Car dealerships

How to Avoid the Trip to the Dealership and Still Find Great New Car Prices

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We’ve all had to go there, the majority of us find it daunting or stressful and a few lucky souls just find it plain boring. Car dealerships aren’t known for being the nicest of places, apart from the fact that you’re about to part with a very large sum of money it can be hard to think straight and prioritize when you’re put on the spot. What if there was a way to find the very best new car prices without leaving your own home though?

Online car buying companies are popping up all over the internet; they’re fast, full of useful information and can find you a perfect car with minimal effort. One of the first UK car buying companies to launch online was Oneswoop.com – which allows visitors to browse and compare an extensive database of vehicles.

Searching and comparing cars with each other is the best way to go about finding cheap prices, not only will it give you a helpful insight into the standard price of a vehicle you’re checking out but it’ll increase your knowledge on the car itself substantially (both points helping you avoid over-priced cars).

Online car buying is definitely something to look into and who knows, you might come away from your keyboard with more than just a few quotes and spec details – you could find your ideal car!

Information provided by Oneswoop.com – the free car price comparison website that brings you the very best deals and new car prices. Take a look around the site, see what you can learn and find the best PCH, BCH, LP, HP and PCP deals.

Chevrolet: From Its Beginning to Its Mid-Century Heyday

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Chevrolet, the big-name American automobile brand, was established over a century ago. Before he designed automobiles, the Swiss-born Louis Chevrolet, the original maker of Chevrolet, drove race cars. The original founder of General Motors, William Durant, pursued a business partnership with Louis Chevrolet and started to build Chevrolet’s automobile designs in 1911. The independent Chevrolet brand joined the General Motors company in 1916 after Durant bought a significant portion of GM stock, making Durant president.

Riding on the Coattails of Ford



In the beginning, all of the Chevrolet designs were based on automobiles manufactured by Ford. However, Chevy was gaining a reputation for its innovative technological designs and unparalleled styling. In order to compete with Ford’s famous Model-T, Durant and Chevrolet built two important Chevy cars that began its long-standing line of V8 engine models: the 1914 “Classic Six” and Model D Roadster.

The “Bow Tie” Logo

In 1913, Chevrolet implemented its “bow tie” logo. Rumors state that Durant created this logo from wallpaper used in a hotel in France. This logo became instantly recognizable and helped play a role in catapulting the Chevrolet brand into the American automobile industry. Today, each vehicle, including the sought-after Corvette, is equipped with this logo.

The 1950s and 1960s

The 1950s and 1960s were good to Chevrolet. This brand had a massive influence over American automobiles created in the mid-1900s. Take the Bel Air as an example. First built in 1953, the Chevy Bel Air was known for its interior and exterior chrome molding that was quickly utilized on virtually every popular model from the 1950s-1960s.

Although its been over 50 years, many mid-1950s Chevy models are popular today, especially among car collectors. One such model is the 1955 Chevy that came in 2-door, 4-door, hardtop coupe and convertible styles. Due to this model’s refined look and chrome accents, it was thought to be superior in design in comparison to the Plymouth or the Ford. Also, Chevrolet continues to use engine innovations created in the 1950s such as fuel-injection and small-block, V8 engines.

The Camaro



In 1964, Chevrolet hit a milestone unsurpassed by other American manufacturers by producing over three million automobiles in a single year. And in 1966, Chevy introduced a new model: the Camaro. After just a year of production, the Chevrolet Camaro became a huge hit and joined the ranks of other beloved “pony cars.”

Even today, the Camaro and 1955 Bel Air are still two cars every collector wants to get their hands on. Over time, Chevrolet has earned owner loyalty with drivers who showcase 30-40 year old models in car shows and on the roads. This brand’s classic appeal and durability have stood the test of time.

