Some New Cars Hold Their Resale Value. Others… Don’t.

The time has come to buy a new[-to-you] car, and you’re pondering the age old question: Did the chicken come first, or the egg? No, no. Not THAT age old question, the other one: Will the car I buy hold its resale value?

It might. If a 2015 Toyota Tacoma tops your list, or a 2015 Jeep Wrangler, know that you’ve chosen wisely. Kelley Blue Book gave these models and others (including first-timers Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, and the newly redesigned Ford F-150) Best Resale Value accolades.

But if you’ve got your eye on a sportier sedan, or an electric compact, take our word for it, and don’t buy new. Visit Winchester’s hottest used car dealer, Auto Credit Center, and let someone else absorb that depreciation, why don’t ya?

BMW 7 Series

Everybody’s who’s anybody wants one. And really, anybody who wants one usually has the money to buy one new. There aren’t a whole lot of these puppies sitting on used car lots, and the ones that are just don’t get sold. They’re shiny, and fancy… and when something goes wrong, they’re quite expensive to repair. This is the kind of car people lease, and then return to the dealership: Not a long-term investment, and not one you’ll get much for on trade-in.

Fiat 500e

Ooh, it’s shakin’
It’s electric!

Everybody who’s anybody who wants to save the environment wants an electric car. But anybody who wants an electric car thinks Smart, or the Nissan Leaf (though each of these could have also made our list). Fiat isn’t exactly a household name in the US; and those who do remember the brand remember the time when Fiat sold cars here before they’d mastered the whole reliability thing. Their track record has preceded them, and their value is all-around kind of low.

Lincoln MKZ

Everybody who’s anybody wants to be, or sit next to Matthew McConnaughey, but not even close to everybody wants to do so in a Lincoln. Despite the carmaker’s recent attempts to rejuvenate the brand, young consumers still tie “Lincoln” with “old.” And then there’s the competition: The MKZ moves in the same circles as the Accords, Fusions, and Sonatas on the road; they’re just cooler, and more youthful. We wish the MKZ didn’t get such a bad rap; it’s a well-made car, with lovely interior — and one no one wants.

The good news is…

Of course, the good news here is if you like any of the cars on this list, the smartest move you could make would be to purchase one used: At northern Virginia’s most trusted used car dealer Auto Credit Center (locations in Falls Church, and Winchester, VA)!

Safest & Most Dangerous Cars, According to IIHS

A recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has found safety on the rise, with reported driver deaths on the decline! Until the year 2006, there were no reported crashes with driver death rates of zero. Today, with the issuance of this report from IIHS, there are nine — NINE — models with zero driver deaths 2009 and 2012. I don’t know about you, dear blog reader, but from where we stand (in Winchester, Virginia), a 900 percent increase is something to talk about! Not only that, but overall vehicle crash related fatalities have fallen by a third in the past three years.

“This is a huge improvement in just three years, even considering the economy’s influence,” said David Zuby, IIHS executive vice president and chief research officer. “We know from our vehicle ratings program that crash test performance has been getting steadily better. These latest death rates provide new confirmation that real-world outcomes are improving, too.”

What makes a car safer, or more dangerous?

While the cars on the “more dangerous” list are generally less expensive to purchase than those on the “safer” list, cost is not the deciding factor here. What matters more, found IIHS, is the size of the car on the road. Compact sedans and minicars comprise the majority of the vehicles with higher rates of driver deaths. Six of the nine cars on the other list — a full two-thirds — are SUVs.

That’s quite the shift from the decade’s past rollover crisis, when sport utility vehicles had the highest — not the lowest — driver death rates due to top heavy design. What changed? Electronic stability control (ESC), that’s what. Once a safety feature found only in expensive, high-end vehicles ESC now comes standard. In the seven years between 2004 and 2011, the rollover death rate has been reduced by more than 75 percent.

Highest Rates of Driver Deaths per Million Registered Vehicles

For 2011 and equivalent earlier models, as studied in the years 2009–2012

1. Kia Rio (4-door car, mini): 149
2. Nissan Versa sedan (4-door car, small): 130
3. Hyundai Accent (4-door car, mini): 120
4. Chevrolet Aveo (4-door car, mini): 99
5. Hyundai Accent (2-door car, mini): 86
6. Chevrolet Camaro coupe (sports car, large) 80
7. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew 4WD (pickup, large): 79
8. Honda Civic (2-door car, small): 76
9. Nissan Versa hatchback (4-door car, small): 71
10. Ford Focus (4-door car, small): 70

But on the flip side…

Lowest Rates of Drive Deaths per Million Registered Vehicles

For 2011 and equivalent earlier models, as studied in the years 2009–2012

1. Audi A4 4WD (luxury car, midsize): 0
2. Honda Odyssey (minivan, very large): 0
3. Kia Sorento 2WD (SUV, midsize): 0
4. Lexus RX 350 4WD (luxury SUV, midsize): 0
5. Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 4WD (luxury SUV, large): 0
6. Subaru Legacy 4WD (4-door car, midsize): 0
7. Toyota Highlander hybrid 4WD (SUV, midsize): 0
8. Toyota Sequoia 4WD (SUV, large): 0
9. Volvo XC90 4WD (luxury SUV, midsize): 0
10. Honda Pilot 4WD (SUV, midsize): 2

Virginia Bad Credit Auto Loans

Northern Virginia’s Leader In Bad Credit Auto Loans

We want to finance your future, not your past!

Auto Credit Center has helped thousands of Washington DC Area customers with bad credit auto purchases. We’re Northern Virginia’s home of No Credit Check Financing.  Getting auto financing is easy with our No Credit Check auto loans.  Whether you have bad credit, no credit,  bankruptcies, or even previous auto repossessions we guarantee financing!

