Weighing Out Whether You Should Get an Extended Warranty

We’ve all been in the situation where the sales associate says “can I interest you in an extended warranty?”  The opinion most people seem to have is that it’s a waste of money, until it comes to vehicles.  A buyer has a very important decision to make when it comes to whether they should extend the warranty on their car.  The following tips can help you make that decision.

Research the Vehicle
Vehicles (especially used) are known for having issues specific to that make and model.  For example, when I bought my last vehicle I made sure to get the extended warranty due to the fact that my research suggested that the particular make and model was susceptible to transmission problems.  It was worth the few hundred dollars to potentially save myself over a thousand in the years that the vehicle is covered.

Can you afford out of pocket?
Some people have savings accounts devoted to things breaking down.  While this is an awesome place to be financially, if you can afford to pay the repair bill if and when the vehicle breaks down, there’s no point in paying interest on the additional dollars financed to pay for the warranty.

Going Shopping… for a warranty?!
I love shopping!  Okay, I love shopping for stuff a bit more interesting than a warranty.  Regardless, to get the extended warranty that’s best for you, this is a great idea.  Not only do dealerships offer extended warranties, but financial institutions (such as credit unions *wink wink*) do as well.  Shopping around can save you literally hundreds of dollars, so why take the dealership’s without checking it out first? 

Read the fine print
As with anything that involves a vehicle, there’s fine print on the extended warranty that could disclose things like deductibles, coverage options (rental, towing, etc), and even what their definition of “wear and tear” is.  You may think you’re getting a fantastic deal, but the fine print could be a deal breaker.  It may be a pain, but there’s nothing worse than paying for something that could turn out to be completely useless.

Used Vehicles
You can get extended warranties on used vehicles just as easily as you can new.  Dealerships are sometimes reluctant to warranty vehicles more than a year or two old; however, you can once again shop around at financial institutions (including Park!) for a warranty.  Speaking of used vehicles, if you’re buying from a private party, it’s *ALWAYS* a good idea to get the vehicle inspected… even if you’re buying from a family member.  Telling someone you’ll buy their vehicle pending an inspection may make them roll their eyes or think that you don’t trust them; however, it’s a very legitimate safety precaution that could save you thousands of dollars down the road or even on your first trip around the block.  Most mechanics are fairly inexpensive when it comes to inspections, and having a trusted mechanic picked out already will save some time.  A warning sign that you could be getting someone else’s lemon is if they decline your request to have it inspected or if you’re just getting a “too good to be true” deal on the vehicle already.

Reimbursements
In the fine print somewhere should be the payment policy regarding warranty claims.  If your warranty provider requires you to pay the money up front, that’s bad news.  Getting a car repaired is expensive!  From rental cars to towing to even the repairs themselves, the price tag can add up fast. You may even be forced to take out a loan to cover the costs if your warranty provider doesn’t work directly with the companies involved in getting you back on the road again.  Also, ask about warranty reimbursements.  Some warranty providers will give you a portion of your warranty back if your coverage period expires without a single claim!  That’s almost like getting a tax refund that you weren’t even expecting!

So the question of “should I or shouldn’t I get that warranty?” can only be answered by you.  It depends on your financial situation, the vehicle you buy, who you buy it from, and what the warranty covers.  We have advisors on staff that would be more than happy to talk to you about the entire auto-buying process, including extended warranties!  Just call us at 800/626.2870.

And by the way, did you know our new and used auto loan rates are AWESOME right now?  With the money you could save by financing with Park Community, you could get that extended warranty for next to nothing comparatively.   Just throwing that out there.

[Via http://parkcommunity.wordpress.com]

As the Toyota saga continues

Stories of Toyota owners speeding out of control continue to pour over the airwaves, but one has to wonder why all these Toyotas have all of a sudden decided to act up now after the recall announcement and not before. Are these opportunists taking advantage of potential suit money or just individuals moved by the power of suggestion?

After all if you were speeding at top speeds of 90 or above, unable to slow your vehicle down, would you be able to grab your cell phone and dial the police department? Or would you put your car in neutral and slowly coast to a stop? We all know which one gets more media attention. Hmmmmmm, something to think about when we hear about another Toyota taking off at top speeds.

