Getting the Best Deal on a Used Car

For millions of cash-strapped motorists these days, buying a used vehicle, rather than a brand-new car or truck, is an option based on sheer necessity. While the average transaction price of a new vehicle topped $26,000 last year, according to CNW Research of Bandon, Ore, the cost of a used model was just under $10,000 from a franchised auto dealer and around $5,600 from a private party.

However, procuring a used vehicle remains a much-more complex transaction than is buying a typical new-car or truck. For starters, no two used vehicles – even if they’re the same year, make and model – are ever alike, especially with regards to their mileage and mechanical conditions. Also, unlike a new car, a used one doesn’t come with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price – a pre-owned model’s value is ultimately decided by the buyer and seller, and can depend on a wide range of variables.

If the economy is forcing you to shop for a used vehicle, rather than a new one, here are a few time-honored tips to follow that will ensure you’ll get the best deal on a great car or truck:

• Always research the estimate value of all makes and models you’re considering ahead of time, via a pricing service like kbb.com or NADAguides.com. Here you’ll find a given vehicle’s trade-in value, which is generally what the dealer pays for a used car, and its retail price, which is what the dealer will initially ask for a car on the lot. Assume you’ll pay an amount that’s somewhere between the two figures. Since these estimates are based on a vehicle’s condition, mileage and included features, indicate (at least for comparison purposes) that each model is in “good” condition, is modestly equipped and has been driven at least 12,000 miles per year.

• If you’re looking at a used car that’s only a year or two old, be sure to compare the cost against buying a comparable new model. Automakers are luring buyers with generous cash incentives that can total thousands of dollars per vehicle to help dealers pare their inventories. Car companies offered buyers an industry-wide average $3,169 per vehicle in incentives this past March, according to Edmunds.com, which typically take the form of cash rebates or low-rate financing (with some models offering both). Various brands are also picking up a buyer’s first few monthly payments or are promising to pay the tab for several months if an owner loses his or her job. Depending in the make and model, a given new car might cost as much or less than a late-model used version, particularly considering the higher financing rates and shorter loan terms for pre-owned vehicles.

• To guarantee that a sweet deal on a used car or truck won’t ultimately go sour, be sure to take any vehicle under your consideration (especially one that doesn’t come with a warranty) to a trusted mechanic to ensure that it’s mechanically sound. And be sure to run the car or truck’s vehicle identification number (VIN) through a title-searching service like carfax.com to make sure it hasn’t been previously flood-damaged or salvaged and subsequently rebuilt.

• Always take a used car or truck out for a thorough test drive to ensure that all of its systems are in working order and that it sufficiently meets your needs and expectations before signing on the dotted line. Buying a vehicle that you ultimately won’t be happy with is no bargain.

• Negotiate wisely. Unless you’re buying a used car from a “CarMax” type of dealership that doesn’t allow haggling, never pay the asking price. Negotiate the transaction price as close to a used car’s average trade-in value as possible (be sure to research these figures a second time once you know the specific model’s exact mileage, condition and added equipment). The ultimate transaction price will largely depend on the dealership or private party’s urgency to sell the car, coupled with your own patience and haggling skills.

Review: Volvo XC70

Redesigned for the 2008 model year, the Volvo XC70 wants buyers to believe it’s an SUV, but it’s really a station wagon under the skin, albeit a pretty good one. It’s essentially a repackaged V70 wagon with added ride height, standard all-wheel drive and specific body cladding that butches-up the look somewhat.

As with the V70, the Volvo XC70 shares platforms and components with the S80 sedan. While it doesn’t offer that model’s V8 engine, it performs adequately with its standard 235-hp 3.2-liter inline-six-cylinder powerplant. (A more powerful 281-hp turbocharged version is offered in the costlier T6 version.) While the engine generates a throaty exhaust note, it’s no speed demon, but it operates smoothly and should be sufficient for most buyers. A six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission is the Volvo XC70’s only available gearbox; it works flawlessly and includes a manual-shift function.

While the Volvo XC70 is not capable of serious off-roading, a standard “Instant Traction” all-wheel-drive system makes it a foul-weather friend, though we didn’t get a chance to test its mettle on wet pavement. Volvo’s Dynamic Stability Traction Control system is standard and helps keep the vehicle's wheels from spinning and/or prevents a loss of control during extreme or emergency maneuvers. Also included is Hill Descent Control, which makes traversing steep downhill grades at low speeds safer and easier.

Overall, the Volvo XC70 handles the curves better than most any bona fide SUV, thanks to a rigid underlying structure and a four-wheel independent suspension. Still, there’s little about the XC70 that encourages a motorist to drive overly aggressively. The ride is smooth under normal circumstances, but it can get downright bouncy over pockmarked pavement and speed bumps and can get unnerved jouncing over repeated potholes.

Inside, the Volvo XC70 is fairly conservative in its design. The dashboard is well laid out with a sweeping and simple look with Volvo’s now trademark center stack of controls and aluminum appointments. Ours came with the optional wood trim which was flat finished rather than so shiny as to look artificial; it was nicely understated in that regard, but isn’t necessarily something we’d pay extra for.

The Volvo XC70 affords ample seat travel to allow six-foot-plus motorists to comfortably stretch their legs while behind the wheel, though adjustable pedals aren’t offered to benefit shorter drivers. Unfortunately, legroom isn’t as generous for the front seat passenger. While we easily found a comfort zone on the left side, we felt cramped on the right.

