What makes a quality used car?

Buying a quality used car can be a great decision if you know what to look for in a previously owned vehicle. There are some cars that simply do not hold their value the way some others do. Then again, there are some cars that will last longer than others do as well. Do your homework as you do your search for a good previously owned vehicle. Not all cars are created equally, and even though you will not be paying the new car price, you will want to make sure you have gotten the best your money can buy when buying a quality used car. 


You may be interested in knowing what gives a used vehicle, what is known as “a quality rating”. Several factors must be considered when placing that rating on a previously owned vehicle, so it would be a good idea to educate yourself before you are ready to proceed with buying a quality used car. The biggest factor to take into account, when rating a used car, with a quality rating is just how long a car will retain its value, and you have to know that there are huge differences between the different car brands. Be sure you are armed when you go shopping.

Make sure you are purchasing from an O.M.V.I.C. Registered Dealer. There are two very good reasons for this. Access to consumer protection funds and making sure there is full disclosure in advertising and contracts. OMVIC is The Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council that enforces the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act. They are there to protect you and their mandate is to “maintain a fair, safe and informed marketplace in Ontario by protecting the rights of consumers”.

Check the mileage of the car you look at to see if you think they will last the length of time you need it to. Also check the history before buying any quality used car to see if there are any accidents in its past. Sometimes, even though repairs have been made, many of those repairs are for cosmetic reasons, and some damage may have been missed in the inspections. A previously owned vehicle that has had extensive damage in the past may be one that will have more problems showing up in the future. Many times all you need are the facts to make the right decision. www.prudentvaluecars.com

If you're looking to buy a car, you probably want two things.

Value and reliability. Oh sure, a little style doesn't hurt, but you'll probably sacrifice style for good resale value.
If you can have your cake and eat it too, why not.
Consumer Reports is one of the top sites to help you make the right choice. They research their choices thoroughly and back it up with strong data.
Here's a fact you may not be aware of; the average new car loses 47 percent of its value in the first three years. How can you counter that sort of depreciation?
According to Consumer Reports, think used. It's an affordable, intelligent way to get the car you want with all the safety features and added options, without all the drastic drive off the lot depreciation.

When buying used however, there are a few more things to keep in mind.
Do you trust the dealer. Have they been around for a while? And what sort of bumper to bumper warranty do they offer.
 Do your blue book price comparisons. Sometimes a deal that is too good to be true, often is. If the car is priced way below blue book value, there is likely something you've missed. It could be obvious such as above average kilometres. Calculate that the average driver, in normal use, drives about 20-25,000 kilometres a year. If the car is only two years old and has 80,000 kilometres it means the car has likely been part of a fleet of rental cars, or it has put some hard time in.
This will greatly reduce the lifespan of the car and should probably be taken out of consideration.

What cars are most highly rated?
Well, courtesy of Consumer Reports, here are some vehicles to consider. In the small car category they rate the Honda Fit number one. For family cars they have great things to say about the Toyota Prius.
If you would like something upscale but have no issue with something a year or two old, seriously consider the Lexus ES. Still in the luxury arena consider the Acura RL. Need something a little sportier? They give a thumbs up to the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Small SUV's are very popular these days. Consider the Honda CRV In the midsized category, try the Toyota Highlander. Next, minivans; Consumer Reports says to go with the Toyota Sienna FWD. If it's a pickup truck, again Honda gets the nod with their Ridgeline.

That’s it for our overview of Consumer Reports top recommendations for used cars and trucks. They recommend these vehicles on average over the last ten years. We suggest that you do your homework, then choose the vehicle that feels most comfortable for you and your circumstances.

For more information about making intelligent used vehicle decisions, go to PrudentValuecars.com

When Purchasing New or Used Vehicles Put Child Safety First!

When Purchasing New or Used Vehicles Put Child Safety First!

If you have children , choosing a safety-oriented vehicle is most likely one
of your concerns. Here are a few things to consider in selecting a vehicle
that is perfect for your family's needs.

Blind Area's in Car's

Physically check to see where your blind spots are on your own vehicle.
Simply have another person kneel or hold something at a child's height, sit
in your driver's seat and look for any blinds pots you may have while
backing up. Rear view video camera's or parking assist camera's are one
addition to the family that may save everyone from knowing how dangerous
blind spots can be when backing up.

