The first and easiest way to get out of a car lease is if you pay the remaining balance that you owe the dealership. This may be easy, but [...]]]> There are only two real ways to get out of a car lease. These, at least, are the easiest ways, and they each have their own requirements.

The first and easiest way to get out of a car lease is if you pay the remaining balance that you owe the dealership. This may be easy, but it’s a tough decision to make especially if you need a great deal of money to pay off the rest of the lease agreement.

The other way is to transfer your lease to someone else. Now, there are many car lease transfer services that can help you achieve this, but there is one problem to tackle: the car dealership that you leased your car from has to honor the possibility of a lease transfer. Basically, what you are doing is selling your car to someone else by charging that person whatever you paid for already and then have him continue the lease that you applied for. This takes a lot of paperwork, and it will involve you trying to find someone interested enough to take over your lease.

Whatever way you end up with, there are difficulties. The question you have to ask yourself is, Will it be worth all that trouble just to get out of a car lease?

When a car buyer owes money on a used car that they are trading in, the dealer agrees to pay off the outstanding loan. [...]]]> As thousands of auto dealership across the country close, thousands of consumers are ending up on the hook for used car loans that the dealers were supposed to have taken care of.

When a car buyer owes money on a used car that they are trading in, the dealer agrees to pay off the outstanding loan. But as dealerships go out of business, some are leaving consumers with the bill. The lender will then go after the previous owner who thought the debt was already paid. They can also repossess the car from the new owner who assumed it came with a clear title. The consumer can end up with two car payments and a damaged credit rating.

The problem may only get worse as the recession continued. In some states, dealers are required to prove they are paying off a vehicle’s lien before transferring the title. There are also a few states that have programs that require dealers to post insurance bonds to repay victimized car buyers. Consumers in states that don’t have these programs have little recourse. Consumers can try to sue the dealership, but if they have declared bankruptcy, there may be no money to reclaim.

To avoid these problems, new car buyers with trade-ins should first pay off the loan themselves, or deal with high volume dealership that is part of a larger auto group and therefore less likely to fold. Used car buyers should insist on seeing a vehicle’s title to make sure that it has no liens.

GM said nine of its 11 U.S. plants will not close for the usual two-week summer shutdowns [...]]]> Last Thursday Reuters announced that General Motors announced they have planned to upturn manufacture by 56,000 cars. To do this they will be keeping most of their plants within the U.S. open through its traditional summer closure period.

GM said nine of its 11 U.S. plants will not close for the usual two-week summer shutdowns and remain to operate over the June 28 to July 9 period to aid meet robust demand for vehicles like the Buick LaCrosse or Chevrolet Traverse. Most of GM’s U.S. stamping and powertrain plants will also work to support assembly operations. “Our manufacturing teams are taking creative approaches to increase production and reduce the wait times for our dealers and customers,” said Mark Reuss, head in chief of GM North America, in a public declaration.

GM’s U.S. sales increased 15% in the first five months of 2010 from the same period 2009, to some extent disappointing the 17% increase in U.S. industry sales.

Not including four brands GM sold or shut down, U.S. sales for its remaining Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands were up more than 30 percent this year through May.

Automakers have conventionally used summer shutdowns to help complete the yearly model exchange and support upkeep operations.

Volvo C70: Edmund’s reviewers seem to like the retractable hardtop on this model; which also gives an advantage compared to other convertibles when winter comes. Like all Volvos, [...]]]> Summer’s here and hitting the road could surely be way cooler in a convertible, right? Take a look at these models compiled by Jerry Edgerton for MoneyWatch.com.

Volvo C70: Edmund’s reviewers seem to like the retractable hardtop on this model; which also gives an advantage compared to other convertibles when winter comes. Like all Volvos, the C70 is well equipped when it comes to security.

Ford Mustang: Although the new 2011 Mustang will be shortly on sale; but if you don’t want to wait the 2010 model could be perfect for you. You could go for style over speed with the V6 model; rated 18 mpg in city and 26 on highway. There are a lot of rebates and incentives going on so go ahead and ask for different deals.

Mini-Cooper: There are little cars as cute as a Mini convertible; BMW has made a great job here achieving a very hard to get combination of speed and fuel efficiency. There’s a 5% discount from the original tag available as well as regional incentives.

Jeep Wrangler: This is an unbeatable off roader with a solid quality background. It might not be the right one if you plan to use it on the city but there are little cars in this price range that will match a Wrangler off the road. Rebates and 0% financing could be available in your area.

To calculate a true wholesale car price dealer invoice is what the dealership paid the manufacturer minus marketing considerations, such as holdback and incentives.

In many cases, you can negotiate a price below car invoice, if you are less particular [...]]]> In most cases, a Car dealership’s “dealer invoice” is a value, very close to true dealer cost.

To calculate a true wholesale car price dealer invoice is what the dealership paid the manufacturer minus marketing considerations, such as holdback and incentives.

In many cases, you can negotiate a price below car invoice, if you are less particular about the options you want on the car and you leverage competing dealers against each other.

But, it’s important to keep in mind that the validity of this method for calculating wholesale car prices can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Typically, foreign car brands incur greater costs, in the form of tariffs, taxes and import costs, which makes it unrealistic make the actual dealer invoice, a starting point for price negotiation.

The best car buying tip we can give you is to shop around and get dealers to compete with one another. As the dealers fall over themselves competing for your business, it will become abundantly clear to you what is fair new car price. If you’re flexible on color and options, you are on your way to getting a fantastic deal.