Main Street-Legal vehicles - Driver's License, Insurance Required
Automatic transmission switches gears for you.
Manual Transmission, you have to hold the gear lever and change gears yourself. More fun!
Commercial vehicles - Commercial License, Insurance Required
18-Wheel Truck (Cargo, Shipping Container)
6-10 Wheel Bus (City, Schools, Greyhound, Amtrak)
Off-Road vehicles - Insurance may or may not be required
Coupe - 2 Doors
Truck - 2 Doors
Jeep - 2 Doors
Mini Van
Truck - 4 Doors
Sedan - 4 Doors
Wagon - 4 Doors
Van - 4 Doors
SUV - 4 Doors
Jeep - 4 Doors
Hatchback - 4 Doors
Cargo Van
Work Van
Work Truck
Sport
Cruiser
Dirtbike
Moped
Slingshot - 3 Wheels
ATV or All Terrain Vehicle
Dune buggy
Golf Cart
Jet Ski
Boat
Snowmobile
Used typically for renting cars and SUVs.
Used typically for renting cars and SUVs.
Used typically for Cargo Vans, Moving Trucks and Trailer beds.
Usage Will you be using this as a first car, you might want to get used. Will you be getting something fancy and want it new, you need to get it from a dealership. You want a regular car or a truck/SUV? How is the weather where this vehicle will primarily be driven, lots of sun or rain or snow? Just a motorcycle for joy riding? Do I need a cargo van or a huge truck to move my apartment? Think about how you will use the vehicle before buying or renting.
Budget New vehicles can range from $15,000 to over $100,000+ and $100 to $1000+ a month to finance or lease, unless you pay cash for a new car you must choose a monthly plan. If you buy it from someone, they will likely want it paid in full. A third-party sale is usually handled by going to the bank and withdrawing the exact amount agreed to pay, let's say $5,000. Do you have that $5,000 to buy a used car? Depending on your budget, used cars range from $500 and go up from there. Think about how much you want to spend. That amount you can spend right now or per month on a vehicle is your budget. Maybe you need to save a little more, so you can keep paying bills now and after another month or two, you will have enough to buy.
Brand Most people like certain brands more than others, which brand do you like? You should look around and view them all and compare your options. For Example, Toyota and Honda are the most reliable. Meanwhile, Ford and chevy are known for trucks. Jeep is known for off-roading. Kawasaki is known for motorcycles. Then you have regular brand vs luxury brand. Luxurious Mercedes or a regular Toyota? I would prefer a Toyota over Mercedes; they don't have no better features in my opinion for the price difference. You would have to consider your budget and perhaps the brands in that budget as well. Most people spend as much as their budget allows them, Super rich folk get a Bently and so forth, they can afford it. Brands can also be a wealth statement; they have money to own that brand. Or you can just be down to earth and choose which one you really like and enjoy, for example I recently stopped buying new cars. I want to learn how to fix common repairs myself, so I'm going with an affordable brand and used.
Model Is the tier of features and accessories the vehicle comes packaged with. This may include more safety features and a sun/moon roof. To me, this is the most frustrating part of car buying. You don't just get a standard set of features and safety options, depending on the brand the safety options are additional fees. All cars do not have phone/tablet holders and chargers which are still sold separately. In order to get a sun/moon roof, you almost always have to get the highest tier package. Vehicle GPS systems are severely outdated and perform as fast as a computer made over 20 years ago. Just like fuel technology, safety features and convenience features have not been advanced at all in our recent year 2023. The main thing here is to just get what you feel is necessary and try not to get talked into a higher package you don't really need. I'd rather use my cell phone, which operates faster than any vehicle GPS system, meanwhile vehicle GPS systems add thousands to your price tag. A cell phone holder costs $20 and I'd be happier looking at my phones OLED display. Not only are GPS systems slow performing, but they also use old display tech and here in the USA are unable to watch video apps on them... unless you hack them. This is an example of why I never get a GPS system package on a new car and would make the thousands of dollars spent; completely worthless to me. This was one example of many features that you may look into, for you to keep in mind while you pick your model.
