Is It A Good Deal ?

Consumer Reports has named four new models to its Top Picks list for 2008-the Hyundai Elantra SE and Hyundai Santa Fe as top choices for small sedans and midsized SUVs, respectively; the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado as the top choice for pickup truck; and the Lexus LS 460L as the best luxury sedan.

Here, by category, are the issue’s best performers. Changes from last year’s Top Picks list are noted:

• SMALL SEDAN: Hyundai Elantra SE. The Hyundai Elantra SE ($18,000) is a well-rounded small car that provides good fuel economy, a comfortable ride, and an interior that’s quiet, roomy, and well-equipped. The SE also has standard electronic stability control, a proven safety feature that’s absent on many other small cars. The Honda Civic EX and Mazda3 scored almost as well and are more fun to drive, but lack ESC on more affordable versions. (Last year’s Top Pick for Small Sedan was the Honda Civic.)

• MIDSIZED SUV: Hyundai Santa Fe. Redesigned for 2007, the much-improved Santa Fe ($22,000 to $31,000) edged out the Honda Pilot in CR’s tests. It provides a quiet and roomy interior, excellent fit and finish, a refined powertrain, a relatively good ride, and an optional third-row seat. Standard ESC helps provide secure handling. (Last year’s Top Pick for Midsized SUV was the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.)

• PICKUP TRUCK: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab. The redesigned Silverado ($27,000 to $39,000)
is considerably improved. It achieves a nice balance between work attributes and livability, including a
generous payload rating, a comfortable ride, improved interior quality and steering feel, and easy access. ESC
is standard on all crew-cab models. The GMC Sierra is virtually identical to the Silverado. The redesigned
Toyota Tundra outscored the Silverado in CR’s tests, but first-year reliability of the 4WD, V8 version was
below average.

• LUXURY SEDAN: Lexus LS 460L. With a score of 99 out of 100 in CR’s road test, the LS 460L ($77,000)
is CR’s highest-rated vehicle. It provides a no-compromise environment of comfort and roominess, coupled
with an isolating quietness. It also delivers quick acceleration and relatively good fuel economy. While it’s
brimming with electronic amenities, its controls are easy to use. (Last year’s Top Pick for Luxury Sedan was
the Infiniti M35.)

• FAMILY SEDAN: Honda Accord. The Accord ($22,000 to $31,000), redesigned for 2008, is a well-
rounded roomy sedan with a comfortable ride, agile handling, and smooth, refined powertrains. Electronic
stability control is standard on all models, and crash-test results are impressive. Although the Nissan Altima
edged out the Accord in CR’s ratings, most affordable versions of the Altima lack ESC, a requirement to be a
Top Pick. (This is the sixth consecutive year that the Accord was named a Top Pick for Family Sedan.)

• UPSCALE SEDAN: Infiniti G35. The G35 ($33,000 to $35,000) successfully blends sportiness and luxury.
Available in rear- or all-wheel drive, it has an exuberant powertrain, agile handling, and a well-crafted
interior. (This is the second consecutive year the G35 was named Top Pick for Upscale Sedan.)

• FUN TO DRIVE: Mazda MX-5 Miata. The MX-5 ($27,000) won drivers over with its balanced handling,
quick and precise steering, and crisp-shifting six-speed manual transmission. It virtually tied the Porsche
Boxster in CR’s test scoring, but it’s roughly half the price. The manual top can be lowered and raised with
one hand from the driver’s seat, making open motoring a snap. (Unchanged from last year.)

• SMALL SUV: Toyota RAV4. The impressive RAV4 ($23,000 to $30,000) is versatile, comfortable, and
roomy enough for a small third-row seat. The spirited V6 version accelerates quickly (the same as a Mazda
Miata from 0 to 60 mph), yet delivers an excellent 22 mpg overall. The four-cylinder version gets 23 mpg, the
best of any nonhybrid SUV CR has tested. (Unchanged from last year.)

• MINIVAN: Toyota Sienna. The Sienna ($24,000 to $37,000) is CR’s pick for the second year in a row. Its
spacious, quiet, and refined interior is on par with some luxury sedans and its V6 engine is powerful and fuel
efficient. It is also the only minivan available with all-wheel drive. The Honda Odyssey, on the other hand, is
more agile and fun to drive.

• GREEN CAR: Toyota Prius. The gas/electric Prius hybrid ($24,000) retains its lock on this category for the
fifth straight year. Despite a wave of new hybrid models, the Prius’ 44 mpg overall is still the best CR has
measured in any five-passenger car. The interior is roomy and versatile, and the Prius has been very reliable.

