Monday, May 23, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
10 Cheapest Cars to Maintain
Toyota Takes Four Out of 10 Spots
Click on line above to check out article.
Click on line above to check out article.
What is Gap Insurance?
So many people that I talk too or that my team talks too do not know exactly what Gap insurance is. Gap insurance is real simple. Let's say that you buy a vehicle and you drive off the lot owing $25,000. And let's say that you are involved in an accident and the car is totalled. The insurance company may value your vehicle at $21,000 So the insurance company is willing to pay only $21,000 on a car that you owe $25,000 on. That leaves you owing the $4000 difference. No one wants to pay money for something that they do not have so they invented Gap insurance. Gap insurance pays the difference between what you owe and what the insurance company will pay on your vehicle.
My Dad used to call insurance a necessary evil and I quess that is somewhat true. Insurance is necessary to protect you financially and yet it is evil for the mere fact that things must operate that way and extort protection money from us in the first place.
Well, atleast you will know what Gap insurance is for the next time it is offered to you.
My Dad used to call insurance a necessary evil and I quess that is somewhat true. Insurance is necessary to protect you financially and yet it is evil for the mere fact that things must operate that way and extort protection money from us in the first place.
Well, atleast you will know what Gap insurance is for the next time it is offered to you.
A Tale of Two Cars
I don't know if everyone feels this way but when it comes to cars, for me there is a dichotomy. First there is the practical side that says that a vehicle is just for moving people or things from point A to point B. The vehicle is seen as a pure mode of transportation where one will consider the overall cost of the vehicle from repairs and maintenance to resell and fuel costs. This side is very analytical. Then there is the other side that looks at a vehicle as a thing of beauty and even status. This part looks at styling, appeal and even what others think. This is the side that carmakers are used to appealing to.
Having been a car salesman for many years I would try and decide which type of person I had in front of me, the practical or the overall level of appeal type. If it was the practical we would crunch numbers and go over the statistics but if it was the other type we would spend more time driving the vehicle. I would wave at everyone as if they were taking notice of the vehicle and have the customer drive by reflective glass windows so they could actually see themselves in the car. Those little tricks always helped in making the sale.
Maybe everyone has these two sides to them. I just don't like the impractical side very much. I mean to be swayed by what others think to me is a sign of weakness yet a lot of people buy a vehicle based upon status or appeal. Yes there is a certain appeal while setting in a fast car, reving the engine and feeling all sporty and there is the luxury side of a vehicle that surronds one with creature comforts. I mean it does make a person feel good when someone says, "Wow, nice car!". I guess this is why there are so many highline automobiles on the market.
With gasoline on the rise people become more conscious of the practicle side. They start thinking overall costs and fuel mileage. Oh well, a vehicle is after all just a means of going from point A to point B, right?
Having been a car salesman for many years I would try and decide which type of person I had in front of me, the practical or the overall level of appeal type. If it was the practical we would crunch numbers and go over the statistics but if it was the other type we would spend more time driving the vehicle. I would wave at everyone as if they were taking notice of the vehicle and have the customer drive by reflective glass windows so they could actually see themselves in the car. Those little tricks always helped in making the sale.
Maybe everyone has these two sides to them. I just don't like the impractical side very much. I mean to be swayed by what others think to me is a sign of weakness yet a lot of people buy a vehicle based upon status or appeal. Yes there is a certain appeal while setting in a fast car, reving the engine and feeling all sporty and there is the luxury side of a vehicle that surronds one with creature comforts. I mean it does make a person feel good when someone says, "Wow, nice car!". I guess this is why there are so many highline automobiles on the market.
With gasoline on the rise people become more conscious of the practicle side. They start thinking overall costs and fuel mileage. Oh well, a vehicle is after all just a means of going from point A to point B, right?
Monday, May 2, 2011
Who Builds The Best Cars?
I was recently in an auto forum and the discussion came up of which cars have the least problems. One guy was adament that it depends solely on the owner and whether or not he was keeping up with the mainetenace or not. I agree wholeheartedly that keeping up with the maintenance is a key factor in keeping repairs down but that is not the whole of the story.
My question is who builds vehicles the best to begin with so that they do not have breakdowns. The guy in the forum thought that was an absurd question as he supposed that they were all made with equal perfection. I had to disagree, having worked in the service contract business I see the rates given for coverage on all of the vehicles and those rates are based upon acual frequency of repairs. They have people that deal with those facts on a daily basis. They are called actuaries. Actuary is an insurance term that means a person who computes premium rates, dividends, risks, etc., according to probabilities based on statistical records.
According to the previous article that I posted that was called, "2011 Automakers Report Card" it is Toyota, Honda and Subaru who builds the best cars. Of course not everyone likes that fact because they drive something else. Plus we get the argument of buying American products. According to other aticles I have read Toyota is the number one car as for as made in America and Honda is number two. I know that doesn't set well with those that call themselves domestic car companies but it is the truth. So if you ever get into a conversation with someone on who builds the best cars you can say that America does. Just don't get specific.
My question is who builds vehicles the best to begin with so that they do not have breakdowns. The guy in the forum thought that was an absurd question as he supposed that they were all made with equal perfection. I had to disagree, having worked in the service contract business I see the rates given for coverage on all of the vehicles and those rates are based upon acual frequency of repairs. They have people that deal with those facts on a daily basis. They are called actuaries. Actuary is an insurance term that means a person who computes premium rates, dividends, risks, etc., according to probabilities based on statistical records.
According to the previous article that I posted that was called, "2011 Automakers Report Card" it is Toyota, Honda and Subaru who builds the best cars. Of course not everyone likes that fact because they drive something else. Plus we get the argument of buying American products. According to other aticles I have read Toyota is the number one car as for as made in America and Honda is number two. I know that doesn't set well with those that call themselves domestic car companies but it is the truth. So if you ever get into a conversation with someone on who builds the best cars you can say that America does. Just don't get specific.
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