Category Archives: Buyer’s Guide

Manual vs Automatic

Posted by on January 3, 2012 No comments

In 1948, the first car with a fully automatic transmission was released.  Since that time, automatics have taken hold of consumer demand over their trickier and more attention needing counterpart, manual transmissions.  Most consumers don’t even bother learning the techniques of the stick shift in their entire life because they don’t need to.  I was lucky because my parents got me a nice, cheap manual the winter I got my license.  Well, they got it because I scorned stick and swore I’d never drive it and my father knew I’d have to learn if I didn’t want to ride my bike through two feet of snow everyday (my Dad in a nutshell).  Still, I learned how to maneuver a manual at a young age and even regret not learning it sooner.  That is not the way of the world, though, and automatics dominate the market to the point where stick is only used for racing or out of some undying habitual loyalty to the old age of automobiles.  That doesn’t mean one is better than the other, does it?  Well, I’m glad you asked (or rather I asked for you), because I’ve crunched the numbers and read the research.  I can tell you which switch to itch or what gear to grind, but what I want to do is explain the key differences between manual transmission and automatic and let you decide for yourself.  After all, it’s all what you are comfortable with.

The debate has raged on for decades and those more gear-head inclined seem to be savoring the flavor of the stick shift more than the average everyday commuter.  For those not seasoned in the art of clutch shifting, all it really is is an extra pedal and a knobby thingy set in beside the driver’s and passenger’s seat that clicks the engine into different gears for different inputs of gas into the engine.  Your vehicle needs to start at one gear (1st) and work it’s way to another or rather, can’t work at one gear (2nd) when it reaches a certain speed.  It’s all about managing your torque, which is the thing that accelerates your vehicle.  Each gear is designed for different set of RPMs (Rotations Per Minute) and that is what the torque is used to do.  The more torque, the more rotations, the more horsepower used, the faster your car goes.   When in a lower gear, your going to use less torque, but in 5th or 6th gear, you’ll be at your fastest so you’ll need a significant increase in torque for you’re car to run properly.  Failure to shift will kill your transmission because you’re not applying the right amount of torque to the speed and output of your engine, so it won’t be able to sustain.

I hope that last paragraph explained standard transmission at least enough for you all to follow along.  What you need to know about automatics is that the transmission is entirely different because you don’t have to shift and lock your tranny into a specific set of RPMs.    It works by adjusting several gears within to deliver the best torque as you accelerate.  The primary difference between the two types that an average consumer will notice is that manuals tend to expend less gas.  They require less gear shifting because they lock in where as automatics constantly change.   In a gas crisis this little fact could be enough to push those comfortable with stick shift in that direction.

Automatics are significantly easier to drive and provide drivers with the luxury of paying more attention to the road.  Granted, by the time you master the art of manual driving, it will come almost second nature to you, but automatics are crucial in traffic because you don’t have to hold down the clutch every time you move an inch.  Plus, manuals roll back when you let off the gas and that can be a pain when you’re stopped on a hill.  Conversely, automatics do not give you the same control over your engine.  Stopping is easier in a manual because you downshift back to previous gears which will slow you down gradually.  They are good for bending turns and handling and whether it’s off the line or in transit, they offer quicker shifting for higher acceleration and overall faster speed.  That is why all of NASCAR has a form of manual shifting and why all Paul Walker’s cars are too fast and too furious.

Automatics also cost more because manufacterers and dealerships know consumers don’t want to bother with shifting.  Buying sports or performance vehicles, however, is a bit of a waste if they are automatic.  Not enough grit or quickness to them.  Paddle shifting is something that has become rather popular for those who don’t want to deal with a clutch but want to shift that fancy sports car.  It basically does all the same things as a standard, just with a quick tap of a paddle built into the steering wheel.  These are semi-automatic because you won’t need to clutch down and shift, you just shift, but you still need to shift.  They are a more advanced form of manual in my book.  One last thing that needs to be noted is that when your car battery dies in an automatic, you need to jump start it.  For a manual, you throw it in neutral, push it, pop the clutch (throw it into gear) and fire the engine up.  It’s a lot more hassle free.

It’s hard to say what is right for you if you only know one way.  When I drove manual in my first two cars, I couldn’t wait to get an automatic and not have to deal with shifting.  After years with an automatic, I miss the control a standard gives and the competitive feel from hitting those gears just right and receiving that little extra push.  Manuals are downright fun to drive when you don’t have to deal with hills or traffic or traffic on hills.  Automatics are carefree and simple.  What it comes down to is what you prefer.  I suggest you learn both and decide for yourself.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer

 

Buyer’s Guide : How to buy Insurance

Posted by on October 24, 2011 No comments
Finding the right automotive insurance is a process within the grander process of buying a car.  Sure, you can easily call an insurance company and have them run the numbers for you, listen in, agree and verbally commit on the spot, but good research and a strong hold on the information being presented makes a world of difference.  How much of a difference?  How does a grand a year sound?  Shopping for insurance shouldn’t be as simple as dialing an 800 number;  it should be thought out and decisions should be weighed like gold on a scale.  After all, making a rash decision can lift it’s weight in gold from your wallet.  We at One Stop Motors.com understand the plight of the car buyer and have created a quick guide to finding the right insurance to cover everything you need and want for the best price available. 

The first thing you should decide when beginning the insurance search is what kind of coverage you need.  If you’re not sure what kind of coverages are available or what they do, visit our Insurance 101 article.  Now, assuming you understand the policies and coverage available to you, it’s time for you to decide what kind of coverage works for you.  If you have a fairly expensive car in the prime of its life, your insurance policy should show that.  Collision to cover accidents and Comprehensive to cover random bad luck and theft.  Don’t be foolish here, because spending a few dollars more a month could  save you a vicious streak of repairs later down the road.  Of course, if you have a relatively aged or inexpensive car, you probably won’t need Comprehensive since it could end up costing more than the car is worth by the time you get rid of it.  If you’re in-between, consider your geography.  If you’re in an area that storms a lot or has a track record of tornadoes, hail storms,  hurricanes or winter blizzards, Comprehensive might be a more urgent and real option.