Information and articles from the magazine can be accessed online at www.ConsumerReports.org

I was researching the Carmax website for selling my 2004 truck. They claim to use the Kelly Book in order to get a ballpark figure. I asked the salesman how accurate the Kelly book figures are and he said they aren’t off by much but that they really don’t go by those figures, just the “MARKET VALUE” of the truck. I told him that using the Kelly book sounds like a way to get people into the store if they don’t use those figures. He agreed with me and wondered why himself. When I got the appraisal results after waiting 45 minutes, their figures were $5700.00 less than the book value. Thanks Carmax for making me drive 95 miles one way for nothing!

Looking for a used car? Get a FREE VIN check at AutoCheck®.

Have you been late on a few credit card payments? Had a previous car repossessed? Do not worry you and over a million other Americans have and you both now face lower credit scores. Unfortunately, with the lower credit score comes a harder time getting your next new or used car loan. Not every lender is keen to take risk on an applicant with bad credit.

Down Payments and Interest Rates:

Depending on the severity of your credit score, credit and legal limits of a particular US State, the down payment ranges from 20 % to 50 % and the interest rates from 5 % up to 49.99 %. Yes, that is right, 49.99% interest rates. What makes matters worse is that most bad credit loans may be a 18-36 month term, while people with good to excellent credit may see up to 84 month terms.

Some dishonest dealers at times increase the interest rates on the loan financed for that car. This leads to a borrowers failing to pay on the loan further, and thereby, runs into the more bad credit. Even if that person makes all monthly payments, the person ends up paying the double or the triple value of that car.

If you need help getting your next new or used car loan click the “FREE ADVICE” link above and we can help you find the best financing rates based on your credit.

It’s been a really snowy and awful winter here in Chicago, but having snow tires has helped so much! Obviously some cars handle a lot better in the snow than others, but tires play a huge role in how well you get through the snow. Believe it or not a sports car with winter tires might actually drive better than a SUV with the wrong or bad tires. I’d highly suggest using Tire Rack, even most Car Dealers use Tire Rack for tires for the cars on their lots. They deliver nationwide and their pricing is the best around.

Shop for winter tires at The Tire Rack.

Looking for a used car? Get a FREE VIN check at AutoCheck®.

Brian M. writes us his experience with Carmax:

I bought a 98 Volvo at CarMax in 2001. During the 5 day grace period I took it to my mechanic who saw an oil leal and thought it was the flame trap. I returned the car and Car Max said they would send it to a Volvo dealer to get it repaired. They did and I took it back to the mechanic and he found the leak again. I took the car back to carmax and they sent it back to the dealer . Aha! It turned out there was a leak in the block. The Volvo dealer wanted $7500 to replace the engine. Carmax said they would do the work themselves. I told them no way…only if the dealer did it. CarMax refused. I told them I wanted the deal negated because it was obvious they did not do the inspection they said they do. But they refused to negate the deal.

Lucky for me I knew someone who knew the personal email address of the CarMax General Manager. I sent him an email. The next day the Service and Sales managers who refused to negate the deal called me up and said the deal was negated. They told me to find a similar Volvo anywhere in the USA and they would not charge me shipping charge. They kept their word but if I didn’t have that “inside” line Lord knows what would have happened.

Looking for a used car? Get a FREE VIN check at AutoCheck®.

Tina A. from Texas shared her story with us earlier today:

I just recently had an awful experience at Carmax in Austin, Texas (North location). I first contacted them via the internet and a sales consultant emailed me right away: Kris Santoscoy. I knew the exact car I wanted and there was no other like it in the state. I went to the lot during lunchtime and test drove it. I wanted the car right away - I filled out some paperwork and got approved. I went back to work and started the process of getting my insurance and proof of income. I faxed those to Kris the next morning and arranged to pick up my car that day.

He got all the docs then called me a few hours later with “bad news”. He told me that overnight, their staff was moving cars around me and one of their employees wrecked two of the cars on the lot, one of them being mine. He said that they do not sell wrecked or damaged cars at all and that it would have to be sent to a wholesaler. I was devastated! I arranged to go to dealership that same day and talk with him about my “options”. I was hoping to see the car, get a more thorough explanation and verify that I was not financially responsible for the car (I had not signed the final paperwork yet, so I was pretty sure that was the case).

I get there, and Kris is gone. Another sales guy helps me and glosses over the wreck issue entirely - steering me towards choosing a new car. I smell something fishy so inquire further: “can I see the car?” “does this happen often?” “Can I see the paperwork to make sure I’m not liable?” etc. He finally says “well….maybe the car was not wrecked” - I am shocked and say “MAYBE??” - he says “maybe it was sold instead and he didn’t want to tell you” WHAT?????? I demand to know all the details of what happened to my car either way. He finally confesses “yes, it was sold”. The manager finally comes over and admit that Kris lied to me….the car was never wrecked. Kris failed to do the paperwork/process on his end and that first evening, the manager sold the car without knowing I had a claim on it!!!!!!! I was SHOCKED!

