USED VANS | MyCarlady.com

USED Minivan $5000
March 2, 2010 by mycarlady
Here is the steal of the day, week and maybe month. This clean, one owner Kia Sedona Minivan seats 7, has Front and REAR air, 3rd row seat and just 100k miles. Dealer serviced and ready to go, you can get a warranty on it too! CALL ME NOW: 702-521-7546

Yours from MYCARLADY only $5000.00 (plus tax and fees.)

Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com

Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS

Category: KIA, SERVICE CONTRACTS & WARRANTIES, USED CAR SPECIALS, USED VANS, WOMEN BUYERS, WOMEN DRIVERS
Tags: used SEDONA minivan

CASH 4 Junkers, Lease deals and Office Depot $1M giveaway

July 22, 2009 by My Carlady

mycarlady.com

JULY 2009

In This Issue

CARS- CASH for JUNKERS program

MODEL CLOSE-OUT LEASE DEALS

OFFICE DEPOT NETWORKING

CARS: CASH for JUNKERS

MODEL YEAR CLOSE-OUT LEASE DEALS

NETWORKING DEALS: OFFICE DEPOT

STEALSONWHEELS

C.A.R.S.- otherwise known as CASH for JUNKERS is scheduled to launch July 24th. WAIT, before you do wheelies over to the Automall, call me to make sure it actually happens. The promise is $1Billion government dollars to get those gas-hogging rustbuckets off the road. However, the dealerships and salvage yards haven’t been given certification, registration or anything resembling reimbursement procedures, as of this date. YES, I know dealers have been advertising like crazy to drive traffic to their doors. The key is if you don’t have me watching your back, the advertising can amount to a SCAM on YOU! (Read more at Mycarlady.com/blog) The real deal is you have to do your HOMEWORK first. Go to the official www.cars.gov website and READ THE RULES. Then link over to list for comparing the car you want to TRADE-in for the one you want to BUY. You must have a minimum gain of 1 gal. MPG, from old to new, depending on the classification between the two vehicles. Confused yet? ME TOO! The $4500.00 is the MAX amount allowed, but you may not qualify for even $3500.00. SNEAKY STUFF; I’ve had emails from readers reporting dealers adding the rebate to the selling price (or a portion of the rebate) and presenting the added cost as “SALES TAX”. Moral of the story. Do you homework on what you THINK you want to buy and trade, then call me and I’ll let you know when the program officially launches and what dealers are APPROVED to do the CARS program. REMEMBER: While the rules say a dealer COULD become eligible for trades taken after July 1, but before the official launch, the program also states they could be left empty-handed if the money runs out before they get paid, even if they took the cars in during the program. Finding out the status of the funding is one of those “soon to be announced” things. The dealers have to be very careful, as the potential to be floating the cost of the program waiting for an UNCLE SAM check, plus being taxed (they get taxed on the rebate as income!) could be a heavy burden in a troubled industry. Stay tuned to http://www.mycarlady.com follow me on TWITTER @mycarlady for the latest news on CASH 4 JUNKERS.
QUESTIONS: sarahlee@mycarlady.com

