April 2010


posted by FindGasCards.com
Best car insurance

Credit: Flickr

Everybody needs car insurance and whether you’re purchasing it for the 1st time, or the 10th time, I wanted to give you some tips on how you can find the best car insurance quotes around.  It’s always going to be best to do your homework and compare, because by doing so, you’re going to be able to save yourself a lot of money.

#1 Get used to the terms

What are you going to want in terms of car insurance.  Get used to the deductibles, as well as comprehensive / collision insurance.  You’re going to need to know what you’re going to want on your car.

For instance, if you have an older car, you’re not going to want to have a low deductible on a car that’s only worth $2,000.  Car insurance agents are going to want the most money when it comes to writing a policy.

#2 Use comparison search engines

The Internet is a great tool.  What I like about is is that you can use website services such as esurance.  What you’re going to want to do is use something like this, because you’re going to be able to get quotes from just about everyone.  This is going to save a lot of time when calling up other companies.

#3 Bundle up your insurance

If you have home, renters, or any other type of insurance, you may want to bundle it up.  Many insurance companies today are going to give you some great discounts when you use them for all of their services.  This is another great way to save.

#4 Ask about the discounts

Since all insurance companies are different, you’re going to find that you can get discounts with some companies.  Call them up and see what kind of deals that you can get.  You can get good driver discounts, student ones, as well as others.  Again, they all vary, so it doesn’t help but to pick up and call.

The only way to get inexpensive car insurance is to really just do your homework.  Call up some companies, or to make it easy, use esurance or other related services.  Know what kind of deductibles you’re going to want.  This should make it the easiest way to find something that works for you!

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posted by FindGasCards.com

We all have the impressions that car dealerships are filled with a bunch of scammers and people out there to get your money.  Yes, while they have to make a living, there are a lot of people that give the good sales people a bad name.  Not all dealers are sleezy, but there some things that you need to look out for.

I wanted to highly 8 of the most common complaints that you’re going to come across, when consumers file with his/her state.

#1 Be bombarded by sales people: Never show up when the dealership is opened if you don’t want to deal with sales people.  If you want to just look at cars, a great time to go is either on a Sunday or Saturday.

#2 Talking you into another car: I would recommend that you show up at a dealer when you know which car you want to purchase.  If you come in clueless, you will find that they will try to upsell you to the most expensive model.

#3 Not enough for the trade in: Again, trading in a car is more for the lazy people that don’t want to deal with it.  If you wish, sell it on  your own, because on average you’re going to easily make 30% more.

#4 Lying about inventory: They want you to make a sale now and if you plan on leaving that dealership, you’re going to find that they will do everything in their own power.  They may say that this is the last one left, etc, when there are still tons of them left in back.

#5 Shady finance tactics: This isn’t always the case with a reputable dealership, but more for those “buy here, buy now” places.  If you’re going to deal with something like this, always make sure that you’re reading the fine print to ensure that you’re getting something good.

#6 Pushy sales tactics: If you feel as if you’re getting ticked because the person won’t lay back, you may have someone that’s not going to take, “no” for an answer.  If this is ever the case, I would simply walk away.

#7 Bad car: You want to purchase a car, but you want to get one that’s used.  If you find yourself getting a used car, the last thing you want to do is purchase a car that isn’t going to run the right way.

#8 Taking advantage of you: Many people have had this happened to them.  They get caught up in the moment, sign papers, and find out later that they got ripped off.  Make sure that you always do your homework before signing those papers!

The only time you’re going to find complaint is when you act up, or you head to a place that you shouldn’t trust in the first place.  Just play it smart and you should be able to land yourself a fantastic deal!

posted by FindGasCards.com

Purchasing a car can be a headache, I know, but what happens when your car warranty runs up, or you’re going to purchase used, and it doesn’t come with one?  In the auto market, I like to compare car warranties to health insurance.  You almost want one to make sure that you’re not dishing out thousands in the long haul.  It’s always nice to have that little nest egg.

Now, if you’re doing some research online for a car warranty company, I wanted to list a few that you can get a hold of today.  Research a few of these, gather quotes, and see who will offer you the best deal online.  By getting a quote, you can be rest assured that all of your maintenance will be covered in the future.

#1 SmartAutoWarranty - This company is kind of unique in a way compared to most.  They have a very cool cash back rewards program, as well as 0% interest-free financing.  They have straight forward warranties, with great pricing that’s very competitive to many other companies out there.

