The GM Military Discount: A Year-Round “Thank You” to Our Vets

According to U.S. News & World Report, “On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, Lockheed and GM announced that they would combine their technological and manufacturing expertise to build the electric vehicles for NASA’s Artemis program, named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology (Lockheed Martin, GM via AP).” This is the first step towards revisiting the moon and ultimately returning to Mars. This recently-formed relationship between GM and Lockheed has come about in the hopes of providing NASA with vehicles that are able to handle off-roading conditions, but without all the bulky weight that usually comes with that capability. They need to be light and rugged and able to perform better than the standard Lunar Rovers NASA has used in the past, even as far back as the 1970s—which were also designed by the GM Company. GM and Lockheed working together are important for NASA because without having better mobility it is going to be difficult to further explore the wonders of the moon, not to mention expanding those explorations towards Mars. Just imagine what could be found if astronauts could venture farther than 4.5 miles from where they landed. With the likes of these two venerated companies, NASA will likely have their new space SUVs very soon. The goal of the Artemis program is to have a return mission to the moon in 2024. By then, the plan is to have the first set of rovers that are able to carry two astronauts at once, and another rover type that can drive autonomously. A self-driving rover could explore a broader landscape, particularly those areas too dangerous for astronauts to go. It’s truly an exciting and progressive move that will surely bring about some exciting discoveries. The Driverless Car is Nearly Upon Us What once sounded like complete futuristic fantasy is now upon us: the autonomous car. Though we are not seeing them out and about just yet, the reality of the driverless car is very near. It’s so close in fact, car companies such as BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, and Tesla are all working with the likes of Google and Apple to bring to life the car of the future. Sure, we’re not quite there yet, we are in what is considered to be the advanced testing stage and then production. Meaning that these machine-operated vehicles can, and will, be on the road. Countries all over the world are swarming to get in on the action by throwing millions of dollars towards the process of integrating self-drivers into society. So what is keeping us from moving beyond the “advanced testing” stage? There seem to be some technical and ethical challenges engineers are struggling to solve. For instance, the driverless car will use cameras, radar, and lasers—yes, lasers—to measure distance and shapes. This is to help the vehicles “see” as a human would. And though efforts are being made to help driverless cars communicate with other cars, buildings, and signs, the problem remains that these vehicles are not able to communicate with other human drivers. What will the relationship of the driverless car be with the human-driven car? What happens if they collide? Who is at fault? These questions only scratch the surface of the depths of thought required to drive in high traffic, highways, and emergency situations, but there is no reason why companies such as GM can't find ways of solving these setbacks. While we wait for the driverless era to come upon us, there are plenty of new and used GM vehicles on the Liberty Buick GMC lot and at great prices. Let’s be honest, the price of a vehicle can vary among different dealerships, but at the end of the day, most places will price-match, or at least get the numbers close. Though price does matter when it comes to buying a car, it’s not the biggest issue. What’s more important is the experience. At Liberty Buick GMC, it’s our transparency that is the secret of our success. All of our sales representatives, as well as all our technicians, believe you should never leave a dealership with an uneasy feeling in your gut. We never want you to feel confused or duped into any purchase. Visit us at Liberty Buick GMC and we will help you find your next vehicle!

