Jim Meyer's dfwCARFINDER.com Blog

Forget Toyota, Buy a Used Honda in Dallas

2010-02-28T15:59:00.003-06:00

Toyota is having more than its share of problems lately; many are now afraid of buying a used Toyota automobile. It's all over the news. It's not a good automotive trend.

If you are carbuying, now is a great time to consider the purchase of a used Honda in Dallas. Civic, Accord and a host of other models are available.

Please see a detailed article about your options at ezcarownership.

When you're ready to make a purchase, please check us out at dfwcarfinder, a used car dealer.

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Used Infiniti G35: A Great Used Car for Enthusiasts

2010-02-21T20:27:00.004-06:00

If you're carbuying and looking for a great luxury sport sedan or coupe automobile, you should consider the used Infiniti G35. Automotive trends show that this used car competes well with other sport sedans in this class such as the used BMW 3 series. Please check out this great detailed article at ezcarbuying.net.

When you are ready to purchase a used infiniti in Plano or a used infiniti in Dallas, please check us out at dfwcarfinder.com, a Plano used cars dealer.

Tags:automotive car dealer dfwcarfinder carbuying used BMW automobile used car trends

Used BMW M3 History

2010-02-18T20:30:00.003-06:00

BMW has made some great automobiles for carbuying. One such used car is the BMW M3. This auto has had a great run in the United States since the 1980s, a great trend. I owned a used BMW M3; it was a fantastic car and I really miss it.

You can view a short history of the used BMW M3 at ezcarownership.com. After you've considered your purchase options, please see us at dfwcarfinder.com, an automotive car dealer, to make your purchase.

Tags:automotive car dealer dfwcarfinder carbuying used BMW automobile used car trends

Used Car Colors Reflect Personality and Status

2010-02-16T20:29:00.007-06:00

If you are considering the purchase of a used car, you should consider what color automobile you want. Not just because you like a certain color, but you should also understand what that color generally means about the driver. To automotive passers-by, the color of your used car will indicate your personality and status. Car colors move in trends, as well.

See the full carbuying article at ezcarbuying.net. Stop by dfwCARFINDER, a used car dealer, when you are ready for your purchase.

Tags:automotive car dealer dfwcarfinder carbuying used car automobile trends

Used Porsche Carbuying Tips

2010-02-12T17:18:00.006-06:00

If you are looking to make the purchase of a used Porsche, you should visit this EZ Car Ownership site to read a great article about some automotive carbuying steps. Then, stop by our site at dfwCARFINDER, a used car dealer, to let us help you with your automobile purchase plans. You'll experience carbuying joy.

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Porsche Life as it Should be

2010-01-17T19:39:00.003-06:00

My Porsche 914 keeping able company between two Ferrari's.

Tags:automotive carbuying dfwcarfinder porsche ferrari

Goodbye M3

2010-01-17T17:33:00.001-06:00

What happens when people don't pay attention?...they run into the rear of your car and total it.

Tags:automotive carbuying dfwcarfinder bmw

Porsche Tour..

2010-01-17T17:31:00.002-06:00

A local Porsche tour to the Hill Country west of Austin with the 914 gang.

Tags:automotive carbuying dfwcarfinder porsche Austin Hill Country

Chevelle SS

2010-01-17T17:25:00.001-06:00

My dream car from high school at a recent car show. I'll still own one before I pass on.

Tags:automotive carbuying dfwcarfinder chevelle

BMW M1

2010-01-17T17:23:00.001-06:00

BMW M1 at a recent car show.

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1984 Porsche 911

2010-01-17T17:13:00.002-06:00

A great local 84 911 coupe that I happen to know is for sale.

Tags:automotive car dealer cardealer dealer dealership dfwcarfinder Porsche carbuying

AR Porsche 914 MUSR

2010-01-17T17:07:00.001-06:00

A row of Porsche 914s at the Arkansas Mid US Ramble in fall 2009.

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Buy Here Pay Here

2009-01-31T18:13:00.003-06:00

Well, 2008 was an interesting year. In a time when the economy seems its worst in decades, we had our best year ever. Don't get me wrong, starting in September we slowed down just like the rest. However, I'm very thankful and fortunate.

The outcome is that I'm pondering an expansion into the Buy Here Pay Here, or a "Note Lot" world of providing vehicles to those customers that are really credit challenged. In these times, many are having tough times. However, there are many people that could be in a serious situation where they need another car, or a better car despite their circumstances.

So I'll let you know if this comes to fruition.

Tags:automotive car dealer cardealer dealer dealership dfwcarfinder

Corn Ethanol Revisited

2008-03-12T21:07:00.003-05:00

The family has a grain farm in the Midwest. It's a business, and there was considerable discussion last year about, well, should be perhaps be getting involved in the production of corn ethanol. I was against it.

Now, I'm hearing that corn prices are through the roof. This is good for the family farm. Selling corn means more money in the bank.

Why is corn high? Because all...well, a lot of the corn is going to ethanol, to be used for fuel. And fuel costs are going up because corn is going up.

And, eggs are going up, because it costs more to haul the eggs to market and to feed corn to the chickens. Corn tortilla's are going up because corn meal costs more to buy because there's less corn around and the corn costs more.

And beef is going DOWN because farmers aren't giving corn to the cows to fatten them as much. They just want to sell them to market early because they can't afford to pay for the corn to fatten them up as much. BUT, eventually, the cows available will run in short supply as they are sold off early, so the cost of beef will skyrocket higher than it is now. I give credit to this market supply issue to Glenn Beck. I suspect it will be even worse than he says, though, because corn will be in even shorter supply, so the price will go even higher.

Today, there is about 10% ethanol in gas. You should know, ethanol is not fuel efficient, so we are actually getting less mileage out of a tank of gas when we have ethanol, than if we have all gasoline in our gas tank, if this makes sense.

Now, combine all this with the fact that the government is currently considering going to 20% ethanol in fuel, because everyone thinks that 10% ethanol is just going so peachy in the US. Heh heh.

Now, as oil is over $110 a barrel, gas pumps are averaging $3.27 a gallon nationally, grocery prices are rising, unemployment is up, bankruptcies are up, national unrest is up, I ponder...Is corn ethanol a good fuel solution???

