Post June 2009: New Cars

What do Honda, Toyota and Lexus all have in common? New cars! Come June 2009 and after, each of these companies are set to release brand new models. In this day and age, inexpensive and fuel efficient compact cars are becoming more and more popular. Thus, Honda has stepped up to the plate with the 2010 Honda Insight! The Insight stands at a reasonable price of $19,800 and gets 40 mpg city/43 mpg highway. Oh! And to top it off…it’s a hybrid! That’s pretty good.

Next on the list of premieres is the 2010 Toyota Prius. This car is a little more expensive than the Insight but it could be well worth it. Starting around $22,000, the Prius gets about 48 mpg city and 45 mpg highway while being earth friendly. Earth friendly? Yes! It’s a hybrid too. The car is also safe. It contains advanced driver and passenger airbags along with seatbelts that have been tested (and passed) rigorous safety tests.

The next vehicle isn’t as cheap or fuel efficient as the first two but it sure looks stylish! If you’re looking for something to show off while still being earth friendly, this may be a good car for you. The Lexus GS 450h RWD Hybrid starts around the price range of $56,550 and gets about 22 mpg city/25 mpg hwy. So, it isn’t as high quality when it comes to fuel efficiency but this isn’t necessarily a car to be driving across the country either.

From the research that I have done, it appears to be that there are going to be quite a few cars coming out later this year. Not only that, but the car dealers are producing lots of hybrids!

The Value That Comes from a Used Cars

When you’re driving along the city road, you’re most likely going to see car dealerships. Some of those dealers will be posting signs like “Brand New!” but others will have posters with the words “Runs Like New!” As you might’ve guessed, the second sign is for a used car dealership.

A lot of people have thoughts that used cars really aren’t as great as new ones and to some extent, they’re correct. However, that doesn’t mean buying a used vehicle is a bad thing. Many people buy cars and when the newer version of it appears, they ditch the old and get the new. Therefore, that “used” car is practically new even though it was previously owned. If you stop by the used car lot and find a vehicle like this then you’re in luck! Negotiate the dealer down to a reasonable price for your budget, buy the car, and you’re set.

So, there are some good used cars. However, you should also know there’s a flip side too. While a few vehicles are really nice, others are not. Some used cars are just down-right awful and disgusting! You’re most likely to encounter these horrible vehicles when you visit a police auction, a place where cars were repossessed, or dumped on the side of the road. The transmission will suck, parts will be missing, it’ll smell bad and it won’t even be worth the work to fix it. Those types of used cars aren’t worth any time or effort at all!

When searching for a vehicle that isn’t brand new, you should always consider the pros and cons of everything. If you have the time and money to use on fixing up a partially broken down car, then go for it but otherwise, try to find something with a little more substance.