Thursday, January 19, 2012

Totaled car/insurance question?

i was in an accident last night (not my fault) and my car is totaled. i had a loan out on my car and have $15,000 left owed on it. i looked up the KBB value of my car and its worth $18,000. when the insurance company writes me the check for the $18,000, what do i do? do i need to give $15,000 to the dealership that i bought my car from to pay it off and use the remaining $3,000 to put down on a new car, or is the totaled car written off and i get the whole $18,000 to put towards a new car?



i've never been in this situation before so any help would be greatTotaled car/insurance question?
a) don't assume you wil get $18k, the ins co will make their' own valuation

b) you dont pay the dealership, you pay the lien holder/bank

c) yes, use any balance to get a new loan/car.Totaled car/insurance question?
The insurance company will pay you the actual cash value of your vehicle. It may be $18,000, but will probably be less. If you have a loan on your vehicle, the insurance company pays the loss payee (lender) first. If that pays off your loan, then great. If not, you will either need to use your gap insurance (if you have it) or pay out of your pocket. Any money left after paying the lender is yours to spend.

1998 (or 97 or 99) acura cl 3.0 or 2001 honda prelude? Performance wise?

So what wld be better? Like the cl is 250 pounds lighter but i cld take some of that out (ie spare tire etc..) and i wld b modding it either one (headers, exhaust, muffler, air intake etc, MABY in a few years a low psi supercharger or twin turbo) also dont you get more hp out of mods with a 3 liter 6 cylender than a 2.2 liter 4 right? Im trying to decide wich one to get, id def get a manual. I just wanna get the one that is faster and better preformance. here are the kbb specs on it so i dont have to list it all



Acura: http://www.kbb.com/used-cars/acura/cl/1998/retail-value/technical-specifications?id=6140%26amp;condition=excellent%26amp;mileage=142000



Honda: http://www.kbb.com/used-cars/honda/prelude/2001/retail-value/technical-specifications?id=4418



This is just assuming they have the same miles on them. I know about cars but im not a genius so i wanna know wich one is the better car. i like both and i just cant decide and maby someone else knows something better about them that i dont that makes one better than the other?



I also am chooding between these because their both honda (well acura is a brand from honda) so they will be pretty cheap to fix if something breaks.1998 (or 97 or 99) acura cl 3.0 or 2001 honda prelude? Performance wise?
The power is about the same. Overall performance the prelude would be better with more aftermarket support too. Even it has 2.2 it came out of the factory with a higher tune you see that the hp is identical to the 3.0 six. The coupe also has only 2doors giving it a more rigid body for handling. You can get more hp out of a bigger engine but do your research on how many companies actually made aftermarket parts for the 3.0 I bet not as much as the prelude, Integra or Civic.

1998 acura cl 3.0 or 2001 honda prelude? Performance wise?

So what wld be better? Like the cl is 250 pounds lighter but i cld take some of that out (ie spare tire etc..) and i wld b modding it either one (headers, exhaust, muffler, air intake etc, MABY in a few years a low psi supercharger or twin turbo) also dont you get more hp out of mods with a 3 liter 6 cylender than a 2.2 liter 4 right? Im trying to decide wich one to get, id def get a manual. I just wanna get the one that is faster and better preformance. here are the kbb specs on it so i dont have to list it all



Acura: http://www.kbb.com/used-cars/acura/cl/1998/retail-value/technical-specifications?id=6140%26amp;condition=excellent%26amp;mileage=142000



Honda: http://www.kbb.com/used-cars/honda/prelude/2001/retail-value/technical-specifications?id=4418



This is just assuming they have the same miles on them. I know about cars but im not a genius so i wanna know wich one is the better car. i like both and i just cant decide and maby someone else knows something better about them that i dont that makes one better than the other?



I also am chooding between these because their both honda (well acura is a brand from honda) so they will be pretty cheap to fix if something breaks.1998 acura cl 3.0 or 2001 honda prelude? Performance wise?
Neither, you are comparing unreliable junque to unreliable junque so flip a coin. They are both going to make you learn where every mechanic in town lives and unless you want to be branded as BORING don't get either since they are both famous for being BORING cars.

Besides, Japanese and Korean quality has been going down hill faster than a rocket powered sled on a greased rail in recent years.

Get American or European for quality and safety, Japanese and Korean cars are pretty crappy for the most part.1998 acura cl 3.0 or 2001 honda prelude? Performance wise?
I love this guy up here talking crap about japanese cars even though Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have some of the longest lasting motors on the market. Sounds to me like you are just biased towards them. I own a 5th Gen Lude with 160k on it. I have never had ANY problems with it.

Report Abuse

1998 acura cl 3.0 or 2001 honda prelude? Performance wise?
I wouldn't really consider either a "performance" car, but, while you would in theory get better performance modding a V6, there will be a lot more parts for the Prelude motor, just more popular for the aftermarket.
"id def get a manual"





The 1998 3.0CL was only available as an automatic.