Tags:ethanol auto news auto-news automotive car dealer cardealer dealer dealership dfwcarfinder trends

Porsche Tops JD Power Survey

2007-06-09T07:04:00.000-05:00

Just in... Porsche wins JD Power Reliability Survey. Hmmm, maybe that's why I own two of them. :-)))

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Porsche Panamera Sighted Today

2007-02-22T23:18:00.000-06:00

Here's a spy photo of the Porsche Panamera sighted in South Africa testing.

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Lemonaide Anyone???

2007-02-22T19:55:00.000-06:00

There's been an increase in discussion surrounding lemons. Not the fruit, but lemon cars. People have them...people are afraid of getting them...lemons at the auto auction...I hear of other dealers selling them and not disclosing it.

Frankly, I honestly don't recall personally knowing someone with a true lemon car, but I'm sure there are plenty out there. Many will argue that 1-3 cars out of 100 will have enough problems to be a lemon. The same also applies to air conditioners.

I've also heard that you don't want to buy a car built on Monday (employees hungover) or Friday (employees want to get a hangover). :-)

Nevertheless, one online resource you can be found at lemonjustice. I'm sure they can help you determine if you have a lemon car case. You can start with their lemon meter.

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Zeroshift Transmissions

2007-02-20T12:38:00.000-06:00

UK based Zeroshift has developed an automatic manual transmission that shifts in 30 milliseconds. It's known to increase your 0-60 times. Can you say FASTER!

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Thieves Steal Elements

2007-02-02T13:35:00.000-06:00

Well, sort of... One of the new bad trends in Fort Worth is for thieves to crawl under Honda Elements and use a hacksaw to remove the vehicle's catalytic converter. If any of you can do so, now's the time to park your Element in the garage when not in use to avoid theft of the catalytic converter element. A new converter is $800.

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Scented Tires

2007-01-06T12:34:00.000-06:00

Now, here's something I didn't see coming....

KUMHO Introduces World's First "Aroma Tire" For Select Passenger
Vehicles
U.S. market will carry limited lavender tires, and later, orange and
jasmine scents
KUMHO Tire USA...December 21, 2006...announces the introduction of the
world's first fragrance automotive tire, the ECSTA DX. The project is
the "fruition" of more than a year's worth of research and development
to deliver an alluring aroma tire that replaces the normal "black
rubber" smell with heat-resistant oils in the scent of lavender, and in
later versions, neroli (orange) or jasmine.
ESCTA DX
Lavender Scent
According to Rick Brennan, Brand Director for KUMHO, the company is
selling the DX aroma tire to help build brand awareness and highlight
KUMHO's tire technology. The tire is targeted at female consumers who
drive such sedans as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Subaru Outback,
Chrysler Sebring and Ford Taurus.
In addition to a unique aroma, the ECSTA DX is engineered to deliver low
noise levels and ride characteristics on par with the leading tire
brands. Ride comfort is maintained throughout the life of the tire
through the use of tread elements designed to provide uniform linear
stiffness. Optimized pitch sequence and variable pitch lengths help
minimize noise, while a straight center rib provides high-speed
stability.
The DX features four wide grooves that help evacuate water, while a
silica compound improves all-weather performance and wet traction. High
tensile steel belts and a jointless nylon cap ply also help improve
noise, ride comfort and durability, while an undertread reduces unwanted
heat buildup for consistent performance.
The ECSTA DX Aroma tire will be sold through Discount Tire stores and
TireRack.com starting in the first quarter of 2007 in three sizes.

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Twin Turbo VW Bus

2006-12-04T20:00:00.000-06:00

Here's a 62 VW Bus with a 520 HP twin-turbo Porsche engine propelling it around the track....

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Hot Rod...Best Car Movies

2006-11-16T10:30:00.000-06:00

Hot Rod Magazine is compiling a list of the best car movies. Click here to see more.

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Auction Cars Don't Deserve the Bad Rap

2006-11-16T10:26:00.000-06:00

I don't get asked too often, but some people ask where we get our cars. I'm sure some other shy ones wonder about it. Frankly, we get most of them from one of the Dallas Auto Auctions.

Dallas has the third largest group of Auctions in the country. About 10k cars go through the city's auctions in any given week.

I buy most of my cars coming off factory lease from Porsche Finance, BMW Finance, Toyota finance (for Lexus), etc. The cars have been well maintained under the leasing agreements between the buyer and the manufacturer's funding arm.

Would you rather buy an unknown car from Joe Schmoe, or a vehicle from dfwCARFINDER coming direct from a previous owner's factory lease?

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Super Coupes

2006-11-16T10:02:00.000-06:00

Who says money can't buy a little happiness. :-) Forbes has the list of the best super coupes. Porsche Cayman (pictured) was included.

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Customize Your Porsche

2006-11-16T09:12:00.000-06:00

Now, you can customize the name on the back of your Porsche. See here.

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Engine Assembly...Interesting

2006-11-15T21:54:00.000-06:00

How an engine is assembled. Well, not the air cooled Porsche and Subaru WRX engines... This should help most women (and many men) who profess to not understand much about cars; and for those of you who claim a car is only "transportation". :-)

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Porsche 928...Modified

2006-11-15T21:33:00.000-06:00

Well, here's one person's concept of what to do with an old Porsche 928. El Camino convertible???

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Son Crashes Mustang

2006-11-15T14:24:00.000-06:00

Uh oh. None of my kids can really drive a stick.

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Is it a Lemon!?!?!?

2006-11-15T12:11:00.000-06:00

I'm sure some customers wonder whether I'm trying to sell a "Lemon Law" car, a car that a manufacturer bought back from a consumer because of repetitive issues. To be sure, those cars exist out there. In Texas, I must abide by Texas Code that says that if I buy a known "lemon", I must disclose same. If I don't and I get caught, I will be paying HUGE fines to the state of Texas, and risking my dealer license.