Car seats or safety belts

There must be by law, a latch tether system or lower anchor system built in
for all car's made after Sept 1st 2002. Children's car seats must fit
securely in your new Pre Owned Vehicle or New Vehicle. Try your car seat out
just to make sure it is compatible with the Vehicle. The police are also
able to assist with verifying your car seat has the proper specifications.
Be mindful that there are weight restrictions on car seats as well as front
seat belts ( due to the air bag release mechanism releases).

Locking systems for Window's

Windows are fun to play with, even for adults. However they can prove fatal
for young children as they explore boundaries in sticking their head out the
window to gain a different perspective. Most injuries occur when the keys
are in the ignition and the child leans out and accidentally hits the window
button. Most of the newer vehicles have the safety locks that allow the
driver to lock the rear windows shut. In the event that there is not a
switch, remember to turn your car off and pull the key's out so no mischief
can occur.

Prudent Video: Avoid Distractions While Driving

Remember, safety and common sense go hand in hand with small ones. www.prudentvaluecars.com

Make Your Vehicle Look More Presentable For Buying

Make Your Vehicle Look More Presentable For Buying

You’ve made the decision to sell your used car so now you must get it ready to be placed on the market. Your goal is to:
• Make your car easy to advertise
• Make your car sell quickly
• Command a higher sale value

How do we do this? You must think like a buyer. Put yourself in the buyer’s position and think about the things that you would look for when buying a used car. You definitely want a car that has been cared for and maintained.

First you’ll want to clean your car inside and out. Remove all garbage or items laying around your car, vacuum the interior including trunk and wipe down the dash and the rest of the interior. Give the exterior of your car a thorough wash and a good wax. Making your car look more presentable will help you maximize the return on your investment.

You’ll then want to fix all obvious damage. Fix all broken items that are easy to fix such as headlights. Airbrush touch up of small scratches and chips to make the car look newer.

When you’re presenting your car, make a clean impression. Hopefully you’ll have the original keys, the owner’s manual in the glove compartment along with maintenance and service documents. This shows the potential buyer that your car was well maintained and it will sell faster.

A strong selling tool for your car is a complete report of your car. This will eliminate any questions or concerns regarding the quality of the title of your car.

Make a professional “for sale” sign for your car. Make a sign with a legible phone number, use an eye catching colour. As an added bonus you can make flyers so when potential buys come see the car after visiting several on that day, they will remember yours. A flyer can be created through a word processor and look really great.

Remember that you are not a dealer and cannot give any warranty on the car so be honest about the condition of your car and any serious problems. The last thing you want to do is create a bigger headache from the buyer down the road.

In your bill of sale, establish that the car is sold “as is” and keep a copy for yourself. This will help protect you for any further liability.

Now that you’ve sold your car, if you’re in the market to look for a new used car, please visit www.prudentvaluecars.com/inventory for top quality, pre-owned cars and trucks with low kilometres.

How To Finance a Car after bankruptcy

With the amount of car loan choices that we have today, we no longer have to worry whether we can get a car loan after bankruptcy. There are a number of companies that will offer people who have had financial problems in the past help. Companies now offer secured loans to people with a bad credit history.

Prudent video: Bankruptcy is a legal process

It may not always be as easy as it sounds so here are some sure fire tips that will get you a car loan after bankruptcy:

Re-establish your credit – To rebuild your credit, take out a small personal loan through a loan company that will help you rebuild your credit by reporting your payments to the credit bureau. Make sure you make all your monthly payments on time. Your credit score will eventually increase and when this happens you will get lower interest rates.

Pay Cash – If possible, prior to buying a used car, save up money. You don’t have to buy a fancy new car, it just has to be good and reliable. One way to do this is to make a car payment to yourself for the amount you’re willing to pay for a car. When you have saved enough, you will have a nice chunk of change to pay for a car in full or even a lump sum down payment. This is a great way to save the interest payments.

Review Your Credit Report – This is a great first step after bankruptcy. You need to review your credit report and make sure that all your accounts are in order and there are no errors. All the accounts that were hurt your credit and were included in your bankruptcy should all be closed.