After you determine the coverage you need, figure out your budget.  How much can you afford to pay in premiums each year?  How much disposable income do you have that can go towards your deductible in the event of an accident?  You have to ask and answer these questions to get your first estimated price.  Also look into your credit score.  Those of us with shaky credit scores are liable to higher insurance costs on account of the insurer’s fear of you defaulting.  Once you spend enough time with an insurance company and you’ve paid your bills on time without gaining new debt or dirtying your driving record, you’re premiums will drop significantly because the company knows they can trust you.  Now that you know your coverage needed and the price you can afford, it’s time to go hunting.

Here is the part where you gather information not on yourself, but on the various insurance agencies available.  The Internet will be your bible in doing this.  You can search company histories, round up free insurance quotes, compile customer reviews and ratings and ultimately bring you closer to making an informed decision.  Websites like InsWeb.com provide a universal format for plugging in details about your situation and yielding out hypothetical quotes based on your input.  Every state also has a Department of Insurance that you can access to research complains filed for each company you might be interested in.  The big insurance companies have a good history of reliable payouts and strong customer service.  They are Geico, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and Esurance among a few others.  What you get by going with one of these companies is piece of mind.  They are large enough to accommodate you and because they are so large, they have the money to compensate you (which is the whole point of insurance).

Gather your quotes and company profiles to compare and contrast them against one another.  You’ll notice each company brings a different entity to the table.  One might offer you lower premiums, but don’t cover everything you want, while another does the opposite.  Here is the point where you look for advise from friends, family and professionals alike.  Go to your favorite local auto mechanic and ask their opinion.  Odds are they’ve dealt with everyone and know who gets the job done the right way.  Another approach is to ask your friends and family or your co-workers.  Everyone has a story to tell and you might be surprised at what you didn’t know from reading a company overview.  These are the people who are in the same boat as you, already equipped with the coverage you need, who will give you valuable insight.

Once you’ve picked a company and you’ve picked your policies, don’t submit just yet.  Call that company up and speak with a living, breathing agent.  That is their job, to explain things you don’t understand, answer your questions and to sell their service to you.  Most of these people will go the extra mile to make you feel wanted.  Ask them for any deals or ways to lower your premium.  A majority of Americans don’t realize that you’re insurance goes down if you take a six hour driving safety class or you hit a certain age (granted you stay out of trouble).  Agents want you on their roster, so they will do what they can to entice and encourage you.

From there you should have everything pretty much covered.  The only thing left to do is to sign, right?  Not quiet yet.  Read your policies from top to bottom.  Look for loop holes and gaps that might put you at risk somewhere down the line.  In particular, look out for any terms or phrases that, if you sign, gives away the right to sue in the event of a disagreement.  Most reputable companies won’t bother, but it’s better to deal with it before the coverage begins than when you’re in a major accident and you’re paying your car and medical expenses.  Another thing to look out for is your coverage.  Are the things you need and want covered covered?  Don’t skim here, not after all the work you just put in.  Laziness will lead to lamenting later on.

Only after you’ve read and agree with the policy in place should you sign off on it.  Once you do that, you’re covered.  You can rest easy knowing if a horde of animals escape from the zoo and trample your car while you sleep, you’ll be covered with Comprehensive.  If you didn’t get comprehensive, that’s alright, because you now know it wouldn’t be worth the premium and deductible to cover yourself against a zoo animal stampede.  That’s the beauty of insurance, though. It covers like a canopy.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer

Buyer’s Guide : Test Drive Checklist

Posted by on October 19, 2011 No comments
The most important element to buying a used car is also the fundamental function of an automobile.  What is that, you ask?  How does it drive?  Test driving a car should always be done before buying it.  Let me repeat.  Always test drive before you buy!  Those who do not are setting themselves up to be marks for scammers, grifters, and con-men looking to turn a trick into a profit and a purchaser into a car-less, money-less fool.  Now that I’ve made that clear, you should understand how to buy a car before you just show up at a house and ask for a test drive.  For that, OSM’s Buyer’s Checklist can be found here.  If you’ve done all of that already, then you need to know why and how to test drive a car before you make an offer.  Here’s our checklist. 

1.) Aesthetics

The aesthetics of a car or in layman’s terms, the look of a car is important not only for your personal preference, but also in determining the condition of a car.  Since buying used is like buying a hand-me-down, you can always tell how a car will run based on how it looks from the external and internal upkeep of it.  A car body covered in rust and dents is far more likely to be a waste of time than one that looks clean and unscathed.  Pictures only go so far, but seeing the vehicle up close gives the buyer a chance to make a personal evaluation of the car’s condition.  Here is a list of questions to answer for the aesthetics of a car’s interior and exterior.

Exterior

  • Are their visible signs of scratches, dents, rust or paint discoloration/chipped?  Y_ N_
  • Are their cracks, chips, or scrapes in the windshield? Y_ N_
  • Does the car appear to be balanced properly?  Y_ N_
  • Are there fluid leaks (not water from AC) or puddles pooling underneath the car?  Y_ N_
  • Does the hood, trunk and doors all open properly? Y_ N_
  • Is anything hanging or displaced (bumper, mirror, ect.)? Y_ N_
  • Are the break pads old and rusted? Y_ N_
  • Is there tread on the tires? Y_ N_

(This last one can be skipped if planning to get new tires)

Interior

  • Are the seats, rugs and upholstery ripped or stained? Y_ N_
  • Do all the seat belts work properly? Y_ N_
  • Do all the doors lock properly? Y_ N_
  • Can you operate all the windows properly? Y_ N_
  • Check all buttons and power option items.  Do they function? Y_ N_
  • What about signals, wipers and four-ways? Y_ N_
  • Do the radio and speakers work? Y_ N_

2.) Mechanics

Once the car’s appearance and functionality has been assessed, it’s time to test the practicality of the ride.  The mechanics, how the car runs and the collective parts that attribute to this, needs to dire attention.  This is the whole reason for test drives, to actually test drive a car.  A car can look well maintained and healthy on the outside, but inside could be a disaster of faulty parts and problems.  Having a mechanic or car professional you can trust test drive a car before you buy it is the ideal way to protect yourself from fraud.  Not everyone has that kind of asset, however, so below is a list of things to keep your eyes and ears tuned to while taking a used car for a ride.  Be sure to find a safe and remote place to conduct your driving experiment.  Remember, this section is the crucial factor between making a good buy and making a huge mistake.