Yup, I'm sure that there are dealers out there that don't disclose, but they're taking a big risk. How does a consumer protect himself??? I can offer two pieces of advice: 1) Buy from a dealer that you feel you can trust, and 2) Get a Carfax, as their record gathering should uncover a "Lemon Law" car and advize you of that fact.

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Best Car Values

2006-11-15T11:05:00.000-06:00

If you follow what Forbes says, it isn't the cost of gas or repairs, it's the depreciation of a vehicle that annually costs an owner the most. Depreciation will usually cost an owner $thousands$ of dollars annually. If you follow that logic (and I do), here is a list of the 9 best car values.

BMW 330i Convertible
Honda CR-V
Lexus GX
Lexus RX
Mini Cooper
Porsche 911 Carrera (pictured)
Toyota 4Runner
Toyota Sequoia
Volvo XC-90

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Ferrari Garage

2006-11-14T17:33:00.000-06:00

This is not a great sight to see when coming home from work.

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Toyota & Car Searches for Sep

2006-10-11T23:10:00.000-05:00

Here's a snapshot of what's hot, and what's not so hot in new car searches on cars.com for Sep 06....

Top New-Car Search Increases

1. Hyundai Santa Fe 17.28%
2. Chevrolet Avalanche 16.68%
3. Jeep Wrangler 12.88%
4. Cadillac CTS 11.94%
5. Audi A3 9.52%

Top New-Car Search Decreases

1. Toyota Yaris 37.85%
2. Toyota Prius 33.85%
3. Volkswagen Jetta 32.14%
4. Hyundai Sonata 26.02%
5. Toyota Corolla 25.64%

Now, compare that to the news that Toyota products (including Lexus and Scion) were UP 25% in Sep 06 vs. Sep 05. The car market was only up 1.9% overall in Sep. Huh??? Maybe Cars doesn't track well with actual trends....

In more detail, the Toyota models that were up in Sep:

RAV4 up 101%
Sequoia up 43% (gas prices must not be an issue)
Highlander up 21%
Prius up 28%
Scion tC up 24%
Corolla up 18%

In general, it appears gas prices are driving some of Toyota's growth...

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Dodge Charger Super Bee

2006-10-10T21:30:00.000-05:00

This car can be found at the State Fair of Texas. The Dodge Charger Super Bee, based upon the Dodge SRT-8 platform with 425 HP.

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Nieman Marcus Holiday Car

2006-10-05T07:16:00.000-05:00

The Neiman-Marcus holiday car for 2006 will be a BMW Individual M6 Convertible, priced at $139k. It comes with European delivery and some extra's in Germany. 50 cars will be offered.

Individual is an elite and special arm of BMW that customizes the cars for purchasers and is available to all purchasers who can afford the extra ticket price.

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Bo Blogs the First Time

2006-10-02T11:34:00.000-05:00

Why does everybody keep using KBB.com (Kelly Blue Book) in Dallas???? We just had someone yesterday look at a Toyota Echo. He offered a price commensurate with KBB, arguing that our NADA based price was too high.

Please, folks, the Dallas auto dealer market (and the southwest, in general) *clearly* uses the NADA guide. So does dfwCARFINDER.com. Thanks for your understanding.

KBB specializes in cars from the Northeast US, but they extrapolate their prices to try to fit the entire US, and that just doesn't work.

If we're wrong, please let us know. Thanks.

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Ford Debut's Super-Duty at Texas State Fair

2006-09-28T11:01:00.000-05:00

The 2008 Ford Super Duty (mostly F250 and F350) trucks will debut at the Texas State Fair. Not a surprise, as Texas is Ford's largest truck market share and almost the only place where a truck can be used as a family vehicle. Ford owns half of the 3/4 and 1 ton truck market.

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BMW M5 E60

2006-09-26T22:21:00.000-05:00

A big long at 8 minutes, but the Fifth Gear review of the new BMW M5 is worth it. I believe they start arriving in Dallas in early 2007.

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Stretch Mini

2006-09-26T21:56:00.000-05:00

I haven't seen this about town, yet.....

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Porsche Ambulance

2006-09-26T21:44:00.000-05:00

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Damaged Vehicle Information Act

2006-09-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

Just what it says, ladies and gents. The government is about to enact a new law that will forever tag a vehicle that has been declared a total wreck or a flooded vehicle. That way all the Katrina cars won't be lurking about causing all you good customers to fret about the liklihood of a vehicle having a tainted past.

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Top Gear Star Injured

2006-09-22T11:22:00.000-05:00

Richard Hammond, star of Top Gear, was injured this week in a jet powered car attempting to surpass the UK land speed record of 300 mph.

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BMW Hydrogen 7

2006-09-20T07:24:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Morning News last weekend reported that BMW is finally making their Hydrogen 7 model (similar to the other BMW 7-series cars you see running around Dallas) available in 2007. It will be sold to 'selected users'. Its engine is capable of running on either gasoline or hydrogen.

Has anyone seen a hydrogen pumping station around DFW???

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Gas Prices to Continue Down

2006-09-20T07:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I was obviously good at reporting the trend of gas prices going down as we're all seeing price relief. I'm now reading that the prices will continue down below the $2.35 I mentioned to near $2.10 a gallon for regular here in Texas by the 1st of October.

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GM Hy Wire

2006-09-10T21:58:00.000-05:00

The Car of the Future...

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Car Buying Experience

2006-09-07T20:26:00.000-05:00

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Cheap Cars

2006-09-07T19:04:00.000-05:00

I get a lot of requests for cheap cars, and I see lots of people searching for 'cheap cars' when they come to my website. What is a cheap car??? I confess, I dunno for sure.

My girlfriend's daughter's ex-boyfriend (gotta think about it, don't ya?....) bought a cheap car. He paid about $2k and half the electrical didn't work at time of purchase. Now, I hear that the alternator is shot and obviously none of the electrical works. Was it cheap? Yeah. Was it a good buy; not on your life! Was it reliable...heck no.

According to some stats I read earlier this year, the average used car sold in 2006 for just under $10k. That's a stretch for the 16 to 20-somethings who are just out of school. I sell cars for a little under or over $5k, but I have to look HARD to find them, I have to look for weeks, and, quite often, they have over 100k miles on the clock which turns people off. My real average sale is $20k, twice the national average. At half that price, you can get a great used BMW or Porsche, btw....