GREAT LEASES require research. You’ve heard me say it before. Leasing has taken a SERIOUS hit the last 18 months. Residual values plummeted with the economy and rising fuel prices. As the summer hump of car sales hits, dealers lots are picked clean for the bargains. Rebates are slim except on hard to move product. Such is the case with year-end leases. Car makers have adjusted their lease marketing to focus on very specific models in their product line. The targeted models are typically their most popular and price sensitive models, i.e.: Honda Civic $179.00mth, Nissan Altima $199.00mth, Toyota Corolla $169.00mth, Acura TL and MDX $499.00mth, Infiniti G37 $499.00. Notice these are all entry-level teasers with BIG, BIG down payments. Even Mercedes Benz is running a baby Benz for $499.00 with 5k down and 8k miles. OMG, 8k miles? The other prices are also tagged with big down payment “lease inception fees” and measly miles. What you won’t see are FORD, CHRYSLER and GM, or BMW and LEXUS jumping into the lease game. They don’t want their cars on the LEASE termination ledger after the residual bloodbath of returning SUV’s, Luxury sedans and trucks amid the gas crisis of ‘09. AS fuel costs have dropped from $4.50 highs last June, the prices are creeping back up as oil contracts are already $60.00 a barrel heading into fall. This combination has increased demand for the new 2010 PRIUS, but don’t expect any SPECIAL INCENTIVIZED LEASE programs on hybrids. WHY? Because the car companies know the hybrid/electric/alternative fuel technology is changing so fast they can’t recoup the residual in 36mos. and you need to keep the car at least 6-7 years (average driver) to see the actual $avings over a traditional 4cyl. traded in 5 years. (*this is not my argument on the environmental aspect here, we own a Civic Hybrid, this is about leasing). SO, if you have a payment in mind, call me at 702-521-7546 and I’ll give you the inside scoop on leasing the car of your dreams.

ALTERNATIVE FUEL DEALERSHIP coming to town soon. check back with me often to get the inside scoop.

NETWORKING and FREE COOL STUFF
NETWORKING: You know how I love to hook you up with great business contacts and cool stuff , … so here is my find of the MONTH! You have to hurry, it ends July 31st 2009!

OFFICE DEPOT (a WBENC supporter) is giving away $1,000,000 dollars to 500 small business owners in their ADOPT A SMALL BUSINESS; SURVIVALOFTHESMARTEST.com VIDEO contest.$1300.00 in supplies and services for 500 lucky winners. If you aren’t technologically gifted your kids, employees or significant other can make it for you, and your business still gets the dough! All you have to do is make a 2 minute video about how Office Depot saves you money in your small business. Go to this website to check it out, and if you aren’t on their Worklife REWARDS card you are missing 10% savings on your purchases, extra coupons in the mail/email AND more money-back. AND did you know they have FREE WIFI and PRICE MATCH any competitor’s coupons too! All that and they support local small business people with grants and sponsorships. SARAH LEE’S SOAPBOX: YOU KNOW I believe in putting my money where my mouth is, (and you know I have a big one , mouth that is) so I like to do my little part to support the companies that WALK the WALK! Watch for my video entry on their website: http://www.thesurvivalofthesmartest.com/

MYCARLADY “STEALSONWHEELS”

STEALS ON WHEELS: Everyone likes a great deal, especially on cars. So the youtube site: www.youtube.com/stealsonwheels.com www.youtube.com/stealsonwheels and the same named section of my website bring you great cars in video-vinettes of cars, trucks, suv’s and vans under $10K These beauties don’t last long, so if you aren’t following me on TWITTER when I blast the latest posting out there, you need to subscribe to the Youtube link or the website. Examples: 1997 Jeep Cherokee 80k miles 2wd clean only $4995.00 2002 Hyundai Tucson 38k miles only $6995.00, 2002 Nissan Xterra 23K miles, one owner, only $10995.00 (price exception for this amazing steal, sold in 1 day) I get the inside track on these and bring you the lowest price, BEFORE it ever makes the front line of the dealers lot. And REMEMBER, when MYCARLADY calls, there is no haggling, no hassling, just the straight deal, no nonsense, safety-checked and warranted! That’s the Sarah Lee, MYCARLADY.com promise!

Looking for a job? Looking for an employee? You know I know lots of people, so don’t be afraid to drop me a line at sarahlee@mycarlady.com and I’ll spread the word for you! This newsletter reaches 1500 mailboxes and then out to the www universe and beyond.

As always, thanks for your continued support. Please know from the bottom of my heart I appreciate you!

