Email Us a Question

Finding Kentucky used cars – know your options

January 31, 2012 by admin in Kentucky Cars, Kentucky used cars | Leave a comment

Okay, so you are looking for a new or used car in Kentucky? Great! Or is it? The trick to enjoying the Kentucky used car buying experience is to know your options, evaluate them and then select a quality Kentucky dealership or private car dealer in Kentucky.

When it comes to where you can buy a car or truck, these are your primary options:

  • A private seller (e.g. a friend, family member, online seller)
  • A national car dealer (e.g. Thrifty Car Sales, Enterprise Car Sales, CarMax)
  • A regional car dealer (e.g. Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, Sam Swope Automotive, The Kia Stores)
  • A local car dealer (Copple Chevrolet GMC, Jim Brown Auto Sales)
  • Automotive auction (KASP Auto Auctions)

What Kentucky used car dealer option should you choose?
First off, never pick just any used car dealer simply because you are primed to buy. A hasty decision today could lead to many headaches down the road. The most important factor to consider is whether or not you feel comfortable doing business with the dealer. If you are unfamiliar with any auto dealer in Kentucky, begin the process by conducting and online search or requesting a referral from a trusted family member or a friend. Once you have identified a number of Kentucky car dealers, contact them via email, telephone or by filling out a form. The speed and quality of the communication that they offer you will serve as an indicator of their quality. As you communicate with them, ask yourself if the car salesman does the following:

A sign of a good car dealer/salesman:

  • They respond to your call, email or form submission quickly
  • They focus on your specific needs, wants and financial restrictions
  • They listen and respond to your questions with clear answers (or find a resource that can provide one to you)

If your request was not responded to promptly or if the seller was more interested in selling a car than in helping you make a purchase, find an alternative option. There are plenty of Kentucky car dealerships and private sellers who will treat you with the respect that you require and demand.

Remember that you call the shots
Keep in mind that you are the one who is buying the car, which means you should be the one in control of the car buying process. Avoid car dealers who try to call the shots (e.g. make you test drive cars that you are not interested in purchasing, attempt to convince you that your financial restrictions are too conservative, etc.).

These days you have many options when it comes to where to buy Kentucky used cars. However, the option that is best for you is normally the one that offers a car dealer who is concerned with and committed to selling an automobile that fulfills your unique needs and wants.

Read More

Kentucky dealerships take heed: Ford not concerned with Fusion topping Camry Sales

January 31, 2012 by admin in Kentucky Cars, Kentucky Dealerships | Leave a comment

Kentucky dealerships may be surprised to hear this one: Ford hasn’t made it a priority for its Ford Fusion to top Toyota Camry sales. Rather, Ford had decided to emphasize maximizing the amount of money made per vehicle it sells. Ford also recognizes that it is at a disadvantage even if it were to compete with Toyota, considering that Toyota can manufacture about 100,000 more cars than Ford, thanks to its Indiana and Kentucky car manufacturing plants.

Here is an article written on this topic. Take heed, Kentucky dealerships!

“I don’t think we’re very enamored with being Number One just to be Number One,” Ford Global Marketing Vice President Jim Farley says of his expectations for the 2013 Ford Fusion. Interest in the Fusion spiked after the 2013 model’s premium-look sheetmetal made a splash at this month’s Detroit Auto Show, so it’s natural to expect that Ford wants to grab the sales volume brass ring. After all, the Ford Taurus was the best-selling car in the U.S. for nearly half of the 1990s, but Farley points out that Ford is “much more enamored with getting the right price point and the right kind of people to buy the car.”

Simply put, that means that while Ford is bringing additional Fusion production to the AutoAlliance International facility in Flat Rock, MI, success won’t be measured just by total units sold. Besides, even with the added capacity, Ford’s 400,000 per year full-tilt capability still trails the 500,000 Camry models Toyota can assemble in Kentucky and Indiana. Ford apparently thinks it’s smarter to focus on the technology, style, and efficiency that customers will pay more for, rather than forcing dealers to take more cars than they want and dumping the rest into fleets just to get the sales crown.

Instead of crowing about a short-term metric that ultimately cheapens the brand image and drives down resale values, Ford’s posture suggests they want to drive continued profitability by getting more money per sale than the competiton. Finding tech savvy buyers will mean spending heavy dollars on digital marketing campaigns, including social media, and for a change, that may mean strong Fusion sales in markets that don’t traditionally embrace the Blue Oval as strongly as the stalwart support of the midwest.

We have to agree that profit-per-vehicle and a good reputation strikes us as a better strategy to long-term health than a strategy based on volume dominance, but we’re guessing that Farley and company would still be pleased as punch if the Fusion managed to outsell the competition.

Read More

Ford reports net income of $13.62 billion in Q4 – Louisville Cars

January 31, 2012 by admin in Louisville Cars | Leave a comment

This will likely make Louisvillian’s happy: Ford reported a hefty net income of $13.62 billion in Q4. It certainly is good to see the company, which has a Louisville car and truck manufacturing plant, reporting solid numbers.