Take a minute to check out this great infographic below about Chevrolet in Popular culture…

Chevrolet cars

Company Car Leasing

How Valuable Company Car Leasing is

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In recent years private registrations have dropped steadily, less individuals and businesses are purchasing their vehicles outright nowadays. The financial climate of the UK at the moment is not actually the only reason for this, another factor that this can be attributed to is how valuable Company Car Leasing is to a business. Many companies decide that it’ll be much more beneficial for them to invest in Company Car Leasing rather than buy vehicles for their staff.

It’s not hard to see why this can be more profitable for a business but it’s still important to understand all of the other advantages that come with leasing. In essence a leased car is being rented, the car is still owned by the leasing company and monthly payments are made to drive it. This may seem complicated but it can actually be more cost-effective than making a lump payment to purchase a vehicle

One aspect of leasing that means a lot to professional businesses is concerning the image and presentation of staff. Leasing a prestigious and classy vehicle helps maintain a quality image and positive association.

Following on from that point; Company Car Leasing is ideal for going to and from meetings, travelling on motorways and long commutes etc. When your staff need to get somewhere a leased vehicle is the perfect option.

It’s plain to see just how valuable Company Car Leasing can be to a business, so if you find your interest peaked then why not have a search around? Do some of your own research and find out if leasing is suitable for you and your company.

Information provided by Balgores.co.uk – one of the most successful independent leasing companies. Balgores.co.uk also specialise in various finance packages such as; Contract Hire, Lease Purchase, Contract Purchase and Hire Purchase.

Test Drive

What You Really Get From Taking That Test Drive This Holiday Season

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We know what you’re thinking — the end of the year is here, and that means a lot of people are thinking about getting a new car. So why not join them? You might have already done some research on exactly what you want, and exactly what you can afford. If that’s true, good for you. If that’s not the case yet, you’re going to definitely need to put some time and thought into this. There’s a lot that goes into a car, and now is the time to really ensure that everything runs smoothly. The more you plan and the more time that you really give yourself to plan, there’s nothing that can really stand in your way.

In the age of online car purchases something like a test drive can seem almost archaic, backward, and retro. Yet we’re of the opinion that a test drive has a lot of benefits that aren’t as clear as they should be. For example, if you’re really thinking about owning a car for the long term, you need to check it out.

And when we say check it out, we mean doing more than just looking around the car a few times and driving it around the block. You need to see how that car handles on a bigger track. For example, if your city has a highway — you need to see how the car handles at high speed. You need to see how the car handles at low speeds. You want to see stop and go traffic. Basically, you want to try to get as much information about the car as you possibly can before you make an ultimate buying decision.

Unfortunately, this is not news to anyone, really — but we still don’t do it. Is there a reason for that? Actually, there really is. You see, a lot of people know exactly what they need to do, but they really don’t’ want to make waves. They really don’t want anyone to think that they’re not happy about getting a new car. After all, there are plenty of people that really can’t buy their own car yet, so shouldn’t you just be grateful for anything that you come across?

The truth here is that it’s perfectly okay to be picky. After all, it’s going to be your money on the table — shouldn’t you make sure that you have everything in order first?

The price has to make sense as well — make sure that you talk to someone that can make the right negotiation calls. If you get the run around from an associate, feel free to talk to the manager. If you know that you can get a better deal elsewhere, try to see what can be done to sweeten the pot.

Naturally, all negotiation needs to take place after you’ve had that test drive. You’ll need to most likely present your driver’s license and your insurance card — these will be photocopied and put on record. If you were to wreck the car on your test drive, your insurance might come into play. However, there is also insurance for every car that sits on the lot.

A test drive should be at least 30 minutes to an hour. If your sales associate seems to be pushy and rush you on this, you might want to find another associate — or another dealership. You still really want the chance to test out the car. This is also a good time to have the car checked over by an independent mechanic. We know that dealership mechanics are usually above the board people, but do you really want to take a chance when your money is on the line? We didn’t think so!

What you really get, at the end of the day from the test drive is a sense of where you’re headed. You get an idea of what you get out of the car, and what you can get out of the car in the months and years ahead of you. This is knowledge that you really can’t get online.

