Monday, November 17, 2008

Cars Lease Twilight Style

Have you ever read Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Series? Yes, I know, it's a book loved by many teens and your daughters might have a crush on Edward Cullen too, the vampire Romeo of this story. However this post wouldn't be one of those fan post that millions of blog sites have been posting since, well, this blog is about cars and car leasing. If you want to know more about the Twilight series, just do a search in Google and you'd surely find a lot however for this post, we will get to know more about the cars they drive.

The Cullens (Vegetarian Vampires) in this book all have conspicuous cars and since car leasing is an affordable alternative than auto loan, owing these cars wouldn't be far fetched since you can certainly find the best car leasing deals online. This post aims to give you more Twilight car leasing ideas.

Bella Swan's 1953 Chevrolet Pickup truck


This is Bella's red 1953 Chevrolet Pickup truck given by her dad Charlie. This was previously owned by Billy Black, Jacob's dad. Although this baby won't run as fast as most new cars being leased out, this pickup has an irresistible rustic charm. There are a lot of car leasing companies that leases out vintage cars. Selling price of this pickup is around $US 43500; car leasing this would certainly lower down the price and break it down to affordable monthly payments.

Edward Cullen's Silver Volvo S60R

This is Edward's rather very infamous silver Volvo S60R. Edward has used this car from book 1 to book 3 as he saved the not-so-ordinary damsel in distress, Bella. The good thing about this car is the subtlety tough look, the brakes, good performance, grip, interior comfort, safety, build quality and it's attention to details. It has a monthly car lease payment of £530.67 if you made an initial payment of £1,592.01

Rosalie's BMW M3 convertible

Edward called this car conspicuous and you can certainly see why. The car lease starts around £984 per month depending on the car leasing company.

Carlisle's Mercedes S55 AMG Sedan


This car is used by Dr. Carlisle whenever he goes to work. Opting to car lease this elegant looking sedan would usually cost around $2,248.00.

Emett's Jeep Wrangler



Depending on the year model and the lease term, you can get the best car lease term for this jeep at a starting price of $ 295.

Edward’s “special occasion” car, the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish.

This car is not only featured in the Twilight series but it has also been featured as the official James Bond Car in Die Another Day movie. This car is among the priciest car all over the world, car leasing this would roughly cost around £2,892 each month.

Alice Porsche 911 Turbo


This is the car Edward used to bribe Alice, his sister. The Cullens are quite noted for their expensive and fast cars. The car lease price for this car is $ 2375 - 2365 per month.

Bella’s Mercedes S600 Guard



This is Bella's pre-wedding gift from Edward. Even with the sleek design, this is actually an armored car. This car is fitted with run-flat tyres so it can remain drivable even when the wheels have been punctured. It also offers an unsurpassed level of protection against terrorist attacks and the threat of violent crime.How about that? There is no car lease price available for this car as of now. For the readers of this blog, if ever you find the car lease price, please leave me a comment and I'll update this post.

Bella's Post Wedding Gift from Edward Ferrari F43o


The F430 is the 360 Modena's replacement, but on a combative level it's designed to take on the universally acclaimed Lamborghini Gallardo, grind it into the ground and then turn up its nose as it races off into the distance in a puff of tyre smoke. The monthly car lease payments you'd make would cost around $3,326.25

How do you find the Cullen's taste in cars?

Monday, November 10, 2008

End of the Lease Terms to Note

In this trying times, many are opting to lease their next car instead of buying one since monthly payments are lower compared to a car loan. It also removes a car owner's worry of what the resale value would be when the need of reselling the old unit comes.

Car leasing was accounted nearly 27% of all newly acquired car for the year 2007. To make car leasing even all more tempting, the average monthly lease payment has dropped 44 % in the past five years. However most of us simply pay too much when it's time to finally return the car.

For this post, we will note Important End of the Lease Terms so that you in the long run can maximize the savings you got on your car lease.

