Posts Tagged ‘new cars’
Finding the right vehicle for your family
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
There are a lot of special considerations when looking at a vehicle for your family. Not only will it be responsible for getting you around town, it will be responsible for your family’s safety and convenience. Making a final decision will take some careful consideration; here are a few questions that can get you closer to your answer:
What’s the cargo? This will have the biggest impact on the style of vehicle you look at. If you have to get a large group of children to and from school, appointments and other events, a minivan might be your best option. If you have kids but also a lot of cargo like pets and groceries, perhaps you should look at an SUV. If you have a smaller family, consider a car as the most practical means of transportation.
Where will you be driving? Let’s face it, gas is not cheap! However, before you jump head first into a hybrid, consider your driving style. If you’re driving mainly around the city, a hybrid might be best for you. However, if your normal trips consist of a lot of highway driving, look into a smaller engine vehicle. Either way, understanding your driving habits will help you out tremendously.
What is the safest option? When it comes to your family, safety is usually your number one concern. Purchasing a vehicle should be no different. Once you have the style of vehicle picked out, look at the safety reports on which one is the safest. There are generally yearly reports, with breakdowns for each type of vehicle, so do a quick search online and find out what is the safest.
How much can you afford? Notice that price is the last talking point? I completely understand needing to fit into a budget but by finding a vehicle that fits your needs first, you will be much more satisfied with your purchase. Also, when looking at the price tag also consider additional costs like insurance and maintenance. Another quick search online will show you the best vehicles to insure and maintain. This can ensure that your new vehicle purchase really does fit into your budget.
Hopefully these tips help you find a vehicle that gets your family safely where they need to go for years to come. If you have any questions on finding the right vehicle for your family, please let me know at: cihde@ewaldauto.com
Tags: automotive, Automotive Advantage, car buying, car dealership, car sales, Ewald, family, Milwaukee, new cars, Oconomowoc, used cars, vehicle purchase, Wisconsin
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Buying a car is not just about price
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
Let’s face it: cars are expensive. No matter how you slice it, purchasing a new vehicle requires a significant investment. With that in mind, most people go into the car buying process trying to figure out how they can spend the least amount of money possible on a new vehicle. While this is completely understandable, there may be a better way to go about the process than to focus on money.
When I work with someone I start by asking them what the absolute essentials are for their vehicle. If they have children they will need additional seating, if they tow something a lot they will need an equipped vehicle or if they haul a lot of gear they will need an appropriate amount of space. By starting with the absolute requirements you are able to take your desires out of the equation for a bit and focus on what kind of vehicle you actually need.
Once the requirements have been listed, we take a look at their current vehicle. What are some of the things that they absolutely love about their current vehicle? On the other hand, what do they dislike about their current vehicle? This list will help you immensely when picking out a new vehicle. It takes you away from and empty list of options and allows you to focus on the key features you desire.
With your requirements, key features and absolute no’s in place, you are able to start looking at what kind of vehicle you are looking to purchase. However, instead of looking at a long list of possible options, you have a small number of vehicles that will fit your criteria. Although you have not focused on price during this process, you should still walk away with the greatest value.
The reason I recommend this style of shopping to my customers is because it leaves them driving away happy the majority of the time. Instead of looking for a vehicle that matches certain price criteria, you are able to search for a vehicle that you will be happy driving off the lot. And while it may seem like you would pay more by using this method, the opposite is usually the case.
How does this method compare to your style of shopping? What have you found to be the most effective way of walking away from a sale happy? Has focusing on price ever caused you to walk away unhappy? As always, I invite you to reply privately at: cihde@ewaldauto.com
Tags: automotive, Automotive Advantage, car buying, car dealership, car sales, Ewald, Milwaukee, new cars, Oconomowoc, vehicle negotiation, vehicle purchase
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Fix Or Repair Daily?
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
I was recently helping a friend decide on what type of car she wanted to buy. She really likes the crossover body style so I recommended she drive the Ford Edge. She hesitated for a bit and then asked: “Doesn’t Ford stand for Fix Or Repair Daily?”