If you’re in the market for a new car, chances are you’ve heard or read about how the end of the year is the optimal time to buy. And it’s true. There are several times throughout the year that you’ll be able to find some legitimate deals, discounts, and incentives at car dealerships across the country. But you probably won’t find any that match the savings opportunities you’ll see in late December. However, there are pros and cons to almost every decision in life, and buying a vehicle is no different. With great end-of-year savings often come a few drawbacks. Our dealership thrives on helping each of our customers find a vehicle that meets their wants, needs, and budget. That’s why we’ve provided some information and advice about weighing the pros and cons of buying at the end of the year: The Pros A lot of things happen at car dealerships as the end of each year approaches. Typically, in late summer or fall, the first vehicles from the next model year start to become available to dealerships across the country. To dealers, selling next year’s model is almost always easier than selling last year’s model. This means that they are often more willing to cut deals on a wide range of vehicles from the previous model year. As you can imagine, the closer it gets to the end of the year, the deeper the savings opportunities grow for car buyers. October is when the discounts really start to bloom. Then, November comes, along with the Black Friday holiday, which brings significant sales and promotions in its own right. December? Well, you get the picture. At this point, dealers are quite eager to make room in their lots for next year’s models, so the discounts can get deep. A lot of the time, even car manufacturers offer incentives (e.g., cashback offers, great lease deals, 0% interest, etc.) to help dealers clear out their lots for new inventory. Another factor to consider is that salespeople are required to meet monthly, quarterly, and yearly sales quotas. By the end of December, all of these quotas come together. If a salesperson has yet to satisfy their quota(s), they will be far more likely to offer you impressive discounts and incentives. The benefits of buying a 2020 model right now are quite clear. Simply put, you get a brand new vehicle at a significantly lower price. And if you don’t care about certain upgrades that may come with next year’s model, it very well might be the best decision you could make. The Cons There are some disadvantages to buying a vehicle from the previous model year worth considering before you make your decision. First, your vehicle will be a year old when you drive it off the lot. Yes, it will be brand new to you, but this could affect your resale value down the road. For example, if you are trying to choose between a discounted 2020 model and a 2021 model that isn’t discounted, consider this: Even though both vehicles are brand new and sitting on the lot next to each other, years from now, buyers will think of your 2020 vehicle as a year older, which will impact the resale value. This depreciation could consume some of the savings you gained from purchasing the discounted 2020 model. Also, buying a vehicle at the end of the model year means that you might miss out on new technology and features that come with the newer model. Moreover, if the vehicle is undergoing a complete redesign for the new model year, the differences between the vehicles will be far more drastic, and you could be leaving the lot with a vehicle that's design is already outdated. The Verdict The end of the year is a great time to buy a vehicle. If you choose a 2020 model, you’ll likely get deep discounts and incentives thrown into the mix. As long as you don’t care about missing out on any upgrades and features offered by the 2021 model, going with the 2020 model is your best bet. This is also the case if you plan to own the vehicle for many years to come because the depreciation probably won’t make much of a difference to you. Furthermore, since it’s the end of the year, you might not have quite as many vehicles to choose from, though that will likely only be a problem if you have a specific make and model in mind. If you typically buy or lease a new vehicle every two to three years, then you might consider buying the 2021 model to get all of the newest technology and features. And since it’s the end of the year, you may still be able to get a deal, even on a new model. Are you interested in seeing a wide selection of 2020 and 2021 models? Schedule an appointment or come by Liberty Buick GMC to see what we have and inquire about the top-notch deals going on here!

Buying a new truck has plenty of perks, but one of them is not taken advantage of nearly enough. If you use your truck for work purposes—and there is a wide range of what is considered a “work purpose”—you might be able to save a lot of money by way of tax write-offs. The holiday season is the best time to purchase a new work truck. The savvy car-buyer knows that the end of year produces some pretty impressive deals, but this same buyer also knows that going for a new work truck has a hidden benefit as well—tax write-offs! Why don’t more people write-off their work trucks? Confusion, most likely. Not so much in the process of making deductions, but confusion in what can be deducted and how to go about writing things off. Fortunately, the process of deducting your yearly taxes for mileage used is not difficult at all, just as long as you know what can be counted and where to file. At Liberty Buick GMC we are always looking out for our customers, even their taxes! So we did a little digging and have come up with a few key pieces of information for anyone looking to save a bit of cash come next tax season. Let’s take a look at a few of the most common purposes for using a truck that can generate you some substantial financial returns. Business Purposes Though there is no compensation for driving from your home to your place of work, if you use your truck to drive from one job site to another, meet with clients, or even drive clients around, you are eligible for a write-off. In order to deduct for business purposes, document your mileage on Schedule C if you are self-employed, and on Schedule F if you are a farmer—or, if you’re an employee, you can document as an unreimbursed business expense on Form 2106. Medical Purposes According to the IRS, driving to get medical attention for you or your dependents, as long as the drive is “primarily for, and essential to, medical care,” allows for a deduction that can be made on Schedule A of your tax form as part of your itemized medical expenses. This is one deduction most people forget about or simply choose to ignore. But it’s easy to document, so why not? Charitable Purposes If you find yourself providing any type of service to a charitable organization, such as driving to perform volunteer work for a church, helping out with a charity, or volunteering at a local hospital, you can deduct driving expenses. Simply document the deduction on Schedule A on your tax form as part of your charitable donations. Making Deductions Most people do not take advantage of work-truck write-offs because they don’t want to bother with the paperwork. But, after looking into the actual process of making deductions, there are only two options: use your actual expenses, or use a standard mileage rate. If you want to deduct according to your actual expenses made, the following are what should be considered: Parking fees and tolls Vehicle loan interest Vehicle registration fees Personal property tax on the vehicle Lease and rental expenses Insurance Fuel Repairs—oil changes, tires, other routine maintenance If you would rather use a simpler method, consider documenting according to the standard mileage rate. This rate varies depending on the year and reason(s) for driving your work truck, but you can get a significant amount of money back using this method. The process is simple: take the number of miles you want to use as a write-off and multiply it by the applicable rate. Here are the rates for 2019: Business Purposes=58 cents per mile. Medical Purposes=20 cents per mile. Charitable Services=14 cents per mile. In addition to deducting for mileage, you can also deduct for parking fees and tolls under this option. If you have a truck and you use it for any or all of the purposes listed above, definitely consider your deductions! It may not seem to be much in terms of savings at first, but it adds up quickly and can be done every year.