Back to Home Page

Welcome my advice page for those who find car buying and car repairs an intimidating and frustrating experience. For many women, especially, this presents many problems. So, as a woman, I'd like to share some of my knowledge and experience to help you

Send any questions you have for me here

Visit my Excite Car Community -- Cartalk by Women for Women at Excite Communities


Buying a new car Buying a used car Selling your car Maintenance Repairs






























Buying a new car:
  • To identify the new car that best suits all your needs I recommend this new car buying decision guide .

    Personally, however, I feel that buying a brand new car is a waste of money. Previously owned vehicles are a much smarter buy, because you don't have to pay that initial depreciation. I strongly recommend looking for one or two year lease returns. Leased cars usually will have lower mileage and better service records (in order to comply with lease regulations).

  • If you really want to get that new car, however, you might want to consider getting it through one of the on-line car buying services such as AutoVantage or Auto-By-Tel.

    Back to top































Buying a used car:
  • To identify the used car that best suits all your needs I recommend this used car buying decision guide .

    As I stated before, previously owned vehicles are a much smarter buy. I strongly recommend looking for one or two year lease returns. Leased cars usually will have lower mileage and better service records (in order to comply with lease regulations).

    Before you start shopping for your next car, however, you should first conduct some intensive research. Once you've identified the car(s) you're interested in find out the exact value of that car. You can do this using Kelley Blue Book's used car pricing guide. Armed with this information you can start visiting the dealers.

    Let me explain how this process works by telling you about the purchase of my latest vehicle:

    • I identified the main requirements and preferences for my next vehicle.

      1. Reliabillity - I need a car that requires minimus maintenace and repairs. I just don't have the time and energy to spend on this stuff because I have to run around to work, school, Karate lessons, soccer practice, etc. I just can't have an unreliable vehicle.
      2. Safety - I'm a mom and I do a lot of driving with my family in the car. Safety is most important. Crash Test information is one of the ways to determine the safety of a vehicle.
      3. Space - I want to be able to throw bikes, surf board, skiis, soccer balls, groceries, dry cleaning, etc., and still have room to sit comfortably.
      4. Smooth ride - Since I'm on the road a lot, I need to feel like I'm driving a luxurious automobile, not a truck.
      5. Conveniences - lets face it, I'm not a crazed teen-ager any more. I don't want to shift gears, I want A/C, I want power windows and doors, comfy seats, and most of all CUP HOLDERS!!!!

      There are also those things that I particularly DON'T like, such as:

      1. I REALLY don't like SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) and minivans. SUVs are mostly trucks with just a nice cab in the back and they don't have to comply with the automobile safty regulations. They're also dangerous to regular cars on the road in case of collision. Due to the size and weight of sport-utilities and light trucks, people in cars are more likely to die as a result of a crash between the two types of vehicles.

    • Identified the car that best met these requirements using the Used Car guide -- Subaru Legacy Wagon.

    • Consulted the Kelley Blue Book for the value of a 1 to 2 year old model.

    • Went to our Subaru dealer. Here I was very fortunate, because they just got a shipment of 1 year corporate lease returns of the Legacy Wagons and Sedans.

    • Test drove the 1996 model.

    • The salesman was very pleasant. We discussed the price of $16,500, which was mid-blue book fully loaded. This is a good price for that car, given it only had 25,000 miles on it and still under warranty.

    Subarus are some of the most reliable cars on the market. My wagon came with dual airbags and ABS for safety. The wagon model fits my need for extra room, is AWD (all wheel drive) making it very maneuverable and a smooth ride. It drives like a car, not a truck, and is low to the ground, so I can actually wear short skirts if I want to and still be able to get in and out gracefully. It is fully loaded with A/C, power windows and doors, and has CUP HOLDERS.

    Back to top