HUGS,

SARAH LEE

631 n stephanie st #283
Henderson, Nevada 89014
SARAH LEE, mycarlady headshot sarah lee .com

Category: AUTO STIMULUS BAILOUT, AUTOMOTIVE, CARS, Car rebates and incentives, DODGE, FORD, GMC, Honda, Hybrids, INFINITI, LEXUS, NISSAN, REBATES and INCENTIVES, TOYOTA, USED CAR SPECIALS, USED CARS under $10 thousand, USED CROSS-OVERS, USED SUV's, USED TRUCKS, USED VANS, WOMEN BUYERS, WOMEN DRIVERS, women car buyers
Tags: Best lease deals for 2009, Cash for junkers update, Network your business, Office Depot contest, smartest small business survival, STealsonwheels cars under $10k

SUMMER AUTO SALES showing SPARK
June 4, 2009 by My Carlady
Domestic and Foreign, New and Used, Luxury and basic transportation models are all showing signs of pent-up demand for auto dealers around the country. Sparked in part by the bankruptcy of Chrysler and GM, 1800 pending dealer closings and promises of scarce inventory on popular models, consumers have flooded dealer showrooms filled with hope of scoring a “giveaway” deal.

While rebates approach six and eight thousand dollars and interest rates hover between 0% and 5.99%, the eager car buyer is finding his trade-in severely under-valued and attractive financing options limited to those with superior [read:720 FICO] auto credit scores.

“This has been the problem for the past 18 mos.” Jim M., LV Import/Domestic dealer, laments. “The clients are UPSIDE-DOWN (owe more than it’s worth) on their car, have little cash to put down, and the banks won’t finance the negative balance , plus the taxes and fees.”

National auto auctions are seeing record numbers of cars, including many brand new ‘08 and ‘09 models, direct from targeted Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and GM dealers. Used car prices have remained stable, even with the inventory influx, as demand for used cars has outstripped new car purchases the past year. Auto loans on used cars have been cut significantly, putting pressure on consumers to put down more cash, go longer term (avg. car loan is now 72 mos./6yrs.) and pay higher interest rates for less than perfect credit.

GM and GMAC have promised to assist remaining Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge dealers with auto loan financing, yet the bankruptcy has put a halt to dealer agreements and buying. Much of the sales spurt started with Memorial Day weekend, came from buyers with lease expiration’s, cash or positive trade-in equity.

As more American’s stay closer to home this summer, sales of vans and SUV’s continue to increase. With gas prices low, consumers are not shunning four day family drive-aways to the mountains and shores.

Chrysler Town and Country, Toyota Sequoia, Nissan Armada and Honda Odyssey are best-sellers this summer season. Stow ‘n Go folks, summer selling season is upon us.

_______________________________________________________

NEED AUTO FINANCE HELP or CREDIT report repair go to

www.ecreditautoadvisor.com tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.

www.ecreditautoadvisor.com tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.

Category: AUTO LOAN FINANCE, AUTOMOTIVE, CARS, CHEVROLET, CHRYSLER, Credit Report Repair, DODGE, FUEL ECONOMY, Honda, JEEP, NISSAN, TOYOTA, USED CAR SPECIALS, USED CARS, USED CROSS-OVERS, USED SUV's, USED VANS, WOMEN BUYERS, WOMEN DRIVERS, women car buyers
Tags: 0% interest in 2009, car prices slashed, Chrysler town and country, honda odyssey, Jeep bankruptcy, Leasing, summer drive-away vacations, suv
FREE CAR BUYING Advice from MyCarlady!
March 16, 2009 by My Carlady
Las Vegas, NV– Got questions about shopping for a new or used car and don’t know who to ask. My Carlady is an impartial auto expert with 20+ years of auto industry experience.

I know the car shopping/buying process is often described as horrific, confusing, nauseating and tiresome. Currently there are over three thousand different makes, models and packages to choose from, and that’s just for 2009 new car selections. Add to the hysteria ten years worth of used cars available from new car dealerships, used car lots, rental agencies, auctions and your neighbor.  Add to this mounting pit in the bottom of your stomach the X factor. I call the X factor the tremendous number of poorly trained, disaffected, limited business skills car sales representatives tasked with helping you find the car of your dreams. Forget that the average NEW car costs $19,000.00 today.