While Parked

  • Does the car start smoothly when you turn the key in the ignition? Y_ N_
  • Tap the gas pedal, does the engine respond fluently?  Y_ N_
  • Any irregular or discolored (blue, black, or white) smoke coming from exhaust? Y_ N_
  • Without pressing pedal, does the engine sound quiet and controlled?  Y_ N_
  • Can you hear any rattling, chugging, grinding or other abnormal sounds?  Y_ N_
  • Are the gauges working properly? Y_ N_
  • Do all the head and brake lights work? Y_ N_
  • How about the horn? Y_ N_
  • Does the air conditioning and heat work once warmed up? Y_ N_

In Motion

  • Does the car shift gears properly and without slipping, jumping or grinding? Y_ N_
  • Are there any vibrations or hiccups in engine while accelerating? Y_ N_
  • Look at gauges, is the car overheating? Y_ N_
  • What about “Check Engine” or other service lights, do they come on while driving?  Y_ N_
  • Are there inconsistencies in the car’s acceleration? Y_ N_
  • Is the steering wheel responsive when turned? Y_ N_
  • Tap the brakes, are they responsive and without vibrations or squealing? Y_ N_
  • Carefully, come to a quick stop.  Do the brakes respond properly? Y_ N_
  • Does the car shake or rock back and forth after? Y_ N_
  • Does the engine stall while driving uphill? Y_ N_
  • Does the emergency brake properly stop or hold vehicle on hill? Y_ N_
  • Is there a delay between accelerating and the car’s response? Y_ N_
  • Does the car make noise when you turn? Y_ N_
  • Does the car vier or pull one way when driving strait? Y_ N_
  • When you drive over a bump, do you hear rattling or squealing? Y_ N_
  • Throughout all of this, do you smell smoke or burning from the engine? Y_ N_

Go through your list now and see how many of these questions were answered with a ‘yes’.  For the aesthetics, that is really up to the buyer, but if the mechanics is questionable, having an auto mechanic inspect the car before you buy has gone from a preference to a requirement.  Either that or consider shopping for something else.  In the end, buying a car is a big responsibility and an even bigger folly if done without the right research and inspection.  Be ready or buyer beware.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer

 

Buyer’s Guide : Buyer’s Checklist

Posted by on October 17, 2011 No comments
Purchasing a car is a big investment no matter who you are.  Your automobile isn’t just a tool in your shed; it requires regular maintenance and constant care.  When it malfunctions, it can cost any number of limbs to get it repaired.  If you are not educated and prepared during those per-purchase days on the hunt for your next automotive investment, you could very well end up dishing out far more in repairs later than the car is worth now.  Have no fear, for OneStopMotors.com is here to help you improve your buyer’s awareness.  Below is our version of a Buyer’s Checklist of questions to ask and answer that will help even the biggest novice make a smart and educated auto purchase.

1.) What can you afford?

This is the most important question a car buyer should ask themselves.  Forget overpaying or being duped by fraud, if you make a buy outside your financial comfort zone, you’ve set yourself up for sabotage.  Things to consider for what you can afford is how much you have saved against how much you are willing to pay.  This will put you in a realistic target range for what type of car is safely available to you.  Another thing to consider is how much your current car can be traded-in or sold privately for.  Generally, it’s better to sell a used car personally or through a third party like OSM.  The reason being is dealers will never give you the proper value for a trade-in.  When all of your numbers are configured, combine them and see what you actually have to spend.

2.) Do you have good credit?  Can you get a loan?

After you have your own personal numbers, you should look into your credit score and whether taking out a personal loan from a bank or money lender would be a viable option.  Since most people aren’t sitting on fifteen grand to drop on a good used vehicle, a loan can spot them the extra months it would take to scratch up the cash.  There are countless credit check programs people can plug their name into online.  If you find that your credit is right and a loan is something you are considering, go to your credit union or local bank and inquire about a reasonable loan.

3.) What kind of car do you need?  What kind do you want?

Once the financial has been assessed, you should have a pretty good picture of what your price range is.  Now you can start making some decisions on what kind of car to shop for.  The first thing to decide is what you need the vehicle for.  What will you use the car for?  A construction worker, as an example, might need a truck or SUV to haul material and tools, while an accountant only needs to get to and from the office.  Associated with a buyer’s need is their preference and lifestyle.  That accountant might have a family of five to cart around town or could be an expedition junkie in need of off-road capabilities.  All these things need to be asked and answered, but in the end it comes down to what car  calls out to you.

4.)  Did you do your research?

Before you physically search for your new whip, you should do your homework.  The Internet is an endless source to find everything from professional car articles and reviews, car spec breakdowns, peer insights and automotive pricing.  Resources such as Kelly’s Blue Book (www.kbb.com) or Edmunds (www.edmunds.com)  provide web surfers the freedom to evaluate a new or used car based on a number of plug-in values.  Once the information about a specific car is entered, you’ll have access to the true worth of that Chevy Malibu you’ve been circling.  These sites are ideal because of their mass amounts of resources compacted into one area.  You can even find a car recall history on the model.  If you’re not sure what you want, you can search based on a general number of car types and pricing to help narrow your search.  Knowing what you’re walking into when you finally approach a seller is crucial to avoiding being taken advantage of.

5.)  Have you test driven the car?