Though if we’re going to mention online, you should know that the Internet is still a great source of information for the car of your choice. You need to look past the sales brochures and look at the features that you’re actually going to get with the car. In addition, honest reviews from real people are going to be far more valuable than canned responses from a car manufacturer.

You will know a great car when you find it, and you will know a bad deal when you run across it. Listen to your gut — when something doesn’t sound right, it’s probably not right at all!

Car Lease

The Importance of Car Lease Comparison

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It used to be that when you needed a new car, buying outright was the preferred solution. In today’s current financial climate however, people are more often than not turning to alternative methods of acquiring a vehicle. Leasing is an ideal way to get the best value for money as well as being a simple and beneficial process to go through. To ensure you find the best deal possible always make sure to perform a car lease comparison.

It’s important to get a great deal as one of the main reasons people take part in leasing is the elimination of stress. A better deal means a whole lot less hassle and more money saved. Because small monthly payments are made, instead of an upfront payment or huge bills, the process is a lot easier to get through and can massively benefit those who can’t afford to buy a car outright.

One of the other advantages is that you can drive away in the car you’ve always wanted too. Many people find that the best way to acquire their dream car is by taking part in a lease. Vehicles that were previously not in their price range are now available to them, which is a brilliant benefit to leasing deals.

As with all finance related options it’s definitely worth your time researching as much as possible before you invest. A lot of information is available on the various aspects of leasing deals and you’ll not regret looking up details that you may not understand. By making a comparison of all the options available you’re sure to find your perfect deal and an amazing car!

Information provided by Askaprice.com – supplying the UK with the best advice and prices. Whether you’re looking to buy a new car or research car leasing deals. Visit our site today and grab yourself a deal on your next car or take the time to read up on the benefits of car leasing.

Car Ownership

The True Expenses Lurking Behind the Quest for Car Ownership

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Are you really thinking about owning your first car? Perhaps you’ve been relying on public transportation for a while, or you have a good car pool system downpat but you still want a little more freedom. There’s a lot of push behind giving up one’s vehicle and just riding your bike or otherwise getting around on your own power. Some people turn to big carpooling rings that split gas and maintenance costs. No matter how you get from point A to point B, one thing is clear — you’re going to need to figure out your options. Getting a car is something that we don’t suggest that you take lightly, but the truth of the matter is that now isn’t the time where you want to be paralyzed by all of the decisions that you have to make. The truth is that owning a car is a great thing, and we don’t think that everyone should avoid owning a car just because of a few blog articles. The reality here is that you are definitely going tow ant to make absolutely sure that you focus on the bigger picture — and the bigger picture right now is making sure that you can get working transportation for yourself.

There is a certain freedom in really making sure that you have what you’re looking for in terms of the car you want. However, that’s not quite what we’re focusing on today. You see, you’re going to need to really think about the type of expenses that will come along with the car.

The first is obviously the maintenance required with the car. While a lot of people dream about a luxury car, they often forget that these high end cars are highly electronic. That means that if the electronic system goes down, you’re looking at a lot of money that will need to be shelled out in order to keep that car on the road. So you will want to look at your budget and really make sure that you can afford the payments as well as the maintenance.

The allure of buying a car in the holiday season is all of the year end offers that come up. You will need to crunch the numbers and determine how much car you can afford, and then estimate your payments. Do you want to get to a point where you’re having to pare down your grocery bill in order to really be able to take care of your car? Nobody wants to make that type of decision, and it’s best not to put yourself in that situation.

Gas is another issue that you’re going to have to face when it comes to the overall expenses with your vehicle. Gas prices come and go, but they tend to rise over time. If there’s an increase in demand — such as around the holiday season — then your costs are going to go up. Of course, that’s something that you already plan for.

Don’t forget about taxes, registration, and other issues of that sort. You don’t want to find yourself not being able to get things done just because your car tags are busted. These aren’t emergencies in the traditional sense — just things that you might overlook.

Another thing that you will want to keep in mind is that insurance needs to be as high as possible for a new car — which can throw off your costs. Always get an insurance quote for a car before you sign on the dotted line. The insurance and the taxes and the car payment might be a little too much for you to handle and it could lead you to losing the car in the long run.