Here is the article written by Louisville’s Business First Magazine:

Ford Motor Co. reported net income of $13.62 billion, or $3.40 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2011, up from net income of $190 million, or 5 cents per share, in 2010.

The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker reported revenue of $34.6 billion, up from $32.5 billion in 2010.

Ford’s profit for the quarter included a one-time, non-cash tax benefit totaling $12.4 billion.

For the year, Ford (NYSE: F) reported a profit of $20.21 billion, or $4.94 per share, up from $6.56 billion, or $1.66 per share, in 2010. Annual revenue rose to $136.3 billion from $120.9 billion.

Ford is one of the largest employers in Louisville, where it operates the Louisville Assembly and Kentucky Truck plants.

“Despite the continued uncertainty in the external environment, the strength of our North American and Ford Credit operations allows us to continue to invest for future growth and develop outstanding products with segment-leading quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value,” Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally said in a news release.

 

Read More

Selecting the right KY Car Sales Spot

January 31, 2012 by admin in Ky Car Sales | Leave a comment

Selecting a KY car sales dealer is key to finding and buying a quality car at a fair price. There are a number of factors that you should consider when weighing your KY car sales dealer options. A little time invested up front to sift through the options and select which Kentucky car dealers to visit and which ones to avoid is a wise move that has the potential to save you time and money.

Online reviews
Conduct a search online and see what others are saying about the car dealerships you are considering to visit. The following sites will likely contain useful Kentucky car dealership reviews:

  • Google Places/Google Reviews
  • Yelp!
  • MyDealerReport.com (visit site)

 

Friend and family recommendations
Ask friends and family members who have recently purchased a vehicle or had their vehicle repaired for their words of wisdom. The chances are good that someone has a good or bad opinion about a car dealership in Kentucky that you are considering to visit.

Years in existence
Visit the Kentucky car dealership’s website and navigate to the section that discusses the history or mission of the car dealership (most likely titled, “About Us”). In this section, the more established car dealerships will tout their years of loyal customer service. Newer Kentucky car dealerships will probably not list when they opened their doors. A general rule of thumb is that more established car dealers are a better selection than newly established Ky car sales shops.

Salesmen experience
If you do happen to walk on a KY car sales shop’s lot before doing any research, that’s okay – you still have an opportunity to conduct some valuable research. Ask the dealership’s general manager or another member of its staff for the most experience car salesman. There are a number of car salesmen who are new to the job, know little about the cars they are selling and are hungry for a paycheck. Obviously, you want to avoid these potential hazards, and you will do just that by requesting to work with the most experienced salesman. If there is not an experienced salesman, then strongly consider thanking them for their time and departing to seek another KY car sales shop’s business.

Taking these factors into consideration prior to buying your car will put you in a much better position to enjoying the car buying experience.

Read More

Car Service Schedule – Louisville Cars

January 18, 2012 by admin in Louisville Cars | Leave a comment

We all know our vehicles need to be maintained. What is oftentimes unclear is exactly when this maintenance should take place. An additional unknown is what kind of car service is recommended each time your car receives care. Well, you don’t need to be uncertain anymore, because this post is dedicated to making these unknowns, knowns.

Here is a list of car service recommendations – when to have your car serviced and what should be checked during each visit:

Monthly:
Cleaning
Lights
Check engine light on
Windshield washer fluid
Tire inflation and condition

Every 3 months or 3,000 miles:
Automatic transmission fluid
Belts
Engine air filter
Check engine light on
Battery and cables
Exhaust
Lights
Power steering fluid
Hoses
Engine oil and filter
Tire inflation and condition
Windshield washer fluid
Power steering fluid

Check every six months or 6,000 miles:
Chassis lubrication
Check engine light on
Automatic transmission fluid
Belts
Battery and cables
Fuel filter
Exhaust
Polish
Hoses
Lights
Tire inflation and condition
Wiper blades
Engine air filter
Power steering fluid
Windshield washer fluid

Check every nine months or 9,000 miles:
Lights
Hoses
Tire inflation and condition
Windshield washer fluid
Power steering fluid
Check engine light on
Belts
Engine air filter
Fuel filter
Exhaust
Batter and cables
Automatic transmission fluid

Check every year or 12,000 miles:
Exhaust
Hoses
Fuel filter
Lights
Spark plugs
Power steering fluid
Engine air filter
Engine oil and filter
Spark plugs
Windshield washer fluid
Wiper blades
Tire inflation and condition
Steering and suspension
Coolant (antifreeze)
Check engine light on
Polish
Belts
Brakes
Automatic transmission fluid
Battery and cables
Cabin air filter
Chassis lubrication

 

Read More
← Older posts
Louisville Cars RSS Feed