The next step in the ever expanding checklist is simple; test drive before you buy.  Purchasing a “lemon” car can happen too often with shady dealerships or equally ambiguous private sellers.  These vultures prey off of a buyer’s lack of knowledge and understanding of how car shopping should be done.  When you go to look at that car you saw in the ad, you should first ask the seller about the car history.  Companies like CarFax disclose a vehicle’s accident history to protect buyers and should be consulted before you make your initial visit.  If what you know about the car is different from what the seller has told you, that should set off an alarm immediately that they are untrustworthy.  If it checks out, hop in and take the car for a spin.  The purpose is to look and listen for abnormalities in the car’s behavior while in motion.  Not sure exactly what to look for?  Follow the link to our Test Drive Checklist (available here).  If something seems off, consult a mechanic before making a purchase.

6.) How does your prospect stack up?

Once you’ve met with the seller and completed the test drive, you should do a quick re-evaluation of everything you’ve learned over this process.  It can’t hurt to crunch numbers a second time, just to be safe.  Contact your insurance provider and get an estimated quote on how much the insurance on that specific automobile will be.  Don’t forget to add in registration and DMV fees to get the car on the road.  If everything stacks up and you are satisfied, then it’s time to take that next step.  If  you’re on the fence, back off and take some time.  Don’t make a bad decision because you weren’t 100% or the seller was pressing your for an answer.  This process should revolve around you and how comfortable you feel towards your purchase.

7.) Have you made an offer?

The last step to buying a car is the actual buying of the car.  This can be harder on the more gentle souls, but projecting a shark’s aggression when putting in that offer is essential to getting the best deal.  Most sellers have an asking price which is different from what they are willing to settle on.  They know how much their car is worth and they should know how much they can get for it.  When you make that first offer, you should bid a grand or two below the asking price.  This will get the seller swinging at your pitches instead of the other way around.  If the asking price is already a steal based on  your research, you should re-evaluate what you know about that particular vehicle.  If it seems too good to be true, it almost always is.  If the seller doesn’t budge from their price, they might already be at their settling price.  Try your best to gauge their demeanor and haggle your way into a better price for you.  Most always, the seller will negotiate and come down from their original price.

Buying a car shouldn’t be stressful on you or your wallet.  If you play your hand right and do your homework, you’re almost certain to come out ahead in the end.  Now that you know what to do and what to look for, you can go nuts.  Remember, what you drive reflects who you are, so making a good automotive buy is making good on the kind of person you are.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer

Buyer’s Guide : How to avoid fraud

Posted by on October 17, 2011 No comments
It would be nice to believe that the world was made up of only honest, good-hearted people.  Unfortunately, this is an absolute anti-truth and the wicked do inhabit and stalk the earth.  At one time or another, we’ve all have dealings and interactions with these nefarious types and more times than not, we’ve payed a scammer’s price to learn a valuable lesson about avoiding these twisted souls.  Sometimes, even more unfortunately, these people are so sleek and adapt that they can put on the persona of the honest citizen.  They’ll attempt to lull you into a false set of security in order to extract money from your wallet with a smile.  In the game of buying and selling pre-owned cars, this is a common practice boiled down to a science.  Knowing how to avoid fraud sellers and hidden scams is the first step to safe business transactions in the used car market.

Recognizing fraud is not always cut and dry simple.  Scam artists are called “artists” for a reason and some are just as good at ripping people off as Kenny Wallace is at racing.  Seeing through the smoke and mirrors of a scam, especially internet scams, can be done by knowing a few key facts to online payment transactions.  Where you look for used cars online is important.  Free listings like Craigslist or bid sites like eBay Motors have the most and purist fraud listings for cars.  They will often steal images and information from a real used car listing and re-post them under a fraudulent banner.  These sites can’t monitor every post or submission for authenticity, so going through third party agents like Car Trader or our very own One Stop Motors is a good way around that.  These businesses are built to sell and because they come with a price, scammers tend to avoid them.  Still, doing something as simple as running the VIN # through Google to see if a car is sold or who the title owner is can take two minutes and save a lot of heartache.

Paying is where they always get you, so knowing how to pay online safely is dire.  First thing to remember, never, ever pay online using a financial wiring services like Western Union or MoneyGram.  No listing site endorses this method because there is no way to protect your money wire.  As soon as the money order goes in the mail or over the internet, it’s gone baby gone.  The counter to this is escrow.  Escrow acts as a bag-man in the transaction of money and products.  The buyer sends money through escrow and they hold onto it until both parties confirm their transaction is completed.  At that time, escrow releases the money to the seller.  Escrow never uses Western Union typed services.

Just because you see escrow in an ad or posting, however, doesn’t mean it is necessarily legitimate.  Escrow fraud is a cleaver way to catch buyers off guard.  Escrow through eBay, for example, doesn’t exist.  Seeing those two words together should raise a flag.  Escrow sites will also never have a dash or .ORG in their address (no escrow is non-profit).  If you receive an e-mail from escrow during a transaction and it asks for a fax, avoid that as well, because faxes are unsecured channels and by extension never used by an escrow site.  Also keep an eye out for the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and escrow, since like eBay, the BBB is not associated with escrow.    Most third party sellers have escrow affiliations that handle the payments for you to avoid anything like what we’ve mentioned above.

Let’s say you do go through eBay to find a used car.  You have to be cautious what you read or are sent by the eBay user listing the vehicle.  Never e-mail responses directly, go through the eBay e-mailing outlet.  If in an e-mail the seller suggests paying through Yahoo!, Google, or eBay payment agents this is a scam.  None of these mentioned have escrow or provide safe payment streams for used car sales.  Also to avoid is eBay second chance offers on cars as these cars have probably been sold already and a scammer is trying to sell it a fictional version to you.  Generally, if you want to avoid the hassle of fraud, suggest escrow as a payment plan with the seller.  If they suggest other, non-secured methods or claim escrow is untrustworthy, that should be a sign that the seller is the untrustworthy one.

