CR-V: Most Popular Mom Car

In celebration of Mother’s Day, True Car has checked its numbers, its facts and its figures to compile a list of the ten most popular cars for mothers. Though the list has a variety of models and brands, most of them will require an auto loan of $20,000 and $30,000.

The cars that moms love the most are the:

1) Honda CR-V for which moms paid an average of $29,036

2) Nissan Altima for which moms paid an average of

3) Honda Odyssey, average price of $35,402

4) Subaru Outback, average price of $31,011

5) Honda Pilot, average price of $38,284

6) Volkswagen Jetta TDI, average price of $26,407

7) Nissan Rogue, average price of $28,346

8 ) Honda Accord, average price of $24,222

9) Honda Civic, average price of $20,469

10) Nissan Sentra, average price of $18,879

From needing an auto loan in Nevada to a car loan in WV, we help moms get financed.

We all equate small cars with fuel economy. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Here are five 2012 models that get some pretty awful mpg and should be avoided with the current gas prices.

1. Subaru Impreza Wagon WRX STI…19.8 mpg combined.
2. Mazda Mazdaspeed3 S Touring…21 mpg combined.
3. Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart…21 mpg combined.
4. Volkswagen Golf R…22 mpg combined.
5. Toyota Matrix AWD…23 mpg combined.

Each of these manufacturers offer a fuel efficient trim package, with a few of their offerings topping the 30 mpg combined threshold. The issues with most of these cars are their sport-tuned fuel injection systems, AWD, and turbo charged engines. A less sporty model combined with careful, yet skillful driving can really give a boost to your fuel budget and leave more room for 72 month auto loan payments.

Week in and week out you have to put gas in your car. When fuel prices top $3.85 a gallon we all feel a dire need to save. Unfortunately, most of us do not really know how. Frequently, our thoughts turn to buying a more fuel efficient car when all we need to do is learn how to drive in a less fuel demanding way. Here are three tips to help you shave dollars from your weekly fuel budget.

1. Start with the brakes and tires. Replace your brakes if they are dragging or making any strange noises. Make sure your tires are inflated correctly or replace worn tires. Incorrectly inflated tires can rob as much as 15% of your vehicles fuel economy.
2. Aggressive driving can be your fuel budget’s worst enemy. Sharp acceleration, abrupt lane changes, and forceful braking all use gas copiously. Just relaxing behind the wheel can save $196 a year on fuel.
3. Stop speeding. Every 5 mph over 60 that you drive costs an additional 12% in fuel efficiency. Sticking to the speed limit can save you as much as $350 per year on gas, not to mention any tickets that you might avoid.

Opportunities to cut unnecessary expenses crop up everywhere. You just have to look for them. Recurring expenses like your fuel budget are a great place to start, and can make your car loan with bad credit that much more affordable.

The big two German automakers, Volkswagen AG and BMW AG, rode the rising worldwide demand for luxury brands to post record-setting sale numbers in the first quarter of 2012. Hunger for their vehicles in China and the U.S. was so strong that it more than made up for weakening sales throughout most of Europe.

The powerful showing of VW and BMW helped the German economy, as a whole, remain in fine health while the economies surrounding the nation stayed mired in the miasma of balance sheet red. VW announced that it moved 1.39 million units in the just-finished quarter, a record-setting increase of 11% from 12 months previously. VW said that although sales dropped 3.7% in Western Europe, they rose by 13% and 41% in China and the U.S. respectively.

Speaking about these booking sales, Volkswagen sales chief Christian Klingler said, “While the situation on the markets in Europe remains difficult, we reported significant growth in North America and Asia,”

BMW, the world’s top-selling premium-auto maker, moved 425,528 in the first quarter, likewise an 11% improvement over the first quarter of 2011.

Talking about the automaker’s plan on continuing to increase sales, BMW sales chief Ian Robertson said, “We aim to continue the momentum with additional new models this year, such as the luxurious BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe and a model revision of the flagship BMW 7 Series.”

The strong sales can be partially attributed to the low interest rates available on auto loans with good credit.  Obviously, the average luxury vehicle shopper has a greater likelihood of qualifying for these rates than someone in need of an auto loan with bad credit. 