Does It Make Sense To Trade In my Car?

Hi,

I have a 2008 Nissan Sentra that i bought brand new. The monthly payment is $260 a month with an interest rate I believe at 3.5%. Ideally I would like to lower my monthly payment to $200. I currently have $9400 left on the loan and the car is valued at around $10,000 by KBB.



What I want to know is if I go to a dealer is it possible to get a 2006 or 2007 model of a good used car and eliminate my loan and lower my monthly payments?Does It Make Sense To Trade In my Car?
Hang onto that Sentra. We've got a 2004 Sentra with 100,000 miles on it. It still lacks a year being paid off (because we bought used, as you're thinking about doing) and our payments are $264 per month. We traded a car that was worth slightly less than what was owed, plus the dealership took us to the cleaners on the trade-in allowance they were willing to give. You'd likely face the same situation. KBB is the highest value of most automobile buyer's guides. The others, such as NADA and Edmunds.com's "True Market Value" tend to be lower. Expect your dealership to offer you as little as possible.



You're in a pretty good, fairly new car that should last a long time. If you want to pay it off early, call the finance company and see what you can do about applying an extra amount (say, $20) to the principal balance each month. They might set up a plan for you to do that. If we weren't trying to buy a house right now, we'd probably just pay off the remaining $2,700 or so we owe on our Sentra. All we'd have to do is call the customer service number on our billing statement and work out a payoff amount.



At the very least, do this:



1. Hang onto your Sentra until you've paid it off more. You want to have positive equity built-up in this car, because that's what determines your trade-in value. As it is, you're barely breaking even ($0 equity) based on KBB, and you're probably "upside down" (less than $0 equity...i.e. you owe more than the car is worth) according to other buyer's guides.



2. When you've built up a couple thousand dollars of positive equity (based on NADA and/or other buyers guides like Edmunds TMV), do your research about how much trade allowance would be fair. You want to get your dealer to give you something between the stated trade-in value and the dealer resale value when you go to trade. Bear in mind, however, that the dealer will have to pay off the balance of your loan out of any trade allowance they give you. So if they offer you $8,000 and you owe $6,000 on the car at the time of the trade, you really only get to knock $2,000 off the price of the used car you're trying to buy.



3. Work out your financing ahead of time with your bank. Many banks will offer a fairly competitive car loan at relatively low interest rates (under 6 percent, currently). If you do this ahead of time, you can go into the car dealership and talk CASH PRICE, not monthly payments. This is the number one mistake many car buyers make. We made it when we bought my wife's Sentra.



4. Research the cars you're interested in. Find out the value, again utilizing several buyer's guides to determine a fair price. You're looking at the dealer retail value, but also be aware of the dealer trade-in values for the cars you're looking at, as well. Being that most car buyers are relatively uneducated about this process, you can usually bet the dealer paid less than the dealer trade-in value for the car. Not that they'll ever admit to it, but it's good to remember you might be able to buy the car for less than your buyer's guides' "dealer retail" price recommends.



5. Walk into the dealer with a fair cash price decided. Since you've already worked out the financing with your bank in a low-pressure environment, and you know what your payments will be for several "test" amounts, offer them your lowest price. Cash talks, and you-know-what walks. You'd be surprised at the deals you can get by utilizing this method. The salesman gets a clean commission check with nothing going to the Finance and Insurance guy, and he doesn't even have to do as much "car dealer math" on his favorite tool, the Four-Square Sheet. All the dealer has to worry about is whether they're making a fair profit on the vehicle. No F%26amp;I tricks, no need to distract you with monthly payments or special "paint protection" packages, etc.



I used this method to buy my truck, a 2006 Ford Ranger. I bought it in February 2007, when it had 15,000 miles on the odometer. Being a basic truck, without many options, I found it was valued in the $11,500 to $12,500 range, depending on which source I consulted. The dealer had it listed for $11,999 in a newspaper ad.



I arranged financing with my bank, and then called the dealer (a 40 minute drive from my house, so I figured it was better to call first.) They still had the truck, and if I was offering cash, they were willing to come off the price $1,000 immediately. I got the price down another $250 or so and then offered up my trade, a totaled 1994 Nissan pickup that still ran and drove just fine, for an extra $850 or so. It turned out they acquired this truck from a previous owner who traded it in on a brand new Ford Mustang, and I suspect had paid much less than the suggested NADA trade-in value in the process. That's why they were willing to sell it to me so far below the NADA and Edmunds TMV "dealer retail" value.



I came out of it with a very small truck payment, and a great deal overall. We will employ the same strategy when my wife's car needs replacement in a couple years.Does It Make Sense To Trade In my Car?
keep the car you have because you don,t know what your getting on the car market. if you want to lower your payments then get a loan against your car.Does It Make Sense To Trade In my Car?
You won't find the kind of deal you're looking for from a dealer. Look at the dealer trade-in value of your car on KBB. I think you'll find it to be considerably less than you owe on your loan. You'd be better off trying to sell the car yourself, then go shopping for a lower priced vehicle.



