First L


I will be going to college soon and I am looking for a car that is economic and does not use a lot of gas (gas prices are expensive!!!). I want to know when buying a car what characteristics to look for in order to see if a car uses to much gas. I know that big trucks need a lot of gas often. But in a regular small car, what info should I need to know? A car that I looked at said that gas mileage was 34 mpg city/40 mpg hwy. What does this mean? Also, do I need to check the engine? For example, 1.5L I4, 16 valve, 106@6000 hp. What do I need to look for in order to save gas. What are the best cars right now that do not use much gas, of good quality, and economic?

Andrew K


I recently had my car stolen. It’s a very hard thing to deal with especially since it’s a very expensive car. It was a Mercedes Benz S550 and I had spent a little over $95 thousand on it. I live in Los Angeles and the LAPD have told me that there are so many car thefts that it’s almost impossible to find stolen cars. Insurance covers the cars cost but what’s important to me is that inside the car I had some family pictures and some of mother and fathers personal belongings that I’d like returned… Is there any chance the thief is stupid enough to try and sell the car?

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I want to purchase a used car from a private party, but I”m not an expert on cars. how much will a mech. charge to inspect it and tell me about any foreseeable issues?

Nathan P


I am a 19 year old and I am a bit picky on cars because car insurance is high for me. I just want someone that has some experenice with those cars. Suggestion for other cars are fine too, only sport cars or coupes.

Dominic Ferrara




You make a strong financially viable decision when you decide to buy used car in Cleveland Ohio. There are many benefits in buying used cars instead of a brand new one. If you can put aside the fancy of driving out a brand new shining car out of a dealership, you can go for used car.

Do you buy a real estate that is sure to drop its value by 20% the day you buy it? In most cases people will say no. When buying used cars, you make sure you pay for the real value of the vehicle. The value of a used car will not drop in a drive of 100 miles. The sound financial decision you take is enough to make you proud. Cleveland Ohio used car dealerships offer you used cars from varying sources.

Some used cars in Cleveland Ohio can come from bankruptcy sale, government auctions, company revamp and sales, etc. They can also come from car rental companies in Ohio. Buying from estate, bankruptcy or government sales automatically puts you better options of buying an almost new car at a price half or less the original price.

Buying used car Cleveland Ohio is not always that easy thing. As you can probably guess, abuse of vehicle by car owners is a thing to watch for. A car that is put into harsh tests like over speeding or dirt track driving is never a good option to buy. Buying them thus becomes a task of choosing a certified used car.

Look for certified cars when you plan to buy Cleveland Ohio used cars. Used vehicles may or may not come with manufacturer warranty. You can at times find cars still within manufacturer guarantee 50,000 km/four year marks.

Buying certified cars helps you find used cars that are thoroughly tested by professional mechanics. The cars still have manufacturer warranty coverage. The benefit – you will get repairs for longer periods.

The relatively new practice of loan companies extend loans to purchase used cars is another good reason to go for a better financial decision. Loans to purchase Cleveland Ohio used cars can be arranged with used car dealership or directly from the financier.

If it is not a certified car that you intend to purchase as part of your car buying plan, it is better to inspect the car thoroughly. Get help of a knowledgeable mechanic in inspecting the condition of the used car. You may not be able to find hidden problems. A mechanic will tell you the exact condition of any used car.

Last, but most important thing to keep in mind is to have knowledge of market value of the car you plan to purchase. Sometimes the technical value of a car will be $ 7,000 while you can purchase it for $4,000. This difference in technical value and actual selling price of a used car in Cleveland Ohio is a factor that should not be missed.

Taking advantage of Cleveland Ohio used cars is easier than ever before. It is only up to you to make a wise decision about which car to buy and whether or not it’s a good deal.

Staci Marquez-Nichols




The most important thing to know about negotiating with used car dealers is that they will base their negotiable limits on their perception of you. If they see you as knowledgeable and shrewd, they will know they can not push you around. Likewise, if they perceive you as ignorant and wishy-washy, they will know they can charge you more for a car.

Used car dealers will always try to stretch your limits. If you are willing to pay $10,000 at 8.5% on a car listed for $11,000, they will offer you $10,500 at 9.5%. Know your limits. If your limits are being stretched, simply stand up, say no thank you, and walk out the door. If you buckle on one thing, the dealer will know they can push you around on everything.

Many dealers base their tactics on your ignorance. They will tell you nobody will finance a car that is 10 years old. They will tell you nobody will finance a used car for less than 7%. They will tell you nobody will finance a used car without a down payment. All of these statements are incorrect.