Maintenance History Is like an outcome of keeping it long term or to get rid of it before problems occur. If keeping it long term, how have other owners commented on its repair history? Did it break down often? Were there many recalls? If you are buying new, there still may be recalls. Recalls are free to service but that problem may still not be fixed until you take your new car to the dealer for service. If you are buying new you should also keep in mind if it's a lease, you probably won't have to do any repairs at all. Mercedes and BMW for example are luxury brands, their repairs cost more. For example, a simple repair may cost $1000 on the Mercedes and the same repair on a Toyota only cost $200. You will still be paying for the brand price in its maintenance, can you afford that? Then you also have the option to work on the car yourself or hire a mechanic. Obviously working on the car yourself will be saving money, but do you have the tools and knowledge needed to do that? If not, you will need to hire a mechanic and then pay the cost for labor and the parts needed to repair.
Contract Price Is the total price you get the vehicle for. The listed price tag on a new vehicle is not the total price when you take it off the lot, there are many additional fees and taxes added to it. The total price of a used vehicle is not how much you paid to take it home, it may need repairs to be reliable. Every used car can generally speaking be called a project car, what do you need to do next in order to keep it running smooth kind of thing. Back to new cars, you would have to pay dealer fees, extra accessories if you got any, certain colors have extra fees, manual is a lower fee vs automatic has a higher fee and so forth. Keep in mind you will need to pay more than what you're spending to take the vehicle home, unless it's used and they kept good care of it. Then that was a banging deal. A new car is never a banging deal, you will pay retail price or more and new prices go up with inflation.
This is what our vehicles use as fuel, we cannot move our vehicle without fuel inside it.
So far regenerative fuel is still non-existent, nor being studied and current fuel is still highly inefficient.
Gasoline This is the main fuel type used in the USA. It combusts in the engine, although not fully and leaks the rest through our exhausts or tail pipes. There are 2 reasons for slippery roads, that is gasoline leaking and oil leaks. One is intended and the other needs repair. Unfortunately, the technology has not advanced in its efficiency. Gasoline has been a fuel now for over a decade, in over 100 years we are still getting Avg 15 mpg or less in Trucks, 30+/- mpg in regular cars. There was an inventor who made an engine with 50 mpg in the 1900's, but that was not produced for the masses. There is a technology called HHO which is supposed to increase the mpg and performance of Gasoline vehicles, although it is not widely used. Anything which is an improvement in fuel technology seems to become labeled as conspiracy, most likely by design to halt advancements and keep profits high... we are unfortunate consumers in this era of advancement standstill. High gasoline usage is the goal of oil companies, it's not a surprise there are still no advancements thus far in 2023. Thanks to inflation, now the price has more than doubled since I was a kid. Unfortunately, they have been saying we were short on oil since the 1960's. This con scheme works by lowering production. There never is a shortage of oil, they just limit the oil in order to meet current trend demands.
Diesel (will finish when I can)
Hybrid Gas/Electric This uses gasoline, electric battery and an electric generator. These cars are the most efficient on the market right now, with 40-75 mpg features, I know because I drove two of them below. They come with a real problem however, that makes them obsolete. The price. Like a full electric vehicle, anything associated with the word "electric" comes with a premium price tag. This premium is typically another $5,000 and then its only comparable to a base model, which you then have more additional fees to reach a premium tier of a its own category. The most use you will get in a hybrid is when you're in city traffic, I've gotten over 75 mpg in traffic before. It is however a waste if you're not using it in traffic, with a slightly higher mpg than regular full gasoline vehicles. Out of my 2 previous hybrid cards, if I knew what I knew now... I would have chosen a premium gasoline car without the hybrid fee. In order to make the Hybrid fee worth getting the hybrid vehicle, you would need to keep the car for over 20 years. The battery will die way before that, not worth it.
Full Electric This is branded as the greenest technology, since its 100% electric power only. Granted it's not a bad idea, however the technology of batteries used in their creation process negate the green factor. Look up how they create these electric vehicle batteries and how much resources are wasted for one battery and then its branded as a green product ha-ha. Not only that, but the energy stored into these high resource batteries is very small. A base tesla for example can only go 272 miles and that's before any uphill and may decrease further as you drive depending on demands. How much is it to drive, let's say 250 miles on electric and then have to stop for at least 30 minutes to recharge (if quick charger and no waiting line). Your base price is already $40,000+. The technology in batteries is still not developed enough to be worthwhile, yet it's being released at an enormous price. You could buy a nice gasoline car and a lot of gasoline for years to come at the $40,000 price tag of a base Tesla. This is what I like to call a nice money grab, there are many of them out there. Oh, while there are no oil changes, if you do keep it long term, you will need to replace the batteries eventually since they degrade in energy capacity. Cold weather also degrades batteries further, so it is not wise to own a full electric vehicle in cold climates.
