Verses

by Andrea Harris

So, I was talking cars with a friend the other day.  He’s in the market for a nice trade-up from his Geo Prizm (seriously, so sad) and of course, I was all for selling him on a Honda.  You all know my feelings about my Accord, Sugar, so it wasn’t hard to get passionate about it.  I mean, I felt like it wasn’t even an argument.  Honda is just a flat out better car, right?  But he wouldn’t budge.  He wants a Dodge Charger.

Dude, really?

My heart broke just a little, despite the fact that I do actually get a real, red-blooded thrill from an all-American muscle car.   But they’re like a Disney vacation… it’s fun to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.  

The only catch is, this is a guy who does his homework.  He’s an engineer who takes no choice lightly.  We went to dinner once.  It took him 30 minutes to come up with what he wanted to eat.  (Yikes.) So I decided to do a little homework myself.  I wanted to see what my choice of an Accord was up against.  Turns out, not much.  We’d both buy used, so I based my comparison on the J.D. Power Ratings of the  2009 model of each car.

Photo Credit: Autos.yahoo.com

It’s pretty obvious there’s no real competition.  Honda outranks the Dodge in nearly every single category. So while I give the guy full props for buying with his all-American soul, the ratings speak for themselves. I’ll be taking my bragging rights now.  

Earnin' Your Trust

We've all heard the stereotypes that people in the car business are shady and dishonest.

These feelings can make it really difficult to trust the person who is selling you a used car. No one wants to feel like they've be taken advantage of or swindled.

I sat down with Wendell Wood in his office and asked him what Ken Garff Honda of Orem is doing to combat all those negative stereotypes. What he told me surprised me.

Did you know that when you purchase a used Honda from a dealership you can expect a 150+ point inspection--that includes inside, outside, mechanical AND cosmetic? And even if you are purchasing a non-Honda used car from a Honda dealership (I didn't even know that was possible!), that car is subjected to a 120 point inspection. Dang!




One this is for sure: These guys want you to feel confident with the car you are purchasing and they will go to great lengths to make sure you feel that way.

Follow Lindsey Redfern of The R House as she falls in love with the 2013 Honda Odyssey. A reformed SUV enthusiast, she has seen the light and is passing her excitement onto you in the form of really sweet deals. Get all the details on how she can save you a little cash.

Don't Get Soaked by Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy blew through last month wreaking a special kind of damage.  As the East coast recovers and we help where we can (donate here or here to get money and resources to victims), it's important to keep an eye on the used car market, especially if you're in the market for a used car.  A recent NBC News report stated that Hurricane Sandy may have totaled as many as a quarter of a million cars.

Photo credit: CNN.com

Flooding a car is much like dropping your cell phone in the bathtub.  It ruins the engine, gauges and especially the electrical components of your car.  It can fill the interior of the car with mildew and mold while simultaneously rusting out the bottom.  Often, however, it takes a few months for the real damage to take effect on the car, giving criminals a window of opportunity in returning scrapped cars to the market. 

So how do flood cars get back in the market?  Unlike a cell phone, it is incredibly difficult to dry out a car after it's been flooded.  So flood cars are automatically totaled by insurance companies.  The car is then taken by the insurance company and sent to an auction where it will be sold for parts or scrap metal.  Unfortunately, there are always a few unscrupulous buyers--owners of chop shops--who are there to buy vehicles at lowest possible prices and return them to the market.

Buy moving the vehicle over a few states, these criminals can "wash" the title eliminating the "totaled" notation from it and presenting to potential buyers a clean-looking title.

If you're in the market for a used car, use these tips to make sure you don't get soaked.

1. Watch for smells.  Flood cars smell molly and old.  Also watch for overly perfumed cars, whose owners may be trying to cover the telltale bad smells.

2. Brand new carpet.  A four-year-old car should have four-year-old carpet.  If the carpet is brand new, it may be a flood car.

3. Check for water signs.  Lines in the trunk or interior of the car or fogging in head or tail lights means that you have a car that's been flooded.  Be wary of dirt or build-up in unusual places.

4. Look for rust.  Check the undercarriage, under the carpet, as well as behind the gas and brake pedals for rust.  A lot of rust on a new-ish used car is a very bad sign.

5. Check the VIN.  At the National Insurance Crime Bureau's website you can check the VIN, at no cost, to see if the car has ever been totaled by an insurance company.

6. Check CarFax. Get a vehicle history report from CarFax.  Ken Garff Honda of Orem provides a free CarFax history on every used car.  You can print it off of the Honda of Orem website or come into the dealership where a salesperson will print one for you and walk you through the vehicle history.

If you are in the market for a used car in the next 3-6 months, it is critically important to go through every step in checking for flood damage before you buy.