Would I rather have a mediocre car for well under $5k, but the car is unreliable, or would I rather have a reliable car, like a Toyota, with 100k plus miles.??? Me, I'll take the Toyota every time.

My experience is that cars will run reasonably reliably until somewhere around 150k miles, then larger problems start creeping up. Now, a diesel will keep running past 200k miles. There are still quite a few old Mercedes diesels running around, right? But a 2000+ Toyota with 100k miles is going to cost over $5k.

My advice, take a bus or rideshare until you have the $5k minimum to get a more reliabile car.

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Porsche 911 Tops at Consumer Reports

2006-09-07T17:28:00.000-05:00

The Porsche 911 topped the Consumer Reports list of best performance cars. It was the first time the magazine reviewed ultra-performance cars.

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Gov't: More Alternative Fuels in '07

2006-09-07T16:29:00.000-05:00

The federal government today signed a bill to increase alternative fuel minimums from 2.78% in '06 to 3.71% in '07. From a different perspective, 4.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel (ethanol and biodiesel) will be consumed in '06. The bill dictates that 7.5 billion gallons will be consumed per year by 2012.

I guess it's a start....

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Gas Prices Should Further Drop

2006-09-02T11:41:00.000-05:00

Economic indicators suggest that the price of regular gas should drop to $2.35 by Oct 1. Maybe I should dust off some of the SUVs.....

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E85 Ethanol Fuel Reduces Mileage

2006-08-26T12:03:00.000-05:00

I've been blogging about how 10% ethanol reduces mileage. Now I learn that flex-fuel vehicles like the Chevy Tahoe that can run on E85 fuel also get 30% less fuel economy. If you can find an E85 pump. In other words, if you normally get 300 miles out of a tankful, you now will get only about 200 miles.

I don't believe this is the solution for me...

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Larger, More Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

2006-08-23T15:12:00.000-05:00

Business Week has compiled a list of the larger, more fuel efficient vehicles. This is for those of you who just can't squeeze into a Toyota Echo.

The top ten vehicles are:

1. Luxury Sedan-Overall Fuel Economy - Lexus GS300
2. Luxury Sedan-Most Space - Lincoln Town Car
3. SUV-Overall Fuel Economy - Chevrolet Trailblazer
4. SUV-Most Space - Toyota Land Cruiser
5. Minivan-Overall Fuel Economy - Honda Odyssey
6. Minivan-Most Space - Toyota Sienna
7. Large Sedan-Overall Fuel Economy - Ford Five Hundred
8. Large Sedan-Most Space - Ford Crown Victoria
9. Pickup Truck-Overall Fuel Economy - Toyota Tundra
10. Pickup Truck-Payload - Chevrolet Silverado

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Running on Empty...

2006-08-23T13:30:00.000-05:00

No surprise, folks... A new Consumer Reports funded survey indicates that gas mileage is now the top factor (27%) people are seeking in the purchase of a new car. This is followed by reliability (25%), purchase price (14%) and safety features (12%). That's why I'm selling more Toyota Echo's and Tacoma's, for all the above reasons, though you'll pay a little more than you pay for a Ford.

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BMW Engine Honors

2006-08-22T16:26:00.000-05:00

The 500 hp BMW V10 engine that powers the new M5/M6 vehicles took top engine honors (again) by a jury of 61 automotive journalists. BMW defeated engines from the Ferrari F430, Mercedes-Benz AMG SL65, Volkswagen Touareg, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, and Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. Hmmm, Porsche didn't have a submission.

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BMW Spartanburg Paint Shop is Green

2006-08-22T16:10:00.000-05:00

BMWs manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, SC will soon acquire half of its required energy needs from recycled methane gas at a nearby landfill. It's reported this move will save BMW over $1 million in energy costs, and obviously help the environment. Paint shops are the largest user of electricity in an auto manufacturing plant.

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Biodiesel BMW

2006-08-22T14:05:00.000-05:00

Here is the story of a guy who converted an old BMW 318i to a BMW 24td engine running on Biodiesel. Took the guy 20 months. The car gets over 50 mpg, but he has more work to do.

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Vehicle Black Boxes

2006-08-22T10:49:00.000-05:00

George Orwell's 1984 and Big Brother are lurking around your car and you don't know it. I knew some cars had black boxes, but I didn't know that 60% of cars manufactured today have them. I wonder if it started with the mysterious Audi 5000 that did, but didn't accelerate of its own free will....

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is requiring car manufacturers to disclose that they have a black box in a specific car by 2011. That's still 5 years from now.

What is a black box??? The device collects vehicle data related mostly to...crashes and incidents. Was the seat belt attached...did the airbag deploy...how fast was the driver going...was the accelerator pedal depressed...was the brake pedal depressed...

In the future, this data *could* be used in court. Speeding, sobriety, manufacturer liability, accident at-fault, etc. Be safe and be careful....privacy issues at work!

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Porsche Sales Slump?!?!?!

2006-08-22T09:54:00.000-05:00

Is Porsche in a sales slump???

They will not be building a 2007 Cayenne; the Cayenne has been in a 2 year slide. They'll keep building the 2006 model as necessary and will produce a new 2008 version.

The Boxster is an old design, coming out in 1997. It was freshened in 2003 and 2005. Porsche saw a slight rise in Boxster sales for 2005 due to the freshing, but sales are again down for the year.

The 911 has been around since 1965. A new, much better and freshened model came out in 2005. It brought sales up last year, but sales for this year are down already.

The Cayman is up, of course, but the model was just released last year. I suspect the Cayman is really carrying the Porsche name right now, IMHO. But, I don't hear much buzz about the Cayman, either.

Production of the Carrera GT has stopped; nothing to sell there.

The Panamera isn't out yet, and I don't hear a lot of buzz, but release time isn't close. Are all those Porsche resources working on the Panamera, or something else???

Porsche sold their engineering division in Detroit earlier this year.

Gas prices are high, but do owners of a Porsche really care much about gas prices?

Sales are down, what's Porsche really up to???