Keep all of these things in mind and you’ll have a much smoother experiencing owning your new car!

Chevrolet Spark

Small Cars – Compact, Mighty, and Perfect For You!

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In the world of cars it can be difficult to figure out what you really want. You might want the same car that your friends want, or you might be pressured by family to go with one car over another. But you know what? At the end of the day, it’s all about the car that you want before everything else. It’s going to be your money that goes into getting the car anyway, so why not make sure that you’re going to be able to get what you really want? It’s a matter of looking at your budget and then thinking about the type of car that you would really like to drive.

Yet if we’re going to talk about cars, why not make sure that we cover the ones that don’t always get coverage? We’re talking about small cars, and why you really need to think about them big time. It’s one thing to think that you have to have a big car, but what if you don’t? You see, these days gas prices are one of the first things that people think about, and with good reason. The bigger your car, the more gas that you’re going to use. Yes, they’ve come out with more fuel efficient cars that are bigger, but your best bang for the buck is going to be with a small car. There’s just really no way around it.

Yet how do you know which small car to really choose? It’s going to be a matter of budget and taste. In other words, you need to take the time to research and then test drive the cars that are going to make the most sense for your needs.

Sure, it’s tempting to go with something that is going to be really trendy, like an all electric car or something that uses flexfuel or E-85. However, you have to be realistic — not every area is going to have alternative fuel stations and you might not have anywhere to plug in your super electric car. Look for a good car that’s going to have an efficient engine so that if you do have to go to the gas station, you’re going to be able to use all that new gas effectively.

Live for the test drive experience — don’t rush through it. However, you can also use online reviews to figure out what is going to make the most sense for your needs. There’s no time like the present to figure it all out, though — why not start today?

Car Loans

Are Long Term Car Loans Really A Good Thing

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Are you thinking about a car loan in the future? You’re definitely in the right place! We’re really crazy about car loans, but the truth is that you have to still go in and do your homework to really make sure that you’re making all of the right moves from start to finish. Yes, it’s tempting to just rush into getting a car loan, but the truth is that you’re going to end up making your life a lot harder than what it needs to be. It would be better in life to really make sure that you have things under control when it comes to such a major financial purchase. While we believe in the power of car loans, the truth here is that you’re going to have to think about the type of loan that you get.

For example, should you get a car loan with a long term? The truth is that the longer the term you get, the lower your monthly payment is going to be. When you’re thinking about anew car, a lot of people think about getting a long car term so that they can actually afford a much more expensive car than if they had a shorter term. However, what you really should do is make sure that you use a car loan calculator.

Loan calculators help you really figure out what you might be paying for your car payment each and every month. Calculating is a smart idea because then you won’t be tempted to spend too much money. A nice car is definitely something that everyone wants to have, but at what cost? If you overspend you’re not going to have the car for very long. Even if you manage to keep the car, you’re going to always find yourself wishing that you had a little more money to spend.

A longer term means lower payments, but it also means that you’ve spent a lot of money over the life of the loan. The longer you have the loan, the more interest that’s going to be generated. That’s why a lot of people tend to go with a much less expensive car to start with that has a shorter term. It might make payments a little high in the beginning, but the truth is that as time passes the payments will get smaller and smaller. In addition, you can always help yourself out by making sure that you think about extra payments. Tax time is a great time to make an extra payment on your car loan because it goes straight to the principle before anything else.

Are you wishing for a new car? Then you’re moving in the right direction. The bottom line here is that you want to always make sure that you’re focusing on your overall financial blueprint. Short term desires are nothing compared to long term goals. A car loan with a long term might be what fits into your blueprint, but there’s really only one way to really find out — you’re going to have to calculate it out and see for yourself!

Car Finance

Buy vs. Lease – Understanding Your Car Finance Options

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Buy a new car! Buy a used car! Lease a car! Don’t buy a car — walk! Ride a bike!

