Cheaper, Better, Faster Mary Hunt - Baker Publishing Group

AutomobilesBuyer consideration—currentvs. new car operating costsKeeping your old car insteadof buying a new one can saveyou a lot of money over theyears. Example: A four-yearold,four-door American sedandriven fifteen thousand milesper year on average will costabout half of what a new carwill cost to operate over thatsame four-year period.Buyer consideration—insuranceCheck insurance rates beforeyou make a decision to purchasea particular car. Callyour agent with a couple ofchoices and get quotes.Buyer consideration—oldercar with low mileageOld cars with relatively lowmileage are choice buys. Agepushes the value down, but themileage is more representativeof the vehicle’s true age. Aproperly maintained car withfifty thousand miles on it islikely to have the same kickwhether it is three years old oreight. The eight-year-old car,however, will be much cheaper.Buyer consideration—safest colorsIn the market to purchasea car? Insurance actuarialssay that if you’re interestedin safety, you should drive agreenish-yellow car to avoidbeing hit accidentally by anothervehicle. The next safestcolors are cream, yellow, andwhite—in that order. Theleast-safe colors are red andblack. Light-colored, singletonecars stand out from theirsurroundings, making themeasier to see and avoid.Buyer consideration—warranties transferable?If the seller says the vehicleis still under the originalmanufacturer’s warranty orany dealer service contract,double-check that these benefitscan be transferred fromthe original owner. Take noone’s word for it—read thecontracts.13Mary Hunt, Cheaper, Better, FasterRevell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2013. Used by permission.