Tag Archives: buying a new car in dallas

Want A New Car, Figure Out A Realistic Budget First

Almost ever person I know falls into the trap of wanting more than they can really afford…or more than they should be able to afford, in some cases. That’s just human nature. It would be great if the average person hand an unlimited budget to get the car the want, but we’re not all Paris Hilton who can buy a Pink Bentley easier than we can get gum at the corner store. No matter how much you believe your new car budget is, it is still best to figure out a true budget friendly car payment when you are planning to buy a new car. In fact, with a well thought out budget and some quality car research, you may find that you can actually get more for your money.

You can obtain a Reliable Annual Percentage Rate from your bank. It is helpful if you will conduct good research with several banks. Low APR however are only granted to creditors with good credit records. Those who have bad credit records are left with no choice but to bear the burden of high interest payments.

The useful tips in the video above can help you figure out a budget friendly new car payment. If you have any questions about setting a realistic budget, call us at Freeman Grapevine and we can put you in the car you want for a price you can really afford without much stress on your wallet, or your head.

Dallas GMC Dealer Explains the Truck Driver’s Blind spot better than anyone

If you’ve ever driven, or even ridden in a car in Dallas or Fort Worth, then there is no doubt you’ve seen the large, commercial trucks that roam our already over crowded highways and byways. Especially right out here in front of Freeman Grapevine on 121 and 114, in fact, you literally see them everywhere, transporting goods to stores and construction sites, but their drivers may not be able to see you.

Now, you get used to dealing with big rigs on the road. The are imposing, they are loud and they always seem to find a way to pin you between the barrier wall and their cargo trailer. I haven’t even mentioned the tsunami that incurs when they hit patch of standing water on the highway. A wall of water is the best way I can describe it. For a seasoned driver, this is tolerable, but for a new driver it’s terrifying.

So, when I found an article about the Street Survival School held at the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, I was eager to find out what skills they were teaching our young drivers. The idea was to set up a demonstration to show teen drivers the limitations with truck drivers’ visibility and teach the young motorists how to safely maneuver around big vehicles. Something we all could have probably benefited from as young drivers.

During this class session, they parked one of their track-maintenance dump trucks, a 10-wheeled monster, in the parking lot, with shiny new cars arrayed around it as if on a freeway. The kids got to climb in the cab to check which cars they could see. The nearest car behind, barely visible by bobbing your head among the various mirrors, was parked about 50 feet behind the dump truck. This gave the young drivers a real feel for the visibility limitations of commercial truck drivers, and it will hopefully encourage them to think about how they position themselves in traffic.

Seeing what it is like for a truck driver provided valuable insight for these kids, no doubt. The adage about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes really goes a long way when seen from the driver’s seat of a rig. Watch the video below and see for yourself. It might just make you a safer driver, as well.

 

 

Hints To Buying a New Car

The excitement of buying a new car usually comes just before you make that decision to get a new car, and just after you’ve left the lot with that new car and sealed the deal.  Who really enjoys the actual process of buying a new car? Not many. However the car buying process shouldn’t be as stressful as it is perceived when you understand the process.

For instance, do your research first, have a few options in mind, procure your loan early so you know what is really in your budget and don’t be scared to shop around. Of course I want you to come and buy from Freeman Grapevine, but for your own satisfaction, see what else is out there.

The advice on this video should help out. Additionally, do some research online before you go, and do some research on the dealership itself too.

So the bottom line is: Be Prepared! Not only do you want to do your research, but you also want to know what your credit report score is before you go. If you walk in to a dealership and they know more about your credit than you do, that’s just bad. Also, when you do check your credit report, you may find an error that will affect whether you can get a car loan or not!

After all is done, then come to Freeman Grapevine. We like our buyers to be educated about the industry, the products and the Dallas car dealers.

But if you aren’t, that’s okay too!

Fort Worth & Dallas: FIX YOUR POTHOLES

Hey, it happens even to the best of us here at Freeman Grapevine. You’re driving along, focusing on the road ahead, and you might not even notice the huge hole in the road…until you drive over it.

Bam, you just hit a pothole. It might have sloshed your coffee, or made your CD player skip. You quietly curse the pothole and you might even shake an angry fist in the rear view mirror, but then you just go about your day. What you might not know is, driving over potholes can cause serious damage to your car.

First off, what exactly is a pothole? Well, as roadways freeze and thaw, some of the water erodes the dirt beneath the surface of the road. Then the asphalt will start to crack and chip away. This leads to small holes in the road, and they will eventually turn into potholes.

How can potholes affect you? Well, you could notice immediate damage via a flat tire or long-term damage could start to affect your alignment and steering. Pothole damage accounts for about 500,000 insurance claims every year, so you should look for any signs of damage as soon as possible.

If you have aluminum rims, they might become bent or warped if you hit too many potholes, and they just can’t withstand the impact that older, steel rims can. If you hit a deep pothole, it could chip away some of the rust proofing on the undercarriage of you car, and you will want to get that repaired as quickly as possible.

The biggest problem will have an effect on your steering and shocks. If you notice that your car starts to pull in one direction or the other when you let go of the steering wheel, your alignment is probably off. If you notice that your drive is becoming a little rougher and you can feel every little bump in the road, those potholes might have messed up your shock springs.

Let me know if you have any funny or nightmarish pothole stories, and I might include them in a future blog post! Of course, if that pothole has left you with any of the issues I mentioned above, then feel free to bring it into Freeman Grapevine so we can take a look.