Tips For Buying That New Car in Louisville

May 20th, 2008

Buying A New CarLouisville New Car

Buying a new car in Louisville
is second only to a home as the most expensive purchase many consumers make. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, the average price of a new car sold in the United States is $28,400. That’s why it’s important to know how to make a smart deal.
Buying Your New Car

Think about what car model and options you want and how much you’re willing to spend. Do some research. You’ll be less likely to feel pressured into making a hasty or expensive decision at the showroom and more likely to get a better deal.
Consider these suggestions:

* Check publications at a library or bookstore, or on the Internet, that discuss new car features and prices. These may provide information on the dealer’s costs for specific models and options.
* Shop around to get the best possible price by comparing models and prices in ads and at dealer showrooms. You also may want to contact car-buying services and broker-buying services to make comparisons.
* Plan to negotiate on price. Dealers may be willing to bargain on their profit margin, often between 10 and 20 percent. Usually, this is the difference between the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) and the invoice price.
Because the price is a factor in the dealer’s calculations regardless of whether you pay cash or finance your car — and also affects your monthly payments — negotiating the price can save you money.
* Consider ordering your new car if you don’t see what you want on the dealer’s lot. This may involve a delay, but cars on the lot may have options you don’t want — and that can raise the price. However, dealers often want to sell their current inventory quickly, so you may be able to negotiate a good deal if an in-stock car meets your needs.

Louisville Volvo YCC - Your Concept Car…. For Women

May 9th, 2008

Louisville Concept DoorsThe Volvo Your Concept Car (YCC), like all concept cars, provides the auto maker with a valuable testing ground to push the limits of new car designs. While the design of the YCC is filled with forward-looking ideas, the most innovative aspect of the car is not the design, but who designed it — an all-woman design team.

Unveiled at the 2004 Geneva Auto Show, the YCC is the first concept car to be designed from start to finish by a team composed exclusively of women. Women are a growing market for the Swedish auto maker. According to Volvo, 54 percent of its U.S. buyers are women, and its female customer base in Europe is growing. With women identified as a key market, Volvo handed the drafting pencils over to those who best know what women want from their cars.Louisville Volvo Concept

In this article, we’ll take a look inside Volvo’s newest concept car, and see what these designing women produced.

The YCC is a two-door sports coupe and is tame by some concept car standards (see the Toyota PM for a more radical concept vehicle). In recent years, Volvo has been rounding off and softening its traditionally boxier design. The YCC continues that trend, and is not far removed from a production design. While not yet ready for production, some of its design elements could soon be adopted in current models.

The front end is lower than a traditional Volvo and the fenders are in sight for better road vision. Additionally, the rear window extends to the extremities of the car, and the tail end slants back slightly more than the Volvo S series models. Together, these elements allow the driver to see all four corners of the car’s exterior.

“We wanted to create a beautiful car,” says Anna Rosén. “Not brutal, but tough.”

Most striking when looking at the car from the front is that it doesn’t have a hood. The design team determined that their target audience doesn’t need to look under the hood. The front section of the chassis can be lifted in a garage, but it does not open like a traditional hood.YCC Louisville Gas Cap

There are two capless ball-valve filling points, like those of a racing car, that allow the driver to add gasoline and windshield washer fluid. These capless filling points eliminate the need for caps or latches, which were identified as nuisances by most female drivers.

Another radical element are the gull-wing passenger doors, which are intended to allow the YCC easier entry. The doors lift up overhead like the rear door of a hatchback. These doors are intended to ease entry into the back seat.Volvo Louisville - YCC Wings

Additional exterior features include an Easy-Clean paint that behaves much like the coating on a non-stick cooking pan. Dirt doesn’t cling to it as easily, and it washes off with very little effort. The car also features run-flat tires, so that it can be driven a safe distance after a puncture. Louisville Volvo Concept Rear

Louisville 2008 New Car Concept Cadillac 16

May 8th, 2008

Would you like to drive our 13.6-liter/1000-horsepower V-16 sedan?” asked GM’s Jeff Holland. Even though we knew there’d be extra-sticky driving rules and caveats regarding the $2 million concept’s mechanical polish, there was only one possible answer: “Duh.” Next thing we knew, we were piloting Caddy’s sexy showstopper around GM’s Milford, Michigan, Proving Ground.Louisville 2008 New Car Cadillac 16

The Sixteen has been literally the biggest thing to roll onto the auto-show circuit this season. Bob Lutz, GM’s vice chairman of product development and chairman of GM North America, says it’s “a modern interpretation of everything that made Cadillac the standard of the world.” But is it merely a lavish reminder of a once-glorious past or a relevant vision of the future? Enough scene-setting. What’s it like to drive almost 19 feet and 16 cylinders of handbuilt concept car?

