Pent-up demand and unforeseen circumstances along with a desire to make a change for various reasons, has warmed the auto buying marketplace.

At the same time, WOMEN are cautiously approaching the car buying mode, having held onto their clunkers and junkers to the point of $ ZERO dollar return.

ZERO DOLLAR RETURN- CAR VALUE-TRADE-IN

What do I mean by this? 

The cost of repairing the car for the 1st, 3rd or 10th time, is exceeding the total value of the vehicle to you, the owner, as compared with a monthly payment on a NEWER car.  $500, $1000, $300 at a time is still a monthly payment when spread out over the life of these repairs against the car as a whole. If you have or need to spend several hundred dollars every month or so, on a car that is six years old or older, you are WASTING YOUR MONEY. The car is telling you, it’s getting older, parts are failing and MORE EXPENSE is coming.

This is a great video done by two knowledgeable carwomen about trade-in valuations from the dealership side. You’ve read or heard me say it before, so check this out…

CAR BUYING Women Tips and Tricks continued…

Dress for Success, BUYING: New vs. Used, Leasing :New vs. Used, DRESS for SUCCESS-YOUR CAR CHOICE  and more to come…

cforms contact form by delicious:days

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If you are looking to score a 0% deal on a new car or low 1.9% financing on a certified pre-owned used car, the CyberMonday car deals are plentiful if you know where to look andwhich dealer to deal with.

Dealer Website Reflect Inventory Car Deals

Skip the cars.com and autotrader.com websites and go directly to the dealer websites where below Kelley Blue Book and dealer invoice pricing is on markdown car dealer mode. 

The dealership websites are typically more up-to-date with inventory adds and deletes, where nationally aggregated menu car sites are not cleared of sold units quickly enough, leaving you to call or guess if the car you want is still there. This also leaves you open to salespeople telling you it’s still available, only to be “surprised”  it just got sold when you arrive.

Among the hot CyberMonday car deals right now, for those with great credit you can choose from 0% interest on new Honda, Toyota, Nissan to 1.9% on pre-owned Porsche.  Also watch for lease deals with nothing down, but be prepared for limited selection in the most popular models: Corolla, Civic,Camry,Soul, Altima, Accord and Sentra.

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If you have questions about where the deals are in your neighborhood, make or model, contact sarah lee aka:Mycarlady where car buying advice is free.

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Sarah Lee Marks is MyCarlady. She has over 22+ years of experience.
She writes about cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects.
MyCarlady offers free car buying advice, and private, auto-related services to help you maintain your personal or commercial vehicles.
Call Sarah Lee for more information: 702-788-3868
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It seems like we just got over the end of the model year summer sales of 2011 when the new end-of-year holiday sales are pitching 2012′s.

Note some of these deals are on remaining 2011 models of which the selection may be spotty, but the 2012 version may be similarly and in some cases LESS expensive, when you know the right things to ask.*

Kelley Blue Book says…

These are the top 5 deals on the market right now, according to Kelley Blue Book, however MYCARLADY has added a few of her own for those wanting MORE from their next ride.

2011 Acura TSX
Lease for $299/month, $1,999 due at signing (last verified end date: 01/03/12)
The Acura TSX offers a mix of technology, fuel economy, performance and value that’s unmatched in the premium-brand arena.  MyCarlady currently leases a 2009 TSX and LOVES it! see my review here:  I get 27mpg combined city highway with a leadfoot. Did brakes for the first time at 31k miles. great service from my local dealer too!

2012 Kia Sorento  
Lease for $239/month, $2,999 due at signing (last verified end date: 01/03/12)
Larger, quieter and more refined throughout, this redesigned (and now American-built) Sorento boats an impressive array of standard features and an optional kid-friendly third row. Everyone who has this car loves it, especially for the price. Once you get over the lack of snob-appeal, it’s game on, smart brain rules.

2011 Chrysler 300
0%, 60-month financing (last verified end date: 11/30/11)
The Chrysler 300 is boldly styled, comfortable and a pleasure to drive — especially when equipped with the 360-horsepower, 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine, love the power hate the MPG.

2011 Toyota Prius
Lease for $349/month, $0 due at signing (last verified end date: 12/05/11)
With EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy ratings of 51/48 mpg and a zero-down, low-payment lease deal, the Toyota Prius is a great value coming and going. This is the base model, don’t expect to find any 2011′s left. The 2012 is a similar deal.

2011 Mazda MAZDA2
0%, 60-month financing (last verified end date: 11/30/11)
The MAZDA2 is a small car with a small engine, but it’s big on driving fun. Add in simple packaging and a low sticker price, and the MAZDA2 could be a worthy inclusion for anyone shopping for a fuel-efficient compact.