Identifying fraud when on the hunt for a used car can be a backwards affair with a bad decision if you let your guard down.  Having companies like OSM to provide the necessary protection for both parties, but refining your search so that you only pick up local vehicles for sale is perhaps the safest way to shop for used cars.  Seeing is believing and it’s much harder to hide fraud if the buyer is within driving distance.  Still, the world is populated with enough honest people to make buying used an intelligent and valuable option.  It’s the rest of the world you have to be keen against.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer

Buyer’s Guide : Boat Insurance 101

Posted by on October 17, 2011 No comments
Gliding across that glistening lake, soaking in the spring air; it’s hard not to love life sitting behind the wheel of a boat.  There’s just nothing like it.  The process to get there, however, is much the same as it is with any motorized vehicle.  There requires a certain margin of knowledge and understanding in going through the motions of becoming a boater, a sailor or simply a captain of the high seas.  If your new to the world of floating aquatic vessels then the first step is to get your boating license (see How to get a boating license), but for those seasoned seamen, it begins with the boat.  What does every boat on the water have in common besides nautical terminology?  No, not an emergency raft or a survival kit (though they do).  Insurance. 

Boating insurance like car or motorcycle insurance is essential to not only protecting your investment, but to protecting you yourself.  It is a necessary cost that all water craft owners should carry for one very simple reason; boats are expensive.  While not all states and circumstances require boat insurance, if you have the money to buy one then you should have the money to insure that purchase.  You don’t want to be docked during hurricane season, facing a whirling tropical storm on the verge of typhoon status without it.  Here is a few key points to finding and feeling out insurance for you sea-craft.

Boat insurance is much trickier to field than your everyday auto insurance.  Most boat insurer’s are privatized or are nationwide but boating is a side amenity.  What I mean by this is that a policy can be taken out for your boat through your homeowner’s insurance provider.  These companies are not boat based companies, their home insurers offering additional coverage on your grown up toys.  Adding on to your home policy can be easy and clean-cut, but it is often limited in coverage and not ideal for serious boating enthusiasts.  You can go with an independent insurance agent, ones geared towards boats, but these companies might be spotty and questionable in their endeavors.  Just like with car insurance, you have to know your insurance agency is going to pay out in the event of an accident, otherwise there is no point to paying for insurance.  With boats its a bit more severe because the cost of a boat is expensive (thus insurance is higher), the repairs are always expensive and accidents on the water might lead to sinking where cars crash and sit idol on the side of the road.  If you know the company is reputable and trusted, take the plunge and sign up.  Ultimately, however, the best bet for boating insurance comes from marine insurance specialists.  These are insurance companies designed solely for boating coverage.  Companies like Boat U.S. and NBOA have a long history in the maritime insurance racket.  They pay out as long as you pay in.

Do your homework here.  Find out with company does which and what for.  Compile your evidence and notes.  Know what a company has to offer, how they’ve handled claims in the past and what kind of financial background they have.  You can use the same resource that you might with car insurers in the A.M. Best rating (www.ambest.com/ratings).  A.M. Best is a company that keeps tabs on insurer’s financial stability and offers consumers a look into their gathered evidence.  They are highly trusted and are the foremost authority for insurance intel.  If you have boating friends or contacts at your marina, talk to them as well.  Insight from trusted sources such as these will bring piece of mind and insider knowledge from the people most identical to your situation.

Once you’ve decided on a provider, you should consider the types of coverage you’re aiming after.  There are two main choices for boat insurance; Agreed Value Policy and Actual Cash Value Policy.  An Agreed Value policy allows you to replace your boat at full value with a new one.  This means if you’re boat sinks and you’re policy is paid and processed, it will be replaced with a brand new version of the same boat.  Actual Cash Value works differently because it pays for the current value of your boat, rather than the current value of a new counterpart.  If you’ve had your boat for ten years, the Actual Cash Value will be less than when you originally bought it.  Conversely, Agreed Value on that same boat might be hard if the model has been discontinued.  Then there is no new version of your current boat to replace it with.  In that event, you might receive the full value of that boat at it’s original cost.  All of this, however, is slightly skewed from insurer to insurer and policy to policy.  The immediate difference between the two is that Agreed Value is more expensive and Actual Cash Value.

For those with small fishing boats or older, worn out models, Actual Cash Value is the best option.  It’s cheaper and Agreed Value isn’t quite worth the price as you’re boat probably cannot be replaced by the same model anymore.  If you are sporting a new speed boat or cruiser, then Agreed Value is your best option.  Set the policy up to cover a certain cost (say $50,000) and it will pay out at that cost.  It also covers the parts and pieces of your boat that might be broken and will be replaced by a new equivalent.  One of the things to watch out for, however, is a limit salvage coverage.  This is the amount that might be paid to a salvager to resurrect your boat from the heap of tattered hulls and engine parts that it might become.  If the salvage coverage is less than your Agreed Value or it subtracts your deductible from the total amount of money available to repair your boat, it can lead to you not getting the full reimbursement of your Agreed Value.  By making it the same as the Agreed Value policy, you insure that your boat will either be replaced as new or repair to the point of being almost new.

The last thing to consider is your geography.  Where does your boat make port?  If you live along the coast or around a gulf feeding out into the ocean, you may need to consider additional coverage geared towards hurricane.  Often times, policies carry hurricane deductibles that raise your deductible for salvage and repairs as a deterrent against the wicked waves of hurricanes and tropical storms.    If you live on one of the Great Lakes, then the odds are you’ll never run into a perfect storm, so you can live without such coverage.  Most all this can be broken-down and explained by your marine insurance specialist once you’ve selected one.

It might be aesthetically beautiful to be out on the great blue beyond and there might not be an equivalent to the serenity and splendor of sailing, but not even beauty can protect you against the worst case scenario of owning a boat.  That is what boat insurance is for; to shield your investment while you bask in the beauty of the boating experience.  While maybe not Confucius quality, there is a saying that sums up why you should have boat insurance.   Use it or lose it.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer

Buyer’s Guide : Understanding Motorcycle Insurance

Posted by on October 17, 2011 No comments
Insurance for your car is mandatory to get it on the road.  It protects you in the event of an unforeseen accident, but cars have a plethora of safety features and standards to keep drivers safe.  What about motorcycles?  Saddling around the steel frame of a two wheel rocket as it speeds past traffic on the expressway, the only thing to catch you in the event of an accident is the abundance of open air surrounding you.  There’s no airbags or seat-belts to cradle you in the event of a crash.  Motorcycles are dangerous, even to the most high skilled riders.  Suddenly, insurance isn’t just a mandatory expense paid to play with your chopper on the open road; it’s an investment made to protect your motorcycle, but more to protect you.