Cargo space is huge, with a nice 40/20/40 split-fold back seat, but the Volvo XC90 could use more rear legroom – it can get tight back there even for the kids sitting behind taller parents. A segmented storage area hidden under the cargo floor is handy for storing smaller items out of sight.

Our tester included a modicum of options, which included heated leather seats, a premium audio system, sunroof and adaptive headlamps (which automatically pivot to light the way through curves, it still stickered at around $44,000, which seems pricey. And while ours wasn’t so equipped, safety-minded motorists can drive the cost even higher by choosing the optional Collision Warning with Brake Support system (it works in tandem with an also optional laser-guided adaptive cruise control system and warns the driver if the XC70 is closing in too quickly on another vehicle or other obstruction; if it calculates that a collision is possible, the system will automatically move the brake pads up against the discs and prepare full braking pressure in anticipation of a panic stop). What’s more, an available Blind Spot Information System signals when another vehicle in close proximity that the driver not otherwise notice.

In all, the Volvo XC70 is a bit livelier than the typical family wagon or SUV, but is outclassed by European sport wagons from the likes of Audi and BMW. Still, it has its appeal, and makes for a civilized, practical and reasonably entertaining family ride.

Send Dad Back to (Driving) School

Here's a great Father's Day gift idea, at least for dads who live in or near, or can be shipped off to Phoenix, Arizona.

The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving is giving dads a taste of racecar driving with its Father's Day Rapid Precision Maneuvers Program (RPM) on June 20, 2009 at Bondurant's renown racing school adjacent to Firebird International Raceway outside of Phoenix.

Rapid Precision Maneuvers is a four-hour course featuring a timed autocross event, accident avoidance and lead and follow time on the 15-turn, 1.6-mile Bondurant track. Bondurant's industry-leading instructors in charge of the program have taught everyone from professional racecar drivers and police officers to teenage students. The course will teach drivers the basics of vehicle balance and visual skills, along with high-speed lane change and braking acumen that will prepare them for quick decision making and evasive maneuvering out in the real world.

Best of all, participants spend time behind the wheel of a Pontiac Solstice, a Chevrolet Corvette and a Cadillac CTS-V. They also take to the track in a Bondurant ProKart - 45 MPH racing go-karts that get the adrenaline flowing as the school's professional Karting instructors show drivers the fast way around the Bondurant Kart track.

Interested parties can sign up for Rapid Precision Maneuvers until June 1 at a reduced price of $349, which is far cheaper than getting dad a Solstice, 'Vette or CTS-V for year 'round use. Check program availability and register by visiting www.bondurant.com or contacting Travis McClure at 480-403-7648.

Review: Dodge Ram 1500

With Chrysler LLC currently in bankruptcy and seemingly on the road to becoming the North American arm of Fiat, several of the company’s current models will soon be dropped from the automaker's lineup. Don’t expect the redesigned-for-2009 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck to be on the endangered species list, however.

GM and Ford pickup aficionados may not want to hear this, but the redesigned Dodge Ram is arguably one of the best full-size pickups ever produced. It retains the previous generation’s broad-shouldered appearance, albeit in a more refined looking form, highlighted by a truly enormous and intimidating front grille. By comparison the Chevy Silverado is more-sedate looking, though Ford’s new F-150 comes close in terms of testosterone-infused styling.

All told, the truck comes in five trim levels with three cab configurations and three cargo box lengths, which means the Dodge Ram 1500 truly offers something for everyone. The most workman-like Standard Cab models come with a single bench seat and an eight-foot cargo bed that can accommodate full 4 x 8-foot sheets of building materials.

Our tester was a four-door Club Cab version that included a three-passenger rear-seat area that was large enough to double as a family vehicle on the weekends, though it only comes with a six-foot bed. Though we were able to carry home a few sheets of drywall from the home center store with the back end leaning up atop and over the tailgate, we suspect this would be the Dodge Ram of choice for those needing a big truck more for recreational needs – like taking an ATV camping, hauling a pair of dirt bikes down to the trails or towing a boat or trailer – than for professional use.

Performance wise, the Dodge Ram 1500 affords a smooth ride and handles better than its sheer girth might otherwise indicate. A fuel-saving 215-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 engine in 2WD regular cab and extended Quad Cab models, but that’s barely sufficient. Other versions offer a choice of a stronger 310-horsepower 4.7-liter V8 or, like our test model, a lusty 390-horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V8 that’s good for a 0-60 mph run around six seconds. We suspect this would be the powerplant of choice for many buyers, at least until gasoline gets back to selling at $4.00/gallon.

Our Dodge Ram came with the available 20-inch wheels, but unfortunately, not with side steps or running boards. Even at nearly six feet tall we could barely pull ourselves up into the cab. Once inside the cabin, we found it to be an accommodating environment, with large and legible gauges and easy to operate switches. Storage was plentiful and included a configurable center console between the front seats that’s large enough to hold vertical files and a laptop computer and two “store in the floor” bins with removable liners that are large enough for ten 12-ounce cans and ice. Myriad options include a rear DVD entertainment system on Crew Cab models, hard-drive media storage for digital music and a dealer-installed “uconnect web” system that turns the truck into a rolling Wi-Fi hot spot for Internet surfing.

Taking the rolling cooler idea a step further, the Dodge Ram offers an optional “RamBox” cargo system with weatherproof, lockable, illuminated and drainable storage bins built into the cargo bed rails that can hold up to 10 cases of 12-ounce beverages. We might still prefer a separate cooler to that effect, but having concealed and secured storage areas in a vehicle that’s otherwise without a locking trunk is a big plus.