People are always looking for ways to help things go easier for them, and this is no different for car owners. Here are a few ingenious car hacks that anyone can try on their cars.More...

Buying a used car can save a pretty penny over a new one if you’re able to locate a good deal. But there are car scams out there that you’ll need to watch out for in order to protect yourself from being cheated.More...

When shopping for a new car a lot of people decide to trade in their vehicles to offset the price of the car. Most people know that dealers will almost never give you Kelley Blue Book value.

The reason for this is because KBB pricing is only for the retail value of used cars, and not the wholesale value. In other words, car dealerships can’t offer you the price your car sells on the open market because they won’t be able to resell it for a profit.

But there are ways to increase the value of your trade-in such as knowing what your car is really worth according to car guides and website information.

Research Your Car

In order to get a good trade-in value for your car you need to know what it is really worth. You can use resources such as Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds.com, and newspaper ads to see what the going price for your car is.

But remember, once you know this number use this as a starting point in negotiating a trade-in price. It will always be lower than the going price for the car, but you now have an idea how much the car dealer stands to make on it when it is resold.

If the trade-in price is several thousand dollars below KBB value for instance, you know the dealer can give you a better trade-in price. If it is only several hundred dollars below the going price, you’re probably getting a deal.

Try Alternative Financing

Car dealers will be happy to finance your car for you because they will earn interest over the life of the loan of the car. But this could also mean trouble for you regarding your trade-in.

If a dealer claims that he’ll give you KBB price for your car, run for the hills because the dealer may be juggling the deal to make up for his loss on the trade-in.

They can sign you up for a lengthy payment schedule that will cost you more in interest, or raise the APR on your loan to make up for the trade-in loss.

One way to get around this is to get a pre-approved loan from your bank or credit union. Since you already have the cash in hand to buy a car, the car dealer won’t be able to manipulate the numbers on the car loan.

If you do go with dealership financing, pay extra close attention to the annual percentage rate, length of the car loan, or extra “hidden” charges in the final documents to make sure your great trade-in deal hasn’t disappeared due to trumped up charges and fees.

Go to Different Dealers

Try different car dealerships to see what the going rate for your trade-in is. This amount will vary because some dealers may have many models of your car already sitting on the used car lot, while others may need your particular model.

If you do find a good trade-in deal, and you are comfortable with the salespeople and dealership, it’s time to make a deal!

Source: Bankrate

Rumors and reports were circulating earlier this year that the iconic VW Beetle would be discontinued by the German car manufacturer.

Slow sales and seemingly soft demand for the cute little car appeared to be a warning signal that the Beetle would soon be squashed. But according to Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, head of development at VW, it just isn’t so.

In remarks made at the 2015 New York International Auto Show to Motor Trend, Dr. Neusser assured that not only would the Beetle continue, there would be some interesting changes for the classic auto.

“Much More”

So what’s in store for the Beetle of the future? Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser said:
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“It’s iconic and has a historical background. We think we can do much more with this car.”

The VW Beetle first made its appearance in 1938 and was produced as a “people’s car,” thus the name Volkswagen. The original idea and concept for the car was to provide a cheap and affordable car for the masses.

Since then the Beetle has gone on to be the longest running single model production car in the world. The Beetle’s solid engineering and early model easy DIY fix-it qualities made it a hit with many around the world, not to mention its instantly recognizable profile.

But with the “much more” statement by Neusser, just what is he referring to? For starters the Global Rallycross-like Beetle R-Line and Beetle Convertible denim will be soon in production.

Research and development at VW also has plans in the works for an electric Beetle and a hybrid Beetle. With the strong emphasis for cars that are environmentally friendly with superior mpg numbers, Volkswagen is getting ready to jump onto the bandwagon to meet demand.

Microbus On the Way

During the 60s and 70s of the hippie movement, the Volkswagen Beetle and Microbus represented an antiestablishment statement by its owners. And Dr. Neusser wants to revitalize the old Microbus and bring it back into production.

He said:
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“We have two big pillars for the brand Volkswagen. One is Beetle, and one is the .”

The comeback of the Microbus has been around for decades but has never quite made it into production again, but if Nuesser has his way, the Microbus will be in production in the near future.

But there are some engineering obstacles that VW must hurdle if it is to produce a Microbus in the classic look.
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“To identify the genetic things of the microbus you have to look for a very small space between the A-pillar and the front end of the car, otherwise the hood is too long and it doesn’t look like a microbus.“That makes it hard, because this technical architecture of the Microbus with its rear engine is not anymore fitted to what we are doing with our mainstream architecture where we have the greatest flexibility of different power trains.”

