NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle Loves His Ford Lightning

Today are the trials leading up to this Sunday's Pepsi 500 at the Auto Club Speedway in what I fondly call Fontucky, aka, Fontana, California. Between practice loops, I managed to grab Greg Biffle and talk with him about his loyal fans and if he thinks that they are also loyal Ford owners because of him. He said that he thinks that because NASCAR fans are some of the most loyal fans out there that the ones that cheer him on do tend to be Ford owners.

I then asked him what his favorite car to drive and was completely surprised by his answer: he loves to drive his Ford Lightning more than anything else. I love this guy! He thinks that the Special Vehicle Team designed sporty performance version of the F-150 pick up is his favorite drive.

The Lightning was featured as Brian O'Connor's ride in The Fast and The Furious and was also in the video game NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup. It has a supercharged Triton V8 and can haul butt and a boat at the same time.

These powerhouses were only made from 1999 to 2004 and like the rest of the F-150 family, maintain their value pretty darn well. A 2004 model with 60,000 miles on it can be had from $16-18,000.00. Not a bad price at all considering what you are getting!

More to come from Fontucky later!

Michelle Naranjo

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Hauling A Family: In Defense of the Minivan

I recently received a phone call from an old friend. He's expecting his third child in a about a month and is faced with the need to upgrade his car. For at least the next year, he'll have three kids in boosters or infant seats at the same time and these simply won't fit in his Honda Accord sedan or his old Saturn LW300. In other words, he needs a car capable of seating 6 or 7 people to allow for the width of those infant seats. A few years ago he may have just run out and bought a used SUV or a minivan, but he's concerned about purchase cost, fuel cost, and drivevability. Neither he or his wife want to drive a really big vehicle that handles poorly and is a bear to park. What to do?

My wife and I have a Mazda5, which is essentially a miniature minivan with seating for 6 in three rows but compact and light since it's based on the platform of the Mazda3. However, while it works great for us (one child) I counseled my friend to check one out in person and to bring his big double stroller to see if it will fit with one of the rearmost seats unfolded. I like the car because of its flexible seating, reasonable price, and ease of use, but I wasn't sure that the fuel-economy trade-off between it and a larger minivan would be worth the relative lack of overall space for someone with 3 kids.

I started to wonder what the real mileage difference was between popular "crossover" SUVs, hybrid SUVs, and minivans. I picked some similarly equipped models to represent 3-row seating options from mid-sized SUVs, large cross-over SUVs, minivan, and a compact minivan. Here are some basic stats, thanks to Edmunds.com








First, I was somewhat surprised to see how large "mini" vans have become. The Odyssey is perhaps the standard bearer for the class and it weighs more than 4300 lbs. Then again, it makes efficient use of that bulk in terms of interior space. Fuel economy is about the same as the Toyota Highlander, a midsized crossover (albeit with AWD in this configuration). Though, that Highlander costs nearly $10,000 more (MSRP) than a mid-level Odyssey. The Odyssey's fuel economy is also nearly the same as the large Saturn Outlook SUV. The fuel-economy benefits of the Highlander SUV are quickly overshadowed by the huge cost of entry ($15k more than the Odyssey will buy a lot of gas).

While minivans suffer from an image problem, these days I might be tempted to argue that SUVs are suffering more. Despite the weight and poor fuel economy being nearly the same, I hear few people describing Odyssey drivers as wasteful. Perhaps it's because people buy these for very practical reasons: ease of entry and kid-loading duties through sliding doors, low lift-over height for the cargo hold, huge storage space... surely a rational decision for a family of 5. Our Mazda5 is a wonderful vehicle that is in a niche of its own here in the U.S. (The Kia Rondo is the only slightly similar configuration available), but once those rearmost seats are up it could become difficult to load all of the detritus that comes with hauling around a 6-year old, a toddler, and a newborn. For large families who don't need four-wheel drive (most people most of the time) a minivan seems to offer the best balance of functionality, cost, and fuel economy.


Steve Haas

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Tips on Donating a Car to a Charity or Giving Cold Cash

There were some pretty nice car sales to benefit charity in this year's Pebble Beach auctions but unlike with the least expensive car donated selling for over $50,000, they are not the run of the mill type of auction. For the rest of us who have cars that we no longer use, need or want, changes in charitable donations have been tightened up quite a bit in the last couple of years and if you are considering donating a car to benefit your favorite non-profit, there are a few things that you may want to consider.

