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Buying a car is a major investment and is often the first large purchase people make as young adults. However, there are several pitfalls involved hidden the process that can lead to buyer’s remorse and an overall sense of unhappiness with the experience, and one of the most common is accepting myths as facts when it comes to researching and financing a vehicle. If you are ready to buy a car, busting these misconceptions before you shop can help you avoid disappointment and make you feel confident about the car you choose.
1. Car Color Can Affect Price
It is a common myth that red, yellow, and neon-blue vehicles are more expensive than other choices and cost most to insure because they are distracting and therefore more likely to cause accidents. This rumor likely got started because sports cars commonly come in these colors and some insurance companies charge more to cover high-performance vehicles.
If you are browsing a car lot and notice that a red model of a certain vehicle is slightly more expensive than a white one, this may be due to buyer appeal. Red cars are eye-catching, shiny, and the color is equated with speed and style. If color is important to you, take the time to browse several different local car lots and look online to compare availability, as some dealers with an overstock of one color may offer discounts on several different makes and models.
Mature business man discussing project with his colleagues and pointing at computer screen
2. Price Is Priority
While the cost of a vehicle is certainly important, making the sticker price your main focus can get you in over your head before you even take the car home. Instead, it is wise to think of this price as a jumping-off point for negotiating a better deal. This can be especially important if you are buying a pre-owned vehicle, as the price for these cars is usually not as firm as those for new cars.
One way to use a sticker price effectively is to research that make, model, and year once you find a vehicle that interests you. Know the Kelley Blue Book value, the average cost at other lots, and, if possible, the history of the vehicle itself. The more you know about a car, the better the chance you can negotiate a better deal rather than simply agreeing on the sticker price.
3. Year-End Deals Yield the Best Savings
You have likely heard many car ads about how dealers have to move their existing stock to make way for the upcoming new models and that there is no better time to buy than at the end of the year. However, while sales like these can yield some good deals, it may not be the best time for you to make a purchase. Before you purchase a pre-owned vehicle during this type of promotion, you may want to consider a few factors first.
For example, before you visit the lot, check out the stock online if possible so you can browse without feeling pressured or hurried to make a choice. If the car you want is available but is missing a few accessories that it had when it was new, what kind of price reduction can you score? Are there upgrades available? What kind of warranty does the dealership offer on their used vehicles? These are all questions you might want to ask yourself before you buy at the end of the year.
4. Pay Cash, Not Credit
Paying cash for certain items can help you avoid debt, but when it comes to buying a car, it is not always the best choice. In fact, you may score a better deal by financing. You can gauge how much you qualify for by filling out an easy online auto loan application and visiting a dealer that has financing incentives to find a monthly payment that suits your budget.
Car-buying myths can make the process confusing. However, when you know the facts, you can make important choices with confidence and drive away knowing you made the best deal.
Those who know and love cars are always on the lookout for the latest stories about them. Real car enthusiasts can determine what’s a truly big story, and what’s marketing fluff that’s trying to pass for news. We’ll look at two big car stories ripped from the headlines, and what you should know about them.
Tesla
If you live in certain parts of the US, this car maker seems to be on everyone’s lips. The lucky few who have had the pleasure to drive them (or even sit in them) could reasonably describe the experience as seeing into the future. That’s how innovative this car has managed to be in an age where that word has all but lost its meaning. Elon Musk may not be the only person who’s implementing autonomous vehicle technology into his cars, but he is managing to appeal to some of the most demanding buyers on the market, like those who have learned the benefits of driving for the TLC.
When the Model 3 hit the market last year, even the most optimistic employee at Tesla was likely blown away by the response. People who ordered the car months ago won’t even get to test drive it until this summer. They might not get to take one home until potentially next year, especially considering Tesla has not been able to keep up with its forecasted numbers. Production wasn’t necessarily meant to accommodate the 400,000 pre-orders Tesla saw, which means that they’re very much under the gun to get everything finished on time. Some say that this could be their downfall when it comes to future sales, because it will take a while for Tesla to figure out the best way to meet demand. However, it’s likely that Tesla will just go through an adjustment period before smoothing out the rest of their processes.