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RUF Studio Torino RK Coupe

2006-08-22T07:46:00.000-05:00

Based on the Porsche Cayman, Studio Torino of Italy and RUF Automobile of Germany have teamed together to produce this RK Coupe. A limited edition vehicle of only 49 units, the RK Coupe will have 440 hp and a top speed of 186 mph. You'll notice the roof and bodywork differ from the Cayman. The design is based upon the old Porsche 904 (wish I had one of those) and the Dino 246 GT. Nice, ehhh?

The car will be in Dallas on Aug 26 from 10-2. A spider version is also available.

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More Gas Humor

2006-08-21T18:32:00.000-05:00

Things seem to lightening up a little. I'm getting more humor over the internet and gas prices are coming down a little; down $0.10 the past week. Nevertheless, this is how some righteously view the situation.

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Vandalism is a Sad Reality

2006-08-20T14:06:00.000-05:00

A sad picture (my daily driver 98 BMW M3, pictured) of the state of affairs of life in the US. One percent of US male adult citizens are behind bars at one time or another in their lifetime. I wonder how many more should be there. I wasn't the only one hit, btw....

If you come across a Valentine One, serial number 015-035-0659, it belongs to me.

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Porsche Cayman S vs. Audi RS4

2006-08-18T07:22:00.000-05:00

Terry Box reviews the Porsche Cayman S vs. the Audi RS4 in today's Dallas Morning News. What did he like better??? The Cayman. Man, I really wish I had one of those to sell. All I have is a Boxster S....

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Just Like 1974???

2006-08-16T19:45:00.000-05:00

I read a lot. Newspaper, magazines, books, blogs... I listen to talk radio most every day too. I haven't read about it, or heard about it. I believe that in 5 or 10 years, we're going to look back at this time similarly to how we look back on 1974.

I'm talking about how the American car companies haven't planned well for the future. With the rise of gas prices, the Big 3 have a large component of their revenue and profits coming from large trucks and large SUVs, which are in a slump. They didn't plan well for this time.

I don't agree with the notion, but we also have people complaining here that McDonald's shouldn't be giving out Hummer toys in their Happy Meals. C'mon, people. It's a toy...

But the Big 3 wouldn't be looking at global domination by Toyota if they didn't have their heads in the sand. And Ford and General Motors wouldn't be looking at MAJOR problems staying afloat.

So, you heard it here first folks, as far as I know. The Big 3 are suffering in 2006 just like they did in 1974. I guess they didn't learn anything 30 years ago.

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Corvette Z06 Price Goes UP

2006-08-15T16:24:00.000-05:00

Buy them now, folks, because when the 07 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 comes out, the base price is going up by about $4k to $70k. These cars are hard to come by, if you can get one at all. If you buy a USED one from me, it's going to cost you about $73k, and I'll be making only $1k in the process.

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Ford to Close Dealerships

2006-08-15T16:14:00.000-05:00

Ford's sales are severely slumped. They haven't designed and produced many 'interesting' cars in the past years. The Mustang is doing pretty good; the Fusion has already lost its luster. An average Ford dealership sells half the cars that a Toyota dealership will sell in a month. Consequently, Ford is closing some stores.

I don't mean to sound callous, and I feel sorry for displaced employees, but it's simple supply and demand. Is anybody really surprised?

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Chevy Camaro Concept to Production

2006-08-15T16:04:00.000-05:00

Chevrolet says that the Camaro concept car is most likely going to production. Duh. With The retro Ford Mustang already out, the Chrysler Challenger definitely coming, what else is Chevy to do but jump on the bandwagon.

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RUF Porsche 997

2006-08-15T14:05:00.000-05:00

Here's the new RUF Porsche 997 Kompressor conversion, which adds about 100 HP to your existing sled. You can read all about it here at their website. As I've blogged before, you can only get these RUF cars and upgrades here in the states in Dallas.

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How to Sell to Women?

2006-08-15T11:43:00.000-05:00

I have to confess, I'm disadvantaged in some ways. Try as they might, my parents didn't produce any sister-siblings for me. I ended up with four brothers. Go figure. When women became 'interesting' to me, they were blossoming and I really didn't have much to relate to.

I read an article in USA Today about the new trend of "Pickup Artists", and how there are schools popping up where men learn to better meet women and keep the woman's interest in the first three minutes. The article suggests that most women appreciate the more 'polished' approach by men as opposed to the bumbling newbie. (You'll note on my website homepage that I don't have any bumbling newbie salespeople.

What does this have to do with a car blog??? To me: a lot. Half of my customers really ought to be women. Some are single, some married; all need cars if they're over 18, unless they live in Manhattan and I haven't delivered one there lately. (I will...hint, hint). I may be delivering a BMW to a woman in Seattle in 2 weeks...we'll see. That's a long way from Dallas.

My close friends tell me that I don't look like the typical salesman. Boy am I thankful about that. I donated my old plaid sport coat to charity last year. :-) I'm a soft sell. I'm more than willing to talk ad nauseum about cars until people need to wrap duct tape around their head to keep it from exploding. But not selling, just talking.

And my talking with women can be a lot like talking with men. I know a bunch of men, and I really do mean this, who don't know any more about cars than putting gas in them. For anyone coming up to the dealership asking about cars, I assess what they know and I help educate them from there, regardless.

Bottom Line: Women don't need to feel any more overwhelmed about the carbuying process than men do. Sure, men may thump their chest more, but inside most lack every detail of knowledge about cars and buying them.

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Backhoe Destroys Bridge

2006-08-14T20:55:00.000-05:00

Aren't you pleased it wasn't you driving the big rig when this backhoe, ummm, bumped into this bridge?????

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BMW - Nissan - Toyota - Honda

2006-08-14T20:27:00.000-05:00

Hey, I just write what I read.

Again from Becker (read my post below), who is writing about the global automobile industry and its...situation.... Becker says that the Companies who have it figured out are: BMW, Nissan, Toyota and Honda. I totally agree

Now, I'm personally not so hot on Nissan. But, Ghosn has sure got the company turned around. If only someone was more excited about the 350Zs... But, I'd drive a Honda, Toyota or especially BMW (745i pictured) anyday.