So, how do you become a knowledgeable and shrewd used car buyer? First, know what kind of car you want. Educate yourself on websites like edmunds.com and Kelly Blue Book’s website kbb.com. Second, know what your credit score is by running your own credit report before you even start car shopping. The government will give you one free tri-bureau credit report each year at annualcreditreport.com. Third, find out what interest rates are currently available at local credit unions. This doesn’t take much time because most credit unions will post their rates on their websites.

Now you are ready to start shopping. At this stage, remember that you are just looking and trying to make comparisons. Shop for cars online before visiting the actual lots. Why? Most dealers advertise the cars they have for sale on their own websites and on generic websites like cars.com and autotrader.com. You can search for exactly what you want online: sort the cars by price, by mileage, by year, by features, etc. Also, many car dealers offer lower prices online than on their lots. If you tell dealers you saw one of their cars listed for X amount online, they must honor that price.

When you are ready to physically visit different car lots, do not let each dealer run your credit. Each time your credit is run, your score goes down. A week or 2 of car shopping can drop your credit score10+ points. Bring the credit report that you printed from annualcreditreport.com with you and specifically ask the dealer what interest rate they can offer you without running your credit. The main goal at this stage of the process is to test drive the car and make sure it is in good condition–it is not time to buy yet. Narrow your search down to your top 2-3 choices.

When you become serious about a car, get the exact Kelly Blue Book value from kbb.com. You will need the car’s make, model, features, mileage, and the dealer’s zip code to get an accurate value. Blue Book provides three different values: trade-in (the lowest), private party (middle), and retail (the highest). Remember that retail values quoted by Kelly Blue Book are negotiable, not firm, numbers, and they assume that the car is in “excellent condition.” Only 5% of used cars are actually in excellent condition. In all likelihood, you should never pay the Kelly Blue Book retail value for a used car. Also, check the trade-in value for the car just to remind yourself what the dealer probably paid for the car–it will be thousands less than the sticker price.

When you become serious about a car, write down everything that needs repair or cleaning (i.e. ashtray missing, rear view mirror loose, trunk dirty, etc). When you start negotiating with the dealer, ask them what on your list are they willing to correct and what are they not. For anything the dealer can not correct, ask for a reasonable reduction in price.

When you are actually on the car lot, be willing to leave any time. Sleeping on a big purchase like a used car is always recommended. Sometimes we get blinders on the car lot, and time is needed to “cool off” and refocus. Also, try to build rapport with the dealer. The sad truth is that the more dealers like you, the more they will be willing to negotiate and please you.

A common tactic used car dealers rely on is telling you that they can not go any lower on the price or they won’t make any money. Remember when you looked up the trade-in value for the car? Ask the dealer if the car was a trade-in or purchased at an auction, then ask what they have done to recondition the car (did the dealer put in a new transmission or just inspect and detail it?) If the numbers do not add up, keep negotiating. Dealers will tell you they just can’t shave $200 off the price or they will go broke–do not believe it. Chances are that they are still profiting $1,500-$2,000. Even considering their overhead, they are making a nice profit.

One last tactic to consider is after you test drive the car, go home. Call the dealer the next day and let him or her know that you are interested in the car. The dealer will always ask you to come into the dealership to negotiate. The dealer wants home court advantage–don’t give it to them. Ask for the price and interest rate you want over the phone. You will have a lot more bargaining power this way. Don’t be afraid to let the dealer know what other dealers have offered you (no down payment, 7% interest, a free tank of gas, etc). Make the dealer work on your terms, at your pace.

Eric Morris




Chicago insurance companies tend to set an average driving amount for each car type. Insurance companies normally charge more for high-performance cars because of their increased susceptibility to accidents and theft. As a general rule of thumb, there is some flexibility in the types and amount of coverage you need for a used car, but Chicago has insurance laws and you will need some kind of coverage regardless of what it is worth.

Chicago law states that you have to carry liability insurance. It provides financial protection from claims when you cause an accident that results in bodily injuries to other people or damage their property. The feeling is that if you caused the problem, you insurance should compensate victims. Because liability fees can be high (way beyond what you have to have), you might consider taking out a greater amount of liability coverage. In Chicago, collision and comprehensive insurance is optional. It covers physical damages to your vehicle form a crash of fire or falling object, etc.). If you’ve purchased an older used car, this type of insurance is expensive and probably not necessary.

In Chicago, like any other big city, it is important to update the information that your insurance company has on fine for you, your car and your driving record. You may be eligible for a rate reduction if you have gotten married, moved to the suburbs, no longer insure a younger driver, installed an anti-theft device, or if it has been at least three years since your last violation.

Used car insurance rates can vary widely by hundreds of dollars from company to company because of various claims experience, cost of doing business. Car insurance is priced to cover the costs of accidents that may happen in the future. Information about the past claims experience is used to see the future of a company.