Full Hydrogen (will finish when I can)
Leasing contract is when you pay for a number of months to drive the vehicle, it is never owned by you. You are agreeing to drive the car for a set number of months, this usually has the smallest monthly payment option if you're trying to have a low monthly payment. A yearly mileage that you agree to pay and stay within is also on the contract, if you go over your mileage an additional fee typically .50 cents per mile will be added to the lease return. If you are unable to make car payments, you may experience having your car being repossessed or repo'd. As in, someone will come and take the vehicle without your permission and on your property. This is usually for people who do not want to worry about repairs and like to drive a new car every 3 years. In the case of an accident, your insurance will cover you and the vehicle. If the vehicle is a total-loss, as in your vehicle damage is greater cost to repair than it's worth, the leasing company will be paid for the worth of the vehicle in full. This is usually done for recent or newer year vehicles.
Finance Contract is when you are paying for the car's worth with each monthly payment, in a determined number of months. 60 Months is a typical term length, but you can go up to as high as 80 months I believe. Note that the higher number of months, the greater the interest is even though your payments may be smaller. The lower number of months is best because of lower interest. After this contract is over, you will own the vehicle and just have to pay for insurance. You will also be able to experience vehicle maintenance, as comes with age. The first 5 years, you may only need to do common oil changes, rotating tires and air filters. Depending on how much you drive as well, but after 5 years you will typically start seeing some maintenance is needed. In the case of an accident, your insurance will cover you and the vehicle. If the vehicle is a total-loss, as in your vehicle damage is greater cost to repair than it's worth, the insurance company will pay you for the vehicle in full. Or you can choose to repair the vehicle and gain the "Salvaged" word next to your title. I have not owned a salvaged vehicle yet, so I can't comment on the insurance for that. This is usually done for recent or newer year vehicles.
Third-Party Sale is when you buy a vehicle from a stranger, family member or a friend. Websites that allow owners to post vehicle ads like craigslist, allow us, the "third party" to sell or buy vehicles from each other. We just need the pink slip on-hand, which is the vehicle title. The vehicle title or pink slip is a legal document which shows the name of the owner on it. This is how you can avoid buying a stolen vehicle, by asking for the pink slip or the vehicle title. If they do not have this legal document, just know that you may be buying a stolen vehicle and wasting your money when it gets repossessed, or you get pulled over by the cops at gun point. This is usually done for older cars, that the value of the car has dropped significantly. Making older cars a great choice for a first car if you don't want to spend too much and to learn how to drive. A cheap car has much more leeway on getting dents and dings on it, than a new expensive car. This can be a bargain or a bad deal, depending on the condition of the vehicle. Since it is not a new vehicle, it is up to you or a mechanic that came with you to inspect the vehicle before buying. If it's in great condition and way below retail value, you have a bargain. If it is in bad condition and you're paying near retail value, well that is a bad deal. Kelly'sBlueBook or KBB is a great tool to use on determining price and value for vehicles of all ages. If the vehicle was in an accident, your insurance will cover the cost of repairs or if a total-loss; you will be paid for the full amount they think its valued at.
Family/Friend Lending/Gifting is when you have been given a vehicle, either to borrow/lend or it was gifted to you. If the vehicle is being lended to you, in which case you are given permission to drive it, but you do not own it. You do not have to pay for the vehicle or the insurance, unless that person and you made an agreement to do so. If the vehicle was gifted to you, you will then be given the title and need to start insuring the vehicle in your name.
Renting a Vehicle is when you go to either a car rental dealership or a moving company dealership to borrow a car for a number of days. You will need to be 25 years old in California, probably put down a deposit of $100-200 and then pay for each day the car is rented for on the spot or upon return. Typically, they tell you to note the vehicles condition that you took it in and the amount of gas inside the tank. You use the vehicle for your number of days and then return it with the same amount of gas you picked it up with. If you had new damage to the rented vehicle, they would make you pay for the damages unless you purchased some kind of renters insurance with them or use a credit card benefit for rental coverage. I would take pictures of all 4 sides of the vehicle and inside the vehicle, so you have reference when you return... if damage was actually new to the vehicle. Most vehicles at rental businesses have significant cosmetic damage to them, so do not expect to get a pristine looking vehicle when you rent. This is typically needed when you want to use another car for a road trip or you need a big moving truck, like U-Haul for example, to move your belongings from one home to another.