Technology just keeps chugging along whether one is on the train or not. That which was cutting edge just yesterday runs the risk of becoming dodgy and out of date tomorrow. And, with the Internet this axiom has never been more apt.

One prime example of this evolution at work is the fact that car lenders (and others) are currently discovering that it may no longer be worth the time, effort and cost it takes to create and maintain a corporate website. That’s right; businesses may be moving away from websites, a must-have from just a year ago. 

However, this drift away from websites does not mean companies are leaving the online world. Instead, they are coming to rely on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+ to connect with their clients and customers. Many marketing campaigns these days focus on driving customers and clients to their profiles on Facebook and other sites. Once the customer is there, wouldn’t it, the argument goes, make sense for the auto financer to have a integrated app for the customer to use to purchase policies or make a payment? 

By doing this, car loan lenders could be able to redirect energies away from their websites to leave the heavy lifting to the folks behind Facebook and Google+.

There is great news in the consumer credit world; it has nearly made it all the way back to pre-recession levels. Driven by increasing vehicle sales and school tuitions, consumer credit rose by $17.8 billion in the first month of this year to reach $2.5 trillion.

Jumping by $20.7 billion, the student and auto loan category experienced its largest increase since last November. However, overall, economists have mixed thoughts about the improving consumer credit numbers. On the one hand, they are an indication that the economy is strengthening, while conversely it is never good to see people borrowing at the same time that wages are still deflated.  No word yet as to what percentage of these are auto loans for good credit as opposed to car loans for bad credit.  We’ll keep you posted!

Car buyers who sign up for MyStar are given 24/7 live phone access to top-rate personal assistance and information help. This type of customer service, MyStar claims, will help dealerships set themselves apart from their competing dealers and, as a result, help them close sales. Dealerships can tailor the services so that their customers are given specialized MyStar treatment.

MyStar President Ken Ferguson, believing in his product and service, said, “MyStar Personal Assistant is a powerful sales incentive that impacts every step of the car buying process. The truly unique personal value of the service helps attract customers and sell cars. Plus it helps the finance manager upsell products.”

A lemon is defined as a car that continues to have the same problem which significantly impairs its usefulness as a mode of transportation.  Lemon laws protect used car buyers in every state from being stuck with a car that was knowingly passed off as a lemon, but the laws can vary quite a bit from state to state.

A new “lemon car dodger” worksheet, designed by consumer advocate law firm Kimmel & Silverman, aims to help consumers avoid buying a lemon in the first place.  With its exhaustive list of questions for the potential consumer to ask a dealer, the worksheet (available at  http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemondodger.html) helps a car buyer to know the right questions to ask.  Used car dealers are not obligated by law to share the accident history with a possible buyer unless they ask, so being prepared with the proper questions can be a big help in avoiding a lemon. 

Although printing out and taking the “lemon car dodger” worksheet with you is highly recommended, at the very least consumers should always do the following when looking at a used car:

• Consider only vehicles with a valid manufacturer’s warranty
• Look up the car’s accident history on CarFax using the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
• Have a mechanic inspect the car first

In fact, 2012 promises to be such a strong year when it comes to new-vehicle sales that Automotive News predicts that these sales may increase by as much as seven per cent this year. The source of this rosy outlook is twofold: a settling economy and built-up consumer demand.  Specifically, the five reasons listed by Forbes are the following:

1. Low car loan interest rates
2. High trade-in values
3. Great leasing deals
4. Competitive pricing
5. Better-than-ever vehicles.

The auto financing sector seems to be the only financial sector that is showing signs of health. Earlier this week, S&P Indices and Experian both reported that default rates were increasing again in all areas, except auto financing.

Ford Motor Company has emerged from the financial downturn of the last few years. It has seen sustained growth in sales lower default rates. Earlier this month, the company announced a push to clean up its supply chain with new ethical and environmental sustainability initiatives. In reaction to the company’s stability, credit rating firm Fitch upgraded the Issuer Default Ratings for Ford and its finance subsidiary from ”BB” to ”BB+”, allowing both companies to borrow money at lower rates.

The news comes at a time when most creditors are tightening their lending policies because of large debt/income ratios and excessive risk. Car loan lenders have been pressured to improve their risk management strategies to rein in losses. This cycle usually causes the economy to slow down. Hopefully, not this time since the economy is already moving slower than a snail as it is.