Oh boy. There’s definitely a lot of different opinions out there, aren’t there? One minute you think that you’re making all the right moves within your life, only to find that you might be only looking at part of the situation. No matter how you got to this point, you might be in the market for another car. If it’s not brand new, then it’s at least new to you. And that’s what really matters, right?

Well, the truth is that you have choices. You can finance a new car, finance a used car, or even lease a car. But how do you know what the right decision is? Don’t you want to make the right decision? Of course you do! But when you look online you might still look around at all of the different thoughts on the subject and still not know what to do. Sometimes that’s the downfall of personal finance sites — there’s so many people saying different things that you might not realize what to do. You just have to make sure that you take a stand and base your decision on what’s right for you!

So, how do you figure out where you should go in the “buy vs. lease” tent? That’s what we’re going to cover today.

First and foremost, you have to understand how leasing works. Yes, the benefits are many. You’re going to basically get into a new car every few years, but the downside is that you will not have any ownership of the car. This means that you will need to pay full coverage insurance and you will need to make absolutely sure that you are careful with the car. Any accident damage has to be fixed immediately, and that means that you need to push forward and take action right away to make sure that you will be alright in the long run.

Mileage is another thing. Drivers that long to do big road trips might find that leasing really isn’t the answer that they’ve been looking for. You have to estimate the number of miles that you will drive each year. The leasing company will only give you so many miles to go around. If you blow through them, you’re looking at a lot of money when you turn the car back in.

Yes, it’s nice to get a new car every few years, but what about when you own a car that you don’t have to make any payments on? Constantly leasing a car is much like renting a house. Yes, you get the benefits of having a roof over your head, but its’ not like you can make any changes or hardcore customizations. You have to ask permission for everything. And when changes are allowed, they’re expensive — see our notes on mileage in the last paragraph if you don’t believe us.

There are certain people that do benefit from leasing, lest you think that we are throwing out the whole baby with the automotive bathwater here. Self-employed people may be able to write the leasing payment off as a business expense. They’re going to need to check the vehicle rules with the IRS to make sure that they don’t land in hot water before they try to do this. Taking it out in the name of your corporation also helps as well so that there’s no issue of personal liability.

There are some good points to buying your car outright. For starters, you’re going to have a lot of low-interest financing and cash-back offers — especially if you have good credit. That’s because dealerships and automakers as a whole want to make sure that you’re getting into a good car. However, it’s hard to stem the flow of people that buy a car once every 7 years compared to people that buy a car once every 2 or 3 years. Leases turn over a lot faster, because you want to get from one new car to the other. This is also a great time to figure out what you really want to end up owning. Yet if you’re going to do that, you can also rent a few cars and drive them around town to see what you really like and what you don’t like. There’s no point in just spinning your wheels trying to figure out where to go next if you know what you want.

There’s nothing wrong with owning a car outright, and there’s nothing wrong with leasing. You just need to find out what’s really going to work for you and stick to that. That’s what we think you should focus on, anyway! Good luck out there!

Car Loan

Is it Better To Get a Car Rebate or Low Interest For the Car Loan

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Low interest! Car rebates! Cashback! Year end deals! The holiday season is in full swing now, so why shouldn’t the car dealerships get together to figure out how to part you from your money? It’s only natural — they’re going to want to make absolutely sure that they are able to get you in the door with enticing offers. If you have good credit, you’re going to be able to get a lot farther than someone with challenged credit. And these days, getting into a new car is easier as dealers realize that sometimes it’s better to accept someone with a little more credit risk than end up losing the sale just because they couldn’t pull financing. If you have a good down payment you might be able to get into something really nice — you just never know until you find out.

However, before you can actually get too excited about the prospect of getting a new car, you’ve got to answer that pesky problem of financing. You need to figure out whether you should go with the car rebate or with the low interest loan. In a perfect world, you would get both. But this is capitalism at its finest — you’re going to have to pick one in exchange for the dealer giving you a bit of a break. It’s only fair, you know.

