Shoppers continue to check out used cars in New Jersey

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Posted in General Auto News

There was a huge rush of buyers flocking to new car dealerships in August, but after the initial rush subsided, shoppers have returned to used cars in New Jersey and around the country.

Cars.com reports that the sector has experienced steady growth, with users checking on different alternatives at a rate two percent higher than in July, before the Cash for Clunkers program began.

The program “certainly had a halo effect on the used car market,” noted Mitch Golub, the website’s president, with heavy buying interest increasing by six percent from earlier in the summer.

Buyers who have been taking advantage of the affordable prices offered in some vehicles may want to take a second look at safety features from fleet vehicles to make sure they are actually included.

Some of automakers’ best customers are rental car companies or other firms that operate fleets of vehicles, and until this year, General Motors had allowed buyers to delete the “standard” side airbag option to reduce costs, reports the Detroit News.

It may not be an issue for all cars, but it means that buyers who are planning on buying used Chevrolet Impalas in New Jersey, as well as several other vehicles, will want to check the record to ensure that the features are properly listed, the newspaper adds.

Used Honda Ridgelines in New Jersey could be one pick for tailgating

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Posted in Honda - DO NOT USE

Football season is nearly upon us, and that means tailgating for college and professional games. For those looking to bring the party to the stadium, a used Honda Ridgeline in New Jersey could be one pick.

The editors at Kelley Blue Book recently compiled a top-10 list of vehicles to bring friends, family and food to the next big game, and the Ridgeline made it on the list because of a lockable trunk with a lot of storage areas.

Other benefits for football fans include a tailgate, which can be used as a seat, as well as space inside the cab that allows for stowage, the piece notes.

Although it’s a pickup truck by design, a 2006 model of the used Honda Ridgeline in New Jersey may appeal to buyers who are looking for something more car-like, with good handling and room for different tailgate necessities.

“Like a 4×4 Accord on steroids, the 2006 Honda Ridgeline is the perfect pickup for those who don’t really need a truck,” noted Edmunds.com reviewers.

Recouping the bailouts funded by owners of used cars in New York may never happen

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Chrysler - DO NOT USE

Owners of used cars in New York, as well as other taxpayers, are currently on the hook for $74 billion that the U.S. government has invested in Chrysler and General Motors. A new report suggests that there’s no way they’ll make all their money back.

“With the economic suffering the American taxpayers have endured during the past two years one wonders why Chrysler and GM merited such generosity to the exclusion of other taxpayers,” Representative Jeb Hensarling told the Washington Post of the findings. The Republican was a member of the panel that issued the report.

Roughly $5 billion given to Chrysler isn’t likely to be repaid, and the loans to General Motors would require stock prices many times greater than current levels before the company could afford to pay them back, the newspaper notes.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner defended the bailouts, saying that there would be benefits to American taxpayers, according to the Detroit News. He did admit that “some scenarios, which in Treasury’s view are more likely, show much lower recoveries for the initial loans made to GM and Chrysler.”

Ludacris giveaway may inspire buyers to check out used Nissan cars in New Jersey

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Posted in Celebrity Auto News, Nissan

Rapper and actor Ludacris has given away 20 vehicles to Atlanta-area residents in need, but the gesture could remind buyers of the lower prices of used cars in New Jersey.

“People are getting laid off, and now are looking for jobs,” he told the Associated Press. “To be efficient, you need some transportation of your own to get there, that’s why I wanted to give back to those who need it.”

A local dealership partnered with Luda to offer used Nissan cars to local people who had written a 300-word essay explaining why they deserved a vehicle, according to the wire service.

The odds of winning were 1 in 200, but the odds of finding a used Nissan car in New Jersey are much higher.

Buyers on a budget may want to check out the Sentra, the Japanese automaker’s entry-level option. The 2004 model “blends a pleasant ride with easy maneuverability – all for a moderate price,” notes Cars.com. For a little more money, the SE-R trim offers “appealing” handling capability and a better engine.

Customers who enjoy European styling may appreciate used Volvo C30s in New Jersey

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Posted in Volvo - DO NOT USE

The rear end of the Volvo C30 has remained unchanged in photos released by the Swedish automaker to advance the 2010 model, and those who appreciate the distinctive styling of the exterior but not the new front fascia may want to consider used Volvo C30s in New Jersey.

New models are expected to more closely resemble Mazda front ends, with air intakes underneath the headlights based on similar designs from the Japanese automaker that has a stake in Volvo. Other changes include the angles of the headlines, a specially-designed bumper and an updated interior.

However, buyers who like traditional appearances may enjoy the 2008 model and other used Volvo C30s that offer the distinctive rectangular grille in a more compact package than other offerings from the Swedish carmaker.

The hatchback seats four adults, and includes safety features like standard side-impact and side curtain airbags, as well as a system that prevents the car from chiming or making unnecessary alerts based on the driving conditions, noted a Cars.com review.

Those features are mated with a 227-horsepower engine and “running gear [that] should help establish the C30 as a hot hatch” similar to the Mini Cooper S or Volkswagen GTI, the website editors added.

Sex and the City actress could inspire purchases of used Mercedes-Benzes in New York

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Posted in Celebrity Auto News, Mercedes-Benz

Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker was recently spotted stepping out of a Mercedes-Benz cabriolet on the set of the upcoming movie sequel being filmed in New York City. While it may be difficult to afford some of the fashions seen in the film, a used Mercedes-Benz CLK in New York may offer some of the same flair in the form of automotive styling.