You see, IMHO, (and I haven't read this in the book) GM and Ford executives and designers watched the movie, "Field of Dreams" too many times. They think that if they build something (yawn), people will come, (read:buy it). WRONG!!! They're starting to figure it out, now, too. Even Ford's Fusion, designed with a more 'current' styling in mind, still hasn't taken off. I'm not going to sell yawners to people who can drive a MINI, or fun-to-drive BMW 325, or even ultra-reliable Echo. Wake up American iron designers!!!

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Nissan Needs More Production Capacity???

2006-08-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

Wasn't Nissan ready to go bankrupt only a few years ago, actually back in 1999????

I'm reading this book by Helmut Becker, "High Noon in the Automotive Industry". I've acutally only just started. It's a good read, but you have go so slow to study the economics.

Becker's research says that both GM and Nissan have about 25% growth capacity available in their plants. So, why then does Nissan need production capacity from GM??? I mean, that was my read on it the past several weeks. How can this lackluster company need capacity from GM, even if GM has capacity...

Because Nissan has been growing at about 7% per year since 2000 and GM has been growing (globally) at only about 2%. You might notice that GM isn't exactly growing in the US, btw.... I'd have never guessed that Ghosn had done so well. No wonder Kerkorian wants Ghosn at the helm of GM.

GM still hasn't figured it out. Delphi at their heels. Medical costs out of control. Each GM car costs about $1650 just for GM medical costs of present employees and past retirees. And today I heard that the US Gov't couldn't care less if they bankrupt. Not like Chrysler and Iacocca back in my youth.....

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Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Their BMW 5-Series in Russia

2006-08-14T18:21:00.000-05:00

Nobody wants this to happen...

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Large Diesel Engine

2006-08-13T10:52:00.000-05:00

Check out this diesel engine, used in container shipping vessels. I wonder if there's enough vegetable oil to make biodiesel for one run across the Atlantic for this engine?

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Toyota Echo vs. VW Jetta diesel

2006-08-12T14:27:00.000-05:00

Let's take the post below a step further. How does an 03 Toyota Echo (01 Echo pictured) compare, fuel economy wise, to an 03 VW Jetta diesel.

The Echo will cost you $9k; the Jetta, $17k to buy from me. That assumes they're in good condition, average mileage, etc. The same rules apply to both.

The Jetta will get about 45 mpg average (the same as the Toyota Prius, below); the Echo will still get the same 35 mpg I mentioned below. The VW Jetta costs only $8k more, the same as the Prius, below.

If you buy the Jetta, it will take you again, a long time to recoup the cost of your investment. That assumes the Echo is costing you $225 more per year for fuel, but the vehicle cost you $8k less to buy...

The Echo is still the better purchase for your pocketbook, compared to a Prius or Jetta.

But, here's another interesting part. The diesel Jetta is a better buy for you than the Prius. They get about the same mileage. They both cost about the same. But, the Jetta diesel will run, and run, and run. 200k, 250k, 300k miles if you take care of it and change the oil. The Prius is going to need those $3k batteries sometime before 100k miles. And, as you approach 100k miles, your average mileage is going to go down in the Prius.

Another benefit of the Jetta vs. Prius, and I confess I haven't researched the cost details, with the use of biodiesel, the Jetta becomes an even better deal over the Prius.

Biodiesel is the use of old vegatable oil, such as used by McDonald's, to create diesel fuel. Now, someday, and it may be soon, biodiesel Jetta's could be a better value for the consumer vs. the Echo. Someone needs to tell me what it costs per gallon to make or get biodiesel.

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Toyota Echo vs. Prius

2006-08-12T13:23:00.000-05:00

People all over are hyped up about buying cars like a Toyota Prius to save on gas. You may look good (read:green), but this is not your most economical choice in the long run. And, it's bad for the environment.

Here's why. You can buy an 03 Toyota Prius with average miles from me for about $17k. Your real-world average (city and highway) fuel economy will probably be about 45mpg. For an average driver who travels 12k miles per year, at $3 per gallon, you'll spend about $800 on gas per year.

Now, compare that to a buyer of an 03 Toyota Echo (01 Toyota Echo pictured, one we have for sale right now), a car about the same size. The Echo will get an average of about 35 mpg. BTW, it gets over 41 on the highway with no hybrid technology, and it's just as reliable as any other Toyota. You'll pay only about $9k to buy an 03 Echo from me. With average yearly mileage, yes, you'll spend a whopping $1025 per year for gas using the same rules as for the Prius. More than for the Prius gas bill for the year. But, to attain the $225 per year gas savings, you're spending $8k more for the car. And, that assumes that average people can afford that extra $8k for a comparable car. The reality is: They Can't!!!

At a fuel savings of $225 per year, it's going to take you a long time (35 years) to recoup the extra $8k you paid for the Prius. Are most people going to keep a used car that long???? Nope!!!
But wait!!! Don't forget that the Prius will need new batteries in that 11 years, at a price of $3k to the owner. If you want to sell the Prius used, and it needs batteries, you're not going to get much for it in the car market. The reality is, you'll NEVER recoup the price you pay for the Prius. Sorry. Those 11 years turn into never.

You forgot about one thing... Those Prius batteries need to be disposed of. You know, that extra money (I believe $3 each) you have to pay the government when for your old battery when you buy your 1 new battery for your current car each time, about every 4 years. I'm all for a good environment, but this all doesn't make any sense because you're adding a bunch more batteries to the environment to be disposed of with hybrids.

Just like adding ethanol, which REDUCES the fuel efficiency of cars, doesn't make sense. People are complaining their fuel economy is going down, because it is. We're burning MORE fuel with ethanol.

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Will It Be the Toyota Tacoma???

2006-08-10T08:14:00.000-05:00

Though our US gas is much less expensive than over in Europe, today's prices are hurting consumers. I'm seeing a big reduction in the number of Ford F150s requested and desired, and the overall number of full size truck requests is comparatively down.

USA Today talks of consumers moving from big trucks to other avenues, without much detailed talk of the alternative avenue specifics.

We're seeing growth in small trucks. Will the Toyota Tacoma small pickup become the new workhorse, replacing Ford and Chevy??

