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  • Need a New Ride? Top Affordable Compact Luxury Cars

    Need a New Ride? Top Affordable Compact Luxury Cars

    Everyone loves getting to drive a nice new car. There’s something about being behind the wheel of a luxury car that’s ineffable and hard to place. It’s like you become the master of your own little domain, able to zoom around corners and go where you want. Not everyone can swing the huge payments to own a nice new car though.

    So, how do you find a compromise between a nice ride but not having to take a long time to pay it off? Thankfully, you can check out our list of the top luxury cars that won’t break the bank! These are luxurious, compact and affordable, and will keep you riding in style even as you keep your car payments reasonable.

    2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

    Mercedes-Benz, a well-known name in the world of luxury cars, offers the CLA-Class as a more affordable entry option to their range of vehicles. While you’ll only pay $33,695 for base models of the 2018, you’ll get the full Mercedes-Benz luxury experience. Some of the base features are pretty high-tech and impressive. For instance, it comes stock with drowsy-driver sensors, forward collision mitigation and rain-sensing windshield wipers. If that’s not enough for you, it even sports dual-zone climate control and Bluetooth! Add-ons include LED headlights, heated seats and adaptive cruise control. You can even opt for blind spot monitoring if you’re like me and forget to check those every time!

    2018 Acura ILX

    The ILX is a great choice for those who want a luxury ride but still want to have a practical vehicle. This vehicle has some pretty sweet amenities for its low price tag. While base models cost about $29,000, they also have keyless entry and ignition and heated front seats. they also sport dual-zone climate control, for when the driver and passenger feel comfortable in two different temperatures, and automatic LED headlights to help cut through hazardous weather conditions. For those who want a bit more, they can also opt for some safety features like adaptive cruise control and front collision mitigation. The ILX can also be equipped with navigation, leather upholstery and satellite radio.

    2018 Audi A3

    The next car on our list, the elegant Audi A3, starts at around $33,000. And it does more than just look pretty: it has some stellar luxury features. The A3 comes standard with forward collision mitigation, helping make sure you keep your nice new luxury car out of trouble. It also ensures a comfortable ride, with heated front seats and leather upholstery, and even a panoramic sunroof! If you want even more, you can opt to add on blind spot monitoring to even further keep your A3 (and yourself) safe, and even parking sensors. To round it all out, you can even opt for Apple CarPlay mirroring, letting you use your phone as your car stereo!

    2018 Volvo S60

    An extremely elegant car, and a great buy for $35,095. The S60 is a looker and boasts an incredibly comfortable ride to boot. Base models have low-speed collision mitigation, which is great when driving around town. They also have xenon headlights, leather upholstery and sunroof equipped standard. Oh, and don’t forget the Wi-Fi connectivity. Pretty cool, right? You can also opt for rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control and navigation.

    2018 BMW 3 Series

    The 3 Series is the most affordable of BMW’s luxury cars, but it feels anything but “affordable.” This decadent ride is smooth, responsive and just plain fun to drive. You can grab a base model for $35,895, and that equips you with push-button start, dual-zone climate control and rain-sensing windshield wipers. You even get Bluetooth connectivity! If you want a more upgraded experience, you can also opt for a sunroof, among other awesome options.

    Tesla Model 3

    When it comes to brand recognition, few cars are in the same boat as Tesla. The astonishing range and acceleration on display in the Model 3 make its all-electric powertrain that much more impressive. The luxurious interior, with its minimalist design and simple center screen, feels like a car from the future.
    For the price of $35,000 you can get the Standard Range Tesla, though a few thousand more bucks gets you the Long Range. It’s a difference of about a hundred miles of range, as the Standard Range allows for an impressive 240 miles, while the Long Range sports 310 miles. The Long Range will run you a steeper $49,500.
    The Model 3 makes our list, however, due to the all-electric nature of the vehicle working in conjunction with its great drive and range. This is, for all intents and purposes, a totally normal car that also happen to need neither gas nor oil. You won’t need to fill it up, get oil changes or worry about most regular maintenance. That’s all behind you once you go fully electric.


  • How to Save Money on a New Car

    How to Save Money on a New Car

    Buying a new car comes with a huge cost. You shell out tens of thousands of dollars, or take on the burden of an auto loan. Being able to afford a new car requires years of saving money, researching your options, and digging deep to find the right deal.

    Yet there’s something you should know: car manufacturers are cutting prices. A new car doesn’t cost as much as you might think. Thanks to increased competition among automakers, prices are dropping. Every car manufacturer wants your business, but they know you’re too smart to go after the first low price you see. You want the lowest possible price and the best car in the market.

    The average car on the road is about ten years old. Cars are becoming less expensive across the board to compensate as manufacturers struggle to get new cars on the road. Dealerships are even scrambling to get old cars off of their lots to make room for new models. Are you taking advantage of this advantageous climate? Here’s the insight about the auto industry you need to stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of these incredible deals.

    How to Save Money on a New Car

    Different Choices Equal Lower Prices

    Every car company is trying to stay ahead of the pack by creating more new options every year. This could work to your advantage. With so many different options, you could choose anything you want. Want an SUV or crossover? There’s one available from every car manufacturer, from affordable to luxury. Looking for a sedan or convertible? Each automaker has their own take on these types of cars. Special features, add-ons like warranties and maintenance packages, even upgrades on car interiors can all be compared too.

    Car manufacturers are at war over their prices. Facing stiffer competition across the market, car companies know they need to capture your attention. No one manufacturer wants to miss out on luring new customers, new car buyers–and when one automaker is lowering its prices, the rest of the pack follows. This trend could potentially save you thousands of dollars.

