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TIPS FOR BUYING A CAR FOR YOUR NEW GRAD
American Pride Automotive • April 24, 2014
Graduation season is right around the corner, which means several parents of young adults will soon be searching for the perfect car.
Here are our top tips for choosing a vehicle as a graduation gift:
1) Consider how the car (or truck) will be used.
If your new grad will be staying at home in the suburbs and making daily commutes to a local college or part time job, a fuel-efficient sedan is probably suitable. But if your young adult is headed to an urban college and will be parallel parking or using a parking garage on a regular basis, you may want to consider a sub-compact. If they’re starting out in the job market, how far is their commute? Consider fuel-efficiency and comfort. Will they need to drive clients around in the car? If so, a nice interior will be important. Do they have hobbies that require special features like a hitch or extra cargo space? Will they be living somewhere with ice and snow on the ground for part of the year?
There’s a lot to think about!
2) Consider the ownership costs.
Younger drivers cost more to insure, and insurance costs can vary greatly depending on the driver’s gender, age,\ and vehicle. If your son or daughter will be paying for their insurance, you will want to make sure the bill won’t be more than they can handle.
Vehicles that top the insurance-cost list tend to be high horsepower, high dollar or expensive to repair.
3) Test Drive!
Once you’ve narrowed the list down to a handful of suitable cars, take each for a test drive. Consider any physical limitations that might make a specific car unsuitable. If you have a 6’4” tall son, for example, headroom may be very important.
4) And last but not least, make sure it’s safe.
We know safety is a high concern when you send your baby off to school. At American Pride, all cars and trucks are thoroughly checked, inspected, tested and backed with a three-month/3,000-mile powertrain warranty.
American Pride has a reputation for honesty, experience, and standing behind our work. If you’re searching for a reliable used car for your recent grad, we can help. Stop by one of our locations today!
We want to say thank you to all of our healthcare and first responders. Please accept this specialized offer.
You’re driving home at night and it is raining cats and dogs. You can’t see but 20 feet in front of your car, but you’ve slowed down and are being extra cautious, so what could go wrong? Then you feel it. A sinking Cl-clunk. Maybe that “puddle” you saw ahead of you was deeper than just a puddle. Before you know it, your car is stalling in the high water in the middle of the road. Now what? First off, don’t panic. Turn on your hazards and crank the ignition once. If the car starts, make it dry land and pull over to assess the damage. If it does not start the first time, do not try to start it again. Doing so can result in a hydro locked engine and will likely necessitate the rebuilding or replacement of the engine. Unfortunately, if you find yourself stalling in water at all, your vehicle will probably need costly repairs. The best way to avoid water damage is to practice safe and smart driving in wet weather, which brings us to Part 2 of the Everything Auto “Blame it on the Rain” series (Find Part 1 here). Take heed of these severe weather driving tips: 1. TAKE NO CHANCES ON PUDDLES Even if the standing water ahead of you looks shallow enough to drive through, think twice. If the water is “rushing” or if other drivers are making a point to avoid it, don’t assume that your vehicle is the exception. Additionally, you never know the hazards that lay at the bottom of a puddle. Hidden potholes or debris can pierce your tires and jostle your alignment and suspension system. 2. IF YOU MUST TAKE A CHANCE, TAKE IT SLOW AND STEADY When you deem it necessary and safe to drive through water of questionable depth, go slowly. Speeding through a puddle, even a shallow one, can splash water into your vehicle’s intake and critically harm the engine. Like we mentioned last week, after driving through standing water, lightly tap your brakes to make sure they aren’t saturated and to dry them off. 3. KEEP A ROADSIDE EMERGENCY KIT HANDY Sometimes, no matter how careful you are on the road, accidents and vehicle malfunctions happen, especially in wet severe weather. That’s why it is extremely important to keep emergency supplies ready in the trunk for the worst case scenario. You can buy a preassembled one, but it is cheaper (and more rewarding) to assemble your own. What should you include? Edmunds.com provides an excellent comprehensive list of items, a few of which include: 12-foot jumper cables Four 15 minute road flares Two quarts of oil A gallon of antifreeze A first-aid kit. Find the rest of the list here We hope that this series has given you helpful safety insights and tips for driving in the rain! Remember that American Pride Automotive is always here to help and ready to answer any and all of your auto repair and maintenance questions! Call or contact us today.
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