Well, in order to figure out which choice actually makes the most sense, you’re going to need to do some break even calculations. We’re going to provide a small example here to show you what we mean:

We are going to assume that you are purchasing a vehicle that offers 2.8 percent financing or $2,000 cash back — the car is $20,000 dollars. To avoid problems creeping in, let’s assume that there is no tax to deal with. We have to figure that the cash back will be pulled into part of the loan for comparison purpose. This means that you’re going to have $22,000 to finance at an average term of 48 months. This will be at 2.8 percent, which gives you a payment of around $485.01 every month. That’s quite a bit of money, but hey — welcome to the world of financing a car, enjoy your stay right?

Right. Well, if you could go to your bank for the financing, you’re going to have to fork out a lot more in terms of interest rates. The average bank loan is about 7 percent — and that’s if you have decent credit. We don’t even want to get into what’s going to happen to you if you don’t have good credit, you know what we mean? It’s definitely a squeeze!

If you go to the bank, you don’t have the cash back — so it’s just the $20,000 that we’re trying to finance. $20,000 financed at 48 months at 7 percent is going to be $478.92. That’s not that much difference — and you might have a better relationship with your bank, to the point where you can work out even better refinancing down the road as long as you prove that you can handle the car payments.

The cost of borrowing comes into play when it comes to understanding why the low interest rate offer is actually a worse deal than the bank offer. You have to add the $2,000 back into the cost of borrowing on top of the interest ($1,280.48 if you’re not playing along with your calculator)

Of course, we’re going about all of this the long way. If you really want to make sure that you know what’s going on you might want to just use an online calculator that lets you break down both offers and tell you which would be better. There’s actually quite a few, and a quick web search will provide you with more links than you can shake a low interest rate offer at — we promise! Good luck out there and make sure that you are always looking at the bigger picture rather than just taking the offer that looks shiny! Start today!

It’s Time to Refinance Your Car Loan – Now What?

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Car loan payments too high? Chances are good that it’s time to refinance your car. If you’re not sure what refinancing actually entails, you might think that it’s going to take too much time, or you’re going to have to do a lot of work for little reward. Nothing could be further from the case. You see, car refinancing just means that you’re going to be taking out a different loan that will take care of the original loan that you took out to get your car. This new loan will be at a lower interest rate, which means that you will have a much lower monthly payment than you might expect. You can save a few hundred dollars in some cases, especially if you had to take out a car loan with a huge interest rate just to get a new car worth driving. Once your credit score improves, you should definitely look into refinancing.

There are a few things that you will need to do in order to make sure that you will be able to pursue car refinancing.

First and foremost, if you haven’t pulled your credit report, you should. There’s nothing wrong with knowing exactly what’s on your credit report, and you don’t want to make the mistake of not knowing. Even one piece of incorrect information could lower your credit score to the point where you don’t get the loan that you deserve. It’s better to just push forward and make sure that you’re getting the loan that you need the first time out, so you don’t have to send out too many inquiries in the auto loan shopping. While it’s true that creditors do forgive home or auto inquiries when done in a tight period of time, you still don’t want too many inquiries on your credit report. It tends to hurt your score after a while.

From here, you will need to contact your current lender / finance company and get the payoff balance. Keep in mind this number may be a bit different than what you paid for the car, because it calculates the interest that you owe as well. Write the number down and ask how long the quote is good for. Generally speaking, it lasts for about ten days. After that, you would need to contact the company again and request a new payoff loan quote. It’s very important that you don’t skip this step, because you have to do the total amount in order to fill out any refinancing paperwork.

Speaking of refinancing paperwork, you don’t want to do this offline. Offline rates won’t be as good as online rates, because you want to make sure that the new lender is really fighting for your business. That’s where the power of the Internet comes in. Lenders know that when people shop online, they’re automatically looking for the best rates possible. If you go offline, then the new finance company might think that they can get away with hitting you with a higher rate than what you deserve.

These are the main steps that you will need to take in order to really make sure that you’re going to be able to get the car refinancing that you deserve. As long as you take these tips into consideration, there’s really no way that you could fail!

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