Automotive

Sit down and take a deep breath, EV fans. The Nissan Leaf electric car will cost $32,780 when it rolls into showrooms in December. Add in the federal EV tax credit, and the bottom line is $25,280, a price that makes the Leaf competitive with the Honda Civic and the Toyota Prius.

Nissan announced the price today and said it starts taking reservations for the Leaf electric car April 20. The five-passenger hatchback sports a 23 kilowatt-hour lithium-manganese battery that’s good for a claimed 100 miles and recharges in eight hours. The Japanese automaker plans to crank out 50,000 Leafs in 2011. With some 85,000 “hand-raisers” expressing interest in getting one, some EV advocates believe Nissan’s priced the car so competitively it could have trouble meeting demand.

“I think it’s an excellent price,” said Paul Scott, a founder and board member of the EV advocacy group Plug-In America. “I think Nissan is going to have a hard time keeping them on the showroom floor, especially in states that have additional tax credits. In California, it’s going to be a hell of a bargain at $20,028. They’ve really nailed it. It’s very, very affordable.”

We must note that these prices are for the United States only, and Nissan is offering the Leaf for sale or lease only as a complete package. It is not leasing the battery separately from the car here in the United States, though it might do so elsewhere. continue reading…

New or used car

By purchasing a used car, you can save a lot of money. A new car depreciates quickly in the first few years and after 3 years, it is worth only about 60-70% of the original price. In fact, as soon as you leave the dealership, your new vehicle is suddenly worth $1000-$2000 less. When purchasing a new car you basically are paying for its fresh “new” aroma and warranty. Yet, buying a new car does not always mean the buyer will get perfection. A new car may come with problems associated with poor design or manufacturing defects that may have been already repaired during the warranty coverage period if it’s a used car. The same is true for all kinds of recalls and service campaigns. Another advantage of buying a used car is that you could buy a loaded model with all the bells and whistles that you might not be able to afford had you bought a new car.
However, buying a used car is still a bit of a gamble – there is no guarantee that the car is accident-free, has real mileage, and was properly maintained. There may be some hidden problems like a worn out automatic transmission, or engine problems that may not have been obvious when you test-drove the car. So, next you must ask yourself: Will I save money when buying a used car? How do I eliminate the risk of potential problems and is this actually possible to do? Read on to find out more information. continue reading…