If the car being donated is valued at more than $5000 then an appraisal needs to be done by a qualified appraiser no more than 60 days before your tax deadline (including any extensions). Whether the car is worth more than $5000 or less, the charity will provide you with the amount that the car sold for and that can be itemized on your Schedule A of your From 1040. It is important to remember that deductions cannot be more than 50% of your adjusted gross income. In the case of the Corvette Z1 that was recently sold at RM Auctions in Pebble Beach to benefit GRACE Charity, the sellers/donors would, in theory, be able to deduct the appraised fair market value (FMV), in this case the MSRP, of $118,000 while the buyer was able to deduct the amount that they bid over FMV (the high bid was $151,252.oo) minus the buyer's premium which was paid to RM Auctions except in this case the sellers had stipulated that only the amount over the MSRP would be donated to GRACE and therefore the only portion which was deductible.

If the amount if the car exceeds $500 then Section A of Form 8283 must also be completed and you must have a written acknowledgment from the charitable association on or before your taxes are due. Publication 526 on the IRS website has the qualifications for charitable organizations. Once the charity sells the car they have 2 years to notify the IRS of the sale and provide you with a copy of the form it sends to the IRS notifying them of the sale and the amount that it sold for.

Because they have 2 years however, it is often easier for you to sell your car yourself and donate cash to the charity directly. Your charity will often benefit more by making a donation this way because in most cases charities use third party services to sell the car on their behalf at wholesale auctions where the deductible amount can end up being less than FMV. Selling a car private party will bring more money and establishes a documented FMV while your charity gets more money and you get to deduct more.

For more information, always talk to your accountant before you decide to take the charitable plunge and make sure that you do all of the steps correctly. It will be worthwhile for everyone!

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How a Killer Listing Will Help You Sell Your Car

Back in June, GM announced that its 60,000 certified used vehicles from 3,900 dealers will be listed on eBay Motors. This is great news for buyers looking for pre-owned cars, a market that expanded just as quickly as the price of gas. It's one more source to look to for used cars. To sellers, it's another place to list their car, especially with eBay proclaiming they are waiving all up front fees for listings. What does this mean to you, the used car seller? A little more competition.

You, a car salesman
Anyone who has sold a used car knows it's tough. The car your selling is stacked up against many others, hoping to catch a buyer's eye and put some cash in your pocket. Listing your car online now is the norm. Today, whether buying new or used, the first place people turn is the internet. They research the cars they're interested in, find out what they can expect to pay and, of course, search for what's available. They do it from the comfort of their home, without having to drive from lot to lot, searching for a car.

Great listings sell cars
This brings us to one of the most significant aspects of selling a used car. The importance of a great listing. A nice way to start is by being honest and letting your potential buyer know who you are, how you've driven the car and if you've taken care of it. Full disclosure makes a buyer more comfortable. Be up front with them and they'll appreciate you as a reputable seller. And be more prone to buy.

List all of the details about the car, including mileage, condition, services you've completed, service it needs, and any modifications you've made. Does any one of these help the value of your car? When it comes to used cars, think mileage. The fewer the miles on your car, the more it's worth. That's why the Kelley Blue Book is the reference of choice for determining a car's value while Mota's Price My Car can give you accurate pricing because it is based on actual online sales results.

The car's condition plays a role as well. You will be able to ask more for the car if the body is damage free and the tires in excellent condition. Beyond that, you'll gain extra points with your buyer if you can prove a regular maintenance program with shop receipts.

Take the time to clean your car too, maybe even spring for a detail. Photos of a spotless car will do a better job of showing off its condition.

And finally, modifications. Quite simply, any changes you make beyond stock won't do much. Plus, not all buyers will agree with your taste in car "improvements."

These are just some simple tips to help you get your car noticed. As long as your car has relatively low mileage and is in good condition, you should be able to find a buyer. Take the time to do it right and you'll be successful.

Andy Mrozinski

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Exotic Car Introductions At Pebble Beach 2008

Amidst the classics at the Monterey Weekend, manufacturers often display some new prototypes and models aimed at "lifestyle" audience of Pebble Beach. This year, visitors could take a look at some Tesla roadsters at Concorso Italiano. At Pebble Beach, could check out the new (and impressive) Hyundai Genesis sedan and coupe, the whole lineup of new Porsche models alongside the first-ever Porsche model, the Cadillac CTS wagon, and others.

Gooding and Company, which has rapidly become the premiere auction during the weekend thanks to David Gooding's apparent eye for detail, wasn't left out of the loop. At an invitation-only preview reception on Friday night, the designers at Pinninfarina introduced their new Rolls Royce Drophead-based Hyperion. Though somewhat dulled by the recent and untimely death of Andrea Pinninfarina, the introduction of this vehicle wowed the well-healed crowd.

