If you are like the rest of us at LotPro.com, looking for a used car this time of year, whether or not you qualify for a regular used car loan or a bad credit used car loan, is not a lot of fun.
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Just when you thought all Ford could do was re-badge some of its more forgettable products, along comes a welcome change.
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The 2008 version of the North American International Auto Show is now history. Here at LotPro.com, we can see that most of the cars have “left the building” and workers have begun dismantling the huge displays and either storing them or trucking them to Chicago or New York for the next round.
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An addendum sticker, sometimes called an additional equipment sticker, is a smaller label that you may sometimes find next to the Monroney label on the window of a new car at a car dealership.
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Here at lotpro.com, we’re amazed by the ways dealers try to increase their profit on a car, even in the age of the informed consumer. In previous articles, we’ve discussed useful add-ons to get when you buy a car. These additional items include both gap insurance and extended service contracts. But there are some things that you can easily turn down.

Window etching

With car manufacturers plastering the vehicle identification number (VIN) all over the car (engine, hood, instrument panel, bumpers, fire wall) why would putting it on the windows matter? If it’s dark, a thief wouldn’t see them anyway.

Rust proofing

Back in the 1970’s, new cars, especially in Michigan with all the salt on the roads, seemed to rust out in 5 years or less – right before our very eyes. Back then, rust proofing was a big business. Sometimes it worked well and sometimes the cars would rust where the technician drilled into the body to insert the spray wand applicator!
With the current widespread use of galvanized body panels and advanced vehicle engineering, it just isn’t necessary anymore. Check your vehicle warranty for the rust through time frame. In many cases, having the vehicle rust proofed by an outside company will actually void the warranty.

Paint protection

While this may have some merit, why pay the dealer $200-$400 to have it done? You can buy the same type of Teflon based wax for as little as $8 (DuPont Ultra Wax) at many auto parts stores and, for as little as $30, an electric polisher. It will cost you 1/5 as much and you have a polisher you can use for years.

Fabric Protection

Dealers charge as much as $250 for this spray on protection for your car’s interior. Instead, buy a can of Scotchgard (about $15) and do it yourself. Just remember that if you do spill something and wipe it off, you need to re-apply Scotchgard to the area.

The Bottom Line

You can save yourself hundreds of dollars in car payments by avoiding these unnecessary dealer add-ons. If you have any more questions regarding financing or payment information, visit our web site at www.lotpro.com.

It’s a beautiful day and you’re out enjoying every minute of it in your car. All of a sudden, you look down at your instrument panel and notice an orange light that says “check engine” or “service engine”. Is this a real problem? Is your engine about to seize, leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere (that’s usually when it happens)? Well… (more…)

Kia Motors today introduced its Kee 2 door 2+2 concept coupe at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. According to Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer, the Kee “embodies design elements which will become essential to the future ‘look’ of Kia.” (more…)

Press Preview Days are now over at the North American International Auto Show. Here at Auto Credit Express, there were many vehicles that we expected to see, while there were a few surprises as well. Here is an update to the original list of production vehicles that were introduced this week. (more…)

Press Preview days have arrived and everyone here at LotPro.com is very excited. Although the public show is still five days away, the auto manufacturers have already added more vehicles to the list of concept vehicles from a week ago.

Here is a list of additional concept vehicles that will be seen at the North American (more…)

Both General Motors and Mazda claim top honors at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. For the second year in a row, General Motors claimed the Car of the Year award – this time with the completely redesigned Chevy Malibu. The Malibu beat both the Honda Accord and corporate sibling Cadillac CTS to claim the prize this year, which last year went to the Saturn Aura.

The Truck of the Year award went to Mazda’s CX-9 – a first for the company. The CX-9 beat both the Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid as well as the Buick Enclave.

The awards are presented annually at the North American International Auto Show. Winners are selected by a panel of 45 automotive writers from the United States and Canada.