Excess Wear and Tear

Most leases make you responsible for the damages of the vehicle at the end of the term. Some lease contracts are reasonable enough to list what is considered over the normal wear and tear while there are some contracts that gives the lessor the right to identify what damages are beyond reasonable. Be sure to be fully aware of this, since your car is obviously going to depreciate over time. Note when can a wear and tear be considered excessive. Of course, when you decide to buy the car, you will spare yourself with these charges.

Excess Mileage Charges

Most lease contracts states the certain allowable number of miles for you to drive the car.Before jumping on that enticing car lease, it is advisable to have an approximate estimation of your car usage. You see, whenever you exceed the allowable mileage, you are usually charged for the excess when you return the car. You however won't be charge for this when you decide to buy the car.

Disposition and Purchase Option Fees:

When you return the car, most leases will require from you a fee to cover the cost of reselling the car. Such is called, Disposition Fee.

However when you do decide to purchase the car, you are charged a purchase option fee, instead, to cover the costs for paper works and such.

Most lease contracts will give you the alternative to buy the car at the end of the lease term for an agreed price. The price of the vehicle is either stated on the contract or the contract specifies the method to use in determining the total amount chargeable to you.


Every contract is different, so it is advisable that you read and understand your rights and obligations carefully.

Source:
http://www.consumerreports.org/
http://www.carleasinguk.com/

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Removing That Pest of a Car Smell

Cars have so much demands for maintenance that even men of hard labor would waver, doubting of owning one. From the car’s wheels, windshield, up to the minutest elements you see on the car’s carpet, this needs a lot of looking after, baby-sitting, you may say so.
There’s one culprit that women drivers may find more disgusting than men do, especially if they’re the rugged-looking, ranger-type guys. This nightmare goes by the name “smell.” Most cars need more tidying up every day; the car’s interior usually falls victim to drink spills, coffee marks, even lipstick marks; it’s also the most littered part of the car, more than the trunk. Hence, when you say there’s a bad smell, more often than not it’s not the cow dung outside the window, especially if it’s closed; it’s from that old brown paper bag right under your seat. And most probably that’s a two-week-old sandwich that you just forgot to throw. Sounds familiar, right?
So top advice to lose that nostril-tingling smell inside your car is, clean up, throw out, and wipe up. Rinse if need be. You can simply grab all plastic bags, paper bags, unnecessary items from inside the car out. Next is to vacuum the carpets, car seats, and any mats found in the car. When this is done, you can make use of a soft-smelling air freshener to give out a healthy and clean car environment. Another thing to contend with in the car’s interior is the stains, more particularly the removing aspect of it. If it entails you to be on all fours wiping off the stain on the carpet with a stain remover for upholstery, you need to do that. If this is done and all windows are rolled down for fresh air to come in and still the smell persists, then get your car detailed by a professional mechanic. They will be cleaning your car from inside out and leave it spic-and-span and smelling good too.
Removing a funny smell from a car is not fun at all, nor is it easy; but someone’s got to do it.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Minimum Reqs for a Car Loan

When it’s about cars, the loop has grown too narrow. It seems for the many years you get to spend time reading car blogs and articles and keep track of trends, you run out of anything to learn. Luckily, this article stumbled right in front; most first timers in auto loans ask questions about the requirements for an auto loan or simply put: “How can I make a loan?”
Here is a list of minimum requirements, which means by the way that it’s generic; and it should not connote that a maximum requirement exists also.
You should be 18 years old. If not, your qualifier should be. Residential longevity is the last two locations you get to stay for more than 6 months. Your income should be at least $2,000 a month or $24,000 a year. Employment should be last 2 employers for more than 6 months. You should have no bankruptcies and must have a valid social security number.
There are also vehicle requirements. Mileage for one should be less than 100,000. It should not be older than 6 years old; you can’t bring in an old cranky granny of a car. Financing or refinancing should be more than $7,500. If there’s any concern you want to raise regarding the requirements, example you want to maximize it, then it won’t hurt to ring them up and ask.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Saying No to Car Alarms

The quote "blessing in disguise" sometimes can go otherwise: "it's doom clothed as boon." It's the big bad wolf dressed as Little Red Riding Hood's granny.