    You Can Afford a Luxury Car

    Luxury car brands are competing with each other as well, trying to offer the best features at the lowest prices. They know you have a lot of options to choose from, so they want to stay ahead of the game. Affordable automakers’ cars are catching up to luxury brands. With fancy, tech-savvy features like backup cameras, lane assist, and infotainment systems now the norm, luxury brands are starting to scramble. They know you could score a similar car from another company for less, and they don’t want to lose your business.

    Anyone can afford a luxury car thanks to this race amongst automakers. You simply need to know what a brand’s competitors are offering for a given model, and you can use that information to get a significantly reduced rate on the luxury car you’ve been eyeing for years.

    Do Your Research

    Don’t just walk onto a dealership lot looking a good sticker price. You’ll end up overspending by a lot and driving home with an outdated model you spent too much on. Car salespeople are really good at hyping up nothing at all and getting you to part with your hard-earned money. Before you get swept up by a sales pitch, do your research. You’ll want to know all of your options.

    Get a feel for what different brands and features cost. If you like features like lane assist, back-up cams and infotainment systems you’re in luck. Those features have become standard on pretty much every car. From luxury cars to affordable options, high-tech features are now the norm.

    Compare and Shop Online

    You don’t even need to head into a physical dealership. You can shop for cars entirely online if you so choose. That way you not only avoid the salespeople but you also get to shop at a slower pace. Slower paced shopping means you get to compare prices at your leisure and decide on which features you really want.

    Talk to Your Friends

    If your friends have nice cars or recently bought new ones, talk to them! They’ll be able to tell you way their shopping experience was like and how much they spent. If you’re looking to upgrade to a new vehicle this is a good way to get a feel for what people like. Your friends can even tell you which features they use a lot and enjoy and which ones aren’t really worth the money.

    Just remember that you should shop at your own pace! You’re in no rush to get a new vehicle. If you shop at your own place and avoid the typical car-buying process you’ll end up saving a lot of money.

    Local Dealerships Don’t Want You to Know About These Deals

    Visit your local car dealerships, and you won’t find these amazing deals. Why? They’ll lose money if they let you in on their secret and sell you a car at the manufacturer’s reduced rate.  If you walk into a car dealership today, they will try to sell you a new car for the highest price possible. You could spend all day at a dealership trying to convince a salesperson to lower their price.

    Why waste your precious time when there’s an easier way? Armed with the right research, you can skip settling for bank-breaking dealerships. There are other options for buying a car at significantly lower prices. If you follow the tips above and do your research, shop online for different prices and talk to friends you will be armed with everything you need to know–and they’ll show you sticker prices far less than those at the dealership.

    Stop being jealous of all the new cars on the road–you can purchase one too for the best price on the market. You simply need to keep searching the top money-saving sites. In the age of technology, there are many online resources to help you buy the car of your dreams!


  • What Should You Pay for a New Car?

    What Should You Pay for a New Car?

    Who doesn’t love the idea of driving around in a brand-new car? Not many people get to enjoy the fun of taking a new car out for a spin, let alone owning one. If you’re thinking about getting a new vehicle, maybe you’re wondering how much you should be spending for your car payment. Should you own, or should you lease? There are a lot of questions when it comes to cars and car payments, so let’s get into it.

    New Car Info

    Buy or Lease?

    Firstly, you need to think about whether or not you want to buy or lease a car. There are a few reasons why you might go with either. Buying a car ensures that you’ll have an actual piece of property when you’re done paying for it, meaning you can resell it later to recoup some of the value. Remember, however, that cars aren’t investments, and they only ever lose value over time.

    If you’re just wanting to drive a new car and don’t want very high monthly payments, you can opt for a car lease. A lease allows you to pay less than a new car payment, on average, and still drive around a brand-new vehicle. However, you have to deal with mileage caps (and fees if you go over) and you won’t own the car at the end of the lease.

    What to Spend

    If you decide to buy your car, you’re going to want to know what to spend on your car payment. Unless you’re fantastically wealthy, odds are good you’re not paying with your new ride in full when you walk into the dealership. As such, you’re going to need a loan from someone. You can go through a bank for an auto loan, or you can finance through the dealership.

    When you look at your budget, don’t just see if you can manage a car payment. Try to get your payments as low as you can while still getting a reliable vehicle. For instance, if you make an average amount of money, it’s not wise to stretch your budget in order to scrape by making $500 (or higher) payments every month for several years.

    Rule of Thumb

    A good rule of thumb to follow is the 20/4/10 rule. This rules holds that you should make the down payment at least 20 percent of the car’s cost, you should never finance for more than 4 years, and you shouldn’t let a car’s expenses exceed 10 percent of your income. That ten percent needs to include car payment, interest, principal, insurance, gas and maintenance.

    This might sound like it accounts for a very small amount of your money. That’s because it should! In general, you want to make sure you’re not exceeding this for your vehicle’s payments. Otherwise, you’re letting your car eat up too much of your monthly pay, and you’ll find it hard to save for anything or get ahead.

    Could You Go Over?

    In theory, yes, you could go over this rule of thumb. Many people who love luxury cars end up spending far in excess of ten percent of their gross income on their vehicle expenses. However, we highly recommend you make any exceptions to this rule with a very good reason. For instance, if you’re buying an electrical vehicle which will net you a tax break this year, you can include that calculation for the purchase.

    Likewise, if you’re incredibly patient and simply save up the money for as much as half of the car’s value as a down payment, you can play with the numbers a bit more. However, it can be incredibly difficult to remain that patient, especially when you might not have the best vehicle for your current daily commute.