Personally, I don't think it's Pinninfarina's best work... what with a room filled with classic Ferraris, Lancias and even a mint Nash-Healey all bodied by the famed Carrozzeri to remind us why Italian designers are held in such high regard. The ungainly Hyperion was more a tribute to unbridled conspicuous consumption than to Italian style. Even though it looked like an enormous BMW Z4 with Rolls Grille tacked on the front, it probably is as good as it gets when starting with the bones of the new Rolls Royce Phantom and Drophead which are just aweful to look at. And I'm not just saying this because I can't afford one, almost nobody can, their styling is effective at giving a big "FU" to the peons in S-Class Mercedes but not in demonstrating Rolls Royce's historic elegance. Some nice photos of the Hyperion can be found here . I couldn't get a clear shot of the car due to the crowd around the stage.

Going a step further, the folks at Bugatti joined the classics on sale at the Gooding and Company auction by offering chassis #1 of the new targa-topped Veyron 16.4 "Grand Sport." High bidder was also invited to join the folks at the factory to help build their car and, I assume, choose the details of their new supercar... perhaps paint color to match their better-half's eyes or interior upholstered in the skins of the exotic species of their choice? While accomodations near the factory were provided, transportation to the location was not... likely assuming that the buyer could provide his or her own plane anyway. Once again, the Veyron shows that money and taste aren't necessarily linked but the car does the job of grabbing attention even if one isn't attaining the reported top speed of 253 mph (with the hard top on).

The final bid on the car was $3,190,000, just slightly lower than the price realized by the fantastic 250 GT LWB California Spider that crossed the block shortly before it. Single-digit fuel economy be damned, if you can afford the car you don't need to worry about the price of fuel. It was a heady atmosphere, what with the finish of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance a few hours earlier and a bidding crowd obviously insulated from the effects of the econonomic downturn.

This was my 14th visit to Pebble Beach and I continue to believe that it's a pilgrimage every car nut must make at least once in his life. It's expensive and crowded (how about $350/night for a room at the Travelodge in Monterey over the weekend, ouch) but nowhere else can one see such an exquisite collection of classic iron... and that's just in the parking lot of Concorso Italiniano or parked on the side of Ocean Avenue in Carmel.

Steve Haas

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Tricking Your Car Out: Aftermarket Accessories To Make Your Car Rock!

As we spend less and less time at home and in the office, and more time trying to do, well...anything more enjoyable than work - we've developed a wonderful love affair with outfitting our vehicles with the best car gadgets possible.

Shiny things, loud stuff and stuff that beeps and talks. Whatever it is, we are determined to transform our cars and trucks into mini-roving Circuit City stores...

Plenty of products exist, between the manufacturers and the after-market suppliers, to make your new or used car the object of your affection - and the object of another's jealousy.

Here's my list of the top gadgets for your vehicle. Be careful. You'll want the items that you don't already own. Christmas isn't too far off though...

• Sirius/XM Radio - ~$30/mo.
• Sirius Satellite TV - $300 + monthly subscriptions
• Garmin Nuvi Navigation System - $1000
• Maestro Elite Navigation System-$1300
• Microsoft's Synch Connectivity System - $400 + monthly subscriptions
• Azentek In-Dash Intel Duo Core PC System - $2800 [personal fav]
• BlueLife Bluetooth Receiver = $30
• FLIR PathfindIR - $6000
• Cradlepoint EVDO WiFi [Using Verizon EVDO express cards] - $600
• MTX Audio Jackhammer Sub-woofer - $7500 & 370lbs.
• 6inch rear-view mirror, LCD monitor - $600+
• Solar Powered Tire Pressure Gauge - $15
• Wireless GSM Car Alarm w/Car Position Location Ability - $345
• Wide Angle, Rear View Color Camera, - $40
• 5 Light LED Battery Tester - $15
• Parametric Equalizer - W/USB + MP3 + iPod Compatibility - $60
• Power Inverter - Instant 300W AC Power
• Professional Grade OBD-II + EOBD Code Reader + Scanner - $80
• XBOX 360 Gaming System - $300

That should be enough to wet your appetite and on the road enjoying your ride. Be sure to get yourself a complete insurance plan as well. Enjoy the ride...

Eric Miltsch

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Infiniti FX50 and the Ferrari 275 GTB/4: New, Old and In Between

It is always fascinating to exit the world of the regular "Joe" and "Jill" car consumer who I am most often speaking to and speaking with about their car options, choices, dreams and lessons learned. This last week I ventured into the world of the real car collectors~ the people who can and do spend millions of dollars restoring and buying great examples of design. These are the people you see on TV at the car shows who inspire the young and old alike to hope that their own restoral of their dreams will be worth a fortune one day.

What most of us Joes and Jills miss is that the collector car culture is centered around rare examples of design, most often European based to date, (but I will argue that will change in the next several years) and the restorations often cost more in labor and love than any auction hammer will bring. What countless wanna-be collectors do not understand is that garage or back yard full of common, vintage VW Bugs does not an investment make. (Apologies in advance to all who have the heart to want to preserve those Buggers!)