Driving safely and with extreme awareness at all times is the best way to prevent a motorcycle accident, although there is no sure way to avoid any vehicle accident from ever happening.  That is why insurance was created; to provide drivers with an exit strategy to an expensive problem stemming from crashing.  Motorcycle insurance, perhaps the most crucial of all insurances offered, can’t catch you if you fly head first over your handlebars going 60 mph.  What it can do is cover the cost of your vehicle and any medical attention you might need.  For those who ride as a cheaper alternative to automobiles, that is something that cannot be ignored.  So, what are the kinds of motorcycle insurances?

Most motorcycle insurance types are identical to ones offered to automobile owners; Collision and Comprehensive Coverage being the main two.  Collision protects your motorcycle from any damage it may receive due to moving accident.  You pay a deductible and the insurer covers the cost after that, regardless of who is at fault.  Comprehensive covers the idol time when your bike is parked.  If it is stolen, vandalized or a victim of some sort of natural disaster (think hail storms and fallen tree limbs), Comprehensive will work the same way as Collision to repair your vehicle.  Motorcycle riders are required to have at least the minimum Collision by law in order to drive their bike legally.  Comprehensive is more of a rest easy remedy.

Liability Coverage is an insurance type that covers riders in the event that they are at fault in an accident.  The types are Property Damage Liability and Bodily Injury Liability.  Property will take care of any property owned by another that may have been destroyed or damaged during the accident, while Bodily Injury will cover medical costs (up to a certain amount depending on coverage) for you and for others involved.  Most states require a small amount of liability insurance from their cycle wielding citizens, but liability is the type of insurance that is crucial to this population.  If you are in an accident and you break an arm, a leg and a few ribs, that is going to send you to the emergency room and a hospital bed for a few days.  These are expensive circumstances that a lot of people cannot afford to cover.  Without Bodily Injury Liability, you could be paying off hospital bills for years to come.  If it comes down to saving a few dollars now or getting the medical care you or someone else you are responsible for needs, the scale will always lean to the latter.  They say you can’t put a price on a person’s life, but insurers are designed to do such a thing.

One of the pitfalls to motorcycle insurance and insurance all together is the term “Full Coverage”.  What does it mean?  It means something different to every insurance agency and bank in the world.  One company’s full coverage could cover Collision, Comprehensive and Property Coverage, but leave out Bodily Injury.  One could include Bodily Injury but leave out Comprehensive and Property.  Never ask for “full coverage” because that is not an industry term or insurance type.

Stick to the basic policies types provided above and get the coverage you need.  Don’t be afraid to ask a potential insurance agent questions regarding policy stipulations and possible discounts.  They will help you where they can.  Remember, insurance isn’t just a mandatory requirement to owning and operating a motorcycle; it’s also a safeguard that could save your life both physically and financially.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer

Buyer’s Guide : How to find the value of your car

Posted by on October 17, 2011 No comments
So you want to sell your car but don’t know how much to charge.  You don’t wants to be underpaid for your old ride, but simultaneously, if you over value the vehicle it will never sell.  Have no fear, because we at OneStopMotors.com are here to help you identify the right source to base your selling price of off.

First thing is first, you need to know how to determine the value of your car.  There are many factors to consider and each of these factors make each individual car worth a different amount.  You and your friend might have the same make and model, but that doesn’t mean your cars are worth the same.  Mileage is a big factor; less is worth more in this case.  Then there is the condition of the exterior.  Is there rust?  How much?  What about dents and scratches in the paint?    How about the interior?  Are the seats split and stained?  What about accident history and maintaining regular maintenance?   All of this plays a part in how your car has appreciated over time.

Luckily, in the modern age, most of these factors can be inputted into a website and the price of your car can be calculated based on the condition and the current car market.  The best sites to go to to fill out and find your true value are Kelly’s Blue Book (www.kbb.com) and Edmunds.com.  What these sites do best is aid even the most computer illiterate people in pricing their car online.  Most buyers and dealerships use Kelly’s as the primary guide to what a car is worth.   They don’t just show you what you should be selling a car for, but what you should be paying as a buyer as well.

Sites devoted to the used car trade such as these, makes car shopping painless and simple.  If you’re car is worth $6,500 according to Kelly’s, try selling it for a few hundred more to make room for the buyers to barter.  Remember, these sites are available to everyone, so a good buyer will do the research before hand and will know how much the car should cost.  Now that you know where to look to get a price tag, the next step is where to go to sell it.  That, however, is a completely different story.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer

Buyer’s Guide : What is a Warranty?

Posted by on October 17, 2011 No comments
Owning a car isn’t as cut and dry as exchanging a fist full of dollars for a set of car keys.  There is constant maintenance required as well as any number of freak random factors that might bring you into an auto shop for an emergency repair or necessary tune-up.  In a lot of ways, automobiles are like over-sized pets with paint jobs for pelts.  Car owners have to treat and take car of all their vehicle needs if they hope to keep her purring properly.  Before a person should call himself an automotive owner, they should understand the gears and cogs involved in purchasing and owning a car.  One of the most important working parts to any vehicle (not just cars) is the vehicle’s warranty.  Knowing what and how a warranty works is not something that might benefit you later down the line, it’s information that will be imperative to the protection of your investment as well as a huge decider when that deal is initially put on the table.  Going into buyer mode without understanding the intricacies of a warranty is a little like skipping your dog’s rabies shots; it can come back to bite you in the butt.

