruptcy filing, I will NEVER be able to finance another car again. Is this true? The current lease began 9/04 for 42 months. I tried applying for financing at 2 dealers but was declined as the Ch. 13 showed up on my credit report. Are the sales managers correct in that if a car is part of a Ch. 13 filing, you cannot finance any cars ever again, no matter how much you build up your credit after the bankruptcy is discharged? How can the trustee expect me to finance a car now with the Ch. 13 on my credit report (I asked my attorney, just waiting for the answer)?

CarMan@Edmunds · February 2005

Hi donnah. This is a great question for the following discussion: "Questions About Financing New Vehicles". While filing for bankruptcy should always be a last resort, it definitely will not prevent you from ever financing a vehicle again. Tons of people finance new and used vehicles a year or two after filing for bankruptcy. Of course, they are charged a much higher interest rate than if they had never filed. For now, you may want to consider paying cash for an inexpensive used vehicle rather than trying to finance a more expensive one. The following article that is available here at Edmunds.com contains a lot of good information about the financing of vehicles with blemished credit: Tips For Subprime Borrowers - Making the Best of Blemished Credit. Take a look at it and please let us know if you have any other questions.

Car_man
Host
Smart Shopper Forum

Lost? Ask the Smart Shopper Hosts for directions!

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy