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Is it still a good idea to buy a gas-powered car? Predictions on the migration to electric vehicles. With a wave of popularity, electric vehicles are beginning to carve out more than their own small corner of the automotive industry. In fact, EVs seem to be taking over. So what does this say about the future of gas-powered vehicles? Are they doomed, or is there still enough reason to buy and drive them? Let’s find out. Nobody wants to be stuck with antiquated technology. This is why people jump to get the newest iPhone regardless of whether they actually need it or not. Getting left behind the times doesn’t feel good, but what feels worse is the possibility of buying an expensive item that is soon to be obsolete. Imagine purchasing a shiny, new gas-powered vehicle only to find out that everything is soon to be electric. Will individual parts for gas-guzzlers still be in production in the near future? Will gas stations ever begin shutting down? These questions would seem crazy if asked 20 years ago, but today these make sense—they are legitimate concerns. One way to find out if the future is truly electric only or not is to look at what the big car companies are saying. For instance, NPR recently published an interview with the heads of the Ford Motor Company to discuss Ford’s struggling EV sales: “Legacy automakers have struggled to make EVs profitably. Ford lost a billion dollars on its EV unit last quarter…The company loses money on every Ford Lightning it sells — and that was before it knocked thousands of dollars off the sticker price this summer, trying to keep up with a Tesla-triggered price war that's pulling EV prices down.” This statement alone bodes well for gas over electric–but we can’t stop reading there. Look at what Ford’s response is to such a massive financial loss: “Despite setbacks, the company that revolutionized the auto industry with the Model T is determined to be a major player in the electric revolution, too.” The fact that a venerable car company, that is currently losing big money on EVs, is still willing to plug ahead with its EV line says something. Not only that, it looks as though most car companies (worldwide) plan to only produce and sell EVs by the year 2035. Despite the present hiccup in EV sales (at least for Ford), the electric-powered car doesn’t seem to be in danger of disappearing. So what of the gas-powered older sibling to the EV? Is it safe to purchase one or will it turn out to be a massive waste of money? If you think about it, right now might be the best time to buy either a gas- or an electric-powered vehicle. Or both! 2035 is over 10 years away, so going gas isn’t necessarily a bad idea, as we aren’t going to see gas stations or replacement parts disappear anytime soon. On the other side of that, electric is growing in leaps and bounds and we are seeing charging stations pop up all over the country. So the answer is to buy whatever you want…for now. If the future truly is to be electric, there will be a time (within the next 10-12 years?) when going gas-powered will be futile. But that time has yet to come, and we suggest keeping an eye on what major car companies are doing–not the number of EV sales, but what they plan to do. And for now, it looks like they are all plugging in to electric.

Selling a used car on your own is all about knowing who is looking for what you have. With a little research and effort, your vehicle’s new owner shouldn’t be difficult to find. At Liberty Buick GMC, we have been successfully selling new and used vehicles for years and we have learned a few important tips along the way. Our first piece of advice is to solidify exactly what it is you have: does it need a little work here and there or is it in prime shape? Our second piece of advice: always take an honest look and be honest with your potential customers. According to Autoweek.com, a used car—on average—takes roughly 33 days to sell. This does not mean it will take that long for you to sell yours, as selling is dependent on a few things. For one, it’s important to know what models are best sellers at the moment. Classic vehicles tend to sell according to the season (Wranglers and others with tops that come down do well in the spring and fall) and/economy. High gas prices can slow the sales of older, gas-guzzling, cars so if you are selling a classic be sure to keep these things in mind. For newer used vehicles, there are those that consistently make the list of the fastest, most-sold used vehicles: • Buick Encore • GMC Yukon • Dodge Grand Caravan • Buick Enclave • Dodge Challenger • Dodge Charger • GMC Sierra • GMC Terrain • Dodge Journey • Dodge RAM And it’s for good reason we see these models on the list year after year. They consistently perform at high levels and they maintain a modern look and feel, which keeps them popular. No matter what the vehicle is you are hoping to sell, even if it isn’t in high demand, there are specific things you can do to help your chances of getting a great price for your car. Here are four tips for a successful sale: 1. The first thing to consider is the method of sale: trade-in your car at a dealership, sell it yourself, or get an instant cash offer. The value of your vehicle will vary, depending on the type of sale you want. All three have their own set of benefits as well. Trading in your car is fast and convenient since you have no costs for listing or selling. You also don’t have to worry about dealing with texts and emails and phone calls from potential buyers. The downside is that you won’t get as much cash as you would by selling privately, but your used car will work as a nice down payment, or a complete trade, for a different vehicle. 2. Gathering the necessary documentation prior to attempting to sell is a good idea. What documents do you need? Vehicle Title: have this handy if you have the car paid incomplete; if you are still making payments, alert the financial institution you are using that you plan to sell the vehicle—you will have to get the title transferred once the car is sold. Service Records: culling all your service records may take a little time but this is a great way to prove you have kept up with oil changes, brake changes, etc. Vehicle History: obtaining the historical report on your car is a good way to show any potential buyer the detailed history of your car, as well as intimate you are an honest seller. This report is not free, but it’s well worth the cost. 3. Preparing your car for selling is important and can range from major repairs to a mild cleanup. Bringing it to Liberty Buick GMC is a great way to have a professional give it a once over in order to find out what your car needs. In the case there is a major issue—transmission is slipping, oil leak, etc.—and you don’t want to fork out the cash to get it fixed, make sure you include this information when selling. You will most likely need to reduce the price as well, but hopefully your car is not in need of a major overhaul (and, chances are that if your car is in need of major repairs, you are already aware of this). 4. The actual condition of your car is what determines its cash value. The best, quickest, way to find the value is to visit a website like Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com). Here you can enter your car’s specifications (or the vehicle history report number if you have it) to get a good idea of what kind of money it can sell for, whether it’s a private party, a trade-in, or instant cash. You can also peruse selling sites like the Facebook Marketplace to see at what price similar vehicles to yours are selling. Bring your used car into Liberty Buick GMC today and let our trained technicians give you a detailed assessment. We might even share a few more key tips for selling your used car!

If you’re ready to part ways with your current vehicle and purchase a new one, trading it in at a dealership is the easiest way to go. And with inventory lower than normal right now, it’s a seller’s market, which means it’s the perfect time to trade-in. In the simplest terms, trading in your car means that you sell your current car to a dealer for a reduced purchase price of a new car. The amount your dealer provides for the trade-in is taken off the value of your new vehicle. Liberty Buick GMC works with car buyers from a variety of financial situations and backgrounds. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, here are some of the main benefits of trading in your car, as well as tips for how you can prepare for a smooth process: Reasons to Trade Your Car In Trading in your vehicle is much easier than trying to sell it by yourself. It can save you a great deal of time and can even prove to be the most cost-effective route of parting ways with your current car in the long run. Here are a few of the many details of why a trade-in could make sense for you: It all happens in one place. You can drive your old vehicle into the dealership and drive away in your new vehicle within hours. Liberty Buick GMC will go to great lengths to make it as easy and fast as possible for you! It means less paperwork for you. If you sell your car privately, you will have a lot of paperwork to deal with, especially if you’re living or selling out of state. Trade your car in, and the dealer will handle most of it for you. You pay less on sales tax. Many states allow dealers to deduct the trade-in value of your car from the purchase price of the new car, resulting in some serious savings on sales tax. For example, if the dealer offers you $12,000 for your trade-in and you want to buy a new car for $30,000, you would pay sales tax on the net value of $18,000 instead of the full purchase price of $30,000. Your existing loan will be taken care of. If you still owe money on your current car, it might be challenging to find a buyer who is willing to take on that loan. You don’t have to worry about that at a dealership. The dealer will pay off the remaining balance of your loan and get the title directly from the lender. Getting Your Car Ready To make your trade-in as quick and simple as possible, here are a few ways you can prepare your vehicle before coming into the dealership: Bring the Essential Documents You’ll probably get more for your current vehicle if you provide service records and receipts that prove you’ve consistently taken it in for preventative maintenance. It’s also a good idea to come prepared with paperwork that shows any repairs that were made due to accidents. If you own the car outright, you’ll want to bring along the car’s title. Give Your Car a Quick Clean The dealership will clean and recondition your car after you trade it in, so there’s no reason for you to do a deep clean beforehand. That said, making a good first impression never hurts. Consider spending just a few minutes cleaning up your vehicle by taking it through a car wash, throwing away trash, and vacuuming the cabin. Don’t Worry About Repairs Along with detailing and reconditioning services, the dealer will factor in the costs of any repair and maintenance needed on your trade-in. Dealers typically get discounts on these services from repair shops, so you’ll end up paying less by allowing them to take care of any damages than you would if you paid for it through a third party. Getting Yourself Ready Beginning the trade-in process is as easy as walking into a dealership and telling a staff member that you want to trade in your vehicle. Or, you can even spend 15 minutes filling out a value estimation form on the dealership’s website. When you arrive at the dealership, a staff member will inspect your vehicle and provide an appraisal value. Their offered value will primarily hinge on the following factors: · How many people have owned the vehicle (single-owner is best) · The overall condition of the vehicle (appearance and mechanics) · The condition of the tires and whether they match · The car’s exterior paint color (neutral colors typically bring more value than vibrant colors) Finally, if your vehicle has a lot of factory upgrades, it will fare better than the base model. But be careful with aftermarket add-ons. Some dealers might add a little value for certain upgrades that you’ve done yourself, while others will frown upon them. The safest bet is to replace your aftermarket upgrades with the factory parts if you still have access to them. Conclusion It doesn’t get much more exciting than buying a new car. And when parting ways with your current vehicle is as easy as bringing it to a dealership and driving home in your new vehicle, it makes the experience all the sweeter. If you’re ready to start the next chapter in your automotive journey, come by Liberty Buick GMC or visit our website today!