Let’s start from the top, shall we?  What is a warranty?  According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary definition, a warranty is “a usually written guarantee of the integrity of a product and of the maker’s responsibility for the repair or replacement of defective parts.”  Usually written out in law abiding language, a warranty is filled with scenarios in which your car might fail or breakdown and a promise that the manufacturer will cover the needed repairs in the event of any of these scenarios.  The other side of the warranty is a series of terms and stipulations that must be upheld by the owner in order for these repairs to be covered by the manufacturer.  These stipulations range anywhere from the amount of miles you drive to regularly scheduled maintenance of your vehicle.  Failure to abide by these written rules will usually nullify the warranty all together.  It is because of this that a buyer should always read the presented warranty fully and with great attention to detail to avoid defaulting on the party to party contract.

Most all warranties have two finite forms of expiration clauses.  The first is in terms of years or months.  They can range anywhere from 1 year to 12 depending on policy.  The alternative expiration is based on the number of miles a car has.  When the mileage is reached, the warranty is void, even if there is still time left on the expiration date.  An example of this would be a 3 year or 36,000 mile warranty.  If you go three years without driving 36,000 miles, you will get the full three years under the warranty (granted you obey the terms of the policy).  Conversely, if you’re at a year and a half, but pass the 36,000 mile mark, you’re warranty is up.

There are generally two types of warranties in the automotive industry.  The first, described above,  is called a Manufacturer Warranty.  It’s the warranty that comes with new vehicles.  Most of these warranties are also called “exclusionary plans” because it is much easier to list everything that is not covered by the manufacturer as opposed to the thousands of problems, parts and malfunctions that are covered.  Knowing you’re warranty will be exclusionary is a good way to tell if you’re getting the max coverage or not.  In the end, these warranties are only offered at dealerships at the time of purchase.

The other type of warranty is an Extended Warranty or a Vehicle Service Agreement.  These are offered for those buying used cars or looking to have warranty coverage after the Manufacturer Warranty wares off.  They are orchestrated thorough third party businesses and usually do not cover as in-depth as exclusionary plans.  Companies like Warranty Direct do a good job offering a range of different protection policies.  These warranties work much like the Manufacturer’s in that they offer a year or mileage expiration point, except they tend to reach out for longer time and mileage frames.  If you’re buying a pricey pre-owned vehicle, you should greatly consider getting the best extended warranty you can.

Running hand and hand with understanding warranties is understanding how to shop for the right warranty.  That is the true test of a smart consumer.  When a warranty is offered to you, you should look for a few key elements to determine if the agreement is on the level.  Keep your eyes out when reading one of these warranties for anything pertaining to restrictive service clauses.  These are clauses in the warranty that nullify the contract if the vehicle is not serviced at a certain facility or shop.  These have been deemed illegal, so if you see something in your reading that suggests it might be a restrictive service clause, bring it up on the spot and demand it be removed.

Since 1999, The Unfair Terms In Customer Contracts Regulations has been in place around the world to protect consumers against unfair contracts such as warranties.  Under this act, any phrase or section within a warranty that qualifies as unfair to the consumers is omitted.  If you spot a stipulation after signing that might seem impossible to carry out or might fall under the act, you should consider seeking out legal assistance to remedy the terms of your warranty agreement.

One of the big things when picking an Extended Warranty is who is on the other end of the policy.  You must be certain that the company providing you with the warranty is a trusted and reliable business that will come through if your vehicle breaks down.  Some sellers of warranties are facilitating deals for another company.  Look for companies that have a strong customer approval as well as a healthy financial position.  Along side that, be sure to know if the other party is covering parts and labor costs.  Make sure they either are covering these costs in the warranty or you are aware and willing to pay if they do not.

As you can tell by now, there is much more to warranties than reading a bunch of sentences and signing on a dotted line.  It all ties into the responsibilities of owning a vehicle.  This responsibility is a dire one and should be understood and carefully followed even after you do sign.  There is nothing worse than your car breaking down and learning that you’re warranty is void because you didn’t do something as simple as change the air filter at 10,000 miles.  Avoid these pitfalls and you’ll avoid spending unnecessary money, time and effort.  Just like Checkers the dog, your car needs to be looked after.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer

Buyer’s Guide : Auto Insurance 101

Posted by on October 17, 2011 No comments
Every year tens of millions of cars are bought and sold in the United States.  One out of five American consumers are in the market for a new vehicle each year.  That also means that one out of every five Americans are insuring their new rides.  As any auto owner will tell you, insurance isn’t just a precaution to protect yourself from a fender bender, it’s a mandatory driver expense.  To even get your vehicle on the road legally, you need insurance.  For most first time car owners, insurance can be a hassle due to lack of knowledge and terms.  Fortunately for you faithful readers, One Stop Motors.com brings you a simple breakdown of all the different types of automotive insurance. 

Before you can understand the types of insurance, there are a few terms tied into the insurance game.  The one you will see and hear the most is insurance premium.  Your insurance premium is the amount of money you will pay either monthly, every three or every six months (and sometimes yearly).  They are basically a subscription fee if you will and do not count towards your deductible.  You’re deductible is a flat rate fee for each of your individual policies in the event that those policies need to be activated (for example a car crash).  Each incident requires a new deductible and typically range from $250 to $1000 depending on what you decide you can afford.  These are the fees you will be paying to keep you insured, so they generally interact with one another.  If you premiums are high, your deductible will be low and vice-versa.  Now, onto policies.

There are two main types of auto insurance that most people choose.  The first is Collision Insurance.  Collision protects the policy holder (you) in the event of an automobile accidents.  Regardless of who is at fault in the accident, the insurance company will cover the repairs to your vehicle or if it is deemed to be un-salvageable, they will appraise your car and reimburse you with the appraised value of your vehicle.  Collision coverage does have a deductible that usually has to be paid in full before insurance companies will cover the rest.  How this works is simple.  You select your deductible when you set up  your Collision coverage.  The higher your deductible usually means your premium will be much smaller, but if you are in an accident you will be required to pay that large deductible in order for the insurance company to cover the rest of your costs.  If that is something you’re willing and able to commit to, it’s your best bet to keep your annual premiums low.