Point of all of this is a moment had while at Pebble Beach in the Gooding Auction Preview. I was sent to the week's events in an Infiniti FX50-S ( a superb car that was perfect design at conception about 4 years ago) that was so kitted out, that car told me when I needed another Diet Coke. Apparently the version that I was given for the test week drive was a pre-production version with tucked leather seats, all the electro-gadgets anyone could ever want and all encased this gorgeous orange/gold/copper/new baby born poo color that reminded me of the cars of my 70's childhood. Okay- maybe that color was on LowRiders but here is where this story gets a little convoluted for a minute so please, I ask your patience!

The LowRiders of the 70's used a lot of bright gold/copper on the bodies of their work because that was a luxury color in the 50's and even into the 60's- the era that inspired the makes, models and years of their dreams. I am used to seeing that color on American makes of that era but what surprised me was seeing a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 (sorry, reg required 'til I get permission to use that photo but the catalog is worth it) in the main tent at the Gooding Auction. How retro of Infiniti is that to use the same Nocciola (Technically that is Ferrari Italian for copper/gold)?

The Ferrari is an incredible bit of design. I see the early Datsun Z, Volvo P1800ES, some Lancia's (many of these designs were "informing" one another at the time) but looking at the images, I also see that the Ferrari is the Infiniti FX50 gone done and crossed over. From just the snorkels on the side (probably breathers on the Infiniti and proper snorkels on the Ferrari), the shape of the encased headlamps and the lamp wells, you see that like most movies at the cineplex, not much is not being re-purposed or re-used from vintage eras.

So while the Infiniti got a lot of comments about sexy design that I thought a bit crazy at first, I get it now. Most cars are informed by other designers and other eras. Heck- a lot of the designers at Kia moved there from one of the big Japanese companies which is why Kia got all pretty one year!

I would offer up this challenge to anyone who loves car design: check out the used cars anywhere and show me one that isn't somehow derived from a great idea by another designer or manufacturer.

Oh- and the sticker on the Infiniti FX50 is a lot less than the $1.3-1.6 million dollar estimate on that '67 Ferrari. And, I am betting that the Ferrari would blow the doors off the V8 Infiniti. Just sayin'.

Michelle Naranjo

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Electric Porsche: A Classic Gone Green

Check out a great eBay listing: eBay Listing

Electric vehicle conversions have been around for a long time but I can't recall ever seeing one of a clean low mileage narrow-bodied Porsche 911. This 1973 911T appears to be a long-abandoned project, the owner claiming he undertook the adventure after his car failed to pass a smog check. Of interest for those attempting their own conversion is his link to his project details. It's an interesting read in its own right.

As he realizes now, perhaps a Porsche 911 isn't the best candidate for an electric conversion. There is probably a reason that cars like VW Rabbits tend to be popular for projects like this. Besides being cheap to buy those square lines and ample storage space for batteries make them easier projects. I won't even mention the recent price trends for early Porsche 911s… with engines of course.

On the other hand, with over 30 bids from 11 unique bidders (and over 6,400 page views) in only the first couple of days of the auction, there appears to be a lot of interest in this car. It would be interesting to see if the interest is in the clean rust-free 911 body shell or in completing this environmentally conscious project? In any case, the idea of a fun sports car that runs on electricity alone has been around longer than Tesla.

Steve Haas

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News From Pebble Beach

Interesting times here at the week of Pebble Beach collector car festivities!

After a late drive up Highway 1 from Morro Bay to Big Sur where I am staying, I was reminded that on my "to write list" is an article about driving in fog and safety.

Actually, on the to write list will also be:

• An article about eBay's new pricing tool for collector cars which is a fun tool for getting actual car sale prices for collector cars. This is a very similar tool to Mota's own Price Your Car. Huh!
• Another article about Hagerty Insurance and their recent gift to McPherson College in Kansas which has the country's only auto restoration degree. They gave $1.3 million in scholarship funds!
• The Concorso Italiano and one collector/restorer I met who paid $400K for a Ferrari 250 about a year ago, restored it and expects to get $1.5 million for it soon!
• The Gooding Auction Preview (which I am going into shortly).
• The RM Auction tonight in downtown Monterrey.
• The Rolex Monterrey Historic Races tomorrow at Laguna Seca Raceway.

Steve Haas, another Mota Mouth, is also here attending events so expect a few articles from him and what he has seen.

Overall, I am listening and learning a lot about the collector car culture and have enjoyed meeting and talking to these collectors about their everyday car choices. So glad that I came other than the fact that it is foggy and freezing.