Black Friday LUXURY CAR deals MyCarlady likes…

MYCARLADY says… why drive the same old boring sedan or suv when you can drive a really rocking luxury ride for the same payment? How about a Porsche fro $499 a month.Pick one: Cayenne, Cayman, 911 or Boxster. the only difference is the down to get to the
payment you want. Click here for details: PORSCHE

2012 Lincoln MKZ for $399/mth with 0/0/0 as long as you can stay under 9500 miles a year. Add another $40.00 a month to get to a more reasonable 12k a year.

MORE DEALS 0% on BLACK FRIDAY

—————————— Sarah Lee Marks is MyCarlady. She has over 22+ years of experience. She writes about cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects.

 *MyCarlady offers free car buying advice, and private, auto-related services to help you maintain your personal or commercial vehicles. Call Sarah Lee for more information: 702-788-3868

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Sarah Lee Marks is MyCarlady. She has over 22+ years of experience.
She writes about cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects.
MyCarlady offers free car buying advice, and private, auto-related services to help you maintain your personal or commercial vehicles.
Call Sarah Lee for more information: 702-788-3868
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2012 Hyundai Sonata vs. Kia Optima Showdown.

First let me say that both car models: Sonata and Optima share the same frame/chassis, are built in the same plant in Georgia and employ US workers.

Hyundai and KIA offer the same 10 yr. 100k powertrain warranty, 5yr. 60k bumper to bumper and road-side assistance.

Both vehicles have similar incentives, rebates, low interest financing and availability.

LOOKS:  The Optima was designed by the former head of design and engineering at AUDI. This is how the Optima, and Sportage got their beaded headlamps. You will see a sleek refinement in both the Hyundai and KIA, however, the Optima is unique from the Forte, and the Forte is different from the Rio.

Hyundai Sonata takes it’s styling cues from the Mercedes Benz CLS550. In the Hyundai line-up, the Accent, Elantra and Sonata all look the same in different proportions. I call it the 3 Bears look. The sad part of this cookie-cutter styling approach is…  if you paid $25k for a Sonata, you don’t want someone mistaking it for the Elantra.

ENGINE: The Kia line-up introduced the new GDI engine into the 2012 KIA Soul and Optima. A remarkable power-plant that offers 26 city and 34 highway fuel economy. That’s AMAZING in such a big car, in a 4cyl, without a Turbo. Although they do offer a TURBO in the Optima, which is extremely quick, sacrificing a few MPG’s to get you there faster.

SERVICE:  In Las Vegas there are 3 KIA dealerships owned by different companies and 3 Hyundai dealers owned by 2 companies. Read the Google, Yelp, Dealerrater reviews before venturing into some of the dealerships for service. This can be the one item that sways you from buying a KIA or Hyundai.  I say, you only deal with the salesperson once, but the service department for years to come, so make sure they have a good reputation.

Feel free to comment…
Sarah Lee Marks is MyCarlady. She has over 22+ years of experience.
She writes about cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects.
MyCarlady offers free car buying advice, and private, auto-related services to help you maintain your personal or commercial vehicles.
Call Sarah Lee for more information: 702-788-3868
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Comparing my first date with the original 2010 Soul, which I found noisy, a bit under-powered and the duo-colored light show novel, the latest version is all that and more.

SOUL offers more features for low price against Scion XB, XD and Nissan CUBE.

The new GDI engine gives the Soul more torque, responsiveness and fuel economy when matched with the CVT transmission. Think 28 city and 38 highway on one tank. When doing 70 on the highway… it feels solid, doesn’t get pushed around by the draft of the tractor-trailers and additional insulation keeps the wind and road noise out.

This is NOT your Grandma’s Camry.

You have to love the look.  There are plenty of reasons to buy this car, including an attractive lease program for qualified parties. In this car there is no age limit as dealers note buyers range from 20 to 70, male and female. 

 The UVO media center and upgraded surround sound package with multiple colored lights, voice-command phonebook and music selection is attracting young people while the increased visability, higher seating position, ample leg room and safety features attract their parents and grand-parents.

KIA and sister Hyundai have set the standard for warranty, “put your money where your mouth is”, to the auto industry and none have matched or sustained a similar offer for long. 5 yr./50k transferrable and 10 yr or 100k on the powertrain resolve any concern the buyer has in buying a Korean brand.

For under $20k you won’t find much with all these features, warranty and attention.

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Sarah Lee Marks is MyCarlady. She has over 22+ years of experience.
She writes about cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects.
MyCarlady offers free car buying advice, and private, auto-related services to help you maintain your personal or commercial vehicles.
Call Sarah Lee for more information: 702-788-3868