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Ferrari P4/5

2006-08-07T23:19:00.000-05:00

Now, here's a car to lust after. The Ferrari P4/5, designed by Pininfarina for US movie director James Glickenhaus. You can see it at the Pebble Beach concours, Aug 20.

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Car Racing Country Club

2006-08-07T23:08:00.000-05:00

I've blogged in the past about Driver's Education. It's a sister to a phenomenon across the country called Car Racing Country Clubs. Forbes Autos wrote about it today, too.

We have a racing country club in Dallas Fort Worth, actually in Cresson, called MotorSport Ranch. There's another being built northeast of Fort Worth called Racer's Ranch. I believe there's another being built in east Texas. There's one in Houston and one almost started north of Dallas near Argyle. Plus, there are others coming up around the country.

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Ricky Bobby Collects $47M

2006-08-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

A little off topic, but Ricky Bobby brang home the bacon last weekend. Will Ferrell and Talladega Nights brought in $4 million for its opening weekend at the box office.

I went and saw it and thought it was a hoot. I don't recommend it for kids 12 and under because of some of the language. OTOH, I heard other teenagers thought it 'was kinda slow'. Humor probably over their head.....

Go see it!

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Ford Will Sell Jaguar

2006-08-03T07:17:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Morning News reports that Ford has hired a mergers & acquisition person to look at spinning off the unprofitable Jaguar unit.

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Mercedes CL600 For Christmas?

2006-08-02T23:52:00.000-05:00

Mercedes Benz and Saks Fifth Avenue are teaming up to provide a special edition white CL600 for Christmas 2006. I wonder what Nieman-Marcus is up to?

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Chevy Still Beats Ford in Texas...

2006-08-02T23:29:00.000-05:00

At least for me. My Chevy Silverado 1500 requests are now twice those I get for a Ford F150. In a land where Ford is supposed to beat Chevy, and especially in Texas, that still makes me wonder what's up. A change on the horizon???

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Mazda Shipping Problems...

2006-08-02T23:15:00.000-05:00

4700 Mazda3s and CX-7s are having some difficulty reaching port via the Cougar Ace, off Alaska... No crew casualties.

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How Long to Close a Car Deal?

2006-08-02T15:13:00.000-05:00

Some blog reading has me thinking.... How long should it take to close a car deal once the buyer wants the car?????

The last one I did took me 15 minutes. It was a cash deal. The buyer's real happy; he paid probably $1250 less than his budget, maybe more. Yeah, I left money on the table.

Most deals that I have which are cash or where the buyer comes with financing-in-hand, and I can't beat it, are done in less than 30 minutes. Obviously, if I'm providing the funding it will take longer than 30 min, so those don't count.

Salespeople want to close the deal and move on. They're paid to close deals as they're all on commission. After they close the deal they can move on to the next sale. But they also need to do it right.

When I bought my first house in 1984, all the paperwork really scared me. I wanted to read all of it. Closing took quite a bit of time. Since then, most deals for anything have gone pretty quickly, except the divorce. That one took a loooong time...

So, when I read a blog post, referred in my blog below, that salespeople see a woman coming and don't want to deal with her because she's going to take 4 hours, what's going on??? The last woman I sold was again, 30 minutes; she had her own financing that I couldn't beat.

Is it all the Finance & Insurance upsell that's going on??? The stuff I sortof hate? The stuff that can piss anyone off??? It can make me more money, but perhaps at a price. So I don't push it.

I went with a woman several years ago to a franchised Honda or Toyota dealer; I can't remember, but they're located right next to each other down the road. She wanted to buy a new car, something I really don't do. We introduced ourselves, we did not explain our relationship and my role, and the whole time the dealer salesperson ignored the woman and talked to me the whole time. We left within 3o minutes; she was pissed, because she couldn't get the salesman to listen to her or pay attention to her. So, I know there's a problem with some salespeople dealing with women. Maybe it's more common than I believe. And, I believe I understand. I'm definitely sympathetic.

Women want a no-dicker-sticker. So, come on over. Tell me what you want. I'll get it, tell you what I paid for it, show you my fee, offer you financing if you don't have it and close the final deal in 30 minutes.

4 hours????...Not if I have my way. Do women want to spend 4 hours?

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$75M to Build Dealership

2006-08-02T09:20:00.000-05:00

Dave Wilson spent $75 million to build Newport Lexus (in California), a franchise dealership. It's the new franchise record and the new trend, termed a Taj Mahal store. There are others, albeit build with less $$$ around the country. Las Vegas and Manhattan (New York) have ones I read about. Sheesh.....

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Toyota No. 2 in US

2006-08-02T09:02:00.000-05:00

It's official - Toyota has passed Ford and DaimlerChrysler in US Sales. GM is next.....

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CUVs - Crossovers

2006-08-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

I was perusing the blogs today and learned a new acronym - CUV. It stands for Crossover Utility Vehicle. I've heard of crossovers, but this is the first time I've read CUV. We'll see if it sticks.

Pictured is the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, a CUV, available now.

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Dealership Culture at Other Stores....

2006-08-01T18:48:00.000-05:00

Here's a recent and interesting blog post about the dealership culture that gives us all a black eye. Thankfully, this guy doesn't put up with it, and he's their high salesperson. Maybe it's because he's like me, a veteran of telecom... :-)

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Dealership Steals Car???

2006-08-01T09:13:00.000-05:00

From the whyweworry blog, I read today of a dealer in Tennesse who's stolen back a vehicle he's sold to someone.

That isn't happening here, folks. We went so far as to give a customer 2 months (that's 60 days) to get his financing in order. He had the car and all I had was a deposit. Now, don't y'all go expecting that all the time, but that's a far cry from taking a car back from someone who's closed a sale and paid his contracted amount.

By the way, this franchise dealer in Tennessee has several other complaints filed against him with the Better Business Bureau.

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Chrysler Continues Slump...Dr. Z Doesn't Help

2006-08-01T08:56:00.000-05:00

DaimlerChrysler's leader, Dieter Zetsche, recently seen in commercials and on the web, is still slumping. The Chrysler sale in July didn't move enough cars, people don't believe that German engineering has made it's way into a Chrysler and people don't know that Dr. Z, what he's called on the ads, is a real person.

