The Wheel Deal: Finding Your Perfect Vehicle

Preparation is key when choosing and test driving a new vehicle.

If you have been keeping up on our series of posts for new car buyers, you have learned about choosing the type of vehicle that best fits your life and how to narrow down your choices. Now, you’re ready to locate your ideal vehicle, kick some tires and take it for a spin!

There are quite a few websites you can utilize to find your specific vehicle of interest. Your first stop should be the manufacturer’s – or a specific local dealer’s – website.

In addition to these common contact methods, some automaker and dealership websites now have a Live Chat feature. You can see some of these services in real-time if you are considering a Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, or Cadillac vehicle. Below is an example of a real chat interaction with an interested customer, which will give you an idea of how easy it is to get your questions answered.

 

Some other popular web options include Edmunds.com, KBB.com, Cars.com and AutoTrader.com. When you search for your vehicle on sites like these, they typically bring up general vehicle information, highlighted options, VIN, MSRP, and the name and address of a dealership with the vehicle in stock.

There’s always a chance someone else might be looking at the same vehicle as you. So, it’s always a good idea to call or email the dealership to confirm your specific model is still in stock and unsold.

Once you know your vehicle is available, the dealership will invite you to come down and see it for yourself, get behind the wheel, and take it for a test drive. This visit is a great time to ask questions about the vehicle. There are some questions you may not think to ask prior to seeing the vehicle:

When you first visit the dealership, it’s important you know there is no pressure to purchase or sign anything right away. Simply make your intentions clear when you set the appointment, and then again when you arrive. Don’t be afraid to confirm the vehicle they show you is the exact same one you saw online by checking the VIN.

THE FINER DETAILS

Everyone thinks a test drive is easy; you just show up, drive the car around, and that’s it. There’s much more to it than that. When you’re out for a test drive, here are some things to take into consideration:

• Do you have ample space for your kids or other regular passengers? Consider backseat space if you’ll be using child safety seats, and think about cargo and trunk space if you regularly haul sports equipment.
• What’s it like driving the vehicle at night? With the added importance of seeing your surroundings at night, this could be a big factor most drivers don’t think about – the shape and manner in which headlights project on the road.
• How does the vehicle handle on the highway? Does it have the power you need for merging into traffic? How does it handle getting on and off the freeway?
• Finally, what about parking your car in a garage or designated space where you live or work? Will this vehicle fit comfortably in those spaces? Will the mirrors stick out just a little bit too wide? Sometimes it helps to actually park the car in the exact space you use daily, provided it’s close enough to the dealership and the dealer allows it. Or, you can measure your home parking space prior to the visit, and then compare it to the width or length of the vehicle when you see it at the dealer. Remember, there are no bad questions when making an investment in a new vehicle!

The final objective to consider upon visiting a dealership is to ask them about final pricing and if they are offering any incentives for your vehicle of interest. “MSRP” means Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price. However, often times the final sale price can be lower than this posted price, or the price you may have seen online! Once you arrive at an agreed-upon price, make sure the price includes all tax, title, license and destination freight charges, so you will know exactly how much you will need to finance. We will touch more on this topic in our final post.

Overall, don’t be afraid to weigh all your options and go with your gut! Visit multiple dealerships in your search, and once you find the dealership whose service and personality falls in line with yours, then you can prepare yourself for the imminent purchase. It’s time to get excited, as the finish line is near.

Stay tuned for our final story in the series, which will put the finishing touches on your adventure. We’ll cover final preparations for financing, insurance, and best of all, taking delivery. See you then!

GM and Ford to work together

Ford and GM work together

DETROIT – Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. have signed an agreement under which both companies will jointly develop an all-new generation of advanced technology 9- and 10-speed automatic transmissions for cars, crossovers, SUVs and trucks.

The new transmissions, to be built in both front- and rear-wheel drive variants, will improve vehicle performance and increase fuel economy.

The collaboration enables both automakers to design, develop, engineer, test, validate and deliver these new transmissions for their vehicles faster and at lower cost than if each company worked independently.

“Engineering teams from GM and Ford have already started initial design work on these new transmissions,” said Jim Lanzon, GM vice president of global transmission engineering. “We expect these new transmissions to raise the standard of technology, performance and quality for our customers while helping drive fuel economy improvements into both company’s future product portfolios.”

A Track Record of Success

This new agreement marks the third time in the past decade that GM and Ford have collaborated on transmissions.  These collaborative efforts have enabled both companies together to deliver more than 8 million durable, high-quality 6-speed front-wheel drive transmissions to customers around the globe.

Ford installs these 6-speed transmissions in some of America’s favorite vehicles, such as the Ford Fusion family sedan, the Edge crossover and the Escape and Explorer SUVs, while GM installs them into a variety of high volume, award-winning products like the Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Traverse, Chevrolet Equinox and Chevrolet Cruze.

These original collaborations served as a template for the new one. As before, each company will manufacture its own transmissions in its own plants with many common components.

“The goal is to keep hardware identical in the Ford and GM transmissions. This will maximize parts commonality and give both companies economy of scale,” said Craig Renneker, Ford’s Chief Engineer, Transmission & Driveline Component & Pre-Program Engineering. “However, we will each use our own control software to ensure that each transmission is carefully matched to the individual brand-specific vehicle DNA for each company.”

“With the jointly developed six-speed automatics we have in production today, we’ve already proven that Ford and GM transmission engineers work extremely well together,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of Powertrain engineering. “Our 6F family of transmissions has exceeded expectations and there is every reason to believe we will have the same success with these all new transmissions.”

“This agreement provides tremendous benefits for both companies, and it will pay big dividends for our customers and shareholders,” added Lanzon. “By jointly sharing the development of these two new families of transmissions, both GM and Ford will be able to more efficiently use our respective manpower resources to develop additional future advanced transmissions and bring them to market faster than if we worked alone.”

Further technical details and vehicle applications for these transmissions will be released by each company at the appropriate time before launch.