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Entry bubble Fuel Economy Estimates for 2010 Vehicles

By: Jake | October 05, 2009 | Category: Money

Gasoline pumpWe have talked a lot about the Car Allowance Rebate System, more popularly known as the "Cash for Clunkers" program but we really haven't talked about fuel economy since Colleen posted about President Obama's proposal for stricter fuel economy standards.

Today, cars must average 27.5 miles per gallon and light trucks must average 23.1 miles per gallon. A couple of weeks ago, the President formally proposed that manufacturers increase fuel economy 5 percent each year, and in 2016 new cars and trucks would have to achieve an average rating of 35.5 miles per gallon. The new national standard aims at both increasing gas mileage and decreasing greenhouse-gas pollution. As Colleen mentioned in her original post, there are many pros and cons to this plan.

Fueleconomy.gov just released the mileage estimates for 2010 vehicles. I thought it would be interesting for us to see if the average gas mileage has gone up for cars since 2009. The best overall vehicle last year was the Toyota Prius with an average of 46 overall miles per gallon. The 2010 Toyota Prius averages 50 overall miles per gallon.

My 2009 Toyota Matrix has the same overall miles per gallon for 2010. Does the 2010 version of your car get more miles per gallon overall than your current model?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cars   fuel_economy_guide   greenhouse_gas  

 

Entry bubble Can You Still Get Cash for Used Cars?

By: Joanne | August 04, 2009 | Category: Money

Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) logoYou’re probably familiar with the CARS program by now – you know the program that offers cash to people who own old, fuel inefficient cars to help them buy new, fuel efficient cars.

Even though the program is still very new, it’s been so popular that it’s almost out of money. The Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 that created the program allocated only a billion dollars (I can’t believe that I just used the phrase “only a billion dollars”) for the whole program. When the money runs out, the program ends.

The House of Representatives has decided that they don’t want the program to end and passed a bill on Friday to allocate more money so more people can take advantage of the program. The Senate is considering the issue this week.

I did a post about the CARS program about a month ago, and I heard from a lot of you. Some people like the program, some people don’t. Many of you are like me and have an old clunker that doesn’t qualify for the program. Rats.

Well, now is the time to contact your Senator and let them know what you think about the program.

| View Comments [12] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: car   cars   cash   clunkers   efficient   fuel   joanne   new   trade   used  

 

Entry bubble Time For a Tune Up

By: Jess | July 09, 2009 | Category: Money

When I lived in Pennsylvania, I never had to worry about scheduling routine maintenance for my car because every year my car was required to be inspected for various safety and performance features.

Maryland doesn't have that same policy. Now it's up to me to remember to take my car in for maintenance, and unfortunately by the end of the month, my car needs to be looked at by a mechanic.

Taking my car for a tune up in a new place has me a little nervous so I've been reading a lot about how to make the process as simple as possible.

I've pretty much decided I'm going to take it to the dealer because they are trained to work on my specific car. I also picked up a couple of other good tips.

I should:

  • Make sure I understand pricing. Will there be a diagnostic fee, is there a flat rate for labor or do they charge hourly?
  • Ask for a signed, written estimate of the cost that states the shop will contact me before doing anything beyond the amount stated.
  • Document all transactions in case something goes wrong and I need to file a complaint.

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I don't need too much work done and that everything goes smoothly, but I'm still a little nervous. Do you all have any other tips or tricks I should know about that will help make the process easier?

| View Comments [7] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cars   jess   maintenance   mechanics   repairs  

 

Entry bubble Cash for Your Used Car

By: Joanne | June 30, 2009 | Category: Money

Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) logoLast week President Obama signed the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 into law. The new Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program offers cash to people who own old, fuel inefficient cars to help them buy new, fuel efficient cars.

Sounds interesting? You bet. Who doesn’t want to spend less money on gas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce our dependency on oil and increase energy sustainability AND get a shiny new car in the deal?

How does it work? Now that it’s a law, program details are available. Here are some quick facts – visit cars.gov for more details.

 

  • The amount of the credit is $3,500 or $4,500 depending on what you trade in and what you buy
  • Your car must be less than 25 years old
  • You must buy or lease a new car
  • Generally, your trade-in must get 18 or less miles per gallon (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements)
  • Your trade-in must be registered and insured continuously for the full year before the trade-in
  • You don't need a voucher, dealers will apply a credit at purchase
  • Program runs through Nov 1, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
  • The vehicle that you are trading in is required to be destroyed. Therefore, the value you negotiate with the dealer for your trade in is not likely to exceed its scrap value. The law requires the dealer to disclose to you an estimate of the scrap value of your trade-in vehicle.

 

Watch out, I’ve already heard reports that fraudulent websites have popped up, pretending to offer information about the CARS program but they’re really phishing for your personal information. Stick with the official CARS website for official program information.

p.s. Don't forget to submit your Independence Day photos on the USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov Flickr Group

| View Comments [16] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: car   cars   cash   clunkers   efficient   fuel   joanne   new   trade   used  

 

Entry bubble Dealing with the DMV

By: Jess | April 16, 2009 | Category: General

License platesAs a relatively new resident to the state of Maryland, last week I had the less-than-enjoyable task of getting a new driver's license and changing the registration on my car.

The whole process started back in March when I started researching what exactly was required to get a new license and registration. It's different in each state, but in Maryland, I found out I would need a state safety inspection, proof of ownership of the car, proof of insurance and a standard application form to get Maryland license plates. To get a Maryland license, the Web site said I would need my birth certificate, another form of identification (such as a passport) and two examples of proof that I lived at the address I was claiming was my home.

I started rounding up documents, had my mom mail me my birth certificate, asked the leasing office for a copy of my lease, scrounged around for a piece of mail from a government agency. So far I hadn't spent a dime.

Then I took my car for inspection.

Turns out my baby needed two new tires and the rear cylinders replaced to the tune of $530-ish. Ouch.

But once that was done, I had everything I needed to go to the MVA last week. I was secretly dreading this trip, fearing that I would be stuck waiting forever and that I'd be told I was missing something even though I did my research.

Long story short, the actual MVA process went pretty smoothly. I probably only waited about 15 or 20 minutes even though the place was packed. And now I can say I'm the owner of a new license with a pretty decent picture (much better than my passport!) and my car's sporting new plates.

Do you have any DMV success or horror stories? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments! 

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cars   dmv   jess   license   mva   plates   registration  

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