The second type of insurance for an automobile that you should consider is Comprehensive Insurance.  Comprehensive is insurance a driver can take out to protect their vehicle against natural disasters, freak accidents and risks not involved with driving.  If your car is stolen or broken into, Comprehensive is what covers you.  If a tree branch or a hail storm crashes down on your car while it’s parked, destroying the hood, Comprehensive has you covered.  The insurance company will act the same as it would with Collision, with a  separate deductible in place.  Also like Collision, the premium to deductible ratio will adjust depending on the policy you pick.

These two insurance policies will cover a driver from the driveway to the highway and back.  While only Collision might be required by law, Comprehensive offers piece of mind to those drivers who have recently spent a good sum of money on that new or used car.  Your vehicle is your baby and insurance is the car seat that keeps your baby safe.  Insurance companies recognize that, but also recognize that you yourself are even more valuable.  Therefore, they have a series of optional policies that work to cover drivers, passengers and others involved in an accident.

Personal Injury Protection is a type of coverage that pays for medical and other expenses in the event of an auto accident.  The policy covers the specific people named in the policy and will go into effect regardless of who is at fault (so long as that deductible is paid).  It is a nice way to guard against ambulance rides and emergency room visits in the event of a car crash.  On the other side of that is Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability Coverage.  If you are paying for these types of coverages, the insurance companies will pay medical or property expenses if you injure another party or damage another person’s property.  They work just the same as the rest, except they only go into effect when you are the one at fault.  The one draw back is that a low limit liability coverage will not also cover extensive costs.  The higher your policy costs, the more protected you are.

What happens if you are in an accident and the other party involved doesn’t have insurance?  First of all, that is illegal and should be reported to authorities on the spot.  Many times, those who are not insured are so for a reason (past history, negligence, driving illegally).  There is insurance that you can purchase that will cover you in the event that you are hit or hit another vehicle without insurance.  This is called Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Liability Coverage.  Even if their coverage is limited or non-existent, this coverage will allow you to collect on any damage or injury costs created from the accident.  It is a safety net in such an event, however, no car on the road should be operated outside the law and without a basic Collision coverage.  In most cases, if you don’t have Uninsured Coverage and you are hit by someone without insurance, you can win over any damage costs incurred by you or your vehicle in a court of law.  This policy avoids legal actions that can be time consuming and expensive even if you win.

There you have it.  By reading everything above, you’ve become a more aware and informed driver.  What’s more, you now know what kind of insurance coverage you need and are willing to afford.  When you talk to a prospective insurance agency, you should still look for the best value available.  There is no need to be paying over a thousand dollars a year in premiums just for a $2000 car.  Collision should be enough, maybe Personal Injury if your a cautious sort.  As you build up a relationship with your agency as well as a clean driving history, your insurance premium will drop more and more every year.  Eventually, you could be paying under two hundred dollars a year in premiums if you drive responsibly and pay your insurance on time.  When the dust has settled, insurance is another cost required to being a automobile owner.  The only difference is that it could save your bank account or even your life later down the line.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer

Buyer’s Guide : The when and why of buying used

Posted by on October 17, 2011 No comments
Buying new cars from a car lot might help spark and fill the coffers of the economy, but everyone has a different reason to avoid dealerships.  We know the modus operandi (the mo) of the car salesman; stone-set like a statue and vicious like a monster under the bed.  They are fast talking, power walking people eaters who will go to unbelievable lengths to get you out of that hooptie and into that new hotness.  Most people don’t have the funds, patience or killer instinct to play on par with wheeling, dealing automotive mad men at a dealership.  Enter the private seller.  Their Joe Everyman looking to get a good value for their old ride who more than likely got a raw exchange rate when they brought it in to a lot to trade-in.  Dealers are people too, yes, but give them a suit and a six speed and watch them transform into a sales beast out for blood.   The used car world can be a dealers game as well, but for the most part it’s a privatized market where hand shakes and verbal agreements are the primary business practices. 

When is the best time to buy used?  Easy answer, when you need a car.  Especially with today’s economy where it is, people tend to hold out on buying another car until they really, really need it.  This result in the grinding down of their current car until it’s ready for the junkyard or sold for circus peanuts.  There is nothing wrong with this strategy, but if you have a family or an active social life, an beat down automotive is not going to cut it.  A quality car and one that has been cared after will have a much stronger appreciated value in the used market.  They come at a fraction of the dealer’s sticker price and there won’t be riddled with hidden fees.

The ongoing debate between new and used cars is that new cars are proven reliable, working vehicles.  With a used car you run the risk of acquiring a busted, half past dead automotive.  The truth is, most cars can handle over a decade past its manufacturing year.  Even those cars three or four years of age come at a staggering discount due to time elapsed.  Finding these pre-owned jems has been made easy with the growing reliance on the internet.  There are a lot more online resources and companies available to aid in finding a used car than there is to get a new one.  Dealers want you to come in and put in that face time, so listing their vehicles isn’t necessarily ideal.  The more traffic they have traveling through the showroom the better their odds of making a sale.

There’s more to used cars than cheaper prices and avoiding dealerships.  Logic can be applied in this scenario as well.  If you buy a car from a dealership brand new, you’re paying for not just the car, but the extra cost attached to it.  Fast forward several years and you trade it back into the dealer.  Now, you not only overpaid for the new car, but you’re going to get next to nothing on a trade-in.  Dealers don’t want your old car, they want you in a new car.  They take your pre-owned to sell you new.  Let’s say for half the price of what you would have bought that original new car, you get a used car from a private or third party seller.  Fast forward and you’re ready to get a new car and put your used on the market.  Since it’s a bit older than that original new, you’re not going to get that same price, but it will most likely average out to be closer to what the dealer would have paid in the original scenario.

It’s hard to make an argument against new cars.  People with the money and ability will always spend it on the latest and greatest.  For the rest of us, the hard working class and the struggling students, new isn’t being rational.  We need vehicles just as much as the upper crust, so why should we have to be slaves to what some salesman decides we should pay based on our personality and his gauge of what he can convince us to pay?  Easy answer, we don’t.

Tyler Baker; OSM Writer