My friend’s question made me realize that a lot of people still do not perceive American automakers to be on par with their Asian counter parts. The truth of the matter though is that Ford and other American automakers are beating the likes of Toyota and Honda in the quality department. In fact, Ford tops both companies in JD Power and Associates’ quality survey. And while you may think this has something to do with Toyota’s recall issues, the survey was published in July of 2009, before anyone was talking about Toyota recalls.
The quality of the Ford automobiles can also be seen in their safety ratings. Motortrend has given Fords almost entirely 5 out of 5 ratings, with one lone 4 out of 5 across the entire product line. These ratings show that the Ford products are not only the highest quality, they are also safe to drive!
What is really exciting about the quality of the Ford line-up is that the cars are not only of good quality and safe, they are cool to drive too! The Ford Fiesta that is just arriving is the perfect car for any urban drivers. The Ford Mustang is an American staple that keeps getting better. The Ford F-150 is one of the most solid trucks in history. The list could go on and one.
Not only are the cars great, what is inside the cars is exciting too. Ford’s new MyTouch system will be coming out in the 2011 models. The system allows you to talk to your car to perform just about any task. It also integrates with your smart phone to offer complete connectivity.
As I explained to my friend, Ford clearly no longer stands for Fix Or Repair Daily. It now stands for some of the best vehicles that can be found on the road today. If you would like a tour of the great Ford line-up, please let me know: 414-777-4393
Tags: automotive, Automotive Advantage, car buying, car dealership, car sales, Edge, Ewald, F-150, Fiesta, Ford, Milwaukee, Mustang, new cars, Oconomowoc
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Working Your Monthly Budget – How Do You Reduce Expense?
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Recently my youngest child started attending daycare. For anyone that has their kids in daycare, they know how expensive this can be! The additional cost really put us in a tight financial spot, so my husband and I decided to completely re-evaluate our monthly budget.
We started by reviewing every bill and expense that we pay each month. Being in the auto industry, I immediately looked at my car payment. Since my lease was coming up, I decided to look at the programs available from the manufacturers we represent and find a vehicle with a lower lease payment. I decided to purchase prepaid maintenance as well so that I would never have that expense budgeted every month instead of the random visit to the service department. The new vehicle also lowered my insurance premium but I shopped insurance to make sure I was receiving the best deal. Luckily I was but by the time it was all said and done, I was saving over $75 a month.
There wasn’t too much else that I could change on my fixed expenses, but I re-evaluated my other costs. As in most families, our grocery bill is pretty significant. I decided to try some discount grocers and was very pleased with what I found. I was able to get the same quality groceries and save my family about $40 a week on groceries. That is up to $160 a month in savings in that one simple move!
Now that I am on a roll, I am continuing to look at other options. I am also looking into web-based budgeting systems such as mint.com. I have heard great things about the site and enrolled in it this weekend to find that it is super useful to helping everything financial related to stay organized.
What have been some of your best money saving techniques? If there is something that really works for you, that I am not thinking of, I would love to hear it! Otherwise, I hope I sparked some ideas for you to begin your savings journey. Good luck!
Tags: automotive, Automotive Advantage, car buying, car dealership, Lease, new cars, service
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Narrowing down what vehicle to purchase
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
An acquaintance of mine approached me after a networking event last week. She explained to me that she had a Honda CRV and that she knew that she needed a larger vehicle, but had no idea where to start. She told me her family had recently added a third child and they were having a hard time fitting three car seats in the back of the CRV. As we talked through her problem, I had a couple of questions I needed her to answer.
How much “stuff” do you need to haul around? In this case, I already knew she had three kids and their car seats to fit in. Since I have two kids of my own, I know that kids come with a lot of baggage and storage capacity is a necessity. This pretty much guarantees she will need some sort of minivan, but if she would have a problem with that, it is important to look at other model types available. However, she was happy with the minivan suggestion, so I was able to very quickly run her through the current models and their strengths and weaknesses. With this in mind, she could start test-driving a few.
What can you afford? Have you thought about this yet? My family is as budget conscious as any other family, so I always want to fit this into the equation when deciding to make a vehicle change. In this case, she knew she could afford around $300-$350 a month. I explained the general rule of thumb that $100 per month gets you $5000 worth of vehicle. This put her around $15,000-17,500. However, her trade(the Honda CRV) was most likely worth a few thousand dollars, so she could reasonably look at vehicles up to $20,000. At this point, we were getting very close to identifying what she could seriously consider for her next vehicle.