Michelle Naranjo

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Fuel Costs and How They are Affecting the American Large Family: A Case Study

As of last Friday, August 8th, fuel prices at the pump had dropped for the 22nd consecutive day. They have continued to drop but on that day, I decided to ask my busy father of 5 friend, Robert Gonzalez, from Twitter a few questions about how the price drop is affecting his family this summer.

Robert and his wife have 5 kids ranging from 3 to 12 (aww! I always wanted my own basketball team!) and they are homeschooling them all. They have a Chevy Surburban for family trips and a Pontiac Vibe for Robert to go to his job. Now granted, they don't have to shuttle 5 kids to school which saves their fuel consumption but the kids do have to do activities outside the home as part of their homeschooling compliance, eg, physical education, music lessons, etc. And, family outings cannot be done in the more fuel efficient Vibe so the Suburban gets used a lot.

Now Robert is one of those incredibly smart and quirky fellows so when his wife decided that the old family minivan wasn't sexy enough to suit their family's lifestyle image in 2006, Robert started keeping all of his gas receipts for the then new Suburban. Brace yourself! When Robert y familia bought the 'burban, gas was $2.45 a gallon and it cost a mere $55 to fill up the tank. Flash forward to now and his tank last week was $4.11 and over $130 to fill up the tank.

So you might be saying to yourself "Yeh, so we are all adapting" but for the first half of this summer, what that meant for the Gonzalezes who can go through an 18 pack of eggs at breakfast time, everything gets affected and impacted. Now instead of days when they could do a nice outing all together, they have turned to attending free events in the parks. Robert and I both noticed that these kind of events are now overcrowded because gas prices are affecting everyone and that now, there is an increase in people just going to the malls, superstores and electronics stores just for entertainment, air conditioning and time outside the house. A recent and rare trip to Fry's Electronics that I just made showed me just that: people lining up to play the Wii's, XBox 360, watch the flat screen TV and no one in line actually making purchases.

Not a conspiracy theorist at all, Robert also noted that the increase in food costs that are supposedly the result of increased gas prices are, in his opinion, are the fuel companies giving commerce a reason to raise prices that people cannot question.

A veteran of both GM and Toyota, Robert also pointed out that the cars being made today are the cars that would have been okay 4 years ago. His family is sticking with its Suburban because it is functional, supports their lifestyle and with fuel costs dropping, he is hoping that they will be able to resume normal activities that they enjoy doing together. As for his Vibe, he said that if a new car doesn't get at least 32 mpg, he wouldn't even consider replacing it.

It seems that the idea that the recent fuel crunch would cause people to change their buying and driving habits isn't as big as what was previously predicted. Although 50% of the cars sold in the US in June 2008 were 4-cylinders, the drive to keep filling the American dream for the sexy car that suits is continuing.

Michelle Naranjo

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Drive a Classic Car and Save the World?

Rising fuel prices have made Americans more interested in learning about their environmental impact. While driving a new hybrid-electric car can create a certain smug satisfaction, others are quick to point out that there is an awful lot of energy used to manufacture new cars and transport them around the world to your local dealer. Recycling household waste is good, but what about cars? The ideal low-carbon vehicle would be a fuel-efficient classic, no? Well, Dave Kinney at Cars That Matter has developed a list of fuel-sipping classic cars that is a great thought starter.

As a classic car nut, I've owned a few of these (Spitfire 1500, MGB... two of them actually, which just proves that I'm a masochist, and an older Porsche 911 which is strangely left off of this list but averaged in the mid 20's for me).

I think this list is extremely interesting and also points out just how far our cars have come over the past 30 years. While the average economy of the U.S. car fleet hasn't gone up noticeably in the past 20 years, this is more due to the bigger share of trucks and SUVs in the mix. Individual cars are more fuel efficient, faster, cleaner and more comfortable than they ever were. Case in point from this list is the aforementioned MGB. While certainly a jaunty little British sports car, that 24 mpg average (pretty good in 1965) came from a car that weighed about 1,900 lbs, produced roughly 100 hp, and lacked features like three-point seat belts not to mention airbags, crush zones, ABS brakes, air conditioning, an FM radio, and an engine that could go more than two weeks without having to check things like dashpot oil levels (there's your quiz automotive for the day). Later MGBs gained modern seat belts and probably even offered some conveniences like 8-track players and ugly padded safety dashboards but also lost about 35% of their horsepower to emissions controls. In comparison, a modern Corvette offers safety levels unimaginable in 1980, every modern convenience, and 435 hp while averaging roughly the same fuel economy as that MGB. To make the comparison even more clear, in 1977 the Corvette offered 165 hp and averaged about 12 mpg!

Of course, I would point out that while a modern compact car is likely objectively superior in every way to that classic, there is something to be said for the idea of running errands in a romantic red Alfa Romeo Spider (24 mpg according to Cars That Matter).

