| When
sales fall, incentives rise -- When cars don't move off
the lot fast enough dealers and manufacturers offer bigger and better deals. But
make sure a deal's a real deal before you sign. Cut
emissions and your tax bill -- If you bought an environment
friendly car, Uncle Sam has a couple of tax breaks for you. Financing
an auto -- Be sure, every step of the way, that you know
just how much you are paying, when, how and what for! No exceptions!
It
pays to surf for auto loans online -- Looking for a no-fuss
auto loan with a rock-bottom interest rate? Hop online. How
much it will cost to own? -- The cost of a car doesn't
end with the purchase. There's fuel, maintenance, insurance and depreciation,
among other expenses you should keep in mind. The
bitter pill beneath sugarcoated financing -- What could
possibly be wrong with a zero-percent auto loan? Plenty, if you don't get a good
price on the vehicle. Leasing
an auto -- When it comes to leasing there are pluses and
minuses. What you need to know to add it up. Lease
or buy? It's purely personal -- Lease or purchase? The
right choice for you depends on your driving habits, style and emotional makeup.
Seller
or trader: Which one are you? -- It's time to get rid of
the old clunker, but which way is best: Sell it yourself or trade it in?
15
must-know auto financing terms -- Beat the dealer at the
game by speaking the same language. Hummer
tax break gets hammered -- A new business tax bill dramatically
limits a business owner's chance to write off most of the costs of big SUVs.
Get
the gap if you're upside-down -- Gap insurance is a valuable
policy to have, especially if -- for a wide variety of reasons -- you're going
to be "upside-down" in your financing. Warranty
wisdom -- What does that new car warranty cover, and is
extended warranty coverage a good investment? We take a look at how they work
and what they're worth. -- Posted:
Feb. 15, 2005 | 
Money
matters, of course -- in fact it's one of the biggest matters when buying a car.
After all, if money didn't matter buying a car would be easy. Getting the most
car for your money -- the car that you love AND can afford -- is what it's all
about. To that end, we'll show you how to find dealer and factory incentives,
how to finance your purchase, how to shop online for the best financing, how to
determine the real cost of operating each car, finding tax breaks as well as avoiding
the gap trap and the extended warranty pitfall.