Or in plain speech, they’ll have to figure out a way to place the engine so that it isn’t in the front of the Microbus.

Source: MotorTrend

We’ve all heard or have experienced at one time or another the infamous situation of being stuck in a car dealer’s office for literally half a day or more in trying to close a car deal.

The game goes something like this: You make an offer, and the salesman says he’ll need to bring it to his “supervisor” to approve it; He comes back and says the manager can’t approve it but would you accept a price higher; you say “no” and make a counter offer and this back and forth goes on for the rest of the day.

In comparison, buying a house is faster than buying a car. With that said just how can you avoid these marathon deal sessions at the car dealer?

Set a Deadline

If you are really serious about buying a car, you can speed the process up by telling the salesman that you can make a deal to buy today, but you’ll only purchase if the price you want is made in 40-minutes or less. After that, you walk out the door.

This strategy may sound extreme, but in reality you are merely shifting the balance of “power” from the car dealer to yourself. Car dealers want to sell cars, but part of the game is to make you wait during negotiations for the deal. This is done to make you want the car more, thus assuring them, at least in theory, a sale.

But if you place a deadline on how long you are willing to wait for an offer that pleases you, you’ve just turned the tables on the car salespeople and have applied pressure on them to make a deal quickly.

But if the 40-minute deadline passes, you have to walk out the door regardless of what excuses they may have on not being able to fill your request. The odds are that you’ll get a phone call in a day or two from the manager begging you to come back in.

If this happens, tell him or her that you may or may not come back as you’re still shopping around. If you do go back, you can be pretty sure that they will be hungry to give you a great deal.

Be Honest

There is really no reason why you have to battle it out for a good deal that will take 4-6 hours to complete. If you are sure you want to buy the car at the right price, simply tell the salesperson that you have limited time and don’t want to hang out at the car dealer all day to make a deal.

Say that you’ll be more likely to buy from the dealership if you receive quick and efficient customer service. Ask if they can do this. If they say “yes” you’ll probably cut your time at the car dealer’s office by a huge amount.

Test Drive and Get an Appraisal

Many car shoppers will want to do a trade-in of their old cars towards the purchase price of the new one. Tell the car salesperson you want to trade your car in and want to know what it is worth.

Rather than sitting around for the appraisal team to come up with a number, you can just go out on a test drive of your potential new car. When you get back from the drive, your appraisal offer may be ready or close to being ready. Doing this will also save you some time.

Source: Edmunds.com

Buying a new 2015 model car can be pretty exciting as the anticipation builds in finding the right car for you or your family. But oftentimes the matter insuring the car is forgotten during the deal making.

You may want that snazzy little sports car because you’ve found a great price for it, but the insurance for a car like that will cost a lot more than your average sedan. The car may be cheap but the insurance premiums will wear you down.

So which cars made today can be insured at good prices?

Only 43%

According to Insure.com, only 43% of the drivers surveyed said they actually looked into how much it would cost them to insure their new cars before purchasing them. But knowing what it will cost to insure a new car can make a difference in the overall decision to purchase one model over another, as far as the bottom line is concerned.

Scott Oldham of Edmunds.com said:

"People usually buy the vehicle they want, and only then do they call their insurance company to find out about coverage."

Insurance costs also fluctuate according to factors such as where you drive your car, what you drive your car for, and how many miles you drive, just to name a few. The following are a partial list of the cars that are cheapest to insure.

Ford Escape S
Average yearly premium: $1190
This compact crossover car is a favorite for families with kids, and as a result, insurance companies believe that the parents will be safe drivers, and won’t get into many accidents. If you are looking for a good family car that won’t break the bank in insurance premiums, the Ford Escape S may be a car to consider.

Subaru Outback 2.5i PZEV
Average yearly premium: $1,176
As is common for many Subaru cars, the Subaru Outback 2.5i PZEV offers standard all-wheel drive. It also has a good deal of safety equipment on board such as seat-cushion airbags, and optional collision avoidance systems with automatic brake control.

This four-door family SUV is a favorite among families, which translates into safer drivers and lower insurance rates.

Dodge Grand Caravan SE Plus
Average yearly premium: $1,162
This minivan is another favorite among families (anyone see a pattern here?) and as a result, falls into the category of “safe drivers.” This vehicle has relatively simple trim/body extras so repairs for accidents to the car’s body should be simple and straightforward (read: cheaper to repair).

Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD two-door hardtop
Average yearly premium: $1,134
The Wrangler wins the title for the least expensive 2015 car to insure. It has a 4-wheel drive, and a standard 8.8-inch ground clearance, plus hill-start assist. The downside to all of this is that virtually all Jeep models have worse than average repair records.

Source: Insure.com