Now I’ve been both the consumer and sales person in auto dealership’s for most of my car career.  The majority of that time I was the only woman on the show floor. In many cases I was the only certified sales representative, and most recently, the only WBENC-certified (Women Business Enterprise National Council) business owner dedicated to automotive consulting.

So it is with great humility, that I offer my services FREE of CHARGE, to help you sort through all the choices, rhetoric, web-blogs, and corporate propaganda to answer the questions you want to ask about car buying.   I, Sarah Lee: the MY CARLADY of MY CARLADY, have decided to become the ASK DAVE TAYLOR of the car business. (Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery) This section of the website I call: ASK MY CARLADY: You can ask me anything about cars. I’ll offer you advice on car buying, car prices and dealer incentives. Do you want to know about auto loans, second chance financing, 0% interest rates and your credit score? Should you buy a dealership warranties vs. certified cars? Want to know what’s the difference between used cars and pre-owned cars? Nothing, they’re the same! Should you believe manufacturer advertising? Ask MYCARLADY about car insurance, body shop repairs, manufacturers’ suggested service intervals? Do you know want to know the true difference in cost between hybrid vs. gas engines ?    Did I get a good deal? Should I buy the warranty? Should I lease or buy this car? Is the seller is charging too much? What you should do after the sale when a problem occurs? and How do you get an issue resolved between you, the dealer and the factory? I’m not a lawyer or a mechanic, but give me 24hrs and I’ll get you the answer, even if it’s a tough or complicated question. Consider me the 911 on a car deal.

Now let’s be honest, I can’t fix everything. This is an ADVICE column. I can give you suggestions, maybe offer an alternative or two, but I’m not going to mislead you into believing I’m the all-knowing Carmack (sorry if I’m dating myself). I’ll do my best to answer your emails questions as quickly as possible.

You can email your question to askmycarlady@mycarlady.com or you can Twitter me in 140 characters or less @mycarlady.

I’d really love you to follow me on Twitter (@mycarlady) so I can post the answer to your question so everyone gets the benefit of the information, but I WON’T share your name, I promise. You can also post your question as a comment on this blog and I’ll reply below.

If you know someone car shopping, please pass this along because I know many folks don’t know who to ask, or even WHAT to ask when car shopping or buying. Welcome to the beginning of what I hope will be a great addition to the My Carlady website. Free CAR Shopping+BUYING +Servicing Support from My Carlady.

Category: AUTO BODY SHOPS, AUTO REPAIR, AUTO-CAR INSURANCE, AUTOMOTIVE, Auto Finance Loan, CAR CARE, CARS, CARS I OWN, Credit repair, FUEL ECONOMY, Hybrids, LUXURY PRE-OWNED CARS, RECALLS and Buybacks, Repair, SERVICE CONTRACTS & WARRANTIES, USED CAR SPECIALS, USED CROSS-OVERS, USED SUV's, USED TRUCKS, USED VANS, WOMEN BUYERS, WOMEN DRIVERS, women car buyers
Tags: ask my car lady, car buying advice, free car buying tips, Leasing
NHTSA recalls hurt car sales.
February 23, 2009 by My Carlady
RECALLS hurt CAR sales.

American car manufacturers are not the only name plates to suffer RECALLS. 2009 newly minted models, barely six months old are already showing signs of parts and manufacturing defects.

IS the pressure on suppliers and factories showing itself in QUALITY CONTROL? Since survival of the auto industry depends on the public’s perception of value, safety and reliability, consider the buyer’s confusion when some of JD Powers’ finest show up on a recall list?