[Via http://talkingcars.wordpress.com]

DCH Tustin Acura joins in quake relief effort

DCH Tustin Acura joins in quake relief effort

By LOIS EVEZICH
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Esquire Magazine called the new Acura ZDX the “Lady Gaga” of new cars. Lady Gaga may be the star of the future, and that’s how the magazine thinks of Acura’s new model. It’s come “…out of nowhere, time warped from the future, icy cool, hard to define, fascinating and gorgeous,” wrote Dan Neil about the car.

It’s so advanced that you can control temperatures separately for your passengers and yourself in the car with your voice. Satellites beam down to give driver’s reports on weather, and you can get real-time traffic reports, all with the sound of your voice. All you have to do is ask.

These features help to sell cars, even in this poor economy. But DCH Tustin Acura’s General Manager Dick Hsu says his 24-year-old dealership was hit with a 30 percent decrease in sales in 2009.

In spite of that, Hsu’s dealership continues to participate in charitable causes in Orange County, he says. Now his efforts are directed to earthquake victims in Haiti and in Chile, and by mid-March this Acura dealership will send donations to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres.

“We wanted to do something immediately,” Hsu says. “Giving personally was fine, but we wanted the business to get involved. I went on the Doctors Without Borders Web site and found a way we as a company could give to those people in need.

“Even my own doctor belongs to the organization and traveled overseas to help,” he said.

Doctors Without Borders is a nonprofit international organization that has helped people in many countries who are victims of violence or catastrophe. Doctors and nurses are committed to quality medical care for people in crisis regardless of race, religion or politics.

DCH Tustin Acura has also participated in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank and this last holiday season they contributed to the Orange County Rescue Mission.

A big pink box with a slot on the top at the receptionist’s desk, beside a vase of fresh carnations, is where employees and customers can drop money for relief aid in Haiti and other earth quake victims. Donors recieve a carnation in recognition, and the dealership will match the proceeds earned doubling the total amount collected.

One of the dealership’s major efforts is for Students Against Destructive Decisions – or SADD. It’s a national organization and Tustin Acura sends drivers to talk to high-schoolers about risky driving. It used to be Students Against Drunk Driving, but the focus has changed.

“We want them to drive,” Hsu says. “But we want them to drive safely.”

“We’re unique,” Hsu says. “We are the only dealer awarded the ‘Dealer of Excellence’ award six times by J.D. Powers. Customers vote for dealerships in that case. We were also awarded Acura’s ‘Dealership of Distinction’ again this year for the seventh time.

“Our customers return to us when they buy another Acura, because they are loyal and know we take care of our customers consistently,” Hsu says. “Our managers’ average tenure here is 20 years.”

Photo courtecy of DCH Tustin Acura: Martha Borreal, cashier at Tustin Acura, and General Manager Dick Hsu are encouraging folks to donate to Haiti and Chile relief efforts through the dealership.

[Via http://dchtustinacura.wordpress.com]

Porsche sales in the USA at last year's level in February

Panamera and Cayenne receive warm reception particularly from US customers

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, was able to continue its positive sales trends on the US market in February 2010. With 1,531 vehicles delivered to US customers, sales are 1.5 % above February 2009’s figures. Thus, for the sixth consecutive time in the current fiscal year, Porsche was able to increase deliveries even though the severe winter weather on the US East Coast, the most important region for Porsche, did little to bring customers into the showrooms.

In February, 409 Gran Turismo Panameras were delivered to customers in the USA. Especially good news to report is that sales of the sporty Cayenne SUV, with 599 models sold, was 35 % higher than February 2009’s figures. Sales of the Boxster models, to which the Cayman also belongs, fell 64 % compared to the same period last year with 184 units delivered to customers. Lastly, the sales figures for the 911 models were 39 % lower than February 2009 with 339 sports cars sold.

[Via http://porschebahn.wordpress.com]

Happy 10th Birthday Sony Playstation 2!

The Playstation 2 in all its glory

Today is the 10th birthday of the Playstation 2! If I didn’t have a Playstation 3 without backwards compatibility, my PS2 would certainly have a ton of play time. I still remember when I first got my PS2. I was a straight A student and my parents bought me a PS2 to reward me for the hard work I’ve put into school. The first game I ever put in was “ESPN Winter X Games Snowboarding”. I couldn’t believe that graphics that this console was capable of. Although I have a strong background in gaming (I think everyone grew up on Nintendo back in the day), I think that the moment I got my PS2, was the moment in my life that I became a true gamer.