This holds true for our long-time security partner--the car alarm. Recently, New York City council members proposed several bills restricting car alarm systems in the city. The reason behind: noise and the annoyance that it causes.

It was in 2002 when Liu's Car Alarm bill was introduced, banning the selling and installation of car alarms that drown out the city. Moskowitz's bill was also introduced in April 2002, proposing that NYC citizens can report annoying alarms to the police. A warning letter then will be sent to the car alarm's owner, the bill stipulated further.

Contrary to what has been perceived for a long time, car alarms are not much help in preventing car break-ins and theft. This has been proven with many studies done by insurance companies. It's concluded that burglars and criminals steal cars regardless if they have car alarms or not.

Having considered this as bare truth, it remains that a "camouflage" or simply not standing out from the rest is an effective stand-alone way to avoid car theft.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Cheap Car Sources Available

I know you want this. And you need this too. So here are the best sources for cheap cars.

Public Car Auctions: This is an excellent source of cars below their trade-in value. Another added point here is that anyone can go for free. Many of these cars are bank repos and government- or police-seized cars. Most of them are high-mileage cars with repair needs. The challenge, on this source, however, is to locate a local auction as well as finding the right car you have in mind.

Car Brokers: Most of us deal with dealer-only auctions. But there are also car brokers like us; the only drawback is that they put a small mark-up on the car. But the best thing about it is that the broker does the dirty job.

Cars Sold by Owners: You can look in newspaper classified ads and web sites for private car sellers. They can't give higher rates than what the dealers give since there are no extra services provided.

Whichever source you would like to look into, there's only one thing you should have in mind and that is to be an informed and smart-ass buyer. You have to equip yourself with the following information: get that CarFax information and check the vehicle history report and always have the car checked by a mechanic before purchasing it.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

More Tricks: Lease Dealers on the Loose!

They say ignorance of the law is not an excuse for conviction. The same principle is best applied by lease dealers on their prospective customers. On the following paragraphs, we will be showcasing the varied ways dealers do a work-around customers’ limited knowledge of car leasing to close a deal at their best advantage.

Trick number 1 is that car leasing is always cheaper compared to buying. This is actually negated by the fact that there are a lot of hidden charges that are not calculated when you are given the amount for the monthly payments. In a setup wherein you can lease at the lowest price you can pay monthly for an extended time. Hence, in this case you will be gaining more mileage and higher fees for the wear and tear of your car.

Ten to twenty cents per mile is the usual charge for an extra mile exceeding the total amount agreed upon on the contract. So be cautious of the car leasing deal you’re choosing; don’t get blinded by the low monthly payment; learn to find the catch.

Trick number 2 is giving you inaccurate interest-rate information. Bear in mind that the right calculation is that of the money factor multiplied by 24. It makes a big difference, right? So when you plan on leasing a car, do the math yourself.

The third trick has something to do with early termination. They say it’s easy for you to just walk away from a lease if you have a sudden car change in the middle of the contract. The truth is most car leasing companies have ceiling-high penalties for early termination of contract or that you may pay for the remaining years you are under the contract. All these are usually stipulated in your contract. So before signing it, read everything, especially the minute details stated there. Usually, there are critical information written in fine print on the contract, which you should be more cautious of, because they are usually about extra charges to be incurred under contract.

Another trick dealers use for customers is the notion that rebates and price discounts don’t apply to car leasing. On the contrary, car leasing price is always based on discounts, negotiations, and rebates. This means you should always know your rights too.

Some dealers might also sell you items and deem them required. For whatever it is, always refer to the signed contract.

All these among many others that might soon sprout as the car leasing game continues are just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot more that sometimes only experience can tell. The best option would be to look for a person with a good experience in car leasing and learn from him. That’s the way it is to win the game!