Is needed on any technology because of the materials breaking down or installed incorrectly or intention to break down.
Maintenance is the act of replacing a part, repairing a part or installing it from incorrect to correct. Many people do not know how to maintain their vehicles or simply do not have the tools to do so. With exception to easier tasks like oil changing, light replacing, tire changing. A rebuilt engine would be a highly more advanced repair, compared to a tire change for example. Easier fixes cost less and more advanced fixes cost higher. You can also pay for maintenance based on the brand of vehicle, a toyota will cost less to fix than a Mercedes for the same job as an example. Diagnosing a problem is also another factor, you may not know what is wrong and just like a doctor should run tests to determine the problem... you or your mechanic should run some tests to pinpoint the problem with your vehicle.
Engine Light Activated means that there is a problem and you should have your vehicle looked at. A mechanic would typically use a scanning tool to see what the vehicles computer says is wrong, if the problem is not obvious from physical appearance and sound.
Tire Air Pressure should be checked routinely like the oil. You could find that a tire is low and may have a puncture somewhere or just upkeeping the same tire pressure is huge for a comfy and efficient ride. It may also increase your MPG; I know it will highly impact the comfort level of your driving. Find your sweet spot on your vehicle, I feel for it every time I get a new car. If you want to stay within specs, you can also stick to the rated number on the side of the driver door frame.
Tire Noise when you're driving can mean you have something stuck on your tire or a different problem. Such as a rock stuck in the tread or a nail/screw actually punctured the tire and will need to be patched or replaced depending on severity.
Tire Patching is usually very simple for mechanics and takes around 15 minutes or so, depending on your tire shop waiting line of course. A tire patch can be used if the puncture site is small on the tread and also not located on the side walls. Costing around $20 or free depending on the shop.
Tire Replacement is when your tire has a puncture or slash that is not patchable, your tire is too many years old, your tread is low or no longer safe to drive or possibly a defective tire (odd tire shape after driving or you over-inflated your tires). Or the tire shop just wants to take advantage of you and upsell, hoping you have no car knowledge.
Intention to Break is something that our society strives for. It is the act of creating low quality products, so they need to either be repaired frequently or replaced more frequently. Unfortunately, this carries into vehicles that are available to the public. Just be aware that certain brands do like to be more reliable than others. Japanese vehicles tend to be more reliable than American vehicles. This is solely due to the leaders in Japan that wants to make high quality products and the American leaders do not care if they make low quality products. Regardless of country though, the standard in the world is profit after all. It doesn't matter what the product is, do not expect quality in this era.
Choosing a new tire can be broken down on Americas Tire website:
Size - For a 1996 Honda Civic LX an example tire size is 185/65 R14.
Treadwear warranty mileage (higher is better) - Can range from 30,000 up to 100,000+ miles.
Tire Types - Choices are All-Season, Summer, Winter. The tire performs better in the environment that its named by.
Tire speed rating - Is the maximum speed a tire is rated for. Starting at B to Z, the highest speed being Z rating. The standard speed rating is T (118mph) and above.
Tire Noise - Can be a deciding factor when buying a tire, especially if they are really loud or not. You typically don't hear loud tire noise until you have a bigger vehicle like truck or SUV.
Price - Is also a main concern for anything you buy. When it comes to tires, quality is more and lower quality is less. I would generally stick to middle class tires because anything can happen to your tires and may need replacement. To stay at a middle ground of not wasting too much money and getting a good enough quality is why I stay in the middle class tire range. Note also that the bigger your vehicle, the bigger the tire and thus the more price goes up on the tire. The same for smaller vehicles, the tire price should reflect the size of your vehicle. Keep in mind that tires also have "sales" like discounts on the tire and may also offer "buy # and get # free" type of deals. It is best to shop around like any other purchase, if you have the time.
Tire and Wheel Services - Such as Balancing, Alignment and Rotating are something to keep in mind.
Roof Rack Basics
..Now in order to have a vehicle, it is very important to know about how to care for it and keep a file for anything you do to that vehicle. This could be maintenance tracking or something small you paid for, like a tire pressure sensor you bought to put inside the door pocket. When it comes time to sell or give away the vehicle, you will have a list of everything that's been done to the vehicle. Not everyone does this and the person who takes over that vehicle, will have to figure out the condition of the vehicle. That is why the Lemon Law exists, in case you were told the vehicle is running without problems but failed to do so.
