When it comes to roadside assistance, personally I love it – not only because it is convenient, but it is one of those things that everyone should have.  While most manufacturers provide a service to rescue the car, but what happens if they don’t?  Well, as we explored in previous blogs, AAA is a great option, as this is certainly a great way to ensure that you are getting the most out of your policy.

A lot of auto warranties, as an incentive also add in roadside assistance.  This means that if you lock yourself out, run out of gas or even get a flat tire, someone will be there for you; you just have to find out exactly what is covered in your policy.

Keep in mind though that a lot of warranties do not include roadside assistance, but a lot of warranties do.

Now that we have touched on exactly what kind of warranty a bumper-to-bumper is, let’s go ahead and explore the powertrain or sometimes called the drivetrain warranty.  This particular warranty actually only covers what makes the car moves.  What that includes is going to be the drive axles, the engine itself and of course the transmission.  While those are all expensive, things like the hoses and belts are not covered.

This is definitely a warranty that is a little on the rough side and it is definitely one that is important and certainly one that is worth the research on it.  However, if are looking for a car warranty that covers everything – bumper-to-bumper, you want to make sure that you get the last warranty we discussed.

In the next blog, we will talk about roadside assistance because that is covered in some warranties.

Getting into a car accident is not just a very terrible situation but it is one that is stressful as well, however there are some things that you might be able to do in the fixing portion of the auto accident to make it a little more stress free.  That is what we are going to talk about in the next few blogs, what to do after the car accidents and some collision repair tips and tricks.

Finding a good and decent auto body shop is extremely difficult and stressful.  Believe me, I know, I had to do a call around for one this weekend when my car would not start.  First things first though, you want to make sure that you look online.

When you look online for an auto place, the benefit of it is that there are reviews from real customers that have used the auto shop – that way you can see if people say the auto mechanic is trust-worthy and reasonable in the price.  More in the next blog!

Now that we have discussed focus, let’s make sure that you realize just how important this is.  While most of the time, listening to the radio or even being on your cell phone are things that you can do while driving but really – when it is snowing, those two huge distracts are not things that you want to be doing while driving.

Driving in the snow is hard, I am not going to lie to you, however it is not impossible and it is something that you can do, just with patience.  One of the most important things that you need to remember is that patience is key when driving in the snow.

You do not want to get frustrated for that will just make the entire process that much more stressful.

Driving safer is not something that is all that easy in the beginning, especially if you are a very, very aggressive driver.  However, it is something that you can change about your driving style, you might not be able to do it yourself though – keep that in mind.  For example, you may have to take some defensive driving classes in order to switch up your driving style.

Another fantastic way to avoid car accidents is making sure that you keep a long length between you and the car in front of you.  For example, at least two car lengths is the norm but if you keep three – that will make you that much safer.

In the next blog, we will talk about the weather and how you should be aware of your surroundings.  Stay tuned!

We all know that when you are in a car accident – your car insurance rates go up.  What you might not know is that car accidents usually come about from people driving extremely aggressive and/or not paying attention.  While these seem like easy fixes, they really aren’t and in the next few blogs – we are going to touch on what you need to do to avoid car accidents.

First and foremost, you need to make sure that you are never, ever drinking and driving as that can definitely muddle your vision and your mind and not make you pay attention.  Next, you want to minimize your distractions.  This includes your cell phone, as that is the number one causer of car accidents.

In the next blog, we will talk about how you can become a defensive driver versus an aggressive driver.

Finding a mechanic is a stressful process but one you have find out, you want to make sure that you take a little tour of the shop where they work.  This can honestly tell you a lot about where the mechanic works and what type of work ethic they have in the shop.

You want to look at the equipment to see if it is up to take and if they have certified technicians.  You also want to make sure that the staff is helpful and courteous and that the shop itself is neat and organized.  While these might seem like mundane things, they are actually really important.

Next, you want to test the shop – send one of your friends to see how they treat women and men differently – if they do, you will tell that this is not the shop for you.

Now that we have talked about consulting your friends and family for a mechanic, you now need to decide whether or not you want to go with an independent shop or if you want to go with the dealer itself.  There are pros and cons to both of them, however you can really find a good mechanic anywhere.

One thing that you should know is that dealerships usually charge a heck of a lot more – so that is something to keep in mind.  Really, any competent mechanic can perform routine maintenance and repairs on your cars, you don’t necessarily have to go to the dealer, however if you need a warranty or recall repair, you will have to consider going to the dealership.

This is because these mechanics actually receive factory training from the manufacturers of the cars, so they know how to handle these repairs.

All right, so we have talked about the repair costs, the sticker price and finally the theft/fraud patterns as well.  The next part of this we are going to talk about is the model; year, weight and total vehicle type are going to be some of the other items that the car insurance companies will look at as soon as you purchase your car.  Pretty much, the rule of thumb is going to be that the higher power you have, the higher your premiums are going to be.

Sports cars and high-performance cars along with luxury cars are all going to have a higher premium, so that is something that you should keep in mind.  Another thing that will play factor to your car insurance premiums is your demographics.  Where you live, gender, age and driving record are just a few things to think about.

Car insurance is difficult to keep hold of and certainly difficult to really find the lowest cost to – so make sure you do your research before you buy!

Did you know that some of the cheapest cars to buy at by far one of the most expensive cars to insure?  For example, one of the cheapest cars on the market is the VW GTI, which is only about $22,000 however; it will cost you a heck of a lot in the long run for car insurance.  There are several major factors that car insurance companies take into consideration when you purchase a new car.  That is what we are going to go through in these next few blogs!

One of the first things that the car insurance companies take into consideration when they want to look at the premiums for a car is how much the sticker price is going to be.  Most of the time, a car that costs more to buy is going to cost way more to replace, they think about those things when they are quoting rates.

In the next blog, we are going to talk about car repairs and just what you should look for!