What is your driving style? By style, I mean how do you spend 80% of the time in your car? I asked my friend what her typical driving day included. Between commuting, taking the kids to day care and the bi-annual vacation to Colorado, the dominant style was short commuting. She wanted to ensure the kids were comfortable for the long trips they take and that they would be safe on a daily basis. With this in mind, we narrowed her search further to a top safety rated minivan with good highway gas mileage ratings.
When we started out our conversation she had stated that she wanted to purchase a vehicle in the spring. Her thinking was that it would take that long to find the vehicle they wanted. However, as we answered these quick questions during a 10 minute conversation, it became clear that it would be very easy to select the perfect vehicle to meet their needs and wants rather quickly, which may have surprised her due to her own expectations of the sales process. She found out that it doesn’t have to take forever if the right questions are asked and answered during the process.
Thinking through the above questions can help you narrow down what vehicle you are looking for next time you are thinking about making a change. If you’d like someone to run a question by or to help you with the process, drop me an email at cihde@ewaldauto.com.
Tags: car buying, car dealership, car sales, new cars, trade in, used cars, vehicle negotiation
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What our training means for you
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
For most people, the thought of an all-day training event sounds like some sort of punishment. However, I am an odd ball and I actually look forward to training sessions! For me it is another chance to learn and improve what it is I do at work and I always seem to walk away with something new to apply. So, when I heard about a training event to teach employees about their three responsibilities to a customer, I jumped at the chance to attend.
As I listened to the three things that we must provide each of our customers, I realized that the same training we were receiving could be applied to helping you buy your next car. Here are the three things we are responsible to our customers for and how you can apply them to your next vehicle purchase:
Identify the correct vehicle: Most people walk into a dealership with an idea of what kind of vehicle they want, it is our job to narrow that down to the exact car you are looking for. In order to do this we will help you by walking around the vehicle with you to ensure it is what you are looking for, allow you to drive the vehicle, ensure you understand the features and benefits and ensure it is the vehicle you need. This is your time to make sure any questions you have about the vehicle are answered.
Work within the customer’s budget: This is what gets most people worried. They do not want to find the car they really want unless they know it will be in their price range. What we advise people to do is find a car they want and then we will find a way to fit it into your budget. For most people, their budget comes down to the amount they pay per month. So if they know they can afford $500 per month it is more important to get financing terms that will meet this than a lower price with a higher monthly rate. That said, have a realistic understanding of how much vehicle your monthly payments will buy (a general rule of thumb is $100 per month for every $5000 of vehicle). It is our job to find you the correct vehicle and get it within your budget, not figure out your budget and put you into a car to match it.
Work in a timely matter: How long should it take for you to own your new vehicle? This can be fairly open to interpretation, depending upon the customer’s purchase time frame. Some people expect car buying to take a month and others think they can buy a car in 30 minutes. While both scenarios are extremes, we see them every day. It is important to have the correct expectations going into the deal and finding someone you can build rapport with who will educate you as you go through the purchase process. We follow a strict procedure to ensure that you walk away completely satisfied every time and because we know our customers approve.
Knowing what some of our responsibilities are will help you understand how you can improve your vehicle purchasing process. Should you ever have any questions, please feel free to email me: cihde@ewaldauto.com
Tags: Auto, automotive, Automotive Advantage, car buying, car dealership, Ewald, new cars, vehicle sales
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AAAAHHHHH Memories… My First Car Buying Experience
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
At a very young age, I discovered what my dad and extended family did for a living. They sold and serviced automobiles. It was cool when I was a little kid because my dad would bring home the latest and greatest cars for us to explore, he even let us steer the wheel a few times on drives around the neighborhood.
As I approached my teenage years, I had the opportunity to work at one of our dealerships in the office. I learned about work ethic, how to file a service repair order by the vehicle identification number and that a warm office is most often underappreciated, since our file room wasn’t heated and I needed a space heater.
