If you are in the market for a new vehicle, it is important that you take the time to learn about various types of cars. Every manufacturer has its own unique benefits. If you are considering a Subaru , here are a few of the unique benefits that these vehicles offer.

Subaru Offers Safe Vehicles

One of the major reasons why you should be driving a Subaru is because Subaru offers safe vehicles. They take the time to ensure that every vehicle that they put on the road is safe. In fact, they won the IIHS Top Safety Picks for All Models five years in a row, from 2010 – 2015.

When you are driving, you want to ensure that you can keep your family and friends, as well as yourself, safe in the vehicle. Subaru helps to ensure this happens.

Subaru Features Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive

Another major benefit associated with Subaru automobiles is that they offer symmetrical all-wheel drive. Symmetrical all-wheel drive ensures that there is a linear power flow to all the wheels.

Ultimately, continuously providing each wheel with the same amount of power helps to prevent slipping while driving, even on the most slippery surfaces. This can prevent your car from spinning out on an icy, wet or oily road.

Subaru Vehicles Have a Boxer Engine

The final reason why you should consider driving a Subaru is because Subaru vehicles have a boxer engine. A boxer engine is a flat laying engine that sits towards the front of the vehicle. This helps to provide a Subaru with the perfect blend of efficiency, power and balance.

Subaru’s are notoriously safe, well-made vehicles. If you are ready to purchase one, Auction Direct USA can help you. Visit our car lot in Rochester, NY or Raleigh, NC today to see our current selection of Subaru automobiles or to take one for a test drive.

For some looking to buy a used car, the process may seem intimidating. There are plenty of budget and maintenance concerns to consider, and for the busy worker, arranging these can seem like a lot.

At Auction Direct USA, we’re here to tell you that this doesn’t have to be the case as you search for used cars. Our pros can help you through every step of the process and make things as simple as possible. Here are the basic steps to a standard used car search process.

Budget

For starters, you have to lay out your budget for a larger purchase like this. The way to do this is to calculate monthly net income after taxes, then subtract all your other bills and expenses – with what’s left over, are you in good financial shape to take on a car loan? Most experts recommend staying below 20 percent of your disposable income each month on a car payment, and you have to consider things like maintenance as well.

Wish List

Once you have your budget set, you have an idea of the kinds of features you can look for. Narrow down your must-haves versus your basic desires.

Shopping Around

There are tons of options available to you out there, so take the time to look around. Our online resources are an excellent place to start. Make comparisons as you shop, asking about things like warranties and performance features.

History and Maintenance Reports

As you narrow your list down to specific vehicles, keep a careful eye on CARFAX and other vehicle history reports. Look for cars that have bad accident histories, have changed hands several times, or have a spotty maintenance history – these might be options to avoid. In person, ask about test driving the vehicle as well.

Fair Price, Finalized Deal

Once you’ve settled on a choice, it’s time to set a final price and get the deal finalized. The rise of vehicle history reports has made it so there’s less haggling in this process than ever before, and you can get a good deal without making enemies of your dealer.

Paperwork

Finally, there’s a good chunk of paperwork to complete to finalize the sale – luckily, your dealer can help with lots of this. This will include things like a final inspection, a bill of sale, a title transfer, valid payment, maintenance record transfer, key transfer, and the seller removing their insurance policy.

For more on the process of buying a used car, or to view any of our used cars for sale, speak to the pros at Auction Direct USA today.

For many who bought a used car more than a few years ago, the “haggle” is a big part of the process they remember. This is a negotiation tactic that became associated with used cars some time ago, and many buyers would come into a lot looking for the best ways to drive a dealer’s price down.

At Auction Direct USA and throughout the rest of the industry, however, the haggle is on the way out. Used car values simply don’t have the kind of uncertainty they used to, and dealers like us are looking to reduce combative, hard-selling techniques that really just put a divide between us and our valued customers. Let’s look at why the haggle is a thing of the past.

Online Options

In the past, a used vehicle’s value would be much harder to ascertain. Sites like Kelly Blue Book weren’t around yet – you had to do a lot more research to determine true vehicle value, and even after this, there might be areas that weren’t visible to you.

Today, the internet offers you a plethora of options for this kind of thing. You can quickly learn about everything from car value to the reputation of a dealer – for this reason, many buyers cross shady dealers off their list before even setting foot in the dealership. With everything out in the open like this, there’s simply less reason to haggle.

Commissions Going Away

Another big change from the past is the way used car salespeople are compensated. In the past, this was largely based on commissions – today, a movement sweeping the industry is pushing for less commission-based compensate. This promotes an environment with less haggling and the shared goal of getting you, the buyer, behind a great vehicle that meets your needs. It also eliminates any need for us to slightly inflate the price of the vehicle to offset a commission to be paid to that salesperson.

No Need to Haggle

As you can see, there’s no need to haggle at Auction Direct USA. Our knowledgeable salespeople are here to match you to a great vehicle, not to pull the wool over your eyes. For questions about our used cars or any part of the transparency of our valuation process, speak to our friendly staff today.