In the vein of used sports cars that get decent mileage, I would suggest expanding this list forward a few years. 1989 (as a 1990 model year) brought the return of the classic roadster in the form of the Mazda Miata (well, to be fair, one could still buy an Alfa Romeo Spider in the U.S. at the time, but Mazda redefined the idea with modern reliability and lower cost). A 1.6 Liter Miata (1990-1994) easily gets 28 mpg and can be found used for just a few thousand dollars in good shape. Other interesting sports cars from that era include the Honda CRX and the Toyota MR2. So, you can have fun in a car that may become a future collectible, get acceptable fuel economy, and still gloat about the fact that you are driving a recycled car.

Steve Haas

~editor's note: Steve will be at Pebble Beach this weekend in the eBay booth where he will be assisting with the charity car auctions as his role as President of the AMerican Concours Association.

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How to Buy Used and Avoid the Showroom

Tips to buying used
With the price of a gallon of gas such as it is, buying a used, economical car may now be a priority for you rather than a big screen plasma. But unless your a masochist, shopping the used car lots probably brings on a terror like no other. But what if you had a few tips to help you defeat the fear and buy like a pro? You’d probably say, “Sounds good. So, where do we start?”

Putting yourself in the driver’s seat
The primary fear to car shopping is dealing with the salesman. I’m willing to bet that you cringe at the sight of a grinning lot man, one hand extended for an overzealous hand shake, the other grasping his business card.

Your goal is to take him off his game by eliminating his advantage and making it your own. That puts you in the driver’s seat.

Advantage: You
If there’s one message that you should take from this is the importance of doing all you can off the car lot. With sites such as eBay Motors, AutoTrader and Cars.com, it’s easy to research and find used cars for sale on lots in your area. But even beyond finding the car of your dreams, negotiating a price and wrangling financing, if necessary, can be done without stepping on that grinning geeks lot.

What moves you?
Decide what type of car you want first, be it a sedan, coupe or SUV. Once you’ve done that, research online to see what’s available in your area and what the list price is at various dealers. Then compare the list price to it’s actual value with the industry standard, the Kelley Blue Book. With these numbers in hand, you’re now prepared for negotiations.

Multiple choices
Choices are good. You’ve already made the choice on what kind of car you want. Now you need to have multiple choices among dealers. Find three or four dealers that have the car you want. Contact each by email, asking if the car is still available. If so, schedule a time to look at and test drive the car.

Avoid the inside of the dealer at all costs, even if they tempt you with barbecue or beer. All you’re doing is checking the condition of the car. If you need help remembering details about the car later, take notes. Once you’re satisfied with the details, tell the dealer you’ll contact them later and walk out. Do not give them a phone number or the keys to the car you drove to the dealer. Do not enter into any negotiations at this time. Also make the salesperson aware that you do not have a trade-in. All they need to know is that you will be paying for the car in full, either with cash or a check you will receive from outside financing. The desired result is to have multiple dealers competing for your business. Hopefully, at least three of the cars you drove are worthy of your money.

Make an offer
Contact all of the dealers again via email, making an offer you determine in your mind to be fair based on your earlier research. If any of the dealers refuse to work with you in this way, strike them from your list. Wait for responses from each lot, matching their counter offer to each vehicle and its condition. If your preferred vehicle is not the lowest price, email the dealer with that car and ask if they will lower the price to at least match their competitor. Make sure any negotiated prices include all taxes, registration and dealer costs. There’s no reason to put up with surprises when all costs and fees can be finalized beforehand.

Accept and sign
Once you’ve chosen the vehicle and dealer, let them know you are prepared to come in and buy the car. But tell them you want all paperwork prepared in full and ready to sign. And be prepared yourself. Have all information the dealer is requesting ready and organized. The last thing you need is to find out you’re missing some necessary details when you were expecting to take delivery.

Success…the keys are yours
Well done. You’ve just beat the dealer at their own game. And graduated with a degree in negotiating. You can be satisfied in knowing you found the car you wanted, got it at the price you were willing to pay and avoided the grasp of a slimy salesman. Now enjoy your new ride.

Andy Mrozinski
Mota Blog Contributor
Ridestory.com

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Tesla Crunched in San Francisco: Carbon Fiber is Expensive!

Steve says:

Sadly, after likely having waited for over a year to get his new electric supercar, this unlucky San Francisco Tesla owner reportedly crashed only hours after taking delivery. While there were no reports of injuries, that carbon fiber bodywork won't be cheap to fix.

This crash actually happened right outside of my friend's apartment building in San Francisco, though he is reportedly upset that he wasn't there to gloat.

This is also only one of 8 Tesla roadsters on the road and a good test for the service department at the newly opened Tesla dealership in Menlo Park.