Apple
And speaking of technology, Apple’s introduction to the autonomous driving market should not surprise anyone, but it may surprise people they waited so late. Instead of letting Tesla be the iPhone of cars, it looks like Apple wants their own name at the top instead. While other tech giants like Google may have already had a head start, the iPhone developers are certainly no slouch when it comes to gaining the upper hand in the public eye. Apple doesn’t just look at what customers want today, they look ahead to how customers will feel when the product debuts. By aiming to fulfill needs that customers may not have known they even had, the company manages to stay fresh regardless of how crowded the market is.
Apple is notoriously close with their money, meaning the investments they do make speak volumes about what they picture the future to be. Regardless of how ubiquitous Apple is, they haven’t had a lot in the way of breakthrough products as of late. The iPad was really the last thing that attracted mass numbers to try something completely new. As the company struggles to fill the shoes of the inimitable Jobs, they’re prepared to use their massive buying power to stay ahead of a game they may have gotten to just a few minutes late.
Whether you’re excited about these stories or are tired of hearing about how your driving skills may be obsolete in the future, there’s a lot to be said about keeping up with today’s trends. For now, consider taking a defensive driving course to increase your safety on the road, and to potentially lower your auto insurance bill. Defensive driving classes can help you understand how to use technology to your advantage, and keep you from being overly reliant on technology as well.
The Central African Republic (CAR) has banned the use of mobile phone text messages.
The move is aimed at helping to restore security after more than a year of deadly ethnic and religious violence.
The ban comes after days of violent demonstrations in the capital, Bangui, and a mass text campaign calling for a general strike.
The Central African Republic has banned the use of mobile phone text messages
The protesters want the transitional government that came to power in January to resign.
The CAR conflict began last year as mainly Muslim Seleka rebels, led by Michel Djotodia, seized power in the majority Christian country.
Michael Djotodia resigned as president in January under diplomatic pressure, but a interim government and French and African peacekeepers have failed to stop the violence between Christian and Muslim militia groups.
Mobile phone users in CAR now get a message in French saying “SMS not allowed”.
“On the instruction of the prime minister… in order to contribute to the restoration of security in the country, the use of SMS by all mobile phone subscribers is suspended,” Reuters news agency quotes the telecommunications ministry statement as saying.
According to the French news website Jeune Afrique, a letter was sent to CAR’s four phone mobile operators ordering them to suspend their SMS texting service until further notice.
Miley Cyrus’ car and jewellery have been stolen after her home was burgled, the LAPD has confirmed.
Officers from LAPD’s North Hollywood station say they responded to a report of a break-in on Friday at the singer’s house in San Fernando Valley.
Miley Cyrus’ car and jewellery have been stolen after her LA home was burgled
They are looking for a man and a women in connection with the theft.
Detectives say the pair scaled a fence and then got inside the house and garage while nobody was home.
A Maserati and an unspecified amount of jewellery were taken in the raid.
Police have asked that anyone with information about the crime contact detectives in LA.
Last month Miley Cyrus got a temporary restraining order against a man from Arizona who was stopped by police while trying to meet her.
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The global market that deals with automobile accessories is vast in size. It is spread across continents, starting from North America, the topmost name in the map of car manufacturers, crossing Europe and extending up to China in Asia. The manufacturers of car accessories have quite wisely been able to put the global economic surge into use.
Image via Flickr by Jasperdo
Automobile sales have boosted globally, that is a true story. However, the sales of car accessories have increased massively. That is the common trend throughout the world. A number of factors have contributed to this striking difference. One major factor that has contributed largely behind the boost of automobile sector in the emerging as well as the developed markets is the enthusiasm of the manufacturers of car accessories and spares. New and latest trends are being introduced at a fast rate. The cost of the vehicles is a factor that closely follows the first one. Other than investing upon new cars, which will be a costly affair, men prefer to renovate their cars using new car spares and accessories.