When it comes to searching for used cars, having bad credit can be a difficulty – but it doesn’t have to be a total obstruction. While bad credit may narrow your financing options for certain used car options, it does not have to stop you from getting a used car.

At Auction Direct USA, we’re here to help. Here are a few basic tips for how to get a great used car even with subpar credit, plus how you can look to improve that credit and move forward.

Big Down Payment

In many cases, the loans you’ll be able to qualify for with bad credit will have very high interest rates. This means that the more you’re able to put down up front for your down payment, the better of you’ll be – you’ll have less principal loan amount collecting interest at that high rate if you pay off more to begin with.

Now, this can be easier said than done in many cases. For many people, the same reasons they’re struggling with credit speak to their ability to get a large down payment together. But look at areas large and small to tighten up your belt, including limiting creature comforts and focusing on essentials.

Credit Score Improvement Areas

Leading up to a used car search, consider quick ways to raise your credit. Try to pay bills on time, and avoid any big purchases that can be put off until later to keep your debt ratio down. Also, don’t forget to factor in maintenance costs for a potential new vehicle – if you can’t afford the basics that come with the car down the line, it could be repossessed.

Stay Reasonable

Used car values vary based on a variety of factors, but if you’re in a budget crunch, you should be focusing on only on the most important factors. Resist the urge to look at luxury models or trick yourself into thinking you can afford more car than you really need.

Voice Issues

This is an issue for after your purchase as much as beforehand – don’t be afraid to voice financial issues to your lender if they come up. If you run into problems making your payments, communicate and be honest about your situation. Lenders always prefer to help find a workable solution rather than take the drastic step of repossessing a car, so they’ll do what they can to help you out.

To learn more about buying a used car with less than stellar credit, or for any of our used car services, speak to the pros at Auction Direct USA today.

If you have a used car for sale, one of your most obvious priorities will be getting the highest possible value out of it. But as anyone who has dealt with the sale of used cars in the past will know, this process often begins long before you actually put the car up for sale.

At Auction Direct USA, we’re here to help. Here are a few tips our experts can offer when it comes to increasing your car’s potential resale value.

Keep Your Paperwork

As you move through your car’s life, keep all documents you have that relate to the vehicle. Do not keep these in the car themselves – keep them in a separate folder, and organized by basic dates and relevance. Items in this folder should include your title, purchase receipts, finance contract, all service records, your owner’s manual and your window sticker. The more documentation you have of everything that’s taken place with your car, the more you can prove about its value.

Don’t Abuse the Car

It’s common to hear drivers talk about preventive maintenance, and while it’s indeed vital, the one area that’s most important is often overlooked: Drive safely and stay alert. Reckless driving leads to higher chances of an accident, but also can damage the chassis and cause more fluid leaks, oil burning, and engine part failure.

New Tires

One area that can be particularly valuable when it comes to pre-sale replacement is the tires. Tires are a big part of curb appeal on the car, which has shown to be an outsized factor in seller interest – even if other elements of your car are in tip-top shape, a buyer who sees worn down tires is less likely to show interest. In most cases, the cost of simply replacing the tires is easily worth the increase in resale price you can demand.

Proper Maintenance

Finally, the top tip we can offer for upping resale value on your car is simply keeping up with your recommended maintenance. Little repairs that can be handled for virtually no cost during scheduled maintenance can torpedo into far more costly issues if this maintenance isn’t done properly, and your car’s overall value could plummet in the process.

For more on how to keep your car’s resale value high, or to learn about any of our used cars, speak to the pros at Auction Direct USA today.

When you’re considering a variety of used cars for your next purchase, one of the primary areas you’ll look to for some general clues about the vehicle’s history is the mileage. At Auction Direct USA, we have a wide range of miles on our huge selection of used cars for sale, depending on your preferences.

How important should mileage be when you are browsing our selection? Let’s take a look, plus view some examples of when mileage can be misleading.

Basic Assumptions

In a very general sense, it’s good to assume that the average driver logs about 12,000 miles on their vehicle per year. If there’s very little other information about the car available, this can be a good baseline for determining roughly how long and how frequently the car has been driven for. If a car has significantly more or less mileage than this based on the number of years it’s been in circulation, this is something to look into.

However, there are situations where relying only on the mileage can get you a misleading idea about a car. Our next section will discuss a few examples.

Mileage Can Be Misleading

• In some cases, a car will have a standard number of miles and only a single ownership, plus good maintenance. In these cases, this is a great car to pursue.
• Rental cars, in many cases, can sometimes be had for less money and with better mileage.
• On the flip side, a similar car to our first example, but with multiple owners and more years in circulation, might not be as good an option. This is particularly true if you can’t find a good maintenance history.
• Also consider the inverse, however: A car with the same year and make as our other examples, but with just 3,000 to 5,000 miles per year on the odometer. Cars like these are usually garaged, and while they may appear well-maintained due to rarely being driven, they can come with elements like dry-rot, weakened batteries and dried-out oil seals. These are all threats to the longevity of the car, so you should be wary.

For more on interpreting a used car’s mileage, or to view any of our cars for sale, speak to the pros at Auction Direct USA today.