Explain Your Situation – A car loan application may raise questions about your recent bankruptcy. You should explain what led you to this path. This is a great chance to explain yourself and to show that you have taken all actions to correct your financial situation. Also include all important credit improvements that you’ve worked on up until you are applying for the car financing.

Prudent video: Buying a car after bankruptcy

Always remember to keep strong with the dealer. Have your full set amount up front and don’t budge even if the dealer is working out smaller monthly payments to get you your higher priced car. Stick to your budget and don’t allow the dealer to be in control. A good dealer will work with you and this will get you the best buy.

For more information www.prudentvaluecars.com

What to do if You Think Your New Car is a Lemon

The term lemon although may sound citrusy and fruity is actually a term used when referring to a poorly built car. This is because both will leave a sour taste in your mouth. In the 1800s the term lemon was used to describe people who were unfriendly and over time the term was being used for anything that was defective or broken.

A lemon car is a car that when purchased requires many repairs of the same problem. These repairs usually include problems with the transmission, engine or brakes. Problems that may be life threatening if it’s not working properly.

Unlike the US which has a lemon law that gives consumers compensation when they find that they’ve purchased a defective car and the manufacturer won’t fix it. Here in Canada, there is no such law. Ontario tried to pass a lemon law back in 2002 but the efforts were unsuccessful. Each province does however have some consumer protection statues. Consumers can submit a dispute to the Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP).

This CAMVAP program is a free arbitration program for consumers. The hearings are held in the consumer’s community. The process takes approximately 2-3 months. Most times you will not need a lawyer to help you as the manufacturers don’t use lawyers. An inspection of the vehicle usually takes place. The arbitrator can either get the manufacturer to buyback the vehicle, have the manufacturer’s pay for the repairs to take place or reimburse repairs already completed including the out of pocket expenses such as towing, testing and rental related to the problem with the car. The arbitrator can also order that the manufacturer have no liability.

Many people have purchased lemons in the past and many have become extremely angry over it. If you recently bought a lemon that was made in the last 4 years, don’t suffer in silence, consider using the CAMVAP. This program may be able to help you resolve your dispute with the car’s manufacturer.

If you’re buying a used vehicle and want to prevent yourself from purchasing a lemon, review the past maintenance history prior to the purchase. Ask for the VIN number so you can conduct a search of the vehicle maintenance history.

Prudent Value Cars sells top quality, pre-owned cars and trucks with low kilometres. They offer flexible financing for all kinds of credit and zero down for qualified customers. For more, please visit our inventory at http://prudentvaluecars.com/

Everyday Things That Will Ruin Your Car

You may already know the proper way to take care of your car. Remembering to take your car for maintenance repairs is extremely beneficial to your car. Other than crashing our cars, there are everyday things that we may do that will damage our cars.

Here are just a few common things that we do that ruin our cars:

Parking brakes – Not many of us use our parking brakes. We should remember that parking brakes are very valuable. When we park on an incline without using our parking brakes, we’re actually putting all of the stress on the transmission. When a parking brake is used, it locks the non drive wheels as well as the drive wheels and takes the stress off the transmission adding years to the life span of your cars transmission.

Brakes – When driving down a hill, you should not keep your foot on the brakes. Riding your brakes down a hill will wear out your brake pads quickly. This can also cause problems with your tires if you’re constantly riding your brakes down the hill the entire time.

Engine – 50% of all engine wear occurs in the first few seconds after you start your car. Revving your engine when you start up the car does damage. It takes more time to warm up the engine when your car is sitting idle so you should drive your car gently for the first five minutes until your car is warmed up.

Shifting – We’re usually in a rush and most of us make this mistake but we need to try having our car come to a complete stop before we shift gears. This adds months of wear to your transmission in just seconds. Not only does it damage your transmission but can also damage your drive shafts which the thing that sends power to your wheels. After a while, it will also affect your suspension handling.

Oil – Changing your oil every 5 thousand miles or when your owner’s manual suggests is important. Doing this will increase your cars performance and may double the life span of your car.

There are many things we do every day without realization that can affect our cars performance and life span. 

Prudent Video: How to take care of your brakes

Remembering the above simple things will help. There are also many other things that will help even if it’s minimal. Things like not ignoring your cars sounds, turning off your radio, wipers and temperature controls will all make a difference.

For more valuable tips and information, please visit www.facebook.com/prudentvaluecars