He was very apologetic etc…. He said he could cover the transfer fee for another vehicle outside Austin. I requested they cover the transfer fee for ANY car in the nation and they refused. The most they would over was $200 - basically inside Texas. I said the LEAST they should do is let me find the exact car - no matter where it is - and get it to me. They would not offer me more than the $200 transfer fee. I left and ended up buying a car from another dealer.

BUT, I later found out from the dealership down south - that it is easy to “lose” a car that you are interested in because everyone is looking at that same car online and anyone, anywhere could be staking their claim on it….so it’s first in line so to speak. Apparently, it is often the case that a customer is interested in a car and test drives it, and at the same time elsewhere, someone is starting the paperwork on that same car. They don’t appear to have a great system for “claiming” a car. In my case, my sales guy was incompetent and I was out time and trouble - and betrayed in the process.

Looking for a used car? Get a FREE VIN check at AutoCheck®.

RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ — One month after the launch of expanded online vehicle search capabilities, CarMax, Inc. the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, reports the top ten vehicle features searched for on carmax.com in December.

“People told us that generally they know the options that are important to them, but often don’t know which vehicle makes and models offer them,” said Ann Yauger, director of carmax.com. “Now that people are able to search by feature, it’s interesting to see what they are looking for most frequently.” Yauger continued, “People want new technologies and we see that reflected with navigation systems ranking higher than ABS brakes and cruise control.”

Top Ten Vehicle Features Searched
Ranking Feature
1 Leather Seats
2 Navigation System
3 Sunroof
4 3rd Row Seat
5 Seat Heater(s)
6 ABS Brakes
7 Cruise Control
8 Manual Transmission
9 TV/DVD
10 Power Seat(s)

In December 2007, CarMax launched a new, innovative approach to the way consumers conduct vehicle searches on carmax.com based on research and customer feedback. The new vehicle search enables consumers to search based on a wide array of criteria including price, mileage, type, popular features and other options without having to first select a make and model. Another unique benefit allows online car shoppers the opportunity to combine the options they want.

Online shoppers can use the carmax.com website to search the company’s inventory of more than 25,000 new and used cars. The website showcases each vehicle with multiple photos, the no-haggle price, and information on features, options, fuel economy and customer reviews. In fiscal year 2007, carmax.com averaged more than four million visits per month. Additionally, approximately 70 percent of in-store customers visited the website before coming to the store.

Looking for a used car? Get a FREE VIN check at AutoCheck®.

If you think Carfax offers an accurate vehicle history report, think again. The $20 you spend to buy a Carfax vehicle history report, which is supposed to show title problems, flood damage, odometer issues and many other problems, might be a big waste of money. Thousands of people around the country have bought cars with clean Carfax reports and have found out accidents didn’t show up in the carfax report, odometer was rolled back or the car has a previous salvage title in another state. Many, many people find out things that would have steered them away from their purchase, but now that they bought the car it’s too late.

One man went to trade in his 2003 Jeep Cherokee and when the dealer pulled up the Carfax on his car it showed a severe accident with a possible salvage history. Truth of the matter was he was involved in a minor accident, so minor he was able to drive it to the body shop. No major damage or anything… but Carfax reported inaccurate information and the dealer ended up paying him $5000 less because of this Carfax report. He even tried fighting it, he sent a thirty page report from the body shop with pictures, names and numbers of everybody who worked on the car and the insurance adjustor information who all declared the Carfax had reported the accident incorrectly, yet Carfax refused to change the information.

Carfax claims its “the most trusted provider of vehicle history information”. There is one place you’d figure Carfax would get most of its data from, insurance companies. Believe it or not, but Carfax doesn’t receive any records about wrecked vehicles from any insurance companies.

You might say, what about their Buyback Guarantee, which is supposed to protect you in case the Carfax shows inaccurate information. Well truth of the matter is Carfax since starting the program has only bought back roughly 9 cars ! Just two years ago a class action lawsuit was filed claiming the company doesn’t have access to police accident data in 23 states. Remember there are 50 states That means in about half the states in the US, Carfax has no police accident data. Two of the biggest states motor vehicle departments, California and Texas, verified that they do not provide unique VIN number information to vendors.

As a car dealer myself I’ll say this… personally I think both Carfax and Autocheck suck. A good percentage of accidents or major problems don’t even show up on Carfax reports. Nothing beats a good inspection and if you need some help bring a mechanic or knowledgeable friend. If I had to pick between Carfax and Autocheck, I’d say Autocheck for one reason and one reason only, Manheim Auctions, the largest network of automotive auctions in the world, which is where almost every used car passes through at one point in their life only reports more so to Autocheck then Carfax.