Car bargains are everywhere in this economic downturn, but every insight we have into the great deals out there saves us a few extra hundred dollars of our hard earned money. I found the following Forbes compilation interesting. You should check it out. This lineup shows some great car deals in the market today in a fun format. Enjoy!

Oh don’t forget, while these are great deals, you will always get a better deal using my insider tips on getting a better discount.

Check out the 2009 Mazda6. Its a big redesign from the 2003 design that was sold until 2008 models. It just may be the commercial talking, but i think this car has the right mix of Lexus, Accord and of course Mazda mixed into its look. I am told this will hit the market in Aug 2008 with $19,000 for the entry-level four-cylinder, and $28,500 for the V-6 Grand Touring s. Of course work with my dealers for a better pricing.

This car takes on the Camry, Accord, and Malibu head on with the new 2009 release. the 2009 Hyundai Sonata has bettered its predecessor’s mileage, and interior. With the low price tag just right for the down market, I think its a good buy. Check out analysis of the 2009 Hyundai Sonata done by my competition in the video below.

Wow, some people seem really scared to talk to dealers. Some car dealers have picked up on this fear and have come up with the complete car buying experience online. Check out this news story about the A-to-Z of car buying completely online.

Come on, we (car dealers) are not so bad. While the in concept the complete online car purchase idea seems wonderful,  you will be leaving many a dollars on the table for the luxury of avoiding your car buying fears.

I still advocate, doing your car buying research online, and getting multiple quotes from dealers from the ease of your home computer, and then doing the legwork and talk work at the dealers who respond so that you get the car you really want. Besides, there is no substitute for actually getting behind the wheel of a car before making the purchase.

Good luck!

Insane as it sounds, its actually a real marketing gimic used by a dealer in Butler, Missouri. Apparently it is a retort to a comment made by Barack Obama. Well apparently the unique marketing angle has worked!!! Read more about this unusual marketing here. What will they offer next? A set of knives or swords with every car purchase? I guess so long as its legal, and turns heads, some dealers are ready to try anything.

 

Just look at that picture. It almost seems like Maserati from the front.  I don’t need to sell you on the fact that the 35MPG is a good thing. Other cool new features are the voice activated communications and entertainment parts to this amazing new years model. Yes that means you can use your Bluetooth cell phone in this baby. This car is like a full featured semi-luxury car geared for the space (city dwellers) or budget conscious. Check one out at your closest dealer. More info here.

I don’ think i need to sell you on the virtues of the Acura TSX. It has had a long history of excellence and reliability. So how did the Acura car dealers up their value this year? With the option to have rear back up camera, a nav system (also available before) and all the bells and whistles you can think of. Best to drive over to your neighborhood Acura car dealer and check it out for yourself. More details click here

Ask any car dealer and they will tell you. Price of gas efficient cars of course. Looks like this is happening across the country for many different car models. I read that some buyers are also paying more than asking. Don’t believe me? Check out the car prices article here. What is driving the price hike you ask? Gas prices of course. With this logic, if you are in the market for a gas guzzler, expect to pay below invoice. Let me know if you succeed.

Excerpt from the article:
“It’s extremely high right now,” Haile said. “The small cars are very hard to get right now. The cars that were $5,000 are now $7,000.”

In the past year, the average used small car price has gone up 2 percent, from $9,278 to $9,470, according to wholesale auto auction data collected by the National Automobile Dealers Association. There’s evidence that the prices are accelerating, according to recent data from J.D. Power and Associates.

The increases are in contrast to used full-size sport utility vehicles, whose prices have dropped $1,600 to $2,000 in the past year, said Paul Taylor, the NADA’s chief economist. The average sale price of all used vehicles in the U.S. dropped 2.5 percent in the past year, the NADA reported.

The swings are directly related to gasoline prices. For the past three years, small and midsize used car prices would rise with seasonal oil price increases, then drop when fuel prices moderated, Taylor said. But gas prices haven’t dropped and continue to rise this year, which has kept the small-car trend going, Taylor said.

I have always been a fan of the Nissan Maxima, a friend in college used to have one, and for the price, I found them to give great value and quality. The new 2009 Nissan Maxima is hitting car dealers soon, if not already, and these new cars are ready to tickle the Nissan Maxima fan club, as its their best car yet. Power, speed, elegance is really great. I only wished they could have improved their mileage which is still at: 19/26MPG. But for people who value the feel for a sports car at the functionality of a regular car, it’s a great deal! More info here

Are you more likely to buy an 2008 Audi A4 if you can drive it at the same time as 3 other cars within 30 min of each other? Well that is what Audi car dealers are banking on with this new initiative called: New 2008 Audi Driving Experience and Signature Competitive Comparison Program.

Interested? Check out this press release and find out when they will be hitting your city next.

My 2 cents on Audis: Sheek, sophisticated comparable to BMWs or Saabs or Volvos but still prone to some malfunctions as compared to say a Lexus or Acuras

Here is an excerpt from the press release:
The 2008 Audi driving experience, running July through November, features a national tour with signature events in eight major markets – Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., New York, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas and Los Angeles – conducted on renowned racing circuits, including the Autobahn Country Club, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Summit Point Motorsports Park, Pocono Raceway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Homestead Miami Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and California Speedway, respectively. The tour will offer participants the opportunity to explore the remarkable performance capabilities of Audi vehicles by putting them behind the wheel of signature models, including the 2009 A4, RS 4, TT, Audi Q7, S5 and the 420-horsepower R8.

The Audi driving experience offers two driving programs: Competitive Comparison and Enthusiast. The Competitive Comparison is a complimentary two-and-a-half-hour introductory program in which participants will test the all-new 2009 A4 alongside three other vehicles in its comparable class, including the BMW 328 Xi, Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic and Lexus IS 250 AWD. To both teach the fundamentals of driving and demonstrate, through hands-on experience, the superior handling capabilities of the A4, six exercises were designed to replicate real world conditions, including Acceleration, Swiss Slalom, Wide Turn, S Slalom, Emergency Lane Change and Braking – each will be carried out in all four vehicles. Participants, split into two groups, will also get a chance to drive the all-new A4s on the racetrack.