Michelle says:

Poor person! (We all pretty much know that the owner must be a guy but in the effort to be fair, lets stay gender neutral.) Certainly this will cause him to be the butt of a lot of jokes and I sure wouldn't want to hear it when the pocketbook is almost as pained as the ego. For example, already overheard was this comment:

Seems the lack of emissions is outweighed by the inflated egos of the people who drive them [Teslas].

Okay- I admit, I LOL-ed when I heard that.

The question I have is about insurance rates and statistics so I called my trusty State Farm friend, Jim Seilsopour and he pulled a quote on what it would cost me (as the good driver that I am) to insure a Tesla. Have to tell you- I was surprised that my quote came in at only $1200 every 6 months. I pay about $1200 a year for a '2001 Kia and a '99 BMW so, I dunno, but that sounds really cheap! Seems that the way that State Farm deals with specialty cars (high performance and/or handmade) is to lump them all together as a category. Many mainstream companies would not insure a Tesla (think AAA or Mercury) because a total loss wouldn't mean that a client with pockets that medium-deep would be insuring something else while their new car is being made and smaller agencies wouldn't either because a $110,000 loss could make the difference between a profitable year or not.

Being made of carbon fiber and only the number 6 car (yep, I am disagreeing with Steve) is also an issue for most insurers because it means that the owner will have to wait for parts from a manufacturer that already has a production backlog.

The good news is that there are now 13 Tesla's on the road with only one sadly sitting in a garage waiting for it's carbon bits and other parts to be ready. So- please be kind to this landmark Tesla owner. He gets the honor of being an early Tesla owner/investor despite being a pioneer crashing one of the most dynamic cars of our generation.

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Subaru: What Makes Them More Green Than You Would Think

Be patient with me for minute here and I am going to explain how Subaru's Travis Pastrana winning the 2008 X-Games Rally Race helps Subaru be a legit environmentally friendly auto manufacturer without having a single alternative energy car in the marketplace.

A bit ago I wrote about Travis Pastrana's film, 199 Lives in Subaru's Love Letter to Travis Pastrana and directly on the heels of his victory this week, I went to hear Tim Mahoney, VP of Subaru America's marketing division at a Motor Press Guild event. Mahoney's talk gave me a lot to think about and the one thing that really struck me was that Subaru is actually more green for three reasons (and these are my reasons, not Mahoney's):

1. Subaru's manufacturing plant in Indiana is 20 years environmentally conscious and is an industry example of how factories can co-exist with nature and communities. Among its accomplishments is that the plant recycles 99.3% of excess/leftover steel, plastic, wood, paper, glass, and other materials. The remaining 0.7% is shipped to the city of Indianapolis and incinerated to help generate steam and includes a wildlife habitat on site.
   
2. Something ridiculous like 90% of Subarus sold in the last 15 years are still on the road. It is completely normal for a Subaru to last 300,000 miles or more. And, Subaru owners are loyal: they will drive them until they can't go anymore and then get a new one meaning that over a lifetime, owners will own a minimum number of cars. That means that these are not disposable cars that increase nasty manufacturing waste.
   
3. Travis Pastrana may use a lot of fuel in his races but by endoring such a highly energetic young personality, Subaru has made a wise choice because Pastrana fans tend to be the young, outdoorsy, athletic and loyal customers that will make great converts to the Subaru way of life: manufacture clean and manufacture less.

Mahoney also mentioned that Subaru Japan will be working closely with Daihatsu in Japan on alternative energy cars but frankly, I find it refreshing to see that they are not jumping on the band wagon of throwing a hybrid or diesel engine in every model without knowing the full implications of a quick sale vs. unproven and questionable technologies.

Here is an example of 2 great used Subarus with a lot of life and pep left in them.

Michelle Naranjo

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Buying A Commuter Car & Keeping the Truck or SUV

Buying a car for commuting?

So here is a fairly common situation: You have a truck or SUV and suddenly find yourself deeply affected by the rise in gas prices… but there is little you can do. You simply may need the utility offered by your truck (you have 4 kids to take to soccer games on weekends, you tow a trailer, you’re on a first-name basis with the staff at the local Home Depot, etc.). You also have to drive to your regular job every day, which is usually done alone or with one carpool partner, but you only have the one vehicle.

You may even have been tempted enough by fuel prices to try to sell or trade-in your truck for something more efficient for your commute. But, you find that nobody is buying large trucks and the value has dropped to the point that you owe much more than it’s worth.

What about keeping your truck for the times you need it and buying something else… a dedicated car just for your commute? After all, you don’t need that big utility all of the time, do you?

I’m not talking about going out and buying a new car, I’m talking about taking advantage of the improved quality and reliability of the automotive fleet over the past decade and buying a used car. I aim to show that you can find a good used for less than the first-year of depreciation on a new Camry.