Parker’s appearance offered the first view of the 2011 E-Class convertible, a new model that is expected to supplant the CLK in the German automaker’s product line. Previous reports were only of renderings or spy photos of the two-door roadster.

Buyers will no longer see the CLK, and will instead find the E-class cabriolet as well as a new C-series convertible in coming years, but those interested in a luxury convertible may be able to find used Mercedezs-Benz CLKs in New York for the price of a new midsize sedan thanks to depreciation.

The 2005 model offers a “stylish melding of comfort and performance suitable for all but the most serious driving enthusiasts,” noted Edmunds.com. The car also included a newer automatic transmission for smoother shifts.

Research can help buyers find affordable and reliable used cars in New Jersey

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Posted in General Auto News

People who are considering their next automotive purchase may be looking at used cars in New Jersey, but with the recent Cash for Clunkers program, it may be better to start searching sooner rather than later because of supply concerns.

Used cars have given many less affluent families the ability to have more freedom in their activities without the need to rely on public transportation and work their schedules around infrequent trains or buses.

“I’ve been able to keep my youngest one at New Generations and Head Start. It enables us to go to the grocery store … I can work late and not have to worry about walking after dark,” Sheila Ratliff, a mother, told the Morganton News Herald.

And as the Cash for Clunkers program destroyed nearly 700,000 vehicles, buyers considering used cars in New Jersey could start looking now if they want a similar change in lifestyle.

But choosing the right one can be a confusing issue for people, since there are many models available on the market.

It may help to start off with what needs the vehicle should address, such as transporting children or being comfortable for a long commute. Fuel efficiency and maintenance needs could also affect one’s decision because of the monthly costs they influence.

In New York and New Jersey, all-wheel drive may be one consideration for prospective owners, but it may mean purchasing a vehicle larger than one’s needs.

Once those questions are answered, one will want to establish how much he or she can afford to pay each month, including gas and insurance, as well as regular maintenance costs.

Using both of those sets of information, a buyer can then determine the right class of vehicle, such as a crossover for a small family, and use the price constraints to pick several options among used cars in New Jersey.

It may seem like doing homework, but “most shoppers have difficulty keeping up with all of the vehicles manufacturers introduce and the changes they are making to their older vehicles, so it’s important to do your research,” writes Philip Reed, Edmunds.com senior consumer advice editor.

Buyers who ignored Cash for Clunkers may find affordable used cars in New York

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Posted in Auto Industry News

Industry watchers say that the market for used cars in New York could see an upswing again, as buyers who chose to wait out the Cash for Clunkers program may now be looking to affordable pre-owned models.

Those who did will benefit from better pricing, since “oftentimes people buy cars and don’t know the difference between a good deal and a bad deal,” Jeremy Anwyl, Edmunds.com CEO, told the Chiacgo Tribune.

Buyers who didn’t wait to trade-in used cars in New York may have lost the chance to pick up less expensive vehicles because demand drove prices up during the Cash for Clunkers program, analysts told the newspaper.

The decrease in the number of new car purchases has been seen in some little-used metrics, including the revenues towns have generated from vehicle registrations.

In New Hampshire, some towns are facing shortfalls of hundreds of thousands of dollars because buyers are choosing not to purchase new vehicles, either waiting to trade-in or purchasing pre-owned cars instead, reports the Eagle-Tribune.

Majority of people considering a purchase would prefer used cars in New Jersey

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Posted in General Auto News

Consumer Reports is finding that people just aren’t interested in buying new cars after recently conducting a national survey, but did find that more buyers are interested in making a deal on used cars in New Jersey.

Less than one in ten of those participating in the research told the company that they would be considering purchasing a vehicle in the next 12 months, or half the number who decided to do so last year.

Roughly 40 percent of potential customers also said that a variety of factors had caused them to put off purchasing a new vehicle.

However, the number of people who are planning on making a purchase will do so on the pre-owned market, perhaps because most respondents were focused on price and fuel ecomony that used cars in New Jersey can provide.

Fords may be some of the biggest sellers over the next year because of consumer perception linked to the automaker’s avoidance of bailout money, so buyers may wish to check out models from there first while supplies are still available.

Executive: Used cars in New York make more sense than new Chevy Volt

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Posted in Chevrolet, Volkswagen - DO NOT USE

The Chevrolet Volt has received a lot of press attention for the way General Motors marketed the new electric vehicle, but one competing automaker has said that the price and relative economy don’t match up against diesel-power used Audi cars in New York.

“No one is going to pay a $15,000 premium for a car that competes with a (Toyota) Corolla,” Johan de Nysschen, Audi of America president, told MSN Autos. “So there are not enough idiots who will buy it.”

He adds that while electric vehicles represent the future of the automotive industry, they are currently targeted at the “intellectual elite,” while clean diesel vehicles may already be able to offer improved fuel mileage compared to regular gasoline and reduce carbon emissions.

Mr. de Nysschen does have a vested interest in advocating diesel technology, as his Audi cars are available with engines that run on the alternative fuel, but other industry officials have also advocated the use of diesel-powered vehicles.

Although older Audis were not available in the U.S. with diesel engines, parent company Volkswagen has several models that use the engine, and buyers could be interested by used Volkswagen Jettas in New York.

The 2005 model can cost one-fourth the sticker price of a new Volt, and “with wholly predictable handling, it’s simply masterful through curves,” according to a Cars.com review.