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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2009-10-22, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009. Safety is without a doubt one of the biggest and most pressing issues to consider when purchasing a new or used vehicle. How do consumers know if the vehicles they are purchasing can stand up to the myriad dangers of the open road? The bottom line is that there’s really no safety guarantee when it comes to cars. However, there are a lot of things to keep in mind and investigate when shopping for a vehicle that will give prospective buyers peace of mind once they hit the road. 1. A good first step -- even before consulting consumer reports on safe vehicles -- is to talk to friends and family about which cars on the market they feel are the safest based on their personal experiences. If no one can provide sound advice, check message boards online for information pertaining to automobile safety. 2. Next, begin combing consumer safety reports and newspaper articles for information on any automobiles of interest. Pay particular attention to crash data when doing this research. 3. After deciding on a particular vehicle, go and check out the car in person. Inspect the car closely and be sure the vehicle has front and side air bags, the most up-to-date seatbelt features, superior traction control and antilock brakes, to name a few important safety features. 4. The weight of the car is very important. Heavier vehicles tend to fare better in crash tests than lighter vehicles, as lighter vehicles tend to tip over more easily. 5. Take the car for a test drive. Focus on how the vehicle handles and how quickly and easily it accelerates and stops. Test the seatbelts to make sure they are working properly. If possible, bring someone along for a second opinion. This could be a salesperson, spouse or friend. Many times people become intensely focused on buying a particular car based solely on its aesthetic appeal. Try to keep in mind that what matters most is how safe the car is, not the look of it. Having someone in the passenger seat when test driving a car should help the buyer keep this in mind. (MS) -- With the days ofaffordable fuel a thing of the past, more and more people are looking to downgrade the size of their current vehicles. While the turn of the century saw a boom in SUV sales, the current economic and even social climate is changing the way we look at automobiles. Nowadays, gas mileage and the environment are playing a significant role in just what we’re looking for when we buy a car. While you might have a good idea of your vehicle preferences (good gas mileage, environmentally friendly, etc.) as you head to the dealership, you might be less confident in how to negotiate once the time to buy arrives. The following negotiating tips should help regardless of the type of car you want to buy. * Be open to negotiation. Many people see auto dealerships in a negative light, and that can draw out the negotiation process. In truth, you’re there to buy a car, and the salesperson is there to sell you a car. Rare is the instance where you arrive at a dealership, tell the salesperson how much you want to spend and leave spending exactly that. Theprocess is a negotiation, and buyers should be open to that. Of course, if the dealership won’t budge, you don’t have to buy a car from them. But you should be willing to bend somewhat. Of course, when making an initial offer, it’s best to offer less than you can afford, and that’s your built-in leeway. * Separate trade-in and new car price negotiations. Your trade-in should have zero impact on the price of the new car. How much your trade-in is worth (or how much the dealership is willing to give) is irrelevant to the price of the new car. Once a price for the new car has been established and agreed upon, then you can begin negotiating for your trade-in. * Ask to see the invoice on any new car. Each car has its own invoice, and the dealerships have invoices on every new car they own. Cars such as Honda Civics or Chevrolet Cobalts are probably going to be sold by the dealership at the invoice price because dealerships often have more of those cars on the lot and they’re typically exactly the same except for their color. However, invoice price can varygreatly for higher-end models such as BMWs and Lexuses. Ask to see the individual invoice for each car you’re considering. Upon seeing the invoice, you can then negotiate a fair price. * Don’t mislead dealers about what other dealers are offering for your trade-in. Lying to the dealer by saying another dealership is offering more for your trade-in or the cost of a new vehicle will only drag out the negotiation process. Dealerships don’t fluctuate much on their trade-in offers, so if your five-year-old car has 80,000 miles on it, you’re likely to get a similar dollar offer from one dealer as you are from another. Along those same lines, dealerships don’t make huge profits off of new cars, so how low they’re willing to go on the selling price doesn’t fluctuate much from dealership to dealership either. By misleading the salesperson on other offers, you’re only drawing out the process, and you’re probably not earning yourself any favors either. If you want honesty from them, you must be honest as well. Tips for buying a safe vehicle Get the best price on next carFall On The Road John Cullen Chevrolet 115 Josephine St., Wingham 519-357-2323 EXPERT SERVICE AT COMPETITIVE PRICES. Dripless Undercoating starting at $5995 Seasonal Special - Pre-Winter Package $7995 ~ battery check ~ tire rotation ~ lube, oil & filter ~ brake inspection ~ top up fuids ~ check belts & hoses ~ lube locks & hinges ~ lube weather stripping + tax BUSHELL’S AUTO SALES WINGHAM Cell 519-357-6731 Fax: 519-357-4693 UCDA ~ Buy With Confidence 2008 Dodge Caliber 44 km.. . . . . . . . . . . . . $14,995 2007 Ford Escape 188 km. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,800 2006 GMC Canyon 93 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,995 2006 Ford F150 Crew Cab 59 km . . . . . . . . $22,900 2005 Mazda 3 114 km. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,500 2005 Mazda B4000, 4x4, 73 km. . . . . . . . . . $13,800 2005 Dodge Caravan 65 km . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,995 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser 110 km. . . . . . . . . $7,395 2004 Ford Taurus 92 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,995 2004 Toyota Corolla 114 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,795 2004 Chev Venture 152 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,995 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix 161 km . . . . . . . . . $5,395 2001 Ford Mustang 123 km. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,495 2000 Chev Cavalier 148 km. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,995 1996 Dodge Neon 60 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,795 1987 Dodge Ram Roadtrek Motorhome 103 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,995 Includes oil, oil filter, chassis lube and 105 point vehicle inspection, includes brakes, steering, suspension and drivetrain. To keep your car running at top performance, change your oil every 5,000 km or every three months. FALL SERVICE SPECIAL 40486 B-Line Road WINGHAM Ph: 357-1997 Fax: 357-9978 We also do Engines • Brakes Transmissions and more, for less. $39.95 We also do Engines • Brakes Tune-ups and more, for less. $44.95 R & S ALIGNMENT SERVICE ALIGNMENT - SUSPENSION SERVICE & TIRES 519-357-1230 Hwy.86 West,R.R.3 Wingham,Ont.N0G 2W0