I remember when life used to be so simple. There was only one console that was better than all of the others, and that was the PS2. There are so many PS2 titles that are rated 9/10 and higher on most, if not all review sites. To celebrate, I’ll make a quick list of my top five favourite Playstation 2 games of all time.

#5

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3

I have spent an insane amount of my time playing this game. After school, I would play this game in Free Skate Mode and shoot the shit for a while before supper and homework every night. I would simply sit there raking in the points by the millions casually skating around with no purpose except for the freedom of just having fun. THPS3 is exactly what a game should be: fun. I could literally entertain myself performing caspers, backflips, truckstands, etc. and never get bored of it. It’s sad to see that the modern THPS games don’t hold up to the classics like THPS2, but this still remains a classic to me to this day.

#4

Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

Oh, what to say about this game. This is another game where I’ve spent avoiding the main points of the game, and just enjoy its Free Run mode. Although I’m not too big of a fan of the soundtrack, I still found it fun to play my own music while hearing the engine of my Mazda RX-7 scream. I’d also like to say that once you get used to the game’s physics engine, the game itself became one of the best drifting games ever in my opinion! Polyphony Digital has done an amazing job with this game, which is why I’m disappointed with the delay of the largely anticipated Gran Turismo 5. Yeah, yeah yeah. “We’re just waiting for an open window for sales”. Just give me my GT5 already!

#3

Dark Cloud 2

When I first got my hands on the first Dark Cloud title, I was amazed at how epic the game was. It was new and different from all of the other games out there, so naturally, the sequel improves on all aspects of the first game and makes it better. I am happy to say that I still play Dark Cloud 2 and that I have not lost interest in this game at all. Although the dungeon crawling is quite repetitive, I hardly notice it when my goal is to get the best possible sword, because I think the visual design of the swords and other weaponry (but mainly swords!) are what captivated me. The brilliant and colourful designs were just amazing. Max and Monica were both very likable characters and so are the rest of the supporting cast. The leveling systems were improved immensely from the first game, and everything just seems so natural. Definitely a top pick. I hope a Dark Cloud 3 is in the near future. I seriously wished White Knight Chronicles didn’t come out if it meant a Dark Cloud 3 release was coming. Please! Give me a DC3!!!

#2

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

I personally don’t think there has been a Grand Theft Auto game released after San Andreas that was as good or better than San Andreas. The storyline is so wacky, but it’s sandbox style gameplay worked so well. GTA:SA is probably one of the funniest games I have EVER played. In all honesty, I loved how the cars of the game are modeled after some of my favourite Japanese cars. It had a Mazda RX-7, Nissan Skyline, Toyota Supra MKIV (FWD? WTF!), Acura NSX, Subaru WRX, Mitsubishi 3000GT, etc. I spent a good portion of the game modifying my cars and driving the crap out of them. I would drift down mountains, pull drift donuts, rally up and down the side of a mountain, canonball run around the entire map, have top speed trials in the country side.. man, what couldn’t you do in this game? Aside from modifying and driving your cars to your heart’s content, you also had access to: stunt moto X, piloting airplanes, sky diving, gambling, having sex with prostitutes, eating burgers, shopping for clothes to look fly, fighting the US Army, flying with a jet pack, getting high, having gang wars, having your own gang, owning your own property, competing in marathons, hanging out with Triads, flying fighter jets and attack helicopters, playing as a taxi driver, playing as an ambulance driver, playing as a super hero, running around in a gimp suit beating people with a dildo, playing pool, having girlfriends, going on dates with your girlfriends, cheating on your girlfriends, shooting your girlfriends if she gets on your case, having a friend join you in a two-player massacre, swimming, getting fat, working out, stunt BMXing at the skate park, stealing a combine and running people over with it, importing your favourite car, ETC ETC ETC. Seriously, you don’t need me to go on. This is a game full of quality.

#1

Final Fantasy X

I didn’t like this game at first. It actually took me a few years to force myself to play a an hour of the game. I couldn’t understand why it was so good.

…then, the story started to unravel.

I couldn’t believe how involved the story was. I was hooked on the story and the characters in the game. This is one of the few games where I actually played as it was meant to be, and for me to call it a classic is saying a lot. I don’t think I’ve ever felt sad for playing a game. It wasn’t because it was horrible, but it was because I could almost feel how the characters are feeling. You can feel the hate that Tidus has for his father, you can feel the struggle that Wakka feels over the loss of his brother, you can feel the sorrow that Yuna feels as she gets closer to the end of her pilgrimage. I wish modern games had stories like this one. Today, stories are just so-so. To this date, no game other than FFX has left me depressed after beating the game because the game was over and I wanted more.