I decided to take a look online to find some recent sales which fit this criteria: A purchase price of less than $7,000 (approximately one fourth of the average purchase price of a new car), less than 100,000 miles (still a mental barrier for me), model year 2000 or newer (I like driving classic cars, but in this case let’s be pragmatic and look for a car with working air conditioning, a CD player, and modern safety equipment). I’m using eBay Motors here because it’s one of the only places to see what cars have actually sold for as opposed to dealer asking prices. As you can see, appliance cars are out there if you keep an open mind. Some of them are even fun to drive.

Some recent finds:

• A 2002 Saturn Vue with 67k miles for $6,300 Yeah, it’s an SUV, but it foregoes all-wheel drive and a thirsty V6 engine (who needs a lot of speed when you’re stuck in rush-hour traffic anyway?). The manual transmission gives you a bit more oomph and it’s certainly large enough for kid hauling duty and occasional stops at the big-box store on the way home from work.
• Red and sporty 2002 Saturn SC2 with 50k miles Leather, automatic, sunroof, plastic fantastic Saturn sports coupe for $5,100. Ah, you see a trend here… cars that lack the premium brand names but still offer reliable service are great buys used. You’re looking for an appliance, here, not something to impress your neighbors like a shiny new BMW (or a Honda, for that matter). Frankly, late model cars are almost all good and, in fact, better than even the best cars of 20 years ago. They are reliable, inexpensive to operate, and if maintained properly, if they do break it’s most often something minor like a window motor or radio.
• Hyundai XG300… never heard of it? Well, most people haven’t. It was Hyundai’s first big car and offered a ton of features. Here’s one loaded with features, less than 75k miles, and it was sold by a dealer for less than $5,800.
  
• Ford Focus… one of the most popular cars in Europe never really got the respect here in the States that it deserved, despite positive reviews from journalists. Here’s a loaded sedan, complete with leather and low miles for $4,500! Personally, I like the looks of the old Focuses (Foci?), especially the hatchbacks, better than the new model. Yeah, the new integrated iPod stuff is great, but based on my Windows Vista experience I really don’t want anything from Microsoft running my car.
  
• If you like the Focus, for a few thousand more but still under my price cap, is this rare Focus SVT… the factory hot rod sure to make your commute a bit more lively.
• Wow, $4,500 for a car with less than 30,000 miles on it. Kia Rio, just tint the windows and think how cheaply you’re driving!
• A Passat Wagon with the lively and efficient 1.8T motor with 43k miles for $6,200… Hmmm, stop me now.

My point here is that there are a variety of great fuel-efficient used cars out there that can be had for less than ¼ the price of a new car. You’ll save on depreciation, save on gas, have a much lower insurance bill than you would on a new car (and might even realize a multi-car discount on the SUV you already have). Instead of taking a $6,000 charge to get out of your SUV, keep it and find a used commuter car instead. Happy shopping.

Some more examples on Mota!

Steve Haas

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Changing the Way You Drive Increases Safety & Reduces Traffic Jams

High fuel costs are impacting us in ways that we probably never realized. It is now being reported that traffic reduced 9% nationwide between January and May of this year. That number seems pretty low to residents of larger cities and in Los Angeles, I can tell you from personal experience that journeys that used to take 1 1/2 hour will often only take 45 minutes. It is changing the way that Angelenos measure distance: we used to measure in the estimated time that it would take to travel from one spot to the next.

In Georgia, a recent report indicated that traffic deaths dropped 33% and attribute part of that drop to rising fuel costs. "Higher fuel costs lead to less miles driven." People are being pickier about reasons to jump on the road and that is increasing safety! Who'd have thunk!

This all sounds like good news to those of us on the road but there are still some practical driving tips that can also help with safety and reduce the amount of time spent on the road.

1. Maintain a safe distance. Remember that trick for staying 10 feet behind the car in front of you for every 10 miles per hour that you are driving? Keeping that rule going can reduce Shockwave traffic jams, a phenomena that is at the root of most traffic jams and many rear endings on crowded roads.
2. Reduce your speed. Trying to get somewhere more quickly than everyone around you just doesn't work and is dangerous. Speed also affects your fuel economy: every 5 mph over 60 will cost you an additional $.30 according to the EPA.
3. Motorcycles are increasing on the roads and accidents will increase if car drivers do not stay aware. Constantly checking rear and side mirrors for bikes "splitting lanes" (driving between lanes of cars) is more essential than ever. Getting caught by surprise by a bike suddenly cutting in front of you is sure to start a shockwave traffic jam.

Less traffic is always a good thing but for those times when you have to be on the road with everyone else, safety is essential.

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