Auto Credit Center Advantage

• Family owned & operated since 1997.
• Helped thousands of customers over the years.
• We specialize in helping people with credit issues.
• You will get auto loan financing regardless of your credit history.
• We have easy loan terms, low down payments, & affordable payments.
• We report payment history to the major credit bureaus every month to help improve your credit score.
• Virginia State Quality Dealer of the Year Winner.
• All of our vehicles come with a limited warranty.
• We have a full service department for your auto repair needs.
• All of our vehicles are Virginia State Safety Inspected.

Auto Credit Center is a leading provider of bad credit auto loans in Northern Virginia. If you have bad credit, low credit, no credit or have been turned down in the past due to bankruptcy, we can help you get a car loan with our “Guaranteed Approval” financing program. We have two convenient dealerships in Northern Virginia where you can test drive our quality used vehicles.

Get The Loan Approval You Need, For The Car You Want

What Will You Do with the $550 You’ll Save on Gas in 2015?

Like a penny from the top of the Empire State Building, gas prices are falling — from an average of $3.28 one year ago, to $2.27 today. For the oil industry, this spells trouble, but for you, it means savings, savings, savings! The US Energy Information Administration has predicted that the average American household will spend less than $2000 on gasoline in 2015, a savings of approximately $550 from 2014.

Savings like that beg the question:

What will you do with your $550?

Save it.

What goes up must come down… Can the same be said for what goes down? Probably. Gas prices are low now, but sooner or later they’ll go back up. And when they do, your wallet will thank you — for saving all that money you saved, that is.

Buy two plane tickets to an island paradise.

December is festive. December isn’t so bad when you have Christmas to look forward to, but January is gray and cold. Take that $550 you’ll save at the gas pump next year, and buy two plane tickets to Puerto Rico, or the Bahamas, or Mexico. While away the cold winter days in paradise.

Cut your credit card debt.

Sure, you could fly away to paradise, or you could pay off your debt.

Make it rain.

$550 = 55 ten-dollar bills, or 550 one-dollar bills. Throw it into a pile on the bed, and learn what it feels like to be surrounded by money, money everywhere.

Blow it on the Kim Kardashian Hollywood app.

Wait. Spend five-hundred buckaroos on Kim K, really?

One Jezebel columnist did: “I know. I know! I’m the worst. I’m a sheep. I’m part of what’s wrong with modern American culture. But at least in Kim’s realm I’m an A-list celebrity with 50 million fans — after nearly $500 worth of in-app purchases, of course.”

Buy stock.

Celebrity fandom is important, and we know that all of you — man, woman, and child alike — aspire to live as the middle Kardashian sister (We’re kidding, of course.), but consider a smarter investment. Take your $550, and buy a single share of Google. Or five shares of Apple. Or 36 shares of Ford. But then again, it’s probably not in your best interest to buy stock in the oil and gas market.

Take care of your car.

Could your car use a good, thorough cleaning? Take the money you’ll save at the gas pump in 2015, and show your ride a little TLC. The used car experts at Auto Credit Center are standing by to take care of your tune-up, and get your vehicle in tip-top shape for 2015.

Five Worst Car Commercials of All Time

Commercials. Love them or hate them, you can’t get away from them.

They feature anthropomorphized farm animals (think Geico), celebrity cameos, catchy jingles, and sometimes even fried eggs (This is your brain on drugs.). They make us laugh. They make us think. They’re the reason we watch the Super Bowl. They’re the reason we compile lists like these — five terrible, horrible, no good, very bad car commercials.

5. The truth is indisputable.

4. No dogs were harmed in the making of this commercial.

3. Vodka can’t help you now, Alex.

2. Hell hath no fury.

1. You can’t have two Minnie Trucks.

Is Your Car Ready for Winter?

Unless you live in Florida or Southern California, chances are pretty good that this winter is going to be less than fun for you, and for your car. Just as you take steps to winterize your home, and your lawn, so, too, should you prepare your vehicle for the arctic (okay, maybe not quite arctic) conditions ahead.

Have your oil changed.

Check your car’s owner’s manual, and then consult with your lube technician about which oil is best for different climates and temperatures. When the weather gets cold, motor oil thickens, and when motor oil thickens, it can’t do its job as well.

Replace your windshield wiper blades.

Eventually, that white stuff they call snow will begin falling from the sky. I don’t know about you out there, but when that happens, I stay inside as much as possible. But in the event that you have to venture out behind the wheel, it’s important that you’re able to see. Windshield wiper blades typically last about a year; November is a great time to change them.

Check your battery.

Check posts and connections to make sure they’re corrosion-free; it might even be a good idea to have a certified auto repair technician check your battery’s ability to hold a charge — especially if it’s more than three years old. Trust us: The last thing you want to deal with on a snowy day is a dead battery.

Check belts and hoses, too.

While you have the technician’s attention, have him check your car’s belts and hoses for wear and tear. Extreme cold temperatures can do significant damage to these, and they should be inspected regularly.

Check your tire pressure.

A general rule of thumb: Your tires lose air pressure at a rate of one pound per square inch whenever the temperature drops by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Properly inflated tires are the best way to ensure maximum traction; as traction is harder to maintain in wet, icy conditions, you’d be wise to stack the cards in your favor.

Keep an emergency kit handy. 

Better safe than sorry, I always say. Pick up a waterproof bag (from wherever waterproof bags are sold) and stuff it with a blanket, an extra set of dry clothes, a flashlight, flares, jumper cables, tire chains, a gauge, a first aid kit, and maybe even water and food. Keep this bag in your trunk for use in the event of an emergency. You’ll be glad you did.