#2 Warranty Direct - This company is financial stable online, has great reviews, and has one of the best BBB reports in the industry.  I always make it a habit to check the BBB to ensure that I’m working with a  decent company.  You can trust them, when you gather a quote.

#3 Zing Auto Protection - They cover 100% of most auto repairs, they have 24 hour roadside assistance, as well as free car rental and towing.  They are BBB accredited, having a very nice A- rating.

#4 CARCHEX - CARCHEX is pretty well known throughout the car industry.  This is a company that you can trust that has been referred by hundreds of websites such as CarFax, KBB, and Cars just to name a few.  CARCHEX has an amazing A+ BBB rating.

Now, these are the good car warranty companies and I’m sure that you may go outside of these warranty companies, and that’s okay, because there are a lot of good ones out there.  If you do decide to go this route, I wanted to show you how you can spot a pretty lousy company.

Know what you’re getting: Some companies are going to be hesitant with the plans when you sign up.  Make sure that you get the facts on what’s covered.  Is wear and tear covered? etc?

Should have a great BBB rating: You should always make this the habit when doing business online.  Make sure that the company has an A or better when it comes down to the Better Business Bureau.

Any guarantees? A solid, respectable company is going to offer you a refund if you’re not happy.  If you find that you’re not happy with your policy, you should be able to return your money!

What other benefits? You’re going to get more than just a warranty with some companies.  Things such as towing, car rentals, and more may be included.

Do your homework, and make sure that you’re asking these questions.  You want to make sure that you educate yourself before diving in and purchasing a policy.  By knowing what’s going on, you can be assured that you’re going to land a decent warranty.

posted by FindGasCards.com

MPG websitesWhether you’re purchasing a newer car, or maybe you want to purchase an older one.   If you’re looking to find the fuel economy rating for your particular vehicle, I wanted to show you some websites / tips that you can check out, in order to find this information.

  • FuelEconomy.gov: This is by far the best sites online.  It’s run by the U.S. government and if you can’t find the MPG details here, I don’t know where you can look then.  Get tips, incentive deals, as well as information on your vehicle’s MPG.
  • The car companies website: Let’s say that you want to purchase a Toyota Corolla.  What you can do is simply head to Toyota’s main website and search for your model.  99% of the time, the MPG, as well as information will be there.
  • Edmunds: Edmunds is jammed packed with so much car information.  You can search for cars for sales, as well as  reviews, tips, advice, and more.
  • MPGBuddy: This is another favorite site of mine.  It’s fairly simple to use and you’re going to get everything you need to know about your car.  Get the city, highway, as well as the combined MPG.  You can also get an estimated fuel cost as well.
  • Kiplinger’s What is your Real Mileage? Kiplinger’s has a cool tool where you can input your make, model, and get the true MPG of your car.  It’s simple and the thing that I like is that you’re able to go back throughout the years to see how it compared to the past.

From what I’ve found on the Internet, these are the 5 websites that I had found that helped me out the most, when I was looking to research the MPG for my future purchase.

posted by FindGasCards.com

mpg calculator / monitorIf you’re nuts about monitoring your MPG, did you know that there are monitors and gauges out there that will actually monitor the MPG for you, so you don’t have to?  Technology sure is grand today and I found 2 devices on the market that you should heavily consider purchasing.  Each kit shouldn’t cost you no more than $200.

#1 ScanGauge II 3-in 1 ($150 – $200) 4/5 stars

The ScanGauge is more than just a monitor.  It can scan your car and is equipped with 37 digital gauges in one.  With this device, you’re going to be able to watch your fuel consumption, your cost-per-mile, as well as the coolant temperature, engine speed, and much more!  There no tools required, and you will find that it’s fairly easy to install.

#2 PLX Kiwi MPG Calculator ($75 – $100) 3/5 stars

IF you’re looking for something that’s going to be a little less in terms for your budget, you will want to consider this Kiwi branded calculator.  The thing that many drivers like about this particular device is that its going to focus solely on your fuel efficiency, instead of adding 50 other gadgets.  While others see the need for the other 50 things, others just want to know exactly what they are going to get in terms of their MPG.

On this particular device, you’re going to get the following…

  • How much fuel was used
  • How much fuel is remaining
  • How long you can go until empty
  • Your RPM
  • The current vehicle speed
  • The coolant temperature
  • The throttle position

All of these can be measured in either Gallons / Liters, MPH/KHM, or Fahrenheit/Celsius.

You’re going to find that there really aren’t that many of these type of devices on the market.  If you’re really curious about your MPG, I would highly recommend you look into these two devices to see how much you can save on your next gas trip!

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