HowStuffWorks Newsletter
Buying or selling a car can be a tedious experience. Articles in this section touch on car buying and financing, insurance, warranties, VINs, and the Kelly Blue Book.
More Auto Topics to Explore:
Whether you're buying a new car from a dealership or shopping for a bargain on a used car lot, it's a good idea to find out if the car you're interested in is truly safe. The NHTSA can help.
How reliable is the car you're interested in purchasing? Check into the Consumer Reports Automotive Ratings to see how it scored based on surveys and test runs.
The shady used-car salesman on the lemon lot isn't going to tell you that the vehicle you're purchasing has a fatal case of rust or that your new car's engine is going to fall out a mile down the road. How can you beat the cheats?
By Tom Scheve
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Everyone has strategies for getting the best deal on a car, like wearing your frumpiest clothes to the lot. Exploring an automotive rating service is another option for helping you get the bargain of a century.
Sometimes when the U.S. government wants to encourage a certain behavior, it'll provide incentives. If you drive an alternative fuel vehicle (AFV), you might be eligible for some serious savings.
Car commercials love to tout their vehicles as environmentally friendly. But is the "green" claim just a big, fat lie? More than one manufacturer has been caught fudging the truth.
By John Fuller
It happens all the time. You see an ad on television for an amazing car you've always wanted, and the monthly payments shown are actually within your financial grasp. But is that "attractive lease offer" really all it's cracked up to be?
By Josh Clark
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Some of the sweetest car lease deals have dried up -- especially since automakers began offering zero-percent and low-rate financing to entice buyers. Even so, leasing remains an attractive alternative for many motorists.
Buying a car with fuel economy in mind doesn't require you to own a vehicle you don't want. It means looking for the features you want with the best available fuel economy. Learn more.
Learn where to find your car's VIN, what the numbers mean, and how you can use VINs to help prevent theft, or learn about the history of a used car.
Kelley Blue Book is the most important resource you'll need when buying or selling a new or used car. How can you use the Blue Book to your advantage when you negotiate your deal?
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Purchasing new tires can be confusing. But if you want to save money, get the best fuel economy, make an informed decision or simply buy the best quality tire, then this article is for you.
Bought a new car? The first thing you'll want to do is insure your new investment. Learn about the difference kinds of coverage and why some cars cost more to insure than others. Here are some tips for getting car insurance.
Knowing what you want -- or need -- before you start making the rounds of dealerships can save both time and money. Whatever the model, if emotion drives you to an impulsive purchase, you are likely to pay more and suffer regret later.
Do you truly understand the different parts of an auto insurance policy and how to choose the best coverage? What affects the price and how can you bring the costs down? Find out all about auto insurance.
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Ready to get out of that clunker and slide into a shiny new car? Not willing or able to plunk down $20000 in cash? Learn all about car financing from where to get the money to negotiating the deal.
Don't waste time advertising your car in the wrong places, to the wrong people. While the basic steps in selling your car are simple -- clean it up, price it, get the word out and make the sale -- you need to know exactly who your potential buyers are. We'll tell you how to find out.
Imagine driving down a tree-lined street with the windows down on a sunny day, a warm rush of air streaming through your hair... OK, snap out of your reverie. Before you start mapping out the route to the nearest beach, you just might want to learn some valuable car-buying tips.