Author Archive: Chad Baus

Amazingly low monthly payments might make leasing seem like a no-brainer. But a closer look at the related costs of leasing (and its long-term expense) might convince some people to return to a good used car.

Leasing is presented as a quick, easy and affordable way to get into a new car. …But there are some fees that people often don’t take into account, and those can quickly add up. Furthermore, at the end of the lease term, you have to decide whether to start a new lease cycle. You might eventually become a “serial leaser”: someone who always has a car payment. Over a lifetime of driving, this can be costly.

Here is a list of other points that might make you choose used-car buying over new-car leasing.

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With autumn’s shorter days, cooler temperatures and inclement weather drawing closer, now is a good time to get your car ready for the demands of the coming driving season.

Although some seasonal car maintenance will require the assistance of a qualified car mechanic, here are five, simple do-it-yourself car maintenance projects to make your auto better prepared for fall and save you the labor cost of having these services done by a mechanic.

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The idea of prohibiting the sale or rental of cars under recall has been bandied about by consumer advocates at both the federal and state level for some time. The most recent federal attempt, known as the Blumenthal Amendment for the Connecticut senator who sponsored it, was attached to a federal spending bill but didn’t get out of committee before Congress adjourned this summer.

The fundamental problem with the proposed prohibition is that all recalls are not created equal. Not selling a car because it has a defective airbag, or brakes that are known to fail, is one thing. Not selling a truck because it has has a typo in the owner’s manual, or a running board that’s not properly bolted on, is quite another.

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To insist that a car or [...]

Credit score has been a common topic of conversation over recent years. However, many do not understand exactly how credit can impact their life. The better your credit, the more likely you’re able to finance at a lower rate. Your credit score affects everything from financing or buying a car to buying a house. Here’s a look at how a good score can affect your life.

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Divorce is often the catalyst for landing an ex-couple’s credit scores in the toilet. Last year Credit.com surveyed 526 divorced adults and found that more than 31 percent suffered a credit score drop following the break-up of their marriage. Especially for a lesser-earning spouse, or a spouse who did not work at the time of the split, securing a loan with attractive terms can be a real challenge. This can seem overwhelming if you are low on funds and need to buy a new car.

Even for those with severely damaged credit or no credit, period, all hope is not lost, says Matt Jones, Edmunds.com senior editor. “Even if your credit is wrecked in the divorce, you still have options for financing a car,” says Jones. “People with no credit are not always raked over the [...]

In the near future, cars will communicate with one another on the road, partly or entirely drive themselves and be packed with more entertainment options than most computers.

But could technology also offer a solution for a scourge that kills nearly 10,000 Americans each year — drunken driving?

Regulators and the auto industry hope the answer is yes, and recently the Department of Transportation unveiled the latest steps toward developing anti-drunken-driving technology that would allow a car to detect drivers impaired by alcohol and stop them from turning on the car.

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Safety recalls for automobiles sold in the U.S. are soaring, and that’s leaving many consumers wondering whether the big numbers mean automotive reliability and safety are declining.

It’s a valid question.

The number of passenger vehicle recalls in 2014 set a new record, 324 campaigns, exceeding the previous record of 224 campaigns in 2004 by almost 45 percent.

Worse than the climbing total of recall campaigns, though, is that the number of cars and light trucks subject to those recalls is soaring. More than 63 million passenger vehicles were recalled in 2014. That’s more than triple the total for 2013 and slightly more than double the 30 million vehicles recalled in 2004.

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That doesn’t mean that car shoppers should put their buying plans on hold. Safety specialists, automakers and regulators alike [...]

Has this happened to you? You go shopping for a new car and great fuel economy is high on the list of things you want. You buy a car that’s rated 30 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg overall by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But after a month or so of driving around, you find that the best fuel efficiency you can get is a measly 24 mpg average. You might acknowledge that you drive a little faster than the speed limit, but you’re no hot-rodder.

So why doesn’t your fuel economy match the EPA rating?

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A key element in assessing the EPA rating for a vehicle’s average fuel economy (EPA combined) is the split between highway and city driving. Almost all cars and trucks deliver better fuel economy while cruising at 55 mph on the open highway than they do [...]

Want to save fuel on those long summer highway drives? Don’t open the window. Crank up the air conditioning.

That’s just one of the useful — and frequently surprising — tips available from fueleconomy.gov , the go-to web site for information on fuel economy.

While running the AC does increase fuel consumption, it’s more efficient than driving with the windows open at highway speeds. The open windows increase the car’s aerodynamic drag, and that makes the engine work harder…

For other fuel-saver tips, click here.