2009 Chevrolet Traverse: REAR SEAT BELTS ASSEMBLY.

2009 NISSAN FRONTIER, PATHFINDER,ARMADA: CRASH-ZONE SENSOR

2009 BMW M3: POWER TRAIN CLUTCH ASSEMPLY

2009 KIA RONDO: FUEL SYSTEM: GAS TANK

2009 DODGE RAM 3500: STEERING : LINKAGES : TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

2009 JEEP PATRIOT: POWER TRAIN : AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION : CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)

2008 SUBARU IMPREZA: ENGINE, ENGINE COOLING

2008 Lexus GS 300/350, IS 250/350 and LS 460/460L: FUEL PIPES/ SEAT BELTS

The system is much better at handling consumer safety issues, as the manufacturers’ deluge the registered owners with email, snail mail and an electronic call as soon as the problem evolves to RECALL status. However, the lack of available parts may cause the some manufacturers to hold off an “announcement” until parts suppliers have sufficient inventory available to meet the production run.

Dealers are quick to fix the issue and bend over backwards to retain the consumer’s trust, yet, they are often caught in the middle when the part is not available in a timely manner.

The real rub comes when the problem is noted in hundreds of thousands of cases, but the manufacturer and parts supplier have no idea what the problem is, or how to fix it. Is it SOFTWARE or HARDWARE failure? The 2007-2008 Dodge Cummins Diesel is a perfect example of this ongoing problem.

WHY has the Dodge/Ford diesel problem failed to capture the notice of the NHTSA for RECALL STATUS?

Well, to date no person has died from the trucks uneven performance. The trucks haven’t stalled on a train track or died in an intersection, however, the problem is causing untold millions of lost revenue, increased fuel consumption and destruction of air quality as the DPF system failure results in a larger carbon footprint than the original intention of lowering carbons into the atmosphere was allegedly going to produce.

Add to this conundrum the current state of the automotive industry, and you have to wonder if a RECALL by the NHTSA would be the final nail in the coffin of at least one Detroit automaker?

Is it a “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell” situation because the EP’s national emissions standards policies on Ultra Low Sulfur Fuel are involved?

I guess in a way, one might say the situation has in effect reduced some carbon exhaust, as more and more consumers and business owners opt out on Dodge and Ford diesel trucks in favor of GAS models. Given the average five thousand dollar upgrade cost for the diesel engine and the dismal fuel economy, why would you buy a truck with known issues, while gas is under $2.50 a gallon?

If the underlying premise was to make diesel trucks dinosaurs, this may be the starvation route.

If RECALLS are strictly for safety related issues, maybe we need another type of alert beyond the TECHNICAL BULLETINS, which are known issues the manufacturer does not have to pay to fix if out of warranty.

How about a NHTSA VEHICLE ALERT? This ALERT should be as nationally recognizable as a RECALL, addressing component failure that is NOT LIFE THREATENING but causes damage to the environment or to components that reduce the overall life expectancy of a part/vehicle. The suspect components would have to be replaced by the manufacturer at their cost and warranted by the manufacturer for more than one year.

A NHTSA backed VEHICLE ALERT might force the industry to opt for the quality control upfront, rather than the threat of a potential RECALL later. Unfortunately, in the case of the Dodge/Ford DPF issue, the factory is ordering the dealers to fix the problem with band-aids until the truck is out of warranty (read: not their cost anymore). A defective part is a defective part, and regardless of warranty, should be fixed gratis.

NHTSA has the teeth to make the manufacturers comply, but, if they chose to look the other way the consumer is stuck.

Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writers about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com

Category: AUTOMOTIVE, CARS, CHEVROLET, DODGE, FORD, GMC, JEEP, LEXUS, LUXURY PRE-OWNED CARS, RECALLS and Buybacks, TOYOTA, USED CAR SPECIALS, USED CROSS-OVERS, USED SUV's, USED TRUCKS, USED VANS, WOMEN BUYERS, WOMEN DRIVERS, women car buyers
Tags: BMW M3, Chevrolet Traverse, dodge ram 3500, Jeep Patriot, Kia Rondo, Nissan Armada, Nissan Frontier, Nissan Pathfinder, Sabaru Impreza