Remarkably sweet. Entering the Sixteen requires punching a button on the key fob or lightly squeezing a microswitch inside the top of the front door. There are no door handles to clutter the Sixteen’s lyrically curving body sides. Once inside, you’re surrounded by the rich scent of fine leather, glints from polished walnut and aluminum, and thick carpets–woven of silk, no less.louisville 2008 new car cadillac 16 2

The driver’s leather bucket is large, soft, and gently contoured. It power-adjusts to a comfortable position, surprising given the lack of ergonomic work that usually goes into a turntable toy. Likewise, the leather and polished-wood steering wheel can be powered into a just-right spot, which lets you easily read the speedo/tachometer gauge in the center of the dash.

Louisville New Car Concept BMW M1 Homage

May 8th, 2008

Louisville 2008 New Car BMW M1BMW introduced the world to their M1 Homage concept at the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance. The vehicle rested along side the original design created during the late 70s and early 1980s. It was also positioned beside the Turbo Concept of the early 1970s.

The M1 was a radical departure from the front-engined, rear-wheel drive configuration of its prior vehicles. It also had to compete with the legacy of the vehicle it was replacing, the highly successful 3.0 CSL. The M1, also known as the ‘Mid-Engined BMW M1 Project E26, was started in 1976 and completed four years later. Giorgio Giugiaro of Ital Design was tasked with creating the design while Lamborghini handled the construction and manufacturing.

Official details on the M1 Homage are expected shortly which should give an indication as to the direction and official plans for the vehicle. The car will officially be unveiled by Auto Bild and BMW within a few days.

Credit Crunch: Should I Buy That New Car ????

February 18th, 2008

Buying a new car in Louisville is always a difficult task especially in times of economic slowdown. Even with the stagnant wages, massive lay offs, and numerous foreclosures there are people who still find it necessary to rush out and buy the newest model car. Whether it’s that hybrid or just a new traditional car, consumers are facing a tough choice of purchasing something new or sticking with their old vehicle.

A car is one of the most important investments one can make not only for its financial value, but for the status symbol that a new car represents. A new sleek car communicates to the world that its driver is successful which is important for professionals who need to make an impressive first impression. So, there are times when buying a new car is necessary but for those that need to keep up with the Jones’ they might want to think twice.

Every single new car you purchase will, in time, become an old car. That’s a fact of life that is really unavoidable. What you can do though is keep up with the maintenance of the vehicle in an effort to keep the vehicle in good working order. With proper care and attention you can extend the lifetime of car for several years.

Many older models are still running extremely well bringing many to wonder why owners want a louisville new car in the first place; aside from keeping up appearances.

Buying a new car is not a necessity in many cases, especially when you can not afford a new one. Many consumers are cutting back on large purchases, like cars since the payments are just going to be too much.

This is especially true for those with less then great credit. Due to the Credit Crunch, many consumers are finding it difficult to find a loan with acceptable rates and interest. So, if you absolutely need a new car you will first need to know if you can afford it.

While this is an obvious piece of advice you will have to understand that before 2007 many lenders were virtually giving away auto loans left and right. After the housing market collapsed and the resulting credit crunch occurred, consumers are finding that getting a loan, even an auto loan extremely hard. This is an extremely good reason to hold off on buying a car especially for those that are going to depend on loans to make the initial payment.

Payments can run up to $400 a month, sometimes much more depending upon the car, the lender, and your credit rating. If you have even a slight doubt about whether or not you will be able to make this payment without sacrificing on other bills or the amount of groceries you buy then now is simply not the right time to make a large purchase. If your old car is still running well enough and does not present a risk to you or any other drivers on the road then it is a simple matter of logic. Why buy something when what you have is working just fine.