Sigh. Maybe they should go get Iacocca and Snoop-Dog back on....

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The Auction

2006-07-31T10:50:00.000-05:00

If you watch the Speed channel on cable television, you've likely seen the Barrett-Jackson auto auction. This is very similar to the auctions us dealers see in DFW, where there are five large auction houses.

The Dallas Auto Auction, the largest in DFW and the USs 3rd largest auction, has not one auction block but 20 running simultaneously every Wednesday. Dealers come from around the country to look at what are usually around 5000 cars that day. It can be a sensory overload if you're not used to it.

And, just like Barrett-Jackson, there are classic cars that command high money and lots of attention from the bidding crowd.

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New Tahoe Sales Slow

2006-07-31T10:36:00.000-05:00

General Motors is now reporting that their new Tahoe sales are slumping. Hmmm, could it be gas prices???

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Least Reliable Luxury Cars

2006-07-31T10:22:00.000-05:00

Forbes magazine compiled this list of least reliable luxury cars of 06 from JD Power and Consumer Reports data...

Land Rover Range Rover SUV
Land Rover LR3 SUV
Lincoln Navigator SUV
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Touareg SUV (pictured)

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Dodge Commercial

2006-07-30T23:08:00.000-05:00

Here's one of those edgy Dodge Ram Commercials ...

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Minivan Out; Crossover In

2006-07-30T20:34:00.000-05:00

Minivans are becoming a thing of the past....thankfully. I managed to never own one, though the first thing my eX did when she left was go buy one.

Here's a look at the Ford Fairlane, coming in 2008. They're part of a new segment called crossover vehicles. Mercedes has the R-class, Cadillac has the SRX, etc. Watch for more that are here, or are appearing soon.

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Worst American Cars of 2006

2006-07-30T20:15:00.000-05:00

MSNBC compiled this list of the worst American cars of 2006 from fuel economy reports, Consumer Reports, etc....

Ford Ranger pickup
Mercury Grand Marquis / Ford Crown Victoria sedan (Tina!!!)
Dodge Sprinter Van
Dodge Durango SUV (pictured)
Pontiac Grand Prix sedan
Ford E-Series Van
Dodge Ram 15oo pickup (ouch)
Buick Terraza / Chevrolet Uplander / Pontiac SV6 / Saturn Relay minivan
Saturn Ion coupe and sedan

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Hot Wagons

2006-07-30T19:54:00.000-05:00

According to Business Week, following is a list of hot wagons to own, for different reasons. For me, some I'd consider; others, definitely not. But, that's me and we all have different tastes.

Fastest Domestic: Dodge Magnum SRT8
Fastest Import & Most Expensive: Mercedes Benz E55 AMG Wagon
Most Fuel Efficient: Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix
Best Cargo Room: Volvo V70
Best Resale Value: BMW 325xi
Lowest Total Cost of Ownership: Chevrolet HHR (pictured)
Best Off-Road: Subaru Outback
Safest: Saab 9-3 SportCombi
Best Overall: Subaru Legacy

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Can You Lease a Used Car???

2006-07-30T19:33:00.000-05:00

You bet!

Here's a list of the top 10 used vehicles most researched for leasing, according to the Auto Channel. Let us know; we'll get you one...

1) BMW 330
2) Chevrolet Corvette
3) Porsche 911
4) BMW 5 series
5) BMW 325
6) Mercedes Benz E-Class
7) BMW 7 series
8) Infiniti G35
9) Porsche Cayenne
10)Audi A4

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Questions???

2006-07-30T19:00:00.000-05:00

You can post questions here....

Cars - Buy New vs. Buy Used

2006-07-30T17:27:00.000-05:00

I'm confused.... Well, actually not. I was reading a blog this afternoon. Somebody believes that buying a new car is better.

If you have a lot of money and want the latest and greatest...If you are just really paranoid that a used car may have been misused (I have a brother that feels this way, and yes, he has a lot of money)...If what you want is hard to find and you just can't find a used one or can't wait any longer (like a Ferrari; again, you need a lot of money)...If you are buying a discontinued car like a Lincoln LS and Ford is offering a $7000 rebate (now, maybe this is okay if you plan to keep the car awhile and don't mind seeing the value tumble quickly when you want to sell it; but my boss has a used one and he can't GIVE it away right now - you should buy his). There are other situations similar to those above, and you might be better off buying new. But...

Take that used car, drive it around for a month or a year and try to sell it and you'll see the car depreciates pretty fast. A 2006 (that's 2006, folks; something that could have been bought new this calender year) Ford Taurus SE is selling, on average, on the wholesale auto market for $10,300. That's how much it will cost me to buy it; and, it's probably about how much you'll get for a dealer trade, if you're lucky. Compare that to the price of a new one, which invoices for $18,400, MSRP of $20,830. $8ooo depreciation in less than a year, about $650 per month. That's a small house payment!!!

You're just really better off buying used. Buy a 1-3 year old car from me or another used car dealer and you're generally still under factory warranty. Something breaks and you just take it to the franchise dealer for a fix.

If I sell you a car and I know it's a lemon, I must tell you. If I buy a car and I know it has unibody damage, I must tell you. I'll run a carfax before I even buy it to know some history on the vehicle. There's a lot of cars I WON'T buy...bad carfax, unibody damage, bad body panel repairs, doesn't look right, etc.

If you're worried, and you buy a car out of factory warranty, you can buy a reputable warranty from me.

Folks, let someone else take the initial depreciation hit on a new vehicle purchase. Buy used. It makes more economical sense. :-)

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Porsche Sale!!!... 2 Days Left

2006-07-30T16:51:00.000-05:00

Only two days left for those of you still wanting a used late-model Porsche for $500 over my cost. You won't find prices like this anywhere.

Earlier this month I made this special blog-related sale available through July 31, 06 in honor of Porsche's great JD Power results. You've got to mention seeing the comment in the blog, though. Walk-ups aren't getting this deal. This is for any car in stock, or car to order.

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