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Expert Tips for Acquiring a New Car: A Comprehensive Guide to Navigating the Dealership and Making an Informed Purchase Decision   If you're buying or replacing an older car, it is essential to be aware of what to expect when visiting the dealership. Here are a few things auto experts suggest you should know before purchasing your next vehicle:  First, determine what features you want in a new car. Take into account your budget, desired options and any trade-in value that may exist. Know your budget Purchasing a new car is an important financial commitment. Therefore, you should create a budget that accommodates your requirements. It is recommended that you spend no more than 10% of your take-home pay on a car. This will leave enough money for other expenses like insurance and maintenance. By setting a budget before you shop, you can ensure you have enough money to cover unexpected costs or changes in income. Knowing your spending limit before heading out on the town will help prevent you from overspending later. Know your vehicle When purchasing a new car, knowledge is key. From features and options to insurance terminology, being an educated car buyer is essential for finding the best fit for you. One

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How to Lease a Car—and the Mistakes to Avoid   Car leasing is at an all-time high. According to statistics, the worldwide car leasing market will be worth $131.10 billion in 2029. Many people prefer leasing cars to buying cars because it’s affordable. They are also able to drive new cars, cars they couldn't afford if they were buying. But leasing can be hard for first-timers—people with little knowledge of how the process works. They may either walk away with a great deal or pay more than they should have. Thinking about leasing? Here are the top 4 mistakes to avoid. 1.   Ignoring Car Maintenance Just because you’ll eventually return the leased car to the dealership doesn’t mean you should ignore basic maintenance. Scratches and dents on the car may cause you to pay more at the end of the lease term. There’s normal wear and tear the dealer won’t charge you for, but they won’t overlook everything. Also, what's considered normal varies by dealer. Check the damages/wear and tear clause to know what the dealer considers excessive damage. Take good care of the car and do not assume the dealer will be lenient. Dealers thoroughly check vehicles at the end of the lease term for

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Top 10 Tips on How to Buy a Cool Car Yet another of my favorite questions, I could easily write 5000 words on the tools, tricks, techniques and evaluation criteria I use personally when buying a car. Let's go into this discussion acknowledging that a lot of people will buy a car just like they pick a girlfriend  - considering looks only, and forgetting about the many issues hiding within. For those people, I can't help you. You're going to make a decision based on emotion and most of the time, you'll get burned, so just buy what you want and don't bother reading these tips. For those who are not led around by the wrong piece of your anatomy, read on. 1) Start with a realistic assessment of your finances. How much cash do you have RIGHT NOW in your bank? What's your credit score? Are you financing? How much can you afford each month? If you don't start with this step, you're wasting your time and the time of sellers. 2) Next, you must assess how you will be using the vehicle? Is it a daily driver? Are you commuting long distances? (ex. 50 miles or more round trip, daily)? Will it

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Why did I sell my movie cars? I get this question so often, I felt it was time to spell it out. There are several reasons why I let these cars go.   For those of you who don't already know, I was the owner and builder of the orange Supra and the blue Nissan Maxima in the first movie. I also owned the silver Nissan Skyline GT-R in the second movie.    I had purchased these cars long before Universal came up with the idea of making these movies. As I tell the stories in my videos about these cars, Universal rented the cars from me and hired me as a technical advisor for. the first two movies.   The Supra was yellow before the movie and Universal chose to paint it orange and chose the graphics and wing for the car.   This was NOT what I wanted. I could have lived with the orange paint, the body kit, and maybe even the wing, but the graphics had to go. I was advised to refrain from changing a "valuable" movie car.   What most people don't understand is that in our little tuner car world, many people thought the first movie was a joke. It was a stereotypical

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Why The New MKV Supra is Not For Me Another question I often get is "what do I think of the new Supra?"  In short, it's a giant disappointment to some and I'm about to tell you why in my MKV review. While I'd like to have given a more in-depth MKV review, doing so would not be possible without driving it. Since I haven't had that opportunity yet, I'll reserve my review of driving dynamics until I've had the chance to do so. In the interim, this MKV review focuses on expectations vs. what we've seen so far.   Since the MKIV was released, 25 years have passed. So many of its brethren have been reborn or have evolved during this period. The Acura NSX made a comeback a few years ago and while it was a bit less than what people expected, recent updates have made it a worthy successor the legendary NSX of days gone by. The Nissan GT-R has been the car that most people think of as the Supra's arch rival. In 2008, the GT-R shocked the world with blistering Nurburgring lap times and a sub three second 0-60 time. Since then, it continues to get better, with the latest

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Forgive the braggadocio title – I used it only to make search engines happy and to help people searching for this information to find it more easily. Like many car nuts, my predilection for cars back to my early youth. I was fascinated by the 1960s Batmobile and later on, the Mach 5 from the Speed Racer cartoon series of the late 1960s. Also like many car nuts, I couldn't afford the cars I wanted when I reach driving age. My family was not well off and I had to pay for nearly everything myself. By the time I was 19, I had moved out and was going to school and working two jobs. I spent money on only a handful of things: school. food, my girlfriend and my car. Still, I managed to have some fun with cars, and over the years, the cars I owned got better. As of this writing, I've had 43 cars. I'm not including in this list the several company cars I have been issued over the years. Here they are in order: 1981 Isuzu I-Mark sedan 1973 Mercury Capri V6 1970 260Z widebody 1973 240Z 1974 260Z 1967 Chevelle 396 1981 Honda Accord hatchback 1978 Fiat