Automobile Retailers

While we know that speed is still a factor in purchasing automobiles and that gas money is hard to come by, does size matter?

For many in the newer generations, size becomes an issue of some importance. Of course, the “kids” are thinking smaller and not bigger. The gas-guzzling cars our parents used to barrel out of the driveway with aren’t too cool anymore and the SUVs piloted by soccer moms through school zones and shopping malls aren’t gaining ground with today’s youthful auto enthusiast either.

Instead, the drivers of tomorrow are thinking thin is in. Smaller cars are selling like hotcakes and car retailers are getting behind this trend by pushing more and more tiny toys onto the market.

The mini car concepts have been around since the dawn of time, but the demands of larger families pushed people into larger cars. Packing groceries, hockey equipment, and homework into a tiny Nissan Cube would be quite a challenge for the most resourceful of super-packers. But today’s demands are a little different and today’s younger generation has less family baggage and more free time for text messaging and iPods. Lucky for them, those new gadgets don’t take up much space.

That’s there today’s smaller economical cars come in. Not only do smaller cars take up less gas money, but they’re also less harmful to the environment. That means more cash for the Double Lo-fat Mocha (hold the “whipped topping”) and more cash for downloading iTunes. Everybody wins and Mother Nature smiles down upon today’s youth with glee.

One sure bet for a smaller car that kids can drive without sacrificing style points is the incredibly popular Scion xB. This little number from Toyota has experienced tremendous success in the United States and is among America’s top-selling little cars.

With Honda’s Cube coming along, look for Scion’s xB to pick up some new bells and whistles to bring in an even younger crowd. They’ve already turned to e-marketing and all sorts of new tricks to get youngsters behind the wheel, so who knows what they’ll think of next.

Are you thinking about buying a new or used car at your local Pontiac dealer? If so, there are some things you should know. Here are nine things you should NOT do in order to help you and your sales representative reach a price that is fair for all parties involved.

1. Don’t wait until your vehicle stops running before looking for a new car. When you’re in a position like that, you won’t have much bargaining power and you might be willing to pay more than you would if you could look around some more.
2. Don’t buy your vehicle without researching it first. This means getting a Vehicle History Report from Carfax.com as well as researching the consumer reviews to make sure the vehicle you’re considering meets your needs.
3. Don’t attempt to buy a car without knowing your credit score. Your personal credit score could make a huge difference in your monthly payments and even if you get a car at all! If you have a low credit score, you might even want to wait a few months and improve it before going to the car dealer.
4. Don’t rely solely on the dealership’s loan. If you have another loan set up through a bank or credit union, it just gives you more options to choose from so you can get a better deal.
5. Don’t roll your current car payments into your new loan. This just creates larger monthly payments and more interest than if you just pay your current vehicle off before getting another car.
Come back tomorrow for some more things to avoid to help you get the best deal on your new or used car!