In nations where there is an affluent market for automobiles, people are keener on investing upon accessories and automotives. A research had once shown that the yearly expenditure made by the Australians upon car accessories is over $ 2 billion. The automotive aftermarket in Europe values up to 850 USD, which represents about 30% of the worldwide aftermarket. Moreover, as far as the recent forecasts go, the car accessories manufacturers market is going to expand its horizons as time goes by.
Image via Flickr by Crista Chevron
The carmaker giants like Ford Motor, DaimlerChrysler or General Motors, which are obviously the top three scorers, have always been striving hard to outdo each other in terms of services as well as profits, since time immemorial. The greater the competition in the market becomes, the harder do they try to outwit each other. These companies have recently been seen change direction towards the B2B market.
These firms, with all their e-business operations, which include business-to-consumer sales and marketing, business-to-business procurement, online navigational and car alarm technologies etc., are gradually and quite quickly shifting from traditional suppliers to the online arena. Just like all other offline car producers, DaimlerChrysler, has turn towards the internet in order to streamline procurement as well as sales procedures with the aim of bringing down the costs.
At the same time, the China car accessories market has multiplied six times, in the last half a decade. Quite recently the market had topped the 1 billion dollar mark and is becoming one of the most rapidly growing categories of Chinese industrial products sold internationally. While half of these auto accessories are exported to the United States, the maximum portion of the rest is sold to Europe and Japan. Thus most of the citizens of these nations buy direct automotives and car accessories.
Eco-friendly car technology is all the rage these days. Cars regularly get 30, 40, or 50+ mpg now utilizing several new advancements such as hybrid or electric technology. While some of these technologies still have their limitations, it’s still nice to know that you won’t have to take out a loan to go on an out-of-state road trip this summer.
No matter which technology your automobile uses, you are still producing pollution every time you drive. So when you’re deciding if you should take that great deal on a 2014 Ford Fusion or spend the extra bucks for the hybrid model, you may want to consider the difference in ecological impact between the two options. This infographic compares the ecological footprint caused by hybrid vehicles and your standard internal combustion autos.
The US has evacuated its embassy in the Central African Republic (CAR) as rebels threaten to advance towards the capital, Bangui.
The state department said it had not broken off diplomatic ties with the government but warned US citizens not to travel to CAR during the unrest.
Earlier, CAR President Francois Bozize appealed to the US and France to help block the rebel advance.
The UN has said it is evacuating its non-essential staff from the country.
US state department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the embassy had suspended operations and that the ambassador and other staff had left the country on Thursday.
“This decision is solely due to concerns about the security of our personnel and has no relation to our continuing and long-standing diplomatic relations with the CAR,” he said in a statement.
Residents are stockpiling food amid fears that the rebels – known as the Seleka coalition – could launch an assault in the next few days.
On Sunday, the rebels captured the northern city of Bambari, the third largest in the country, having earlier seized the rich diamond mining area around Bria.
On Wednesday, protesters in Bangui attacked the embassy of former colonial power France, accusing Paris of abandoning them.
The US has evacuated its embassy in the Central African Republic as rebels threaten to advance towards capital Bangui
France has about 200 soldiers based in CAR and stepped up security at its embassy after the attack.
President Francois Bozize apologized for the incident and appealed for “our French cousins” and the US “to help us to push back the rebels”.
However, French President Francois Hollande said Paris would not intervene in its former colony.
“If we have a presence, it’s not to protect a regime, it’s to protect our nationals and our interests and in no way to intervene in the internal business of a country, in this case the Central African Republic,” he said.
“Those days are over.”
Seleka, which is made up of breakaway factions from three former armed groups, accuses Francois Bozize of failing to honour a 2007 peace deal, under which fighters who laid down their arms were meant to be paid.
The rebels have pledged to depose Francois Bozize unless he negotiates with them.
They began their campaign a month ago and have taken several towns in their push towards the capital.
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