ADDED: When you sell the car, you'll use the cash from the sale to pay off your loan and obtain a release of lien from the bank. You'll then give the clear title to the buyer. Any cash you have left over after that is your's to spend on a new car, or whatever else you want to do with it.

Why does insurance want to know how much I purchased the car for? How do they use this info?

I just purchased a used car and started to add insurance on it with Wawanesa Insurance. Right off the bat the representative asked me how much did I purchase the car for. I would like to know if they base my premiums based on how much i purchased the car for. Lets say I purchased a car for 10,000. If I told them I purchased the car for 5,000 would the Premiums be less but if i total my car would they only cover $5000 or would they go by KBB, current market value..ect ect ? Are insurance companies required to share this information with anybody?



Thank youWhy does insurance want to know how much I purchased the car for? How do they use this info?
depends on the year of the veh, if the car is old like 1989 or older it will probably need to have a stated amount (cost new), if it has a salvage title they might ask you for the stated amount, of if you want to have a stated amount.....yes they will rate you based on the info you provide so just be honest with themWhy does insurance want to know how much I purchased the car for? How do they use this info?
I've never had an insurance agent ask me that. I'd be careful.
  • mbusa
  • Will trading in my new car worth 21k for another new car get me what my car is worth for the trade in value?

    I have a 2009 nissan rogue. Its got 7k miles on it. KBB says trade in value is 21,100. I would like to get something like a RAV4. I owe 17k on the Rogue which is financed through my bank. Does it matter if when I go to buy a RAV4 if I look to buy a new or used one? Will that change the amount the dealer is willing to give me for my Rogue?



    ALSO : I clearly dont know much about this...



    So.. Say the dealer gives me 21, 100 for my Rogue. I buy a car that is 25k. I would then turn around and pay off my Rogue (17k), put the 4,100 toward my new RAV4 and then finance the rest... Correct? Will I need to put any other money down.



    I really wish I liked my Rogue so I didnt have to deal with this... thanks ya'll!Will trading in my new car worth 21k for another new car get me what my car is worth for the trade in value?
    First of all even though you car is worth 21k it's unlikely a dealer will offer that as they want to make a profit from you. Most work from the glasses guide (trade value) when valuing your car.

    You'd be much better selling it privately and then heading down to the dealer with a 4k deposit to set up a new finance.

    Also check with your current finance company there isn't an early settlement fee depending on what you orginally agreed in your current contract.

    Laast of all do some research on the new car and have a few test drives so your not spending 20k+ on a car you might not like.

    Good luck

    Sold a car without full disclosure, Should i talk to a lawyer first?

    I was sold a used 2007 Toyota Camry for $18k(KBB Value) with 18K miles and had a 3yr or 36,000 mile warranty. i noticed that the temperature Gauge was not not showing the outside temperature but i was not in a position at the time to get to a shop immediately to check it out and i also figured it would have been covered under the warranty. 7 months and another 5K miles later i finally take it to a Toyota dealership only to find that:

    1. The actual unit was missing from the car

    2. The engine is leaking oil, Coolant and the Power steering fluid

    3. The original Engine had been replaced with an aftermarket engine which voids the warranty!!!

    4. We pulled up the VIN# There are signs that the car had been in a front end collision and that the engine indeed need to be replaced(Possibly replaced by former owner.)

    I took the car back to the dealership and they put me in a loaner for now, they apparently fixed the car but i decided i wanted out of the Camry. They are letting me out of the car for a comparable one but they are saying the car has depreciated in value and the trade in value is was 12K for the car ( i still have 11,000 that I'm financing). i feel as if I'm losing out on more cash than i should be and now I'm considering asking for my down payment back and going elsewhere . BTW none of this information was not on the car fax report which i know is kind of a useless tool. Is there any reason i should get a lawyer involved in this mess?Sold a car without full disclosure, Should i talk to a lawyer first?
    tell the dealership you want 18k in credit or the next call you make will be to the Atty Generals office and the DMV fraud division. you can also call ToyotaSold a car without full disclosure, Should i talk to a lawyer first?
    Well, you can either write it off as one of life's less beneficial lessons or you can pursue it legally.

    Personally, I would simply talk to a lawyer experienced with such issues just to get an idea of what all of my options are. Obviously, the dealer doesn't have much of a defense in this case.Sold a car without full disclosure, Should i talk to a lawyer first?
    By using legal service, I look at it as spending more money than you should. It's terrible that this has happened to you, but cars do depreciate just that fast, and losing out on 6 grand is not unheard of... especially since you've had the car for over half a year and wracked up those miles. Looks to me as if you're just going to have to suck it up and cut your losses. At least they're being nice enough to let you out of the Camry... THAT is something that you should be looking at as a bonus. Even though it feels like you get the short end of the stick and you FEEL like you're getting ripped off, I don't believe you are. You could argue until your blue though... Maybe they'll up you a thousand of two.