After a few years of learning the administrative support structure in our store and graduating to part-time receptionist, I realized that eventually I would need a car to get where I needed to go, including work, golf team and socializing with my friends. My dad advised and taught me that in our business “There’s No Such Thing as a FREE Lunch” so I planned to put away the money I was earning to make that first car purchase.
When the time came, my parents sat down with me and explained the responsibilities of owning a vehicle and asked me if I thought I was ready for that responsibility. Undoubtedly, I said YES! So, we took a look at what I had saved and looked at what I could afford and settled on a BRAND NEW 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier!
My dad had to find the right one for my budget but it worked out and I was so excited. It was teal, the real turquoise color that everyone wanted in 1996. It was a 2-door coupe with a CD player! What a great option to have! And it was brand new. I was the first person to drive it out of our dealership. At the age of 16, I was a vehicle owner and I had done it all on my own!
As I reflect on that one experience, I realize that many other people get quite nostalgic about their first purchase experience and it makes me curious about what you might like to share with others. If you have a story to share, please do!
To email me directly, cihde@ewaldauto.com or visit my blog at www.ewaldautomotiveadvantage.com/blog.
Tags: automotive, car buying, car purchase, Ewald, first time car buying, new cars
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Seven Facts about the New Sales Tax Deduction for Vehicle Purchases
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
With only two days left in this decade, now may be a great time to take one last look at buying a new car. Although you do not want to rush into anything, the IRS’ tax deduction for vehicle purchases is a great way to save a lot of money on your new vehicle.
This is directly from the IRS website:
Taxpayers who buy a new car or several other types of motor vehicles this year may be entitled to a special tax deduction when they file their 2009 federal tax returns next year. The tax break is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Here are seven things you should know about this new deduction:
State and local sales taxes paid on up to $49,500 of the purchase price of qualifying vehicles are deductible.
Qualified motor vehicles generally include new (not used) cars, light trucks, motor homes and motorcycles.
Purchases must occur after Feb. 16, 2009, and before Jan. 1, 2010.
This deduction can be taken regardless of whether or not you itemize other deductions on your tax return.
Taxpayers will claim this deduction when filing their 2009 federal income tax return next year.
The amount of the deduction is phased out for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is between $125,000 and $135,000 for individual filers and between $250,000 and $260,000 for joint filers.
The deduction may not be taken on 2008 tax returns.
Consumers who are considering buying a new car may find that this tax incentive means there may have never been a better time to buy.
For more information about the sales and excise tax deduction for motor vehicle purchases visit the official IRS web site at IRS.gov.
Tags: Auto, automotive, car buying, car sales, car savings, Ewald, new cars, new vehicle purchase, tax deduction
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Understanding the post Cash for Clunkers car market
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
The main problem with Cash for Clunkers is that people thought, and continue to think, that it was the only good time to buy a car. In reality, today’s car buying market is one of the best it has ever been. As a matter of fact, the purchasing programs that are available today are the some of the best the auto industry as ever seen.
An exciting statistic in this market is that interest rates are approximately 2% below normal. In many cases this can save you up to $50 a month on your payments. This means that the monthly payment on a car you buy today may be right inline with what you would have been paying on a Clunkers deal. Furthermore, there are many manufactures that are offering 0% financing on certain vehicles. Such deals make it easy to fit a car payment into your budget.
Another key factor in today’s market is that Cash for Clunkers took a good deal of used cars off the road. With hundreds of thousands of fewer vehicles now in circulation, dealers must pay far more to buy a used vehicle. This is to your advantage because if you are looking to trade in a vehicle, your trade in value could be anywhere from 5-19% above average. Used car values seldom ever go up so this is an extremely rare event that could be to the advantage of anyone looking for a new or used car.
Whether you missed out on Clunkers, are not happy with the car you purchased or simply weren’t in a position to buy at the time, there are plenty of incentives to help you get the car you are dreaming of. If you sit down with me I will help you find the car that is perfect for you and then decide when it is the best time to buy. No dealer worth his or her weight wants to put someone in a car they will not be happy with or cannot afford.
Tags: Cash for Clunkers, interest rates, new cars, trade in, used cars
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