Below are examples of how you can keep track of your car history and maintenance information. This is my personal list. Note, Chris is our family mechanic.
2000 Toyota Celica GT
2-Door, Compact, Coupe
Start of Ownership: Family Lending, Owner is Mother.
Ownership Years: 2022-TBD
Monthly Payment: $0 Thanks Mom!
Yearly Mileage allowance: Unlimited
Color: White
Gas Mileage: 15-35 MPG
Gas Tank Size: 15 Gallons
Usage: Commute until Chris finishes repairs on a 96 Civic with manual transmission or I get another vehicle lease for a manual transmission. I want to have fun when I drive again, so looking for manual transmission. I am loving the full gas car acceleration, even though this Celica is Automatic, it's still more acceleration than a hybrid vehicle.
Maintenance: When given the vehicle, I put it under my insurance and drove it to Los Angeles from Fresno. There seemed to be no issues with the vehicle, Chris had just rebuilt the engine. After driving it for say two weeks' time, I learned the oil was low and then was told it had an oil leak. Thankfully I put oil in before the engine had blown up. The vehicle needs to have roughly 1 quart of oil added on an almost weekly basis. After a long trip from L.A. to Fresno or Vegas, it needs oil immediately after the trip. When the vehicle was low on oil, it ran with much less power and vehicle vibration is much more noticeable in the cabin. I would use those two signs as a low oil indication for future reference. After this incident I checked the oil daily. After noticing the pattern of how much oil it needs every week, once a week checking is okay. Now I check the oil on a weekly basis and it is doing great. No other major problems besides the oil leak.
*Rear brake light bulb replaced on driver side. 1 Extra in trunk.
*Many quarts of oil purchased. Until I can take it back to Fresno and Chris is available to fix the oil leak.
*Engine coolant was added and oil filter replaced after returning to Fresno from the low oil incident.
4.24.2023 Engine check light Report taken. Noted to replace Fuel Injectors, engine miss-fires detected. Chris suggested to add x2 16oz bottles of Seafoam in the gas tank when low on gas, then fill the gas tank. Suggestion Completed. Seemed to have helped run a bit smoother.
4.30.2023 Purchased Spot mirror for side mirrors. I'm tired of the blind spot, it is really bad in Coupe vehicles.
5.15.2023 Sometime in May, I noticed the driver side headlight went out completely. Needs replacement. Replacement bulb is already purchased in Fresno, just needs install.
5.24.2023 Added almost a full quart of oil, returned to L.A. from Fresno over the weekend. Added oil before leaving as well.
6.3.2023 Added 1 quart of oil. Did not do any road trips, this is just commuting and driving in the city for little over a week.
7.2.2023 Added a little over 1 quart of oil, drove it up to near Big Bear. Checked the oil every week prior and it had a good amount still. Now low until this mountain drive. I also put about 1 PSI of air into the tires, checking the tire pressure. Oil and Tire pressure check completed by me.
7/16/2023 Added about half a quart of oil. Road trip.
7/21/2023 Added a half quart of oil after work.
Self-Paid: Phone Holder, Phone Charger, Windshield Sun Visor.
End of Ownership: TBD
2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Blue
4-Door, Full-Size, Sedan
Ownership Type: Leasing Contract with Hyundai Finance
Ownership Years: 2021-2022
Monthly Payment: $251.00 for 36 months.
Yearly Mileage allowance: 12,000 miles
Color: Dark Grey
Gas Mileage: 40-75 MPG (After a full tank of gas was used)
Gas Tank Size: 12 Gallons
Usage: Commute, Ridesharing, Business driving for clients.
Maintenance: Took the car to the dealer for service every 5-10,000 miles. No repairs were needed during my use of the vehicle. Just typical oil changes, Tire Rotation and air filter replacements were done at the dealer during servicing.
Self-Paid: Full set of Window tinting, Phone and Tablet mounting, Phone charger with 3 ports and camera plugs, Dash Camera.
End of Lease: Ended early due to car accident, total loss. Leasing company was paid for the vehicles worth; I was also paid $800, which what was left after the leasing company was paid.
2017 Toyota Prius
2005 Infinity FX35
1994 Saturn SL2
Kia Spectra
Nissan Sentra
Chevy Blazer