———————————————————-

Please Sony, keep supplying me with top tier classics. I’m sort of disappointed with the current selection of games, but I understand we all have to be patient.

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY PLAYSTATION 2! We’ve had some good memories together. Here’s a tribute to ya bud:

[Via http://luckyphouthirath.wordpress.com]

Fie painea cat de rea... tot mai bun e cozonacul!

Unul dintre cele mai mari evenimente de pe piaţa auto, ajuns la ediţia cu numărul 80, găzduieşte peste 30 de premiere mondiale. Porţile pentru public vor fi deschise mâine.

Cea de-a 80-a ediţie a Salonului Auto de la Geneva îşi va deschide mâine porţile oficial. Standurile celui mai important eveniment de profil din Europa au fost acoperite cu o avalanşă de automobile strălucitoare.

Producătorii auto din toată lumea au pregătit pentru Salonul Auto de la Geneva (care se deschide mâine pentru public) modelele cu care speră să stârnească interesul clienţilor, într-un an în care guvernele ţărilor cu cele mai mari pieţe de pe continent nu mai au pe agendă programele de susţinere a reînnoirii parcurilor auto. Peste 30 de premiere mondiale vor fi expuse la Geneva în acest an.

Dacia iese cu primul său SUV

Printre ele se află şi modelul Dacia Duster, primul SUV lansat de constructorul auto din istoria sa. Al şaselea model din gama Dacia a fost dezvoltat pe aceeaşi platformă ca şi „umilul” Logan.

SUV-ul va fi lansat comercial pe 6 martie, cu un preţ minim de 10.500 de euro, în versiunea 4×2 (12.300 de euro pentru versiunea de bază 4×4). Cel mai echipat model este Laureate, ce va fi comercializat cu 15.600 de euro, cu TVA inclus. Un model intermediar este Ambiance, al cărui preţ porneşte de la 11.000 de euro.

Dacia Duster va concura cu Skoda Yeti, Nissan Qashqai, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Volkswagen Tiguan, Fiat Sedici sau Suzuki SX4 – modele SUV/crossover cu dimensiuni care gravitează în intervalul 4,1-4,4 metri şi care dispun de versiuni 2×4 sau 4×4.

Sursa EVZ.ro

Suna fain ideea cu Duster-ul asta, dar cand citesc ca el va concura cu Skoda Yeti, Nissan Qashqai, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Volkswagen Tiguan, Fiat Sedici sau Suzuki SX4  rad in hohote! De aceea am numit articolul: Fie painea cat de rea… tot mai bun e cozonacul! a.k.a. Fie Duster cat de rau… tot mai bun e Tiguan-ul!

[Via http://boggblog.wordpress.com]

Mercedes Benz F800 Concept

Debuting at the Geneva Motor Show next month, the Mercedes-Benz F800 concept car is highly-touted by Mercedes press release scribes for its eco-tech features. But what’s probably of greater interest to most is its stunningly gorgeous design, which is everyone’s first peek at what the next-generation CLS-Class sedan is going to look like. If this is just the beginning then there is a long road ahead of us.

The F800 introduces two new technologies that will become standard features in upcoming models; Distronic Plus Traffic Jam Assistant and Pre-Safe 360-degree system. The Distronic Plus is an enhanced version of Mercedes’ active cruise control system, which can now steer the car through curves as long as it’s traveling under 25 mph. The Pre-Safe 360-degree system expands on the existing Pre-Safe collision detection/mitigation system to the rear of the car, whereas now, if Pre-Safe senses that a rear-end impact is imminent, it’ll apply the brakes in a bid to keep the car from getting into any accidents.

Mercedes-Benz also boasts the concept’s flexible powertrain platform. The realistic option is a plug-in hybrid system that’s basically an offshoot of the V6 light-hybrid setup found in the S400 sedan. Mercedes says this new plug-in gas-electric system, which is good for over 400 combined horsepower, gives the car an EV-only driving range of 18 miles. The automaker has announced that a new plug-in system is headed to the next-gen S-Class, so don’t dismiss the F800’s hybrid setup as trendy green pandering.

[Via http://evolveent.wordpress.com]